BCAF XI

Boise Comic Arts Festival is returning for its 11^th year in 2023, with all the features you know and love (Artists’ Alley, cosplay, panels, performances, and workshops). It will be taking place September 29 – October 1.

Friday, September 29 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. - Librarians & Educators Day at the Idaho State Museum (610 Julia Davis Dr). View the schedule and course information.

Saturday, September 30 from 10 a.m to 6 p.m. (last Zoo admission is 5 p.m.) - BCAF XI at Zoo Boise, the Idaho State Museum, and Julia Davis Park. Events will include cosplay competitions, presentations, performances, portfolio reviews, and an outdoor Artists' Alley with creators, vendors, and exhibitors.

View the List of our Guest Creators

View the List of our Exhibitors

Sunday, October 1 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. - BCAF XI at the Idaho State Museum (610 Julia Davis Dr). Events will include panels and workshops.

Tickets

All BCAF events are free to attend, but registration is required to enter Zoo Boise for the festival on Saturday, September 30. To reserve your spot, please register on Eventbrite.

Schedule of Events

Saturday Schedule
Sunday Schedule

Parking & Shuttle Options

Parking is limited in Julia Davis Park and surrounding areas. With this in mind, we are pleased to offer a shuttle running between Ann Morrison Park and Zoo Boise. The shuttle will run every 15-20 minutes from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. It will stop near the softball fields at Ann Morrison Park off of Ann Morrison Park Drive and near the entrance to Zoo Boise (see map below). Please note: the shuttle is not ADA accessible. Limited ADA parking is near the entrance to Zoo Boise. 

Shuttle Map

Creators, Vendors, and Exhibitors

This year we will be hosting an outdoor Artists' Alley on Saturday, September 30 with creators, vendors, and exhibitors at Zoo Boise and in Julia Davis Park. The application for table space in Artists' Alley is now closed. If you're interested in being added to the Artists' Alley waitlist, email Josh Shapel. Visit the exhibitor page for information about the 80+ creators, vendors, and exhibitors that will participate this year.  

Guest Creators

Over 30 guest creators will be in Boise for BCAF this year! Visit the guest creator page to learn all about the amazing comic artists and writers who will be joining us. 

Comic Creation Contest

The Original Comic Creation Contest is your chance to show-off your comic crafting skills by creating a single page of comics to express an idea, set a scene or mood, introduce a character, or tell a story. The contest is open to all ages and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes will be awarded in each age category. 

Contest submissions are now closed. Visit any Library Information Booth during BCAF XI on Saturday, September 30 to view the entries.

Librarians & Educators Day

Librarians & Educators Day is completely free for attendees, but registration is required. Registration is full, but sign-up for the waitlist is open. Sign up now.

More information is available on the Librarians and Educator's Day page.

Please send questions about L&E Day to Renee.

Cosplay Contests

The Cosplay Contests are your chance to show off your costume making skills and creativity. Your costume could win you fame, glory and of course - prizes. We'll have live Cosplay Contests for kids, teens, adults and dogs! 

Cosplay contests will take place at the Main Stage at Zoo Boise on Saturday, September 30. The contests will take place at the following times:

10:30 a.m. - Dog Cosplay Contest

11:30 a.m. - Kids Cosplay Contest

1:30 p.m. - Adult Cosplay Contest

3:30 p.m. - Teen Cosplay Contest

Registration is now open for the cosplay contests and closes on September 29. Participants can also register onsite on Saturday, September 30. Read the full cosplay contest rules and dog cosplay contest rules.

Gaming

In-person tabletop roleplaying games are coming back for BCAF XI! Bring your friends or make some new ones as you have an adventure and tell a story together! RPG ession registration now open.

Role Playing Games

10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Intro to Dungeons and Dragons. Registration required. Learn the basics and create your character before leaping in to battle deadly foes, uncover secrets, find treasure, and (of course) roll lots of dice in this introduction to the world’s most famous role-playing game.

10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Monster of the Week. Registration required. Something bad has come to the town of Inkrock, Idaho. Something that goes bump in the night. Now it’s up to you and your team of paranormal investigators to solve the mystery and save the town. We’re playing the action-horror tabletop game Monster of the Week. Appropriate for ages 12+.

1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. 13th Age — The Warlocks of September. Registration required. Journey to the mystical moon of September — where dragons swim through lakes of silver, nomadic forests roam under the stars, and foolish wizards go meddling in things they don’t understand. In the fantasy tabletop game 13th Age, you’ll choose a hero and go on a quest to save this strange and wondrous place. Appropriate for ages 12+.

1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Intro to Dungeons and Dragons. Registration required. Learn the basics and create your character before leaping in to battle deadly foes, uncover secrets, find treasure, and (of course) roll lots of dice in this introduction to the world’s most famous role-playing game.

2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. Intro to DMing – How to Improvise as a DM. Registration required. One of the most unique things about TTRPGs is the freedom of choice. As a DM, this can feel impossibly daunting to prepare for! During this session, we will go over some tips and tricks to allow players to choose and not have to throw out hours upon hours of prep work.

3:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m. The Quiet Year. Registration required. Help a small community rebuild in the wake of a terrible calamity. Over the course of one year we’ll build, make discoveries, and work together to make something good. Join us for the map-drawing tabletop game The Quiet Year. Over the course of the game, we’ll draw and add detail to a map of our community. This is a cooperative game, and no drawing skills are necessary! Appropriate for ages 12+. 

Boise Monopoly Madness Tournament Qualifier

1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. Boise Monopoly Madness Tournament Qualifier - Sponsored by Phoenix Fire Games. With the upcoming release of Monopoly: Boise Edition, we are hosting a Monopoly Madness Tournament! This is your chance to win your very own copy of the new game, plus other fabulous prizes from our event sponsors, Idaho Pizza Company, Phoenix Fire Games, and Section 37 Axe Room!

Here's how it works: read the complete rules, then sign up for ONE Monopoly Qualifier here:
https://www.phoenixfiregames.com/.../boise-monopoly.../