Abby Kacen, aka "Mild Pain," originates from Athens, Georgia. She is a self-published cartoonist creating autobiographical and fictional comics & zines that explore the human condition. Kacen is inspired by emotional growth and the unrelenting element of change. She seeks to tell relatable and real stories, even if the characters are sometimes aliens and goblins.

Currently living in Cincinnati, Ohio, Kacen works professionally in creative arts youth education and nonprofit & community organizing. She runs a Comics Club at Indie Northern Kentucky in her spare time. Kacen also runs “Keep It Weird,” a free online resource for independent artists, and occasionally curates, edits, and publishes zines & anthologies.

Kacen holds a BFA in Interdisciplinary Art emphasizing drawing & visual storytelling and an MA in Nonprofit Management & Leadership from the University of Georgia. She constantly seeks ways to improve sustainable and accessible resources/spaces for artists while trying to grow her cartooning abilities.