comics & illustration
eric kostiuk williams is a cartoonist and illustrator based in toronto, canada. though comics are his primary focus, his practice has grown to include nightlife flyers, murals, music videos, billboard signage, and harm reduction campaigns.
eric’s comics have been featured in dazed & confused magazine, the believer, now magazine, and carousel magazine. he has contributed to several music projects, including illustrated music videos for owen pallett’s singles “paragon of order” and “fire-mare”, album artwork for fucked up’s dose your dreams, and single artwork for several electronic music releases.
eric’s work has received support from the canada council for the arts, the toronto arts council, and the ontario arts council. he was the recipient of the 2018 queer press grant for his graphic novella our wretched town hall. he is an eisner, two-time lambda literary, and three-time doug wright award finalist. recent works include criminalized lives: hiv and legal violence (written by alexander mcclelland), 2am eternal, and our wretched town hall.
for work inquiries, drop a line at ewcomics [at] gmail [dot] com
photo: lee d'angelo
publications
2024 - criminalized lives: hiv & legal violence with alex mcclelland (rutgers university press)
2023 - 2am eternal: a decade of queer nightlife posters & comics, 2012-2022 (secret acres)
2020 - quarantine comics (weekly comic strip for now magazine)
2018 - our wretched town hall (retrofit comics)
2017 - condo heartbreak disco (koyama press)
2017 - how does it feel in my arms? (czap books/grindstone comics)
2016 - babybel wax bodysuit (retrofit comics)
2014 - the collected hungry bottom comics (colour code)
2014 - hungry bottom comics 3 (self-published)
2013 - 2 fags 2 furious (self-published)
2012 - hungry bottom comics (self-published)
exhibitions
2023 - “wussies networking: some queer sensibilities” (group) - bureau of general services - queer division, new york city
2023 - “2am eternal” (wall installation) - the black eagle, toronto
2023 - “a psionic hope, an astonishing dream” (group) - trinity square video, toronto
2022 - “submissions” (group) - toutoune gallery, toronto
2020 - “bathhouse at the end of the world” (solo) - never apart gallery, montreal
2019 - “this is serious: canadian indie comics” (group) - art gallery of hamilton
2018 - “our wretched town hall” (solo) - the beguiling books & art, toronto
2018 - “valentimes” (group) - weird things, toronto
2015 - “plush replicas” (solo) - capital, toronto
2014 - “hungry bottom comics 2012-2014” (solo) - videofag, toronto
photo: giles monette
residencies
2024 - artist in residence at the pedvale art park - talsi municipality, latvia (november)
2024 - artist in residence at the kus comics residency - riga, latvia (january)
2020 - creator in residence at the canada comics open library (january)
2019 - artist in residence with the art gallery of ontario’s youth council (october-december)
recognition
grant recipient (toronto arts council, canada council for the arts, koyama provides, and prism comics’ queer press grant)
2019 - best american comics, notable books listing for “bathhouse at the end of the world”
2019 - lambda literary award finalist in “best lgbt graphic novel” for our wretched town hall
2019 - doug wright spotlight award finalist for our wretched town hall
2018 - best american comics, notable books listing for condo heartbreak disco
2018 - doug wright spotlight award nomination for condo heartbreak disco
2018 - recipient of the prism comics queer press grant for our wretched town hall
2018 - lambda literary award finalist in "best lgbt graphic novel" for condo heartbreak disco
2017 - eisner award finalist in "best single issue/one-shot" for babybel wax bodysuit
photo: jordan reimer
select illustration clients
the walrus • rutgers university press • now magazine • dazed and confused magazine • owen pallett • fucked up • aids committee of toronto • the poetry project nyc • vice • the believer magazine • queer|art|film nyc • cbc • gay men’s sexual health alliance • west end phoenix
work in anthologies & magazines
2024 - kus anthology no50, “love after life” 8pgs
2019 - the believer no136, “sos”! 8pgs
2018 - carousel magazine no40, “keep on truckin” 1pg
2018 - phile magazine no2, "bathhouse at the end of the world" 6pgs
2015 - what's your sign, girl? (ninth art press), "scorpio descends" 4pgs
2015 - shirtlifter #5 (drawn, out press), "skinlifter" 3pgs
2015 - velour: the drag magazine #1 (house of velour), "body without organs" 3pgs
2014 - qu33r (northwest press), "sissy that walk" 4pgs