Brooklyn Levels Up: Comic Industry Power Players Launch New Nonprofit and Brooklyn Expo of Comics
A New Organization & Convention Commit to Strengthen and Sustain Brooklyn’s Graphic Arts Community
An accomplished team of comics publishers, creators, and industry leaders including James Tynion IV, Bryce Gold, and Courtney Menard has launched the Brooklyn Organization Dedicated to the Endurance of the Graphic Arts (BODEGA), a new nonprofit dedicated to supporting and sustaining comic and graphic arts in Brooklyn and the greater New York area. Publisher, editor, and talent executive Bryce Gold serves as Executive Director. New York Times bestselling writer and producer James Tynion IV will serve as Chair of the company’s Board of Directors, alongside Gold and Production Director, illustrator, printmaker, and cartoonist Courtney Menard.
BODEGA’s inaugural initiative is the Brooklyn Expo of Comics (BEC), a two-day comics festival taking place November 14 and 15, 2026, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn at Our Lady of Mount Carmel church. BEC will spotlight exceptional comics talent from New York and around the world while sparking newfound appreciation for independent comics and zines. The festival will feature a varied slate of panel discussions with leading creators and industry voices, alongside a convention where over one hundred artists will showcase and sell their work. Courtney Menard and Bryce Gold will co-direct the Brooklyn Expo of Comics. Chris Ware (Acme Novelty Library, Rusty Brown) and Lisa Hanawalt (I Want You, Coyote Doggirl) will attend the debut convention as guests, with more guests to be announced in the coming months.
BEC will also debut the BODEGA Comic Arts Trophy (CAT), honoring standout publications presented at the convention with a mid-convention award ceremony, and launch the Brooklyn Annual of Graphically Elevated Literature (BAGEL), a new magazine showcasing comics storytelling and talent from New York-based cartoonists, with future editions premiering annually at BEC.
BEC is only the beginning of BODEGA’s initiatives. BODEGA will continue to champion comic artists and audiences through exhibitions, independent educational programming, live readings, artist talks and signings, and direct financial grants for New York creators and community-driven comics projects. BODEGA honors the legacy of comics legends from New York who instigated the comics industry, including trailblazing legends like Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Will Eisner, and Harvey Kurtzman, and follows in the tradition of Brooklyn-based cultural institutions like Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) and The Center for Fiction, which underscore the importance of the borough’s lasting impact on culture and creation.
BODEGA stands as a monument to the birthplace of comics, and a spotlight on the future talent that will inherit New York’s comics heritage. By connecting artists, publishers, and readers, BODEGA aims to strengthen Brooklyn’s comics ecosystem at a time when rising costs and limited infrastructure increasingly challenge creative sustainability. BODEGA’s mission is to ensure comics remain a vital cornerstone of New York’s cultural landscape.
Bryce Gold brings extensive industry experience to his role as Executive Director. He has served as Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Brooklyn-based Pyrite Press, Head of Content at ComiXology, Head of Comics at Kickstarter, educator in the Cartooning Department at the School of Visual Arts, and organizer of Brooklyn-based comics events including the quarterly reading and animation showcase Zoetrope.
“When I started publishing comics and zines in New York, resources for comics creatives outside of educational institutions were few and far between,” said Gold. “So much of my approach to comics was through a ‘do it yourself and figure it out’ ethos, and I’ve always strived to pay that knowledge forward, providing the next generation of creators more accessible support than what was available when I was in their shoes. BODEGA is here to reshape that relationship, and I am so excited to offer future comics creators new opportunities to learn, create, and flourish here in Brooklyn.”
BODEGA and BEC will operate with a solid support staff. Illustrator and educator Christina Lee joins BODEGA as Communications Manager. Comics literary agent Paloma Hernando will serve as Outreach Manager. Desert Island Comics founder and Smoke Signal publisher Gabe Fowler joins as Panel Coordinator for BEC. Menard previously worked with Fowler on Comics Art Brooklyn, or CAB, an annual independent comics festival run by Desert Island which operated from 2013 to 2019.
“Working with Gabe on CAB let me see firsthand what a great comics festival can do for the Brooklyn independent comics community,” said Menard. “It lets us get out of our own heads and apartments, and into a space where we can shake off the dust and celebrate our work with enthusiasts and fellow creators alike. A comics festival that fills that space in Brooklyn is long overdue. CAB set the bar incredibly high, and we feel honored to have Gabe contributing his experience and expertise to our programming slate.”
“I can’t tell you how many times my customers have begged me to bring back the Comic Arts Brooklyn show, and I’m psyched to join this incredible team to keep the spirit of independent comics alive in Brooklyn,” said Fowler.
BODEGA and BEC are supported by an initial donation from James Tynion IV. Tynion is CEO & Founder of the independent multimedia production house Tiny Onion, which oversees the creation of comic book publications for many of the industry’s top publishers including Image Comics, Dark Horse, and Penguin Random House. The company operates out of Brooklyn, NY, where Tynion lives and works.
“I’ve always loved the full and inspiring breadth of the comics medium, from its most mass market forms in newspaper strips and superhero magazines, to the cutting edge of the indie alternative scene and the brilliant artists pushing the limits of what comics can be,” said Tynion. “For years I’ve wanted to find a way to use my stature in the industry to help support the people working on that cutting edge, and do what I can to support a thriving scene in the city I love. It’s hard to live as a working cartoonist in New York, and we want to do what’s in our power to help.”
BODEGA Comics Group, Inc is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Those interested in supporting BODEGA can go to bodegacomics.org
Exhibitor Application for the Brooklyn Expo of Comics
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- I'm Al Mega the CEO of Comic Crusaders, CEO of the Undercover Capes Podcast Network, CEO of Geekery Magazine & Owner of Splintered Press (coming soon). I'm a fan of comics, cartoons and old school video games. Make sure to check out our podcasts/vidcasts and more!
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