Press Release:
Challengers is excited to host four noted graphic novelists in a narrative panel discussion on Friday, June 30th at 6:00 PM, in celebration of Coco Picard’s “The Chronicles of Fortune” graphic novel. Fortuna. Allegedly “the greatest superhero in the world” she suffers from a bad case of ennui and as such is more or less ineffective.
Please join us as moderator NEIL BRIDEAU (Radiator Comics) talks with COCO PICARD (“The Chronicles of Fortune”), ANYA DAVIDSON (“Band for Life”), JESSICA CAMPBELL (“Hot or Not”) and MARNIE GALLOWAY (“In the Sounds and Seas”) on the narrative of comics, followed by a Q&A and signings. This event starts at 6:00pm on Friday, June 30th.
Coco Picard is the pen name of Caroline Picard an, artist, publisher and curator. Coco’s work has appeared in such publications as Tender Journal, Projecttile, Diner Journal, Everyday Genius, and Bicycle Review, and she has contributed multiple graphic adaptations to the The Graphic Canon project (Seven Stories Press). Coco’s alter-ego, Caroline is the Executive Director of The Green Lantern Press, a nonprofit publishing house, and Co-Director of Sector 2337, a hybrid artspace/bar/bookstore in Chicago, IL.
Marnie Galloway is a cartoonist & illustrator working in Chicago, Illinois. She was born in Austin, Texas and studied philosophy & logic at Smith College. Her debut graphic novel In the Sounds and Seas was published in 2016 by One Peace Books, a collection of the Xeric Award winning self-published series. It made the Notable Comics list in Best American Comics, and was mentioned in the Best Comics of 2016 round-up by the AV Club. Other comics of note include Particle/Wave, published by So What? Press, and Burrow, self-published with support from the Pulitzer Arts Foundation.
Jessica Campbell was raised in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and currently resides in Chicago, IL. She received an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a BFA from Concordia University (Montreal, QC). Campbell has recently exhibited solo and two-person exhibitions at The Sub-Mission (Chicago, IL); Roots & Culture (Chicago, IL); Trunk Show (Chicago, IL); Laroche/Joncas (Montreal, QC, Canada); and recent group exhibitions include Monique Meloche (Chicago, IL); The Owens Art Gallery, Mount Allison University (Sackville, NB, Canada); and the Onassis Cultural Center (Athens, Greece). She is a lecturer at the School of the Art Institute and DePaul University, and one of the organizers of the Chicago Alternative Comics Expo (CAKE). Her most recent book, Hot or Not: 20th Century Male Artists, was released in September, 2016.
Anya Davidson is an artist, printmaker and musician living in Chicago. She’s the author of three graphic novels, including Band for Life from Fantagraphics Books.
Neil Brideau runs Radiator Comics, a distributor of hand-made and self-published comics. Radiator Comics recently published its first graphic novel, Coco Picard’s The Chronicles of Fortune. Neil worked for six years at Quimby’s Bookstore, and co-founded the Chicago Zine Fest, and the Chicago Alternative Comics Expo. When he can, he draws kid-friendly comics, including his ongoing serialized coming-of-age adventure, The Plot!
Challengers Comics
1845 N. Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 278-0155
