Comics University 2026
Comics University is a free summer educational series for a teen+ audience. This is a program for adults who want to engage with and learn about comics from local professors, creators, scholars, and industry professionals. Created by syndicated cartoonist Steenz, the program has been running since 2013.
All sessions are free and open to the public! Comics U is hosted on Wednesday evenings, 6:30–8:30 p.m. CT from June 17 – July 29 at Betty’s Books.
Betty’s Books | 8772 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, MO 63119
About our host:
Betty’s Books is a quirky, indie bookstore & coffee shop specializing in comics, graphic novels, and manga. We are a welcoming space for all the folks in the comics and illustration community. We are especially proud of our awesome zine selection and our events highlighting local creators.
About our sponsor:
Girl Louie is a creative storytelling and branding studio that supports clients as they claim their space and define their voice through brand identity, creative media, websites, photography/videography, and events. Girl Louie is made up of a collective of creatives who take risks, show up, learn, encourage and support each other and the community.
Session 1
Bookmaking with Lou Beishir
June 17 • 6:30–8:30 p.m. CT
Kick off the Comics University 2026 season by making your own softcover pocket sketchbook! Local bookmaker Lou Beishir will guide attendees on crafting their own sketchbook using awls, thread, and unique paper! Feel free to bring some of your own thick paper for your covers as well!
Lou Beishir
Lou Beishir is a local artist with a passion for bookbinding. A strong proponent of the “FAFO” method of education, Lou hopes to provide information and inspiration to burgeoning creators.
Instagram: @zenithart_bylou
Session 2
Fairy Tale Comics with Mel Gillman
June 24 • 6:30–8:30 p.m. CT
In this short hands-on workshop, graphic novelist and comics professor Mel Gillman (author of Other Ever Afters: New Queer Fairy Tales) will present a short talk about fable and fairy tale story structure and walk you through the process of writing and drawing a one-page original fable or fairy tale comic of your own! Bring your favorite drawing supplies!
Mel Gillman
Mel Gillman is a graphic novelist and the Chair of BFA and MFA Comics at California College of the Arts. They are the author and illustrator of several graphic novels, including As the Crow Flies (Iron Circus Comics, 2017), Stage Dreams (Lerner/Graphic Universe, 2019), and Other Ever Afters (Random House Graphic, 2022). Their work has won several awards, including a Stonewall Honor Book Award, an Excellence in Graphic Literature Award, and a Society of Illustrators Gold Medal. They are currently working on a lesbian horror graphic novel, The Goblin Throne, which will be published by Iron Circus Comics in 2027.
https://www.melaniegillman.com/
Instagram: @mgillman
Bsky: @mgillman.bsky.social
Session 3
Syndicated Comics: Newspaper Strips in the Digital Age with Henry Barajas, “Supr Dee” Parson, Steenz, & Bianca Xunise
July 1 • 6:30–8:30 p.m. CT
See you in the funny pages! Syndicated cartoonists and writers Bianca Xunise (Six Chix), Henry Barajas (Gil Thorp), “Supr Dee” Parson (Rosebuds), and Steenz (Heart of the City) gather to chat about the ins and outs of newspaper comics in the digital age. Students will learn how each creator got their start and what kind of work goes into making daily and weekly comics.
Henry Barjas
Henry Barajas is a Latinx author from Tucson, AZ. He is best known for his graphic memoir La Voz De M.A.Y.O. Tata Rambo, TMNT: Splintered Fate, Helm Greycastle, Batman: Urban Legends, Green Hornet & Miss Fury, and Historias de Resistencia: Dolores Huerta and the Plight of the Farm Workers for the New York City Department of Education’s Civics for All Comics Group. Barajas writes Gil Thorp with Rachel Merrill for the funny papers in Los Angeles, CA.
Instagram: @henryjbarajas
Bsky: @henrybarajas.bsky.social
Supr Dee
Deon Parson, also widely recognized under the pen name “Supr Dee,” is an acclaimed Ringo-nominated cartoonist based in Indiana. With a profound passion for comic creation, Parson aims to infuse each panel with joy. Presently, Parson creates Rosebuds, a syndicated daily comic strip distributed by King Features Syndicate Inc. online and in newspapers worldwide.
Instagram: @suprdee2
Bsky: @suprdee2.com
Steenz
Steenz is a St. Louis–based cartoonist, professor, and editor. They’re the cartoonist on the new graphic novel Side Quest: A Visual History of TTRPGs and the syndicated comic strip Heart of the City. Steenz currently teaches at Webster University and SVA while editing titles from independent publishers and creators. Steenz created and launched the Standard Comic Script, creates comics-related programming, and is a frequent convention panelist. They’re also Board President of SLICE (The St. Louis Independent Comics Expo).
Instagram: @oheysteenz
Bsky: @oheysteenz.bsky.social
Bianca Xunise
Bianca Xunise is an American cartoonist, illustrator, and self-described “goth of color.” Her work is nationally syndicated through the Six Chix comic strip collaborative. Bianca’s latest book, Punk Rock Karaoke, is a coming-of-age tale that draws upon the explosive joy of the underground scene while raising questions about authenticity and the importance of community.
Instagram: @biancaxunise
Session 4
Kidlit Comics with Rose Bousamra, Dave Scheidt, Ivy Noelle Weir, & Shannon Wright
July 15 • 6:30–8:30 p.m. CT
KidLit is booming in the graphic novel sector. Join panelists Dave Scheidt (Mayor Good Boy), Rose Bousamra (Frizzy), Ivy Noelle Weir (Anne of Green Gables), and Shannon Wright (Twins) as they talk about the highs, the lows, and the process of making comics for kids.
Rose Bousamra
Rose Bousamra is an Eisner-winning cartoonist based in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Their debut graphic novel, Frizzy, was published in 2022 through First Second Books with writer Claribel A. Ortega and has earned the 2023 Pura Belpré award for Children’s Text, the 2023 Eisner award for Best Kid’s Publication, and indie bestseller status. Upcoming projects include solo graphic novel Gutless with First Second Books and 30 Ways to Kill Your Avatar with Claribel A. Ortega through Scholastic. In their free time they can be found playing fantasy video games, reading manga, or tending to the tiniest dog in the world.
Instagram: @rosebdraws
Bsky: @rosebdraws.bsky.social
Dave Scheidt
Dave Scheidt is a writer from Chicago, Illinois. When he’s not writing comic books, he likes to play video games, watch monster movies, and eat snacks. He’s the co-creator of the Mayor Good Boy graphic novel series published by Random House Children’s Books as well as Agents of SLAM and Wrapped Up with co-creator Scoot McMahon. He’s also worked on comics like Star Wars, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Bendy and the Ink Machine, Adventure Time, and many, many more.
Instagram: @davescheidt
Bsky: @davescheidt.com
Ivy Noelle Weir
Ivy Noelle Weir (she/they) is an award-winning comic book writer, librarian, and publishing professional. She writes comics and prose for all ages. She is the author of The Secret Garden on 81st Street (Little, Brown for Young Readers), is the co-creator of the Dwayne McDuffie Award–winning graphic novel Archival Quality (Oni Press), and has written for series like Bountiful Garden (Mad Cave Studios) and anthologies like Dead Beats (A Wave Blue World).
In addition to writing, they are a librarian and publishing professional and speak regularly at professional conferences and events. In 2015, they were selected for the ALA’s Emerging Leaders program, and in 2019 they were a Publishers Weekly Star Watch honoree.
https://www.ivynoelleweir.com/
Instagram: @ivynoelle
Bsky: @ivynoelle.bsky.social
Shannon Wright
Shannon Wright is an award-winning illustrator and cartoonist based out of Richmond, Virginia. Shannon was awarded a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor and a Robert F. Sibert Honor for Holding Her Own: The Exceptional Life of Jackie Ormes, written by Traci N. Todd. She tells personal and original stories that invoke nostalgia rooted from her own childhood and life experiences.
Instagram: @shannondrewthis
Session 5
How to Read a Contract with the VLAA
July 22 • 6:30–8:30 p.m. CT
About the VLAA
St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts (VLAA) serves the creative community by providing free legal and accounting assistance, presenting a wide variety of educational programs, and advocating for the arts and artists.
https://vlaa.org/
Instagram: @stlvlaa
Session 6
Community Zines with sister hag
July 29 • 6:30–8:30 p.m. CT
It’s a sister hag skill-share affair! During this course, learn how to harness your skills (big and small) into a zine! Sharing knowledge is one of the greatest gifts we can give each other, regardless how menial the skill may seem. Pour into your community by learning how to put your knowledge on the page!
sister hag
sister hag is a Black queer reader, writer, crafter, lover, and fiber artist with her hands in the metaphorical air and her foot on the proverbial gas. A student of Black women writers who preceded her, she studies folklore and ancestral storytelling through fiber art. She began making zines as a cathartic response to rampant individualism with hopes to deepen her community and encourage others to do the same. sister hag values physical history, sisterhood, deep and vast emotion, intentional rest, and the Oxford comma.
Instagram: @sisterhag