Picture + Panel confronts the weight of loss with Tom Hart and Jesse Mechanic on Monday, January 05, 2026 at 7:00 PM. Discussing two beautiful graphic memoirs, we explore how comics can transform unspeakable loss into art that remains. Zoe Laurente from The Children’s Room will moderate. Get tickets here.

All BCAF events are free to attend.  If you wish to pay it forward, a $5 suggested donation helps sustain BCAF’s comics advocacy and educational programming in the Greater Boston area.

More about Picture + Panel

Picture + Panel is a monthly conversation series that brings fantastic graphic novel creators to the Greater Boston area. Discover terrific authors and fascinating stories that combine text and art through conversational confabulation. Produced in partnership by the Boston Comic Arts Foundation, Porter Square Books, and the Boston Figurative Arts Center, Picture + Panel provides thought-provoking discussions for adults about this unique form of expression.

Book sales are provided at the event by Porter Square Books.

About the Creators

Tom Hart is a critically acclaimed Eisner-nominated cartoonist and the Executive Director of The Sequential Artists Workshop in Gainesville, Florida. He is the creator of Daddy Lightning and the Hutch Owen series of graphic novels and books. The Collected Hutch Owen was nominated for best graphic novel in 2000 and has received a Xeric Grant. Tom has taught sequential art at the University of Florida and at NYC’s School of Visual Arts.

Jesse Mechanic is an opinion columnist, essayist, and artist. He has published work in Mother Jones, In These Times, HuffPost, Truthout, and other publications. Jesse enjoys woodworking, the television show Cheers, and working diligently to dismantle the various oppressive systems that define our world. The Last Time We Spoke is his debut graphic novel.

Boston Figurative Arts Center, 285 Washington St, Somerville, MA 02143, USA

   

Join award-winning American author and artist Kadir Nelson on Sunday, January 11, 2026 at 4pm as he discusses and signs his latest book BASKET BALL: The Story of the All-American Game at Vroman’s Bookstore. Get tickets here. 

Award-winning creator Kadir Nelson delivers the perfect gift for basketball fans of any age—a beautifully illustrated history of the game and its key players over the years—in this companion to his bestselling We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball.

Basketball has evolved by leaps and bounds since its origin over 125 years ago, but what remains is the passion of the players, the heat of competition, and supreme strategy and athleticism on the court. In this visual tour de force, celebrated artist Kadir Nelson weds his love for the game with showstopping paintings that bring its heart-pounding history to life.

The sage voice of an elder player narrates the journey from the early days of the slow game of “basket ball” to today’s dazzlingly athletic and fast-paced sport. Engaging profiles of revolutionary players—including Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Stephen Curry—are featured, along with notable quotes from major figures of the game. With each breathtaking page turn, fans young and old will learn the gripping story of the all-American game and meet its iconic, indomitable heroes.

RSVP on Facebook!

This is a ticketed event and will take place at Vroman’s Bookstore, located at 695 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91101

   

Director Kristen Stewart will join us in person for an advanced screening of her directorial debut, The Chronology of Water, with a post-film Q&A on Wednesday, January 14 at 6:30pm!

Based on the beloved memoir by Lidia Yuknavitch, The Chronology of Water is a raw and unflinching portrait of survival, sexuality, and self-invention. The film traces Lidia’s life from her earliest memories in the Pacific Northwest as a promising swimmer through fractured relationships, near-motherhood, addiction, and encounters with artistic heroes.

Coolidge Corner Theatre
290 Harvard Street, Brookline, MA 02446
(617) 566-6660

   

Astrid Goldsmith will celebrate the release of The Crystal Vase when we host the launch party on Thursday 15th January 2026, from 7-9pm.

RSVP on Facebook!

Gosh Comics
1 Berwick St, SoHo, London W1F0DR
United Kingdom

   

Terry and Rachel Dodson are coming to Cape & Cowl Comics on Saturday, January 3rd from 1-3pm! Terry and Rachel will be signing copies of their ARTIST EXCLUSIVE variant covers for Ultimate Endgame #1!

Cape and Cowl Comics
1601 Clay Street, Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 907-0678