So far, we have reported that Mocca Fest 2025 has exhibited some great creators at the event. In this, we Wilberg’s Triman artist focused on rehabilitation through graphic medicine.
Kriota is a cartoonist as a massage therapist and educator with experience Painting the corpse: Chloé Wary & Lale Westvind Panels are on Saturday at 3pm. She is also the author of the book Attract stronger: Self-care for cartoonists and other visual artistsa guide to cartoonists for preventing injuries and is known for becoming a resident artist New York Medical College.
Check out our interview below and if you are interested, take part in Mocca Fest!
Christian Angeles: Thank you kriota! First, can you tell others who you are and what you are most famous for?
Crimea Wilberg: I am a cartoonist specializing in graphic medicine, which is comics that explores any field of health, body, health care, public health, medicine, body bias (such as racism, gender paranoia, age discrimination, etc.) and death. I am also a free medicine illustrator. I’ve been a massage therapist/health science educator for over 30 years, so now I combine my clinical and artistic experience to introduce art and science to scientists and artists from different conferences and universities.
Combining my daily routine with comic exercises makes me “expert” enough to be a residential artist at the History Library of New York Medical College, the Department of Humanities Medicine at the Grossman School of Medicine at Nyu Langone, and the center to promote palliative care. I also teach drawing medicine and painting to medical students and art students. These are the jobs I dreamed of!
In the art and comics community, I am known for artists’ self-care books, Draw stronger (Uncivilized Book), a popular resource for artists around the world. My self-published works include Ignaz-nominated comics Silver threadadded to the Bcala and Ala Black Lives Matter Matter reading list.
Some of my other comics appear in: Awesome Possum Volume 3 (Angela Boyle), Filipa Estrala, Subculture (9th Art Press), Choice for Choice (Silver Canon Press), Graphic Canon (Silver Canon Press), Intima, Intima: Journal of Narrative Medicine and Strumpet 5, among others. I’m doing it for my memoirs, too Muscle memory This will be published by Fantagraphic Books in 2026.
Angeles: This is a large number of works! Well, what did you prepare specifically for us at Mocca?
Wilberg: My spouse and I performed at Mocca Fest R. Sikoryak. We will sell our published comics, so if you’re tempted to know what we know and what we’re interested in and try to do the work in the process, come and visit us!
Also, I will host a group called “Drawing the Bodies”: Chloé Wary & Lale Westvind, With those cartoonists, Saturday, 15th at 3 pm. Because I have such a history Drawing body and graphic medical comics, I’m often asked to Body, artist self-care and graphic medicine. They are always fun and fun I.
And, speaking of my comics, I taught a drawing class in the corpse lab. this The dream job inspired my muscle memory, which is a philosophical, occasionally clear, Sometimes graphic memoirs about childhood, anatomy, death, poignant and interesting, dying, health care, art, food and relationships. For artists, medical workers, scientists, And scholars, the study of the actual human body will affect our views on the dead and Give us a context of reflection on others and our own deaths. For me, everyone Living creatures have an anatomical identity. For many people, anatomy is more than Scientific knowledge and technical specificity, this is a way of life!
As I said before Fantagraphics Books will release a full graphic memoir in 2026. Now, if People are curious and want a little preview before buying the book Go out and I’m going to sell some miniature “plots” of ongoing book chapters. I I received a lot of praise for them and the draft of the whole book!
Angels: That’s great! It sounds like this will be a great book. Well, what do you personally expect from this year’s festival?
Wilberg: Mocca Fest is always fun! I always like to browse all the tables, access the panels, and see Bob (R. Sikoryak) showing his carousel slideshow in Mocca. I look forward to participating in the Illustrator Party Society during Mocca Fest to see who will win the Mocca Award.
Speaking of carousels, Bob has at least 4 comic slideshows a year. Some performing venues in New York City, some at different comic festivals. No matter where they are, they always showcase very talented artists! So obviously, the Mocca carousel will be exceptionally good.
Later this year, I’m glad to see that the muscle memory of Fantagraphics is obvious. I am also very much looking forward to R. Sikoryak’s next book, which will be published by Draw and Quarterly.
Angeles: It sounds like this would be a good event. So I keep asking people, what is your favorite thing about Mocca Fest for you?
Wilberg: I’m glad to be able to accept my app as well as very dynamic cartoonists and publishers. The comics on display include an incredible range Cartoon/art style and media. Graphic memoir topics range from exploration Personal experiences about childhood, parenting, gender, race, age, health Career, dying, etc. And great fiction, education and Humorous work. In addition, we can all browse publishers and purchase works and independent cartoonists. Their works can range from books to comics to Microenzyme, stickers, posters, t-shirts and more! I like the dynamics of comics Express. I learn a lot every year at Mocca!
Angeles: Finally, why do you think indie comics are so important now?
Wilberg: The reason why independent comics are so important is that they have not yet entered the business world. So, experiencing the work of an independent cartoonist provides us with an opportunity to find people who share their unique experiences; see how they print visually evocative works; explore their comics that promote fairness; and find a cartoonist who shares your unique sense of humor.
The independent comics community can help us all understand the new trends in human experience, politics, culture, equity and education and entertainment. I think independent cartoonists are the foundation of our future culture.
Kriota Willberg will be in Table 122 at R. Sikoryak at Mocca ’25. If you want to attend New York Mocca Fest 2025Click here.
