Behind the Scenes of the 2026 CrockerCon Poster
August 29, 2026
See how Sacramento illustrator Chris Wisnia remixed a classic comic book cover into this year's CrockerCon poster and paid homage to artwork on view at the Museum.
The countdown to the 2026 edition of CrockerCon has begun!
On Sunday, September 20th, the Crocker Art Museum will transform into a celebration of comics and cartooning, showcasing over sixty exhibitors and special guests—from comic book professionals to rising local creators.
Chris Wisnia, a longtime Sacramento illustrator, is the artist behind this year’s CrockerCon poster. After earning a degree in studio art from UC Davis in the nineties, Wisnia made a career following his childhood passions: writing and drawing comic books.
His poster is inspired by Jack Kirby’s cover for Tales of Suspense issue #39 (Marvel Comics, 1959). The cover introduced the character Iron Man months before his recognizable yellow and red suit debuted. Wisnia swapped out the panels featuring Iron Man’s costume change with drawings of significant artwork by local artists and comic book creators, many of whom have personal ties to Wisnia’s artistic trajectory. Replacing Iron Man on the cover is the festival’s part-robot, part-Museum character, CrockerTron.
Here’s a breakdown of the artwork featured in this year’s CrockerCon poster.
1. Robert Arneson taught ceramics and sculpture at UC Davis for nearly thirty years, including Wisnia’s first year on campus. Before his passing in 1992, Arneson’s series of Egghead sculptures were installed across the Davis campus and are now an integral part of the university’s culture. His sculpture Overcooked (1973) is part of the Crocker’s collection and on view on the third floor.
2. Longtime Sacramento artist Suzanne Adan graduated from California State University, Sacramento, taught at local universities like Sacramento City College, and created ceramic tile murals throughout Sacramento. Her painting Flying Saucers (1993) is now on view as part of her 125-piece retrospective, Suzanne Adan: I'm No Spring Chicken.
3. Sam Kieth’s resume is deep. The Sacramento comics artist co-created Sandman (Vertigo Comics) and the beloved series The Maxx (issue #1, Image Comics, 1993). Kieth was Wisnia’s mentor and invited him to draw for his comic Ojo (Oni Press, 2004). In March 2026, Kieth passed away from Lewy body dementia at the age of sixty-three, shocking the comics industry.
4. Illustrator Adrian Tomine began self-publishing his comic Optic Nerve in 1991 when he was sixteen years old. Originally from Sacramento, Tomine found international acclaim after Drawn & Quarterly began publishing his comic in the mid-nineties. He is more recently known for his illustrated covers of The New Yorker, including “Missed Connection” (Nov. 8, 2004 issue).
5. Kelley Jones and Sam Kieth worked closely together in Sacramento since they were teenagers. Jones is best known for bringing his love of horror to mainstream comics, including Deadman, Swamp Thing, and Batman, including this cover from issue #493 (DC Comics, 1993).
6. By including his own comic, Doris Danger: Giant Monsters Amok (Fantagraphics, 2023), Wisnia considered how artists like Vincent van Gogh and Henri Matisse created new works that included replications of their previous paintings. The audacity!
7. Mel Ramos was a pop artist who paid homage to paintings of Batman, Superman, and other superheroes. He received his BA and MA from what is now the California State University, Sacramento and studied under Wayne Thiebaud. Ramos’ piece The Atom (1962) was a gift to the Crocker from Thiebaud himself. The imagery is taken directly from Gil Kane’s cover of The Atom issue #1 (DC Comics, 1962).
8. Speaking of Wayne Thiebaud, Wisnia took three classes with the artist, who taught at UC Davis for forty-two years (twelve of which were on unpaid Professor Emeritus status). But Thiebaud didn’t always show up for class. One example was on October 14, 1994, when Thiebaud was flown to the White House to receive the National Medal of Arts. Pies, Pies, Pies (1961) is one of several Thiebaud paintings included in the Crocker’s collection.
9. For six years, local Sacramento artist Ron Lim contributed to Jim Starlin’s defining work on Marvel’s Cosmic Universe. This included the epic creation story of Thanos in Silver Surfer (1988-94), Infinity Gauntlet (1991), Infinity War (1992), and Infinity Crusade (1993). Pictured here is Lim’s cover for Silver Surfer #34 (Marvel Comics, 1990).
10. Chicago-based artist Gladys Nilsson lived in Sacramento from 1968 to 1976. During this period, Nilsson embraced a fiercely independent and experimental approach to her work. Her first-ever retrospective, Gleefully Askew: A Gladys Nilsson Retrospective, is now on view at the Crocker, including Ladies Dance (1975) from the Museum’s collection.
Grab a copy of this year’s poster at CrockerCon! Sunday, September 20 from 10 AM – 4 PM. Open to all ages and free for everyone.