Comic book fans rejoice! The second annual Women in Comics Con is coming to the Bronx Library Center on March 12, 2016. The event is sponsored by the Women in Comics NYC Collective, which was founded by comic book writer, creator and producer of Locket Down productions, Regine Sawyer.

The Women in Comics Con grew out of a women in comics panel Sawyer was invited to moderate at the Bronx Heroes Comic Con in 2012.  There she connected with lead artists from Marvel, DC Comics and Archie Comics. She also learned of their frustrations with the lack of recognition within the industry for their work.  It galvanized her to want to shine a light on the contributions of women artists.

Since then, the Women in Comics NYC Collective has grown to the international level with members in Canada, Europe, Panama, the Philippines and Cameroon. The organization conducts panels and workshops in library systems across the country. “We want to make comic books and comic artists accessible,” said Sawyer. “We want to bring the con to the community.”

The Women in Comics Con will feature workshops on a range of issues in the comic book industry including representations of race, gender and sexuality, portfolio building, gaming development and the wide world of cosplay. ”We really have a full, well-rounded event and we’re really excited about it,” said Sawyer.

In addition, the contributions of Phyllis Novin and Barbara Brandon Croft will be highlighted. Novin is an illustrator for The Simpsons and Futurama, and Croft is the first African American female cartoonist to be syndicated.  Her comic strip, Where I’m Coming From, depicted only the characters' heads and hands.