The Pacific Northwest's premiere comic + pop culture show Emerald City Comic Con returns soon - March 6 through 9 to be exact. Stay tuned to Popverse for all the ECCC 2025 news, our recs for what to do at ECCC 2025, where to find Popverse, and buy tickets now to find your place at the Seattle staple.

If it’s Emerald City Comic Con 2025 — and it is, from March 6 through March 9 at the Seattle Convention Center — then it’s time for what might be the finest Artist’s Alley of the year. (Sorry, all other shows, but you know it’s true.) There’s a host of talent waiting to greet fans across the four-day Pacific Northwest pop culture saturnalia, and we’ve picked six of our favorites for those headed to the show and wondering who to hit up first — but take a look at the whole list to see everyone who’s showing up; it’s such a packed list that you could probably spend the entire show (and a lot of money) just in Artist’s Alley alone.

Chris Condon at B-04

For those whose tastes trend towards what’s hot in the mainstream comics biz, look no further than Condon, a writer who not only has acclaimed indie hits under hit belt — That Texas Blood, Epitaphs from the Abyss, The Enfield Gang Massacre — but is blazing a trail at both Marvel and DC currently, with Ultimate Wolverine and Green Arrow, respectively. Find him at B-04, and ask what the Ultimate Universe version of a Fastball Special is. (Surely something that ends up with someone bleeding a lot, given how brutal that Wolverine is, right…?)

Jarrett Melendez at C-11

Few can claim to be a renaissance man to the extent that Jarrett Melendez can; an award-winning writer and co-creator of the graphic novel Chef’s Kiss (the sequel is out next year; Chef’s Kiss Again), he’s also a food journalist for outlets including Bon Appetite and Epicurious, and the author of a number of cookbooks including My Pokémon Baking Book and Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Official Cookbook. He’s also providing a number of cooking demonstrations during ECCC for those of us who need some tips how to cook (and eat) better. When not running around doing everything at once, you can find Melendez at C-11.

Kelly McMahon at B-28

There’s every possibility you’re familiar with the work of California-based illustrator McMahon, even if you don’t know her name; her vector-based illos have appeared on everything from comic books like Supermassive, Kid Cudi’s Moon Man, and COWL 1964 to designs for accessories manufacturer Deer Arrow, showing up in Kevin Smith’s Clerks III and Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, or even their own crowdfunded card games Imperium and Bad Blood. If, somehow, all of that has passed you by, don’t fret — just head to B-28 to get acquainted as soon as possible.

Kim-Joy at D-11

Viewers of the Great British Bake-Off — yes, yes, I know it’s officially the Great British Baking Show in the UK, but, come on — know about Kim-Joy, of course; she was one of the finalists for the 2018 season, and won the 2022 Holiday Special. She’s also, however, a cookbook author and a comic book writer, having written the 2023 graphic novel Turtle Bread: A Graphic Novel About Baking, Fitting In, and the Power of Friendship. As if that wasn’t enough, she’s also one of the creators of Kim Joy’s Magic Bakery, a card game released by Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman’s Skybound Games back in 2022. If you’re wondering how she has time to handle all of this, you should ask her at D-11.

Steve Lieber at M-11

It’s not enough that Steve Lieber is, inarguably, one of the finest comic book artists working today — and one of the few who can make comedy work on the page, as can be seen every month in the pages of his current Metamorpho series with Al Ewing at DC — nor, seemingly, enough that he’s also one of the most helpful creators in the comics industry, offering advice online (and, for those in the Portland, OR area, in person in monthly sessions at local store Books with Pictures) to up-and-comers and peers alike. Steve is also, bluntly, the nicest man in comics. Go to M-11 and tell him how lucky we all are that he is who he is.

Zine Hug at J-20

As ECCC 2025 leans into the grunge history of the region — even if, as I’ve said before, it’s always been a grunge show at heart — let’s take a moment to celebrate small press shop Zine Hug, a micro press run by Alex Barsky and Zack Lydon publishing comics, zines, and even animation via their Risograph MZ990. (Print nerds know what I’m talking about.) Want to see what’s happening around the edges of pop culture before it becomes the next big thing everyone’s obsessed with? Head to J-20 with open eyes, an open heart, and you can’t lose. (Wait, did that become an accidental Friday Night Lights reference…?)

Seattle's ECCC 2025 is coming up faster than you think! Keep up to date with our guide to all the Artist's Alley & Writer's Block celebrities, all the major panels, a grunge-themed playlist for the grunge-themed con, our personal recs for the key things to do at ECCC, where to find us at ECCC, and even what to do while you're in Seattle for the event. Reserve your passes as soon as you can!