SLICE - St. Louis Independent Comics Expo

An attendee with a Webster DADAH tote bag shakes hands with a vendor.

Attendee uses a heat dryer on a tote bag and grins at the camera.

Display of buttons that say "Support *REAL* Artists" and have an X though the word "AI."

Attendee takes a selfie with Ngozi Ukazu.

Friends, I seriously couldn't choose between all the cute SLICE 2025 photos, so here's a few more 🤩

Full set at www.slicexpo.org/slice-2025-p...

📸 by Rebecca K. Clark

Row of tables in the expo hall - person in a mask stops to pick something up from a table.

Vendor holds an open comic book out to an attendee, explaining something.

Vendors and attendees chat about their books.

A friend embraces Ngozi Ukazu at her book signing.

Here's a few of our favorite pics from the day, as a little teaser 🥰

📸 by Rebecca K. Clark

SLICE 2025 Photos, SLICE SLICE 2025 Photos SLICE 2025 was fantastic! Thank you to everyone who came out for third year at the Sheldon as SLICE! It was an amazing day full of...

Wow, y'all - despite the crazy weather, 2025 marks our best-attended SLICE to date! Thank you, STL, for coming out to support our beautiful community of independent creators and self publishers. We hope you had as much fun at the show as we did!

www.slicexpo.org/slice-2025-p...

What a weekend! We’re just now catching our breath from SLICE 2025. Thank you to all our tablers for making the journey and attendees who braved the rain to join us! We’re loving all your SLICE haul pics 🤩

More expo photos to come soon!

Mr. Slice's head is huge in frame. They're looking right at you. Behind them reads "Today today today! October 18, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., The Sheldon, free entry!"

TODAY TODAY TODAY! Make your way to The Sheldon for a full day of independent art, writing, poetry, printmaking, and more! We can't wait to 👀 you!

www.slicexpo.org/slice-2025/

Congrats to our 2025 Local Best in Show winners!

First prize ($500): @cleonique.bsky.social
First runner up ($300): @all-the-phoelings.bsky.social
Second runner up ($200): @crayfishcoffee.bsky.social

📸 L to R: Cleonique, Phoebe, sister hag, Saba, Sophia (Melon Press), and @oheysteenz.bsky.social

Mr. Slice's face looms into view. Text above reads "SLICE 2025, October 18, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., The Sheldon, free entry!" Mr. Slice comments, "That's tomorrow!"

👀 SLICE IS TOMORROW! Are you coming?

Reminder to RSVP if you’re coming to Opening Night tomorrow! We want to make sure we have enough nosh for you all 🧀🥯🍪🍇

If you’re not from STL we’re excited to introduce you to the concept of bread-sliced bagels 😋

Mr. Slice wears a surgical mask and gives you a thumbs up. Above their head is text reading "Mr. Slice says: Thank You for Wearing a Mask!"

Pink text graphic with COVID-19 policy: Masks are strongly encouraged for all attendees, exhibitors, and staff at SLICE. In order to protect immunocompromised folks in our community, we ask that you wear your masks in the expo hall. SLICE recommends testing for COVID-19 within 48 hours prior to the event. If you test positive the day of the event, please do not attend.

Yellow text graphic with COVID-19 Mitigation info: SLICE staffers will provide free KN95 masks to those who need them. The Sheldon is equipped with HVAC filtration that meets CDC ventilation guidelines for COVID-19. We will also be supplying two portable HEPA air scrubbers to improve filtration in the expo hall. We are providing outdoor seating options and encourage guests to eat outside.

🩷💛🩵 A quick reminder of our COVID-19 policies at SLICE: www.slicexpo.org/slice-2025/#...

Thank you, gang!

🎨 by @jmarshallsmith.bsky.social

Table map of the SLICE 2025 exhibitor hall.

SLICE 2025 exhibit hall map drop!

Visit slicexpo.org/slice-2025 for the full-size map and more info about the artists, writers, poets, printmakers, and small presses tabling this Saturday, October 18 at The Sheldon.

Blue text graphic with a photo of a masked exhibitor chatting with a customer. Text reads: The Main Event • 10 a.m.–5 p.m. St. Louis Independent Comics Expo Konneker Room, 3rd floor Activity • 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Tote Bag Screenprinting with Candice Corgan Foyer, 1st floor Book Signing • 10:30–11:30 a.m. Rori Left Bank Books table, 2nd floor Panel • 11 a.m.–12 p.m. Ink & Drink 15-Year Anniversary Panel Ballroom, 5th floor

Blue text graphic with the day schedule. Text reads: Workshop • 11 a.m.–12 p.m. Create Your Own Reading Journal with Central Print Workshop Room, 1st floor Book Signing • 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Karenza Sparks Betty’s Books table, 2nd floor Activity • 12–5 p.m. Clickety Clack Typewriters Demo Foyer, 1st floor Special Guest Lecture • 12:30–1:30 p.m. A Behind-the-Scenes Look at The Magic Fish with Trung Le Nguyen Ballroom, 5th floor Special Guest Lecture • 12:30–1:30 p.m. Daily Comics Changed My Life with Rori Workshop Room, 1st floor Book Signing • 1:30–2:30 p.m. Trung Le Nguyen Left Bank Books table, 2nd floor

Special Guest Lecture • 2–3 p.m. A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Flip with Ngozi Ukazu Ballroom, 5th floor Workshop • 2–3 p.m. Bilingual Zines with David Velasco Workshop Room, 1st floor Book Signing • 3–4 p.m. Ngozi Ukazu Betty’s Books table, 2nd floor Panel Discussion • 3:30–4:30 p.m. Science and Curiosity with Karenza Sparks, J. Marshall Smith, and Blue Delliquanti Ballroom, 5th floor Workshop • 3:30–4:30 p.m. Top 10 Accounting Tips for Artists with the VLAA Workshop Room, 1st floor

Blue text graphic. Text reads: Parking Parking is available at the Fox Theatre lot and the Fox Theatre parking garage on Washington Boulevard, and at meters along Washington, Olive Street and North Spring Ave. See our website for a map of additional parking options. Food & Drink 11 a.m.–4:30 p.m. • The Sheldon Bar, 2nd floor 12–3 p.m. • Blues Fired Pizza Truck, sidewalk COVID safety at SLICE Masks are strongly encouraged at SLICE! Free N95 or KN95 masks and hand sanitizer are available at the entrance, the info booth, and the SLICE table inside the expo hall. The expo hall is equipped with HVAC filtration that meets CDC ventilation guidelines and two HEPA air scrubbers purifying the air.

Your complete guide to SLICE! Swipe through for:
🎨 Full schedule of events for Saturday
🚗 Parking info
🍕 Food & drink
😷 COVID safety policies

Looking for an answer you can't find here? Head to our webpage or DM us for more info. See you on Saturday at The Sheldon ;)

Orange text graphic reading "Food and Drink. The Sheldon Bar, 11 a.m.–4:30 p.m., 2nd floor. Blues Fired Pizza Truck, 12–3 p.m., sidewalk." Below is a delicious looking photo of an everything personal pizza and a BBQ chicken personal pizza.

🍕 Slices at SLICE 🍕! No one goes hungry at this expo. Blues Fired Pizza will be serving up wood-fired personal pizzas outside The Sheldon from 12–3 p.m. during SLICE on October 18. Or swing by The Sheldon's bar on the 2nd floor atrium for drinks and snacks all day, 11 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Blue text graphic reading "Book Signings" with SLICE, Betty's Books, and Left Bank Books logos.

Light blue text graphic reading "Special and Featured Guests' books will be available for purchase at the expo from our local bookshop partners—or bring your own! Rori 10:30–11:30 a.m. Left Bank Books table, 2nd floor Karenza Sparks 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Betty's Books table, 2nd floor Trung Le Nguyen 1:30–2:30 p.m. Left Bank Books table, 2nd floor Ngozi Ukazu 3–4 p.m. Betty's Books table, 2nd floor"

Get your books signed ✍️ at SLICE! Special and Featured Guests’ books will be available for purchase at the expo from our local bookshop partners, @bettysbooksstl.bsky.social and @leftbankbooks.bsky.social—or BYO!

Feat. @roricomics.bsky.social @toumeya.bsky.social @trungles.com @ngoziu.com

Mr. Slice pops into frame holding a giant pencil to tell you "Only one week away!" Text above reads "SLICE 2025, October 18, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., The Sheldon, free entry!"

Just imagine, this time next week you'll be feasting your eyes on all the indie print goodness SLICE has to offer! Check out our list of 100+ amazing exhibitors and our workshop and lecture schedule on our website. See you next Satuday, October 18 at The Sheldon!

www.slicexpo.org/slice-2025/

Pink text graphic with a drawing of Mr. Slice as George Washington. Text reads "Workshop: Top 10 Accounting Tips for Artists with the VLAA 3:30–4:30 p.m. • Workshop Room, 1st floor Being a freelance artist can be hard! Thankfully we have the Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts to help with locals’ legal and accounting needs. VLAA Executive Director Sue Greenberg will give attendees a few accounting tips to get their artistic careers on the right track."

3:30–4:30 p.m.
Top 10 Accounting Tips for Artists with the VLAA
Workshop Room, 1st floor

Pink text graphic with two speech bubbles, a blue one that says "Hello!" and a pink one that says "Hola!" Text reads "Workshop: Bilingual Zines with David Velasco 2–3 p.m. • Workshop Room, 1st floor David Velasco is a teacher, zinester, and working artist who creates bilingual zines. David will walk attendees through his process, and then attendees will have an opportunity to make their own bilingual zine."

2–3 p.m.
Bilingual Zines with David Velasco
Workshop Room, 1st floor

Pink text graphic with drawing of a typewriter. Text reads "Activity: Clickety Clack Typewriters Demo 12–5 p.m. • Foyer, 1st floor Discover vintage typewriters and learn how to use them with Clickety Clack Typewriters from Rolla, MO! Clickety Clack will also have typewriters available for purchase."

12–5 p.m.
Clickety Clack Typewriters Demo
Foyer, 1st floor

Pink text graphic with drawing of a big pencil. Text reads "Workshop: Create Your Own Reading Journal with Central Print 11 a.m.–12 p.m. • Workshop Room, 1st floor Keep track of the books, zines, and prints you’ve seen at SLICE in a handy reading journal that you’ll be able to print yourself with the help of Central Print!"

11 a.m.–12 p.m.
Create Your Own Reading Journal with Central Print
Workshop Room, 1st floor

Pink graphic with duotone photo of people heat-drying a screenprinted tote bag at SLICE 2023. Text reads "Activity: Tote Bag Screenprinting with Candice Corgan 10 a.m.–5 p.m. • Foyer, 1st floor Tote bag screenprinting is back at SLICE! Purchase a tote bag and screenprint your own Mr. Slice tote bag in a color of your choice. And if you have the SLICE 2023 tote bag, you can screenprint for free!"

10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Tote Bag Screenprinting with Candice Corgan
Foyer, 1st floor

SLICE features a great selection of 💸 free, 🧒 family-friendly, 🙌 hands-on activities and workshops throughout the day. Read descriptions for each session on our event page at slicexpo.org/slice-2025. Here's the schedule (thread):

Text graphic with headshots/avatars of Karenza, J. Marshall Smith, and Blue. Text reads: Panel: Science and Comics with Karenza Sparks 3:30–4:30 p.m. • The Ballroom, 5th floor with panelists J. Marshall Smith and Blue Delliquanti, moderated by Steenz Science and curiosity: two defining instincts for our species and humanity’s collective intergenerational endeavors. Join featured guest Karenza Sparks, co-panelists J. Marshall Smith and Blue Delliquanti, and moderator Steenz as they discuss what intrigues about science and natural phenomena, what sparks their curiosity, and how it presents in their own work.

3:30–4:40 p.m.
Science and Comics with Karenza Sparks @toumeya.bsky.social, J. Marshall Smith @jmarshallsmith.bsky.social, and Blue Delliquanti, moderated by Steenz @oheysteenz.bsky.social

Text graphic with cover image of Flip. Text reads: Special Guest Lecture: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Flip with Ngozi Ukazu 2–3 p.m. • The Ballroom, 5th floor Get a peek inside Ngozi’s newest graphic novel, Flip! Learn about the different parts of her writing and drawing practice as she showcases the full comics creation process from inspiration to colors and everything in between.

2–3 p.m.
A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Flip with Ngozi Ukazu @ngoziu.com
Ballroom, 5th floor

Text graphic with cartoon of Rori using a marker on a large city drawing with a cat on her head. Text reads: Special Guest Lecture: Daily Comics Changed My Life with Rori 12:30–1:30 p.m. • Workshop Room, 1st floor Local artist Rori invites you to a conversation about how daily comics changed her life for the better. Learn about her journey and how the practice helped improve her craft and ushered her into making comics on an even more regular basis.

12:30–1:30 p.m.
Daily Comics Changed My Life with Rori @roricomics.bsky.social
Workshop Room, 1st floor

Text graphic with cover image of The Magic Fish. Text reads: Special Guest Lecture: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at The Magic Fish with Trung Le Nguyen 12:30–1:30 p.m. • The Ballroom, 5th floor Trung provides a deep-dive into his origins, process, and all of the behind-the-scenes work that went into his semi-autobiographical debut graphic novel, The Magic Fish. Learn about his creative influences and the work it takes to make a comic.

12:30–1:30 p.m.
A Behind-the-Scenes Look at The Magic Fish with Trung Le Nguyen @trungles.com
Ballroom, 5th floor

Text graphic with Ink & Drink logo. Text reads: Panel: Ink & Drink 15-Year Anniversary 11 a.m.–12 p.m. • The Ballroom, 5th floor Moderated by Steenz For over a decade and half, Ink & Drink has been a staple of the St. Louis indie comics community. Join Jason Green, Steve Higgens, Carlos Gabriel Ruiz, and moderator Steenz as they discuss the history of the organization, the process of publishing biannual anthologies, and what’s on the horizon for the next fifteen years.

11 a.m.–12 p.m.
Ink & Drink 15-Year Anniversary Panel, moderated by Steenz @oheysteenz.bsky.social
Ballroom, 5th floor

Yellow text graphic on blue background. Text reads "Panels and Lectures, Oct. 18, 2025, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., The Sheldon, free to attend. Ink & Drink, Trung Le Nguyen, Rori, Ngozi Ukazu, Karenza Sparks..." and big arrows pointing to the next slide.

Get lectured at SLICE! In addition to browsing work from the 100+ supremely talented exhibitors in our expo hall all day, you can attend a lecture or panel with our Special & Featured Guests! Read descriptions for each session on our event page slicexpo.org/slice-2025. Here's the schedule (thread):

Purple text graphic reading "SLICE Opening Night Schedule"

SLICE 2025 poster image, text reads "Happy Hour & Poster Signing with Alain McAlister"

Text graphic reads "Panel Discussion with Ngozi Ukazu, Trung Le Nguyen, and Rori" with their headshots

Text graphic for Local Best in Show Award Presentation and Raffle

What's happening at SLICE's Opening Night?
🍻 Happy hour
✍️ Poster signing with artist Alain McAlister
🎙️ Panel discussion with special guests @ngoziu.com, @trungles.com, and St. Louis's own @roricomics.bsky.social
🏆 Local Best in Show Award presentation
🎉 Raffle!
www.eventbrite.com/e/slice-2025...

Happy book birthday!!! We’re so pumped to be on your book tour!

You can also be like my mom and order Angelica and the Bear Prince, in fact!!! It’s out now! 🐻‍❄️

Cover of zine titled "This Might Be Communism." The title is made from collaged type like a ransom note and the background is textures in reds and blues and newsprint.

Page from zine with ransom note article title, "A Conversation on Surviving the Urban Heat Island." An interview transcript follows.

Spread from zine with a handdrawn gameboard with text in different colors on each square titled "A Month of Climate Affirmations!" A little cartoon person cheers you on.

Introducing our ninth and final Local Best in Show nominee and SLICE 2025 exhibitor, sister hag!

The SLICE Local Best in Show Award is awarded to three local emerging artists at our Opening Night celebration on Oct. 17. www.slicexpo.org/local-best-i...