Unveilling of the Program for the 14th Edition of the Montreal Comic Arts Festival

The Montreal Comic Arts Festival (MCAF) is proud to announce the programming for its 14th edition, taking place from May 23 to 25, 2025, on Saint-Denis Street, which will be pedestrianized for the occasion between Gilford and Roy.

Presented in collaboration with the SDC Rue Saint-Denis and Télé-Québec, MCAF offers a rich lineup under the theme “Back to the Future” featuring over 60 free activities. This year, more than 320 creators and 170 exhibitors are expected under its tents.

Activities for All Audiences

Télé-Québec’s La Fab à dessin will return, hosting drawn interviews that explore the inspiration and creative processes of artists such as Alex A., Catherin and Thiago Souto. There will also be conversations about shared themes between creators, such as ornithological fascination with Isabelle Melançon and False Knees, food in comics with EB Sciales and Starkie Mak and transitioning from comics to historical graphic novels with Denis Rodier and Djibril Morissette-Phan.

MCAF 2024 – Drawn interview with Catmouse James — Photo: Sébastien Lavallée

Panels, presented by La Presse, will feature dynamic exchanges between comic creators : New Visions of the Apocalypse, a discussion on open-ended dystopias (Helge Reumann, Sofia Alarcon and Jenna Cha); How to Kill a City, exploring gentrification in comics (Rick Trembles, Shaghayegh Moazzami and Eleanor Hannon); and Looking Back, Moving Forward, examining coming-of-age in Comics (Ned Wenlock, Cassandra Calin and D. Boyd).

Creative workshops for all ages will also be offered, including sessions where music and comics intersect, courtesy of Jeunesses Musicales Canada, as well as manga and zine-making classes. MCAF will also feature live-drawn performances, such as a character battle between Will McPhail and Lu Cafaggi, or guess the drawing with Nando von Arb and Art by Tuna. Express drawing lessons also return.

MCAF 2024 – Creative workshop with Val-Bleu — Photo: Sébastien Lavallée

New this year: the Creation tent will host free drawing and coloring activities all weekend. Participants can contribute to a time capsule! Artworks sealed inside will be displayed at the 2035 Festival! This will be paired with a game where the public tries to recognize childhood drawings of well-known Quebec comic artists.

Celebrating their 15th anniversary, Éditions Pow Pow (Pow Pow Press) has commissioned Cathon and Sophie Bédard to recount the publisher’s history through humorous comic strips.

Fans of Alex A. will enjoy a Jon Le Bon puzzle trail (in French only) created by Parcours Ludiques.

And as always, MCAF will be the perfect opportunity for fans to meet their favorite creators during hundreds of hours of signings, featuring guests like Julian Voloj, Ned Wenlock, Arley Nopra, Marc Torices, Lucie Bryon, Guy Delisle, Camille Van Hoof, Larry Tremblay, Sole Otero, Julie Rocheleau, Sophie Escabasse and Katie Fricas, alongside self-published artists who will have a dedicated space all weekend.

Celebrating Swiss Comics

Swiss comics will be celebrated at this year’s Festival, thanks to a partnership with Comics Network Switzerland, the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia, Presence Switzerland and the Swiss Consulate General in Montreal. Eight Swiss artists will participate: Vamille, Helge Reumann, Krel, Lika Nüssli, MarieMo, Maeva Rubli, Nando von Arb, and Tobias Aeschbacher.

The Swiss Comics on Display exhibition will highlight Switzerland’s comic scenes while paying homage to poster art, a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage associated with Geneva.

Bringing Together the Professional Community

This year, MCAF will dedicate two full days to industry professionals. On Wednesday, May 21, publishers and book professionals will discuss current sector challenges, strengthening ties between Quebec and Switzerland.

On Thursday, May 22, comic artists will attend a masterclass, training session, and panel on artists compensation. The day will conclude with the opening night and Bédélys Awards ceremony at Club Soda.

School Programming

MCAF will once again host BD POP!, a free online school day organized with librarians from CSSDM, CSSMB, and CSSPI, as well as École en réseau, offering five activities for Quebec schools (in French).

On Friday, May 23, student groups are also invited to the Festival site for special activities. MCAF will also host the final round of Laurier School’s Battle of the Books Competition.

May: Comic Arts Month

Since 2016, MCAF has partnered with Bibliothèques de Montréal (Montreal’s public libraries network) to celebrate comics across the city all month long. This year’s library theme is travel.

Some of the activities include an exhibition of Bédélys Awards finalists and a comic book selection for on-site reading in Le Grand Salon of l’Esplanade Tranquille (May 1 onward), an exhibition by Marina León at Café Bulla, and the world premiere of Larry Tremblay and Pierre Lecrenier’s graphic novel adaptation of L’orangeraie at Librairie Gallimard (May 21).

A Must-Attend Event

From May 23 to 25, MCAF will enliven 1.2 km of Saint-Denis Street with activities for all ages and tastes. Easily accessible via Laurier, Mont-Royal, and Sherbrooke metro stations, the site encourages public transit and cycling.

Over 100,000 visitors are expected to celebrate comics and the talent of their creators.

About MCAF

The Montreal Comic Arts Festival (MCAF) is an organization dedicated to promoting comics. Each year, it hosts the Festival of the same name, where artists, exhibitors, curious minds and comics enthusiasts gather to celebrate the 9th art. In 2024, the must-attend bilingual comic event attracted over 95,000 people and was responsible for over 22,000 books sold.

For more information, visit fbdm-mcaf.ca/en | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

MCAF 2025 is presented in collaboration with SDC Rue Saint-Denis and Télé-Québec.

The Festival would like to thank its partners:

La Presse, Canadian Heritage, Canada Council for the Arts, SODEC, Ministère du Tourisme du Québec, Conseil des arts de Montréal, Service de la culture de la Ville de Montréal, Tourisme Montréal and Plateau-Mont-Royal.

La SDC Rue Saint-Denis, Télé-Québec, La Presse, Réseau BD Suisse, la fondation suisse pour la culture Pro Helvetia, Présence Suisse, Consulat général de Suisse à Montréal, le Consulat général de France à Québec, le Consulat général du Brésil à Montréal, Wallonie-Bruxelles International, Goethe-Institut, Institut Ramon Llull, Bibliothèques de Montréal, École en Réseau, CSSDM, CSSMB, CSSDP, Liseur Public, Partenariat du Quartier des Spectacles, Éditions 2042, 404 Editions, Madrigall, Chapiteaux classic, Librairies Canal BD, Éditions çà et là, Drawn & Quarterly, Pow Pow, Glénat, Parcours Ludiques, Copibec, La Marquise, Rugicomm, Planète BD, Association nationale des éditeurs de livres, le Livart et Montréal CoWork.