Montreal's Comic Book Fest Will Feature 50+ Free Activities & Major Artists Like Sarah Andersen

Montreal's outdoor comic book festival is putting page to pavement in May, with a pedestrianized art stroll along 1.2 km of rue Saint-Denis and a super-powered lineup of free activities, exhibitions and artist encounters.

More than 250 cartoonists from around the world are set to attend the Festival BD de Montreal (FBDM) from May 26 to 28, including some big names in the industry from Instagram-famous Sarah Andersen to Gabriel Bá and Fábio Moon of The Umbrella Academy.

Other notable guests include Martin Panchaud, winner of the Fauve d'Or prize at the Angoulême Festival and graphic novelist Nick Drnaso, whose latest work has just been translated into French.

This year's theme is "from imagination to reality," which was brought to life on festival posters by Montreal artist Cab. She will participate in a round table on May 27 with Gabriel Bá and Montreal artist Wes Craig, a co-creator of the Deadly Class series who illustrated both Batman and Guardians of the Galaxy.

Manga fans can attend a drawing workshop dedicated to the Japanese art style while aspiring comic artists can learn about storyboarding from nicole marie burton of Ad Astra Collective.

An exhibition on Brazilian comics presented by the Consulate General of Brazil in Montreal will be on display. The festival will also feature an exhibition devoted to the finalists of the Bédélys 2023 awards, which will be presented at the Esplanade Tranquille in the Quartier des Spectacles from May 1 to 31. FBDM is also teaming up with Bibliothèques de Montréal for its "Mai, mois de la BD" event, which features a range of activities and exhibitions throughout the month.

If you're tired of just scrolling through Instagram to get your art fix and want to experience some artistic creativity firsthand, check out the full program here.