The Center for Cartoon Studies (CCS) Students travel from across the U.S. and around the world to study comics at CCS in a diverse and vibrant community in Vermont.
Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree w/low Residency Option
Do you have burning questions about CCS’s MFA and certificate programs but aren’t able to make it to one of our admissions events? Drop us a line at outreach@cartoonstudies.org and we can set up a 1-on-1 video chat session to answer any of your questions about the curriculum, the application process, student housing, financial aid, living in Vermont, or anything else you need to know about applying to CCS!
As we celebrate 20 years, CCS is renovating the Historic Telegraph Building, which will join the Old Post Office building that CCS purchased and renovated 13 years ago. Together, these two historic sites will provide a permanent home for our programs, partnerships, and community connection and engagement.
This transformational Campus Renewal Project will culminate in a two- building historic campus that is fully accessible and climate-resilient, ensuring that CCS can continue to enrich the cultural and economic vitality of the region, serve as a cornerstone of Vermont’s arts ecosystem, and support a community of cartoonists whose work reaches audiences worldwide.
We are happy to announce the graphic historical biography CHARITY & SYLVIA by award-winning cartoonist and CCS faculty member Tillie Walden ‘16 is Vermont Reads Choice for 2026.
Since 2003, Vermont Humanities has invited residents across the state to read the same book and join in community activities related to the book’s themes.
Out in June by Drawn & Quarterly, CHARITY & SYLVIA documents the true story of an openly lesbian couple who lived in 19th-century Vermont. Preorder your copy from your favorite bookstore or at: drawnandquarterly.com/books/charity-and-sylvia/
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, VERMONT – Each year, The Cartoonist Studio Prize will be awarded to work that exemplifies excellence in cartooning. The creators of two exceptional comics will be awarded $500 each. This year, there are fourteen nominees in each the “long-form” category and the “short-form” category. The winners for each category will be announced in April 2026.
Cartoonist and illustrator Leise Hook ‘20 is out with a new book, NAMES AND FACES, a collection of graphic autobiographical essays. Releasing on April 2025 with Henry Holt Books!
“In the vein of Cathy Park Hong and Gene Luen Yang, Hook’s graphic memoir-in-essays rendered via her signature, award-winning style, explores what it means to come of age as a mixed-race woman, forging a singular identity in a world intent on putting her into ill-fitting boxes.” —Henry Holt & Co.
Join us this summer at The Center for Cartoon Studies in Vermont for cartooning workshops! Sharpen your skills, learn new techniques, or make real progress on a project you’ve been working on. To learn more and register, visit cartoonstudies.org/workshops
Graphic Memoir June 15-19 (in-person) Single Panel Comics June 15-19 (in-person) Horror Comics June 22-26 (in-person) Graphic Resiliency June 22-26 (in-person) Queer Comics – Waitlisting July 6-10 (in-person) Intermediate Comics – Waitlisting July 20-24 (in-person) Create Comics July 27-31 (in-person) Graphic Novel I – Waitlisting July 27-31 (in-person) Graphic Novel II August 3-7 (in-person) Coming of Age Comics August 3-7 (in-person)
Also, for kids and teens this summer: Summer Cartoon Collective July 20-24 (in-person) Summer Cartoon Club July 6-10 or July 13-17 (in-person)
MONTPELIER, VT—Windsor resident and internationally recognized cartoonist Stephen R. Bissette will be appointed Vermont’s sixth Cartoonist Laureate on April 9 when he will be recognized at the Vermont State House.
Bissette first gained wide recognition as co-creator and artist of “Saga of the Swamp Thing” (with Alan Moore), which helped to redefine horror comics for a new era. His other creative work spans an impressive range—from the ambitious dinosaur epic Tyrant to his adaptation of Steven Spielberg’s “1941” into a graphic novel, and collaborations on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles projects. Across genres, his storytelling combines emotional depth, technical mastery, and a lifelong commitment to creator-owned art.
Click here to learn more and make an online donation now.
FREE COMICS
ART & COURAGE: A GUIDE TO SUSTAINING A CREATIVE PATH
We hope Art & Courage, will help readers feel a little more prepared for whatever creative journey they embark upon. Click here to read a free digital edition or to order print copies. This 32-page comic is filled with
CARTOONING IN AN ANXIOUS AGE
Cartooning In An Anxious Age (pdf)is a free comic by Cara Bean on the act of drawing, which focuses your attention and intimately connects you with the generative act of creation. It’s an inspiring read.
Let's Talk About It: A Graphic Guide to Mental Health
Using the power of comics to teach teens about the way our government worksThis Is What Democracy Looks Like, A Graphic Guide To Governance is a 32-page comic book created by The Center for Cartoon Studies (CCS). This short comic guide helps to bring democracy back to the hands of the people by explaining what democracy actually means and how the whole thing works. This guide will be a great jumping-off point to learn about our government.
THE APPLIED CARTOONING MANIFESTO
Download a free copy of The World is Made of Cheese, The Applied Cartooning Manifesto.
