In less than a month, St. Louis Independent Comics Expo will be here with an Opening Night at The Sheldon on Friday, October 17, and a full Expo Day on Saturday, October 18. Read more about both events below!
6:00 – 10:00 p.m. @ The Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries Ballroom
SLICE 2025 officially kicks off with our Opening Night on Friday, October 17, 6–10 p.m., at the Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries! You won’t want to miss the party, taking place in the ballroom of our Saturday expo venue. Like the expo, this event is free and open to the public.
6:00 p.m. - Join us for happy hour at the Sheldon Ballroom. Catch the debut of our SLICE 2025 poster with signings by the artist. Mix and mingle with friends in the St. Louis comics scene and independent creator community.
6:45 p.m. - Panel discussion with our 2025 special guests: award-winning author and the creator of Check, Please!, Ngozi Ukazu; award-winning Vietnamese American cartoonist, artist, and writer Trung Le Nguyen; and Rori, a St. Louis cartoonist, designer, and illustrator whose work has been the focus of two major exhibits with the Missouri History Museum. Panel moderated by Shreyas R Krishnan.
8:30 p.m. - Presentation of our second annual Local Best in Show Award, sponsored by the MFA-IVC program at WashU, and announcement of the evening’s raffle prize winner.
10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. @ The Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries.
Free and open to the public, SLICE returns with over 100 vendors from St. Louis and beyond! Alongside our vendors, we'll also have special guest spotlights, panel discussions, workshops, screenprinting, and activities galore.
Special & Featured Guests
Ngozi Ukazu: award-winning author and the creator of Check, Please!
Trung Le Nguyen: award-winning Vietnamese American cartoonist, artist, and writer
Rori: St. Louis cartoonist, designer, and illustrator whose work has been the focus of two major exhibits with the Missouri History Museum
Featured guest Karenza Sparks: multidisciplinary designer, comics creator, animator, and fossil hunter from Cornwall, UK
Panels and Lectures 11:00 a.m.: Ink and Drink 15-Year Anniversary Panel 12:30 p.m.: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at The Magic Fish with Trung Le Nguyen 2:00 p.m.: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at FLIP! with Ngozi Ukazu 3:30 p.m.: Science and Comics with Karenza Sparks, J. Marshall Smith, and Blue Delliquanti
Workshops and Activities 10 a.m.–5 p.m.: Tote Bag Screenprinting with Candice Corgan 11:00 a.m.: Create Your Own Reading Journal with Central Print 12–5 p.m.:Clickety Clack Typewriters demo 12:30 p.m.: Daily Comics with Rori 2:00 p.m.: Bilingual Zines with David Velasco 3:30 p.m.: Top 10 Accounting Tips for Artists with the VLAA
Book Signings 10:30 a.m.: Rori at Left Bank Books table 11:30 a.m.: Karenza Sparks at Betty’s Books table 1:30 p.m.: Trung Le Nguyen at Left Bank Books table 3:00 p.m.: Ngozi Ukazu at Betty’s Books table
A heartfelt thanks to our sponsors and partners that made this year's St. Louis Independent Comics Expo and all of our free seasonal programming possible.
Sponsors Betty's Books | Chase Park Plaza & Galleria 6 Cinemas | The Done Dept. Print + Design Shop | Fantasy Books Inc. | The Hi-Pointe Theatre | Home2 Suites | Left Bank Books | Regional Arts Commission | St. Louis Art Supply | Tiny Little Monster | WashU Sam Fox School | Webster University DADAH | Webster University Film Series | The Wizard’s Wagon
Partners Alamo Drafthouse STL | Bad Drawing Club | Central Print | Girl Louie | LitShop | Melon Press | Metro Trans Umbrella Group | Missouri S&T Zine Lab | Proud Art STL | St. Louis County Library | St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts (VLAA) | Urban Chestnut Brewing Company | Webster Arts
While you all were drawing at last weekend's Feathered Friends Sketchcrawl, a little bird told me some important news: we are nearly one month away from my favorite event of the year!
First off, yes, I can speak bird (bluebird, goose, and nuthatch are my specialty). And second, you are correct, my favorite event is SLICE.
SLICE is oh so very soon! In the meantime, we have many events to keep you busy this September. We've got the return of the Sticker Game with Cassi Mothwin, Manga Show and Tell at St. Louis County Library, and our monthly Drink & Draw at Alamo Drafthouse. We'll also be tabling at our other favorite event: Tower Grove Pride!
All SLICE events are free and space is limited. RSVP to our Eventbrites to save your spot.
Don't forget SLICE 2025 Special Guests—Ngozi Ukazu, Trung Le Nguyen, and Rori! Our guests will be participating in a panel discussion on opening night, Oct. 17, and will be giving individual presentations on expo day, Oct. 18. We can’t wait for you to meet them!
Opening Night
Friday, October 17 | 6–10 p.m. The Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries RSVP
SLICE 2025 Expo Day
Saturday, October 18 | 10 a.m.–5 p.m. The Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries RSVP
Upcoming Events
Saturday, September 13—Sticker Game Returns
2:00–4:00 p.m. @ Urban Chestnut Grove Brewery and Bierhall.
Take on an otherworldly mission with Cassi Mothwin as they guide you through an interactive drama journaling experience. Free yourself of the guilt of piles of unused stickers by taking part in this event and finally use those sheets of stickers that commitment anxiety has barred you from placing.
1–3 p.m. @ St. Louis County Library Clark Family Branch.
Join us at the library for Manga Show & Tell! This is your chance to pitch a room full of manga lovers on why they should read your absolute favorite series. Up to fifteen guests will have six minutes each to present on their selected manga. Attendees are not required to present, but are invited to take this opportunity to break out of their normal genre or comfort zone to discover new stories and art. Perhaps you’ll meet your new favorite manga!
Join your pals from SLICE for a casual evening of drawing. Pop in for a few drawing games or stick around to chat about the craft of comics. SLICE will be hosting monthly Drink & Draws on the fourth Thursday of every month, 7–9 p.m. at Alamo Drafthouse STL, April through September. Mark your calendars!
Find us at Tower Grove Pride! Make your own FREE Pride buttons and zines at the SLICE booth (B-South-37). Support SLICE by picking up some of our Mr. Slice merch. Learn about our upcoming expo.
Please forgive the delay in newsletter. Mr. Slice is currently out of office reading their favorite independent comics.
From now until the end of August, you can find Mr. Slice at Manga Book Club, Sundaze at Schlafly, Drink & Draw at Alamo Drafthouse, and the Sketchcrawl in Forest Park. Please join in the fun!
All SLICE events are free and space is limited. RSVP to our Eventbrites to save your spot.
In case you missed our last announcement: we're excited to announce the SLICE 2025 Special Guests—Ngozi Ukazu, Trung Le Nguyen, and Rori! Our guests will be participating in a panel discussion on opening night, Oct. 17, and will be giving individual presentations on expo day, Oct. 18. We can’t wait for you to meet them!
Opening Night
Friday, October 17 | 6–10 p.m. The Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries RSVP
SLICE 2025 Expo Day
Saturday, October 18 | 10 a.m.–5 p.m. The Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries RSVP
Upcoming Events
Saturday, August 16—Manga Book Club with SLICE
1:00–3:00 p.m. @ St. Louis County Library Clark Family Branch.
Join us at the library for Manga Book Club! SLICE’s presentation dives into a wide variety of manga series from across the decades. Learn about the manga series you didn’t know you needed in your life, from critiques on the 1980s Japanese boom economy, famous series that finally have English translations, bizarre indie comics set in Showa Japan, and of course works that present diverse views on gender roles and relationships.
Join your pals from SLICE for a casual evening of drawing. Pop in for a few drawing games or stick around to chat about the craft of comics. SLICE will be hosting monthly Drink & Draws on the fourth Thursday of every month, 7–9 p.m. at Alamo Drafthouse STL, April through September. Mark your calendars!
Join us for some sketchy fun in Kennedy Forest with professional cartoonist/extremely amateur birder Dan Zettwoch. We'll meet in front of the Art Museum at 9 a.m. Bring a sketchbook, drawing tools, and binoculars if you have a pair (no worries if not--we'll have some to share!).
Happy summer! I write to you from the frozen pizza aisle at my local grocery store. This is where I live now. You may forward all mail to my Pizza Box. Speaking of mail: vendor applications are still open for SLICE 2025! Artists, writers, poets, cartoonists, zinesters, printmakers, and indie publishers of every slice are welcome. Apply now through July 15.
In the meantime, please join us for our July events! We've got Comics University, a Sketchcrawl at Saint Louis Zoo, and our monthly Drink & Draw at Alamo Drafthouse. We've also got a sneak peek of our first event in August: a Teen Risograph Demo at Melon Press.
All SLICE events are free and space is limited! RSVP to our Eventbrites to save your spot.
Vendor applications are open for SLICE 2025, taking place October 18 at The Sheldon. Apply now through July 15. We can't wait to see your work! Be sure to check out the Vendor Application FAQ on our website, or feel free to email us if you have any questions!
Comics University is back for its tenth year! This free summer educational series for Teen+ audiences runs June 11–July 23 at Betty's Books. Created by syndicated cartoonist Steenz, this is a program for adults who want to engage with and learn about comics from local professors, creators, scholars, and industry professionals.
Exciting tech update! SLICE is now able to offer livestreaming of our 2025 Comics University sessions! This is something we've hoped to do for many years and now you get to try it out with us. Head to our YouTube page for all livestream links and previous session recordings.
Wednesday, July 9—Comics University Session 4: Figure Drawing with Steenz
6:30–8:30 p.m. @ Webster Arts. 2 Summit Avenue.
Stretch your drawing muscles and do some figure drawing with St. Louis based cartoonist, editor, and professor Steenz! All skill levels welcome! Please note, this event takes place next door to Betty's Books.
Wednesday, July 16—Comics University Session 5: Comics Scripting with Ivy Noelle Weir
6:30–8:30 p.m. @ Betty's Books
Comics scripting is a vital skill when making comics with collaborators. Writer Ivy Noelle Weir will walk us through their process of comics writing with a Q&A afterwards! Following that, we'll do a comics scripting workshop learning the Standard Comic Script template.
Join SLICE for a sketchcrawl at the Saint Louis Zoo. We will meet inside of the south entrance at 9:00 a.m. before exploring the River's Edge trail. Bring your sketchbook, drawing tools, and comfy shoes for walking!
Wednesday, July 23—Comics University Session 6: 10 Years In - A Hot Ones-Inspired Conversation with Comics University Organizer Steenz
6:30–8:30 p.m. @ Betty's Books
Steenz started Comics University at Star Clipper Comics in 2013. Between three different venues (and a brief pandemic hiatus), Comics U has educated all ages on a variety of topics and tools. Comics University alum Mikkel Snyder will interview Comics U organizer Steenz in a Hot Ones-inspired conversation as they discuss the last 10 years and what makes Comics University such an enduring part of St. Louis summers.
You know the drill. Join your pals from SLICE for a casual evening of drawing. Pop in for a few drawing games or stick around to chat about the craft of comics. SLICE will be hosting monthly Drink & Draws on the fourth Thursday of every month, 7–9 p.m. at Alamo Drafthouse STL, April through September. Mark your calendars!
Teens! Plot twist, this event is in August. Join us to learn about the unique mechanics of Risograph printing with Melon Press! Printmaster Sophia will teach us about the history of zines, how to fold one, and will run a demo of Melon Press's machine. Attendees will then create a one-page zine to print on the Risograph.
St. Louis to me is more than just a city. It's a salty sweet, cardboard crust, square cut, burn-the-top-of-your-mouth-if-you're-not-careful, brick-oven slice of home.
I've loved many places, but nowhere's stuck with me quite like STL. I've searched all my comics and all my cookbooks to try to understand it. And while I can't say for certain what makes St. Louis, St. Louis, I do know its not-so-secret ingredient: a generous helping of supportive community.
They say the best recipes are made with love. Well, so are the best cities.
St. Louis, let's hang out. Below is a preview of some of the upcoming events this June. Comics University returns for its 10th year, running from June 11–July 23 at Betty's Books. We're also hosting a Teen Open Draw with Proud Art STL and a Photography Zine Program. And of course, there's our monthly Drink & Draw. Last, but not least, vendor applications open June 1!
All SLICE events are free and space is limited! RSVP to our Eventbrites to save your spot.
Teens—join us for a casual evening of doodling with your artistic peers at Girl Louie x GemU Vintage. Pop in for a few drawing games or stick around to chat about the craft of comics. Learn about other arts opportunities for teens in St. Louis from SLICE and Proud Art STL. Please bring your own sketchbook and drawing supplies.
Wednesday, June 11—Comics University Session 1: Comics Editorial with Amanda Meadows
6:30–8:30 p.m. @ Betty's Books
We're kicking off Comics University season with a conversation with comics editor Amanda Meadows! Learn what it takes to be an editor and why comic artists benefit from having them. From navigating censorship to rising material costs, Amanda will walk us through the always-changing editorial landscape.
Saturday, June 14—Seeing Other People: A Photography Zine Program
2–4 p.m. @ Swan Meadow. 3334 Louisiana Ave.
What does it mean to be seen? To allow others to be seen? What kind of reflections can we make about that dialogue between strangers? Join muralist and photographer Fatou Kabir at Swan Meadow to create your own photography zines based on these talking points. We'll be interacting with each other to facilitate a conversation about communication, collaboration, and affirming our own existence. Each attendee will leave with a photograph and their own handmade zine!
Wednesday, June 18—Comics University Session 2: Webcomics to Print! Author Spotlight: buttercup
6:30–8:30 p.m. @ Betty's Books
Webcomics are a great way to get your comic out there. But what about printing after the fact? Join us as comic creator buttercup walks us through the process of making their series UM from Radiator Comics. A Q&A will follow to discuss UM and Afrofuturism!
Wednesday, June 25—Comics University Session 3: Self-Publishing with Jim Ousley
6:30–8:30 p.m. @ Betty's Books
Self-publishing is a great way to step into the comics industry. Comics writer Jim Ousley will walk us through the ups and downs of self-publishing. Joining local comics collectives, crowdfunding, and pitching to publishers are all steps towards making your mark in the comics industry!
You know the drill. Join your pals from SLICE for a casual evening of drawing. Pop in for a few drawing games or stick around to chat about the craft of comics. SLICE will be hosting monthly Drink & Draws on the fourth Thursday of every month, 7–9 p.m. at Alamo Drafthouse STL, April through September. Mark your calendars!
I just couldn't wait until May to tell you about these awesome events we have planned for you next month! Back by popular demand, we're partnering with Melon Press to offer another Risograph Workshop—this time making one-page zines. We're also hosting two outdoor events—one with Bad Drawing Club and another Feathered Friends Sketchcrawl with Dan Zettwoch. And don't forget about Free Comic Book Day on May 3 and our monthly Drink & Draw!
All SLICE events are free and space is limited! RSVP to our Eventbrites to save your spot.
SLICE is celebrating Free Comic Book Day at Betty's Books! We're making comics and zines with you at our table from 3–5 p.m. You can also chat with local creators from 1–4 p.m., pick up your copy of their free Community Zine Vol. 4, and nab free single-issue comics all day.
Create and Riso print your own one-page folding zine at Melon Press! Using provided collage and drawing materials (or you can bring your own), printmaster Sophia will guide you through using a risograph printer to put the entire zine together.
Saturday, May 10—Sculpture Drawing with Bad Drawing Club
1–3 p.m. @ Saint Louis Art Museum Sculpture Garden
Join Bad Drawing Club and SLICE for an afternoon of hanging out with and drawing sculptures at the sculpture garden in Saint Louis Art Museum! Bring your drawing materials, pose with the sculptures, draw the garden, relax in the outdoors.
Bad Drawing Club is an informal group for people of marginalized genders who like to draw. Children are welcome if their adult is also present with them.
Join us for some sketchy fun around Forest Park with professional cartoonist/extremely amateur birder Dan Zettwoch. We'll meet in front of the Saint Louis Art Museum bright and early at 8 a.m. Bring a sketchbook, drawing tools, and binoculars if you have a pair.
Join your pals from SLICE for a casual evening of drawing. Pop in for a few drawing games or stick around to chat about the craft of comics. SLICE will be hosting monthly Drink & Draws on the fourth Thursday of every month, 7–9 p.m. at Alamo Drafthouse STL, April through September. Mark your calendars!
