Ben Becker

Cartoon inkwell with sparkly red anime eyes and red high heels and a nib ink pen carrying a paper or banner with hand-lettered text that reads: Cartoonists United! There are colourful sparkles across the page.

Happy 3rd anniversary to us! With a new year, we have a BIG announcement 📢: we are now incorporated as a nonprofit organization and are changing our name to CARTOONISTS UNITED! Full changes will be rolled out by late summer.

Read here for the full statement: cartoonist.coop/journal/cart...

A graphic announcing the Cartoonist Cooperative’s Anti-Censorship statement. Art shows the Co-op's mascots Inkling and Nibford busting through a wall of black bricks, revealing red comic panels behind it. Text in a word balloon reads "Free Expression Now!"

In the second image, black text reads “The Cartoonist Cooperative Demands Free Expression: A Statement Against Censorship in Comics and the Arts” on a background of whited out red comic panels.

The third image shows the same whited-out red comic panels and reads “The Cartoonist Cooperative is committed to forging a world where all are allowed the freedom to create and partake in art where all are free to choose and engage with a wide range of political, moral, and aesthetic ideas, beyond those held by any single institution, government, or religious group. Censorship is always a tool of the state to suppress dissent, fracture communities, and instill ignorance and fear. The Cartoonist Cooperative is firmly anti-censorship in all forms.”

The Cartoonist Cooperative collectively stands against censorship and views it as our communal responsibility to fight for freedom of speech. We are committed to forging a world where all are allowed the freedom to create and partake in art!

Read our full statement: cartoonist.coop/anticensorsh...

Call for Artists: Comics from the Frontline of Abortion Care | Graphic Medicine

Call for Artists: Comics from the Frontline of Abortion Care

#GraphicMedicine

www.graphicmedicine.org/call-for-art...

"IN OBSERVANCE & SOLIDARITY". Two black speech bubbles with white text read "HOURLY COMICS DAY IS NOW ON FEB 8TH. CARTOONISTS HONOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH. FEB 1 - MAR 1". There is an illustration of a black silhouetted hand raised and holding a pen in the top right, and an illustration of a nib pen and an ink well personified on the bottom right. The nib and ink are bumping fists. A URL at the bottom is "hourlycomicsday.com".

Hourly Comics Day has MOVED!

It's the 20th anniversary and we're taking a stand alongside our Black cartoonist members and friends to demand a change to honor Black History Month- draw your comics on the 8th, not the 1st!

hourlycomicsday.com

#hourlycomicsday #hourlycomicday #hcd

Just before Christmas, I got a puppy. Her name is Minerva, and we call her *Minnie. I'm still learning how to understand her. Me: Do you need to go outside? Do you need to go outside, little baby? Do you need to do a poo? Do you need to do a widdle piddle? Minnie: Arf! *I just call her "little baby" most of the time. I'm also realizing I can't turn off the baby talk now. Nobody tells you about that.

I got so lucky with my first puppy. Her wonderful foster parents had her completely house-trained by the time we adopted her, so taking her outside for potty time has been pretty easy. I've got the puppy poopy routine pretty much down, now. Me, putting on my coat: Let's see... I got the little poopy bags, puppy treats for bribes, jacket, scarf, phone… I think that's everything… Oh yes! And my passport.

I had been carrying around my passport for a while, but I knew it didn't matter. This is wrong. Nobody is required to carry around their papers. I became a US citizen when I was seven. Since I was born in a refugee camp, I was stateless. The US is the only nation where I've ever held citizenship. It's the only passport I've ever had, and it still felt important. Protective. I would hold it in my pocket like a talisman, like it might ward off ghosts or something. But I realized I was holding onto it basically out of superstition. ICE will pick up anybody. I know that. So I tucked my passport away. And I largely avoid leaving my house.

I live a few blocks just South of George Floyd Square. I was in the neighborhood for that, too. And all the neighbors came together to protect each other. We're already organized. We'll do our best to get through this. Me, to my dog: I hope I can take you for a walk someday soon. Won't that be nice, little baby?

Abolish ICE. A little journal comic from South Minneapolis.

#iceoutmpls #iceoutcomics #iceoutofmpls

Orange text on a black background reads: "Attention cartoonists! Submissions open January 1st for The Minicomic Awards!" There is a orange graphic of the Minicomic Awards Logo of a person with a speech bubble head and a person with a thought bubble head reading comics, as designed by Kyle Torneby.

ATTENTION CARTOONISTS! 📢
Submissions open Jan. 1st, 2026 for the Minicomic Awards, part of the Cartoonist Co-op’s annual Nib and Ink Festival!
Comics 32 pages or fewer published in 2025 will be eligible.

See mca.cartoonist.coop/submission-g... for full eligibility requirements and FAQs.

AN ANNOUNCEMENT POSTER FOR RUFFIAN MEAT A COMIC BOOK ANTHOLOGY ORGANISED AND EDITED BY LOSTY AND BECCA CAREY. THE COLLECTION WILL FEATURE ART BY MICHAEL WALSH, MARIE ENGER, CONNOR MCCANN, ARTYOM TRAKHANOV, SLOANE HONG AND SAJAN RAI. WITH STORIES WRITTEN BY LOSTY AND SPECIAL GUEST WRITER GRETCHEN FELKER-MARTIN. COMING APRIL 2026 ONLY ON KICKSTARTER

🚨 ANNOUNCEMENT 🚨

Coming April 2026

RUFFIAN MEAT!

art by: @soengery.bsky.social @michaelwalsh.bsky.social @plaest2k.bsky.social @planetsmudge.bsky.social @vor-bokor.bsky.social @connormakescomics.bsky.social

Guest Writer @scumbelievable.bsky.social

Pre save: www.kickstarter.com/projects/aar...

Congrats Keith!

The Usual Choices A collection of short comics, from Lovecraftian sci-fi to existential autobiography, in the vein of Black Mirror or The Twilight Zone.

We're in the last week of the campaign, so now the sappy.

This represents my hopes for being a comics writer. Over 7 years, I saved money waiting tables to afford an artist for the next story. It was slow. Often discouraging. I persisted. And now: this book.

www.kickstarter.com/projects/kei...

We're in the last week! Please consider backing us today!

www.kickstarter.com/projects/kei...

@jocosejoni.bsky.social @ryanmaniulit.bsky.social @lanedraws.bsky.social @cullensart.bsky.social @jorgesantiagojr.bsky.social @gregerymiller.bsky.social @wyrmsfornerves.bsky.social @ryehickman.bsky.social

Mr. Slice's head is huge in frame. They're looking right at you. Behind them reads "Today today today! October 18, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., The Sheldon, free entry!"

TODAY TODAY TODAY! Make your way to The Sheldon for a full day of independent art, writing, poetry, printmaking, and more! We can't wait to 👀 you!

www.slicexpo.org/slice-2025/

It’s back-to-back convention weekends for me! I’ll be tabling at @slicexpo.bsky.social in St. Louis this Saturday for the first time. Come stop by and say hi!

Thrilled to be back at A2CAF: SIP this Saturday in Ann Arbor! This was my first convention two years ago (and now it’s my second too, lol) and it was the best event a first-timer could ask for. Come stop by and pick up a comic, stickers, or just to say hi!

Coming soon: The Usual Choices A collection of short comics written by Keith Frady, with art by an killer line-up of talented artists.

THE KICKSTARTER IS LIVE FOR THE USUAL CHOICES!

A 150+ page collection of short comics written by me, with a killer row of superb artists. From Lovecraftian sci-fi to existential autobiography, the collection returns to themes of love, death, gods, and monsters.

www.kickstarter.com/projects/kei...

👋 benmaxbecker.com

Coming soon: The Usual Choices A collection of short comics written by Keith Frady, with art by an incredible line-up of talented artists.

I'm thrilled to announce the pre-launch for The Usual Choices on Kickstarter! A collection of every self-published short comic I've written, The Usual Choices spans genres and styles, from fantasy to autobiography to horror. And it includes two brand new stories!

www.kickstarter.com/projects/kei...

Artists working in mainstream USA comics: Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Image, etc. all expect art to these dimensions. I'm seeing more and more disregard for the standard specs, and it affects everyone's deadlines to have production try and wrestle your art into proper proportions.

just saw someone sincerely arguing that they need AI bc they don't have "natural" artistic talent and idk how to make you understand that nobody comes by this shit naturally. it's just...work. it's being bad at it for a really, really, really long time. it's intention, pursued over time! wtf!!!

This page has a big button for you to email 20+ customer service departments at once with an (editable, if you like) prewritten letter. You can even do it from your phone! There's zero reason to not be participating in the pushback on this.

Anthropomorphic dip-pen and inkwell stand infront of a table stacked with books. Pen holds a sign with '18+' drawn on the center, with a heart around it. Inkwell is holding a paper colored rainbow with 'LGBTQA' upon it. Inkwell is holding a hand up in a 'stop' motion. Behind the table is the vague sense of a crowd also holding signs. Above image it reads: "CARTOONISTS Against Adult Content CENSORSHIP"

The Cartoonist Co-op stands against the censorship and pay discrimination of 18+, erotic, and NSFW artists.

Check the link below for our official statement, ways to take action, and resources.
cartoonist.coop/censorship-p...

Art by @greedygulo.bsky.social

Fascists hate art because it allows people to experience the power of a fantasy: that things are not what they seem, that other people experience things the way you do, that a better world is possible. Imagination is a dangerous weapon when your main tactic is "because I said so"

So, I was laid off by my job this week after 13 years.

Not only that, but it happened as bills from my recent heart attack-related medical visits come due.

Because of that, I'm doing a big sale for SKTCHD/Off Panel related things, so now's a good time to subscribe if you can...because I need it!

Seconding as I do use them in CSP!

It's so crazy how the comics, animation, and video games industries are wildly popular billion dollar profit type shit and yet there is no money and no jobs for the people who make that possible

High debts, high rents and miscommunication: What happened to Silver Sprocket - The Comics Journal Silver Sprocket, the San Francisco-based publisher and retailer, currently finds itself hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt that is personally held by owner Avi Ehrlich, the Comics Journal has le...

Silver Sprocket, under owner Avi Ehrlich, made a name for itself as an artist-friendly comics publisher. Now it finds itself $300,000 in debt, embroiled in disputes, and teetering toward an uncertain future. What went wrong?

A new report at @comicsjournal.bsky.social.

www.tcj.com/high-debts-h...

Everyone Is Using A.I. for Everything. Is That Bad?

i just find this so bizarre. searching through texts and doing the reading for myself is how i actually think through ideas! trying to put together a sentence is how i figure out what i actually want to say!

Ben Becker

👋
benmaxbecker.com

Nib & Ink Fest 2025 Survey! Thank you so much for being a part of the Cartoonist Cooperative's very first Nib + Ink Fest! Whether you attended, participated in, or contributed to NIF, it couldn't have been a success without all ...

Did you attend NIF by purchasing a comic or going to a panel? If so, the NIF committee would love to hear from you! We have a feedback survey where you can anonymously tell us about your experience so we can make Nib & Ink Festival 2026 even better!! #NIF2025

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

The Coop's Digital Comics Residency is now OPEN for applications for the first time! Check the link below for additional info and registration!

cartoonist.coop/digital-resi...

Resharing this because e-sims are *still* needed in Gaza and the @cartoonist.coop continues its program of artists donating work to those who donate to help allow Gazans to communicate with each other & the wider world while fighting genocide

Learn more and donate thru the link in the OG post!