A Week in Minneapolis in Comics

Creating art even when it's hard

I believe in creating art even when it’s hard. And it has been so hard these last three weeks in Minneapolis.

Even stuck inside with a head cold, it’s been horrible as I.C.E. continues to occupy and terrorize our city. And I’ve felt torn about making comics about it since part of me just wants to avoid the reality. But another part of me screams that it’s vital to document what’s happening, both for others to see, and for my own mental health.

I find that creating comics about painful things is often cathartic. There’s something powerful about writing a story around something challenging you’ve experienced and then reliving it when drawing it out. Some of the pain is transferred from my body onto the page, and I often feel lighter afterwards.

Some other cartoonists who have joined the I.C.E. Out Comics movement have shared how hard it was to make their comics initially, but report similar feeling of catharsis afterwards. Of course, this isn’t always the case, but when it is, it can be powerful.

Here are my three comics from this week in Minneapolis.

Sunday, January 25, 2026

Monday, January 26, 2026

Alex Pretti’s death felt so close to home since he was killed on a popular restaurant street nearby that we often frequent. I didn’t realize just how close to home it was until I learned this from neighbors:

Friday, January 30, 2026

The following comic started out as one about all the resistance activities to thwart I.C.E. that I’m seeing from my friends and neighbors. There are code names, encrypted apps, secret meeting places... But I realized the heart of that comic was really that I feel like I’m in a movie—and one where I’d like rebels to win and the credits to roll soon.

The final panel shows the “Rebel Loon” which has become a symbol of the resistance here in Minnesota. It’s based on the Rebel Alliance Starbird from Star Wars.

My 2026 motto of “Make it Easy, Make it Fun” feels almost laughable with everything going on in Minnesota, but I’m still trying to let it guide me which is why I used Star Wars in the final comic—it made it fun to draw.

You’ve gotta find joy where you can.

If you are in the position of being able to donate, here are two organizations doing important work in my area: Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota and Monarca.

My ICE Out Series:

• Week 1: What Comics Can Do When the News Is Your Neighborhood

• Week 2: The Power of Community—and Cartoonists

• Week 3: A Week in Minneapolis in Comics (this post)

• Week 4: What 200 Four-Panel Comics Taught Me About Storytelling

• Week 5: How to End a Project When the Story Isn’t Over

Explosion of I.C.E. Out Comics

I’ve been overwhelmed—and thrilled—at the explosion of the I.C.E. Out Comics movement, which I started with fellow Minneapolis cartoonists Jason Walz and Trung Le Nguyen. Two weeks ago, we made a call for cartoonist to create four panel comics about the impact of I.C.E. on themselves and their communities and use #ICEoutcomics (I wrote about it in my past two posts here and here).

And cartoonists certainly answered our call! Over 150 comics have been created in a little over two weeks. It’s was clear that cartoonists were bursting with things to say and we provided the spark and structure. I’ve been struck by the common humanity and shared experiences in the posts. It’s been so moving to read.

Süddeutsche Zeitung covered what we’re doing and included my art

We also received some international press coverage in two newspapers in Germany—Taggespiegel and Süddeutsche Zeitung. And the Daily Cartoonist covered it too.

Leif Love

Although this week has been pretty dreadful, one bright spot was Leif and Mike’s skijor race yesterday. It’s always fun to see the antics of the dogs while pulling their owners on cross-country skis. Leif did great!

Take care and keep creating.

-Katharine