Elsa Charretier and Matt Fraction in Conversation

Charretier and Fraction discuss, from their perspectives, what it is like to work with a variety of collaborators including each other on their neonoir November.

Elsa Charretier is a comic book artist and writer based in France. She is the cocreator of Infinite Loop (with Pierrick Colinet, debuted in 2015) and November (with Matt Fraction, debuted in 2019) and has worked on books for DC Comics (Starfire, Harley Quinn), Marvel Comics (The Unstoppable Wasp), numerous Star Wars books, and many more. In 2020, Charretier shared a GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) Award for Outstanding Comic Book for her work on Star Wars: Doctor Aphra. She also produces a popular YouTube series of videos on comic art and culture and has also published two volumes of her artwork funded through Kickstarter.

Matt Fraction is a comic book writer based in Portland. His numerous books include the series Sex Criminals (art by Chip Zdarsky, debuted in 2013), Satellite Sam (art by Howard Chaykin, debuted in 2013), and November (art by Elsa Charretier, debuted in 2019). He wrote critically acclaimed runs for Marvel Comics including the X-Men, Iron Fist, The Defenders, Thor, and Spider-Man and for DC Comics’ Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen (2019–20), among many others. He received a 2009 Eisner Award for Best New Series for The Invincible Iron Man and 2014 Eisner Awards for Best Single Issue (for Hawkeye 11) and Best New Series (for Sex Criminals). In 2010, he won the first-ever PEN USA Literary Award for Graphic Novels.

This year’s CXC festival features both virtual and in-person events presented by Ohio State’s Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, Columbus College of Art & Design, Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus Metropolitan Library, and the Wexner Center. Visit cartooncrossroadscolumbus.org for a complete festival schedule.