FAQ: Applying to TCAF 2025

When are Exhibitor Applications due? 

• Our new extended deadline for TCAF 2025 exhibitor applications is Friday, January 31 by 11:59pm ET. Please apply to exhibit by then via our Exhibitor Form. 

I don’t have a Gmail account to fill out the Exhibitor Application - what are my options? 

• TCAF receives A LOT (hundreds!) of applications every year. For easy sorting, please create a Gmail account for this year to submit your Exhibitor Application. We are looking into alternative form submission platforms for 2026, but, for TCAF 2025, our submission options are via the Google Form.

Wait, what happens if I apply after the Exhibitor Application deadline on Jan 31? 

• TCAF receives A LOT of applications every year. If you apply after the deadline there is no guarantee your application will be considered. Please apply by the posted deadline. 

When will we find out if our TCAF Exhibitor Applications were successful? 

• We hope to notify all successful exhibitors by the end of the day on Friday, February 14, 2025. Please note that this is not a firm date and exhibitors selected to appear at TCAF 2025 may find out the following week. Thank you for your patience. 

What are things you look at when evaluating exhibitor applications? 

Preference for exhibition space will be given to: 

1. Comics creators (versus illustrators/animators/fine artists/other creative persons) 

2. Creators with new major works debuting at or around TCAF 2025 

3. Creators who did not exhibit at TCAF 2024

Wait, I really want to exhibit at TCAF but I don’t have anything new coming out…..

• You may still apply, but as noted above, preference for exhibition space will be given to creators with new major works debuting at or around TCAF 2025.

My organization / collective / group wants to apply to TCAF - what are my options? 

• Please consider submitting an application for an Industry table! Some examples of industry tables can include: a college, library, university, and/or other educational comic arts program or outreach or a nonprofit arts collective. 

I have a good idea for TCAF programming - what should I do? 

• If you have an idea for programming, please submit a programming application request form! Our programming request forms will be open until February 14, 2025 at 11:59pm ET. Please submit all programming via this form. Please do not email us with programming ideas - though we love good ideas! Reminder that this programming form includes ideas for Libraries & Education Day (June 6), Word Balloon Academy (June 6), as well as General Events and Kids Programming during the festival (June 7-8). 

Wait, why have you extended the TCAF exhibitor deadline? 

• Hey, it's been a long, dark winter. We could all use a bit of a break. Also, we know that a lot of comic artists are struggling right now, especially our friends and colleagues in LA. We wanted to give everyone a little extra time and an easier deadline to keep in mind (end of the month!).