The SparQ Program
Flame Con and Kickstarter are excited to partner on the return of the SparQ program to Flame Con 2025! SparQ aims to amplify the work of marginalized voices in the comics community. This year Kickstarter made a goal of elevating voices of rising Trans and non-binary creators in our community. Join us in celebrating this year’s SparQ fund recipients, and please make a point to to visit them at Flame Con!
Fran Sundblad
Fran Sundblad is a transgender, Minnesota-based cartoonist most well-known for the webcomic series Tiff & Eve. Fran is a traditional artist whose work has been praised for its relatable characters and nostalgic feel, and for shedding light on life as a transgender adult. Fran is a contributor to the Sunday Comix Collective, which organizes indie webcomic artists to be able to reach audiences without depending on algorithms. You can see more of her work at FranSundblad.com
Visit Fran at table A 05
Julian Cormac
Julian Cormac is a New England-based (but Southern-born) artist with a powerful fondness for the unpleasant, bloody, and intimate. They enjoy working in comics and game development together with Arden Ripley, beloved partner and author of their debut graphic novel The Vow. When they’re not making some sort of strange art object, Julian can usually be found on a long drive or exploring with a film camera in hand.
Visit Julian at table A 06
Silver Johnson
Blacksugarpill is a brand featuring all types of creepy cute critters, especially cats! Silver (the artist) is a lover of alternative fashion, the weird, macabre, and horror media, all of which are major themes in his work. His illustrations of surreal felines are featured in the form of prints, stickers, keychains, bags and more!