GIVE US THE PUNK

Livestreamed on Saturday, February 25, 2023 • 11:00 AM ET • Dwayne McDuffie Room

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Comics creators Bianca Xunise, FeliceY, and Raeghan Buchanan discussed what it means to be punk in art and comics, the artists and thinkers who've inspired the direction of their work, and which recent and upcoming projects they're excited about in comics, music, and beyond. Moderated by Christine Pasalo Norland. Inspired by comic artist Sharon Lee De La Cruz's panel "Punk Feminism" for the 2021 Latinx Comics Arts Festival.

Bianca Xunise (they/them, @biancaxunise) is an award-winning cartoonist from Chicago who is part of the Six Chix collaborative comic distributed by King Features Syndicate, and is regarded as the first nonbinary cartoonist to be syndicated in the mainstream press. In 2017, they won an Ignatz for their self-published zine Say Her Name. Their debut graphic novel memoir Punk Rock Karaoke comes out in Spring 2024 from Penguin Teen. 

Felice "FeliceY" Haley (they/them, @sludgestar.felicey) is a nonbinary Caribbean American artist, wrestler, and zinester based in Somerville, MA, who loves working on comic projects, social justice media, and other rad art. They are the creator of the webcomic I Need to Start A Cult that follows Junie, a musician who's tired of working in the service industry, as they bounce their ideas of starting a cult off of their friend Shar. Their contribution to Hello Barkada Comics, "I Just Need a Pad," is now available.

Raeghan Buchanan (she/her, @peppermint_raygun) is an artist in Columbus, Ohio, who makes comics focusing on Black punk culture. Buchanan founded and co-runs POCtoberArt, an online gallery that features illustrations of Black/POC punk, funk, and rock musicians to document and create a visual dialogue between artists and bands. Besides doing industry work-for-hire, she has most recently created self-published books Strange Glances and the POCtober Sketchbook, as well as The Secret History of Black Punk which is available on Silver Sprocket. 

Christine Pasalo Norland (she/her, @hellobarkada) is the founder of Hello Barkada, a programming coordinator, and a freelance writer who contributes to comics and pop culture site Popverse. In 2022, she received a Kinnard Award from the indie comics press Laneha House in recognition of her work to cultivate an inclusive arts community.

LISTEN TO THE GIVE US THE PUNK PLAYLIST

The Give Us the Punk Spotify playlist I put together takes its cue from Raeghan Buchanan's new indie comic The Secret History of Black Punk, featuring musicians and bands included in the comic. As someone whose self education in punk is just beyond newborn phase but not yet teething stage, I'm super grateful for the work Raeghan has been doing for years. The playlist is made up of 15 songs from such artists as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, The 1865, Poly Styrene and the X-Ray Spex, Nova Twins, The Selecter, ESG, Bad Brains, Pure Hell, Killer of Sheep, Big Joanie, FUPU, and Death. Enjoy!