It’s fall, y’all…well, technically. According to NASA, this year’s fall equinox fell on Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 7:05 p.m. CT. The leaves are turning brown, but mostly because of the intense heat and lack of rain this month. It’s been one of the hottest summers on record for us this year, so hopefully we’ll see the high temps fall off for this season soon. Here’s to cooler weather like this morning’s- and here’s some fall event news from our MSCA president, Kevin L. Williams…
Dearest Pencil Practitioners, Ink Slingers, Digital Doodlers, Wordsmiths, and All
Katie Jones recaps the TN Association of School Librarians September 13 – 15, 2026, discussing How to Create School Level Conventions below. This is a fun update, check it out below.
Ave Maria Home outreach is Wednesday, October 7, 2026, from 3 – 5 pm. PLEASE let me know if you can go. Last call if you’re able to come.
I am still taking comic book and graphic novel donations for Alpha Omega Veteran Services. If you’re out of town and would like your books to support rehabilitation of our veterans, they can be mailed to me at:
Kevin Williams/MSCA
PO Box 770397
Memphis, TN 38177.
Saturday, November 14, 2026, from 1 – 4 pm is our next Sat-art-day event! It’s a chance to set aside time to work on your art, practice with various pens or other art tools, do some writing, and finish some art. It will happen at Crone Memorials, 811 S Dudley Street, Memphis, TN 38104. https://maps.app.goo.gl/GCq3KsdnN46q1YMB7
Shoot me back a short reply: What is YOUR FAVORITE thing about cartooning (or cartoons)? I’d like to share in the October newsletter. Thanks to those who have answered! Email is: midsouthcartoonists@gmail.com
If you have news, please send it before the last Monday of the month (copy and paste text and pictures, please). Even promotional stuff – we want to share your good news!
Always keep up with the MSCA News at www.midsouthcartoonists.org and by following us at https://www.facebook.com/midsouthcartoonists/. Always fun to catch up via the podcast at www.drawingfunny.com for more updates and information.
Proudly yours,
Kevin Williams,
MSCA President
MSCA MONTHLY DINNER GATHERING
On the first Tuesday, October 6, 2026, we will gather at Garibaldi’s Pizza, 3530 Walker Ave, by the University of Memphis, from 6 – 8 pm. Some of us show up a little earlier sometimes if you want to come early.
Bring art to show and money to buy food, and we look forward to seeing you again!
https://maps.app.goo.gl/3kRSvDH7tB7hbzJF9
CON CARDS BY GREG CRAVENS
The following night, October 7, 2026, you can hang with Greg Cravens and play some Con Cards at 6pm at 901 Games on Broad Ave, come hang and play with Greg Cravens’ Con Cards. Will you win the prize?
OUTREACH – AVE MARIA HOME VISIT
We’ve been invited back on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, from 3 – 5 pm. Lin Workman is coming, who else? I know the time is odd, but it’s just enough time before they go to dinner. LET ME KNOW if you can come, please. Would like to have a few of us go, and they love to have us there.
Ave Maria is at https://maps.app.goo.gl/rgV6cYVaXRf6UchaA
After, we can go to dinner at Pop’s Comfort Kitchen at https://maps.app.goo.gl/azBZgEoAe7QG5Qa96
STAGE & SKETCH at THE DIXON GALLERY AND GARDENS
The next sketch event is October 8, 2026, from 6 – 8 pm. The location is at https://maps.app.goo.gl/DMR1XHZV4wAzuMCt8
Dale Martin shares: the 2nd Thursday of every month, from 6-8 pm in their education building (4339 Park Ave.). Past models have included wrestlers, belly dancers, and cosplayers. Organizer Shelda Edwards (@legendofshelda) keeps things fresh each time.
Oct. 8, Nov. 12, & Dec. 10, 2026.
ROGUES GALLERY
Rogue’s Gallery Memphis is returning October 11th with Rogue’s Gallery Memphis Strikes Back sponsored by Nae-Nae’s Comics at Abandoned Antiques’ event space in Millington TN from 1pm to 5pm. The MSCA’s own Lee Raggs is our poster artist for this year and we are opening up the event this year to include vendors, artists, a cosplay contest, giveaways, and more.
Sign ups are opening up on July 31st. Sign up at www.RoguesGalleryMemphis.com at the google form in the link.
Abandoned Antiques location https://maps.app.goo.gl/1si3N7HgG9CCUfxb7
The Memphis Monster Market runs 10 days from October 16-25, 2026 at The Medicine Factory in downtown Memphis, TN. It’s a Halloween pop-up shop and is celebrating it’s 10th anniversary this year. It’s a free event with free parking and several in-store special events.
MEMPHIS MONSTER CON TABLES AVAILABLE
https://www.eventeny.com/events/vendor/?id=45907 is where you can reserve your table for $100 before the deadline: Sep 30, 2026 11:59 pm (GMT-05:00) Central Time (US & Canada)
Show Dates: Nov 21, 2026 10:00 am – Nov 22, 2026 4:00 am (CDT)
MID-SOUTH CARTOONISTS 40TH ANNIVERSARY – 3/22/2027
March 22, 2027, marks our official 40th anniversary. We’ll be celebrating with a zine sharing our 40 years. I’m thinking about a special dinner (while the original meeting was Steak and Ale, it no longer exists). What would you think would be a good location for a special dinner?
THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE SKETCHY: MSCA ZINE 2027 Issues
2027 represents our 40th anniversary, and part of that will be the next publication of the TGTBATS zine with the release or the issue in March or April 2027. So the deadline will be the January 2027 Dinner Gathering. Lin Workman will be the editor of this zine. We’re looking to publish MSCA history, but also want to see examples of your earliest work since 1987. It can be a now/then comparison of a reworking of an cartoon, an evolution of your character, or a Memphis or cartoonist/artist themed toon.
In line is Charles Brubaker, Lin Workman, Jim Palmer, and me! Who else is in? Excited!
The second issue will be a dinosaur theme edited by Eric McMeans who is the perfect editor for such a thing (Raptor Boy comics anyone?)! This is slated to be released in September 2027 with a deadline of June 2027.
If you haven’t added to the dino and other jam pieces please do at the next dinner gathering.
Now is the time to start reserving your pages! $3 per page to play gets you one full issue per page, $1 per zine after that. If you’d like a copy of the page template please email MSCA publications at mscapub@gmail.com and we’ll get one sent over to you.
Original MSCA zine editor Dale Martin has offered to host another “best practices” workshop to help explain scanning at BW vs. grayscale vs. color, how to paginate, and more. The first one Dale hosted was very informative and helpful in continuing to create zines for the MSCA, as well as Lin and Eric’s own zines. If you’d like to be a part of the MSCA zines or create your own, “stay tooned” for more info on this upcoming zine workshop. Thanks, Dale!
MEMPHIS VS ZOMBIES – VARIANT #1 COVER – ARTIST SEARCH
Ryan Ladner posts: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Dkhs6rFz9/
Do I have any artist friends who are immigrants or 1st/2nd generation citizens and would like to collaborate on a variant cover of MvZ#1 to benefit a local non-profit immigration law firm called Advocates for Immigrant Rights?
Their mission is to fight for the dignity, safety, and inclusion of immigrants in the United States. They are working hard in Memphis to keep families together. You can learn more about AIR at www.airlegal.org.
I have an idea and I was planning to draw it, but it will probably be more meaningful to have a cover created by someone who has lived the immigrant experience. If you want to do it or know somebody who might, please email me at rladner@thrillcomics.com.
CHARLES MARSHALL’S “MEMPHIS AFTER MIDNIGHT” LOOKING FOR ARTISTS
Charles Marshall is looking for artists for his ghost story graphic novel. The gig is paid on the back end. See the supplied graphic above and reply directly to Charles Marshall if you’d like to join in on the fun with artists like Greg Cravens!
FREE LITTLE ART GALLERY – HERNANDO, MS
As an association whose primary goal is To Promote Cartoon as Art, we have an opportunity to probably anonymously inspire someone to create!
Heather Bugg Ries at Mrs. Hippie Eats asks:
Hey friends. Our Art box could use some attention. If anybody out there has any extra Art pieces or art supplies they would like to donate to the free little art gallery or if you have an art class at your school that may be looking for some sort of fun project we would love some new fun Art donations. Let’s fill this thing up for Marian Norwood!
So, what exactly is a Free Little Art Gallery..? A Free Little Art Gallery (“FLAG” for short) is like a Little Free Library, but for tiny artworks!
Lin Workman has already loaded up the Hippie FLAG in Hernando (2595 McIngvale Rd Ste 101, Hernando, MS 38632) with some great MSCA TGTBATS Zines, stickers, hand-drawn sketch cards, and more. He’s working on a few more pieces to drop off, and we’ll have materials at our next Sat-Art-Day and at our monthly dinner gathering in October at Garibaldi’s for anyone else who’d like to participate. In addition to the FLAG at Mrs. Hippies, Lin noticed a Little Free Libraries outside of Lost Pizza Co. in Hernando, too- and it’s next door to the DeSoto Arts Council off Courthouse Square and Hwy. 51. He said it was packed with books when he stopped by recently.
To find out more about where to find a FLAG– or how start one in your area check out the Free Little Art Galleries website at https://freelittleartgalleries.art/.
You can also check out the blog post on our MSCA website:
http://www.midsouthcartoonists.org/2026/09/01/peace_love_art_we-need-your-art/
KATIE JONES RECAPS TN ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL LIBRARIANS EVENT
During Will Eisner Week of March of this year I helped Ridgeway High School’s librarian Susan Harris put on the first district comic con within Memphis-Shelby County Schools at Ridgeway Highschool for their students. We featured members from the Midsouth cartoonists association such as Ryan Ladner, myself, Martheus Wade, and Eric McMeans plus Rogue’s Gallery Memphis members and community members such as K.f. Golden, Andrea Starnes, Skoot Starnes, Matt Bowers, Gabe and Benito DeRanzo, and Vivian Foster.
Post convention I was asked by Susan and the West TN chapter of the Tennessee Association of School Librarians to present my work on how you create a comic con and the essential questions on what you want to ask yourself on creating a comic con such as type of show, guests, with community partners.
This past weekend I was brought to Murfreesboro TN to speak on this subject yet again with a surprise twist. I asked fellow cartoonists and illustrator behind the original run of Warrior Cats, James L. Barry to pop up during the conference. He showed up Saturday early in the day for both of my presentations I did on the subject and helped to give away free signed books during our sessions. We ended up having a surprise signing session of his bookmarks for the librarians with me acting as handler helping with signings and and taking photos. It was a great experience to spend time talking about comic cons and discussing comic culture and how to connect with people in our industry and build a show to promote comics as art within the walls of a school to give the experience so many have yet to experience.
School comic cons can help provide a new 3rd space to hopefully promote community and literacy and the arts. Teachers can look through the lense of popular books, comics, cosplay, manga, anime, and more in a way that schools with their communities can tap into easily without stretching themselves too thin from within their own employees such as myself but also from within their buildings to community partners they may not be aware of living within the same neighborhoods.
I hope we can accomplish the same goals and beyond in the 26/27 school year within more school buildings or within a wider array of the district through a regional or district wide goal.
Katie Jones (Professionally known as ThatKatieJones)
MAT Art Ed / Visual Arts Instructor I have 20 Years in going to, running, and professional guesting at Comic Cons from all sides of the table. Tradesmember of the National Cartoonists Society and gallery manager for the Mid-South Cartoonists Association.
OTHERWORLDLY FUNDRAISING INTERVIEW
On Sunday, September 13, 2026 at 11am, Kevin Williams interviewed actress, singer, and puppeteer Emily Marsh during the online convention for Otherworldly Fundraising. You can see Kevin make a good fool of himself here:
https://youtu.be/T0MJ4Nt2RU4?si=5WJCBXWdhalgskPC
Maestra is the chosen charity of the weekend’s virtual convention, and you can donate here:
https://www.justgiving.com/page/kristin-b-10?utm_medium=FA&utm_source=CL&fbclid=IwdGRjcATxf6RjbGNrBPF_m3Bkb2YFZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMzUwNjg1NTMxNzI4AAEeNS-jLRtTX7TPofJyc6M3ew1TYhhE_qcb76j696G6IU_owSO7BYOUxY4TSaE_aem_4Qpr5UcDnpxMq8INfSfW5A
https://www.emilykmarsh.com/
SALES OPPORTUNITY!
Jee Vahn Knight is CEO of the Baron Von Opperbean & the River of Time interactive experience happening at 101 Island Drive, Memphis, TN 38103 (in the former Mississippi River Museum), and hopes to create an inventory in their BVO Gift Shop of local comic art, plush, books, etc., which she plans to buy outright to display in their shop. Reach out to her at jee@bvoexp.com, and to see more about the program visit: BVO | Baron Von Opperbean and The River of Time | Memphis, TN
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
September 25-27, 2026 – Pink Palace Crafts Fair at Pink Palace Museum & Mansion (10am-5pm)
September 26, 2026 – Water Tower Festival at Courthouse Square in Hernando, MS (9am-3pm)
September 26, 2026 – Fall Community Market at Faith in Bartlett, TN (9am-3pm)
September 27, 2026 – Harvest in the Park at H.W. Cox Park in Collierville, TN (2-6pm)
October 3, 2026 – Nashville Comic Arts Festival https://nashcomicsfest.wordpress.com/2026/03/09/october-3-2026-save-the-date/
October 6, 2026 – Dinner Gathering at Garibaldi’s Pizza, 3530 Walker Ave, Memphis, TN (6-8pm)
October 7, 2026 – Con Cards at 901 Games (6pm)
October 7, 2026 – Outreach at Ave Maria Home (3–5pm) https://maps.app.goo.gl/rgV6cYVaXRf6UchaA
October 11, 2026 – Rogues Gallery Memphis www.RoguesGalleryMemphis.com
October 16-25, 2026 – Memphis Monster Market pop-up shop at The Medicine Factory in downtown Memphis, TN
November 3, 2026 – Dinner Gathering at Garibaldi’s Pizza, 3530 Walker Ave, Memphis, TN (6-8pm)
November 14, 2026 – SAT-ART-DAY! 811 S Dudley St, Memphis, TN 38104 (1-4pm) https://maps.app.goo.gl/GCq3KsdnN46q1YMB7
November 21-22, 2026 – Memphis Monster Con at Agricenter International in Memphis, TN
December 1, 2026 – Dinner Gathering at Garibaldi’s Pizza, 3530 Walker Ave, Memphis, TN (6-8pm)
January 5, 2027 – Dinner Gathering at Garibaldi’s Pizza, 3530 Walker Ave, Memphis, TN (6-8pm)
September 2027 – WKNO Art Show Exhibition, themed around “literacy,” including students from Katie Jones’ own class, and will happen in the gallery/lobby of WKNO. https://maps.app.goo.gl/3YRSJy5v8e1qB3aZ8
MSCA Snail Mail:
MSCA
P.O. Box 770397
Memphis, TN 38177
If you have any event or art project news you’d like to share you can email me at midsouthcartoonists@gmail.com, or if you’d like to promote your podcast or Kickstarter campaign, you can email “Drawing Funny” podcast host Lin Workman at podcast(at)drawingfunny(dot)com. PDFs of your comics or zines can be emailed to me or Lin there, you can send a physical copy to the MSCA address above, or slide by one of our MSCA monthly dinner gatherings at Garibaldi’s Pizza on the 1st Tuesday night of each month from 6-8pm. If you’d like to send a voice mail or 60sec promo for your project, event or podcast, please email a mono MP3 audio file to Lin to be played on an upcoming episode of the DF podcast.
The podcast is free to listen to and there are no sponsors or paid ads- just interviews with comic creators, shout-outs to other podcasts, MSCA and industry news, info on fun local events, recommendations on cool items…and an occasional shameless plug by Lin. You can listen on Spotify, Apple, or most other podcasting platforms.