When someone is looking to recruit creators for their comics, MariNaomi has put together some fantastic databases: Cartoonists of Color, Queer Cartoonists, and Disabled Cartoonists. These databases spotlight marginalized comics creators and are used by booksellers, librarians, academics, editors, book publishers, event organizers, readers, and more.

If you are looking for someone to add to your team, these databases are great resources. And if you are looking to make your skills available, these are great resources to get your name out there. And if you are just searching for some wonderful artists to follow, this is a great place to find some amazing artists to keep your eye on.

MariNamoi (Kiss & Tell) was a visiting artist at The Center for Cartoon Studies, giving a thoughtful and engaging presentation on both their personal work and on developing these incredible database resources to promote Cartoonists of Color, Queer Cartoonists, and Disabled Cartoonists. MariNaomi is the award-winning author and illustrator of Kiss & Tell: A Romantic Resume, Ages 0 to 22 (Harper Perennial, 2011), Dragon’s Breath and Other True Stories (2dcloud/Uncivilized Books, 2014), Turning Japanese (2dcloud, 2016), I Thought YOU Hated ME (Retrofit Comics, 2016), and the upcoming Life on Earth trilogy (Graphic Universe, 2018-2020). Their work has appeared in over sixty print publications and has been featured on numerous websites, such as The Rumpus, LA Review of Books, Midnight Breakfast, and BuzzFeed. MariNaomi’s comics and paintings have been featured by such institutions as the Smithsonian, the De Young Museum, the Cartoon Art Museum, the Asian Art Museum, and the Japanese American Museum. In 2011, they toured with the literary roadshow Sister Spit, and she will be joining them again in March 2018.

Tags: black lives matter, Cartoonists of Color, CCS Visiting Artist, Disabled Cartoonists, MariNaomi, Queer Cartoonists