The Maine Comics Arts Festival

MECAF offers cartooning workshops for all skill levels and panel discussions on creating comics.

Programming highlights:

11:00- Emily Drouin- How to Draw Cartoon Show Characters:
Stephen Universe and more!



12:00- David Bowie panel with creator Jeff Rougvie:


In 1989, Rykodisc, a tiny independent record label, was hand-picked by Bowie to curate his revered body of 70s work, including classics like Space Oddity, Ziggy Stardust, Heroes, and Scary Monsters. What followed re-affirmed David Bowie’s genius for a new generation and helped re-energize Bowie’s creative powers. Jeff Rougvie worked closely with Bowie on this project over 10 years, and is creator of the new comic Gunning For Hits, directly inspired by these experiences. During this special event, Rougvie will tell the story of working with Bowie, including his connection to nerd culture and comics, using visuals, snippets of music, and unseen material that reveal the inspirational drive and creativity of one of the world’s most compelling artists. Followed by Q&A.



1:00: Joe St. Pierre- Drawing Great White Sharks and creatures of the sea!



2:00: Rick Parker discusses his new autobiographical graphic novel “DRAFTED”


”DRAFTED” is the sequentially-delineated story of what happens when a naive, skinny, unpopular, insecure, inexperienced, totally unprepared, overly-protected, picked-on-as-a-kid, pimple-faced teenager whose parents wouldn’t let him have a paper route, a BB gun or a driver’s license, quickly flunks out of college his freshman year and gets inducted into the United States Army at height of The Vietnam War.”

3:00: Rock N Roll N Comics: A discussion of music comics with Mort Todd and and Jeff Rougvie.
Todd was editor of the Marvel Music line which produced comics featuring Alice Cooper and the Rolling Stones. Rougvie is an award-winning music executive who’s just released a new Image Comics series, mashing-up crime and the music business.

Here is the list of this years guests and exhibitors. We have listed them by location, as there are several sections of the library where people will be exhibiting.

Here is a list of our confirmed exhibitors/ guests at MeCAF for this year. We expect more to be added soon. If you think that you should be on the list and aren’t please let us know. Thanks!

Updated 4/20/17

Alex Chautin
Alex Cormack
Alex Longstreth
Alyssa Maynard
Amilia St. John
Andres Vera Martinez
Andrew Hunter
Angela Boyle
Anna Leue
Barry Corbett
Braden Lamb
Bridget Comeau
Cara Bean
Catalina Rufin
Chan Chau
Chris Collins
Chris Watkins
Christina Kelly
Christina Savino
Claire Sanders
Claudia Berger
Corey Hodgdon
Crispin Wood
Dan Mazur
Declan McCarthy
Desmond Reed
Emily Drouin
Eric Boeker
Fulton Beal
Greg Marathas
Ian Richardson
Isaac Cates
J. Sjostrom
Jackie Musto
James Couture
Jay Piscopo
Jeff Kline
Jenny McKeon
Jerel Dye
Jesse Lundberg
Jimmy Curtis
Joe Haley
Joe St. Pierre
Joey Peters
John Carvajal
Jordan Stillman
Joshua Falkenburg
Justin Phillips
Kat Fajardo
Keith Perkins
Kelly Fernandez
Kori Handwerker
Kurt Ankeny
Lenwood Brown
Lindsay Moore
Liz Prince
Liz Young
Maarta Laiho
Matt Bradshaw
Matt Smith
Megan Turner
Michael Mitchell
Michael Saver
Michael Weins
Michelle Cooney
Miles Cook
Mitra Farmand
Neil Johnson
Olivia Li
Pat Nietupski
Phil McAndrew
Pug Grumble
Reilly Hadden
Rick Parker
Robot Camp
Roho
Sal Sciandra
Sara Capello
Sean Fahey
Sean Moran
Sequoia Bostick
Shelli Paroline
Simon Reinhardt
Stephanie Zuppo
Steve Mardo
Tina Pratt
Tom O’Brien
Tom Pappalardo
Tyson Pease
Zach Cunningham
Zachary Gibbens

The Maine Comics Arts Festival returns to the Portland Public Library on Saturday, June 17th, 2017 from 10:00-5:00. The event is free and open to the public, and will feature over 100 comic creators, publishers and cartoonists. The artists will have examples of their works available for sale. There will also be free programming and workshops throughout the day. The event is all-ages, and will have something for anyone who is a fan of the comic arts.