Kingston Independent Comic Expo Expands to Two Venues in 2026

The Kingston Independent Comic Expo returns April 18 with a simple premise and a growing footprint: keep it independent, keep it local, and let the artists lead. Now in its third year, KICx has outgrown its original home, expanding into two Uptown venues—the Old Dutch Church and nearby St. James United Methodist Church—while holding fast to the intimate, creator-driven atmosphere that made it a hit in the first place. That growth has been steady and, by the organizers’ own admission, a little surprising. Attendance climbed from roughly 350 in year one to 450 last year, while exhibitor demand quickly outpaced available table space. “From the number of exhibitors applying, to the number of attendees, it has exceeded all of my wildest expectations,” says co-founder Kevin Michael Rowe. Rather than decamp to a single larger venue, the team opted for a split setup a block apart, preserving the walkability and neighborhood feel of Uptown. “We love the vibe,” says co-founder Joe Gonzalez. “We wanted to try and see if we could do something creative with having a second venue.” If that decision reflects KICx’s ethos, so does the show itself. This is not Comic Con writ small—no sprawling media spectacle, no Hollywood tie-ins. Instead, it’s closer to the artists’ alley at a larger convention, the place where the real action often happens. “Creators are trying to hustle and sell their books so they don’t have to pack them back up and take them home,” Rowe says. Gonzalez frames it more broadly: a spectrum that runs from DIY zine makers to established professionals pursuing personal projects outside the mainstream. The 2026 KICx poster was designed by Jonathan Marks Barravecchia . That range is by design. More than 70 exhibitors will be spread across the two venues this year, including a mix of Hudson Valley talent and creators from farther afield. (Comic artist Louis Peterson, who will be exhibiting at KICx, had his work featured on the cover of Chronogram this month.) The curati