Jeremy Fascaldo
As an experienced cartoonist and a cartoonist trying to learn more about the industry, the publishers I was familiar with growing up were Scholastic Graphix publications via Jeff Smith’s Bone. On Thursday, I attended the “Graphics: 20 Years of Children’s Comics” panel discussion at New York Comic Con in a sort of full-circle moment.
The panel discussion was moderated by Publishers Weekly editor Meg Lemke and featured creators Samuel Sattin (Unico: Awakening, Unico: Hunted), Laura Terry (Adorable Empire), Cassandra Kalin (The New Girl), Cristina Diaz Gonzalez (Invisible), and Mol Melos (Snowlands).
The panelists talked about their creative processes, their inspirations, and their upcoming books. Gonzalez specifically spoke about the importance of incorporating both English and Spanish into comics to build bridges between readers from different cultural backgrounds.
While the panelists spoke, attendees could view successive pages of the comic on a projector screen. These include Gonzalez’s Invisible and Kaling’s The New Girl and its sequel, The New Girl: First Crush, scheduled for release in May 2026. Terry’s “Adorable Empire” was also featured.
Following the presentation, Mr. Lemke hosted a question and answer session with the audience. I asked the panelists, “Do you have any advice for creators who are struggling to break into this industry?”
Terry said it’s important to make friends with your peers. Whether you know them or not, you can learn something from them if you ask them for advice, and they can be the most important part of trying to succeed in the industry.
Samuel’s answer touches on the practicality of creativity. Start with small projects instead of big ones. Eventually, you should step up by creating something short and simple, and once you have the experience you need to tackle big ideas, move on to even bigger steps.
Mol said when you first start, you’ll get a lot of rejection. However, luck can be a factor in ultimately getting a “yes”. Being rejected may not be a bad reflection on you. It just means that the idea you present may not be what the publisher wants at that moment. The important thing is to never stop trying.
Karin and Gonzalez said it’s important to believe in what you want to create rather than following trends. A book is a big undertaking, but it’s worth it if you have faith.
Scholastic Graphix is hosting creator autograph sessions during the convention at booth #3307. Click here for a detailed schedule.
Stay tuned to The Beat for more coverage of NYCC ’25.
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