The Dartmouth Comic Arts Festival is proud to announce the addition of two very exciting guests to our 2019 lineup—Ed Piskor (HIP HOP FAMILY TREE, X-MEN: GRAND DESIGN, WIZZYWIG) and Jim Rugg (STREET ANGEL, AFRODISIAC, THE PLAIN JANES)! 

Both based in Pittsburgh, Piskor and Rugg have each taken home the coveted Eisner Award (the comics industry’s equivalent of the Oscar)—Piskor for Best Reality-Based Work for his rap history series HIP HOP FAMILY TREE, Rugg for Best Publication design on the anthology LITTLE NEMO: DREAM ANOTHER DREAM (both in 2015!). Separately, they are two of the most thoughtful and innovative creators working in comics today. But together, they form like Voltron to bring the Cartoonist Kayfabe show to YouTube! 

Updated several times weekly, Kayfabe began as a commentary track for the early issues of 1990s mainstay WIZARD Magazine, creating a snapshot of the comics industry during one of its most exciting and turbulent eras via the two hosts’ expansive knowledge of comics history, and their boundless enthusiasm for the medium. 
Since then, it has expanded to include insightful commentary tracks on such landmark works as Frank Miller’s BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS and Katsuhiro Otomo’s AKIRA, as well as interviews with comics luminaries like Bill Sienkiewicz (artist on such acclaimed works as ELEKTRA: ASSASSIN and NEW MUTANTS), Warren Bernard (comics historian and Executive Director of the Small Press Expo in Bethesda, MD), and Tim Vigil (artist on the notorious 1980s outlaw comics FAUST and GRIPS). 

Rugg and Piskor will be recording a LIVE episode of Cartoonist Kayfabe at Alderney Gate Library on Saturday, August 17 in front of a live audience (more details on that to come ASAP) and they’ll be signing Sunday August 18th at DCAF’s exhibitor day in Alderney Landing at the Strange Adventures booth. (Times to be announced)