Short Run Comix Festival Returns to Georgetown With Zines Worth the Tote Space

November never comes soon enough for me. Of course, I love the autumnal sunsets and cracking into some stuffing at Thanksgiving. But what's best about the month is that it means I get to go to the Short Run Comix Festival.

The alternative comics festival always takes place on the first or second Saturday of November. Dozens of vendors from around Seattle and the world show up with their printed and handmade wares: art books, zines, patches, calendars, and prints. Every year, I neck a coffee and carefully inspect the lines of tables. I've blown past my budget and stuffed my tote bag full of intricately made Risograph calendars, freaky stickers, snarky buttons, and a custom portrait. And I've never had any regrets.

In a world increasingly stuffed with AI slop, doomscrolling, and screens, Short Run is an important ode to all the weird, idiosyncratic, and cool art being made in the world. Uniqueness reigns supreme at this fest. And whatever you do, don't call it a "comic con" — real community connections are emphasized over corporate IP. 

Now in its 14th year, Short Run is taking over the Seattle Design Center in Georgetown on Nov. 7.

Featuring over 200 small-press comix and book artist-exhibitors from 27 states and five countries, this year's fest promises to have art pieces you'd be unlikely to find at places around town. With special guests like Afropunk founder James Spooner, cartoonist Roberta Gregory, and comic artist Jesse Moynihan, Short Run is also hosting Swedish alternative comics publisher Lystring.

"It's work you're not going to see on the internet," said Kelly Froh, Short Run's co-founder and executive director. "You need to be there in person in order to see these artists and see this work. You're gonna be like, 'Whoa! I've never seen anything like this before.'"

Last year was the fest's first event at the Design Center. After an eight-year run at Seattle Center's Fisher Pavilion, the space said it could no longer host one-day events. Keeping it a daylong was crucial to Froh and Short Run organizers, who understand the cost and physical toll multiday festivals run on vendors. They landed at the Design Center for its Georgetown location, accessibility by public transit, and gorgeous natural lighting. Though they expected to see a dip in attendance at the new space, last year's Short Run matched turnout at Fisher Pavilion: Nearly 4,000 attendees walked through the Design Center's doors at the 13th edition.

"We didn't lose anybody!" said Froh.

The community aspect is the most important part of Short Run. The fest started back in 2011 as a means of highlighting Seattle's broad alternative comix, art book, and self-published/small press scene. Over the years, Short Run has expanded into its own micropress, putting on comics workshops and hosting a yearly residency, Trailer Blaze, at Sou'wester Lodge for women and nonbinary comic artists to do their work distraction-free.

In addition to artists working tables, this year's Short Run also features robust programming. Center for Cartoon Studies director and original Stranger co-founder James Sturm will be on deck to discuss What We Stand For and Against, an educational comic the Applied Cartooning Lab adapted from the U.S. Army's World War II-era book Army Talk 64: Fascism!. Short Run is collaborating with the Friends of The Seattle Public Library — located right across the street from the Design Center — on short and long creative conversations. There will also be presentations by a reference librarian from the Library of Congress about the country's largest comics collection, artist talks, and a panel discussion with Shout Your Abortion about informational zine distribution.

If you've never attended a Short Run before, it's best to come at least a little prepared. Bring at least one extra bag and a rough idea of how much money you want to spend so you don't go hog wild; it can be as little as $20 or as much as $150 (cash is always king). There's no need to study the list of vendors before you step through the Design Center's doors: The best part is discovering artists, printing presses, or collectives you've never heard of before. Take the time to look at everyone's table, and you might find a patch or a zine that speaks to you. And don't be afraid to yuk it up with artists or your fellow Short Run attendees — meeting new people is what it's all about.

"Your presence is really important to us because we want people that love to look at comics, buy comics, be inspired to draw comics," said Froh.

Event Details

Short Run Comix Festival will be at Seattle Design Center on Nov. 7 from 11a.m. to 6 p.m. As always, it's free to attend. Learn more about this year's programming over on the fest's website.