Graphic Novel Making Contest Awards Ceremony

Celebrate the creative efforts of everyone who has participated in the 2026 Graphic Novel Making Contest! Costumes and cosplay are encouraged!*  All are welcome to attend, even if you didn't submit an entry. Details:  Announcing Winners: Contest winners will be announced for all age groups at the Awards Ceremony.Guest Speakers: We'll have guest speakers from the comics and illustration industry!Participation Gift Pickup: All eligible participants of the Contest can claim their participation gift during the Awards Ceremony. Venue:  The Awards Ceremony will be held in the San Jose City Hall Rotunda and Council Chambers.  Doors open at 1:00 PM and the Ceremony begins at 2:00 PM. Parking: Free parking is available at the Fourth & St. John Garage located at at 50 N. Fourth St. This program supports Summer Learning and the Graphic Novel Making Contest. *Please note prop weapons cannot be brought to the Awards Ceremony. Which items are determined as a weapon is up to the sole discretion of San Jose Public Library staff. Guest Speakers: Thien Pham Thien Pham is a graphic novelist and educator based in Oakland, CA. He is the author and illustrator of the graphic novel Sumo and the illustrator for the middle-grade graphic novel Level Up, written by Gene Luen Yang. His graphic novel, Family Style, a memoir about his family's immigration to America told through the lens of food, has been on numerous best-of lists, was a finalist for the ALA YALSA Excellence in Non-Fiction, and won an Eisner Award for Best Memoir Graphic Novel. Pham is also the illustrator for the recurring food article on KQED “Midnight Diners”. His Latest book, which he illustrated, is Mind vs. Machine, written by Steve Sheinkin and Maurice Ashley, and will be released September 9th. Currently, Pham is working on his next graphic novel, teaching, and eating. A lot. Follow Thien on Instagram @thiendog Briana Loewinsohn Briana began making zines when she was in college in the late 90s/early 2000s. Briana mostly sold them on consignment at bay area bookstores, often making about $1.50 per book for many years. In that time, she also began teaching high school art (in 2006) and had two great kids. It wasn’t until the pandemic that Briana found her voice and confidence as a cartoonist to write a full graphic novel. The book is called Ephemera, which was published in 2023. Finishing Ephemera was so exhilarating that she immediately started writing Raised By Ghosts. Raised By Ghosts won the Harvey Award and the ALA YA Non-Fiction Graphic Novel of the year. It was also nominated for an Eisner. Briana is currently working on a third graphic novel for Fantagraphics. ADA Accommodation Requests