Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture Announces 5th Annual Black Comic Book Festival
November 14, 2017 – The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture today announced January 13-14, 2017 as the dates of its 5th Annual Black Comic Book Festival. For the first time in its five-year history, the festival will take place over two days at the Schomburg Center in Harlem.
The Schomburg Center’s Annual Black Comic Book Festival celebrates the rich tradition of black comix featuring panel discussions, film screenings, cosplay, and exhibit tables with premiere black comic creators from across the country. The annual extravaganza, which drew more than 7000 attendees in 2016, connects comic readers, creators, bloggers, nerds, independent publishers, and collectors of all ages.
“We decided to build the Black Comic Book Festival focusing on amplifying the voices of independent creators to convene the community around their art and efforts, and to feed an alternative market for culture and literacy,” said Deirdre Hollman, Director of Education and Exhibitions at the Schomburg Center. “I believe the biggest influence has been fostering a space for creative community exchange by connecting a plethora of creators, storytellers, artists, and bookmakers with an intergenerational audience of readers. Creating this space at the Schomburg, in the heart of Harlem, where the community trusts the mission of promoting black history and culture, adds to the uniqueness of this event - it is by, of and for the people.”
The Schomburg’s Annual Black Comic Book Festival is presented by festival co-founders Deirdre Hollman, Director of Education and Exhibitions at the Schomburg Center, Jerry Craft, cartoonist, children's book illustrator and creator of Mama's Boyz, and John Jennings, nationally recognized cartoonist, designer and graphic novelist.
Admission to the Black Comic Book Festival is free. Festival registration will open in mid-December 2016 at www.schomburgcenter.eventbrite.com.
Black Comic Book Festival exhibitors are by invitation only. For more information, please contact SchomburgEd@nypl.org.
WHAT: Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture’s 5th Annual Black Comic Book Festival
WHEN: January 13-14, 2017
10am – 7pm, Friday and Saturday
WHERE: Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
515 Malcolm X Blvd
New York, NY 10037
SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: @SchomburgCenter #blackcomicbookfestnyc; Instagram: @schomburgblackcomics; Facebook: www.Facebook.com/SchomburgBlackComics
REGISTRATION: Free Admission. To register and for more information on the schedule of events, visit www.schomburgcenter.eventbrite.com
MEDIA REQUESTS: The Black Comic Book Festival is open to the media. All media requests and inquiries (photo, video, interviews, audio-recording, etc) should be made at least 24-hours before the day of the event to ayofemikirby@nypl.org.
Media Contact: Ayofemi Kirby | AyofemiKirby@nypl.org
About the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, a research unit of The New York Public Library, is generally recognized as one of the leading institutions of its kind in the world. For over 90 years the Center has collected, preserved, and provided access to materials documenting black life, and promoted the study and interpretation of the history and culture of peoples of African descent. Educational and Cultural Programs at the Schomburg Center complement its research services and interpret its collections. Seminars, forums, workshops, staged readings, film screenings, performing arts programs, and special events are presented year-round. More information about Schomburg’s collections and programs can be found at www.schomburgcenter.org.
About the New York Public Library
The New York Public Library is a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With 92 locations—including research and branch libraries—throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars, and has seen record numbers of attendance and circulation in recent years. The New York Public Library serves more than 18 million patrons who come through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at www.nypl.org. To offer this wide array of free programming, The New York Public Library relies on both public and private funding. Learn more about how to support the Library at nypl.org/support.