Press & Media
From PBS and VICE to Native America Calling and Peter Lang — a decade of verified coverage celebrating Indigenous pop culture, community, and the movement that started in Albuquerque.
Native Media Network's introduction video from the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con in Albuquerque, NM — the first recorded footage of what would become IndigiPopX. Captures the energy and community of the founding event at the National Hispanic Cultural Center.
The official exhibition listing for the companion gallery show held in conjunction with the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con. form & concept in Santa Fe presented works by Weshoyot Alvitre (Tongva), Jonathan Nelson (Diné), Jon Proudstar (Yaqui), Ryan Singer (Navajo), and Arigon Starr (Kickapoo), alongside comics created by Zuni Pueblo youth and teachers through a W. K. Kellogg Foundation–funded curriculum initiative. The exhibition ran November 11 – December 31, 2016, with ICC launching one week later at the NHCC in Albuquerque.
Adele Oliveira's on-the-ground feature from the inaugural ICC at the National Hispanic Cultural Center — one of the richest primary accounts of the founding event. Documents 1,100 attendees, 45 vendors, 35 participants, and panels including 'Indigenous Women in Film' and 'Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse: Rez Style.' Profiles Jon Proudstar (Tribal Force — first all-Native superhero team, recognized by the Smithsonian), Jonathan Nelson (The Wool of Jonesy), Renee Nejo (Blood Quantum video game), and Timothy Truman (Scout). Confirms dates November 18–20, 2016.
The official event listing from the National Hispanic Cultural Center — co-host of the first-ever Indigenous Comic Con alongside Native Realities Publishing and A Tribe Called Geek. Confirms the Domenici Education Building venue, three-day schedule (Fri 2–9pm, Sat 10am–9pm, Sun 10am–6pm), and featured guests Jeffrey Veregge (Marvel's Red Wolf, IDW's GI Joe and Judge Dredd) and Arigon Starr (Super Indian, 'the longest-running Native comic book in the world'). The original event website was indigenouscomiccon.com.
The Santa Fe immersive art collective Meow Wolf posted this video calling the Indigenous Pop Expo 'one of the world's largest Native Comic Conventions' and rallying their community to back its Kickstarter campaign — an early signal of the New Mexico arts world's investment in what would become IndigiPopX.
Public radio's early announcement of the inaugural Albuquerque convention — the first public media coverage of what would become IndigiPopX, introducing the term 'Indigenerd' to a national audience.
Remezcla previews the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con in Albuquerque, highlighting its Indigenous arts and pop-culture focus and the community it was built to serve.
VICE's national feature from the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con in Albuquerque — one of the strongest early anchors documenting the event's founding mission and cultural impact.
A major profile of Dr. Lee Francis IV, Native Realities, Red Planet Books & Comics, and Indigenous Comic Con — one of the most comprehensive early portraits of the movement's founder.
Arigon Starr's official pre-event announcement for the 2nd Indigenous Comic Con — confirming November 10–12 at Isleta Casino, Albuquerque, organized by Lee Francis of Native Realities Press. Lists her two panels: 'Native Americans in Comics and Pop Culture' (with Michael Sheyahshe, Timothy Truman, and Jay Odjick) and 'Will Work for Change' (with Tim Truman). A primary source from one of the event's featured creators.
Academic history blogger Kerri Clement's on-the-ground recap of the 2nd Indigenous Comic Con, published as Native American Heritage Month coverage. Documents guests Eugene Brave Rock (Kainai, Wonder Woman film), Lalo Alcaraz (La Cucaracha, Coco), Arigon Starr, and Jon Proudstar (Tribal Force — first all-Native superhero team, exhibited at the Smithsonian NMAI). Covers film screenings of More Than a Word (mascots documentary, narrated by Frank Waln) and The Smudging, plus panels on 'The Pocahontas Problem,' zombie survival, and game design. Frames ICC within the history of harmful Native stereotypes in comics and popular media.
NPR's national broadcast of Megan Kamerick's KUNM report on the 2nd Indigenous Comic Con at Isleta Pueblo, Albuquerque. Features direct quotes from Lee Francis, Arigon Starr (on Super Indian's origin — Commodity cheese tainted with resium), Jonathan Joss (on being asked to do something about the rain on a film set), and Eugene Brave Rock (on speaking Blackfoot as his Wonder Woman character — Hello, my name is Napi). Also covers the Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse on the Rez panel with Jack Malstrom and Johnnie Jae, co-founders of A Tribe Called Geek. 3:57 audio segment with full transcript.
Indian Country Today covers the opening of Red Planet Books & Comics — the Indigenous-owned comic book store founded by Dr. Lee Francis IV in the wake of the first Indigenous Comic Con.
A preview of the third annual Indigenous Comic Con and its programming — documenting the event's growing footprint in Albuquerque's arts and culture landscape.
PBS covers the third annual Indigenous Comic Con, documenting the event's expanding programming and its role in centering Native voices in pop culture.
A deep comics-industry interview with Dr. Lee Francis IV by journalist John Seven — documenting the event's evolution from Indigenous Comic Con into IndigiPopX, the expansion to Denver and Melbourne, and Francis's vision for a week-long cultural festival on par with SXSW. Confirms the Australia event (IndigiCon Melbourne, Nov. 29, 2019) and Denver debut (July 26, 2019).
Indigenous Pop X Denver lands at the historic McNichols Civic Center Building July 26–28, in collaboration with the Denver American Indian Commission — the first time the event expanded beyond Albuquerque.
UK counterculture magazine Huck profiles Weshoyot Alvitre (Tongva) and Gregg Deal (Pyramid Lake Paiute) as central figures in a growing Indigenous comics movement — naming IndigiPopX directly as the movement's own decolonised comic-con, hosted by Dr. Lee Francis. Traces the lineage from the Indigenous Narratives Collective (Phoenix Comic-Con 2011, co-founded by Arigon Starr) through to the 2016 launch of Indigenous Comic Con, framing Indigenous comics as a continuation of pictograph, hide painting, and ledger art traditions.
A scholarly essay placing Indigenous Comic Con within a wider international Indigenous futurisms movement — the first academic documentation of the event's intellectual and cultural significance.
An audio discussion featuring Dr. Lee Francis IV and author Darcie Little Badger on Indigenous futurisms, climate fiction, and the role of speculative storytelling in Native communities.
New Mexico Magazine profiles Dr. Lee Francis IV, Native Realities Press, and Red Planet Books & Comics — a landmark feature on the ecosystem built around Indigenous Comic Con.
The Oklahoman previews IndigiPopX's arrival at the First Americans Museum — the first in-person event since COVID — highlighting the event's mission to showcase Native creatives across comics, film, music, fashion, food, and technology.
A 55-minute national radio broadcast previewing IndigiPopX's return to in-person at the First Americans Museum in OKC after the pandemic hiatus. Host Art Hughes speaks with Dr. Lee Francis IV (Laguna Pueblo), Tom Farris (Otoe-Missouria and Cherokee), Kristin Gentry (Choctaw), and video game developer Miranda Due (Pawnee and Cherokee) about Indigenous superheroes, cosplay, artists, and representation in media and entertainment.
Public event listing documenting the first IFFNW in Tacoma, Washington — hosted by Native Realities and ALMA — as IndigiPopX expanded its Pacific Northwest presence in the same year as its OKC debut.
Kevin Severin's on-the-ground TV news report from the 3-day IndigiPopX convention at FAM, with an embedded video segment and an 8-photo gallery. Highlights the full range of Indigenous creators in attendance — speakers, illustrators, writers, designers, actors, and producers — and notes the expo 'highlights just how involved Native Americans are in pop culture at every level.' Photo credit: David Young/KOKH.
Oklahoma City's First Americans Museum partners with IndigiPopX for a landmark event celebrating Indigenous creators, artists, and pop culture — drawing fans from across the region.
KOCO 5 covers IndigiPopX at the First Americans Museum, featuring interviews with artists, cosplayers, and attendees celebrating the intersection of Indigenous identity and pop culture.
Felix Clary's on-the-ground report from the IndigiPopX 2024 Reservation Dogs panel at FAM — Lane Factor, Sten Joddi, Jon Proudstar, Nathalie Standingcloud, Kaniehtiio Horn, and Richard Ray Whitman reflect on the show's family-like set culture. Also documents the Nex Benedict tribute with Two-Spirit Miss Indian Oklahoma Faithlynn Taloa Seawright and the Cherokee Youth Choir, plus a full programming rundown: Peshawn Bread's Marvel Echo Q&A, Johnnie Jae's zombie survival panel, Star Wars in Navajo, and Weyodi Oldbear & Grace Benally on Indigenous women storytellers. Co-published with Tulsa World.
Kalvin Valdillez's on-the-ground recap of IndigiPopX 2024 at the First Americans Museum in OKC: a 30-foot Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, F. Anthony Falcon's fiction-writing workshop, Rising Sons Media's music production demo, Alina Pete's tribute to the late Jeffrey Veregge (whose final story appears in her anthology), and a cosplay parade featuring a tribal council-wolfman. A vivid portrait of the Indiginerds community at full force.
A first-person essay by Two-Spirit Tsalagi writer Amber L. Hampton documenting her experience at IndigiPopX 2024 at FAM — from a Grand Celebration Ceremony honoring Nex Benedict (with the Cherokee Youth Choir) to panels on Indigenous horror with Weyodi Oldbear, Johnnie Jae, Shane Hawk, and Jim Terry; a conversation with Sadekaronhes Esquivel on the Coyote and Crow RPG; and encounters with Roy Boney Jr. and Reservation Dogs cast. Oldbear describes the experience as 'drinking from a firehose of Indigenous creativity.'
Daybreak Star Radio previews IndigiPopX 2024 at Oklahoma City's First Americans Museum (April 12–14), highlighting guests including Kaniehtiio Horn, Nathalie Standingcloud, Peshawn Bread, and Blossom Youngbear — and the event's mission to celebrate Indigenous identity as a living, vibrant force.
IndigiPopX 2024 (April 12–14, First Americans Museum) celebrates Reservation Dogs, Star Wars, cosplay and more — while dedicating its Grand Celebration to Nex Benedict, the Choctaw-descendant teen whose death sparked national conversation. Guests include Kaniehtiio Horn, Lane Factor, Roy Boney Jr. (Marvel), Danielle Boyer, and Shane Hawk.
National radio episode featuring Dr. Lee Francis IV, Tom Farris, Kristin Gentry, Connor Alexander, and Sarah Wilkinson — documenting the second OKC IndigiPopX and the event's growing national profile.
A scholarly volume from Peter Lang documenting Indigenous popular culture and Indigenous Comic Con — the first book-length academic treatment of the IndigiPopX movement.
Oklahoma City's CBS affiliate covers the second IndigiPopX at FAM, spotlighting Indigenous comic book creators, cosplay, and the growing national profile of the event.
Arigon Starr's official pre-event announcement for IndigiPop Expo 2025 at Duke University — confirming the three-day gathering (Nov. 14–16) of Native American comic creators, film, TV, and artists on the Duke campus. Notes the concurrent Duke Library exhibit 'American Indians Go Graphic' (in-person through Dec. 14, also available online), and places Arigon at Booth #6 in the exhibit area all weekend. A primary source from one of the event's returning featured creators.
Duke's Kenan Institute for Ethics launches a yearlong interdisciplinary initiative anchored by IndigiPopX (Nov. 14–16, 2025, Penn Pavilion) alongside two landmark exhibitions — 'American Indians Go Graphic' at Perkins Library (curated by Dr. Courtney Lewis & Dr. Lee Francis IV) and 'Power, Presence, and Future' at the Nasher Museum — plus programming including the Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band, Arigon Starr as Artist-in-Residence, and the musical Bear Grease. Banner art by Kristin Gentry.
Cherokee Nation citizen and artist Roy Boney Jr. received the inaugural Jeffrey Veregge Memorial Award at the IndigiPopX I-Pop Culture Awards ceremony on Nov. 15 at Duke University. The award honors creators following in Veregge's footsteps — blending Indigenous heritage with mainstream pop culture. Tom Farris hand-crafted the silversmith medallion: a Superman logo bearing the Cherokee syllabary 's' sound.
A long-form historical interview with Dr. Lee Francis IV on Indigenous popular culture, the founding of Indigenous Comic Con, and the ecosystem of initiatives built through Native Realities.
University news feature identifying Indigenous Comic Con, IWOW, Indigenous Futurisms Festival, Native Realities, and Red Planet as a connected ecosystem — part of Dr. Francis's growing university lecture circuit.
A recorded panel at the New York Society Library featuring Weyodi OldBear, Dr. Lee Francis IV, and Patty Krawec — documenting IndigiPopX's expanding presence in literary and institutional spaces.
Native Media Network's introduction video from the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con in Albuquerque, NM — the first recorded footage of what would become IndigiPopX. Captures the energy and community of the founding event at the National Hispanic Cultural Center.
The official exhibition listing for the companion gallery show held in conjunction with the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con. form & concept in Santa Fe presented works by Weshoyot Alvitre (Tongva), Jonathan Nelson (Diné), Jon Proudstar (Yaqui), Ryan Singer (Navajo), and Arigon Starr (Kickapoo), alongside comics created by Zuni Pueblo youth and teachers through a W. K. Kellogg Foundation–funded curriculum initiative. The exhibition ran November 11 – December 31, 2016, with ICC launching one week later at the NHCC in Albuquerque.
Adele Oliveira's on-the-ground feature from the inaugural ICC at the National Hispanic Cultural Center — one of the richest primary accounts of the founding event. Documents 1,100 attendees, 45 vendors, 35 participants, and panels including 'Indigenous Women in Film' and 'Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse: Rez Style.' Profiles Jon Proudstar (Tribal Force — first all-Native superhero team, recognized by the Smithsonian), Jonathan Nelson (The Wool of Jonesy), Renee Nejo (Blood Quantum video game), and Timothy Truman (Scout). Confirms dates November 18–20, 2016.
The official event listing from the National Hispanic Cultural Center — co-host of the first-ever Indigenous Comic Con alongside Native Realities Publishing and A Tribe Called Geek. Confirms the Domenici Education Building venue, three-day schedule (Fri 2–9pm, Sat 10am–9pm, Sun 10am–6pm), and featured guests Jeffrey Veregge (Marvel's Red Wolf, IDW's GI Joe and Judge Dredd) and Arigon Starr (Super Indian, 'the longest-running Native comic book in the world'). The original event website was indigenouscomiccon.com.
The Santa Fe immersive art collective Meow Wolf posted this video calling the Indigenous Pop Expo 'one of the world's largest Native Comic Conventions' and rallying their community to back its Kickstarter campaign — an early signal of the New Mexico arts world's investment in what would become IndigiPopX.
Public radio's early announcement of the inaugural Albuquerque convention — the first public media coverage of what would become IndigiPopX, introducing the term 'Indigenerd' to a national audience.
Remezcla previews the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con in Albuquerque, highlighting its Indigenous arts and pop-culture focus and the community it was built to serve.
VICE's national feature from the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con in Albuquerque — one of the strongest early anchors documenting the event's founding mission and cultural impact.
A major profile of Dr. Lee Francis IV, Native Realities, Red Planet Books & Comics, and Indigenous Comic Con — one of the most comprehensive early portraits of the movement's founder.
Arigon Starr's official pre-event announcement for the 2nd Indigenous Comic Con — confirming November 10–12 at Isleta Casino, Albuquerque, organized by Lee Francis of Native Realities Press. Lists her two panels: 'Native Americans in Comics and Pop Culture' (with Michael Sheyahshe, Timothy Truman, and Jay Odjick) and 'Will Work for Change' (with Tim Truman). A primary source from one of the event's featured creators.
Academic history blogger Kerri Clement's on-the-ground recap of the 2nd Indigenous Comic Con, published as Native American Heritage Month coverage. Documents guests Eugene Brave Rock (Kainai, Wonder Woman film), Lalo Alcaraz (La Cucaracha, Coco), Arigon Starr, and Jon Proudstar (Tribal Force — first all-Native superhero team, exhibited at the Smithsonian NMAI). Covers film screenings of More Than a Word (mascots documentary, narrated by Frank Waln) and The Smudging, plus panels on 'The Pocahontas Problem,' zombie survival, and game design. Frames ICC within the history of harmful Native stereotypes in comics and popular media.
NPR's national broadcast of Megan Kamerick's KUNM report on the 2nd Indigenous Comic Con at Isleta Pueblo, Albuquerque. Features direct quotes from Lee Francis, Arigon Starr (on Super Indian's origin — Commodity cheese tainted with resium), Jonathan Joss (on being asked to do something about the rain on a film set), and Eugene Brave Rock (on speaking Blackfoot as his Wonder Woman character — Hello, my name is Napi). Also covers the Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse on the Rez panel with Jack Malstrom and Johnnie Jae, co-founders of A Tribe Called Geek. 3:57 audio segment with full transcript.
Indian Country Today covers the opening of Red Planet Books & Comics — the Indigenous-owned comic book store founded by Dr. Lee Francis IV in the wake of the first Indigenous Comic Con.
A preview of the third annual Indigenous Comic Con and its programming — documenting the event's growing footprint in Albuquerque's arts and culture landscape.
PBS covers the third annual Indigenous Comic Con, documenting the event's expanding programming and its role in centering Native voices in pop culture.
A deep comics-industry interview with Dr. Lee Francis IV by journalist John Seven — documenting the event's evolution from Indigenous Comic Con into IndigiPopX, the expansion to Denver and Melbourne, and Francis's vision for a week-long cultural festival on par with SXSW. Confirms the Australia event (IndigiCon Melbourne, Nov. 29, 2019) and Denver debut (July 26, 2019).
Indigenous Pop X Denver lands at the historic McNichols Civic Center Building July 26–28, in collaboration with the Denver American Indian Commission — the first time the event expanded beyond Albuquerque.
UK counterculture magazine Huck profiles Weshoyot Alvitre (Tongva) and Gregg Deal (Pyramid Lake Paiute) as central figures in a growing Indigenous comics movement — naming IndigiPopX directly as the movement's own decolonised comic-con, hosted by Dr. Lee Francis. Traces the lineage from the Indigenous Narratives Collective (Phoenix Comic-Con 2011, co-founded by Arigon Starr) through to the 2016 launch of Indigenous Comic Con, framing Indigenous comics as a continuation of pictograph, hide painting, and ledger art traditions.
A scholarly essay placing Indigenous Comic Con within a wider international Indigenous futurisms movement — the first academic documentation of the event's intellectual and cultural significance.
An audio discussion featuring Dr. Lee Francis IV and author Darcie Little Badger on Indigenous futurisms, climate fiction, and the role of speculative storytelling in Native communities.
New Mexico Magazine profiles Dr. Lee Francis IV, Native Realities Press, and Red Planet Books & Comics — a landmark feature on the ecosystem built around Indigenous Comic Con.
The Oklahoman previews IndigiPopX's arrival at the First Americans Museum — the first in-person event since COVID — highlighting the event's mission to showcase Native creatives across comics, film, music, fashion, food, and technology.
A 55-minute national radio broadcast previewing IndigiPopX's return to in-person at the First Americans Museum in OKC after the pandemic hiatus. Host Art Hughes speaks with Dr. Lee Francis IV (Laguna Pueblo), Tom Farris (Otoe-Missouria and Cherokee), Kristin Gentry (Choctaw), and video game developer Miranda Due (Pawnee and Cherokee) about Indigenous superheroes, cosplay, artists, and representation in media and entertainment.
Public event listing documenting the first IFFNW in Tacoma, Washington — hosted by Native Realities and ALMA — as IndigiPopX expanded its Pacific Northwest presence in the same year as its OKC debut.
Kevin Severin's on-the-ground TV news report from the 3-day IndigiPopX convention at FAM, with an embedded video segment and an 8-photo gallery. Highlights the full range of Indigenous creators in attendance — speakers, illustrators, writers, designers, actors, and producers — and notes the expo 'highlights just how involved Native Americans are in pop culture at every level.' Photo credit: David Young/KOKH.
Oklahoma City's First Americans Museum partners with IndigiPopX for a landmark event celebrating Indigenous creators, artists, and pop culture — drawing fans from across the region.
KOCO 5 covers IndigiPopX at the First Americans Museum, featuring interviews with artists, cosplayers, and attendees celebrating the intersection of Indigenous identity and pop culture.
Felix Clary's on-the-ground report from the IndigiPopX 2024 Reservation Dogs panel at FAM — Lane Factor, Sten Joddi, Jon Proudstar, Nathalie Standingcloud, Kaniehtiio Horn, and Richard Ray Whitman reflect on the show's family-like set culture. Also documents the Nex Benedict tribute with Two-Spirit Miss Indian Oklahoma Faithlynn Taloa Seawright and the Cherokee Youth Choir, plus a full programming rundown: Peshawn Bread's Marvel Echo Q&A, Johnnie Jae's zombie survival panel, Star Wars in Navajo, and Weyodi Oldbear & Grace Benally on Indigenous women storytellers. Co-published with Tulsa World.
Kalvin Valdillez's on-the-ground recap of IndigiPopX 2024 at the First Americans Museum in OKC: a 30-foot Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, F. Anthony Falcon's fiction-writing workshop, Rising Sons Media's music production demo, Alina Pete's tribute to the late Jeffrey Veregge (whose final story appears in her anthology), and a cosplay parade featuring a tribal council-wolfman. A vivid portrait of the Indiginerds community at full force.
A first-person essay by Two-Spirit Tsalagi writer Amber L. Hampton documenting her experience at IndigiPopX 2024 at FAM — from a Grand Celebration Ceremony honoring Nex Benedict (with the Cherokee Youth Choir) to panels on Indigenous horror with Weyodi Oldbear, Johnnie Jae, Shane Hawk, and Jim Terry; a conversation with Sadekaronhes Esquivel on the Coyote and Crow RPG; and encounters with Roy Boney Jr. and Reservation Dogs cast. Oldbear describes the experience as 'drinking from a firehose of Indigenous creativity.'
Daybreak Star Radio previews IndigiPopX 2024 at Oklahoma City's First Americans Museum (April 12–14), highlighting guests including Kaniehtiio Horn, Nathalie Standingcloud, Peshawn Bread, and Blossom Youngbear — and the event's mission to celebrate Indigenous identity as a living, vibrant force.
IndigiPopX 2024 (April 12–14, First Americans Museum) celebrates Reservation Dogs, Star Wars, cosplay and more — while dedicating its Grand Celebration to Nex Benedict, the Choctaw-descendant teen whose death sparked national conversation. Guests include Kaniehtiio Horn, Lane Factor, Roy Boney Jr. (Marvel), Danielle Boyer, and Shane Hawk.
National radio episode featuring Dr. Lee Francis IV, Tom Farris, Kristin Gentry, Connor Alexander, and Sarah Wilkinson — documenting the second OKC IndigiPopX and the event's growing national profile.
A scholarly volume from Peter Lang documenting Indigenous popular culture and Indigenous Comic Con — the first book-length academic treatment of the IndigiPopX movement.
Oklahoma City's CBS affiliate covers the second IndigiPopX at FAM, spotlighting Indigenous comic book creators, cosplay, and the growing national profile of the event.
Arigon Starr's official pre-event announcement for IndigiPop Expo 2025 at Duke University — confirming the three-day gathering (Nov. 14–16) of Native American comic creators, film, TV, and artists on the Duke campus. Notes the concurrent Duke Library exhibit 'American Indians Go Graphic' (in-person through Dec. 14, also available online), and places Arigon at Booth #6 in the exhibit area all weekend. A primary source from one of the event's returning featured creators.
Duke's Kenan Institute for Ethics launches a yearlong interdisciplinary initiative anchored by IndigiPopX (Nov. 14–16, 2025, Penn Pavilion) alongside two landmark exhibitions — 'American Indians Go Graphic' at Perkins Library (curated by Dr. Courtney Lewis & Dr. Lee Francis IV) and 'Power, Presence, and Future' at the Nasher Museum — plus programming including the Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band, Arigon Starr as Artist-in-Residence, and the musical Bear Grease. Banner art by Kristin Gentry.
Cherokee Nation citizen and artist Roy Boney Jr. received the inaugural Jeffrey Veregge Memorial Award at the IndigiPopX I-Pop Culture Awards ceremony on Nov. 15 at Duke University. The award honors creators following in Veregge's footsteps — blending Indigenous heritage with mainstream pop culture. Tom Farris hand-crafted the silversmith medallion: a Superman logo bearing the Cherokee syllabary 's' sound.
A long-form historical interview with Dr. Lee Francis IV on Indigenous popular culture, the founding of Indigenous Comic Con, and the ecosystem of initiatives built through Native Realities.
University news feature identifying Indigenous Comic Con, IWOW, Indigenous Futurisms Festival, Native Realities, and Red Planet as a connected ecosystem — part of Dr. Francis's growing university lecture circuit.
A recorded panel at the New York Society Library featuring Weyodi OldBear, Dr. Lee Francis IV, and Patty Krawec — documenting IndigiPopX's expanding presence in literary and institutional spaces.
Native Media Network's introduction video from the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con in Albuquerque, NM — the first recorded footage of what would become IndigiPopX. Captures the energy and community of the founding event at the National Hispanic Cultural Center.
The official exhibition listing for the companion gallery show held in conjunction with the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con. form & concept in Santa Fe presented works by Weshoyot Alvitre (Tongva), Jonathan Nelson (Diné), Jon Proudstar (Yaqui), Ryan Singer (Navajo), and Arigon Starr (Kickapoo), alongside comics created by Zuni Pueblo youth and teachers through a W. K. Kellogg Foundation–funded curriculum initiative. The exhibition ran November 11 – December 31, 2016, with ICC launching one week later at the NHCC in Albuquerque.
Adele Oliveira's on-the-ground feature from the inaugural ICC at the National Hispanic Cultural Center — one of the richest primary accounts of the founding event. Documents 1,100 attendees, 45 vendors, 35 participants, and panels including 'Indigenous Women in Film' and 'Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse: Rez Style.' Profiles Jon Proudstar (Tribal Force — first all-Native superhero team, recognized by the Smithsonian), Jonathan Nelson (The Wool of Jonesy), Renee Nejo (Blood Quantum video game), and Timothy Truman (Scout). Confirms dates November 18–20, 2016.
The official event listing from the National Hispanic Cultural Center — co-host of the first-ever Indigenous Comic Con alongside Native Realities Publishing and A Tribe Called Geek. Confirms the Domenici Education Building venue, three-day schedule (Fri 2–9pm, Sat 10am–9pm, Sun 10am–6pm), and featured guests Jeffrey Veregge (Marvel's Red Wolf, IDW's GI Joe and Judge Dredd) and Arigon Starr (Super Indian, 'the longest-running Native comic book in the world'). The original event website was indigenouscomiccon.com.
The Santa Fe immersive art collective Meow Wolf posted this video calling the Indigenous Pop Expo 'one of the world's largest Native Comic Conventions' and rallying their community to back its Kickstarter campaign — an early signal of the New Mexico arts world's investment in what would become IndigiPopX.
Public radio's early announcement of the inaugural Albuquerque convention — the first public media coverage of what would become IndigiPopX, introducing the term 'Indigenerd' to a national audience.
Remezcla previews the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con in Albuquerque, highlighting its Indigenous arts and pop-culture focus and the community it was built to serve.
VICE's national feature from the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con in Albuquerque — one of the strongest early anchors documenting the event's founding mission and cultural impact.
A major profile of Dr. Lee Francis IV, Native Realities, Red Planet Books & Comics, and Indigenous Comic Con — one of the most comprehensive early portraits of the movement's founder.
Arigon Starr's official pre-event announcement for the 2nd Indigenous Comic Con — confirming November 10–12 at Isleta Casino, Albuquerque, organized by Lee Francis of Native Realities Press. Lists her two panels: 'Native Americans in Comics and Pop Culture' (with Michael Sheyahshe, Timothy Truman, and Jay Odjick) and 'Will Work for Change' (with Tim Truman). A primary source from one of the event's featured creators.
Academic history blogger Kerri Clement's on-the-ground recap of the 2nd Indigenous Comic Con, published as Native American Heritage Month coverage. Documents guests Eugene Brave Rock (Kainai, Wonder Woman film), Lalo Alcaraz (La Cucaracha, Coco), Arigon Starr, and Jon Proudstar (Tribal Force — first all-Native superhero team, exhibited at the Smithsonian NMAI). Covers film screenings of More Than a Word (mascots documentary, narrated by Frank Waln) and The Smudging, plus panels on 'The Pocahontas Problem,' zombie survival, and game design. Frames ICC within the history of harmful Native stereotypes in comics and popular media.
NPR's national broadcast of Megan Kamerick's KUNM report on the 2nd Indigenous Comic Con at Isleta Pueblo, Albuquerque. Features direct quotes from Lee Francis, Arigon Starr (on Super Indian's origin — Commodity cheese tainted with resium), Jonathan Joss (on being asked to do something about the rain on a film set), and Eugene Brave Rock (on speaking Blackfoot as his Wonder Woman character — Hello, my name is Napi). Also covers the Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse on the Rez panel with Jack Malstrom and Johnnie Jae, co-founders of A Tribe Called Geek. 3:57 audio segment with full transcript.
Indian Country Today covers the opening of Red Planet Books & Comics — the Indigenous-owned comic book store founded by Dr. Lee Francis IV in the wake of the first Indigenous Comic Con.
A preview of the third annual Indigenous Comic Con and its programming — documenting the event's growing footprint in Albuquerque's arts and culture landscape.
PBS covers the third annual Indigenous Comic Con, documenting the event's expanding programming and its role in centering Native voices in pop culture.
A deep comics-industry interview with Dr. Lee Francis IV by journalist John Seven — documenting the event's evolution from Indigenous Comic Con into IndigiPopX, the expansion to Denver and Melbourne, and Francis's vision for a week-long cultural festival on par with SXSW. Confirms the Australia event (IndigiCon Melbourne, Nov. 29, 2019) and Denver debut (July 26, 2019).
Indigenous Pop X Denver lands at the historic McNichols Civic Center Building July 26–28, in collaboration with the Denver American Indian Commission — the first time the event expanded beyond Albuquerque.
UK counterculture magazine Huck profiles Weshoyot Alvitre (Tongva) and Gregg Deal (Pyramid Lake Paiute) as central figures in a growing Indigenous comics movement — naming IndigiPopX directly as the movement's own decolonised comic-con, hosted by Dr. Lee Francis. Traces the lineage from the Indigenous Narratives Collective (Phoenix Comic-Con 2011, co-founded by Arigon Starr) through to the 2016 launch of Indigenous Comic Con, framing Indigenous comics as a continuation of pictograph, hide painting, and ledger art traditions.
A scholarly essay placing Indigenous Comic Con within a wider international Indigenous futurisms movement — the first academic documentation of the event's intellectual and cultural significance.
An audio discussion featuring Dr. Lee Francis IV and author Darcie Little Badger on Indigenous futurisms, climate fiction, and the role of speculative storytelling in Native communities.
New Mexico Magazine profiles Dr. Lee Francis IV, Native Realities Press, and Red Planet Books & Comics — a landmark feature on the ecosystem built around Indigenous Comic Con.
The Oklahoman previews IndigiPopX's arrival at the First Americans Museum — the first in-person event since COVID — highlighting the event's mission to showcase Native creatives across comics, film, music, fashion, food, and technology.
A 55-minute national radio broadcast previewing IndigiPopX's return to in-person at the First Americans Museum in OKC after the pandemic hiatus. Host Art Hughes speaks with Dr. Lee Francis IV (Laguna Pueblo), Tom Farris (Otoe-Missouria and Cherokee), Kristin Gentry (Choctaw), and video game developer Miranda Due (Pawnee and Cherokee) about Indigenous superheroes, cosplay, artists, and representation in media and entertainment.
Public event listing documenting the first IFFNW in Tacoma, Washington — hosted by Native Realities and ALMA — as IndigiPopX expanded its Pacific Northwest presence in the same year as its OKC debut.
Kevin Severin's on-the-ground TV news report from the 3-day IndigiPopX convention at FAM, with an embedded video segment and an 8-photo gallery. Highlights the full range of Indigenous creators in attendance — speakers, illustrators, writers, designers, actors, and producers — and notes the expo 'highlights just how involved Native Americans are in pop culture at every level.' Photo credit: David Young/KOKH.
Oklahoma City's First Americans Museum partners with IndigiPopX for a landmark event celebrating Indigenous creators, artists, and pop culture — drawing fans from across the region.
KOCO 5 covers IndigiPopX at the First Americans Museum, featuring interviews with artists, cosplayers, and attendees celebrating the intersection of Indigenous identity and pop culture.
Felix Clary's on-the-ground report from the IndigiPopX 2024 Reservation Dogs panel at FAM — Lane Factor, Sten Joddi, Jon Proudstar, Nathalie Standingcloud, Kaniehtiio Horn, and Richard Ray Whitman reflect on the show's family-like set culture. Also documents the Nex Benedict tribute with Two-Spirit Miss Indian Oklahoma Faithlynn Taloa Seawright and the Cherokee Youth Choir, plus a full programming rundown: Peshawn Bread's Marvel Echo Q&A, Johnnie Jae's zombie survival panel, Star Wars in Navajo, and Weyodi Oldbear & Grace Benally on Indigenous women storytellers. Co-published with Tulsa World.
Kalvin Valdillez's on-the-ground recap of IndigiPopX 2024 at the First Americans Museum in OKC: a 30-foot Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, F. Anthony Falcon's fiction-writing workshop, Rising Sons Media's music production demo, Alina Pete's tribute to the late Jeffrey Veregge (whose final story appears in her anthology), and a cosplay parade featuring a tribal council-wolfman. A vivid portrait of the Indiginerds community at full force.
A first-person essay by Two-Spirit Tsalagi writer Amber L. Hampton documenting her experience at IndigiPopX 2024 at FAM — from a Grand Celebration Ceremony honoring Nex Benedict (with the Cherokee Youth Choir) to panels on Indigenous horror with Weyodi Oldbear, Johnnie Jae, Shane Hawk, and Jim Terry; a conversation with Sadekaronhes Esquivel on the Coyote and Crow RPG; and encounters with Roy Boney Jr. and Reservation Dogs cast. Oldbear describes the experience as 'drinking from a firehose of Indigenous creativity.'
Daybreak Star Radio previews IndigiPopX 2024 at Oklahoma City's First Americans Museum (April 12–14), highlighting guests including Kaniehtiio Horn, Nathalie Standingcloud, Peshawn Bread, and Blossom Youngbear — and the event's mission to celebrate Indigenous identity as a living, vibrant force.
IndigiPopX 2024 (April 12–14, First Americans Museum) celebrates Reservation Dogs, Star Wars, cosplay and more — while dedicating its Grand Celebration to Nex Benedict, the Choctaw-descendant teen whose death sparked national conversation. Guests include Kaniehtiio Horn, Lane Factor, Roy Boney Jr. (Marvel), Danielle Boyer, and Shane Hawk.
National radio episode featuring Dr. Lee Francis IV, Tom Farris, Kristin Gentry, Connor Alexander, and Sarah Wilkinson — documenting the second OKC IndigiPopX and the event's growing national profile.
A scholarly volume from Peter Lang documenting Indigenous popular culture and Indigenous Comic Con — the first book-length academic treatment of the IndigiPopX movement.
Oklahoma City's CBS affiliate covers the second IndigiPopX at FAM, spotlighting Indigenous comic book creators, cosplay, and the growing national profile of the event.
Arigon Starr's official pre-event announcement for IndigiPop Expo 2025 at Duke University — confirming the three-day gathering (Nov. 14–16) of Native American comic creators, film, TV, and artists on the Duke campus. Notes the concurrent Duke Library exhibit 'American Indians Go Graphic' (in-person through Dec. 14, also available online), and places Arigon at Booth #6 in the exhibit area all weekend. A primary source from one of the event's returning featured creators.
Duke's Kenan Institute for Ethics launches a yearlong interdisciplinary initiative anchored by IndigiPopX (Nov. 14–16, 2025, Penn Pavilion) alongside two landmark exhibitions — 'American Indians Go Graphic' at Perkins Library (curated by Dr. Courtney Lewis & Dr. Lee Francis IV) and 'Power, Presence, and Future' at the Nasher Museum — plus programming including the Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band, Arigon Starr as Artist-in-Residence, and the musical Bear Grease. Banner art by Kristin Gentry.
Cherokee Nation citizen and artist Roy Boney Jr. received the inaugural Jeffrey Veregge Memorial Award at the IndigiPopX I-Pop Culture Awards ceremony on Nov. 15 at Duke University. The award honors creators following in Veregge's footsteps — blending Indigenous heritage with mainstream pop culture. Tom Farris hand-crafted the silversmith medallion: a Superman logo bearing the Cherokee syllabary 's' sound.
A long-form historical interview with Dr. Lee Francis IV on Indigenous popular culture, the founding of Indigenous Comic Con, and the ecosystem of initiatives built through Native Realities.
University news feature identifying Indigenous Comic Con, IWOW, Indigenous Futurisms Festival, Native Realities, and Red Planet as a connected ecosystem — part of Dr. Francis's growing university lecture circuit.
A recorded panel at the New York Society Library featuring Weyodi OldBear, Dr. Lee Francis IV, and Patty Krawec — documenting IndigiPopX's expanding presence in literary and institutional spaces.
Native Media Network's introduction video from the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con in Albuquerque, NM — the first recorded footage of what would become IndigiPopX. Captures the energy and community of the founding event at the National Hispanic Cultural Center.
The official exhibition listing for the companion gallery show held in conjunction with the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con. form & concept in Santa Fe presented works by Weshoyot Alvitre (Tongva), Jonathan Nelson (Diné), Jon Proudstar (Yaqui), Ryan Singer (Navajo), and Arigon Starr (Kickapoo), alongside comics created by Zuni Pueblo youth and teachers through a W. K. Kellogg Foundation–funded curriculum initiative. The exhibition ran November 11 – December 31, 2016, with ICC launching one week later at the NHCC in Albuquerque.
Adele Oliveira's on-the-ground feature from the inaugural ICC at the National Hispanic Cultural Center — one of the richest primary accounts of the founding event. Documents 1,100 attendees, 45 vendors, 35 participants, and panels including 'Indigenous Women in Film' and 'Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse: Rez Style.' Profiles Jon Proudstar (Tribal Force — first all-Native superhero team, recognized by the Smithsonian), Jonathan Nelson (The Wool of Jonesy), Renee Nejo (Blood Quantum video game), and Timothy Truman (Scout). Confirms dates November 18–20, 2016.
The official event listing from the National Hispanic Cultural Center — co-host of the first-ever Indigenous Comic Con alongside Native Realities Publishing and A Tribe Called Geek. Confirms the Domenici Education Building venue, three-day schedule (Fri 2–9pm, Sat 10am–9pm, Sun 10am–6pm), and featured guests Jeffrey Veregge (Marvel's Red Wolf, IDW's GI Joe and Judge Dredd) and Arigon Starr (Super Indian, 'the longest-running Native comic book in the world'). The original event website was indigenouscomiccon.com.
The Santa Fe immersive art collective Meow Wolf posted this video calling the Indigenous Pop Expo 'one of the world's largest Native Comic Conventions' and rallying their community to back its Kickstarter campaign — an early signal of the New Mexico arts world's investment in what would become IndigiPopX.
Public radio's early announcement of the inaugural Albuquerque convention — the first public media coverage of what would become IndigiPopX, introducing the term 'Indigenerd' to a national audience.
Remezcla previews the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con in Albuquerque, highlighting its Indigenous arts and pop-culture focus and the community it was built to serve.
VICE's national feature from the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con in Albuquerque — one of the strongest early anchors documenting the event's founding mission and cultural impact.
A major profile of Dr. Lee Francis IV, Native Realities, Red Planet Books & Comics, and Indigenous Comic Con — one of the most comprehensive early portraits of the movement's founder.
Arigon Starr's official pre-event announcement for the 2nd Indigenous Comic Con — confirming November 10–12 at Isleta Casino, Albuquerque, organized by Lee Francis of Native Realities Press. Lists her two panels: 'Native Americans in Comics and Pop Culture' (with Michael Sheyahshe, Timothy Truman, and Jay Odjick) and 'Will Work for Change' (with Tim Truman). A primary source from one of the event's featured creators.
Academic history blogger Kerri Clement's on-the-ground recap of the 2nd Indigenous Comic Con, published as Native American Heritage Month coverage. Documents guests Eugene Brave Rock (Kainai, Wonder Woman film), Lalo Alcaraz (La Cucaracha, Coco), Arigon Starr, and Jon Proudstar (Tribal Force — first all-Native superhero team, exhibited at the Smithsonian NMAI). Covers film screenings of More Than a Word (mascots documentary, narrated by Frank Waln) and The Smudging, plus panels on 'The Pocahontas Problem,' zombie survival, and game design. Frames ICC within the history of harmful Native stereotypes in comics and popular media.
NPR's national broadcast of Megan Kamerick's KUNM report on the 2nd Indigenous Comic Con at Isleta Pueblo, Albuquerque. Features direct quotes from Lee Francis, Arigon Starr (on Super Indian's origin — Commodity cheese tainted with resium), Jonathan Joss (on being asked to do something about the rain on a film set), and Eugene Brave Rock (on speaking Blackfoot as his Wonder Woman character — Hello, my name is Napi). Also covers the Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse on the Rez panel with Jack Malstrom and Johnnie Jae, co-founders of A Tribe Called Geek. 3:57 audio segment with full transcript.
Indian Country Today covers the opening of Red Planet Books & Comics — the Indigenous-owned comic book store founded by Dr. Lee Francis IV in the wake of the first Indigenous Comic Con.
A preview of the third annual Indigenous Comic Con and its programming — documenting the event's growing footprint in Albuquerque's arts and culture landscape.
PBS covers the third annual Indigenous Comic Con, documenting the event's expanding programming and its role in centering Native voices in pop culture.
A deep comics-industry interview with Dr. Lee Francis IV by journalist John Seven — documenting the event's evolution from Indigenous Comic Con into IndigiPopX, the expansion to Denver and Melbourne, and Francis's vision for a week-long cultural festival on par with SXSW. Confirms the Australia event (IndigiCon Melbourne, Nov. 29, 2019) and Denver debut (July 26, 2019).
Indigenous Pop X Denver lands at the historic McNichols Civic Center Building July 26–28, in collaboration with the Denver American Indian Commission — the first time the event expanded beyond Albuquerque.
UK counterculture magazine Huck profiles Weshoyot Alvitre (Tongva) and Gregg Deal (Pyramid Lake Paiute) as central figures in a growing Indigenous comics movement — naming IndigiPopX directly as the movement's own decolonised comic-con, hosted by Dr. Lee Francis. Traces the lineage from the Indigenous Narratives Collective (Phoenix Comic-Con 2011, co-founded by Arigon Starr) through to the 2016 launch of Indigenous Comic Con, framing Indigenous comics as a continuation of pictograph, hide painting, and ledger art traditions.
A scholarly essay placing Indigenous Comic Con within a wider international Indigenous futurisms movement — the first academic documentation of the event's intellectual and cultural significance.
An audio discussion featuring Dr. Lee Francis IV and author Darcie Little Badger on Indigenous futurisms, climate fiction, and the role of speculative storytelling in Native communities.
New Mexico Magazine profiles Dr. Lee Francis IV, Native Realities Press, and Red Planet Books & Comics — a landmark feature on the ecosystem built around Indigenous Comic Con.
The Oklahoman previews IndigiPopX's arrival at the First Americans Museum — the first in-person event since COVID — highlighting the event's mission to showcase Native creatives across comics, film, music, fashion, food, and technology.
A 55-minute national radio broadcast previewing IndigiPopX's return to in-person at the First Americans Museum in OKC after the pandemic hiatus. Host Art Hughes speaks with Dr. Lee Francis IV (Laguna Pueblo), Tom Farris (Otoe-Missouria and Cherokee), Kristin Gentry (Choctaw), and video game developer Miranda Due (Pawnee and Cherokee) about Indigenous superheroes, cosplay, artists, and representation in media and entertainment.
Public event listing documenting the first IFFNW in Tacoma, Washington — hosted by Native Realities and ALMA — as IndigiPopX expanded its Pacific Northwest presence in the same year as its OKC debut.
Kevin Severin's on-the-ground TV news report from the 3-day IndigiPopX convention at FAM, with an embedded video segment and an 8-photo gallery. Highlights the full range of Indigenous creators in attendance — speakers, illustrators, writers, designers, actors, and producers — and notes the expo 'highlights just how involved Native Americans are in pop culture at every level.' Photo credit: David Young/KOKH.
Oklahoma City's First Americans Museum partners with IndigiPopX for a landmark event celebrating Indigenous creators, artists, and pop culture — drawing fans from across the region.
KOCO 5 covers IndigiPopX at the First Americans Museum, featuring interviews with artists, cosplayers, and attendees celebrating the intersection of Indigenous identity and pop culture.
Felix Clary's on-the-ground report from the IndigiPopX 2024 Reservation Dogs panel at FAM — Lane Factor, Sten Joddi, Jon Proudstar, Nathalie Standingcloud, Kaniehtiio Horn, and Richard Ray Whitman reflect on the show's family-like set culture. Also documents the Nex Benedict tribute with Two-Spirit Miss Indian Oklahoma Faithlynn Taloa Seawright and the Cherokee Youth Choir, plus a full programming rundown: Peshawn Bread's Marvel Echo Q&A, Johnnie Jae's zombie survival panel, Star Wars in Navajo, and Weyodi Oldbear & Grace Benally on Indigenous women storytellers. Co-published with Tulsa World.
Kalvin Valdillez's on-the-ground recap of IndigiPopX 2024 at the First Americans Museum in OKC: a 30-foot Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, F. Anthony Falcon's fiction-writing workshop, Rising Sons Media's music production demo, Alina Pete's tribute to the late Jeffrey Veregge (whose final story appears in her anthology), and a cosplay parade featuring a tribal council-wolfman. A vivid portrait of the Indiginerds community at full force.
A first-person essay by Two-Spirit Tsalagi writer Amber L. Hampton documenting her experience at IndigiPopX 2024 at FAM — from a Grand Celebration Ceremony honoring Nex Benedict (with the Cherokee Youth Choir) to panels on Indigenous horror with Weyodi Oldbear, Johnnie Jae, Shane Hawk, and Jim Terry; a conversation with Sadekaronhes Esquivel on the Coyote and Crow RPG; and encounters with Roy Boney Jr. and Reservation Dogs cast. Oldbear describes the experience as 'drinking from a firehose of Indigenous creativity.'
Daybreak Star Radio previews IndigiPopX 2024 at Oklahoma City's First Americans Museum (April 12–14), highlighting guests including Kaniehtiio Horn, Nathalie Standingcloud, Peshawn Bread, and Blossom Youngbear — and the event's mission to celebrate Indigenous identity as a living, vibrant force.
IndigiPopX 2024 (April 12–14, First Americans Museum) celebrates Reservation Dogs, Star Wars, cosplay and more — while dedicating its Grand Celebration to Nex Benedict, the Choctaw-descendant teen whose death sparked national conversation. Guests include Kaniehtiio Horn, Lane Factor, Roy Boney Jr. (Marvel), Danielle Boyer, and Shane Hawk.
National radio episode featuring Dr. Lee Francis IV, Tom Farris, Kristin Gentry, Connor Alexander, and Sarah Wilkinson — documenting the second OKC IndigiPopX and the event's growing national profile.
A scholarly volume from Peter Lang documenting Indigenous popular culture and Indigenous Comic Con — the first book-length academic treatment of the IndigiPopX movement.
Oklahoma City's CBS affiliate covers the second IndigiPopX at FAM, spotlighting Indigenous comic book creators, cosplay, and the growing national profile of the event.
Arigon Starr's official pre-event announcement for IndigiPop Expo 2025 at Duke University — confirming the three-day gathering (Nov. 14–16) of Native American comic creators, film, TV, and artists on the Duke campus. Notes the concurrent Duke Library exhibit 'American Indians Go Graphic' (in-person through Dec. 14, also available online), and places Arigon at Booth #6 in the exhibit area all weekend. A primary source from one of the event's returning featured creators.
Duke's Kenan Institute for Ethics launches a yearlong interdisciplinary initiative anchored by IndigiPopX (Nov. 14–16, 2025, Penn Pavilion) alongside two landmark exhibitions — 'American Indians Go Graphic' at Perkins Library (curated by Dr. Courtney Lewis & Dr. Lee Francis IV) and 'Power, Presence, and Future' at the Nasher Museum — plus programming including the Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band, Arigon Starr as Artist-in-Residence, and the musical Bear Grease. Banner art by Kristin Gentry.
Cherokee Nation citizen and artist Roy Boney Jr. received the inaugural Jeffrey Veregge Memorial Award at the IndigiPopX I-Pop Culture Awards ceremony on Nov. 15 at Duke University. The award honors creators following in Veregge's footsteps — blending Indigenous heritage with mainstream pop culture. Tom Farris hand-crafted the silversmith medallion: a Superman logo bearing the Cherokee syllabary 's' sound.
A long-form historical interview with Dr. Lee Francis IV on Indigenous popular culture, the founding of Indigenous Comic Con, and the ecosystem of initiatives built through Native Realities.
University news feature identifying Indigenous Comic Con, IWOW, Indigenous Futurisms Festival, Native Realities, and Red Planet as a connected ecosystem — part of Dr. Francis's growing university lecture circuit.
A recorded panel at the New York Society Library featuring Weyodi OldBear, Dr. Lee Francis IV, and Patty Krawec — documenting IndigiPopX's expanding presence in literary and institutional spaces.
Native Media Network's introduction video from the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con in Albuquerque, NM — the first recorded footage of what would become IndigiPopX. Captures the energy and community of the founding event at the National Hispanic Cultural Center.
The official exhibition listing for the companion gallery show held in conjunction with the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con. form & concept in Santa Fe presented works by Weshoyot Alvitre (Tongva), Jonathan Nelson (Diné), Jon Proudstar (Yaqui), Ryan Singer (Navajo), and Arigon Starr (Kickapoo), alongside comics created by Zuni Pueblo youth and teachers through a W. K. Kellogg Foundation–funded curriculum initiative. The exhibition ran November 11 – December 31, 2016, with ICC launching one week later at the NHCC in Albuquerque.
Adele Oliveira's on-the-ground feature from the inaugural ICC at the National Hispanic Cultural Center — one of the richest primary accounts of the founding event. Documents 1,100 attendees, 45 vendors, 35 participants, and panels including 'Indigenous Women in Film' and 'Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse: Rez Style.' Profiles Jon Proudstar (Tribal Force — first all-Native superhero team, recognized by the Smithsonian), Jonathan Nelson (The Wool of Jonesy), Renee Nejo (Blood Quantum video game), and Timothy Truman (Scout). Confirms dates November 18–20, 2016.
The official event listing from the National Hispanic Cultural Center — co-host of the first-ever Indigenous Comic Con alongside Native Realities Publishing and A Tribe Called Geek. Confirms the Domenici Education Building venue, three-day schedule (Fri 2–9pm, Sat 10am–9pm, Sun 10am–6pm), and featured guests Jeffrey Veregge (Marvel's Red Wolf, IDW's GI Joe and Judge Dredd) and Arigon Starr (Super Indian, 'the longest-running Native comic book in the world'). The original event website was indigenouscomiccon.com.
The Santa Fe immersive art collective Meow Wolf posted this video calling the Indigenous Pop Expo 'one of the world's largest Native Comic Conventions' and rallying their community to back its Kickstarter campaign — an early signal of the New Mexico arts world's investment in what would become IndigiPopX.
Public radio's early announcement of the inaugural Albuquerque convention — the first public media coverage of what would become IndigiPopX, introducing the term 'Indigenerd' to a national audience.
Remezcla previews the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con in Albuquerque, highlighting its Indigenous arts and pop-culture focus and the community it was built to serve.
VICE's national feature from the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con in Albuquerque — one of the strongest early anchors documenting the event's founding mission and cultural impact.
A major profile of Dr. Lee Francis IV, Native Realities, Red Planet Books & Comics, and Indigenous Comic Con — one of the most comprehensive early portraits of the movement's founder.
Arigon Starr's official pre-event announcement for the 2nd Indigenous Comic Con — confirming November 10–12 at Isleta Casino, Albuquerque, organized by Lee Francis of Native Realities Press. Lists her two panels: 'Native Americans in Comics and Pop Culture' (with Michael Sheyahshe, Timothy Truman, and Jay Odjick) and 'Will Work for Change' (with Tim Truman). A primary source from one of the event's featured creators.
Academic history blogger Kerri Clement's on-the-ground recap of the 2nd Indigenous Comic Con, published as Native American Heritage Month coverage. Documents guests Eugene Brave Rock (Kainai, Wonder Woman film), Lalo Alcaraz (La Cucaracha, Coco), Arigon Starr, and Jon Proudstar (Tribal Force — first all-Native superhero team, exhibited at the Smithsonian NMAI). Covers film screenings of More Than a Word (mascots documentary, narrated by Frank Waln) and The Smudging, plus panels on 'The Pocahontas Problem,' zombie survival, and game design. Frames ICC within the history of harmful Native stereotypes in comics and popular media.
NPR's national broadcast of Megan Kamerick's KUNM report on the 2nd Indigenous Comic Con at Isleta Pueblo, Albuquerque. Features direct quotes from Lee Francis, Arigon Starr (on Super Indian's origin — Commodity cheese tainted with resium), Jonathan Joss (on being asked to do something about the rain on a film set), and Eugene Brave Rock (on speaking Blackfoot as his Wonder Woman character — Hello, my name is Napi). Also covers the Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse on the Rez panel with Jack Malstrom and Johnnie Jae, co-founders of A Tribe Called Geek. 3:57 audio segment with full transcript.
Indian Country Today covers the opening of Red Planet Books & Comics — the Indigenous-owned comic book store founded by Dr. Lee Francis IV in the wake of the first Indigenous Comic Con.
A preview of the third annual Indigenous Comic Con and its programming — documenting the event's growing footprint in Albuquerque's arts and culture landscape.
PBS covers the third annual Indigenous Comic Con, documenting the event's expanding programming and its role in centering Native voices in pop culture.
A deep comics-industry interview with Dr. Lee Francis IV by journalist John Seven — documenting the event's evolution from Indigenous Comic Con into IndigiPopX, the expansion to Denver and Melbourne, and Francis's vision for a week-long cultural festival on par with SXSW. Confirms the Australia event (IndigiCon Melbourne, Nov. 29, 2019) and Denver debut (July 26, 2019).
Indigenous Pop X Denver lands at the historic McNichols Civic Center Building July 26–28, in collaboration with the Denver American Indian Commission — the first time the event expanded beyond Albuquerque.
UK counterculture magazine Huck profiles Weshoyot Alvitre (Tongva) and Gregg Deal (Pyramid Lake Paiute) as central figures in a growing Indigenous comics movement — naming IndigiPopX directly as the movement's own decolonised comic-con, hosted by Dr. Lee Francis. Traces the lineage from the Indigenous Narratives Collective (Phoenix Comic-Con 2011, co-founded by Arigon Starr) through to the 2016 launch of Indigenous Comic Con, framing Indigenous comics as a continuation of pictograph, hide painting, and ledger art traditions.
A scholarly essay placing Indigenous Comic Con within a wider international Indigenous futurisms movement — the first academic documentation of the event's intellectual and cultural significance.
An audio discussion featuring Dr. Lee Francis IV and author Darcie Little Badger on Indigenous futurisms, climate fiction, and the role of speculative storytelling in Native communities.
New Mexico Magazine profiles Dr. Lee Francis IV, Native Realities Press, and Red Planet Books & Comics — a landmark feature on the ecosystem built around Indigenous Comic Con.
The Oklahoman previews IndigiPopX's arrival at the First Americans Museum — the first in-person event since COVID — highlighting the event's mission to showcase Native creatives across comics, film, music, fashion, food, and technology.
A 55-minute national radio broadcast previewing IndigiPopX's return to in-person at the First Americans Museum in OKC after the pandemic hiatus. Host Art Hughes speaks with Dr. Lee Francis IV (Laguna Pueblo), Tom Farris (Otoe-Missouria and Cherokee), Kristin Gentry (Choctaw), and video game developer Miranda Due (Pawnee and Cherokee) about Indigenous superheroes, cosplay, artists, and representation in media and entertainment.
Public event listing documenting the first IFFNW in Tacoma, Washington — hosted by Native Realities and ALMA — as IndigiPopX expanded its Pacific Northwest presence in the same year as its OKC debut.
Kevin Severin's on-the-ground TV news report from the 3-day IndigiPopX convention at FAM, with an embedded video segment and an 8-photo gallery. Highlights the full range of Indigenous creators in attendance — speakers, illustrators, writers, designers, actors, and producers — and notes the expo 'highlights just how involved Native Americans are in pop culture at every level.' Photo credit: David Young/KOKH.
Oklahoma City's First Americans Museum partners with IndigiPopX for a landmark event celebrating Indigenous creators, artists, and pop culture — drawing fans from across the region.
KOCO 5 covers IndigiPopX at the First Americans Museum, featuring interviews with artists, cosplayers, and attendees celebrating the intersection of Indigenous identity and pop culture.
Felix Clary's on-the-ground report from the IndigiPopX 2024 Reservation Dogs panel at FAM — Lane Factor, Sten Joddi, Jon Proudstar, Nathalie Standingcloud, Kaniehtiio Horn, and Richard Ray Whitman reflect on the show's family-like set culture. Also documents the Nex Benedict tribute with Two-Spirit Miss Indian Oklahoma Faithlynn Taloa Seawright and the Cherokee Youth Choir, plus a full programming rundown: Peshawn Bread's Marvel Echo Q&A, Johnnie Jae's zombie survival panel, Star Wars in Navajo, and Weyodi Oldbear & Grace Benally on Indigenous women storytellers. Co-published with Tulsa World.
Kalvin Valdillez's on-the-ground recap of IndigiPopX 2024 at the First Americans Museum in OKC: a 30-foot Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, F. Anthony Falcon's fiction-writing workshop, Rising Sons Media's music production demo, Alina Pete's tribute to the late Jeffrey Veregge (whose final story appears in her anthology), and a cosplay parade featuring a tribal council-wolfman. A vivid portrait of the Indiginerds community at full force.
A first-person essay by Two-Spirit Tsalagi writer Amber L. Hampton documenting her experience at IndigiPopX 2024 at FAM — from a Grand Celebration Ceremony honoring Nex Benedict (with the Cherokee Youth Choir) to panels on Indigenous horror with Weyodi Oldbear, Johnnie Jae, Shane Hawk, and Jim Terry; a conversation with Sadekaronhes Esquivel on the Coyote and Crow RPG; and encounters with Roy Boney Jr. and Reservation Dogs cast. Oldbear describes the experience as 'drinking from a firehose of Indigenous creativity.'
Daybreak Star Radio previews IndigiPopX 2024 at Oklahoma City's First Americans Museum (April 12–14), highlighting guests including Kaniehtiio Horn, Nathalie Standingcloud, Peshawn Bread, and Blossom Youngbear — and the event's mission to celebrate Indigenous identity as a living, vibrant force.
IndigiPopX 2024 (April 12–14, First Americans Museum) celebrates Reservation Dogs, Star Wars, cosplay and more — while dedicating its Grand Celebration to Nex Benedict, the Choctaw-descendant teen whose death sparked national conversation. Guests include Kaniehtiio Horn, Lane Factor, Roy Boney Jr. (Marvel), Danielle Boyer, and Shane Hawk.
National radio episode featuring Dr. Lee Francis IV, Tom Farris, Kristin Gentry, Connor Alexander, and Sarah Wilkinson — documenting the second OKC IndigiPopX and the event's growing national profile.
A scholarly volume from Peter Lang documenting Indigenous popular culture and Indigenous Comic Con — the first book-length academic treatment of the IndigiPopX movement.
Oklahoma City's CBS affiliate covers the second IndigiPopX at FAM, spotlighting Indigenous comic book creators, cosplay, and the growing national profile of the event.
Arigon Starr's official pre-event announcement for IndigiPop Expo 2025 at Duke University — confirming the three-day gathering (Nov. 14–16) of Native American comic creators, film, TV, and artists on the Duke campus. Notes the concurrent Duke Library exhibit 'American Indians Go Graphic' (in-person through Dec. 14, also available online), and places Arigon at Booth #6 in the exhibit area all weekend. A primary source from one of the event's returning featured creators.
Duke's Kenan Institute for Ethics launches a yearlong interdisciplinary initiative anchored by IndigiPopX (Nov. 14–16, 2025, Penn Pavilion) alongside two landmark exhibitions — 'American Indians Go Graphic' at Perkins Library (curated by Dr. Courtney Lewis & Dr. Lee Francis IV) and 'Power, Presence, and Future' at the Nasher Museum — plus programming including the Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band, Arigon Starr as Artist-in-Residence, and the musical Bear Grease. Banner art by Kristin Gentry.
Cherokee Nation citizen and artist Roy Boney Jr. received the inaugural Jeffrey Veregge Memorial Award at the IndigiPopX I-Pop Culture Awards ceremony on Nov. 15 at Duke University. The award honors creators following in Veregge's footsteps — blending Indigenous heritage with mainstream pop culture. Tom Farris hand-crafted the silversmith medallion: a Superman logo bearing the Cherokee syllabary 's' sound.
A long-form historical interview with Dr. Lee Francis IV on Indigenous popular culture, the founding of Indigenous Comic Con, and the ecosystem of initiatives built through Native Realities.
University news feature identifying Indigenous Comic Con, IWOW, Indigenous Futurisms Festival, Native Realities, and Red Planet as a connected ecosystem — part of Dr. Francis's growing university lecture circuit.
A recorded panel at the New York Society Library featuring Weyodi OldBear, Dr. Lee Francis IV, and Patty Krawec — documenting IndigiPopX's expanding presence in literary and institutional spaces.
Native Media Network's introduction video from the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con in Albuquerque, NM — the first recorded footage of what would become IndigiPopX. Captures the energy and community of the founding event at the National Hispanic Cultural Center.
The official exhibition listing for the companion gallery show held in conjunction with the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con. form & concept in Santa Fe presented works by Weshoyot Alvitre (Tongva), Jonathan Nelson (Diné), Jon Proudstar (Yaqui), Ryan Singer (Navajo), and Arigon Starr (Kickapoo), alongside comics created by Zuni Pueblo youth and teachers through a W. K. Kellogg Foundation–funded curriculum initiative. The exhibition ran November 11 – December 31, 2016, with ICC launching one week later at the NHCC in Albuquerque.
Adele Oliveira's on-the-ground feature from the inaugural ICC at the National Hispanic Cultural Center — one of the richest primary accounts of the founding event. Documents 1,100 attendees, 45 vendors, 35 participants, and panels including 'Indigenous Women in Film' and 'Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse: Rez Style.' Profiles Jon Proudstar (Tribal Force — first all-Native superhero team, recognized by the Smithsonian), Jonathan Nelson (The Wool of Jonesy), Renee Nejo (Blood Quantum video game), and Timothy Truman (Scout). Confirms dates November 18–20, 2016.
The official event listing from the National Hispanic Cultural Center — co-host of the first-ever Indigenous Comic Con alongside Native Realities Publishing and A Tribe Called Geek. Confirms the Domenici Education Building venue, three-day schedule (Fri 2–9pm, Sat 10am–9pm, Sun 10am–6pm), and featured guests Jeffrey Veregge (Marvel's Red Wolf, IDW's GI Joe and Judge Dredd) and Arigon Starr (Super Indian, 'the longest-running Native comic book in the world'). The original event website was indigenouscomiccon.com.
The Santa Fe immersive art collective Meow Wolf posted this video calling the Indigenous Pop Expo 'one of the world's largest Native Comic Conventions' and rallying their community to back its Kickstarter campaign — an early signal of the New Mexico arts world's investment in what would become IndigiPopX.
Public radio's early announcement of the inaugural Albuquerque convention — the first public media coverage of what would become IndigiPopX, introducing the term 'Indigenerd' to a national audience.
Remezcla previews the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con in Albuquerque, highlighting its Indigenous arts and pop-culture focus and the community it was built to serve.
VICE's national feature from the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con in Albuquerque — one of the strongest early anchors documenting the event's founding mission and cultural impact.
A major profile of Dr. Lee Francis IV, Native Realities, Red Planet Books & Comics, and Indigenous Comic Con — one of the most comprehensive early portraits of the movement's founder.
Arigon Starr's official pre-event announcement for the 2nd Indigenous Comic Con — confirming November 10–12 at Isleta Casino, Albuquerque, organized by Lee Francis of Native Realities Press. Lists her two panels: 'Native Americans in Comics and Pop Culture' (with Michael Sheyahshe, Timothy Truman, and Jay Odjick) and 'Will Work for Change' (with Tim Truman). A primary source from one of the event's featured creators.
Academic history blogger Kerri Clement's on-the-ground recap of the 2nd Indigenous Comic Con, published as Native American Heritage Month coverage. Documents guests Eugene Brave Rock (Kainai, Wonder Woman film), Lalo Alcaraz (La Cucaracha, Coco), Arigon Starr, and Jon Proudstar (Tribal Force — first all-Native superhero team, exhibited at the Smithsonian NMAI). Covers film screenings of More Than a Word (mascots documentary, narrated by Frank Waln) and The Smudging, plus panels on 'The Pocahontas Problem,' zombie survival, and game design. Frames ICC within the history of harmful Native stereotypes in comics and popular media.
NPR's national broadcast of Megan Kamerick's KUNM report on the 2nd Indigenous Comic Con at Isleta Pueblo, Albuquerque. Features direct quotes from Lee Francis, Arigon Starr (on Super Indian's origin — Commodity cheese tainted with resium), Jonathan Joss (on being asked to do something about the rain on a film set), and Eugene Brave Rock (on speaking Blackfoot as his Wonder Woman character — Hello, my name is Napi). Also covers the Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse on the Rez panel with Jack Malstrom and Johnnie Jae, co-founders of A Tribe Called Geek. 3:57 audio segment with full transcript.
Indian Country Today covers the opening of Red Planet Books & Comics — the Indigenous-owned comic book store founded by Dr. Lee Francis IV in the wake of the first Indigenous Comic Con.
A preview of the third annual Indigenous Comic Con and its programming — documenting the event's growing footprint in Albuquerque's arts and culture landscape.
PBS covers the third annual Indigenous Comic Con, documenting the event's expanding programming and its role in centering Native voices in pop culture.
A deep comics-industry interview with Dr. Lee Francis IV by journalist John Seven — documenting the event's evolution from Indigenous Comic Con into IndigiPopX, the expansion to Denver and Melbourne, and Francis's vision for a week-long cultural festival on par with SXSW. Confirms the Australia event (IndigiCon Melbourne, Nov. 29, 2019) and Denver debut (July 26, 2019).
Indigenous Pop X Denver lands at the historic McNichols Civic Center Building July 26–28, in collaboration with the Denver American Indian Commission — the first time the event expanded beyond Albuquerque.
UK counterculture magazine Huck profiles Weshoyot Alvitre (Tongva) and Gregg Deal (Pyramid Lake Paiute) as central figures in a growing Indigenous comics movement — naming IndigiPopX directly as the movement's own decolonised comic-con, hosted by Dr. Lee Francis. Traces the lineage from the Indigenous Narratives Collective (Phoenix Comic-Con 2011, co-founded by Arigon Starr) through to the 2016 launch of Indigenous Comic Con, framing Indigenous comics as a continuation of pictograph, hide painting, and ledger art traditions.
A scholarly essay placing Indigenous Comic Con within a wider international Indigenous futurisms movement — the first academic documentation of the event's intellectual and cultural significance.
An audio discussion featuring Dr. Lee Francis IV and author Darcie Little Badger on Indigenous futurisms, climate fiction, and the role of speculative storytelling in Native communities.
New Mexico Magazine profiles Dr. Lee Francis IV, Native Realities Press, and Red Planet Books & Comics — a landmark feature on the ecosystem built around Indigenous Comic Con.
The Oklahoman previews IndigiPopX's arrival at the First Americans Museum — the first in-person event since COVID — highlighting the event's mission to showcase Native creatives across comics, film, music, fashion, food, and technology.
A 55-minute national radio broadcast previewing IndigiPopX's return to in-person at the First Americans Museum in OKC after the pandemic hiatus. Host Art Hughes speaks with Dr. Lee Francis IV (Laguna Pueblo), Tom Farris (Otoe-Missouria and Cherokee), Kristin Gentry (Choctaw), and video game developer Miranda Due (Pawnee and Cherokee) about Indigenous superheroes, cosplay, artists, and representation in media and entertainment.
Public event listing documenting the first IFFNW in Tacoma, Washington — hosted by Native Realities and ALMA — as IndigiPopX expanded its Pacific Northwest presence in the same year as its OKC debut.
Kevin Severin's on-the-ground TV news report from the 3-day IndigiPopX convention at FAM, with an embedded video segment and an 8-photo gallery. Highlights the full range of Indigenous creators in attendance — speakers, illustrators, writers, designers, actors, and producers — and notes the expo 'highlights just how involved Native Americans are in pop culture at every level.' Photo credit: David Young/KOKH.
Oklahoma City's First Americans Museum partners with IndigiPopX for a landmark event celebrating Indigenous creators, artists, and pop culture — drawing fans from across the region.
KOCO 5 covers IndigiPopX at the First Americans Museum, featuring interviews with artists, cosplayers, and attendees celebrating the intersection of Indigenous identity and pop culture.
Felix Clary's on-the-ground report from the IndigiPopX 2024 Reservation Dogs panel at FAM — Lane Factor, Sten Joddi, Jon Proudstar, Nathalie Standingcloud, Kaniehtiio Horn, and Richard Ray Whitman reflect on the show's family-like set culture. Also documents the Nex Benedict tribute with Two-Spirit Miss Indian Oklahoma Faithlynn Taloa Seawright and the Cherokee Youth Choir, plus a full programming rundown: Peshawn Bread's Marvel Echo Q&A, Johnnie Jae's zombie survival panel, Star Wars in Navajo, and Weyodi Oldbear & Grace Benally on Indigenous women storytellers. Co-published with Tulsa World.
Kalvin Valdillez's on-the-ground recap of IndigiPopX 2024 at the First Americans Museum in OKC: a 30-foot Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, F. Anthony Falcon's fiction-writing workshop, Rising Sons Media's music production demo, Alina Pete's tribute to the late Jeffrey Veregge (whose final story appears in her anthology), and a cosplay parade featuring a tribal council-wolfman. A vivid portrait of the Indiginerds community at full force.
A first-person essay by Two-Spirit Tsalagi writer Amber L. Hampton documenting her experience at IndigiPopX 2024 at FAM — from a Grand Celebration Ceremony honoring Nex Benedict (with the Cherokee Youth Choir) to panels on Indigenous horror with Weyodi Oldbear, Johnnie Jae, Shane Hawk, and Jim Terry; a conversation with Sadekaronhes Esquivel on the Coyote and Crow RPG; and encounters with Roy Boney Jr. and Reservation Dogs cast. Oldbear describes the experience as 'drinking from a firehose of Indigenous creativity.'
Daybreak Star Radio previews IndigiPopX 2024 at Oklahoma City's First Americans Museum (April 12–14), highlighting guests including Kaniehtiio Horn, Nathalie Standingcloud, Peshawn Bread, and Blossom Youngbear — and the event's mission to celebrate Indigenous identity as a living, vibrant force.
IndigiPopX 2024 (April 12–14, First Americans Museum) celebrates Reservation Dogs, Star Wars, cosplay and more — while dedicating its Grand Celebration to Nex Benedict, the Choctaw-descendant teen whose death sparked national conversation. Guests include Kaniehtiio Horn, Lane Factor, Roy Boney Jr. (Marvel), Danielle Boyer, and Shane Hawk.
National radio episode featuring Dr. Lee Francis IV, Tom Farris, Kristin Gentry, Connor Alexander, and Sarah Wilkinson — documenting the second OKC IndigiPopX and the event's growing national profile.
A scholarly volume from Peter Lang documenting Indigenous popular culture and Indigenous Comic Con — the first book-length academic treatment of the IndigiPopX movement.
Oklahoma City's CBS affiliate covers the second IndigiPopX at FAM, spotlighting Indigenous comic book creators, cosplay, and the growing national profile of the event.
Arigon Starr's official pre-event announcement for IndigiPop Expo 2025 at Duke University — confirming the three-day gathering (Nov. 14–16) of Native American comic creators, film, TV, and artists on the Duke campus. Notes the concurrent Duke Library exhibit 'American Indians Go Graphic' (in-person through Dec. 14, also available online), and places Arigon at Booth #6 in the exhibit area all weekend. A primary source from one of the event's returning featured creators.
Duke's Kenan Institute for Ethics launches a yearlong interdisciplinary initiative anchored by IndigiPopX (Nov. 14–16, 2025, Penn Pavilion) alongside two landmark exhibitions — 'American Indians Go Graphic' at Perkins Library (curated by Dr. Courtney Lewis & Dr. Lee Francis IV) and 'Power, Presence, and Future' at the Nasher Museum — plus programming including the Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band, Arigon Starr as Artist-in-Residence, and the musical Bear Grease. Banner art by Kristin Gentry.
Cherokee Nation citizen and artist Roy Boney Jr. received the inaugural Jeffrey Veregge Memorial Award at the IndigiPopX I-Pop Culture Awards ceremony on Nov. 15 at Duke University. The award honors creators following in Veregge's footsteps — blending Indigenous heritage with mainstream pop culture. Tom Farris hand-crafted the silversmith medallion: a Superman logo bearing the Cherokee syllabary 's' sound.
A long-form historical interview with Dr. Lee Francis IV on Indigenous popular culture, the founding of Indigenous Comic Con, and the ecosystem of initiatives built through Native Realities.
University news feature identifying Indigenous Comic Con, IWOW, Indigenous Futurisms Festival, Native Realities, and Red Planet as a connected ecosystem — part of Dr. Francis's growing university lecture circuit.
A recorded panel at the New York Society Library featuring Weyodi OldBear, Dr. Lee Francis IV, and Patty Krawec — documenting IndigiPopX's expanding presence in literary and institutional spaces.
Native Media Network's introduction video from the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con in Albuquerque, NM — the first recorded footage of what would become IndigiPopX. Captures the energy and community of the founding event at the National Hispanic Cultural Center.
The official exhibition listing for the companion gallery show held in conjunction with the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con. form & concept in Santa Fe presented works by Weshoyot Alvitre (Tongva), Jonathan Nelson (Diné), Jon Proudstar (Yaqui), Ryan Singer (Navajo), and Arigon Starr (Kickapoo), alongside comics created by Zuni Pueblo youth and teachers through a W. K. Kellogg Foundation–funded curriculum initiative. The exhibition ran November 11 – December 31, 2016, with ICC launching one week later at the NHCC in Albuquerque.
Adele Oliveira's on-the-ground feature from the inaugural ICC at the National Hispanic Cultural Center — one of the richest primary accounts of the founding event. Documents 1,100 attendees, 45 vendors, 35 participants, and panels including 'Indigenous Women in Film' and 'Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse: Rez Style.' Profiles Jon Proudstar (Tribal Force — first all-Native superhero team, recognized by the Smithsonian), Jonathan Nelson (The Wool of Jonesy), Renee Nejo (Blood Quantum video game), and Timothy Truman (Scout). Confirms dates November 18–20, 2016.
The official event listing from the National Hispanic Cultural Center — co-host of the first-ever Indigenous Comic Con alongside Native Realities Publishing and A Tribe Called Geek. Confirms the Domenici Education Building venue, three-day schedule (Fri 2–9pm, Sat 10am–9pm, Sun 10am–6pm), and featured guests Jeffrey Veregge (Marvel's Red Wolf, IDW's GI Joe and Judge Dredd) and Arigon Starr (Super Indian, 'the longest-running Native comic book in the world'). The original event website was indigenouscomiccon.com.
The Santa Fe immersive art collective Meow Wolf posted this video calling the Indigenous Pop Expo 'one of the world's largest Native Comic Conventions' and rallying their community to back its Kickstarter campaign — an early signal of the New Mexico arts world's investment in what would become IndigiPopX.
Public radio's early announcement of the inaugural Albuquerque convention — the first public media coverage of what would become IndigiPopX, introducing the term 'Indigenerd' to a national audience.
Remezcla previews the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con in Albuquerque, highlighting its Indigenous arts and pop-culture focus and the community it was built to serve.
VICE's national feature from the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con in Albuquerque — one of the strongest early anchors documenting the event's founding mission and cultural impact.
A major profile of Dr. Lee Francis IV, Native Realities, Red Planet Books & Comics, and Indigenous Comic Con — one of the most comprehensive early portraits of the movement's founder.
Arigon Starr's official pre-event announcement for the 2nd Indigenous Comic Con — confirming November 10–12 at Isleta Casino, Albuquerque, organized by Lee Francis of Native Realities Press. Lists her two panels: 'Native Americans in Comics and Pop Culture' (with Michael Sheyahshe, Timothy Truman, and Jay Odjick) and 'Will Work for Change' (with Tim Truman). A primary source from one of the event's featured creators.
Academic history blogger Kerri Clement's on-the-ground recap of the 2nd Indigenous Comic Con, published as Native American Heritage Month coverage. Documents guests Eugene Brave Rock (Kainai, Wonder Woman film), Lalo Alcaraz (La Cucaracha, Coco), Arigon Starr, and Jon Proudstar (Tribal Force — first all-Native superhero team, exhibited at the Smithsonian NMAI). Covers film screenings of More Than a Word (mascots documentary, narrated by Frank Waln) and The Smudging, plus panels on 'The Pocahontas Problem,' zombie survival, and game design. Frames ICC within the history of harmful Native stereotypes in comics and popular media.
NPR's national broadcast of Megan Kamerick's KUNM report on the 2nd Indigenous Comic Con at Isleta Pueblo, Albuquerque. Features direct quotes from Lee Francis, Arigon Starr (on Super Indian's origin — Commodity cheese tainted with resium), Jonathan Joss (on being asked to do something about the rain on a film set), and Eugene Brave Rock (on speaking Blackfoot as his Wonder Woman character — Hello, my name is Napi). Also covers the Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse on the Rez panel with Jack Malstrom and Johnnie Jae, co-founders of A Tribe Called Geek. 3:57 audio segment with full transcript.
Indian Country Today covers the opening of Red Planet Books & Comics — the Indigenous-owned comic book store founded by Dr. Lee Francis IV in the wake of the first Indigenous Comic Con.
A preview of the third annual Indigenous Comic Con and its programming — documenting the event's growing footprint in Albuquerque's arts and culture landscape.
PBS covers the third annual Indigenous Comic Con, documenting the event's expanding programming and its role in centering Native voices in pop culture.
A deep comics-industry interview with Dr. Lee Francis IV by journalist John Seven — documenting the event's evolution from Indigenous Comic Con into IndigiPopX, the expansion to Denver and Melbourne, and Francis's vision for a week-long cultural festival on par with SXSW. Confirms the Australia event (IndigiCon Melbourne, Nov. 29, 2019) and Denver debut (July 26, 2019).
Indigenous Pop X Denver lands at the historic McNichols Civic Center Building July 26–28, in collaboration with the Denver American Indian Commission — the first time the event expanded beyond Albuquerque.
UK counterculture magazine Huck profiles Weshoyot Alvitre (Tongva) and Gregg Deal (Pyramid Lake Paiute) as central figures in a growing Indigenous comics movement — naming IndigiPopX directly as the movement's own decolonised comic-con, hosted by Dr. Lee Francis. Traces the lineage from the Indigenous Narratives Collective (Phoenix Comic-Con 2011, co-founded by Arigon Starr) through to the 2016 launch of Indigenous Comic Con, framing Indigenous comics as a continuation of pictograph, hide painting, and ledger art traditions.
A scholarly essay placing Indigenous Comic Con within a wider international Indigenous futurisms movement — the first academic documentation of the event's intellectual and cultural significance.
An audio discussion featuring Dr. Lee Francis IV and author Darcie Little Badger on Indigenous futurisms, climate fiction, and the role of speculative storytelling in Native communities.
New Mexico Magazine profiles Dr. Lee Francis IV, Native Realities Press, and Red Planet Books & Comics — a landmark feature on the ecosystem built around Indigenous Comic Con.
The Oklahoman previews IndigiPopX's arrival at the First Americans Museum — the first in-person event since COVID — highlighting the event's mission to showcase Native creatives across comics, film, music, fashion, food, and technology.
A 55-minute national radio broadcast previewing IndigiPopX's return to in-person at the First Americans Museum in OKC after the pandemic hiatus. Host Art Hughes speaks with Dr. Lee Francis IV (Laguna Pueblo), Tom Farris (Otoe-Missouria and Cherokee), Kristin Gentry (Choctaw), and video game developer Miranda Due (Pawnee and Cherokee) about Indigenous superheroes, cosplay, artists, and representation in media and entertainment.
Public event listing documenting the first IFFNW in Tacoma, Washington — hosted by Native Realities and ALMA — as IndigiPopX expanded its Pacific Northwest presence in the same year as its OKC debut.
Kevin Severin's on-the-ground TV news report from the 3-day IndigiPopX convention at FAM, with an embedded video segment and an 8-photo gallery. Highlights the full range of Indigenous creators in attendance — speakers, illustrators, writers, designers, actors, and producers — and notes the expo 'highlights just how involved Native Americans are in pop culture at every level.' Photo credit: David Young/KOKH.
Oklahoma City's First Americans Museum partners with IndigiPopX for a landmark event celebrating Indigenous creators, artists, and pop culture — drawing fans from across the region.
KOCO 5 covers IndigiPopX at the First Americans Museum, featuring interviews with artists, cosplayers, and attendees celebrating the intersection of Indigenous identity and pop culture.
Felix Clary's on-the-ground report from the IndigiPopX 2024 Reservation Dogs panel at FAM — Lane Factor, Sten Joddi, Jon Proudstar, Nathalie Standingcloud, Kaniehtiio Horn, and Richard Ray Whitman reflect on the show's family-like set culture. Also documents the Nex Benedict tribute with Two-Spirit Miss Indian Oklahoma Faithlynn Taloa Seawright and the Cherokee Youth Choir, plus a full programming rundown: Peshawn Bread's Marvel Echo Q&A, Johnnie Jae's zombie survival panel, Star Wars in Navajo, and Weyodi Oldbear & Grace Benally on Indigenous women storytellers. Co-published with Tulsa World.
Kalvin Valdillez's on-the-ground recap of IndigiPopX 2024 at the First Americans Museum in OKC: a 30-foot Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, F. Anthony Falcon's fiction-writing workshop, Rising Sons Media's music production demo, Alina Pete's tribute to the late Jeffrey Veregge (whose final story appears in her anthology), and a cosplay parade featuring a tribal council-wolfman. A vivid portrait of the Indiginerds community at full force.
A first-person essay by Two-Spirit Tsalagi writer Amber L. Hampton documenting her experience at IndigiPopX 2024 at FAM — from a Grand Celebration Ceremony honoring Nex Benedict (with the Cherokee Youth Choir) to panels on Indigenous horror with Weyodi Oldbear, Johnnie Jae, Shane Hawk, and Jim Terry; a conversation with Sadekaronhes Esquivel on the Coyote and Crow RPG; and encounters with Roy Boney Jr. and Reservation Dogs cast. Oldbear describes the experience as 'drinking from a firehose of Indigenous creativity.'
Daybreak Star Radio previews IndigiPopX 2024 at Oklahoma City's First Americans Museum (April 12–14), highlighting guests including Kaniehtiio Horn, Nathalie Standingcloud, Peshawn Bread, and Blossom Youngbear — and the event's mission to celebrate Indigenous identity as a living, vibrant force.
IndigiPopX 2024 (April 12–14, First Americans Museum) celebrates Reservation Dogs, Star Wars, cosplay and more — while dedicating its Grand Celebration to Nex Benedict, the Choctaw-descendant teen whose death sparked national conversation. Guests include Kaniehtiio Horn, Lane Factor, Roy Boney Jr. (Marvel), Danielle Boyer, and Shane Hawk.
National radio episode featuring Dr. Lee Francis IV, Tom Farris, Kristin Gentry, Connor Alexander, and Sarah Wilkinson — documenting the second OKC IndigiPopX and the event's growing national profile.
A scholarly volume from Peter Lang documenting Indigenous popular culture and Indigenous Comic Con — the first book-length academic treatment of the IndigiPopX movement.
Oklahoma City's CBS affiliate covers the second IndigiPopX at FAM, spotlighting Indigenous comic book creators, cosplay, and the growing national profile of the event.
Arigon Starr's official pre-event announcement for IndigiPop Expo 2025 at Duke University — confirming the three-day gathering (Nov. 14–16) of Native American comic creators, film, TV, and artists on the Duke campus. Notes the concurrent Duke Library exhibit 'American Indians Go Graphic' (in-person through Dec. 14, also available online), and places Arigon at Booth #6 in the exhibit area all weekend. A primary source from one of the event's returning featured creators.
Duke's Kenan Institute for Ethics launches a yearlong interdisciplinary initiative anchored by IndigiPopX (Nov. 14–16, 2025, Penn Pavilion) alongside two landmark exhibitions — 'American Indians Go Graphic' at Perkins Library (curated by Dr. Courtney Lewis & Dr. Lee Francis IV) and 'Power, Presence, and Future' at the Nasher Museum — plus programming including the Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band, Arigon Starr as Artist-in-Residence, and the musical Bear Grease. Banner art by Kristin Gentry.
Cherokee Nation citizen and artist Roy Boney Jr. received the inaugural Jeffrey Veregge Memorial Award at the IndigiPopX I-Pop Culture Awards ceremony on Nov. 15 at Duke University. The award honors creators following in Veregge's footsteps — blending Indigenous heritage with mainstream pop culture. Tom Farris hand-crafted the silversmith medallion: a Superman logo bearing the Cherokee syllabary 's' sound.
A long-form historical interview with Dr. Lee Francis IV on Indigenous popular culture, the founding of Indigenous Comic Con, and the ecosystem of initiatives built through Native Realities.
University news feature identifying Indigenous Comic Con, IWOW, Indigenous Futurisms Festival, Native Realities, and Red Planet as a connected ecosystem — part of Dr. Francis's growing university lecture circuit.
A recorded panel at the New York Society Library featuring Weyodi OldBear, Dr. Lee Francis IV, and Patty Krawec — documenting IndigiPopX's expanding presence in literary and institutional spaces.
Native Media Network's introduction video from the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con in Albuquerque, NM — the first recorded footage of what would become IndigiPopX. Captures the energy and community of the founding event at the National Hispanic Cultural Center.
The official exhibition listing for the companion gallery show held in conjunction with the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con. form & concept in Santa Fe presented works by Weshoyot Alvitre (Tongva), Jonathan Nelson (Diné), Jon Proudstar (Yaqui), Ryan Singer (Navajo), and Arigon Starr (Kickapoo), alongside comics created by Zuni Pueblo youth and teachers through a W. K. Kellogg Foundation–funded curriculum initiative. The exhibition ran November 11 – December 31, 2016, with ICC launching one week later at the NHCC in Albuquerque.
Adele Oliveira's on-the-ground feature from the inaugural ICC at the National Hispanic Cultural Center — one of the richest primary accounts of the founding event. Documents 1,100 attendees, 45 vendors, 35 participants, and panels including 'Indigenous Women in Film' and 'Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse: Rez Style.' Profiles Jon Proudstar (Tribal Force — first all-Native superhero team, recognized by the Smithsonian), Jonathan Nelson (The Wool of Jonesy), Renee Nejo (Blood Quantum video game), and Timothy Truman (Scout). Confirms dates November 18–20, 2016.
The official event listing from the National Hispanic Cultural Center — co-host of the first-ever Indigenous Comic Con alongside Native Realities Publishing and A Tribe Called Geek. Confirms the Domenici Education Building venue, three-day schedule (Fri 2–9pm, Sat 10am–9pm, Sun 10am–6pm), and featured guests Jeffrey Veregge (Marvel's Red Wolf, IDW's GI Joe and Judge Dredd) and Arigon Starr (Super Indian, 'the longest-running Native comic book in the world'). The original event website was indigenouscomiccon.com.
The Santa Fe immersive art collective Meow Wolf posted this video calling the Indigenous Pop Expo 'one of the world's largest Native Comic Conventions' and rallying their community to back its Kickstarter campaign — an early signal of the New Mexico arts world's investment in what would become IndigiPopX.
Public radio's early announcement of the inaugural Albuquerque convention — the first public media coverage of what would become IndigiPopX, introducing the term 'Indigenerd' to a national audience.
Remezcla previews the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con in Albuquerque, highlighting its Indigenous arts and pop-culture focus and the community it was built to serve.
VICE's national feature from the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con in Albuquerque — one of the strongest early anchors documenting the event's founding mission and cultural impact.
A major profile of Dr. Lee Francis IV, Native Realities, Red Planet Books & Comics, and Indigenous Comic Con — one of the most comprehensive early portraits of the movement's founder.
Arigon Starr's official pre-event announcement for the 2nd Indigenous Comic Con — confirming November 10–12 at Isleta Casino, Albuquerque, organized by Lee Francis of Native Realities Press. Lists her two panels: 'Native Americans in Comics and Pop Culture' (with Michael Sheyahshe, Timothy Truman, and Jay Odjick) and 'Will Work for Change' (with Tim Truman). A primary source from one of the event's featured creators.
Academic history blogger Kerri Clement's on-the-ground recap of the 2nd Indigenous Comic Con, published as Native American Heritage Month coverage. Documents guests Eugene Brave Rock (Kainai, Wonder Woman film), Lalo Alcaraz (La Cucaracha, Coco), Arigon Starr, and Jon Proudstar (Tribal Force — first all-Native superhero team, exhibited at the Smithsonian NMAI). Covers film screenings of More Than a Word (mascots documentary, narrated by Frank Waln) and The Smudging, plus panels on 'The Pocahontas Problem,' zombie survival, and game design. Frames ICC within the history of harmful Native stereotypes in comics and popular media.
NPR's national broadcast of Megan Kamerick's KUNM report on the 2nd Indigenous Comic Con at Isleta Pueblo, Albuquerque. Features direct quotes from Lee Francis, Arigon Starr (on Super Indian's origin — Commodity cheese tainted with resium), Jonathan Joss (on being asked to do something about the rain on a film set), and Eugene Brave Rock (on speaking Blackfoot as his Wonder Woman character — Hello, my name is Napi). Also covers the Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse on the Rez panel with Jack Malstrom and Johnnie Jae, co-founders of A Tribe Called Geek. 3:57 audio segment with full transcript.
Indian Country Today covers the opening of Red Planet Books & Comics — the Indigenous-owned comic book store founded by Dr. Lee Francis IV in the wake of the first Indigenous Comic Con.
A preview of the third annual Indigenous Comic Con and its programming — documenting the event's growing footprint in Albuquerque's arts and culture landscape.
PBS covers the third annual Indigenous Comic Con, documenting the event's expanding programming and its role in centering Native voices in pop culture.
A deep comics-industry interview with Dr. Lee Francis IV by journalist John Seven — documenting the event's evolution from Indigenous Comic Con into IndigiPopX, the expansion to Denver and Melbourne, and Francis's vision for a week-long cultural festival on par with SXSW. Confirms the Australia event (IndigiCon Melbourne, Nov. 29, 2019) and Denver debut (July 26, 2019).
Indigenous Pop X Denver lands at the historic McNichols Civic Center Building July 26–28, in collaboration with the Denver American Indian Commission — the first time the event expanded beyond Albuquerque.
UK counterculture magazine Huck profiles Weshoyot Alvitre (Tongva) and Gregg Deal (Pyramid Lake Paiute) as central figures in a growing Indigenous comics movement — naming IndigiPopX directly as the movement's own decolonised comic-con, hosted by Dr. Lee Francis. Traces the lineage from the Indigenous Narratives Collective (Phoenix Comic-Con 2011, co-founded by Arigon Starr) through to the 2016 launch of Indigenous Comic Con, framing Indigenous comics as a continuation of pictograph, hide painting, and ledger art traditions.
A scholarly essay placing Indigenous Comic Con within a wider international Indigenous futurisms movement — the first academic documentation of the event's intellectual and cultural significance.
An audio discussion featuring Dr. Lee Francis IV and author Darcie Little Badger on Indigenous futurisms, climate fiction, and the role of speculative storytelling in Native communities.
New Mexico Magazine profiles Dr. Lee Francis IV, Native Realities Press, and Red Planet Books & Comics — a landmark feature on the ecosystem built around Indigenous Comic Con.
The Oklahoman previews IndigiPopX's arrival at the First Americans Museum — the first in-person event since COVID — highlighting the event's mission to showcase Native creatives across comics, film, music, fashion, food, and technology.
A 55-minute national radio broadcast previewing IndigiPopX's return to in-person at the First Americans Museum in OKC after the pandemic hiatus. Host Art Hughes speaks with Dr. Lee Francis IV (Laguna Pueblo), Tom Farris (Otoe-Missouria and Cherokee), Kristin Gentry (Choctaw), and video game developer Miranda Due (Pawnee and Cherokee) about Indigenous superheroes, cosplay, artists, and representation in media and entertainment.
Public event listing documenting the first IFFNW in Tacoma, Washington — hosted by Native Realities and ALMA — as IndigiPopX expanded its Pacific Northwest presence in the same year as its OKC debut.
Kevin Severin's on-the-ground TV news report from the 3-day IndigiPopX convention at FAM, with an embedded video segment and an 8-photo gallery. Highlights the full range of Indigenous creators in attendance — speakers, illustrators, writers, designers, actors, and producers — and notes the expo 'highlights just how involved Native Americans are in pop culture at every level.' Photo credit: David Young/KOKH.
Oklahoma City's First Americans Museum partners with IndigiPopX for a landmark event celebrating Indigenous creators, artists, and pop culture — drawing fans from across the region.
KOCO 5 covers IndigiPopX at the First Americans Museum, featuring interviews with artists, cosplayers, and attendees celebrating the intersection of Indigenous identity and pop culture.
Felix Clary's on-the-ground report from the IndigiPopX 2024 Reservation Dogs panel at FAM — Lane Factor, Sten Joddi, Jon Proudstar, Nathalie Standingcloud, Kaniehtiio Horn, and Richard Ray Whitman reflect on the show's family-like set culture. Also documents the Nex Benedict tribute with Two-Spirit Miss Indian Oklahoma Faithlynn Taloa Seawright and the Cherokee Youth Choir, plus a full programming rundown: Peshawn Bread's Marvel Echo Q&A, Johnnie Jae's zombie survival panel, Star Wars in Navajo, and Weyodi Oldbear & Grace Benally on Indigenous women storytellers. Co-published with Tulsa World.
Kalvin Valdillez's on-the-ground recap of IndigiPopX 2024 at the First Americans Museum in OKC: a 30-foot Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, F. Anthony Falcon's fiction-writing workshop, Rising Sons Media's music production demo, Alina Pete's tribute to the late Jeffrey Veregge (whose final story appears in her anthology), and a cosplay parade featuring a tribal council-wolfman. A vivid portrait of the Indiginerds community at full force.
A first-person essay by Two-Spirit Tsalagi writer Amber L. Hampton documenting her experience at IndigiPopX 2024 at FAM — from a Grand Celebration Ceremony honoring Nex Benedict (with the Cherokee Youth Choir) to panels on Indigenous horror with Weyodi Oldbear, Johnnie Jae, Shane Hawk, and Jim Terry; a conversation with Sadekaronhes Esquivel on the Coyote and Crow RPG; and encounters with Roy Boney Jr. and Reservation Dogs cast. Oldbear describes the experience as 'drinking from a firehose of Indigenous creativity.'
Daybreak Star Radio previews IndigiPopX 2024 at Oklahoma City's First Americans Museum (April 12–14), highlighting guests including Kaniehtiio Horn, Nathalie Standingcloud, Peshawn Bread, and Blossom Youngbear — and the event's mission to celebrate Indigenous identity as a living, vibrant force.
IndigiPopX 2024 (April 12–14, First Americans Museum) celebrates Reservation Dogs, Star Wars, cosplay and more — while dedicating its Grand Celebration to Nex Benedict, the Choctaw-descendant teen whose death sparked national conversation. Guests include Kaniehtiio Horn, Lane Factor, Roy Boney Jr. (Marvel), Danielle Boyer, and Shane Hawk.
National radio episode featuring Dr. Lee Francis IV, Tom Farris, Kristin Gentry, Connor Alexander, and Sarah Wilkinson — documenting the second OKC IndigiPopX and the event's growing national profile.
A scholarly volume from Peter Lang documenting Indigenous popular culture and Indigenous Comic Con — the first book-length academic treatment of the IndigiPopX movement.
Oklahoma City's CBS affiliate covers the second IndigiPopX at FAM, spotlighting Indigenous comic book creators, cosplay, and the growing national profile of the event.
Arigon Starr's official pre-event announcement for IndigiPop Expo 2025 at Duke University — confirming the three-day gathering (Nov. 14–16) of Native American comic creators, film, TV, and artists on the Duke campus. Notes the concurrent Duke Library exhibit 'American Indians Go Graphic' (in-person through Dec. 14, also available online), and places Arigon at Booth #6 in the exhibit area all weekend. A primary source from one of the event's returning featured creators.
Duke's Kenan Institute for Ethics launches a yearlong interdisciplinary initiative anchored by IndigiPopX (Nov. 14–16, 2025, Penn Pavilion) alongside two landmark exhibitions — 'American Indians Go Graphic' at Perkins Library (curated by Dr. Courtney Lewis & Dr. Lee Francis IV) and 'Power, Presence, and Future' at the Nasher Museum — plus programming including the Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band, Arigon Starr as Artist-in-Residence, and the musical Bear Grease. Banner art by Kristin Gentry.
Cherokee Nation citizen and artist Roy Boney Jr. received the inaugural Jeffrey Veregge Memorial Award at the IndigiPopX I-Pop Culture Awards ceremony on Nov. 15 at Duke University. The award honors creators following in Veregge's footsteps — blending Indigenous heritage with mainstream pop culture. Tom Farris hand-crafted the silversmith medallion: a Superman logo bearing the Cherokee syllabary 's' sound.
A long-form historical interview with Dr. Lee Francis IV on Indigenous popular culture, the founding of Indigenous Comic Con, and the ecosystem of initiatives built through Native Realities.
University news feature identifying Indigenous Comic Con, IWOW, Indigenous Futurisms Festival, Native Realities, and Red Planet as a connected ecosystem — part of Dr. Francis's growing university lecture circuit.
A recorded panel at the New York Society Library featuring Weyodi OldBear, Dr. Lee Francis IV, and Patty Krawec — documenting IndigiPopX's expanding presence in literary and institutional spaces.
Native Media Network's introduction video from the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con in Albuquerque, NM — the first recorded footage of what would become IndigiPopX. Captures the energy and community of the founding event at the National Hispanic Cultural Center.
The official exhibition listing for the companion gallery show held in conjunction with the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con. form & concept in Santa Fe presented works by Weshoyot Alvitre (Tongva), Jonathan Nelson (Diné), Jon Proudstar (Yaqui), Ryan Singer (Navajo), and Arigon Starr (Kickapoo), alongside comics created by Zuni Pueblo youth and teachers through a W. K. Kellogg Foundation–funded curriculum initiative. The exhibition ran November 11 – December 31, 2016, with ICC launching one week later at the NHCC in Albuquerque.
Adele Oliveira's on-the-ground feature from the inaugural ICC at the National Hispanic Cultural Center — one of the richest primary accounts of the founding event. Documents 1,100 attendees, 45 vendors, 35 participants, and panels including 'Indigenous Women in Film' and 'Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse: Rez Style.' Profiles Jon Proudstar (Tribal Force — first all-Native superhero team, recognized by the Smithsonian), Jonathan Nelson (The Wool of Jonesy), Renee Nejo (Blood Quantum video game), and Timothy Truman (Scout). Confirms dates November 18–20, 2016.
The official event listing from the National Hispanic Cultural Center — co-host of the first-ever Indigenous Comic Con alongside Native Realities Publishing and A Tribe Called Geek. Confirms the Domenici Education Building venue, three-day schedule (Fri 2–9pm, Sat 10am–9pm, Sun 10am–6pm), and featured guests Jeffrey Veregge (Marvel's Red Wolf, IDW's GI Joe and Judge Dredd) and Arigon Starr (Super Indian, 'the longest-running Native comic book in the world'). The original event website was indigenouscomiccon.com.
The Santa Fe immersive art collective Meow Wolf posted this video calling the Indigenous Pop Expo 'one of the world's largest Native Comic Conventions' and rallying their community to back its Kickstarter campaign — an early signal of the New Mexico arts world's investment in what would become IndigiPopX.
Public radio's early announcement of the inaugural Albuquerque convention — the first public media coverage of what would become IndigiPopX, introducing the term 'Indigenerd' to a national audience.
Remezcla previews the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con in Albuquerque, highlighting its Indigenous arts and pop-culture focus and the community it was built to serve.
VICE's national feature from the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con in Albuquerque — one of the strongest early anchors documenting the event's founding mission and cultural impact.
A major profile of Dr. Lee Francis IV, Native Realities, Red Planet Books & Comics, and Indigenous Comic Con — one of the most comprehensive early portraits of the movement's founder.
Arigon Starr's official pre-event announcement for the 2nd Indigenous Comic Con — confirming November 10–12 at Isleta Casino, Albuquerque, organized by Lee Francis of Native Realities Press. Lists her two panels: 'Native Americans in Comics and Pop Culture' (with Michael Sheyahshe, Timothy Truman, and Jay Odjick) and 'Will Work for Change' (with Tim Truman). A primary source from one of the event's featured creators.
Academic history blogger Kerri Clement's on-the-ground recap of the 2nd Indigenous Comic Con, published as Native American Heritage Month coverage. Documents guests Eugene Brave Rock (Kainai, Wonder Woman film), Lalo Alcaraz (La Cucaracha, Coco), Arigon Starr, and Jon Proudstar (Tribal Force — first all-Native superhero team, exhibited at the Smithsonian NMAI). Covers film screenings of More Than a Word (mascots documentary, narrated by Frank Waln) and The Smudging, plus panels on 'The Pocahontas Problem,' zombie survival, and game design. Frames ICC within the history of harmful Native stereotypes in comics and popular media.
NPR's national broadcast of Megan Kamerick's KUNM report on the 2nd Indigenous Comic Con at Isleta Pueblo, Albuquerque. Features direct quotes from Lee Francis, Arigon Starr (on Super Indian's origin — Commodity cheese tainted with resium), Jonathan Joss (on being asked to do something about the rain on a film set), and Eugene Brave Rock (on speaking Blackfoot as his Wonder Woman character — Hello, my name is Napi). Also covers the Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse on the Rez panel with Jack Malstrom and Johnnie Jae, co-founders of A Tribe Called Geek. 3:57 audio segment with full transcript.
Indian Country Today covers the opening of Red Planet Books & Comics — the Indigenous-owned comic book store founded by Dr. Lee Francis IV in the wake of the first Indigenous Comic Con.
A preview of the third annual Indigenous Comic Con and its programming — documenting the event's growing footprint in Albuquerque's arts and culture landscape.
PBS covers the third annual Indigenous Comic Con, documenting the event's expanding programming and its role in centering Native voices in pop culture.
A deep comics-industry interview with Dr. Lee Francis IV by journalist John Seven — documenting the event's evolution from Indigenous Comic Con into IndigiPopX, the expansion to Denver and Melbourne, and Francis's vision for a week-long cultural festival on par with SXSW. Confirms the Australia event (IndigiCon Melbourne, Nov. 29, 2019) and Denver debut (July 26, 2019).
Indigenous Pop X Denver lands at the historic McNichols Civic Center Building July 26–28, in collaboration with the Denver American Indian Commission — the first time the event expanded beyond Albuquerque.
UK counterculture magazine Huck profiles Weshoyot Alvitre (Tongva) and Gregg Deal (Pyramid Lake Paiute) as central figures in a growing Indigenous comics movement — naming IndigiPopX directly as the movement's own decolonised comic-con, hosted by Dr. Lee Francis. Traces the lineage from the Indigenous Narratives Collective (Phoenix Comic-Con 2011, co-founded by Arigon Starr) through to the 2016 launch of Indigenous Comic Con, framing Indigenous comics as a continuation of pictograph, hide painting, and ledger art traditions.
A scholarly essay placing Indigenous Comic Con within a wider international Indigenous futurisms movement — the first academic documentation of the event's intellectual and cultural significance.
An audio discussion featuring Dr. Lee Francis IV and author Darcie Little Badger on Indigenous futurisms, climate fiction, and the role of speculative storytelling in Native communities.
New Mexico Magazine profiles Dr. Lee Francis IV, Native Realities Press, and Red Planet Books & Comics — a landmark feature on the ecosystem built around Indigenous Comic Con.
The Oklahoman previews IndigiPopX's arrival at the First Americans Museum — the first in-person event since COVID — highlighting the event's mission to showcase Native creatives across comics, film, music, fashion, food, and technology.
A 55-minute national radio broadcast previewing IndigiPopX's return to in-person at the First Americans Museum in OKC after the pandemic hiatus. Host Art Hughes speaks with Dr. Lee Francis IV (Laguna Pueblo), Tom Farris (Otoe-Missouria and Cherokee), Kristin Gentry (Choctaw), and video game developer Miranda Due (Pawnee and Cherokee) about Indigenous superheroes, cosplay, artists, and representation in media and entertainment.
Public event listing documenting the first IFFNW in Tacoma, Washington — hosted by Native Realities and ALMA — as IndigiPopX expanded its Pacific Northwest presence in the same year as its OKC debut.
Kevin Severin's on-the-ground TV news report from the 3-day IndigiPopX convention at FAM, with an embedded video segment and an 8-photo gallery. Highlights the full range of Indigenous creators in attendance — speakers, illustrators, writers, designers, actors, and producers — and notes the expo 'highlights just how involved Native Americans are in pop culture at every level.' Photo credit: David Young/KOKH.
Oklahoma City's First Americans Museum partners with IndigiPopX for a landmark event celebrating Indigenous creators, artists, and pop culture — drawing fans from across the region.
KOCO 5 covers IndigiPopX at the First Americans Museum, featuring interviews with artists, cosplayers, and attendees celebrating the intersection of Indigenous identity and pop culture.
Felix Clary's on-the-ground report from the IndigiPopX 2024 Reservation Dogs panel at FAM — Lane Factor, Sten Joddi, Jon Proudstar, Nathalie Standingcloud, Kaniehtiio Horn, and Richard Ray Whitman reflect on the show's family-like set culture. Also documents the Nex Benedict tribute with Two-Spirit Miss Indian Oklahoma Faithlynn Taloa Seawright and the Cherokee Youth Choir, plus a full programming rundown: Peshawn Bread's Marvel Echo Q&A, Johnnie Jae's zombie survival panel, Star Wars in Navajo, and Weyodi Oldbear & Grace Benally on Indigenous women storytellers. Co-published with Tulsa World.
Kalvin Valdillez's on-the-ground recap of IndigiPopX 2024 at the First Americans Museum in OKC: a 30-foot Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, F. Anthony Falcon's fiction-writing workshop, Rising Sons Media's music production demo, Alina Pete's tribute to the late Jeffrey Veregge (whose final story appears in her anthology), and a cosplay parade featuring a tribal council-wolfman. A vivid portrait of the Indiginerds community at full force.
A first-person essay by Two-Spirit Tsalagi writer Amber L. Hampton documenting her experience at IndigiPopX 2024 at FAM — from a Grand Celebration Ceremony honoring Nex Benedict (with the Cherokee Youth Choir) to panels on Indigenous horror with Weyodi Oldbear, Johnnie Jae, Shane Hawk, and Jim Terry; a conversation with Sadekaronhes Esquivel on the Coyote and Crow RPG; and encounters with Roy Boney Jr. and Reservation Dogs cast. Oldbear describes the experience as 'drinking from a firehose of Indigenous creativity.'
Daybreak Star Radio previews IndigiPopX 2024 at Oklahoma City's First Americans Museum (April 12–14), highlighting guests including Kaniehtiio Horn, Nathalie Standingcloud, Peshawn Bread, and Blossom Youngbear — and the event's mission to celebrate Indigenous identity as a living, vibrant force.
IndigiPopX 2024 (April 12–14, First Americans Museum) celebrates Reservation Dogs, Star Wars, cosplay and more — while dedicating its Grand Celebration to Nex Benedict, the Choctaw-descendant teen whose death sparked national conversation. Guests include Kaniehtiio Horn, Lane Factor, Roy Boney Jr. (Marvel), Danielle Boyer, and Shane Hawk.
National radio episode featuring Dr. Lee Francis IV, Tom Farris, Kristin Gentry, Connor Alexander, and Sarah Wilkinson — documenting the second OKC IndigiPopX and the event's growing national profile.
A scholarly volume from Peter Lang documenting Indigenous popular culture and Indigenous Comic Con — the first book-length academic treatment of the IndigiPopX movement.
Oklahoma City's CBS affiliate covers the second IndigiPopX at FAM, spotlighting Indigenous comic book creators, cosplay, and the growing national profile of the event.
Arigon Starr's official pre-event announcement for IndigiPop Expo 2025 at Duke University — confirming the three-day gathering (Nov. 14–16) of Native American comic creators, film, TV, and artists on the Duke campus. Notes the concurrent Duke Library exhibit 'American Indians Go Graphic' (in-person through Dec. 14, also available online), and places Arigon at Booth #6 in the exhibit area all weekend. A primary source from one of the event's returning featured creators.
Duke's Kenan Institute for Ethics launches a yearlong interdisciplinary initiative anchored by IndigiPopX (Nov. 14–16, 2025, Penn Pavilion) alongside two landmark exhibitions — 'American Indians Go Graphic' at Perkins Library (curated by Dr. Courtney Lewis & Dr. Lee Francis IV) and 'Power, Presence, and Future' at the Nasher Museum — plus programming including the Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band, Arigon Starr as Artist-in-Residence, and the musical Bear Grease. Banner art by Kristin Gentry.
Cherokee Nation citizen and artist Roy Boney Jr. received the inaugural Jeffrey Veregge Memorial Award at the IndigiPopX I-Pop Culture Awards ceremony on Nov. 15 at Duke University. The award honors creators following in Veregge's footsteps — blending Indigenous heritage with mainstream pop culture. Tom Farris hand-crafted the silversmith medallion: a Superman logo bearing the Cherokee syllabary 's' sound.
A long-form historical interview with Dr. Lee Francis IV on Indigenous popular culture, the founding of Indigenous Comic Con, and the ecosystem of initiatives built through Native Realities.
University news feature identifying Indigenous Comic Con, IWOW, Indigenous Futurisms Festival, Native Realities, and Red Planet as a connected ecosystem — part of Dr. Francis's growing university lecture circuit.
A recorded panel at the New York Society Library featuring Weyodi OldBear, Dr. Lee Francis IV, and Patty Krawec — documenting IndigiPopX's expanding presence in literary and institutional spaces.
Native Media Network's introduction video from the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con in Albuquerque, NM — the first recorded footage of what would become IndigiPopX. Captures the energy and community of the founding event at the National Hispanic Cultural Center.
The official exhibition listing for the companion gallery show held in conjunction with the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con. form & concept in Santa Fe presented works by Weshoyot Alvitre (Tongva), Jonathan Nelson (Diné), Jon Proudstar (Yaqui), Ryan Singer (Navajo), and Arigon Starr (Kickapoo), alongside comics created by Zuni Pueblo youth and teachers through a W. K. Kellogg Foundation–funded curriculum initiative. The exhibition ran November 11 – December 31, 2016, with ICC launching one week later at the NHCC in Albuquerque.
Adele Oliveira's on-the-ground feature from the inaugural ICC at the National Hispanic Cultural Center — one of the richest primary accounts of the founding event. Documents 1,100 attendees, 45 vendors, 35 participants, and panels including 'Indigenous Women in Film' and 'Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse: Rez Style.' Profiles Jon Proudstar (Tribal Force — first all-Native superhero team, recognized by the Smithsonian), Jonathan Nelson (The Wool of Jonesy), Renee Nejo (Blood Quantum video game), and Timothy Truman (Scout). Confirms dates November 18–20, 2016.
The official event listing from the National Hispanic Cultural Center — co-host of the first-ever Indigenous Comic Con alongside Native Realities Publishing and A Tribe Called Geek. Confirms the Domenici Education Building venue, three-day schedule (Fri 2–9pm, Sat 10am–9pm, Sun 10am–6pm), and featured guests Jeffrey Veregge (Marvel's Red Wolf, IDW's GI Joe and Judge Dredd) and Arigon Starr (Super Indian, 'the longest-running Native comic book in the world'). The original event website was indigenouscomiccon.com.
The Santa Fe immersive art collective Meow Wolf posted this video calling the Indigenous Pop Expo 'one of the world's largest Native Comic Conventions' and rallying their community to back its Kickstarter campaign — an early signal of the New Mexico arts world's investment in what would become IndigiPopX.
Public radio's early announcement of the inaugural Albuquerque convention — the first public media coverage of what would become IndigiPopX, introducing the term 'Indigenerd' to a national audience.
Remezcla previews the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con in Albuquerque, highlighting its Indigenous arts and pop-culture focus and the community it was built to serve.
VICE's national feature from the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con in Albuquerque — one of the strongest early anchors documenting the event's founding mission and cultural impact.
A major profile of Dr. Lee Francis IV, Native Realities, Red Planet Books & Comics, and Indigenous Comic Con — one of the most comprehensive early portraits of the movement's founder.
Arigon Starr's official pre-event announcement for the 2nd Indigenous Comic Con — confirming November 10–12 at Isleta Casino, Albuquerque, organized by Lee Francis of Native Realities Press. Lists her two panels: 'Native Americans in Comics and Pop Culture' (with Michael Sheyahshe, Timothy Truman, and Jay Odjick) and 'Will Work for Change' (with Tim Truman). A primary source from one of the event's featured creators.
Academic history blogger Kerri Clement's on-the-ground recap of the 2nd Indigenous Comic Con, published as Native American Heritage Month coverage. Documents guests Eugene Brave Rock (Kainai, Wonder Woman film), Lalo Alcaraz (La Cucaracha, Coco), Arigon Starr, and Jon Proudstar (Tribal Force — first all-Native superhero team, exhibited at the Smithsonian NMAI). Covers film screenings of More Than a Word (mascots documentary, narrated by Frank Waln) and The Smudging, plus panels on 'The Pocahontas Problem,' zombie survival, and game design. Frames ICC within the history of harmful Native stereotypes in comics and popular media.
NPR's national broadcast of Megan Kamerick's KUNM report on the 2nd Indigenous Comic Con at Isleta Pueblo, Albuquerque. Features direct quotes from Lee Francis, Arigon Starr (on Super Indian's origin — Commodity cheese tainted with resium), Jonathan Joss (on being asked to do something about the rain on a film set), and Eugene Brave Rock (on speaking Blackfoot as his Wonder Woman character — Hello, my name is Napi). Also covers the Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse on the Rez panel with Jack Malstrom and Johnnie Jae, co-founders of A Tribe Called Geek. 3:57 audio segment with full transcript.
Indian Country Today covers the opening of Red Planet Books & Comics — the Indigenous-owned comic book store founded by Dr. Lee Francis IV in the wake of the first Indigenous Comic Con.
A preview of the third annual Indigenous Comic Con and its programming — documenting the event's growing footprint in Albuquerque's arts and culture landscape.
PBS covers the third annual Indigenous Comic Con, documenting the event's expanding programming and its role in centering Native voices in pop culture.
A deep comics-industry interview with Dr. Lee Francis IV by journalist John Seven — documenting the event's evolution from Indigenous Comic Con into IndigiPopX, the expansion to Denver and Melbourne, and Francis's vision for a week-long cultural festival on par with SXSW. Confirms the Australia event (IndigiCon Melbourne, Nov. 29, 2019) and Denver debut (July 26, 2019).
Indigenous Pop X Denver lands at the historic McNichols Civic Center Building July 26–28, in collaboration with the Denver American Indian Commission — the first time the event expanded beyond Albuquerque.
UK counterculture magazine Huck profiles Weshoyot Alvitre (Tongva) and Gregg Deal (Pyramid Lake Paiute) as central figures in a growing Indigenous comics movement — naming IndigiPopX directly as the movement's own decolonised comic-con, hosted by Dr. Lee Francis. Traces the lineage from the Indigenous Narratives Collective (Phoenix Comic-Con 2011, co-founded by Arigon Starr) through to the 2016 launch of Indigenous Comic Con, framing Indigenous comics as a continuation of pictograph, hide painting, and ledger art traditions.
A scholarly essay placing Indigenous Comic Con within a wider international Indigenous futurisms movement — the first academic documentation of the event's intellectual and cultural significance.
An audio discussion featuring Dr. Lee Francis IV and author Darcie Little Badger on Indigenous futurisms, climate fiction, and the role of speculative storytelling in Native communities.
New Mexico Magazine profiles Dr. Lee Francis IV, Native Realities Press, and Red Planet Books & Comics — a landmark feature on the ecosystem built around Indigenous Comic Con.
The Oklahoman previews IndigiPopX's arrival at the First Americans Museum — the first in-person event since COVID — highlighting the event's mission to showcase Native creatives across comics, film, music, fashion, food, and technology.
A 55-minute national radio broadcast previewing IndigiPopX's return to in-person at the First Americans Museum in OKC after the pandemic hiatus. Host Art Hughes speaks with Dr. Lee Francis IV (Laguna Pueblo), Tom Farris (Otoe-Missouria and Cherokee), Kristin Gentry (Choctaw), and video game developer Miranda Due (Pawnee and Cherokee) about Indigenous superheroes, cosplay, artists, and representation in media and entertainment.
Public event listing documenting the first IFFNW in Tacoma, Washington — hosted by Native Realities and ALMA — as IndigiPopX expanded its Pacific Northwest presence in the same year as its OKC debut.
Kevin Severin's on-the-ground TV news report from the 3-day IndigiPopX convention at FAM, with an embedded video segment and an 8-photo gallery. Highlights the full range of Indigenous creators in attendance — speakers, illustrators, writers, designers, actors, and producers — and notes the expo 'highlights just how involved Native Americans are in pop culture at every level.' Photo credit: David Young/KOKH.
Oklahoma City's First Americans Museum partners with IndigiPopX for a landmark event celebrating Indigenous creators, artists, and pop culture — drawing fans from across the region.
KOCO 5 covers IndigiPopX at the First Americans Museum, featuring interviews with artists, cosplayers, and attendees celebrating the intersection of Indigenous identity and pop culture.
Felix Clary's on-the-ground report from the IndigiPopX 2024 Reservation Dogs panel at FAM — Lane Factor, Sten Joddi, Jon Proudstar, Nathalie Standingcloud, Kaniehtiio Horn, and Richard Ray Whitman reflect on the show's family-like set culture. Also documents the Nex Benedict tribute with Two-Spirit Miss Indian Oklahoma Faithlynn Taloa Seawright and the Cherokee Youth Choir, plus a full programming rundown: Peshawn Bread's Marvel Echo Q&A, Johnnie Jae's zombie survival panel, Star Wars in Navajo, and Weyodi Oldbear & Grace Benally on Indigenous women storytellers. Co-published with Tulsa World.
Kalvin Valdillez's on-the-ground recap of IndigiPopX 2024 at the First Americans Museum in OKC: a 30-foot Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, F. Anthony Falcon's fiction-writing workshop, Rising Sons Media's music production demo, Alina Pete's tribute to the late Jeffrey Veregge (whose final story appears in her anthology), and a cosplay parade featuring a tribal council-wolfman. A vivid portrait of the Indiginerds community at full force.
A first-person essay by Two-Spirit Tsalagi writer Amber L. Hampton documenting her experience at IndigiPopX 2024 at FAM — from a Grand Celebration Ceremony honoring Nex Benedict (with the Cherokee Youth Choir) to panels on Indigenous horror with Weyodi Oldbear, Johnnie Jae, Shane Hawk, and Jim Terry; a conversation with Sadekaronhes Esquivel on the Coyote and Crow RPG; and encounters with Roy Boney Jr. and Reservation Dogs cast. Oldbear describes the experience as 'drinking from a firehose of Indigenous creativity.'
Daybreak Star Radio previews IndigiPopX 2024 at Oklahoma City's First Americans Museum (April 12–14), highlighting guests including Kaniehtiio Horn, Nathalie Standingcloud, Peshawn Bread, and Blossom Youngbear — and the event's mission to celebrate Indigenous identity as a living, vibrant force.
IndigiPopX 2024 (April 12–14, First Americans Museum) celebrates Reservation Dogs, Star Wars, cosplay and more — while dedicating its Grand Celebration to Nex Benedict, the Choctaw-descendant teen whose death sparked national conversation. Guests include Kaniehtiio Horn, Lane Factor, Roy Boney Jr. (Marvel), Danielle Boyer, and Shane Hawk.
National radio episode featuring Dr. Lee Francis IV, Tom Farris, Kristin Gentry, Connor Alexander, and Sarah Wilkinson — documenting the second OKC IndigiPopX and the event's growing national profile.
A scholarly volume from Peter Lang documenting Indigenous popular culture and Indigenous Comic Con — the first book-length academic treatment of the IndigiPopX movement.
Oklahoma City's CBS affiliate covers the second IndigiPopX at FAM, spotlighting Indigenous comic book creators, cosplay, and the growing national profile of the event.
Arigon Starr's official pre-event announcement for IndigiPop Expo 2025 at Duke University — confirming the three-day gathering (Nov. 14–16) of Native American comic creators, film, TV, and artists on the Duke campus. Notes the concurrent Duke Library exhibit 'American Indians Go Graphic' (in-person through Dec. 14, also available online), and places Arigon at Booth #6 in the exhibit area all weekend. A primary source from one of the event's returning featured creators.
Duke's Kenan Institute for Ethics launches a yearlong interdisciplinary initiative anchored by IndigiPopX (Nov. 14–16, 2025, Penn Pavilion) alongside two landmark exhibitions — 'American Indians Go Graphic' at Perkins Library (curated by Dr. Courtney Lewis & Dr. Lee Francis IV) and 'Power, Presence, and Future' at the Nasher Museum — plus programming including the Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band, Arigon Starr as Artist-in-Residence, and the musical Bear Grease. Banner art by Kristin Gentry.
Cherokee Nation citizen and artist Roy Boney Jr. received the inaugural Jeffrey Veregge Memorial Award at the IndigiPopX I-Pop Culture Awards ceremony on Nov. 15 at Duke University. The award honors creators following in Veregge's footsteps — blending Indigenous heritage with mainstream pop culture. Tom Farris hand-crafted the silversmith medallion: a Superman logo bearing the Cherokee syllabary 's' sound.
A long-form historical interview with Dr. Lee Francis IV on Indigenous popular culture, the founding of Indigenous Comic Con, and the ecosystem of initiatives built through Native Realities.
University news feature identifying Indigenous Comic Con, IWOW, Indigenous Futurisms Festival, Native Realities, and Red Planet as a connected ecosystem — part of Dr. Francis's growing university lecture circuit.
A recorded panel at the New York Society Library featuring Weyodi OldBear, Dr. Lee Francis IV, and Patty Krawec — documenting IndigiPopX's expanding presence in literary and institutional spaces.
Native Media Network's introduction video from the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con in Albuquerque, NM — the first recorded footage of what would become IndigiPopX. Captures the energy and community of the founding event at the National Hispanic Cultural Center.
The official exhibition listing for the companion gallery show held in conjunction with the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con. form & concept in Santa Fe presented works by Weshoyot Alvitre (Tongva), Jonathan Nelson (Diné), Jon Proudstar (Yaqui), Ryan Singer (Navajo), and Arigon Starr (Kickapoo), alongside comics created by Zuni Pueblo youth and teachers through a W. K. Kellogg Foundation–funded curriculum initiative. The exhibition ran November 11 – December 31, 2016, with ICC launching one week later at the NHCC in Albuquerque.
Adele Oliveira's on-the-ground feature from the inaugural ICC at the National Hispanic Cultural Center — one of the richest primary accounts of the founding event. Documents 1,100 attendees, 45 vendors, 35 participants, and panels including 'Indigenous Women in Film' and 'Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse: Rez Style.' Profiles Jon Proudstar (Tribal Force — first all-Native superhero team, recognized by the Smithsonian), Jonathan Nelson (The Wool of Jonesy), Renee Nejo (Blood Quantum video game), and Timothy Truman (Scout). Confirms dates November 18–20, 2016.
The official event listing from the National Hispanic Cultural Center — co-host of the first-ever Indigenous Comic Con alongside Native Realities Publishing and A Tribe Called Geek. Confirms the Domenici Education Building venue, three-day schedule (Fri 2–9pm, Sat 10am–9pm, Sun 10am–6pm), and featured guests Jeffrey Veregge (Marvel's Red Wolf, IDW's GI Joe and Judge Dredd) and Arigon Starr (Super Indian, 'the longest-running Native comic book in the world'). The original event website was indigenouscomiccon.com.
The Santa Fe immersive art collective Meow Wolf posted this video calling the Indigenous Pop Expo 'one of the world's largest Native Comic Conventions' and rallying their community to back its Kickstarter campaign — an early signal of the New Mexico arts world's investment in what would become IndigiPopX.
Public radio's early announcement of the inaugural Albuquerque convention — the first public media coverage of what would become IndigiPopX, introducing the term 'Indigenerd' to a national audience.
Remezcla previews the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con in Albuquerque, highlighting its Indigenous arts and pop-culture focus and the community it was built to serve.
VICE's national feature from the inaugural Indigenous Comic Con in Albuquerque — one of the strongest early anchors documenting the event's founding mission and cultural impact.
A major profile of Dr. Lee Francis IV, Native Realities, Red Planet Books & Comics, and Indigenous Comic Con — one of the most comprehensive early portraits of the movement's founder.
Arigon Starr's official pre-event announcement for the 2nd Indigenous Comic Con — confirming November 10–12 at Isleta Casino, Albuquerque, organized by Lee Francis of Native Realities Press. Lists her two panels: 'Native Americans in Comics and Pop Culture' (with Michael Sheyahshe, Timothy Truman, and Jay Odjick) and 'Will Work for Change' (with Tim Truman). A primary source from one of the event's featured creators.
Academic history blogger Kerri Clement's on-the-ground recap of the 2nd Indigenous Comic Con, published as Native American Heritage Month coverage. Documents guests Eugene Brave Rock (Kainai, Wonder Woman film), Lalo Alcaraz (La Cucaracha, Coco), Arigon Starr, and Jon Proudstar (Tribal Force — first all-Native superhero team, exhibited at the Smithsonian NMAI). Covers film screenings of More Than a Word (mascots documentary, narrated by Frank Waln) and The Smudging, plus panels on 'The Pocahontas Problem,' zombie survival, and game design. Frames ICC within the history of harmful Native stereotypes in comics and popular media.
NPR's national broadcast of Megan Kamerick's KUNM report on the 2nd Indigenous Comic Con at Isleta Pueblo, Albuquerque. Features direct quotes from Lee Francis, Arigon Starr (on Super Indian's origin — Commodity cheese tainted with resium), Jonathan Joss (on being asked to do something about the rain on a film set), and Eugene Brave Rock (on speaking Blackfoot as his Wonder Woman character — Hello, my name is Napi). Also covers the Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse on the Rez panel with Jack Malstrom and Johnnie Jae, co-founders of A Tribe Called Geek. 3:57 audio segment with full transcript.
Indian Country Today covers the opening of Red Planet Books & Comics — the Indigenous-owned comic book store founded by Dr. Lee Francis IV in the wake of the first Indigenous Comic Con.
A preview of the third annual Indigenous Comic Con and its programming — documenting the event's growing footprint in Albuquerque's arts and culture landscape.
PBS covers the third annual Indigenous Comic Con, documenting the event's expanding programming and its role in centering Native voices in pop culture.
A deep comics-industry interview with Dr. Lee Francis IV by journalist John Seven — documenting the event's evolution from Indigenous Comic Con into IndigiPopX, the expansion to Denver and Melbourne, and Francis's vision for a week-long cultural festival on par with SXSW. Confirms the Australia event (IndigiCon Melbourne, Nov. 29, 2019) and Denver debut (July 26, 2019).
Indigenous Pop X Denver lands at the historic McNichols Civic Center Building July 26–28, in collaboration with the Denver American Indian Commission — the first time the event expanded beyond Albuquerque.
UK counterculture magazine Huck profiles Weshoyot Alvitre (Tongva) and Gregg Deal (Pyramid Lake Paiute) as central figures in a growing Indigenous comics movement — naming IndigiPopX directly as the movement's own decolonised comic-con, hosted by Dr. Lee Francis. Traces the lineage from the Indigenous Narratives Collective (Phoenix Comic-Con 2011, co-founded by Arigon Starr) through to the 2016 launch of Indigenous Comic Con, framing Indigenous comics as a continuation of pictograph, hide painting, and ledger art traditions.
A scholarly essay placing Indigenous Comic Con within a wider international Indigenous futurisms movement — the first academic documentation of the event's intellectual and cultural significance.
An audio discussion featuring Dr. Lee Francis IV and author Darcie Little Badger on Indigenous futurisms, climate fiction, and the role of speculative storytelling in Native communities.
New Mexico Magazine profiles Dr. Lee Francis IV, Native Realities Press, and Red Planet Books & Comics — a landmark feature on the ecosystem built around Indigenous Comic Con.
The Oklahoman previews IndigiPopX's arrival at the First Americans Museum — the first in-person event since COVID — highlighting the event's mission to showcase Native creatives across comics, film, music, fashion, food, and technology.
A 55-minute national radio broadcast previewing IndigiPopX's return to in-person at the First Americans Museum in OKC after the pandemic hiatus. Host Art Hughes speaks with Dr. Lee Francis IV (Laguna Pueblo), Tom Farris (Otoe-Missouria and Cherokee), Kristin Gentry (Choctaw), and video game developer Miranda Due (Pawnee and Cherokee) about Indigenous superheroes, cosplay, artists, and representation in media and entertainment.
Public event listing documenting the first IFFNW in Tacoma, Washington — hosted by Native Realities and ALMA — as IndigiPopX expanded its Pacific Northwest presence in the same year as its OKC debut.
Kevin Severin's on-the-ground TV news report from the 3-day IndigiPopX convention at FAM, with an embedded video segment and an 8-photo gallery. Highlights the full range of Indigenous creators in attendance — speakers, illustrators, writers, designers, actors, and producers — and notes the expo 'highlights just how involved Native Americans are in pop culture at every level.' Photo credit: David Young/KOKH.
Oklahoma City's First Americans Museum partners with IndigiPopX for a landmark event celebrating Indigenous creators, artists, and pop culture — drawing fans from across the region.
KOCO 5 covers IndigiPopX at the First Americans Museum, featuring interviews with artists, cosplayers, and attendees celebrating the intersection of Indigenous identity and pop culture.
Felix Clary's on-the-ground report from the IndigiPopX 2024 Reservation Dogs panel at FAM — Lane Factor, Sten Joddi, Jon Proudstar, Nathalie Standingcloud, Kaniehtiio Horn, and Richard Ray Whitman reflect on the show's family-like set culture. Also documents the Nex Benedict tribute with Two-Spirit Miss Indian Oklahoma Faithlynn Taloa Seawright and the Cherokee Youth Choir, plus a full programming rundown: Peshawn Bread's Marvel Echo Q&A, Johnnie Jae's zombie survival panel, Star Wars in Navajo, and Weyodi Oldbear & Grace Benally on Indigenous women storytellers. Co-published with Tulsa World.
Kalvin Valdillez's on-the-ground recap of IndigiPopX 2024 at the First Americans Museum in OKC: a 30-foot Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, F. Anthony Falcon's fiction-writing workshop, Rising Sons Media's music production demo, Alina Pete's tribute to the late Jeffrey Veregge (whose final story appears in her anthology), and a cosplay parade featuring a tribal council-wolfman. A vivid portrait of the Indiginerds community at full force.
A first-person essay by Two-Spirit Tsalagi writer Amber L. Hampton documenting her experience at IndigiPopX 2024 at FAM — from a Grand Celebration Ceremony honoring Nex Benedict (with the Cherokee Youth Choir) to panels on Indigenous horror with Weyodi Oldbear, Johnnie Jae, Shane Hawk, and Jim Terry; a conversation with Sadekaronhes Esquivel on the Coyote and Crow RPG; and encounters with Roy Boney Jr. and Reservation Dogs cast. Oldbear describes the experience as 'drinking from a firehose of Indigenous creativity.'
Daybreak Star Radio previews IndigiPopX 2024 at Oklahoma City's First Americans Museum (April 12–14), highlighting guests including Kaniehtiio Horn, Nathalie Standingcloud, Peshawn Bread, and Blossom Youngbear — and the event's mission to celebrate Indigenous identity as a living, vibrant force.
IndigiPopX 2024 (April 12–14, First Americans Museum) celebrates Reservation Dogs, Star Wars, cosplay and more — while dedicating its Grand Celebration to Nex Benedict, the Choctaw-descendant teen whose death sparked national conversation. Guests include Kaniehtiio Horn, Lane Factor, Roy Boney Jr. (Marvel), Danielle Boyer, and Shane Hawk.
National radio episode featuring Dr. Lee Francis IV, Tom Farris, Kristin Gentry, Connor Alexander, and Sarah Wilkinson — documenting the second OKC IndigiPopX and the event's growing national profile.
A scholarly volume from Peter Lang documenting Indigenous popular culture and Indigenous Comic Con — the first book-length academic treatment of the IndigiPopX movement.
Oklahoma City's CBS affiliate covers the second IndigiPopX at FAM, spotlighting Indigenous comic book creators, cosplay, and the growing national profile of the event.
Arigon Starr's official pre-event announcement for IndigiPop Expo 2025 at Duke University — confirming the three-day gathering (Nov. 14–16) of Native American comic creators, film, TV, and artists on the Duke campus. Notes the concurrent Duke Library exhibit 'American Indians Go Graphic' (in-person through Dec. 14, also available online), and places Arigon at Booth #6 in the exhibit area all weekend. A primary source from one of the event's returning featured creators.
Duke's Kenan Institute for Ethics launches a yearlong interdisciplinary initiative anchored by IndigiPopX (Nov. 14–16, 2025, Penn Pavilion) alongside two landmark exhibitions — 'American Indians Go Graphic' at Perkins Library (curated by Dr. Courtney Lewis & Dr. Lee Francis IV) and 'Power, Presence, and Future' at the Nasher Museum — plus programming including the Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band, Arigon Starr as Artist-in-Residence, and the musical Bear Grease. Banner art by Kristin Gentry.
Cherokee Nation citizen and artist Roy Boney Jr. received the inaugural Jeffrey Veregge Memorial Award at the IndigiPopX I-Pop Culture Awards ceremony on Nov. 15 at Duke University. The award honors creators following in Veregge's footsteps — blending Indigenous heritage with mainstream pop culture. Tom Farris hand-crafted the silversmith medallion: a Superman logo bearing the Cherokee syllabary 's' sound.
A long-form historical interview with Dr. Lee Francis IV on Indigenous popular culture, the founding of Indigenous Comic Con, and the ecosystem of initiatives built through Native Realities.
University news feature identifying Indigenous Comic Con, IWOW, Indigenous Futurisms Festival, Native Realities, and Red Planet as a connected ecosystem — part of Dr. Francis's growing university lecture circuit.
A recorded panel at the New York Society Library featuring Weyodi OldBear, Dr. Lee Francis IV, and Patty Krawec — documenting IndigiPopX's expanding presence in literary and institutional spaces.
Journalists, podcasters, and content creators covering Indigenous culture, pop culture, and community events are welcome to reach out for interviews, press credentials, and media assets.
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