Welcome everyone! This newsletter is generally sticking to monthly updates, but there are a lot of applications opening right now as festivals prepare for spring season. Below is a list of current applications on the Keep It Weird radar! If you’ve got a show application opening up, send it to us.
Show Applications
Rock Paper Scissors art book & print fair (Guelph, ON, Feb 22, 2026) apps due by Jan 18
Lansing Independent Comics & Zine Fest (Lansing, MI, April 18, 2026) apps due by Jan 30
Milwaukee Zine Fest (Milwaukee, WI, April 18, 2026), lottery runs Jan 29-31
Santa Rosa Zine Fest (Santa Rosa, CA May 2, 2026), apps due by February 6
Tucson Zine Fest (March 28, 2026), apps due by Feb 9
Miami Zine Fair (Miami, FL April 1, 2026), apply by Feb 8
Luna Moth Zine Fest (Manchester, NH, April 18, 2026), apps due by Feb 13
Toronto Zine Library’s Paper Jam (March 28, 2026), apps due by Feb 20
Tally Zine Fest (Tallahassee, FL March 28, 2026) apps due by Feb 28
A2CAF (Ann Arbor, MI June 13-14), call for comic vendors due by March 14 (kids & family-friendly event) A2CAF has two events, one in summer and one in fall
STAPLE indie comics & art expo (Austin, TX April 11-12), apps opening very soon
OIympia Zine Fest (Olympia, WA May 30) apps open Feb 2
Shows to Attend
This isn’t every show happening in the Spring of 2026, but you can find more on The Show List (button below)
Baltimore Zine Fest (Baltimore, MD January 24)
8-Ball Zine Library Valentine’s Day Zine Fair (Brooklyn, NY, February 14)
Pride in Panels: SF Queer Comics Fest (San Francisco, CA February 15)
Flemington Zine Fest (Flemington, NJ March 14)
P.I.E. (Pittsburgh, PA March 15)
SPACE (Columbus, OH March 28-29)
FLUKE Comics & Zine Fest (Athens, GA March 28)
S.P.I.C.E. (Savannah, GA April 17, 18)
Brooklyn Independent Comics Showcase (Brooklyn, NY April 18, 19)
Lancaster Zine Fest (Lancaster, PA April 18)
Milwaukee Zine Fest (Milwaukee, WI April 18)
Anchor Archive Zine Library Fest (Canada, April 18)
CAKE (Chicago, IL May 2-3)
Olympia Zine Fest (Olympia, WA May 30)
Bubbles Con (Richmond, VA, May 30)
Other Opportunities
Kuti magazine is taking submissions, submit by February 9
Crafting the Future 2026 Grants for Black and Brown Visual Artists, deadline February 15
Aquatic Panda Distro is now open for submissions: “we are seeking comic and art zines by BIPOC creators”
2026 Cartoonist Studio Prize, deadline February 28
Ann Arbor District Library Transgender Day of Visibility Zine Call For Submissions, apply through February 15
Short Run Seattle Trailblazer Residency application opens now, residency takes place April 12-17 (woman and non-binary comic artists may apply)
No dates set yet, but FY27 grants from the Illinois Arts Council will open this year. This is one of few state arts councils that offers grants to invidiual artists (no 501©3 required)
Ohio Arts Council grants (also available to individual artists) are open with deadlines in February, March, and April
Two-Headed Press is taking submissions by January 31
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