Ebony Flowers

Hot Comb (Drawn & Quartely), Flowers’s first graphic novel, was hailed as one of the best books of 2019 by such publications as The Believer, Guardian, and Washington Post. Comprised of eight short stories, including the eponymous “Hot Comb” (winner of the 2020 Eisner Best Short Story award), the collection highlights the cultural significance of hair in many Black girls’ lives as a through line to explore broader issues of class, gender, and race. A teacher, scholar, and ethnographer, Flowers's work is included in the anthology Drawing Power: Women’s Stories of Sexual Violence, Harassment, and Survival (2019, edited by Diane Noomin), which will be spotlighted later during CXC.

This year’s four-day CXC festival is completely online with events also being presented by Ohio State’s Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, Columbus College of Art & Design, Columbus Museum of Art, and Columbus Metropolitan Library.

Visit cartooncrossroadscolumbus.com for the full festival schedule.