Comix at the Chicago Humanities Fest

Each November, the Chicago Humanities Festival welcomes an array of creative minds to the Second City for 11 days of cultural conversation. This year, comics were part of a conversation that encompassed 30 speakers' series exploring the theme "Words and Pictures."

The CHF hosted two panels on comics: "Comics Relief" and "The Culture of Comix." Distinguished cartoonists Will Eisner, Jules Feiffer, Neil Gaiman, Ben Katchor, Scott McCloud, Art Spiegelman and Chris Ware shared the bill with speakers Edward Tufte, Studs Terkel, Michael Chabon and many other authors, scholars and artists.

Each of the festival's eight comics events was well attended. Pulitzer Prize winner Art Spiegelman commanded the strongest crowd at a panel called "Comix 101" that filled an auditorium to capacity at Northwestern University. Other well-received discussions included "The Art of the New Yorker Cover," with New Yorker art director Francoise Mouly; "Graphic Storytelling" with Will Eisner and Neil Gaiman; and a comics panel moderated by Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist Michael Chabon.

Local booksellers Barbara's Bookstore and Chicago Comics reported strong outreach and graphic novel sales at all events, which attracted a diverse audience. The festival organizers told PW they were pleased with the response, and said that comics will again be part of the discussions at next year's event.