Howling Pages and Pretty Good Fest Present...

A Comics Reading & Picture Show with Michael DeForge + Abe Lampert

Join us at comics store & Pretty Good Fest sponsor Howling Pages for a reading by PGF special guest Michael DeForge from his new book, All the Cameras in My Room (Drawn & Quarterly) and artist Abe Lampert from his new book, Nemesis Encounter (Perfectly Acceptable Press.

Doors at 6pm. 2354 N. Milwaukee Ave

12pm - 1pm

Chris Ware in Conversation with Joe Swanberg

Chris Ware is an artist, writer and regular contributor to The New Yorker; his book Jimmy Corrigan – the Smartest Kid on Earth was awarded the Guardian Prize, Building Stories was chosen as a Top 10 Fiction Book and Rusty Brown a Top 100 Fiction Book by The New York Times. He has exhibited at the Whitney Museum, the MCA Chicago and the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles; a traveling retrospective of his work began at the Centre Pompidou in 2022 and concluded at the Centre de Cultura Contemporània in Barcelona in Autumn 2025; it will make its only US appearance in May 2026 at the Billy Ireland Library and Museum in Columbus, Ohio.

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Joe Swanberg is the director of over 20 feature films, including HANNAH TAKES THE STAIRS, DRINKING BUDDIES and THE SUN NEVER SETS. He co-starred in and co-directed NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS with Greta Gerwig and AUTOEROTIC with Adam Wingard, in addition to acting in and directing one of the segments of the original V/H/S film. He also co-wrote and produced THE RENTAL with Dave Franco, who made his directorial debut with the project. He has directed episodes of television for HBO, 20th Century Studios and Netflix, where he created the series EASY and wrote, directed, produced and edited all 25 episodes over three seasons. As an actor he has starred in films by Ti West, Adam Wingard, Josephine Decker and Mickey Keating, and he has produced features for Lynn Shelton, Alex Ross Perry, Dustin Defa and Zach Clark, amongst many others. He lives in Chicago.

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Chris Ware will be signing books from 1pm - 2pm in Stagg Court following the talk.

2pm - 3pm

Michael DeForge in Conversation with Sarah Schmidt

Michael DeForge is an author and illustrator in Toronto. His published books include All The Cameras In My Room, Holy Lacrimony, Birds of Maine, Heaven No Hell, Familiar Face and Leaving Richard's Valley. His illustrations have been featured in Jacobin, The LA Times, The Walrus, and Bloomberg Business Week. He's written for SSENSE, Lux Magazine and Canadian Dimension.

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Sarah Schmidt is a moving cartoonist based in Chicago, Illinois. After being raised by marching band and a family gas station in small-town, Ohio, she graduated in 2014 from Columbus College of Art and Design. In 2026, she received her MFA from DePaul University. She co-founded Sunshine Mall in the summer of 2019 with partner Ian Ballantyne. In 2016, Schmidt started an independent animation screening and fanzine series called Malt Adult: a free, curated screening series showcasing animation artists pushing the medium. Currently based out of Chicago, their goal is to bring contemporary, independent animation to the Midwest.

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Michael DeForge will be signing books from 3pm - 4pm in Stagg Court following the talk.

4pm - 5pm

Tara Booth in Conversation with Molly Colleen O'Connell

Tara Booth is an Eisner and Ignatz Award Winning comic artist, illustrator and painter from Philadelphia. Tara's candid autobiographical comics shed lightness and humor on issues related to mental health, addiction, and sexuality. Known for her painterly approach to comics, often using bright colors and dizzying patterns- Booth's work has been featured in publications like The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, Vice, Bloomberg Businessweek, and Best American Comics. Tara loves to travel and hike with her two dogs.

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Molly Colleen O'Connell (b. 1986, Florida) is an interdisciplinary artist, cartoonist, comics historian, educator, and amateur clown.
She strives to create a world of perverted feminist hallucinations translated through comics, print, sculpture, performance, and installation. She is currently working on two serialized comics series “Pebbles” and “the Shriekers”.
MCO’s work has been screened and exhibited at Hauser & Wirth, the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art, AALA Gallery, Vox Populi, Hopscotch Reading Room in Berlin, Waiting Room Gallery in Tokyo, MOHS Exhibit in Copenhagen, and at the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art.
She has been an artist in residence at La Maison des Auteurs, Trailer Blaze, Vermont Studio Center, ACRE, and Colorama Clubhouse in Berlin.

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Tara Booth will be selling (& and signing) her prints & books at her table in Stagg Court. Her latest title, Sometimes All the Time will be available at the 2dcloud table, also in Stagg.

11am - 6pm

Oddball Shopping Mall

☆ a pop-up consignment shoppe from Oddball ☆

☆ stocked w/ a special selection of oddball art + objects ☆ including paintings & prints / records + tapes / handmade & vintage clothing / ceramics + jewelry / movies & books / plants + flowers / candles & perfumes / tooth gems ++ MORE ☆

☆ ☆ located on the GROUND FLOOR of the chicago athletic association — just DOWN THE HALL from the main exhibitor room (Tank) ++ street entry through the MADISON ST doors ☆ ☆

☆ flyer by Ed Rivera ☆

Pretty Good Fest After-Party!

7pm - 8pm: Exhibitors, volunteers, and friends are invited to join us for an hour-long reception. A time for those who make the fair what it is to socialize without the hustle and bustle of the festival! Featuring music from DJ Bianca Xunise.

Tickets required!

8pm - 10pm: The official Pretty Good Fest after-party. Come mingle with artists & fans of comics and small press community. Featuring music from DJ Jacob Ciocci.

Free & open to the public!

Both reception and after-party are held at the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel in Stagg Court (fourth floor).