Chaffey College Zomics Festival to Feature 43 Comic Book, Zine Artists

From comic books and zines, to temporary tattoos and tote bags, Chaffey College’s annual Zomics Festival will give fans of do-it-yourself culture an afternoon of fun April 29.

The event will be from noon to 2 p.m. at the Wignall Museum at Chaffey College. Participants in Chaffey’s event have doubled in the last year thanks in part to grant funding from California Humanities and support from The Arts Area of Ontario.

“There has been notable growth in zine festivals, along with a rising number of zine and comic book artists in the area, and they are increasingly coming to the Inland Empire for events,” said Wignall Museum Director Rebecca Trawick. “Attending something like this no longer requires a trip to Los Angeles.”

Artists participating include the Rancho Cucamonga-based “Cat Gods” – an artist who specializes in graffiti art, Joel Newman’s “Heaven is an After Party” comic book and the photography of Suzy Dee in “Fun and Grains.” Several clubs and organizations on campus will also present their work, including Professor of English Adam Martinez’s “Hip Hop Studies Summit Zine.”

Studio art major Lucille Love will share two original comic books, two illustration prints and keychains at the event. She says her work contains elements that are gothic, creepy and cute - balancing between dark storytelling and cartoon illustrations.

“The comic I’m most excited to present is my work ANT, a comic I made last year for the Wignall Museum,” she said. “It’s about a girl who alters the DNA of ants.”

The event will include a hands-on station where participants can make tote bags, buttons and zines. Artist Cesar Garcia will provide attendees with free temporary tattoos and will present his art prints, Trawick said.

Learn more about the Wignall Museum online.