Session-Only Tickets On Sale

We’re excited to announce a brand-new way to participate in the National Cartoonists Society’s annual conference — Session-Only Tickets!

Open to members and non-members alike, this special pass gives you access to key professional events and the opportunity to connect with the NCS community.

What’s included with a Session-Only Ticket?

✅ 3 hours of professional presentations

• Thursday August 14, Boston Public Library — 1-5pm

✅ 2 hours of collaborative sessions

• Friday, August 15, Westin Copley Hotel — 10:30-noon
• For current NCS members you can also attend the 9am Business Meeting

✅ PLUS! A fun Hello Everybody Happy Hour

• Live music, free hors d’oeuvres, and great conversation
• Thursday evening at the Westin Copley Hotel— 5-7pm

See detailed session descriptions below.

Please note: Session-only tickets do not include meals, drink tickets, the Reuben Awards banquet, or the official t-shirt and goody bag — but they’re a fantastic way to dip into the NCS experience and connect with peers in the cartooning world.

🎟️ Tickets are just $100 and space is limited. Reserve yours by JULY 28!

Session-Only Tickets Include:

Money, Please: How Cartoonists Are Monetizing Their Art
THURSDAY, AUGUST 14 @ 1:15pm
Boston Public Library – Rabb Hall

Join hosts Dave Kellett and Brad Guigar for an educational and entertaining live recording of the ComicLab podcast, featuring a panel of cartoonists who are succeeding with self-publishing, self-promotion, and fan management on platforms like Patreon, Kickstarter, Substack, and more. Discover what strategies are working, how the landscape is evolving, and what resources are available to help you monetize your creative work.

Graphic Medicine: the Who, What, Why, and Wow!

• THURSDAY, AUGUST 14 @ 2:30pm
• Boston Public Library – Rabb Hall

Explore the vibrant world of graphic medicine – where comics meet healthcare. Learn how the comic arts are used to tell powerful stories and share vital information about health, illness, and everything in between. Hosted by Matthew Noe (Lead Collection & Knowledge Management Librarian at Countway Library, Harvard Medical School) and Heide Solbrig (Director of Visual Storytelling and Comic Arts at Massachusetts College of Art and Design), this panel features creators, scholars, and advocates showcasing how this dynamic, fast-growing genre is humanizing—and sometimes humorizing—the healthcare experience for patients, caregivers, professionals, scientists, and communities alike.

HOSTS

Matthew Noe, Lead Collection & Knowledge Management Librarian at Harvard Medical School’s Countway Library

Heide Solbrig, Visual Storytelling and Comic Arts Coordinator at Massachusetts College of Art and Design

PANELISTS

Cara Bean, author and art educator

Caroline Hu, visual artist, biologist, and educator

Sophia Kornienko, animation director and visual journalist

Sylvie Lardeux, visual storyteller, data scientist

 

Where I’m Coming From: Stories, Cartoons, and Commentary

• THURSDAY, AUGUST 14 @ 3:45pm
• Boston Public Library – Rabb Hall

Barbara Brandon-Croft never planned to become a cartoonist—even though she grew up with one! In this session, discover her groundbreaking journey to becoming the first nationally syndicated Black woman cartoonist in the mainstream press. Hear what it was like growing up as the daughter of Brumsic Brandon Jr., creator of the comic strip Luther, and how the messages in both of their work continue to resonate powerfully today.

 

Hello Everybody Happy Hour

• THURSDAY, AUGUST 14 @ 5pm
• Staffordshire Room, Westin Copley Hotel

Our Hello Everybody Happy Hour will take place at the Westin Copley hotel across the street from the Library.Hosted from 5:00-7:00pm, we will have tasty hors d’oeuvres, and a cash bar. Relax and enjoy the time with the friends you’ve known for years and those you’ve just met!

 

Business Meeting (for members only)

• FRIDAY, AUGUST 15 @ 9:15am
• Essex South, Westin Copley Hotel

NCS members. Join us to hear updates from the Board of Directors, learn about recent accomplishments and upcoming initiatives, introduce yourself, and share your thoughts!

 

The Doodles in Our Noodles: Creativity and the Mind

• FRIDAY, AUGUST 15 @ 10:30am
• Essex South, Westin Copley Hotel

Let’s create together! Join cartoonist and art educator Cara Bean for an interactive session that blends creativity, mindfulness, and playful exploration. In this workshop, you’ll discover your personal “artist characters” and contribute a unique piece to a giant collaborative art project. Whether you draw professionally or just live with someone who does, this fun and friendly session invites you to connect, create, and doodle your way to mindful expression.

 

Everyone’s an Expert: Member Mastermind

• FRIDAY, AUGUST 15 @ 11:45am
• Essex South, Westin Copley Hotel

This session is like the best dinner party conversation—minus the dinner (but, there will be candy!). Each table will focus on a different topic—you’ll choose one that sparks your interest and join a small group of likeminded peers for a lively, peer-led conversation. A facilitator will guide the group, helping tap into the collective wisdom, lived experience, and creative thinking everyone brings to the table. Participating at tables will be experts from a wide range of industries.

 

🎟️ Tickets are just $100 and space is limited. Reserve yours by JULY 28!

See the full conference and Reuben Awards program HERE.

Questions? Please reach our Association Manager, Jessica, at ncs@nationalcartoonists.com or 734-239-8031