Say Less: Succinct Storytelling Strategies

Saturday, 5/2/26
12:45 -1:45
Panel • McGinty Room

Comics offer opportunities to explore pace in unique ways. How can you succinctly tell a story that leans into comic conventions shaping space, time, dialogue, and narrative? Join Jim Terry, Jaime Dear, and Vincent Lau for a discussion moderated by Dave Ortega to learn how artists can have high impact through their storytelling choices. 

Jim Terry (he/him) is a Ho-Chunk storyteller who's called Chicagoland his home for over ten thousand years, and has worked in comics for the last fifteen or so. His memoir COME HOME INDIO was nominated for the LA Bookprize and the Ignatz, and his visual essay PAPER CUTS is currently being taught in several schools. Follow Jim: @jimterryart on Instagram, woundedbutdangerous.com

Jaime Dear (they/them) is a cartoonist, zinester, prison abolitionist, and co-host of the queer comics reading series Off the Page. Their upcoming horror comic, You Can Never Be A Woman, will be released by Strange Deer Press in June. Follow Jaime: @deardearjaime on Instagram, potatofuzz.itch.io 

Vincent Lau (he/him) makes comics about dreams, nature, and the surreal. He lives in LA and spends his summers watching baseball. Follow Vincent: @vincentlalalau on Instagram, vincent-lau.com/Comics 

Dave Ortega (he/him) is a cartoonist and educator originally from El Paso, now living in Somerville, MA. The Comics Journal said, "Comic book writing doesn’t get much smarter than this," about Hacienda, his ongoing one-person anthology series. Follow Dave: @daveortegadraws on Instagram, daveortegadraws.com