MoCCA Fest: Day 2

Yesterday we bid adieu to MoCCA Fest, the weekend-long event created by the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art.

This was the second year that NYC' Society of Illustrators produced the event, and, judging by the record high turn-out, it was quite a success.

Admission was only $5, leaving visitors extra money to spend on the essentials: comics, comics, and food.

Ranging from young, aspiring comic artists with a few quirky zines, to the well established ones boasting books, posters, and loads of other tantalizing merch, there was plenty of variety to be had at this year's festival.

Looming over everything was a giant, inflatable Charlie Brown, who usually makes an appearance at Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Aisle space was scarce, with tables and people occupying every inch of the place Saturday afternoon. Those visitors who downloaded the booth map from MoCCA's website and planned ahead which tables they wanted to see most, were much better off.

It was easy to get overwhelmed, and even I had to extricate myself from the herd at some point, finding a vantage point near a quiet corner to peacefully scan the room.

It was all worth it, of course. Especially if you had the chance to attend any of the discussion panels.

This year's highlights included panels by comics Alison Bechdel, Howard Cruse, Art Speigelman, Robert Williams (founder of "Juxtapoz" magazine), and Fiona Staples (illustrator for the comic series, "Saga"), among others.

If you couldn't attend the event, you can still watch the panels on the Society of Illustrators' youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcdkhKEayow3wmbtq2_EDqg

You can also visit the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art year-long, which is located at 128 East 63rd Street in Manhattan.