It doesn’t have the glitzy, corporate, mainstream vibe that most comic conventions are known for — and that’s exactly how they drew it up.
Born from a single tweet and fuelled by the passion of local artists, Calgary’s Panel One Comic Creator Festival has evolved from a grassroots celebration of indie comics into a non-profit powerhouse that champions original, Canadian, creator-owned comics.
The superhero origin story goes like this: a group of like-minded creators met up at a podcast summit in 2016 with the intention to create an intimate show that was more community-driven than the larger comic conventions.
Six months later, a group of volunteers was bringing the inaugural Panel One Comic Creator Festival to life – and it was a hit.
Artist Hartley Rose, president of Panel One Comics Society, has been a comic fan since she was a child, and was particularly interested in how creators bring their stories to life. In 2016, she connected with her Panel One peers just before the first Comic Creator Festival.
“For years, I saw myself as a supporter, not a creator – until the incredible Panel One community changed that,” Rose explains. “This community has really shaped my journey and it’s [made] a huge impact on my life.”
Rose says Calgary’s comic and graphic storytelling community is nothing short of “astonishing,” and she marvels at the talent within.
“This city is home to a diverse and passionate group of creators who are dedicated to bringing their stories to life. There are so many creators, at all stages of their careers, who make this city’s community so vibrant,” she adds.
Whether through traditional comics, indie zines or experimental sequential art, Rose believes Calgary’s storytellers are pushing boundaries and redefining the medium in experimental ways. “It’s amazing to have a rich ecosystem of talent working with major publishers, small presses or self-publishing work that is spanning every genre imaginable.”
Rose says the festival shines the spotlight on storytellers who don’t always get space at the larger pop culture shows, connecting them with old and new readers.
In other words, Panel One isn’t just about browsing booths; it’s about community. The Sketch Sessions — a community-focused arts group facilitated by Panel One — offers artists a space to collaborate and grow, whether through life drawing at the Calgary Zoo or experimenting with new comic formats. These sessions are open to everyone, fostering a culture of shared learning and creative exploration.
Calgary writer and musician Rob Gruszecki teamed up with his sister-in-law, Nicole Gruszecki, to bring their comic, STAN, to life and this year’s event will likely feature them showcasing the last issue of their collaborative project. His introduction to comics is a familiar story, as he tells it.
“Older brother likes cool stuff, and younger brother wants to be just like older brother, so he reads, listens to and watches everything that is recommended by older brother,” Gruszecki says.
The talented writer finds it refreshing to reflect on Calgary’s comic community and witness such vibrant creativity and artistry.
“I can tell you with certainty that the indie scene is thriving in Calgary. Accessibility to awesome books is easier, the scope and reach is broader, the variety and diversity is wider than ever, and anyone who wants to make anything can do so easily,” he explains.
“I think the industry is better than it’s ever been. And the Panel One Festival showcases exactly that, beautifully.”
Gruszecki is heavily influenced by the punk rock scene, which is inherently rooted in DIY (do-it-yourself) mentality, uncompromised visions and outrageous artistic exploration. In fact, you can catch him around town playing with local acts like Chixdiggit, Julius Sumner Miller, and his folk-punk project Ghost Factory, as well as leading Rob and Eric’s Punk Rock Singalong at the Ship & Anchor all summer long.
This familiarity with the music scene is hugely beneficial to his art. “Being invested in a scene that celebrates any and all talent or skill levels, as long as you’ve got an interesting point of view, fueled a natural progression into indie comics and alternative art.”
As much as Gruszecki enjoys big-name comics and superheroes, he’s more captivated by the imagination of creator-owned projects that can be discovered and explored at Panel One.
“Ultimately, I write and draw comics so that my brain doesn’t explode and being surrounded by other creators, which the Panel One festival provides in spades, is a constant inspiration to keep making cool stuff.”
That’s a sentiment echoed by Calgary’s Nick Johnson, who has been writing, drawing and self-publishing comics since he was in high school more than 25 years ago. He has worked as a solo cartoonist and collaborator while honing his craft as a writer, artist, and colourist. You might also remember Nick from our feature on the 48-Hour Filmmaking Challenge last issue — he’s a filmmaker, and directed/wrote/produced the animated film Sunburnt Unicorn, which debuted locally at last year’s Calgary International Film Festival.
Johnson’s work ranges from sci-fi to horror to Canadian history and autobiography, all united by expressive characters, energetic storytelling and bold colours. He says a big part of his growth is the level of excellence in the local community.
“The inspiration and creativity of the Calgary comic community have been essential to my development as a creator,” he says. “It has been so exciting to watch it change and grow over the years.”
What Johnson loves about the craft is that budgets and timelines don’t restrain him.
“I am overjoyed to be focusing on comics once again, where the only real restraint is your imagination. It all comes down to you, a pencil and a blank page,” he says, adding that it offers “unbridled creativity.”
“Comics can engage with readers and their emotions in a unique and effective way. Comics play with time and space across every page and compel readers to empathize with sometimes bizarre yet relatable characters, making each story an exciting challenge to draw and read.”
Johnson will also be at this year’s Panel One selling comics, doing sketches and coordinating a variety of panels and workshops focused on making and appreciating comics.
The Panel One Comic and Creator Festival goes down on May 25 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. inside the Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Association. This one-day event features more than 60 Canadian comic creators converging on Calgary to hock their zines, graphic novels, and art prints. Entry is by donation, making it accessible to all, and the table fee is only $60.
For more information or to register, visit panelone.ca.
Homegrown Comic Artists to Check Out
In Rob Gruszecki’s words: “Calgary is bursting with unique voices and perspectives. People like Jillian Fleck (Cheryl), Cam Hayden (Pinocchio & Jesus), Justin Heggs and Cam Hayden (Death Metal Duck), Shea Proulx (Just Happy to See You), Shol Uehara (Repose), Kyle Simmers (Pass Me By) to those working in the big leagues like Fiona Staples (Saga), Tyler Jenkins (Peter Panzerfaust), and Riley Rossmo (The Moon is Following Us) are all making some of the most exciting and original work in the medium and that’s just to name a couple. If you look for locally produced, independent publications in Calgary and visit local shops in your neighbourhood, you’ll trip over incredible stories built outside of the constrictions of editorial edicts and bottom lines.”
In Nick Johnson’s words: “Calgary has a rich history of comic talent with huge names like John Byrne (X-Men), Cary Nord (Conan), Riley Rossmo 
(Martian Manhunter, Harley Quinn), and Fiona Staples (Saga) – yet we also have a thriving community of independent and small press creators making unique, emotional and/or downright absurd comics for people of all ages and interests. The creativity and passion are boundless, and at Panel One, there is a comic for everyone. As for some of my local favourite artists: Jillian Fleck, Kat Simmers and Shol Uehara.”
