Drawing Hidden Systems 

Drawing Hidden Systems 

February 28, 2026 at 1:00 pm

Have you ever wondered where electricity comes from, how the internet works, or how there’s (mostly) enough water for everyone all the time? Where did these systems come from, and how do they affect our challenges like inequality and climate change? 

Join Vermont author and artist Dan Nott for a look at these questions and more as he discusses his new nonfiction graphic novel, Hidden Systems for this all-ages event. The talk will also include visual readings from Hidden Systems that focus on the electric grid and energy uses, lessons from comics history, and information for readers and aspiring cartoonists on how to get into reading and drawing comics. 

About the presenter: Dan Nott is a cartoonist, illustrator, and educator living in Vermont. Dan’s nonfiction work uses comics to explore and untangle complex topics, and create a basis for understanding current events. His debut nonfiction graphic novel, Hidden Systems (Random House Graphic, March 2023) was selected as an Indies Next and Indies Introduce pick by the American Booksellers Association. 

He has released two comic books with the Center for Cartoon Studies (CCS), This is What Democracy Looks Like: A Graphic Guide to Governance, and Freedom and Unity: A Graphic Guide to Civics and Democracy in Vermont. He teaches at CCS.