Hi everyone, The Ann Arbor Comic Arts Festival (A2CAF) will be held at the Ann Arbor District Library on Saturday, June 17 through Sunday, June 18. This year's special guests include Jarrett Krosoczka, Raina Telgemeier, Ben Hatke, John Martin, and many more! More info can be found here: http://a2caf.com/ A2CAF is a totally free event that unites kids, teens, parents, teachers, and librarians with professional artists and writers from the comics and animation fields. The festival features: * hands-on workshops * panels and presentations for kids, families, and educators * a chance for kids to meet and chat with comics and animation professionals Friday, June 16 A2Inkubate Please join us for a special A2CAF unconference for Librarians, Educators, and Cartoonists! Warm yourself up for the fun events at A2CAF by leveling up your comics knowledge and skills with the people who care about the medium as much as you do! Connect and explore topics of your choosing in two unconference-style roundtable sessions. It’s free to attend, but we ask that you register for the Inkubate events using the handy form found here: http://a2caf.com/inkubate At the Shapiro Design Lab Getting Comics into the Hands of Readers (from the point of view of teachers, librarians, cartoonists, and retailers). We all want the same thing — more people reading comics. These sessions will explore the specific approaches and concerns each party faces and allow everyone to join in on the conversation. * 9:30-10:00 am – Welcome, bagel breakfast, and roundtable topic suggestions. * 10:00-10:45 am – Roundtable Session 1 * 11:00-11:45 am – Roundtable Session 2 * Noon to 2:00 pm – Lunch on your own At the Ann Arbor District Library 2:00 - 4:00 pm Secret Lab Hands-On Sessions Experience and learn how to use screen printing, letterpress, and 3D printing tools. AADL’s Secret Lab will be open for you to explore. You’ll get a chance to create your own design to print at our screen printing stations, or set some type and print your own business card or small print. There will also be a few surprise stations. 4:00 - 5:00 pm Super Random Element Comics Challenge Apply and level up your comics-making skills with a fun, interactive workshop. Take your comic-making skills to another level in this storytelling challenge! Participants will be given design constraints and a limited amount of time to create a mini-comic. 6:00-8:00 pm Reception for Ben Hatke’s Exhibit “Art and Adventure” The reception will include a discussion by AADL staff about an exhibition. Join us for food, a chance to mingle and an overview of this great exhibit. We’ll also have our annual Draw Wall outside the Downtown Library on the corner of Fifth Avenue and William Street. Attendees and the guest cartoonists can work together to create a giant comics mural! Then come to A2CAF Saturday, June 17 to meet Ben Hatke in person. Ben will be giving a gallery talk on Saturday, June 17 at 4pm . Ben Hatke’s exhibit “Art and Adventure” featuring the original illustrations and watercolors from “Nobody Likes a Goblin,” “Zita the Spacegirl,” “Julia’s House for Lost Creatures,” and a few surprises will be on display in the Downtown Library Third Floor Gallery through August 31. Thanks and hope to see you there! Anne Drozd