Folks, it’s officially the most wonderful month of the year for comics.

Why is October is the best month in comics? Well, there are a few reasons, but easily the biggest is ShortBox Comics Fair. This digital fair gives everyone the chance to buy upwards of 100 great new comics made by a sprawling collection of creators from around the world, with the only caveat being that they are exclusively available from October 1 to October 31. And buy it we do, as it’s a time of great joy for us as comic readers and one of great sadness for our wallets. The key, though, is to get on it in a timely fashion. You can only acquire these comics during October, so time is of the essence.

Wait…why am I explaining this? There was literally a (great) comic created by cartoonist Jean Wei to explain what ShortBox Comics Fair is, and you can see it to the right.

That comic, in a way, also explains why the Fair is such an incredible event. Could that have just been a blog or a social media post or something? Sure. But the Fair is so oriented on comics, of course its explainer would be a comic as well — and a good one at that.

That’s what you get when Zainab Akhtar runs things, though.

For those that don’t know, Zainab Akhtar is the person who runs the Fair. And I don’t mean she leads a team of people who puts it together. She does the whole thing herself. She created it. She goes through all the submissions to determine the comics that will be sold during it. She puts everything up on the site. She does all the promotional work. She does everything. She’s a powerhouse, as well as someone who is one of the true tastemakers in comics and has been going back to her days as the renowned comics critic behind Comics & Cola and the person who ran the print version of ShortBox. There’s an absolute load of work that goes into what she does, which is why it wasn’t entirely a surprise that Akhtar revealed she’d be taking 2026 off from the ShortBox Comics Fair. She deserves the break.

But with this year’s Fair now being open, my love of it being so immense, and there being so many projects to choose from, I wanted to do something to celebrate its arrival and the incredible work Akhtar has put into it. So, today, we’re doing just that.

This week’s feature is a multi-faceted look at the 2025 ShortBox Comics Fair. It includes a quick chat with its head Zainab Akhtar about her goals for the Fair, the work that goes into it, why she’s taking next year off, and more, before I make a slew of picks from the sprawling slate of comics you’ll find in this year’s edition. Please let it be known that there could have been far more recommendations, but it wouldn’t be a very useful guide if I just picked everything.

Just know that I wanted to!

You can read all that below, and it’s open to non-subscribers. If you enjoy this piece, though, consider subscribing to SKTCHD to support the work that goes into it. It’s entirely funded by subscribers, as the whole site is independent and ad-free.

But that’s enough of that. Let’s get to the main event, starting with that interview with Akhtar.

A Quick Chat with ShortBox Comics Fair’s Zainab Akhtar

The first ShortBox Comics Fair was in 2020. What was your original goal for the Fair?

Zainab Akhtar: My goal was to try and create a digital comics event that people would actually want to participate in: something that would work for artists and readers. When COVID happened, and so many conventions and festivals were cancelled, I was really interested to see the various efforts made in attempting to pivot to digital. I know that those organisations were on the backfoot in terms of trying to respond to having their events cancelled, and not actually invested in creating a truly digital event but more offering stopgaps until their in-person events could return, but it got me thinking about a digital comics festival and accessibility, the gaping space for it, and what it could potentially look like.

How much has it grown and evolved since it first launched?

Akhtar: It depends on your metrics for growth. In some aspects, there’s going to be a ceiling for growth. For example, I’m a 1-person run event (until I get rich enough to employ help), so I don’t think I’ll ever be able to accept more than 150 exhibitors per year, because the workload beyond that simply isn’t manageable. But the first year, we had 40+ exhibitors each debuting a new comic, and this year we have 140+ exhibitors each debuting a new comic. I’m happy with that: I think releasing 100+ new comics all in one space is more than enough. My main area of interest for growth is always the readership. We have superb artists from all around the world taking part, creating amazing comics across all kinds of genres and beyond – for me the focus is connecting those artists and their work to as big an audience as possible; getting as many people aware that the fair is something that exists.

In terms of evolving, that’s a constant. For example, artists have started to make 100-200 page long comics for the fair, and that’s something I never anticipated. The guideline I provide is that comics must be a minimum of 16 pages. Now I’m considering having a guideline about an upper limit of pages – again due to longer comics significantly increasing the workload I have (the bulk of the fair I turn around in 2 months – from the date of artists submitting their comic, to October 1st when the fair goes live). Another rule I introduced after the first year or so, was that comics must be complete, self-standing works. No chapters, parts, or series. I want anyone visiting the fair to be able to buy and read a comic without having to wait for a next installment, released who knows when and where. 

How many total submissions did you get for the 2025 Fair, and how many total comics did that result in?

Akhtar: For the 2025 fair, we had 1,975 applications, from which 183 artists were offered places. From that 183, we have 145 final comics and exhibitors.

Once you close a year’s Fair, when does the work start for the next one? Is it a year round effort to make this happen, effectively?

Akhtar: Usually I don’t wait for the fair to close to open applications for the next year – there’s no reason not to have applications open as early as possible and give people as much time to put together a portfolio or drive. And it makes it easier for me to be able to go through applications as they come in, rather than sitting down to process 2,000 submissions (and being absolutely overwhelmed).

And because every artist in the fair is required to make a new comic, the earlier I can process applications means the more time I can give them to create those comics. The digital aspect results in the work being social media and admin heavy. None of it is particularly sexy, but there’s reams of it. The marketing aspect of it alone is a full-time job: we’re on four social media platforms and have a newsletter. Those are the tools we have to reach people. Our event is online, our audience is all online, and we have to not only cultivate audience growth, but try and maintain their interest and attention. Which means you have to engage and have to be a presence.

How do you figure out the right comics and cartoonists for each year’s Fair? And was that approach largely the same this year?

Akhtar: Always the worst question to answer, haha! Something that’s served me well is being open to all kinds of styles, all kinds of approaches, all kinds of material. My main qualifier is whether something is good and/or interesting. That applies across what I read, watch, publish, and it applies to the fair selection. One thing I love about being a digital comics fair is that it allows us to include artists from all around the world: people who otherwise may not be able to exhibit or travel, whether due to financial or political circumstances etc. We have artists from Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Korea, Japan, India, the Philippines, Chile, New Zealand, Spain, Italy, France and more. That’s a big advantage that I’m hoping will get stronger each year. 

You’re taking next year off from the Fair and all things ShortBox. You talked about this a bit in a social media post, but what made you decide to go in that direction?

Akhtar: It’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a while. I’ve been freelancing/creating my own work in comics for over a decade. And it just comes with a tonne of stress and pressure. It rewires your brain in a way, where you don’t know what it feels like not to have to worry constantly, not to have to always push and push, not to have a constant running list of everything you’ve got to do in your head. You never quite switch off.

More so now with the fair, where I really feel the responsibility of having to make this event successful for all the artists taking part – it’s different from me just trying to make work for myself. With so much of my work involving being on a computer a LOT, I really need some time away from it all to recalibrate. I know it may sound risky and stupid as the fair has begun to gain some momentum and a year out could undo what I’ve worked hard for, but I also believe health is everything, and I need to do this for my wellbeing. If people aren’t interested in the fair when I get back, that’s something I’m prepared for. 

My Picks from the 2025 ShortBox Comics Fair

There are a whole lot of comics to choose from in this year’s ShortBox Comics Fair. 145, to be exact. It can be hard to play favorites, especially because they all look so good. But with the sheer numbers included and some readers likely being unsure where to start, I wanted to share the comics I’m most excited about from this year’s slate, with those organized alphabetically by the last name of the creator. Check them out below, and hey, if you read anything you love that isn’t on this list, let me know! I am all about getting more SBCF books!

Extraterrestrial

Creator: Sandra Domz

What It’s About: An unlucky butch and a somewhat nerdy twink become assigned partners for a very demanding job: potted plant surveillance duty.

Why It Stands Out: Here’s the truth about the comics I normally pick up from the Fair: Most of them are fueled by the art and general feel of the comic. All we’re given is preview art and a synopsis of each project, so you have to make calls based on gut instinct and what resonates with you. That is perfectly encapsulated by Sandra Domz’ Extraterrestrial. Its preview pages are basically pure vibes. The colors have a great energy, the character work is exceptional, and the whole thing just feels fun. It’s an exceptional example of an instinct pick from the Fair, as it’s a read that looks like a good time above all. I’m here for that, and here for Extraterrestrial.

Hero in the Serpent’s Skin

Creator: Hwei Lim

What It’s About: The divine immortal Lady Bai, still mourning the passing of her human lover, misses him so much she returns to earth to seek out his reincarnation, even though he will no longer remember his past life with her. However, this time, not only is he totally immune to her charms, he also turns out to be an eccentric artist in search of a muse, a hero – with a tail – to draw. Of course, it’s finger-snappingly easy for a divine immortal to become a great hero, instead of a beautiful maiden or a cute snake, but is this really what Lady Bai herself wants? Also, what’s so heroic about having a tail??

Why It Stands Out: Hwei Lim is a veteran of the ShortBox Comics Fair. More than that, she’s just a comics vet period, having worked on the (excellent) Mirror at Image Comics with Emma Rios. That means we have an established level of quality here. But more than that, Lim made my Creators of 2023 list for her work on previous Fair release The Hawk and The Rabbit simply because of the quality of her visual storytelling. Hwei Lim is such a remarkable artistic talent that the floor for anything she creates is sure to be high.

But Hero in the Serpent’s Skin sounds like it will land well above its floor. Everything about it is charming as heck. Divine immortals? Reincarnation? Muses? That final, impossibly appealing line about “What’s so heroic about having a tail?” Like The Hawk and The Rabbit before it, this release promises to not just showcase the remarkable artistic talents of its creator but her one-of-one personality. This is probably my most anticipated release from the slate, which is really saying something.

A Giant Isla

Creator: Shee Liu

What It’s About: Giant Isla, sleepy Isla, affectionate Isla, missing Isla…? A collection of moments with my cat, Isla.

Why It Stands Out: Sometimes I have complex, nuanced thoughts about my Fair picks. I’ll share what resonates with me from the art, or what appeals from its synopsis. Maybe it’s the linework that hits, or the colors within. There are all kinds of things that could drive me to buy a Fair release.

Let me tell you this, though. Nothing — nothing — is more likely to inspire my purchase than the comic featuring a cat.

I’m sure you expected that given the art — did you read what it’s about? did you see its cover? can you imagine me not repping for this one? — but truth be told, I think I’ve purchased literally every single Fair comic from the past few years that prominently featured a cat. It’s more than that, of course. It helps that Shee Liu’s art for A Giant Isla is charming as heck, and that this is a slice of life “collection of moments” that appears to be fantastical at times. This looks like a lovely, singular work from a talented cartoonist. There’s a lot to like here.

But I really like that it features a big ol’ cat!

A Box Full of Darkness

Creator: Gina Nguyen

What It’s About: Everybody deals with grief in different ways, including Wen. But perhaps attempting necromancy on your cat familiar is not the best choice. A story of grief and acceptance.

Why It Stands Out: Let’s get an important note out of the way here: The cover featuring cats has nothing to do with this pick. I know what I just said when it came to my previous pick, but that was not a factor here.

This pick just comes down to Gina Nguyen appearing to be one hell of a talent. Whether it was the teaser she published on Bluesky or its cover and interiors you can see on this comic’s SBCF page, everything about A Box Full of Darkness delivers everything I love about comics. The character work! The titling! The textures worked into the box on that cover! Heck, even the way Nguyen signs her name speaks to a style and vision that is exactly what I’m looking for.

Throw in the abbreviated solicit Nguyen posted on Bluesky, one that boils the story down to just a snippet that resonates completely, and you have a guaranteed lock of a purchase from yours truly. I just have a feeling about this one. I’m betting A Box Full of Darkness will be one of my favorites from this year’s Fair.

Marshie Mallody

Creator: Azam Raharjo

What It’s About: A man chooses to remain in an abandoned and dangerous city with his son after a deadly global pandemic, despite the opportunity to move to a safer community. ‘Marshie Mallody’ is a new horror comic about guilt and redemption from Azam Raharjo.

Why It Stands Out: Speaking of comics I have a good feeling about, Azam Raharjo’s Marshie Mallody is one of those instances where I see it and know it’s going to be right up my alley. Everything from the concept and the character work to the textures of the art and the themes it’s addressing are just what a creator needs to do to guarantee my interest.

I’m unfamiliar with Raharjo’s work, but this Indonesian cartoonist is clearly a heck of a talent, one with a real vision and the gifts necessary to deliver on that. Marshie Mallody sounds like the kind of story we may have engaged with before, but it’s one its creator seems to be bringing his own flavor to. I’m here for it.

Medium Rare

Creator: Raoon

What It’s About: A young paranoid supermarket cashier befriends a girl but begins to obsess over her seemingly unending craving of meat. While the cashier imagines one horrendous scenario after another in her spiralling mind, their bond grows stronger and more… ambiguous? Does she like the pretty carnivore girl or does find her disgusting? A short story about queer struggle and hunger.

Why It Stands Out: Here’s another secret of my process for picking Fair releases. Sometimes, you just want to lean into the ones that seem so weird they have to be great. So, when I read a synopsis that talks about friendship, horror, and a character’s “seemingly unending craving of meat,” I have to follow a creator down that path. It intrigues too much for me to miss it.

That’s only the foot in the door, though. What I need to make it all the way to a purchase is a creative hook, and Raoon certainly has that. The cartoonist of Medium Rare clearly brings both substance and style to this comic, both thanks to the lovely design for the titling and credits on the cover to the storytelling and character work you find in its interiors.

Combine those two things, and you have a comic that draws me in both because of what I don’t know about it and what I do. That makes Medium Rare a comic I simply cannot miss.

Lil’ Burgers

Creator: Nabeel Rooshan

What It’s About: In the sleepy city of Islamabad, 2 young adults navigate their unique identity crisises while fighting the very Idea of Pakistan for content. Lucky for them, one of them has Dollars. Follow Junaid and Amy as they roam the Capital, looking for a path forward in their lives, on a journey of chaos, confusion and economic disparity in this absurdist comic about paying your grocery bill.

Why It Stands Out: More than any other release from this year, including the ones that prominently feature cats, Nabeel Rooshan’s Lil’ Burgers pushes all my buttons. This comic feels fully realized in a rare way for any comic, from the smallest of zines to the most sprawling of magnum opuses. This whole thing feels insane and brilliant in a way that all adds up, with a concept that sings to me — how I can resist a comic that is at least in part about people “fighting the very idea of Pakistan for content” — and interior pages that merge manga vibes with the scale of the most inventive sci-fi. Throw in my fascination with seeing how burgers become involved, and we have a comic that I’m practically salivating over. This is right there with A Box Full of Darkness as one of the locks to steal my heart from this Fair.

Young Shadow: Tunnel Vision

Creator: Ben Sears

What It’s About: Someone’s robbed the local animal shelter of their fundraiser money. Can Young Shadow find the culprit, and help his friend locate his missing autographed baseball in one night?

Why It Stands Out: While I don’t talk about him as much as I should, Ben Sears is on the shortlist of comic creators whose work is guaranteed to get my attention. There are a lot of reasons for that. All of his comics being good is certainly a notable one. Him being a fierce artistic talent is another. But the thing I like the most about Sears is that no one else creates comics that feel like his. He’s a singular talent, someone who can turn an animal shelter robbery and the pursuit of a missing baseball into a comic that can’t be missed.

This isn’t the first Young Shadow release Sears has had. I’m sure it won’t be the last. But I’m hopeful the Fair will help even more readers discover the gifts Sears brings to the page, because they’re unique, incredible, and irresistible once you read his work.

A Glow in the Wild

Creator: Maïa Zeidan

What It’s About: In the heart of a wild and silent forest, a small fox survives alone. Each day is quiet, each night the same. Until something falls from the sky. A star. Wounded and dim, it needs his help. And what begins as a quiet act of care soon becomes a journey that will change everything. But danger is close behind… for the star has caught more than one eye.

Why It Stands Out: A Glow in the Wild speaks to me on many levels. I rep hard for the fox community. I enjoy its Stardust-like concept. Maïa Zeidan’s art brings a unique flavor to it, one that stands out amongst the rest of the Fair books. I even appreciate its all-ages emphasis, something that isn’t atypical for SBCF releases but rarely pushed. These are all good things. This looks like a great comic.

But here’s the reason I wanted to share it here: This is Zeidan’s first comic! Which is wild! In a way, A Glow in the Wild’s inclusion speaks to everything that makes the ShortBox Comics Fair special. This is a debuting cartoonist who comes from the animation world, one from Montreal rather than a typical comic artist hot bed, and it’s a project with an atypical artistic style that is aimed at readers of all varieties. It underlines that any comic and any creator, no matter the pedigree or background or aim, can be a part of the Fair if the work is good enough. And that’s why I love the Fair. A Glow in the Wild looks like a great comic, and one I’m excited to read. But I enjoy it for what it represents as well.

Thanks for reading this showcase for the 2025 ShortBox Comics Fair. If you enjoyed it and would like to read more like it, maybe consider subscribing to SKTCHD. That will get you access to all the work that I do and supports the work that goes into this fully independent, ad-free site.