This year, “One Book, One San Diego” made an unprecedented choice: a comic book. The award-winning March: Book One is a graphic memoir about the Civil Rights Movement by U.S. Rep. John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell. In keeping with this historic choice, an Oceanside Public Library panel discussion will highlight the exciting and diverse medium of comics. The free, public panel will be in the Civic Center Library Community Rooms, 330 N. Coast Highway, at 3 p.m. on Saturday, September 29.
The panelists are an industry cross-section and all hail from the San Diego area: Jackie Estrada, administrator of the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards; Mary Fleener, whose work includes Life of the Party and the upcoming Billie the Bee, and is featured in The Complete Wimmen’s Comix; Batton Lash, award-winning writer/artist of long-running series Wolff and Byrd: Counselors of the Macabre/Supernatural Law; and M. K. Palmer, creator/writer of Meraki, a futuristic adventure comic with LGBT+ themes.
In addition to discussing their own work, the conversation will address the significance of comics as a form of literary, artistic, social, and personal expression, with questions from the audience. Moderating the discussion will be Palomar College English professor Dr. Rocco Versaci (This Book Contains Graphic Language: Comics as Literature, That Hidden Road: A Memoir). For more information about Library services and programs, visit www.oceansidepubliclibrary.org or call (760) 435-5600.
