Meet Mike at the ALA Annual Conference 2026

I am truly excited to be attending the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago this year. I have never been to this festival, but I have heard it’s fantastic. It will be a quick trip, I might be there briefly on the Friday night, and then for most of the day on Saturday. You can find me at the following scheduled events:

The GNCRT Magical Comics Tea, 1-3PM, Hilton Chicago

Come join the Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table for our 2025 Magical Comics Tea! Visit with creators and other comic loving library staff as we hear about upcoming titles and projects from your favorite publishers! Dress up as your favorite tea-time character (hats are especially encouraged), or just come as you are and share in the comics-camaraderie!

Signing at the Hachette Table, 4-4:50PM, Booth 3512

I’m really looking forward to this trip, there will be a number of cartoonist and librarian pals in attendance who I’m excited to catch up with. If you’re going, I hope to see you there!

Trust the Process

A new cartoon that I’ve incorporated into my assembly presentations. Trust the process.

The purpose of this comic is to show kids how part of writing is letting the story into your head. You don’t start off with it all laid out and in place, you have to get yourself there, and the feeling of starting out often feels like you just don’t know how to do the job of writing. A story has to take hold, it needs to be living inside you, you have to let yourself build the momentum.

I like this cartoon as an illustration of how comics can express an idea differently than something written only in words. The story forming over the course of many days is shown through images, as the thoughts and ideas increase in density and complexity panel after panel. Words serve a vital function, as they do in many comics, but they aren’t describing what the reader is seeing before them. The drawings are telling the tale.

I do have to consider revising the line “I’ve written six or seven books at this point…”, I say that because I am not sure if collections of short stories quite count, but it’s a bit of a distraction. Even if the kids don’t always yell out after I say it, I can see the hands going up and down out in the audience.

I hope everyone’s school year is wrapping up smoothly, and that you all have a wonderful Summer!
Mike