
SATURDAY
12PM Draw The Shape, Not The Thing with Nick Davis
The secret to drawing is one simple thing, draw the shape, not draw the thing. Using a series of simple shapes, Nick Davis will show you how to draw Hero Ted, the super-heroic teddy bear who protects naptime from the monsters. You can follow along with Nick with the supplied worksheet, and draw your very own superhero. Best superhero gets the Hero Ted demo art at the end of the session.
1PM Paper Bag Puppets Creative Contest with Chris Mariano and Todd Webb
We supply paper bags and art supplies. You supply the imagination and voice when you create your own paper bag puppet! What will YOU create? We can’t wait to see! The artist with the most creative paper bag puppet wins fantastic prizes and the paper Art Championship belt!
2PM Mash-Up Mania with Dawn Griffin
Artists of all ages are welcome to join cartoonist Dawn Griffin for this family fun drawing game of combining ideas.
3PM Cat Crusader Versus Your Vile Villain! With John Gallagher
Comic creator, John Gallagher, shares his insight on making comics and helps you create a silly villain and a perilous plot. How will the heroic Cat Crusader save the day? That’s up to you!
4PM Sweetest Beasts Storytime with Harold Buchholz
Join author/artist Harold Buchholz for this special storytime event. Young readers will help move the story along as Harold shares his heartwarming tale, The Sweetest Beast By Far.
SUNDAY
12:30PM Mutant Monster Mayhem with Mark Mariano
Cartoonist Mark Mariano leads the team of mad scientists, as everyone contributes their artistic efforts to create monsters that should not exist! It’s Aliiiiiiive!
1PM Sandy Castle Doodle Beach Party
Rudee the Beachball is narrating an original, illustrated story, but there’s just one problem… He needs YOUR help to finish it! Have a ball while learning about visual storytelling!
2PM Peppermint Kaleidoscope Sound Company’s Groove is in the Art
3PM The AaaaWoooooo Werewolf Workshop with Chris Flick
Have a howling good time as cartoonist, Chris Flick, shows you how to draw werewolves of all shapes and sizes.
KIDS LOVE COMICS CREATORS
MARK MARIANO
Mark Mariano is an award winning cartoonist and creative whirlwind that loves to tell stories through comics and picture books. His books include LOUD COW, PUDDLETON FARM, and FAR OUT FIREHOUSE. As proud organizer of the traveling Kids Love Comics pavilion for several comic conventions, Mark assembles the roster of super-talented artists, and creates the programming. Being an advocate of comics in the classroom, he enjoys visiting schools and sharing his love of art and storytelling.
CHRIS MARIANO
JOHN GALLAGHER
NICK DAVIS
CHRIS FLICK
DAWN GRIFFIN
Dawn Griffin is an illustrator/cartoonist specializing in kids and young adult material, with a flair for being “cute, funny, quirky & inclusive”. She created the all-ages sci-fi/humor webcomic “Zorphbert & Fred”, boasting 4 books. She illustrated the kids books “Abby’s Adventures” published by Eifrig Publishing, and “Ida Finds her Voice”, which helps children and parents discuss tough topics together. She is currently working on a YA supernatural mystery graphic novel “Watch”, of which issue #1 was just released. Dawn has also contributed to multiple anthologies for Andrews McMeel Publishing, and Northwest Press. Her tagline “Creative Workhorse” may be an understatement.
TODD WEBB
Todd Webb was born in 1981.
He lives in Virginia Beach with his wife and their cat, where he draws the daily comic strip The Poet.
Besides cartooning, he is fond of the ocean, old monster movies, synthesizers, walking through his neighborhood at night, and the sound of a clicky pen clicking.
He also performs music as Seamonster.
If you see him at a convention, he will draw a picture of YOU in CRAYON for ONE DOLLAR – a bargain if ever there was one.
He is always drawing.
www.Toddbot.com
HAROLD BUCHHOLZ
Harold Buchholz’s career spans the worlds of comics and television. He is Executive Producer and Writer on the critically acclaimed revival of beloved cult sci-fi comedy series Mystery Science Theater 3000 on Netflix and Co-Developer and Writer on Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Comic for Dark Horse.
Harold is author/cartoonist of the family humor book series Sweetest Beasts, co-founder of the children’s literacy advocacy group Kids Love Comics, and a member of the National Cartoonists Society and the Writers Guild of America.
He hosts the weekly Unpacking Peanuts podcast alongside Jimmy Gownley and Michael Cohen, exploring the work of Charles M. Schulz from a cartoonist’s perspective.
Harold is former Senior Vice President of Publishing and Operations at the iconic Archie Comics.
THE SANDY CASTLE
Meet Laskin the crab, Rudee the beach ball, and Birdneck the umbrella, stars of “The Sandy Castle,” a new, all-ages comedy created by EMMY® award-winning producer, author and puppeteer, Justin Garcia. Set in the colorful city of Virginia Beach, VA, “The Sandy Castle” stories span books, television, live shows, and more!