Organizer Information
Short Run is a Seattle-based nonprofit arts organization founded in 2011 by Eroyn Franklin, Kelly Froh, Martine Workman, and Jenny Gialenes, and it became a registered 501(c)(3) in 2014. The organization focuses on comics as a medium that sits at the intersection of art and literature, and it centers its mission on the physical, tactile experience of holding a printed book. Its programming spans an annual comics festival, a comics residency (Trailer Blaze), micro-grants and travel grants for artists, and educational programming aimed at supporting under-represented and diverse perspectives in comics.
Short Run's core event is the annual Short Run Comix Festival, now in its 14th year, which brings together emerging and established small-press, self-published, and alternative comics artists from the Pacific Northwest and internationally. The organization has also collaborated with civic and cultural institutions in Seattle, including an exhibition at Seattle City Hall Galleries and a co-sponsored show at the University of Puget Sound's Kittredge Gallery, and is supported by sponsors including 4Culture, ArtsWA, and the Norcliffe Foundation.
Title & Description
14th Annual Short Run Comix Festival — Exhibitor Application
Short Run is accepting exhibitor applications for its 14th annual Short Run Comix Festival, taking place Saturday, November 7, 2026, from 11 am–6 pm at the Seattle Design Center in Seattle's Georgetown neighborhood. The festival showcases artists working in alternative comics — self-published, small press, and handmade books of all kinds — and is explicitly framed as distinct from a comic-con artist alley or fan-art show. Exhibitors rent table space rather than a booth, and the festival emphasizes community-building among exhibitors and a comics-first sales floor: tables should be focused primarily on printed books rather than prints, apparel, jewelry, games, or other crafts.
The application window is open for two months, from June 1 through July 31, to give applicants time to complete every question and gather links to their best work. Short Run notes it is a small nonprofit with limited space, and that not every applicant will be accepted due to space limitations and tight curation.
Categories
- Comic/Cartoon
- Visual Arts
- Craft
- Multiple Disciplines
Eligibility
- Open to artists who make alternative comics
- Not intended for comic-con artist-alley style exhibitors or fan-art vendors
- Exhibitors' table displays should be at least 75% books, rather than crafts, jewelry, games, prints, blank cards, or apparel
- Acceptance is not guaranteed; selection is limited by space and subject to tight curation
Program Benefits & Awards
- A table space at the 14th Annual Short Run Comix Festival, November 7, 2026, at the Seattle Design Center
- Inclusion in a curated marketplace and community event for small-press and alternative comics artists
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
- Completed online exhibitor application (Google Form), including a valid email address
- Links to examples of the applicant's work (clear, up-to-date links are required; incomplete or outdated links are cited as a common reason for declined applications)
- Applicants should read every question in the application carefully before submitting
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 31 July 2026
- Festival Date: 7 November 2026
Location
Seattle Design Center, Georgetown neighborhood, Seattle, WA, United States
Additional Details
- Short Run does not provide specific feedback on declined applications, but encourages non-selected artists to attend the festival to still participate in the community
- Applicants are asked to add short.run.info@gmail.com to their "safe senders" list to ensure they receive communications, and to check the website and social media for updates
- Short Run states a commitment to safe spaces free of harassment or threat of violence on the basis of gender identity or expression, sexual preference, race, ethnicity, age, and physical or mental ability