Illustrated PEN

The Illustrated PEN aspires to be at the intersection of literature, journalism, and visual storytelling, where images and words come together in an ever-emerging and essential creative form. We feature fiction and nonfiction graphic narratives, comics journalism and illustrated reportage, stories of social justice, and personal stories that can’t be told through words alone.

Alpha

"I can't afford to make mistakes. I need to know precisely where I am. . . . And I always need to know exactly where I'm going." More

The Named and the Nameless

In this week's special edition of the Illustrated PEN, we present "The Named and the Nameless," a series of illustrations that accompany winning manuscripts from the 2018 Prison Writing… More

Casino Son

"The casino where dad worked kept chocolate covered peppermint sticks out as complementary breath mints. Sometimes he’d bring us some. Chocolate and mint is the flavor of feeling loved… More

Lowriders

In this week’s Illustrated PEN, Guest Editor Dave Ortega presents excerpts from artist Raúl the Third's Lowriders series. More

The Winner

"People remember the artist, and not the subject. Especially in portraits." More

Slightly Plural

"Last time this bend in the river was shady and swift, but a downed branch makes a quiet corner away from the current where life, slow and abundant, flourished… More

Lines Drawn

A series of illustrations, by parents and teachers, on negotiating the responsibility of caring for children in an era of continued school shootings. More