Celebrating Comic Arts Brooklyn 2017 In Photos

Comic Arts Brooklyn moved to a new location this year at the Pratt Institute, and that brought a new angle to the event, including the availability of large auditorium and lecture hall space for panels and talks, and a much larger floor area for exhibitors in the form of the Institute’s gymnasium.

The event was signposted very well for locating the new venue, with chalk drawings on the sidewalk leading the way from the subway. The campus setting was lovely, still showing autumn colors, and despite the unusually cold weather, there was plenty of foot traffic of attendees moving between the auditorium and show floor.
The role Pratt played this year in the show really highlighted the history that the Institute in preparing cartoonists and illustrators to enter the working world, and panels involved alumni and professors, too.
While the large floor space was a welcome development from the slightly overcrowded but comfortable venue for the show in past years, many tablers observed that the space might have made things a little too spread out, which kept focus from falling as directly on the comics and creations being sold at the show. It’s a pros and cons situation that affects many comic shows–the luxury of space and wide aisles that encourage attendees to move around vs. attendees moving around without walking particularly close to the tables, which might lead to reduced sales.
But the show’s atmosphere was very upbeat, bringing creators and fans together in the tradition of past years, and the presence of educational panels this year was very welcome.
Here’s a survey of Comic Arts Brooklyn 2017 and afterparty in photos: