Join us for our second annual Creators in Conversation event at Betty's Books! This year the theme is Nonfiction Comics. NYT bestselling author and illustrator, John Hendrix, will talk with fantastic local creators, Sacha Mardou, Shreyas Krishnan, and Steenz, about why nonfiction graphic literature matters. What makes nonfiction different from fiction, and why is it perhaps less celebrated? The panelists will also discuss their process, production, inspiration and their most recent projects.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Moderator: John Hendrix
John Hendrix is a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator. His books include The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler, called a Best Book of 2018 by NPR, Drawing Is Magic: Discovering Yourself in a Sketchbook, Miracle Man: The Story of Jesus, and many others. His award-winning illustrations have also appeared on book jackets, newspapers, and magazines all over the world. His newest book, The Holy Ghost: A Spirited Comic, came out in 2022 from Abrams ComicArts. He is the Kenneth E. Hudson Professor of Art and Chair of the MFA in Illustration and Visual Culture program at the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis.
Socials:
Twitter: @hendrixart
Instagram: @johnhendrix
Website: www.johnhendrix.com
Panelists:
Steenz
Steenz is a St. Louis based cartoonist, editor, and professor. They're the cartoonist on the syndicated comic strip ‘Heart Of The City’, the co-creator of Dwayne McDuffie Award winning Graphic Novel 'Archival Quality', and is featured in several award-winning anthologies. Steenz currently teaches cartooning at Webster University while editing titles from independent publishers. They're also working on their latest graphic novel Side Quest: A Graphic Novel History of TTRPGs.
Socials:
oheysteenz.com
@oheysteenz (twitter and instagram)
Shreyas Krishnan
Shreyas is an illustrator from Chennai, India, who makes non-fiction comics and zines about visual culture, gender, and identity. Her comics have been nominated for an Ignatz Award twice – for Ley Lines #12 and for Bystander Anthology which she also co-edited. Shreyas is an Assistant Professor at Washington University in St. Louis.
Socials:
https://www.shreyasrkrishnan.com/
@sayers (instagram)
Sacha Mardou
Mardou is a British cartoonist who lives in St Louis, Missouri with her family. She began making mini-comics after getting her BA in
English Literature from the University of Wales in 1998. Working in both fiction and autobiography, Mardou’s comics explore interior experiences such as mental illness, emotional dynamics within families and healing from trauma. Her next book will be a therapy memoir published by Avery/Penguin in Fall 2024.
Socials:
Instagram@mardou_draws
Facebook @sachamardou
website https://ifscomics.com/
