Mark your calendars for September 25th – 29th, 2024
COLUMBUS, Ohio, — Cartoon Crossroads Columbus (CXC), the international showcase for cartoon art, celebrates the “X” in CXC with its 10th festival in the fall of 2024. Next year’s show will take place from September 25th to 29th and will feature a guest list of renowned and up-and-coming creators and a diverse slate of programming. All events are free and open to the public.
“Cartoon Crossroads Columbus 2024 will be our tenth edition, and yet it feels like we’re just beginning!” said Jeff Smith, CXC’s co-founder and artistic director, and author of the Bone graphic novels, “CXC 2024 promises a lineup of world famous and barrier-pushing guests at the fantastic art institutions of the capital city of Columbus.”
Watch CXC’s website and social media feeds for announcements about guests and programming for the upcoming festival as we make them.
Some highlights from CXC 2023: The festival ran from September 27th to October 1st and had about 13,200 attendees, an increase of about 25% from the prior year. It was the only festival appearance of the year for acclaimed cartoonist Daniel Clowes who premiered his new graphic novel, Monica. CXC featured the only North American convention appearance of manga artist Keito Gaku, author of Boys Run the Riot. Other guests Raina Telgemeier, Derf Backderf, Tauhid Bondia and Jannie Ho, among many others.
“A unique element of CXC is the role of Columbus and Ohio, long considered the cradle of great cartoonists,” said Rebecca Perry Damsen, President of CXC’s Board of Directors. “The show attracts guests from around the world and across the country to a city that has become a global center for the cartoon arts, adding to an already vibrant arts community.”
CXC continues to grow its web presence through a growing archive of past programs on CXC’s YouTube channel. For the CXC 2022 festival, we had an estimated 10,000 attendees in person. Our archived programming available on YouTube had an additional 10,000+ views.
“Learning the lessons from our virtual programming during the pandemic, we continue to invest in archiving our creator driven artist spotlights,” said Jay B. Kalagayan, CXC’s Executive Director, “Part of our mission is to increase accessibility of the festival. Having quality archived recordings of these programs means audiences can enjoy and learn from them for years to come.”
To experience our programming, please go to CXC’s YouTube channel at
About Cartoon Crossroads Columbus
CXC brings the global family of cartoon storytellers, comic makers, and animators together with the people who love and are inspired by cartoon art, and connects them in Columbus, Ohio.
CXC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that draws together Columbus educational and arts organizations including the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, the Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus College of Art & Design, the Columbus Museum of Art, the Columbus Metropolitan Library, The Laughing Ogre, GFC: Gateway Film Center, and Pop Culture Studies at Ohio State University.
The 2023 festival is generously supported by the Greater Columbus Arts Council, White Castle, UBS, Columbus Dispatch / Dispatch.com, Ohio Arts Council, The Columbus Foundation, Japan Foundation, New York, Orange Barrel Media, and Seventh Son Brewing Co.
2023 Special Guests Underwritten with support from Avery Hill Publishing and Kodansha Ltd.
CXC aims to provide an international showcase for the best of cartoon art in all its forms, including comics, animation, editorial cartoons, newspaper strips, and beyond, in a city that is a growing center of importance to comics and cartooning. The festival also focuses on helping the next generation of young talent develop careers that invigorate the industry for years to come.
