The Marion Public Library is hosting the 6th ReadLocal Author Fair on Saturday, September 12, 2026, from 11 am to 2pm. The purpose of the author fair is to showcase Ohio/local authors and their work to the community. Each selected author will be provided a table space for presentation and book signing. Authors will be responsible for selling their own print works at their table.
The fair will begin with a speaking engagement by our featured author, Wes Molebash, with the public author fair to follow immediately thereafter, and the fair will close at 2:00 pm. If you are interested in participating, please fill out an application and return by July 1, 2026 to reserve your space*.
Wes Molebash has been drawing comics since the 5th grade. When he was 10, his mom bought an instructional video cassette that taught him how to draw newspaper comic strips. Wes watched that video until the tape wore out! Thanks to that video, he started drawing his own comics and sharing them with his friends and teachers at school. Later, in high school, Wes’ cartoons were published in the school newspaper. When the managing editor of the local newspaper came to speak to the journalism class, he noticed Wes’ comics and invited him to publish a daily comic strip in the Chillicothe Gazette. It was a wonderful experience for the young cartoonist.
Time passed, and in the mid-2000s Wes started pitching comics to comic book publishers. He landed a gig drawing a semi-daily web comic for a small press comics publisher, and together they published a few book collections of the strip. As a result, Wes’ books were reviewed by magazines and websites, and he was interviewed on radio shows and podcasts! Wes even went to comic book conventions and comic book stores all across the country to meet readers and sign books! Those years were very exciting.
In the 2010s, Wes struck out on his own and began freelancing and self-publishing his work. During that time, he worked with some amazing organizations like Target, The Ohio State University, and PBS Kids.
Wes’ ultimate dream finally came to fruition in 2020 when he landed a book deal with 01:First Second. His graphic novels, Travis Daventhorpe for the Win! and Travis Daventhorpe Powers Up! are now available everywhere books are sold!
When Wes isn’t drawing comics, he’s spending time with his family at their home in Southern Ohio. Wes is married to Kari, and together they have two boys—Parker and Connor—and a shaggy golden doodle named Payton.
*Email a photo of yourself and images for your book covers to be used for publicity to stitkemeier@marionlibrary.org.