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Dartmouth Comic Arts Festival

Date/Time:
August 9, 2025 - August 10, 2025
Venue:
Alderney Gate Public Library
Location:
60 Alderney Drive, Dartmouth. More info
Link:
https://dcaf.strangeadventures.com/
Calendar:
Community event

The Dartmouth Comic Arts Festival (DCAF) is back for 2025 – and bigger than ever. This year, DCAF will span two full days, kicking off with a slate of panels and workshops on Saturday, August 9, followed by the beloved comic arts marketplace on Sunday, August 10 at Alderney Landing.

Saturday’s events, which will include a mix of artist panels, hands-on workshops, and one-on-one portfolio reviews, will take place inside the Alderney Gate Public Library. From worldbuilding and grant-writing to the benefits of comics in academia and education, the programming is designed to support emerging and established creators alike – and to welcome fans and curious newcomers into the comic arts community.

Notable guests include Vivian Zhou (Atana and the Firebird), Scott Chantler (Squire & Knight), Molly Cronin (Art Brat Comics), and others. Comics editor Irene Velentzas (Emanata, Tunnel Vision Press) will offer 20-minute portfolio reviews for artists (pre-registration required), and illustrator Kate Phillips (The Usual) will lead a workshop focused on thumbnailing and layout techniques.

On Sunday, August 10, the action moves to Alderney Landing’s market space, where artists, writers, publishers, and comic shops will showcase and sell their work. Entry is free, and visitors of all ages are welcome.

DCAF is presented by Strange Adventures Comix & Curiosities with support from the Comics Creators Society of Nova Scotia. The expanded format reflects the festival’s ongoing commitment to building space for comics creators to connect, learn, and thrive.

Quick Details:

  • What: Dartmouth Comic Arts Festival 2025

  • When:

    • Saturday, August 9: Panels & Workshops (Alderney Gate Public Library)

    • Sunday, August 10: Comics Marketplace (Alderney Landing market)

  • Where: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

  • Cost: Free admission

  • More Info: https://dcaf.strangeadventures.com

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Experience Levels

The Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia (WFNS) uses the following terms to describe writers’ experience levels:

  • New writers: those with less than two years’ creative writing experience and/or no short-form publications (e.g., short stories, personal essays, or poems in literary magazines, journals, anthologies, or chapbooks).
  • Emerging writers: those with more than two years’ creative writing experience and/or numerous short-form publications.
  • Early-career authors: those with 1 or 2 book-length publications or the equivalent in book-length and short-form publications.
  • Established authors: those with 3 or 4 book-length publications.
  • Professional authors: those with 5 or more book-length publications.

Please keep in mind that each form of creative writing (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, writing for children and young adults, and others) provides you with a unique set of experiences and skills, so you might consider yourself an ‘established author’ in one form but a ‘new writer’ in another.

The “Recommended experience level” section of each workshop description refers to the above definitions. A workshop’s participants should usually have similar levels of creative writing and / or publication experience. This ensures that each participant gets value from the workshop⁠ and is presented with information, strategies, and skills that suit their career stage. 

For “intensive” and “masterclass” workshops, which provide more opportunities for peer-to-peer feedback, the recommended experience level should be followed closely.

For all other workshops, the recommended experience level is just that—a recommendation—and we encourage potential participants to follow their own judgment when registering.

If you’re uncertain of your experience level with regard to any particular workshop, please feel free to contact us at communications@writers.ns.ca