WHAM! BAM! SLAM! Exhibition
November 9 – December 4, 2026
This November, the Art Academy of Cincinnati invites the public to experience WHAM! BAM! SLAM!, a first-of-its-kind, multi-venue comics event celebrating comics art and culture. On Saturday, November 14, the campus comes alive with a Comic Expo & Artist Alley in SITE1212, AAC’s Open House, and an evening opening reception throughout the Pearlman, McClure, Chidlaw, and SITE1212 Galleries. Prospective students and their families can explore AAC, connect with faculty and students, and get a first-hand look at the academic and creative experience while enjoying the energy of the Comic Expo.
Comic Expo & Artist Alley
Modeled after the Artist Alley experience found at major comic conventions, the Comic Expo & Artist Alley will bring together artists, publishers, collectors, fans, and students for a day of creative exchange. Artists will exhibit and sell original artwork, publications, prints, and merchandise, giving the public an opportunity to meet and interact directly with working artists.
Participating artists include Kat Klockow, Jeff Smith, David Michael Beck, MeSseD Comics, Uko Smith, Jeff Ebbeler, and many others.
AAC students will also be invited to table and sell their own work, gaining hands-on experience in a real-world comic expo environment while connecting directly with the public and the broader comics community. The exhibition and expo are curated by Stephen Kenny, Head of Illustration at the Art Academy of Cincinnati; Jeff Ebbeler, AAC faculty member; David Michael Beck, whose professional work includes Marvel and DC Comics; and Jay Kalagayan of MeSseD Comics.
WHAM! BAM! SLAM! is partially funded by AAC Trustees Rich Homan and Andrew Howe.
WHAM! BAM! SLAM! Exhibitions
On view in the Pearlman and McClure Galleries from November 9 through December 4, 2026,
WHAM! BAM! SLAM! will feature original works including sketches, pages, posters,publications, and more by more than 30 regionally, nationally, and internationally recognized professional artists who have made significant contributions to the comics world. Featured artists include David Mack, Emmy Award nominee and New York Times bestselling author and artist; Nate Powell, National Book Award and Robert F. Kennedy Book Award winner; and CF Payne, Society of Illustrators Gold Medalist and recipient of the Individual Artist Governor’s Award for the Arts in Ohio.
On Saturday, November 14, the Chidlaw Gallery will also feature a pop-up exhibition of original work by current AAC Illustration students, bringing emerging artists into the event alongside established professionals.
Together, the exhibitions showcase the breadth, creativity, and cultural significance of comics art while highlighting the strength of AAC’s Illustration program.
WHAM! BAM! SLAM! is partially funded by AAC Trustees Rich Homan and Andrew Howe.
