Don’t miss Baltimore Comic-Con 2026’s Family Alley with Kid-Friendly Comics Creators
Families will be making their way to the 2026 Baltimore Comic-Con this September 25-27 at the Inner Harbor’s Baltimore Convention Center. The Baltimore Comic-Con will feature its Family Alley section for comics creators and exhibitors whose work is oriented towards kids for our 2026 event. Kids (plural!) 10 and under are free with an accompanying adult! Get tickets for the show online now!
Carolyn Belefski creates and publishes original comics and illustrations, including her comic strip Curls. She is artist of the comic books Black Magic Tales, French Fry Club, and The Legettes. Her freelance projects range from working with BOOM! Studios on Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time comic book to commissioned comics for the Obama White House. Carolyn currently serves as Washington, DC chapter chair of the National Cartoonists Society and recently served on the Board of Directors. She conceived and orchestrated the NCS Activity Book featuring over 50 creators with a cover by Sergio Aragonés, which she colored. She has also worked on a variety of anthology projects including Mine!, Magic Bullet, Rise: Comics Against Bullying, Cartoonists Draw Blood, and District Comics: An Unconventional History of Washington, DC. She was nominated for the Kim Yale New Talent Award from Friends of Lulu and was recognized as a runner-up for Best Visual Artist from Washington City Paper. Carolyn also designs and produces wearable art such as bandanas, enamel pins, and more.
Joe Carabeo is a writer and co-creator with Carolyn Belefski on comic properties The Legettes, French Fry Club, and Black Magic Tales. As Curls Studio, they have toured the convention scene with since 2007. He has also worked on a variety of anthology projects including Magic Bullet, Cartoonists Draw Blood, and District Comics: An Unconventional History of Washington, DC. Joe is a filmmaker with Astray Productions. In addition to his own work, he has used his directing and camera talent to work with The First Lady of the United States, Dr. Jill Biden, Madeline Albright, The Beach Boys, Olivia Jean from Third Man Records, My Kid Brother from Ruthless Records, Professional Wrestler Sonjay Dutt, U2’s Bono, ABC, NBC, Showtime, Epix, TLC, Bravo, DC Lottery, NASA, Under Armour, Papa John’s Pizza, Jerry’s Subs, Chef Spike Mendelsohn, Chef Carla Hall, Van Metre, Northwestern Mutual, and many more.
Mike DeCarlo has been a comic and animation/cartoon artist since 1980, including work for The Simpsons, Archie, Marvel, DC, BOOM! Studios, Disney, and Warner Brothers.
Chris Giarrusso is the writer/artist best known for creating the Mini Marvels at Marvel Comics and G-Man at Image Comics. He drew and co-created Hashtag: Danger! with writer Tom Peyer at Ahoy Comics and collaborated with Franco and Art Baltazar on Encounter at Lion Forge. His most recent work has been a steady stream of variant covers at Marvel Comics for Venom, X-Men, and a set of 15 connected covers recreating The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe in his signature Mini Marvel style.
With over 30-years experience, cartoonist Mike Kunkel has continued to do what he loves…create and tell cartoon stories for audiences.
As a published writer and artist, Mike has been nominated four times for the prestigious Eisner Award and four Ignatz Awards and is the creator of the two-time Eisner Award-winning comic book series Herobear and the Kid. He has also helped to relaunch the SHAZAM franchise for DC comics as an all-ages comic series.
As a designer, he has lent his skills to animated TV shows and features. Along with development for toys, games, and brand development, his designs in television have also won the Annie Award for “Best Character Design in an Animated Television Production.”
As an animation artist, Mike has worked on numerous television and film projects as a director, animator, and designer working for such studios as Warner Bros, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Sony Entertainment, Universal Pictures, DreamWorks, Sesame Workshop, and Walt Disney Studios.
He lives in Southern California where he spends most of his extra time trying to learn new magic tricks, draw cartoons, and play games with his family.
He’s never been early for a deadline.
Raised on a “healthy” diet of cartoons, comics, and video games, Central Ohio-based Nate Lovett has been drawing since he could first hold a crayon. He’s been working in comics and illustration professionally since 2007, getting his first real start with Xombie: Reanimated from Devil’s Due. From there, his fun, colorful, and animated style has led to working on comics, children’s books, and concept art for Marvel, Image, Action Lab, Nickelodeon, Random House, Viz, and Hasbro on projects such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Dungeons & Dragons, Marvel Comic Presents, Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur, Paw Patrol, Corn & Peg, GI Joe, Bravest Warriors, Redakai, Monsuno, Hack/Slash, and more. Recently, he’s completed work on the graphic novel Commander Tomorrow for Rocketship Entertainment, and the comic Packrat & Thunderbunny while attempting to work on his own all-ages projects, Carter Kain & Punk Rawk Ninja.
Trevor Mueller is a comic writer from Chicago. His latest projects are Nexus Point and Re-Possessed (Webtoon Originals). He has also written the multi-Harvey Award nominated Albert the Alien. He has contributed stories to several anthologies, including Reading With Pictures (Andrews McMeel). He has also self-published several other works including Consumer, Beyond the Pillars, Los Ojos, and The Witches of E Wick Blvd.
Trevor also appears on occasional episodes of the popular web series Nostalgia Critic.
Trevor currently lives in Chicago with his family; his cat, Waffles, might be planning for world domination.
Dan Parent is an American comic book artist and writer best known for his work for Archie Comics. A graduate of The Kubert School, Dan began working for Archie immediately after graduation. His writing of the Love Showdown series from 1994 received widespread attention. Dan has also illustrated Felix the Cat, Barbie, and co-created the comic series Die Kitty Die, and has worked for Disney Adventures, Dynamite, DC, and Valiant.
In 2010, Parent introduced the first openly gay character in Archie Comics when he created Kevin Keller in Veronica #202, which he wrote and drew. Kevin Keller got his own title with the publication of Kevin Keller #1 in 2012.
In May 2013, Parent was presented with the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book. Dan was nominated for a 2013 Harvey Award for Special Award for Humor in Comics, and nominated again in 2014 and 2015 as a cover artist.
Dan has worked on many crossover titles, including team-ups with KISS, the B-52’s, Blondie, Batman ‘66, Glee, Sharknado, Predator, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Vampirella, and Red Sonja.
In 2016, Dan published Die Kitty Die, which was funded through Kickstarter and subsequently published by Chapterhouse Comics. Three series have since followed.
Dan is currently working on titles celebrating Archie Comics’ 80th Anniversary, including special projects for the 60th Anniversaries of Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Josie and the Pussycats.
Andy Runton is the award-winning creator of Owly, the kind-hearted little owl who’s always searching for new friends and adventures. Owly showcases Andy’s love of wildlife and the outdoors, and has earned him multiple awards, including the Eisner Award for Best Publication for a Younger Audience. The Owly books have been praised for their “charm, wisdom, and warmth” by Booklist, and WIRED.com said they are “one of the best comics for kids around. Period.” Andy lives in the greater Atlanta area, where he works full time as a writer and illustrator. Visit him online at andyrunton.com.
Pronouns: he/him
Matthew Dow Smith is a writer and comic book artist whose work has appeared in DC’s Starman and Mike Mignola’s Hellboy, among many other titles. He is the writer/artist of the middle grade graphic novel DC’s Misfits of Magic, the young adult October Girl series, and the middle grade Amelia Shadows graphic novels.
This year’s confirmed guests for the show include: Jason Aaron (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Arthur Adams (Longshot), Joel Adams (Ms. Mystic), Zeea Adams (Deadman), Rafael Albuquerque (Absolute Green Arrow), Jiba Molei Anderson (The Horsemen, courtesy of Advent Comics), Rodney Barnes (Killedelphia, courtesy of Advent Comics), Jeremy Bastian (Cursed Pirate Girl), Marty Baumann (Pixar artist), Brett Bean (D’Orc), Josh Blaylock (Mercy Sparx, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Carolyn Belefski (Curls), Russ Braun (The Boys), Brett Breeding (Superman), Jeffrey Brown (Hulk Teach, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Mark Buckingham (Fables), Jeffrey Burandt (Gonad the Ballbarian), Greg Burnham (Tuskegee Heirs, courtesy of Advent Comics), Jim Calafiore (NED, Lord of the Pit), Eric Canete (Absolute Superman), Joe Carabeo (The Legettes), Richard Case (Doom Patrol), Keith Champagne (Stranger Things), Howard Chaykin (Time Squared), Jo Chen (Runaways), Sean Chen (Iron Man), Cliff Chiang (Paper Girls), Frank Cho (Harley Quinn), Chris Claremont (Uncanny X-Men), Taurin Clarke (Star Wars: Jedi Knights), Becky Cloonan (War), Michael W. Conrad (In Bloom), Steve Conley (The Middle Age), Amanda Conner (Harley Quinn), Denys Cowan (The Question), Olivia Cuartero-Briggs (The College Try), Paris Cullins (Blue Devil), David Dastmalchian (Through), Mike Decarlo (The Simpsons), Vito Delsante (Stray), Todd Dezago (The Perhapanauts), Colleen Doran (The Sandman), Olivia Dufault (Prima Apparata, courtesy of Ignition Press), Scott Dunbier (DC Silver Age Covers and Stories Artist’s Edition), Steve Englehart (Captain America), Garth Ennis (The Boys), Victor Farro (Invincible Universe: Battle Beast), Sean Forney (Scarlet Huntress Meets Mothman), Trish Forstner (Feral), David Gerrold (Star Trek), Chris Giarrusso (Mini Marvels), Randy Green (Witchblade), Che Grayson (Absolute Catwoman), Kevin Grevioux (I, Frankenstein, courtesy of Advent Comics), Gene Ha (Mae), Bob Hall (West Coast Avengers), Cully Hamner (Blue Beetle), Scott Hanna (Amazing Spider-Man), N. Steven Harris (Aztek: The Ultimate Man, courtesy of Advent Comics), Tony Harris (The Whistling Skull), Dean Haspiel (Chest Face), Glenn Hauman (They Keep Killing Glenn), Jeremy Haun (The Beauty, courtesy of Ignition Press), Mike Hawthorne (Deadpool), Marc Hempel (Sandman), Sean Damian Hill (Bishop: War College, courtesy of Advent Comics), Greg Horn (Emma Frost), Jamal Igle (Superman), Joseph P. Illidge (The Shadow Cabinet, courtesy of Advent Comics), Rebecca Isaacs (Prima Apparata, courtesy of Ignition Press), Dave Johnson (100 Bullets), Phillip Kennedy Johnson (Infernal Hulk), Klaus Janson (Daredevil), JG Jones (Wanted), Joëlle Jones (Lady Killer), Dan Jurgens (Action Comics), Chris Kemple (Red Vengeance), Leah Kilpatrick (Kingdom of Earth), Tom King (Wonder Woman), Peter Krause (The Power of Shazam, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Mike Kunkel (Herobear and the Kid), Shawn Kuruneru (Minor Arcana), Erik Larsen (Savage Dragon), Creees Lee (Sorcerer Supreme), Jae Lee (Inhumans), Jim Lee (Batman: H2SH), Rick Leonardi (Spider-Man 2099), Jesse Lonergan (DROME), Tula Lotay (Bloodland), Nate Lovett (Commander Tomorrow), Andy MacDonald (Rogue Planet), Kevin Maguire (Justice League), Anthony Marques (Superman Unlimited), Laura Martin (Nubia: Queen of the Amazons, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Shawn Martinbrough (Red Hood: The Hill), Alitha E. Martinez (Black Panther: World of Wakanda, courtesy of Advent Press), Ron Marz (Green Lantern), Jose Marzen Jr. (Y: The Last Man), Bill McKay (Kim the Delusional), Mike McKone (Teen Titans), Bob McLeod (New Mutants), Carla Speed McNeil (Finder), Adriana Melo (Fantastic Four), Pop Mhan (He-Man and the Masters of the Universe), Joshua Middleton (Aquaman), Al Milgrom (Spectacular Spider-Man), Terry Moore (Strangers in Paradise), Mark Morales (Thor), Bill Morrison (The Simpsons), Drew Moss (Thundercats), Trevor Mueller (Bat Pat), Sarah Myer (TMNT Saturday Morning Adventures), Tom Nguyen (Batman), Phil Noto (Fantastic Four: First Foes), Kevin Nowlan (Batman: Sword of Azrael), Patrick Olliffe (Untold Tales of Spider-Man), Jerome Opena (Uncanny X-Force), Ryan Ottley (Invincible), Jimmy Palmiotti (The Punisher), Dan Parent (Sabrina the Teenage Witch), Dan Parsons (Star Wars), Margeaux Pepoy (Simone & Ajax), David Petersen (Mouse Guard), Pornsak Pichetshote (Absolute Green Arrow), Stephen Platt (Moon Knight), Eric Powell (The Goon), Andy Price (My Little Pony), Joe Pruett (Savage Sword of Conan), Tom Raney (Incredible Hulk), Afua Richardson (Kahhori: Reshaper of Worlds), James Robinson (Starman), Tone Rodriguez (Feral, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Don Rosa (Uncle Scrooge), Craig Rousseau (The Perhapanauts), Stephane Roux (Void Rivals), Andy Runton (Owly), Ethan Sacks (Old Man Hawkeye), Stuart Sayger (Red Sonja), Joe Schmalke (We Don’t Kill Spiders), Erica Schultz (Rogue), Louise Simonson (The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special), Walter Simonson (Thor), Don Simpson (Megaton Man), Matt Slay (Patchwork Ends), Matthew Dow Smith (DC’s Misfits of Magic), Scott Snyder (Friday and Sunday only, DC K.O.), John K. Snyder III (Suicide Squad), Mark Sparacio (Liberty Girl Deluxe), Cat Staggs (David Dastmachian’s Through), Jim Starlin (Dreadstar), Joe Staton (Dick Tracy), Brian Stelfreeze (Black Panther), Charles Stewart III (Storm: Lifedream, courtesy of Advent Comics), Karl Story (Batman & Robin), Brandon Thomas (Legend Has It, courtesy of Advent Comics), Martha Thomases (Dakota North), Frank Tieri (Absolute Batman: Ark-M), Peter J. Tomasi (The Rocketfellers), Billy Tucci (Shi), Jonathan Uribe (Spawn, courtesy of Comics and Collectibles R Us), Gus Vazquez (Sunfire and the Big Hero Six), Wade Von Grawbadger (Justice League), Dave Wachter (Godzilla), Steve Walker (Pay the Devil), Dan Watters (Mad Science Division, courtesy of Ignition Press), Lee Weeks (Batman/Catwoman Special), Mark Wheatley (Breathtaker), Bob Wiacek (All-New Wolverine, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Matt Wieringo (Stargate Atlantis: Gateways), Keith Williams (Web of Spider-Man), Ron Wilson (Marvel Two-In-One), Chuck Wojtkiewicz (Justice League, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Rich Woodall (Sgt. Werewolf), John Workman (Wild Things), Kelly Yates (Doctor Who), Thom Zahler (Long Distance), and Chip Zdarsky (Captain America).
