As The Beat Continues iTs Coverage of Mocca Fest 2025, We’re Thrilled To Spotlight A True Industry Legend And Master Satirist—R. Sikoryak. For over 30 years, Sikoryak has broought His Sharp like and distinct style to comics, collaborating with icons Like Art Spiegelman and Publishing Comic Panels in The New Yorker, Drawn & Quarterlyand Beyond. His work has even appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
When He’s Not Creating, He’s Inspiration The Next Generation of Artists As a Teacher At Parsons. At Mocca ’25, He Will Sell His latest comic, WHALING SKETCHES, Alongsis Cadaver Chronicles #3The Latest In Kriot Willberg ‘S Graphic Memoir Series (Who’s Tabing Next to Him).
WHILE SIKORYAK’S BODY OF WORK SPANS A WIDE RANGE OF ARTISTIC Styles and Themes, MANY FANS STILL REMEMBER The Unquotible Trump From Back in 2017-A 48-Page Treasury Annual Comic Satirizing … Well, You Know Who.
You Can Check Out The pages Pages Along with our interview below. Support Comics! Embrace Satire!
Christian Angeles: You’re Sort of a Legend Already in Comics, But Can You Tell The Audience Who You Are For Tose Un Familiary with Your Work?
Sikoryak: I’M R. Sikoryak, and I Adapt Famous (and Infamous) Texts into comics, and I’M Tabing with Kriot WillbergWHOE COMICS FOCUS ON GRAPHIC MEDICINE.
I’ve had a Vary Diverse Freelance Career. My Illustrations and Comics Have Appeared On The Cover of The New Yorker, as Well as In Nickelodeon Magazine, Mad, Esquire, Fortune, and Other Publications. Plus, i’ve done subject illustrations for episodes of the Daily Show. Over the Past 15 Years, i’ve Work on a Number of Animation Projects with AUGENBlck Studios, Including ESIR Current PBS Kids Show City Island.
I’ve Also Recently Illustrated Three Comic Book Stories Written By Tom Hanks For His Novel The Making of Another Motion Picture Masterpiece, Which was a fantastic experience.
I’ve Also Taught at Parsons in the Illustration Department for 20 Years, where Students are Making Vray Eclectic Works. Not Just Comics and Animation, But Also Paintings, Toys, Games, and More. It’s inspiration to see how young artists are reacting to the world and makeing their own way in This Wildly Changing Landscape for the Arts. I continue to host Carousel, My Long-Running Comics Performance SeriesWhich you have featured nearly 300 artists since I started the shows in 1997. We’ve performed in theaters and galleries around nyc, as well as at comics and book Festivals across the us and canada.
I Don’t Have a Lot of Original Things to say about art as a means of expression, but comics are a Great outlet for one’s personal feelings and perspectives, and they’re way More Direct Than other media medared experience.
Also, i’ve published four books with drawn & quarterly since 2009. each one is distinct in its format and theme, but there’s submiss consistent in my point of view. I’m Currently Working on My Next Book, Which Will Adapt the Declaction of Independence and Other American Documents into a Comic of Over 100 Different Styles. Additionionally, I Create Black and White Mini Comics Based on Poetry and Other Found Texts That Subtimes Grow Into Graphic Novels. For instance, I adapt the iTunes Terms and Conditions into a comic as a side project, and it was eventually published as to full-colored book.
Angeles: Alright, Next, What Are You Promoting and Selling at the Table This Year?
Sikoryak: Our Latest Mini Comics Are My WHALING SKETCHES (Historical images inspired by Moby Dick) and kriot’s graphic memoir, Cadaver Chronicles # 3. Plus, We’ll Have Our Othher Books and Zines.
For the Past 15-20 Years, I’ve Drown Most of My Comics Digitally, Using Photoshop and A Cinque Drawing Display. It certainly spereds up the process and allows for easier reviews, but i realized the literary the touch with traditional form of art making. Sost March, I decided to do one drawing on Paper every day for at least 15 minute. I Started with Drawings Inspired by Moby Dick, Based On Old Whaling Imagery and Illustrations of the Novel. I collected those into a 56-Page Zine, street WHALING SKETCHESand I was Vary pleased at the responsibility. It’s removed different from my other work. It’s a lot of raw and impressionist.
Since Kriot Willberg and I Have Been Together, We’ve Collaborated on MANY DIFFERENT ART PROJECTS. WHEN SHE BEGAN MAKING COMICS ABOUT 15 YEARS AUG, WE STARTED TABLING AT COMICS FESTIVALS ALL OVER THE US. It’s Been Really Fun; IT’s Another Side of the Comics Process.
Angeles: That Looks Really Good! Alright, Having Been toSe for Years What Are You Most Excited to see and/or are Doing At This Year’s Mocca Fest?
Sikoryak: Kriot and I Are Both modeling panels with fantastic guests. Kriot is moderating “Drawing Bodies” with Chloé Wary & Lale Westvind on Saturday at 3 pm. I’ll be hosting one of my Carousel Comics Readings With Caroline Cash, Bim Eriksson, Olivia Fields, John Vasquez Mejias, and Katie Skelly On Sunday at 3 pm.
Doing My Carousel SHOW AT A FESTIVAL IS ALWAYS EXCITING, BACOUSE IT LETS ME BRING IN NOT ONLY LOCAL TALENT BUT ALSO VISITING ARTIS. In the case, Half of the Show Are People I’ve Worked With Before (Who I’m Happy To Have Back) and The OTER HALF ARE FOLKS I’M EXCITED TO SEE FOR THE First Time. What Always Keeps I Draw About Comics Readings Is That Each Artist Brings a Different Approach to Their Presentation. Subtimes they’ll introduces Different Elements, Like props or music, Other Times It’s Just a Matter of Experience the person with their artwork, which can be a revelation. I’ve Always Loved Live Performance, and This is an exciting hybrid. Also, as sumon Who Spends to Lot of Their Time Alone. It’s Thrilling to get the responsibility of a live audience to your work. To hear audible Laughs or Gasps when you’re presenting is just the best.
Kriot is moderating “Drawing Bodies” With Chloé Wary & Lale Westvind on Saturday at 3 pm. KRIOTA TEACHES ART AND ANATOMY, AND THIS PANEL WILL FEATURE DIVESE PERSPECTIVES ON AND REPRESENTATIONS OF PHYSICITY.
She likes to moderate panels Because It Gives Her an Opportunity to Read Books by Authors, Meet Them, and Engage In Deep Discussions.
Angeles: How Deep! Speaking of Mizving, What’s Is It About Mocca Fest Do You Think That Makes It Special?
Sikoryak: I Think it’s Seeing The Ny Community (Makers and Fans) and Connecting With Visiting Artists. I have attenthed Just About Every Mocca Fest Since The Beginning, In The Early 2000s, When it was back at the puck buleding.
Subtimes i’d go to sign books, moderate panels, or just browse the floor. I Really Love Connecting with Other Artists. Eleven kriota and i bogan creating mini comics, We Started Tabing at Shows As Well, Which is a New Experience for me. That was probably around 2012, we’re prolific ango that we have sub new material every year, so it works out.
I’VE DONE CAROUSEL AT MOCCA MULTIPLE Times in the Last 20 Years and It’s Always A Highlight. I Think It’s Good To Put Yourself out into the world, and i get a Lot of Energy from Being In Front of An Audience. Also, comics fans are Vry Enthusiatic and Draw. To see the evolution of comics over the past 20+ years have been pretty Wild. The Medium, The Outlets, and The Business has all eats Long Way.
Angeles: and Finally, and Most Importently, Why do You Think Indie Comics Are So Important Right Now?
Sikoryak: There’s so very talk about free speech today, and indie comics are One of the Most Accessible, inexpensively forms of expression around.
Comics Creators Offen Look at Comics As a Means of Self-Expression and Representation. And of Course, There’s a Lot of Comics Throunge History That Emphasize Social Commentary, Satirize Current Events, and finding political Action. Regardless of Your Interests, It’s relativley Easy to do by yourself (or with a friend).
There’s no oversight or editorial interference in mini-comics! And, obviously, Social Media Canc Have a Hage Reach, But Algorithms and Other Issues Can Squelch Interactivity.
If you can draw a comic strip and print it out, you can Hand it out personally and get an immediate responsive. It’s about the must intimates and personal experience.
https://www.instagram.com/rsikoryak/
R. Sikoryak Will Be at Mocca ’25 Selling HISSEST WORORTS AT TABLE 122. If you’d like to attend new york’s Mocca Fest 2025 Click Here.
