Conventions, signings and exhibitions: A (west coast) 2025 photo yearbook

2025 was a challenging year for many, including myself. But comics kept us together when anxiety in the world is at an all-time high. From the end of April to a few days before Christmas, these 24 Bay Area comics events got me through 2025 with hope intact of the world after I saw what I photographed, and the joy it documented! In the form of these photographs, here is my yearbook and visual love letter to Indie Comics 2025. It's dedicated to those who showed up and obliged me for a moment to stand for my camera and be immortalized in Indie Comics history. Here is to those who attended and to those who didn't, but who still might be curious what it was like to have been there. When we convene again, may it be a joyful Indie Comics meet up, documented in photographs! — Chris Diaz

Crumb biography book release at Et. Al. Books in San Francisco (April 26)

Robert Armstrong and Robert Crumb exhibition opening at Cushion Works in San Francisco (April 26)

Sophie Yanow interviews Anders Nilsen for Tongues book release at Silver Sprocket in San Francisco (May 4)

Love vs. the World reading with Cullen Beckhorn and Kalan Sherrad at Silver Sprocket (May 14)

Caitlin McGurk presentation on Barbara Shermund at the Cartoon Art Museum (May 18)

Muybridge release at the Booksmith in San Francisco (April 28)

Wahab Algarmi, Mary Shyne, Gene Luen Yang and Huda Fahmy on the Bay Area Book Festival panel at the Berkeley Public Library (May 31)

San Francisco Art Book Fair '25 (July 12)

Crumb documentary screening with Terry Zwigoff and Jordan Stein at the Roxie Theater (July 16)

Terry Zwigoff, director of Crumb, and interviewer Jordan Stein.

The Jungle signing at Mission Comics (Aug. 1)

San Francisco Zine Fest, City View at the Metreon (Aug. 31)

Club Ded live art show and sci-fi book signing at Dermafilia Gallery (Sept. 13)

Wahab Algarmi Emerging Artist Showcase closing reception at the Cartoon Art Museum (Sept. 14)

Litquake 2025's Small Press Book Fair at Yerba Buena Gardens and Litquake 2025 at Mrs. Dalloway's (Sept. 28 and Oct. 14)

Release party for Venom: Black, White & Red and Spider-Man Noir 1 at Mission Comics (Oct. 1)

Art of Manga exhibit at the De Young Museum (Oct. 3)

Rerelease event for The Very Fine Clock by Muriel Spark and Edward Gorey at the Cartoon Art Museum (Oct. 4)

Mark Evanier, Hilary Price, Charles Kochman, Chip Kidd, Patrick McDonnell talk with Andrew Farago for The Essential Peanuts at the Cartoon Art Museum (Nov. 16)

Chris Ryall, Steve Leialoha and Scott Morse interviewed by Andrew Farago for the release of Marvel Age of Comics: Daredevil: Born Again at the Cartoon Art Museum (Nov. 18)

The Anti-Fascist Zine Fair at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (Nov. 22)

Howard Zinn Book Fair (Dec. 7)

The West Coaster: New Yorker Cartoons from the Other Side exhibition at the Cartoon Art Museum (Dec. 12)

Roman Muradov and Josh Pettinger signing at Mission Comics (Dec. 13)

Mikey Reger Realicide 3 signing at Mission Comics (Dec. 21)

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