Our goal with Crucial is to build a comics press and community that helps people create their own nonfiction comics. So we’re starting up an exciting new project in 2025: a space to discuss and share comics about chronic illness. This is something that several members of our community asked for. There’s a rich history of comics dealing with health and bodies (check out the website Graphic Medicine), but there are not a lot of places for people to share new work and personal experiences relating to chronic illness. 

We’re going to be running a free, very low-key Chronic Illness Comics Club meetup monthly on Zoom. During this one-hour session, an artist will offer a reflective drawing prompt for the first 30 minutes of the time, then the second half will be about sharing work and experiences. Everyone who registers is also invited to join our Discord, where we have a Chronic Illness Comics Club channel. If that sounds like something you’re interested in, register for the January meetup here! The winter 2025 meetups will be facilitated by cartoonist Zareen Choudhury. Thanks, Zareen!

Need a last-minute gift for a creative person in your life? Want to support independent artists instead of billionaires? Awesome. We’re selling print-at-home gift certificates for Crucial classes and workshops. These beautifully illustrated gift certificates are good for either a multi-week class or one-off workshop any time during 2025. If you know someone who wants to be making more comics, give them the gift of time and space to create their work. All of our classes are offered online, so you can join from anywhere.

Computer science zine pack: Check out this adorable pack of three zines by Allia Service and Audra McNamee about why they love computers (or really: why they love yelling about how annoying computers are when they don’t work right). Each pack comes with a niche RSS-feed fan sticker reading “move slow and become obsolete.”  

Queer zine pack: Queer zines are the best zines. It’s a fact! This perfect pack of three zines by Shay Mirk includes a reflection on coming to identify as queer, new ideas for Pride flags, a gender-feelings zine template, and a rainbow holographic sticker.

January Classes

Facing the Blank Page: Drawing Comics When You’re Afraid of Drawing with Ali Holmes // Are you interested in comics but think you could never draw your own? Join the club! This extremely encouraging, low-stakes class starts with drawing blobs to help you face anxiety around drawing. Saturdays from 10am - noon PST/1pm-3pm EST, January 18 – February 22, 2025 

Finding Your Visual Voice: Experimental Storytelling in Comics with Joaquin Golez // Get weird. Find your visual style and unique voice in this class focused on experimental approaches to comics. The six-session class uses lots of creative exercises and playfulness to help creators of all backgrounds and skill-levels to develop strong narratives, characters, and emotions even in very short stories. Sundays from 10am – noon PST/1pm-3pm EST, January 12th – February 16 

January One-off Workshops 

Intermediate Digital Drawing With Procreate with Audra McNamee // If you’ve drawn in Procreate a bit, but still feel a bit confused or know you have more to learn, this two-hour project-based workshop will challenge you to use new Procreate tools and settings as you make a four-panel comic.Wednesday, January 29 from 5-7pm PST/8pm-10pm EST

Want to know what’s next for Crucial and to share your own ideas? Audra and Shay are running a (fun, interesting) open meeting this Thursday, December 19th, from 4pm-5:30pm PST to reflect on how our launch went, share details of our budget, and talk about what we have planned for 2025. Our goal is to be transparent about Crucial’s finances and get community input for planning our next year, so we can be a resource to you all. 😎

• Fieldmouse Press is looking to publish print copies of comics between 16-56 pages. You don’t need an agent and they accept various genres. Submissions are open until the end of December.

• The Comics Advisory Group is offering mini-grants of $500 to people making comics. This is open to comics of all genres, and creators around the world (hell yeah!). Applications are open now through January 15th.

• Secret Riso Club is offering mini-grants of $250 for people looking to create political zines. They’ll also riso print 100 copies of each zine. Applications close January 18th. 

• Librarians! First of all, you are wonderful. Secondly, the American Library Association is offering grants to two libraries to help build their graphic novel collections and programming. Applications close January 12.  

• Anarchists! Anarchist Studies is offering grants ranging from $500-1000 to fund intersectional art projects, including visual comics. Applications are open now through March. 

This newsletter is written by Shay Mirk. If you have comics or opportunities you think we should feature, email Shay at [email protected]. 💌