Hello folks,

I'm Christopher Butcher and I’m the Festival Director and co-founder of TCAF, The Toronto Comic Arts Festival. Co-founder Peter Birkemoe, a handful of staff, and dozens of volunteers and I present TCAF every two years in lovely downtown Toronto, Canada. A little over a month ago on May 9-10, 2009, we held our fourth Festival. It was a first at our new home, the Toronto Reference Library, the flagship of the 99-branch Toronto Public Library system (the largest library system in North America). Following tradition, we thought a nice note sent far and wide might be a good way to sum up this year’s Festival, and make a few announcements about the next one.

First and foremost, we think that TCAF 2009 was a great success. Our main goal with TCAF is to create a stage for the comics, art and graphic novels that we love, so they can really shine and find the audience that they deserve. Canada is a country that produces great cartoonists and comics and we’re proud that more than 250 creators, a dozen publishers, and more attendees than ever could participate in this year’s Toronto Comic Arts Festival. Despite economic concerns, TCAF 2009 proved that comics are still a boom medium, bursting with creativity, craft, and passion—and people want to come out and be a part of it!

Attendance at TCAF 2009 events more than doubled over our 2007 figures, with 10,500 TCAF-specific attendees visiting Toronto Reference Library across both days (official numbers, at that: from audited data provided by Toronto Public Library’s turnstile powers-that-be), and with over 14,000 attendees visiting TCAF-branded events in total. Feedback from guests, attendees, and partners has been overwhelmingly positive so far. While we did experience some growing pains this year (heat, crowds, traffic-flow) familiarizing ourselves with and settling in to the new
venue, we’re confident that moving forward we’ll be able to rectify these issues.

On that note, we’d like to thank all of the wonderful cartoonists, publishers, artists and writers who came out to exhibit this year. TCAF 2009 featured our largest and most diverse collection of guests to date, and as always these creators and their work are the reason there is a Festival in the first place. Thanks to our honored guests François Ayroles, Anke Feuchtenberger, Emmanuel Guibert, Derek Kirk Kim, Kid Koala/Eric San, Scott McCloud, Tara McPherson, Bryan Lee O’Malley, Paul Pope, Florent Ruppert, Seth, Adrian Tomine, and Craig Yoe. And a very special thanks especially to Mr. and Mrs. Yoshihiro Tatsumi, who overcame medical troubles to attend this Festival: you gave us a truly special event.

We’ve continued to receive amazing support from both Canada's national and Toronto's local print and online media, with many of our guests surprised at the level of coverage that we received both as an event, and around specific guests. Of particular note is the superlative support of the Arts & Life section of Canada’s National Post newspaper, who ran over a hundred biographies and Q&As of comics creators attending TCAF, several feature articles and art pages, blog and print wraps and updates -- they even live-Twittered several panels. We appreciate their support of comics and their recognition of TCAF’s prominent role in promoting the medium. These efforts, alongside coverage from TCAF Media Sponsor Eye Magazine, newspapers The Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail and L’Express, online coverage from BoingBoing, Torontoist, BlogTO, NOW, Publishers Weekly, Quill and Quire, Sequential, Walrus, The Comics Reporter, dozens of blogs, thousands of tweets, and the fine folks at Open Books Toronto and WHAZAMO! declaring May GRAPHIC NOVEL MONTH, created unprecedented awareness not only of TCAF, but of the hundreds of publishers and cartoonists at the event. Thank you!

Peter and I would like to thank all of our sponsors and partner organizations, and especially TCAF Presenting Sponsor, Toronto Public Library (TPL). TPL graciously donated the use of the beautiful, airy Toronto Reference Library building to act as our venue for the main exhibition and programming. Holding TCAF at Toronto Reference Library re-enforces the fact that TCAF is completely FREE for the public to attend. We’ve long maintained that making the show free removes the barriers to entry for anyone who might be interested in the medium of comics and graphic novels, and by partnering with an organization that offers free access to a fantastic, comprehensive collection of the best comics literature all year-round, we've found a great partner in our goals. TCAF strives to present a broad, accessible, and varied view of comics and it is with the support of TPL and their staff—particularly tireless Director of Communications Ab Velasco—that we were able to reach more people with our message than ever before. Thank you. Thanks also to our sponsors at Harbourfront Centre, Owlkids, Le Consulate General de France a Toronto, the Goethe-Institut, Eye Weekly, The Japan Foundation, Magic Pony, Teletoon Canada, and of course, The Beguiling Books and Art: You supported us with great guests, with great venues, great programming, and so much more.

As the public face of TCAF, I often get a lot of the credit and praise directed at the event (the complaints too!), but there are a number of people who help put this show together that don’t always get the credit they deserve. Foremost amongst those people is Steven Murray (aka Chip Zdarsky), who went above and beyond this year to help us put together weeks and months worth of projects related to the Festival. He is a wonderful artist, writer, designer and friend, and we are sorry for making him uncomfortable with this praise but: We literally could not have done what we did without you.

Thanks also go out to: our 2009 Festival Poster Artist Bryan Lee O’Malley; Emmanuel Guibert for lending us Sardine for our Comics Festival! comic; Professor Andrew Lesk for organizing a fantastic academic program; Jocelyne Allen for superb Japanese translation skills; our many programming hosts and moderators including: Bill Kartalopoulos, Deb Aoki, Bart Beaty, Mark Askwith, Mark D. Nevins, Mark Siegel, Douglas Wolk, Jose Villarrubia, Jason Azzopardi, Stacy E. King, Jim Zubkavich, and Robin McConnell; The hosts and staff of The 2009 Doug Wright Awards for throwing an excellent event Saturday evening; our 2009 Festival Staff including Logistics Coordinators Rob Broughton and Sean Rogers, Kids Programming Coordinators Scott Robins and Naseem Hrab, Volunteer Coordinator Andrew Woodrow-Butcher; Parrish Kilthei for his A/V assistance; the staff of The Beguiling; Kate Dickson from Teletoon Canada; Peggy Burns from Drawn & Quarterly for all of her help coordinating an incredibly busy schedule; and the shrewd advice of Nathalie Atkinson. We had an army of talented, passionate volunteers again this year who helped to ensure that things went as smoothly as they possibly could, and we greatly appreciate their contribution to making the event a success (and that they happily wore the ketchup 'n' mustard-coloured TCAF t-shirts). We hope that all of you will come out and be a part of next year’s event.

That’s right, the next Toronto Comic Arts Festival will be held Saturday May 8^th and Sunday May 9^th, 2010, at Toronto Reference Library. YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST. And yes, we know that's Mother's Day… All of the cool moms read comics.

What, so soon, you ask? Following up on feedback from our partners, our guests, our staff, and attendees, we’ve decided to build on the incredible momentum of having a new home and incredibly supportive presenting sponsor in Toronto Public Library, and produce our first annual show. This is something of an experiment for us, and I can’t say for sure that we’re “going annual” with the event, but we feel that a 2010 event is the best course of action to ensure that TCAF stays a fun, vital, and prominent festival both within the city of Toronto and in the larger comics community. That's around the corner so we'll be running a tight ship, and further details about TCAF 2010 (including exhibitor application & information) will be released later this summer.

Thanks again to everyone who made the 2009 Toronto Comic Arts Festival such a fantastic success. We greatly appreciate your support, your promotion of the festival through great word of mouth and online, and your attendance. We’ll do our best to keep putting together a great show.

Thanks,

Christopher Butcher, Festival Director
Toronto Comic Arts Festival

On behalf of the executive, staff, and volunteers of TCAF

Saturday May 9^th

10:00am-5:00pm: Academic Programming Stream, Andrew Lesk, University of Toronto

This semi-private stream of programming featuring noted academics working in the fields of comics and art will occur during all open hours of TCAF. A full schedule will be posted, and seating preference will be given to registered attendees of this programming. 5 minutes before each programming session, a survey of available space will be taken and general TCAF attendees will be allowed to fill and unused seating.

Learning Centre 2

 

10:15am-11:15am: Concept Comics: Abstract Comics Ideas

Comics have been described as a hybrid medium that performs an elaborate show and tell – with concrete images covering the “show” part of this equation, and abstract language the “tell.”  But a number of artists have recalibrated the formal elements of comics to concretely portray intangible concepts, from emotional states and sensory perceptions to mathematical concepts and abstract ideologies. Bill Kartalopoulos will investigate the challenges and opportunities of communicating abstract ideas in the comics form with artists Tom Kaczynski, Scott McCloud, Dash Shaw and Jason Shiga.

Learning Centre 1

 

10:30am-11:30am: The Secret History of Manga in North America!

It's been more than 30 years since the first manga was translated into English. How did it all happen? From MixxZine to Raijin, from Astro Boy to OEL, join Jason Thompson (Manga: The Complete Guide) on a visual time machine full of dreamers, self-publishers, antiwar activists, and ninja. Lots of ninja.

TCAF Gallery

 

11:15am-12:30pm: Spotlight: Anke Feuchteberger

German artist and TCAF Guest of Honour Anke Feuchtenberger is equally at home in the worlds of comics and fine art. This creator has had a long, varied, and fascinating career, from creating very political art on the other side of the iron curtain to her contemporary gallery showings and comics releases. ICAF member Mark D. Nevins will interview Anke in a panel designed to illuminate her life and work, and welcome newcomers to it. A spirited Q&A will cap-off the session.

Learning Centre 1.

 

11:30pm-12:30pm: Manga Around The World! International Perspectives on Manga

Cartoonist and About.com Manga guide Deb Aoki hosts a panel of international manga creators from across the globe including Antoine Dodé (Armelle et Mon Oncle), Becky Cloonan (Demo), Eric Ko (UDON Entertainment), Bryan Lee O’Malley (Scott Pilgrim), Jason Thompson (Manga: The Complete Guide).

TCAF Gallery

 

12:30pm-1:30pm: Awesome Comix!

Join Frank Santoro, Robin McConnell, Dash Shaw, Dustin Harbin and Robert Dayton for a look at how mainstream comics of the silver and bronze age have a relevance and impact on modern alternative comics. The panel will explore the legacy of some of the more interesting "mainstream" work from the 70's through to the 90's.

Learning Centre 1

 

12:30pm-2:00pm: Spotlight: Emmanuel Guibert

Join international superstar comics creator Emmanuel Guibert as he discusses his groundbreaking new graphic novel The Photogapher. The Photographer relates the story of Didier Lefevre, a photo-journalist covering a Doctor Without Borders mission in 1980's Afghanistan. Guibert incorporates Lefevre's actual photos into the comics narrative to create a compelling, evocative, and deep work on this very serious subject. Guibert will discuss the work with moderator Bart Beaty.

TCAF Gallery

 

1:30pm-2:30pm: Books For Boys: Graphic Novels for Reluctant Readers

Sure the girls are reading graphic novels now, but what about the boys? Creators Eric Wight (Frankie Pickle and the Closet of Doom), Frank Cammuso (Knights of the Lunch Table), Chad Solomon (The Adventures of Rabbit and Bearpaws) and J. Torres (Batman: The Brave and the Bold) discuss writing for a boy audience and the tricks they use to turn reluctant readers into lifelong readers. Moderated by Good Comics For Kids/SLJ blogger, Scott Robins.

TCAF Gallery

 

2:00pm-3:30pm: Scott McCloud: FAQ

Being one of the most public faces for the entire comics industry can be tough! Luckily, Scott McCloud is up to the challenge! The author of Understanding Comics, Making Comics, and ZOT! will be talking and taking questions from the audience! Have you ever had a question for Scott McCloud? What IS comics anyway? Well here’s your chance to ask Scott! A spirited discussion is sure to be held. Moderator TBA.

TCAF Gallery

 

2:00pm-3:00pm: DIY Comics Seminar, with Willow Dawson

Need a kickstart to your comics project but not sure where to start? Willow Dawson (No Girls Allowed, 100 Mile House) explains the process of making a comic from idea to script to finished art. Then you put what you’ve learned to the test and create your own short comics, mini-comics and ‘zines.

Toronto Star Presentation Area, Lower Level

 

2:30pm-3:30pm: Spotlight on Francois Ayroles and Florent Ruppert.

Please join us in welcoming TCAF Guests of Honour Francois Ayroles and Florent Ruppert in their first appearance at a North American comics event! Francois Ayroles is the author of the debuting-at-TCAF work Key Moments from the History of Comics, and Florent Ruppert is one half of the cartooning duo Ruppert and Mulot, whose work has appeared in Kramers Ergot 7. Ayroles and Ruppert will be interviewed by Dr. Bart Beaty, eurocomics critic for Comicsreporter.com and author of Unpopular Culture: Transforming the European Comic Book in the 1990s.

TCAF Gallery Space

 

3:30pm-5:00pm: Storytelling Workshop, with Mark Siegel

Join First Second Books Editor-in-Chief Mark Siegel in a combination lecture/workshop on storytelling in graphic novels. Aspiring creators and established professionals alike are sure to find enjoy Mark’s presentation, as he discusses the difference in storytelling between graphic novels in Asia, Europe, and North America, and what we have to learn from one another. Note: Attendance for this workshop is strictly limited to 60 participants. Participants must register at the main registration desk before 12noon.

Learning Centre 1

 

3:30pm-4:30pm: Spotlight: Craig Yoe

Craig Yoe is a cartoonist, designer, and comics archivist whose most recent project has ignited a storm of controversy and interest! The book is Secret Identity: The Fetish Drawings of Superman’s Co-Creator Joe Shuster, and features truly shocking—and yet undeniably important—drawings by Shuster made at a difficult time in the creator’s life. Done for the magazines that may have single-handedly kicked off the anti-comics crusades that nearly destroyed the comics industry in the 1950s, this book is a revelation for classic comics and superhero fans. Yoe will be interviewed by Douglas Wolk, noted critic and author of Reading Comics: How Graphic Novels Work and What They Mean.

TCAF Gallery

 

7:00pm-9:00pm: Event: Comic Books Are Totally Gay!

What’s gay about comic books? Everything! From Batman and Robin right up to 300 Spartans and Dykes To Watch Out For. Meet queer comics creators Liz Baille (My Brain Hurts), J. Bone (Jett Vector), Tim Fish (Cavalcade of Boys), Justin Hall (Hard To Swallow), Steve MacIsaac (Shirtlifter), and Erika Moen (Dar: A Girly Comic) as they read from their newest works. Then Alan Moore collaborator Jose Villarrubia will lead all of the creators in a spirited conversation about what’s queer in comics, both on the page and behind the scenes.

This event takes place off-site at Fire On The East Side Bar & Restaurant, 6 Gloucester Street, 4 blocks south of Toronto Reference Library.

 

Sunday May 10^th

11:15am-12:00pm: Storybook Theatre, with Hilary Leung, David Bruins and Matt Hammill

Join creators Hilary Leung & David Bruins as they read from their picture book The Legend of Ninja Cowboy Bear and play the Ninja Cowboy Bear game! Then, Matt Hammill, author-illustrator of the critically acclaimed picture book Sir Reginald’s Logbook, will take kids on an imaginative journey…involving monsters!

Owlkids Day Gallery Space

 

11:30am-1:00pm: All About Eurocomics!

Join professor Bart Beaty, author of the book Unpopular Culture: Transforming the European Comic Book in the 1990s in this introduction to, and exploration of, the world of Bande Desinee and European Comic Books. Joining him are all of TCAF’s wonderful European cartoonists, including Florent Ruppert (Panier de Singe), Francois Ayroles (Les Amis), Anke Feuchtenberger (W The Whore), Emmanuel Guibert (The Photographer), Antoine Dode (Armele), and Jose Villarrubia (The Mirror of Love).

Learning Centre 1

 

11:30am-12:30pm: Will Libraries Save Graphic Novels?

In this time of economic uncertainty, graphic novel publishers are looking to librarians for their support. Join panelists Jim Ottaviani (creator, T-Minus: The Race to the Moon), Lisa Heggum (librarian, Toronto Public Library), Douglas Davey (librarian, Halton Hills Public Library), Kent Allin (teacher, Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board), Diana Malizewski (teacher, Toronto District School Board) and Scott Robins (blogger, Good Comics for Kids/SLJ) as they discuss the current and future role of graphic novels in school and public libraries. Moderated by The Beguiling’s Library Services Coordinator, Jason Azzopardi.

Learning Centre 2

 

12:00pm-1:00pm: Owlkids: Kids Draw!

Feel like drawing? Clayton Hanmer (CTON’s Super A-Maze-ing Year of Crazy Comics!), Scott Chantler (Three Thieves), Patricia Storms (The Pirate and the Penguin) and Wendy Ding (Chirp magazine) demonstrate the basics of cartooning… with your help! Watch them create awesome art right before your very eyes. Moderated by Naseem Hrab of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre.

Owlkids Day Gallery Space

 

12:30pm-1:30pm: Graphic Novels for Young Adults
Creators of young adult comics and graphic novels discuss what it’s like to write, illustrate and create for teen readers. Panelists include Nate Powell (Swallow Me Whole), Cecil Castellucci (The Plain Janes), Derek Kirk Kim (Eternal Sunshine), Jeff Lemire (The Essex County Trilogy) and Mariko Tamaki (Skim). Moderated by Stacy King, middle grade author and Marketing Manager of UDON Kids.

Learning Centre 2

 

1:00pm-2:30pm: Newspapers, Comic Books, and The Internet.

Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the past few years, you know that newspapers—and especially editorial cartoonists and daily comic strips—are undergoing a radical change thanks to the Internet. Comic books are facing this sea-change as well, and everyone wants to know what’s going to happen. What’s next? Luckily, we’ve got the answer. We’ve assembled a crack team of panelists to discuss the future of newspapers, the future of comics, and their possible future on the internet.

On the panel is R. Stevens, the creator of the webcomic Diesel Sweeties. He entered into a deal with United Features Syndicate to distribute his comic in newspapers, and ultimately left that deal to concentrate on his web efforts. Joining him will be: Scott McCloud, author of Understanding Comics and the controversial futurist text Reinventing Comics; Stuart Immonen, an accomplished “mainstream” comics artist on Marvel’s Ultimate Spider-Man, and also a self-publisher who prints his own books and comics, and serializes work online; Brendan Buford, Comics Editor for King Features Syndicate, and a cartoonist, publisher, and someone who works with mainstream book publishers; and John Martz, co-creator of Drawn.ca and Chair of the Canadian Chapter of The National Cartoonist Society. The panel will be moderated by Steven Murray, writer, illustrator, self-publisher, webcomics artist, and cartoonist and journalist for Canada’s National Post newspaper.

Learning Centre 1

 

1:00pm-1:30pm: Eric Wight Presents: Frankie Pickle and the Closet of Doom!

Meet Frankie Pickle, the kid with the most amazing imagination! Eric Wight will introduce fans to this brand new character for young readers with a reading from The Closet of Doom and a live drawing presentation.

Owlkids Day Gallery Space

 

1:30pm-2:30pm: Going to School For Comics

Are there benefits to going to an institute of higher educated in order to learn… comic books? We’ll meet several graduates of art, illustration, and comics-specific programs who do comics, as they talk about their experiences in art school, and how they’ve applied them to their comics career. Panelists include Lucy Knisely, Ross Campbell, Ginette LaPalme, Tom Humberstone. Moderated by Douglas Wolk.

Learning Centre 2

 

1:30pm-2:00pm: Alexis Frederick-Frost Presents: Adventures in Cartooning!

Can you draw simple things like trees, fish and candy? If your answer is YES, then Alexis Frederick-Frost will show you the basics of how to turn your doodles into comics to share with your friends.

Owlkids Day Gallery Space

 

1:30pm-2:30pm: Reading: Cecil Castellucci

Cecil Castellucci is the author of the young adult graphic novels The P.L.A.I.N Janes and Janes In Love, and a plethora of great YA Novels! Join Cecil as she reads from her works in this special presentation for the Toronto Comic Arts Festival!

Toronto Star Presentation Area, Lower Level

 

2:00pm-2:30pm: John Mejias Presents: Paping: A Puppet Show!

John Mejias. Owlkids Day Gallery Space

 

2:00pm-3:30pm: Signing: Kid Koala and Paul Pope.

The Toronto Comic Arts Festival is proud to present musician, turntablist, and cartoonist Kid Koala at this exclusive signing! Joining him for the signing will be TCAF Guest of Honour Paul Pope, author of 100%, Heavy Liquid, and THB.

Beguiling Signing Area, 2^nd Floor

 

2:30pm-3:00pm: Cartoonists and Cartoons: Comics Artists Who Animate!

What are the ties between comics and animation? Do all comic artists secretly want to be animators? Do all animators want to do comics? Which one is “just the day job?” We’ll meet comics creators and animators including Graham Annable, Faith Erin Hicks, Brian Envinou, and Paul Rivoche as they discuss the ins and outs of both industries. Moderated by Jim Zubkavich.

Learning Centre 1

 

2:30pm-3:30pm: Editing Comics

The role of a comics editor – particularly in auteur-driven comics – is as varied and difficult to define as it is important and influential. Panelists Alvin Buenventura, Brendan Burford, Tom Devlin and Greg Means will join moderator Bill Kartalopoulos to discuss various forms of editing, from editing individual pieces, anthologies, and daily comic strips to choosing artists and books for publication.

Learning Centre 2

 

2:30pm-3:30pm: Spotlight: Emmanuel Guibert’s SARDINE!

Join the author of the hilarious SARDINE series, Emmanuel Guibert in an interactive presentation as he speaks all about the goofy adventures of this red-headed space heroine—a feast for the imagination of young readers.

Owlkids Day Gallery Space

 

3:30pm-5:00pm: TELETOON’s Superfan Fridays Presents: The Many Incarnations of The Batman

The Batman has been a consistently popular character since his introduction in 1939. But who is The Batman? Is he a dark and brooding vigilante? A bright and fun character for kids? A kitsch icon doing the “Bat-Tusi”? Yes! There are an unlimited number of interpretations and incarnations of The Batman, and in this panel we’ll the creators who bring The Batman to life! Join Paul Pope, author of the century-spanning Batman Year 100, J. Torres, writer of the comic book Batman: The Brave and The Bold based on the new cartoon, J. Bone, artist for DC Superfriends and Justice League: The New Frontier, and Paul Rivoche, background artist and designer for various Batman cartoon series including “Batman: The Animated Series,” “Batman Beyond,” and “The New Frontier.”

Learning Centre 1

 

3:30pm-4:30pm: Critics Roundtable.

A panel of top comics critics will address general issues facing comics criticism today and will discuss several new and recent works – including the new Doug Wright anthology and David Mazzucchelli’s forthcoming Asterios Polyp – in a lively roundtable conversation. Bart Beaty, Jeet Heer, Dan Nadel and Douglas Wolk will share their acute critical insights with moderator Bill Kartalopoulos.

Learning Centre 2

 

3:30pm-4:30pm: Kids Draw!

Do you wanna learn how to draw? Join a fantastic lineup of kids’ cartoonists as they teach kids the basics of cartooning! Cartoonists include Frank Cammuso (Knights of the Lunch Table), Tom Fowler (MAD Magazine), John Martz (Drawn.ca, Kayak magazine) and Kean Soo (Jellaby). Moderated by Naseem Hrab of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre.

Owlkids Day Gallery Space

4:30pm-5:00pm: Reading: Miriam Libicki

Joing Miriam Libicki, author of jobik! an american girl’s adventures in the israeli army as she reads from her politically-charged work.

Learning Center 2

Who doesn't like free graphic novels and free concert tickets?

The National Post is giving away three prize packs featuring a selection of books being launched at this weekend's Toronto Comic Arts Festival, as well as a pair of tickets to see Kid Koala at Lee's Palace Thursday Night!

To enter, head on over to:

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/afterword/archive/2009/05/04/our-fabulous-tcaf-2009-giveaway.aspx. 

Bonne Chance!

- Chris

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Toronto Public Library Presents

THE 2009 TORONTO COMIC ARTS FESTIVAL
Saturday May 9th , 10am-5pm
Sunday May 10th, 11am-5pm
Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge St., Toronto, Canada

FREE TO ATTEND

WWW.TORONTOCOMICS.COM

SECRET IDENTITY: Fetish Art of Superman’s Co-Creator at Toronto Comic Arts Festival
Author and archivist Craig Yoe attends TCAF to promote his surprising new work

TORONTO, Canada – A last-minute guest announcement brings Craig Yoe, author of the surprising new comics biography/history book SECRET IDENTITY: The Fetish Art of Superman’s Co-Creator Joe Shuster to The 2009 Toronto Comic Arts Festival to promote his work. Yoe, a noted archivist and the author of more than 30 books on the history of comics, will be on hand both days to sign copies of his work, and will be interviewed in a special panel discussion spotlighting the book, hosted by noted journalist and author Douglas Wolk.

Secret Identity: The Fetish Art of Superman’s Co-creator Joe Shuster (Abrams ComicArts; April 2009; U.S. $24.95 CAN $27.50; Jacketed hardcover; 160 pages, dist. in Canada by Canadian Manda Group), is a Spring 2009 release that reveals that legendary comic book artist Joe Shuster also illustrated a series of S&M/bondage publications called Nights of Horror in the early 1950s. The discovery of this artwork and the story behind it, uncovered by Yoe, reveals for the first time the “secret identity” of this revered comics creator, the magazine he worked for, and the path towards The U.S. Senate Subcommittee that almost destroyed comics forever!

Craig Yoe will be exhibiting at The Toronto Comic Arts Festival on Saturday May 9^th, from 10am-5pm, and Sunday May 10^th, from 11am-5pm, at Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge Street. Craig Yoe will also be the subject of the special panel discussion “Spotlight: Craig Yoe and the Fetish Art of Joe Shuster”, Saturday afternoon at 2pm in Toronto Reference Library’s Gallery Space. The panel will be hosted by Douglas Wolk, freelance writer and critic for The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and Salon.com, and author of the book Reading Comics: How Graphic Novels Work.

Yoe is added to an already spectacular line-up of more than 200 comics authors and cartoonists that will be exhibiting, signing, reading, and presenting their work at TCAF. As always, the event is free to attend.

ABOUT:

Craig Yoe runs the New York design firm YOE! Studio with Clizia Gussoni, and is the author of over 30 books, including The Art of Mickey Mouse. Yoe has won the Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators, two Addys, a Mobius, and an Eisner Award.

Douglas Wolk is a freelance journalist and critic whose writings on music and comics have appeared in The New York Times, Publishers Weekly, Rolling Stone, and Salon.com. His most recent book is Reading Comics: How Graphic Novels Work and What They Mean, published in 2007 by Da Capo Press.

ABOUT THE TORONTO COMIC ARTS FESTIVAL:

First held in 2003, The Toronto Comic Arts Festival was conceived to provide interaction between the creative community and the public, and was modeled on similar festivals around the world. TCAF 2009 will take place at Toronto Reference Library, at 789 Yonge St. just North of Bloor Street in the heart of the city. The Festival will feature over 15,000 square feet of attractions within the Reference Library complex, more than 200 cartoonists, and more than two weeks of programming and events leading up to the 2-day exhibition extravaganza!

Canadian cartoonists are recognized as among the best in the world, particularly in the fields of manga and alternative comics. TCAF is Canada’s opportunity to not only promote and celebrate homegrown artistic talent, but also to broaden its scope and showcase creators from the US and abroad, many in Toronto for the first time.  This prestigious gathering of artists will attract an international and national audience.

PRESS:

For more information about this book or to interview Craig Yoe, please contact Katrina Weidknecht at 212.229.8812 or email kweidknecht@abramsbooks.com.

For more information or press inquiries about The 2009 Toronto Comic Arts Festival, please contact 2009@torontocomics.com, or Christopher Butcher or Peter Birkemoe at 416-533-9168.

COMPLETE PRESS RELEASE FOR SECRET IDENTITY FOLLOWS:

--

For Immediate Release                                                 Contact: Katrina Weidknecht
                                                                                                Executive Director Publicity
                                                                                                212.229.8812
                                                                                                kweidknecht@abramsbooks.com
  

New Book Secret Identity Reveals Superman’s Co-creator
Joe Shuster Illustrated Notorious S&M/Bondage Publications

By Craig Yoe, with an introduction by Stan Lee

Secret Identity: The Fetish Art of Superman’s Co-creator Joe Shuster (Abrams ComicArts; April 2009; U.S. $24.95 CAN $27.50; Jacketed hardcover; 160 pages), a new book by artist, designer, and comics historian Craig Yoe, reveals that legendary comic book artist Joe Shuster also illustrated a series of S&M/bondage publications called Nights of Horror in the early 1950s. The discovery of this artwork and the story behind it, uncovered by Yoe, reveals for the first time the “secret identity” of this revered comics creator, and is sure to change the way we look at Shuster and his creations—Superman, Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, and Jimmy Olsen—forever.

A few years ago Yoe came upon an issue of Nights of Horror in a dusty box in the back of a used-book store. Although the illustrations weren’t signed, he instantly recognized the artist who drew them. Yoe diligently tracked down a full set of these rare publications, and promptly showed them to several other experts who immediately confirmed the drawings as Shuster’s.
 
In Secret Identity, Yoe reveals the story of how Shuster, the man who, along with writer Jerry Siegel, co-created Superman, went from drawing the “Man of Steel” to illustrating these publications—material that he discovered inspired a group of neo-Nazi juvenile delinquents known as the Brooklyn Thrill Killers. Inspired by scenes they saw in the Nights of Horror magazines, the gang horse-whipped girls in the park, set vagrants on fire, and murdered two of them. The anti-comics crusader Dr. Fredric Wertham (who wrote Seduction of the Innocent) was drafted by the courts to interview the brains of the gang, Jack Koslow—a Jewish teenager who sported a Hitler moustache. The police then raided the bookshops in Times Square that carried Nights of Horror. The obscenity case went all the way up to the Supreme Court, which banned the books and ordered they be destroyed. Soon a U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency was established in 1953 and, along with Wertham, was tasked with investigating the problem, which almost destroyed the comic book industry.

Secret Identity opens with an introduction by comic book legend Stan Lee, who was as stunned by the revelation of this material as everyone else who has seen it. The book reproduces illustrations from all 16 issues of Nights of Horror, along with a few other publications that Shuster created after the court case. The similarity of the images to the likenesses of Shuster’s earlier super hero work is unmistakable, only here they take on bizarre, violent, and erotic scenarios. The book traces Shuster’s life and career from the origins of Superman in a poor neighborhood in Cleveland, Ohio, to its wildly popular success, to the lawsuit Shuster and Siegel later brought against DC Comics to reclaim their copyright, which they eventually lost. Yoe documents the failures, disappointments, and predilections in Shuster’s later life, which may have led to—or at least in some part might explain—his decision to illustrate scenarios so far from the super-hero ideal he helped to define.

Did Shuster just need the money, or was this artwork a dark part of his personality that found an outlet in the anonymous and sordid illustrations he produced for the Nights of Horror? Secret Identity reveals a fascinating story filled with remarkable and never-before-seen drawings from a beloved master of super-hero comics.

About the Book:
Secret Identity: The Fetish Art of Superman’s Co-creator Joe Shuster
By Craig Yoe
Introduction by Stan Lee
Abrams ComicArts; April 2009
U.S. $24.95 CAN $27.50
Jacketed Hardcover
160 pages; over 150 duotone illustrations
 
About the Author:
Craig Yoe runs the New York design firm YOE! Studio with Clizia Gussoni, and is the author of over 30 books, including The Art of Mickey Mouse. Yoe has won the Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators, two Addys, a Mobius, and an Eisner Award.

For more information about this book or to interview Craig Yoe, please contact Katrina Weidknecht at 212.229.8812 or email kweidknecht@abramsbooks.com

#         #          #

ABRAMS
The Art of Books Since 1949
Founded by Harry N. Abrams in 1949, ABRAMS was the first company in the United States to specialize in the creation and distribution of art and illustrated books. Now a subsidiary of La Martinière Groupe, the company publishes visually stunning illustrated books in the areas of art, photography, cooking, interior and garden design, craft, architecture, entertainment, fashion, sports, pop culture, as well as children’s books and general interest titles. The company’s imprints include Abrams, Abrams ComicArts,  Abrams Image, Abrams Books for Young Readers, Amulet Books, Stewart, Tabori & Chang, and STC Craft/A Melanie Falick Book. Abrams also distributes books for The Vendome Press, Victoria & Albert Museum, Tate, Royal Academy of Arts, Booth-Clibborn Editions, Five Continents and others.
www.abramsbooks.com

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Update! The Magic Pony Gallery & Shop Art Opening and Signing with Tara McPherson will now be held at their new space, Narwhal Art Projects, at 680 Queen Street West. It will run from 6pm-9pm, with Tara McPherson signing from 6pm-8pm.

The 2009 Doug Wright Awards for Excellence in Canadian Cartooning
Saturday, May 9th, 7pm-9pm
@ The Art Gallery of Ontario, Jackman Hall
317 Dundas Street West, Toronto
Admission is now FREE! Admission courtesy of The Department of History of Art and Architecture, Harvard University
Tickets available at TCAF and the door

The 2009 Doug Wright Awards, honouring the best in Canadian comics and graphic novels, will be handed out in a ceremony at the Art Gallery of Ontario’s Jackman Hall on Saturday, May 9th in Toronto as part of the Toronto Comics Arts Festival (TCAF). 

The event will be hosted by filmmaker Don McKellar and will feature Stuart McLean as a special guest presenter. The 2009 awards are juried by Bob Rae, Andrew Coyne, Martin Levin, Joe Ollmann, and Diana Tamblyn.

It will also serve as the official launch of Drawn and Quarterly's new book, The Collected Doug Wright: Canada's Master Cartoonist; featuring an on-stage discussion with the book's creative team, cartoonist Seth, biographer Brad Mackay and D+Q publisher Chris Oliveros. 

Admission is Free, courtesy of The Department of History of Art and Architecture, Harvard University. Signings - for The Collected Doug Wright and the winning nominees - will take place immediately after the show.

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY FOR EVERYONE
Saturday, May 2nd, from Noon-5pm
@ The Beguiling, 601 Markham Street, Near Bloor & Bathurst
FREE!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Toronto Public Library Presents
THE 2009 TORONTO COMIC ARTS FESTIVAL
Saturday May 9th , 10am-5pm
Sunday May 10th, 12pm-5pm
Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge St., Toronto, Canada
FREE TO ATTEND

WWW.TORONTOCOMICS.COM

Kid Koala Kicks-Off and Closes TCAF
Montreal musician and graphic novelist brings a loud party, quiet work, to 2009 Toronto Comic Arts Festival

TORONTO, Canada – What better way to get people excited about The 2009 Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) than a great big indoor block party by Turntablist, Musician, and Cartoonist Kid Koala? TCAF is going to be a spectacular two-day festival celebrating all things comic book and graphic novel, and has invited back the author of 2005’s hit graphic novel Nufonia Must Fall (ECW Press) to be a part of the show with his international LOUD PARTY/QUIET WORK tour!

KID KOALA’S LOUD PARTY: Get up! Get down! Indoor block party!
TCAF Kick-Off Party!
Brought to you by Live Nation
Lee’s Palace – Thursday, May 7^th
Doors 8:30pm, Show 9:30pm
Tickets $18.50 (incl. GST), General Admission, 19+
Available at Rotate This, Ticketmaster, or Livenation.com

A loud shake it loose turntable dance party at Lee’s Palace. Join us for a night of short-attention-span party rockin' and wreckin' on 4 record players with actual stacks of wax spun by Kid Koala! There will be dancing, scratching and much hoopla including the first Nufonia pillow fight and a raffle with real prizes! Bring your dancing shoes and some smiles and come on down and make some noise!

QUIET WORK: Kid Koala’s Music To Draw To... soiree
In association with the Toronto Comic Arts Festival
The Central, 603 Markham Street – Monday, May 11^th
6:00pm-11:00pm, $5 Admission at the Door
Get There Early, Space is Limited!

This event will be quiet and creative… 5 hour set of quiet time tunes to work to by Kid Koala... Bring your sketchbook, yarn or that lump of clay and come on down and get some work done. Five bucks admission includes a free cup of hot chocolate and a pencil. Baked goods will be provided by Corinne, Kid Koala's wife, who dreams of someday opening a bakery in Montreal but would like to test some of her new creations first. Quiet people are invited. No dancing.

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Kid Koala returns to TCAF after debuting his Nufonia Must Fall graphic novel at the 2005 Festival, which offered an unprecedented level of interaction between Koala and his fans as he spun records and drew while engaging graphic novel and music aficionados alike. In addition to the TCAF kick-off LOUD PARTY on May 7^th and the Music To Draw To... quiet-time post-show chill-out, Kid Koala will be signing for fans at the Festival itself, on Sunday May 10^th from 2pm to 3:30pm, at Toronto Reference Library (780 Yonge. St. At Yonge/Bloor TTC Station).

ABOUT KID KOALA:

Back in 1996, Kid Koala became the first North American artist signed to UK label Ninja Tune. His incredible skill, innovation, and performance style led him to attract attention from those outside the club community. His releases include “Carpal Tunnel Syndrome” (which featured a video game and 32-page comic book by Kid Koala himself), “Some of My Best Friends are DJs”, and most recently “Your Mom’s Favourite DJ”. He is also the author of Nufonia Must Fall, a 350-page graphic novel with accompanying soundtrack.

ABOUT THE TORONTO COMIC ARTS FESTIVAL:

First held in 2003, The Toronto Comic Arts Festival was conceived to provide interaction between the creative community and the public, and was modeled on similar festivals around the world. TCAF 2009 will take place at Toronto Reference Library, at 789 Yonge St. just North of Bloor Street in the heart of the city. The Festival will feature over 15,000 square feet of attractions within the Reference Library complex, more than 200 cartoonists, and more than two weeks of programming and events leading up to the 2-day exhibition extravaganza!

Canadian cartoonists are recognized as among the best in the world, particularly in the fields of manga and alternative comics. TCAF is Canada’s opportunity to not only promote and celebrate homegrown artistic talent, but also to broaden its scope and showcase creators from the US and abroad, many in Toronto for the first time. This prestigious gathering of artists will attract an international and national audience.

PRESS:

For more information on Kid Koala, please visit http://www.kidkoala.com.

For more information on Kid Koala at Lee’s Palace, contact Brian Low – 416.260.5700, brianlow@livenation.com. For Press/Media accreditation for Kid Koala at Lee’s Palace, please email Kathy O’Donnell - kathyodonnell@livenation.com.

For more information or press inquiries about The 2009 Toronto Comic Arts Festival, please contact 2009@torontocomics.com, or Christopher Butcher or Peter Birkemoe at 416-533-9168.

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Doug Wright Awards Booth: Signing Schedule
On Saturday May 9th, the following nominees for the 2009 Doug Wright Awards will be signing at the DWA booth:

10:00am–10:30 Ray Fenwick Hall of Best Knowledge (Pigskin Peters Award nominee) & Tom Horacek All We Ever Do is Talk About Wood (Pigskin Peters Award nominee)

10:45–11:15 Matthew Forsythe Ojingogo (Pigskin Peters Award nominee)

11:30–12:00 Kate Beaton History Comics, www.harkavagrant.com (Best Emerging Talent nominee)

12:00–12:30 Dave Lapp Drop-in (Best Book nominee)

1:00–1:30 Jesse Jacobs Blue Winter, Shapes in the Snow (Best Emerging Talent nominee) and Small Victories (Pigskin Peters Award nominee)

2:00–2:30 Jillian & Mariko Tamaki Skim (Best Book nominees)

2:30–3:00 Michel Rabagliati Paul Goes Fishing (Best Book nominee)

3:15–3:45 Caitlin Black Maids of the Mist (Best Emerging Talent nominee)

4:00–4:30 Jason Kieffer Kieffer #2 (Best Emerging Talent nominee) & Nick Maandag Jack & Mandy (Best Emerging Talent nominee)

On Sunday, any on-hand 2009 DWA Winners will be signing at the booth, details will be announced at TCAF on Sunday.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Toronto Public Library Presents

THE 2009 TORONTO COMIC ARTS FESTIVAL
Saturday May 9, 10am-5pm - Sunday May 10, 12pm-5pm
Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge St., Toronto, Canada
FREE TO ATTEND

WWW.TORONTOCOMICS.COM

Scott McCloud Returns to Toronto for Comics Fest
Noted “Understanding Comics” author and lecturer casts a spotlight on online comics and authors, courtesy of Toronto Public Library.

TORONTO, Canada – The 2009 Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) is proud to announce its newest headline guest, acclaimed international lecturer Scott McCloud, author of the groundbreaking graphic novel Understanding Comics. Scott McCloud will be appearing at TCAF, being held May 9^th and 10^th 2009 at Toronto Reference Library, to participate in panel discussions, presentations, and book signings (details TBA). McCloud will appear at TCAF courtesy of Toronto Public Library, as part of their continuing commitment to the medium of comics and graphic novels, and the Toronto Comic Arts Festival in particular.

Scott McCloud is probably best known for his graphic novel textbook Understanding Comics, one of the first long-form attempts to create an overview of the comic medium, which linked contemporary comic books and strips to works of art and antiquities as various as Egyptian hieroglyphs, The Bayeux Tapestry, and the woodcut novels of the 18^th and 19^th centuries. McCloud’s theories on storytelling and visual literacy have found incredible popularity in the fields of digital content and presentation (as well as comics!), and since the publication of Understanding Comics McCloud has become a celebrated international lecturer presenting to audiences that include Google, MIT, Carnegie Mellon, Adobe Systems, Game Developers Conference, eBay, and Pixar.

McCloud’s appearance at TCAF casts a spotlight on the wide range of cutting edge digital comics creators that will be attending TCAF 2009. Digital comics (or “webcomics”) creators including Americans R. Stevens (Diesel Sweeties), Jeph Jacques (Questionable Content), Meredith Gran (Octopus Pie), Jeffrey Rowland (Overcompensating, Topatoco), and David Malki ! (Wondermark), and Canadians Ryan North (Dinosaur Comics), Kate Beaton (Hark, A Vagrant!), and Emily Horne and Joey Comeau (A Softer World) all produce comics on the internet with readerships in the tens and hundreds of thousands. Online artist collectives including Top Shelf 2.0, Dumbrella, and Toronto’s own Transmission-X Comics will have large presences at TCAF, showcasing their works in digital and “dead tree” editions.

To help further the exploration of digital and online comics, Toronto Reference Library offers a technology-friendly space for TCAF and all of its attendees. With free wi-fi for the public, dozens of public computer terminals to check out comics online, and two completely computer-outfitted digital learning centres that will host two full days of programming during the Festival, TCAF 2009 will be one of the most forward-looking comics events in North America.

The 2009 Toronto Comic Arts Festival is completely free to attend.

ABOUT:

First held in 2003, The Toronto Comic Arts Festival was conceived to provide interaction between the creative community and the public, and was modeled on similar festivals around the world. TCAF 2009 will take place at Toronto Reference Library, at 789 Yonge St. just North of Bloor Street in the heart of the city. The Festival will feature over 15,000 square feet of attractions within the Reference Library complex, more than 200 cartoonists, and more than two weeks of programming and events leading up to the 2-day exhibition extravaganza!

Canadian cartoonists are recognized as among the best in the world, particularly in the fields of manga and alternative comics. TCAF is Canada’s opportunity to not only promote and celebrate homegrown artistic talent, but also to broaden its scope and showcase creators from the US and abroad, many in Toronto for the first time. This prestigious gathering of artists will attract an international and national audience.

PRESS:

For more information or press inquiries, please contact 2009@torontocomics.com, or Christopher Butcher or Peter Birkemoe at 416-533-9168.

Graphic Novels: The Creation of Art and Narrative.
Gallery Showing at Harbourfront Centre
Friday May 8th - Sunday June 21st.
Opening Reception Friday May 8th, 6pm-10pm
York Quay Centre, 235 Queens Quay West
FREE

Featuring: Canada: Jeff Lemire, Kagan McLeod, Jillian Tamaki & Mariko Tamaki, Doug Wright (by Seth). Anke Feuchtenberger (Germany), Emmanuel Guibert (France), Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Japan), Adrian Tomine (USA).

Graphic Novels: The Creation of Art and Narrative. Harbourfront Centre will play host to a unique series of installations by top cartoonists from Canada and around the world as they attending the fourth Toronto Comic Arts Festival, May 9-10. Illuminating the creation of “The Ninth Art,” Graphic Novels will include original artworks and process materials, as well as tools, sculpture, and photography to build an insightful portrait of the creators working in this popular medium. This exhibition is co-presented with The Beguiling and The Toronto Comic Arts Festival.

Authors at Harbourfront Centre: Seth, Adrian Tomine, and Yoshihiro Tatsumi
In association with The Toronto Comic Arts Festival
Friday, May 8 at 7:30 pm
Brigantine Room, York Quay Centre, 235 Queens Quay West
Tickets $8.00, available at harbourfrontcentre.com

Authors at Harbourfront Centre helps jump start the 2009 Toronto Comic Arts Festival with an evening of world-renowned graphic artists/novelists: Seth, Yoshihiro Tatsumi, and Adrian Tomine. Seth (George Sprott: (1894-1975)) and Tomine (Shortcomings) debut their latest graphic novels, followed by a discussion between Tomine and Tatsumi about Tatsumi’s latest work, A Drifting Life. All three authors appear courtesy of Drawn & Quarterly (Montreal).

This event, presented in partnership with The Beguiling, will also feature a corresponding visual art exhibition Graphic Novels: The Creation of Art and Narrative, located in Harbourfront Centre’s York Quay Centre.

TCAF Closing Chill-Out:
Kid Koala Presents Music To Draw To...
An evening of quiet time records, to chill-out and create.
Monday, May 11th, 6pm-11pm
@ The Central, 603 Markham Street, next to The Beguiling
$5 at the door

If you've just spent two days at TCAF and you've been inspired and moved to create your own great works of art, come on out and draw! Kid Koala's Music To Draw To features the turntablist playing a special 5-hour set of quiet-time tunes to work to. Bring your sketchbook, your notepad, or your yarn, and chill in a big lovely space filled with creative people like yourself. Leave your dancing shoes at home, and bring your inside-voice. Koala's wife Corinne will be hosting a special Bake Sale at the event, and your $5 admission includes a free cup of hot chocolate and a pencil!

Note: Only come out to this if you wanna draw and create! If you wanna see Kid Koala cut it up in Toronto, make sure to check out his show at Lee's Palace May 7th!

The 2009 Doug Wright Awards for Excellence in Canadian Cartooning
Saturday, May 9th, 7pm-9pm
@ The Art Gallery of Ontario, Jackman Hall
317 Dundas Street West, Toronto
Admission is $5.00, tickets available at TCAF and the door

The 2009 Doug Wright Awards, honouring the best in Canadian comics and graphic novels, will be handed out in a ceremony at the Art Gallery of Ontario’s Jackman Hall on Saturday, May 9th in Toronto as part of the Toronto Comics Arts Festival (TCAF).

The event will be hosted by filmmaker Don McKellar and will feature Stuart McLean as a special guest presenter. The 2009 awards are juried by Bob Rae, Andrew Coyne, Martin Levin, Joe Ollmann, and Diana Tamblyn.

It will also serve as the official launch of Drawn and Quarterly's new book, The Collected Doug Wright: Canada's Master Cartoonist; featuring an on-stage discussion with the book's creative team, cartoonist Seth, biographer Brad Mackay and D+Q publisher Chris Oliveros.

Admission is $5, and signings - for The Collected Doug Wright and the winning nominees - will take place immediately after the show.

Update! The Magic Pony Gallery & Shop Art Opening and Signing with Tara McPherson will now be held at their new space, Narwhal Art Projects, at 680 Queen Street West. It will run from 6pm-9pm, with Tara McPherson signing from 6pm-8pm.

TCAF KICK-OFF PARTY:
KID KOALA'S LOUD PARTY AT LEE'S PALACE
Get Up! Get Down! Indoor Block Party
Thursday, May 7th, evening show
@ Lee's Palace, 529 Bloor St. W.
Tickets $12.00 advance/$15 day of show

Presented by Live Nation

Montreal turntablist (and graphic novelist!) Kid Koala brings his LOUD PARTY / QUIET WORK WEEKEND to Toronto for The Toronto Comic Arts Festival! The LOUD PARTY goes down Thursday, May 7th at Lee's Palace with LOUD PARTY: Get Up! Get Down! Indoor Block party. Mix mayhem on 4 record players and actual stacks of wax. Dancing, scratching, the first-ever Nufonia Pillow Fight, and a raffle! C'Mon down and Shake Your Thang!! Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 day of show, and the event WILL SELL OUT. Tickets available from Rotate This and Ticketmasterthe usual places.

More at: http://nufonia.com

Emmanuel Guibert Presents The Photographer
In association with TCAF and Doctors Without Borders
Wednesday, May 6, 2009, at 7pm
@ Toronto Public Library, Northern District Branch, 40 Orchard View Blvd., Room 224abc
Free to attend, please RSVP: Valentina Ciric - http://www.blogger.com/vciric@torontopubliclibrary.ca

Emmanuel Guibert will present his graphic novel The Photographer at the Toronto Public Library. The Photographer relates the story of Didier Lefevre, a photo-journalist covering a Doctor Without Borders mission in 1980's Afghanistan. Guibert incorporates Lefevre's actual photos into the comics narrative, and partners with colour-artist Frederic Lemercier, to create a compelling, evocative, and deep work on this very serious subject.

After the presentation, Mr. Guibert will be joined by Marilyn McHarg, a founding member and current General Director of the Canadian section of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) / Doctors Without Borders, the world's leading independent medical humanitarian organization for a panel discussion. Q&A and Creator Signing will follow.

As an introduction, by Emmanuel Guibert:

"When a press photographer comes back from a mission in acountry at war, he brings back hundreds of photographs and as many anecdotes. Out of these hundreds of photographs, a few dozens are printed, four or five are sold to the press, and the remainder ends up in boxes. The photographer, if he fancies it, shares some anecdotes with his close relatives. Time passes by, other assignment, other photographs and other anecdotes dispel the first ones, and memory put them into boxes. This is how stories fall into oblivion. The number of "sleeping beauty" stories is infinite.

Comics are one way to awaken them. There are a hundred reasons why I should love Didier Lefevre. One of them is that he [was] a good photographer. Another one is that he [told] stories well. Since the first time I heard him recount stories - contact sheet in hand- about one of his coverage, I have wished we would make a book together. The comic book intervenes to make Didier's voice heard, to fill the empty space between photographs and tells what occurs when Didier, for a reason or another, could not take pictures."

The Photographer received the 2007 "Globe de Cristal" prize in France, and was selected as one of the "essentials" Comic book at the 34th International "BD" Festival of Angouleme.

WOWEE ZONK 2 BOOK LAUNCH PARTY
Wednesday May 6th, 6pm-10pm
@ Keep 6 Contemporary, 938 Bathurst St, Toronto
Free

Wowee Zonk 2 is a comic book anthology featuring work from 8 up and coming Toronto Artists, many of them recent graduates from The Ontario College of Art and Design. This Launch Party will feature a gallery show with new work from 3 of the contributors and TCAF guests, Chris Kuzma, Ginette Lapalme and Patrick Kyle. For more information, visit http://www.woweezonk.com/

COMIC BOOK CONFIDENTIAL: FREE SCREENING!
Featuring an appearance and introduction by director Ron Mann
Saturday, May 2nd, 11:59pm
@ Innis College Town Hall, 2 Sussex Avenue
One block south of Bloor and St. George
ADMISSION IS FREE

Toronto filmmaker Ron Mann’s Comic Book Confidential provides a jazzy history of comic books, from their pulpy beginnings in the ’30s, through the heyday of superheroes and undergrounds in the ’60s, to the not-just-for-kids-anymore renaissance of the ’80s.

The Toronto Comic Arts Festival, The Beguiling, and Hot Docs are pleased to present a free screening of Comic Book Confidential, both to cap off May 2nd’s Free Comic Book Day festivities, and to complement the Hot Docs film festival’s Focus On Ron Mann program. The film features Mann’s signature animation interludes and zany historical footage, but also includes interviews with twenty-two significant comics creators, who often perform readings of their own work. Whether you’re watching the movie to hear and see EC icons like Harvey Kurtzman, superhero greats like Jack Kirby, underground mavericks like R. Crumb, or RAW avant-gardists like Art Spiegelman, Comic Book Confidential provides a broad and knowledgeable overview of a vital art form.

Conundrum Press is a Montreal-area Canadian publisher of many fine comics and art projects. They will be hosting numerous creator signings at their booth during the weekend of TCAF, signing schedule is below. Conundrum Press will be represented by publisher Andy Brown.

Conundrum Press TCAF Signing schedule:

Saturday May 9th:
Noon-1 Howard Chackowicz
1-2 Jillian Tamaki
2-3 Shary Boyle
3-4 Emily Holton, Kerry Byrne
4-5 Michael Hind, Ian Sullivan Cant

Sunday May 10th:
Noon-1 Dave Lapp (Doug Wright Awards Nominee for Drop-In)
1-2 Michael Hind, Kerry Byrne
2-3 Ian Sullivan Cant
3-4 Howard Chackowicz

Related Links:
Conundrum Press Homepage

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Toronto Public Library Presents
THE 2009 TORONTO COMIC ARTS FESTIVAL
Saturday May 9th & Sunday May 10th, 2009
The Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge St., Toronto, Canada
FREE TO ATTEND
WWW.TORONTOCOMICS.COM

Michel Rabagliati, Gabrielle Bell, and Graham Annable at TCAF
Top International Creators Among The Newest Guests Confirmed

TORONTO, Canada – Since the initial announcement of the 2009 Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF), May 9th and 10th 2009, more than 100 comic artists and authors have been added to its already-spectacular guest-list. Now TCAF is proud to announce the addition of guests Michel Rabagliati, Gabrelle Bell, and Graham Annable to their line-up and programming; three fantastic comics creators who bring with them a wealth of acclaim and diversity of accomplishments both inside and outside the comics medium.

Michel Rabagliati: An internationally acclaimed cartoonist hailing from Montreal, QC , Canada, Rabagliati’s graphic novels feature an autobiographical stand-in named “Paul” and are bestsellers. His English-language comics debut, Paul in the Country (by venerable graphic novel publisher Drawn & Quarterly) was awarded the prestigious Harvey Award for Best New Talent, named for MAD Magazine co-founder Harvey Kurtzman. Rabagliati’s illustrations have graced numerous print outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The Chicago Tribune, The Utne Reader, The Advocate, The National Post, and Maclean’s amongst others. His most recent English language graphic novel release, Paul Goes Fishing has been nominated for a 2009 Doug Wright Award for Excellence in Canadian Cartooning.

Gabrielle Bell: New York-based graphic novelist Gabrielle Bell is a veteran of prestigious art-comix anthologies including Kramers Ergot, Best American Comics (2007, 2009), The Yale Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Mome, and the Drawn & Quarterly Showcase. Bell's graphic short story "Cecil and Jordan in New York" has recently been adapted for the film anthology Tokyo! by Michel Gondry, released in March 2009. Her latest collection, also titled Cecil and Jordan in New York, contains the short-story adapted for Gondry’s film and other outstanding works.

Graham Annable: Born in Canada but residing in Portland, Oregon, Graham Annable’s work has appeared in the film, TV, video game and comic industries, contributing to projects with George Lucas, Chuck Jones, Nickelodeon and Walt Disney Productions amongst many others. His most recent major animation work involved storyboard and design contributions to the Henry Sellick-directed film adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline. His comics work includes the humourous anthology titles GRICKLE, FURTHER GRICKLE, and HICKEE. Annable’s popularity has skyrocketed thanks to the production of his short animations at YouTube, including 'We Sing the Forest Electric', 'The Hidden People', 'The Last Duet on Earth', and 'Space Wolf'.

First held in 2003, The Toronto Comic Arts Festival was conceived to provide interaction between the creative community and the public, and was modeled on similar festivals around the world. TCAF 2009 will take place at Toronto Reference Library, at 789 Yonge St. just North of Bloor Street in the heart of the city. The Festival will feature over 15,000 square feet of attractions within the Reference Library complex, more than 200 cartoonists, and more than two weeks of programming and events leading up to the 2-day exhibition extravaganza!

Canadian cartoonists are recognized as among the best in the world, particularly in the fields of manga and alternative comics. TCAF is Canada’s opportunity to not only promote and celebrate homegrown artistic talent, but also to broaden its scope and showcase creators from the US and abroad, many in Toronto for the first time. This prestigious gathering of artists will attract an international and national audience.

PRESS:

For more information or press inquiries, please contact 2009@torontocomics.com, or Christopher Butcher or Peter Birkemoe at 416-533-9168.

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Guestlist Additions Since The Site Launch in January 2009

Ho Che Anderson - Graham Annable - Kate Beaton - Sarah Becan - Andy Belanger - Gabrielle Bell - Pascal Blanchet - Chester Brown - John Campbell - Ross Campbell -Scott Campbell - Svetlana Chmakova - Becky Cloonan - Kevin Colden - Marek Colek - Joey Comeau - Joshua Cotter - Ray Fawkes - Chuck Forsman - Matthew Forsythe - Tom Fowler - Dan Goldman - Emmanuel Guibert - Justin Hall - Clayton Hamner - Dustin Harbin - Cheese Hasselberger - Chris Hastings - Scott Hepburn - Faith Erin Hicks - Brian Hoang - Raighne & Meghan Hogan - Emily Horne - Kathryn Immonen - Stuart Immonen - Jeph Jaques - Jason Kieffer - Derek Kirk Kim - Matt Kindt - Lucy Knisley - Chris Kuzma - Patrick Kyle - Joe Lambert - Ginette LaPalme - Dave Lapp - Miss Lasko-Gross - Aaron Leighton - Jeff Lemire - David Bruins & Hillary Leung - Jason Loo - Nick Maandag - David Malki ! - John Martz - Billy Mavreas - Alana McCarthy - Sean McCarthy - Tyrone McCarthy - Jamie McKelvie - Dave McKenna - Brian McLachlan - Kagan McLeod - Tara McPherson - Erika Moen - Evan Munday - Brian Musikoff - Tom Neely - Michael Noonan - Joe Ollman - Ramon Perez - Rina Piccolo - Lark Pien - Michel Rabagliati - John Ralston - Zen Rankin - Ethan Rilly - Paul Rivoche - Steve Rolston - Jonathan Rosenberg - Jeffrey Rowland - Jim Rugg - Tom Scioli - Pat Shewchuk - Jason Shiga - Marc Siegel - Tim Sievert - Cameron Stewart - Craig Taillefer - Jillian Tamaki - Mariko Tamaki - Jason Thompson - Peter Thompson - J Torres - Noel Tuazon - James Turner - Jose Villarubia - Davis Weir - Eric Wight - Chip Zdarsky - Jim Zubkavich.

Publishers & Organizations: Bodega Distribution - Oni Press - Sparkplug - Top Shelf - Adhouse - Anteism Books - Buenaventura Press - Doug Wright Awards - Drawn & Quarterly - Le Dernier Cri - Taddle Creek

In addition, previously announced guests Ivan Brunetti and Jordan Crane have unfortunately had to withdraw from appearing at TCAF for 2009. We're hoping to have them at some point in the future!

Best,

- Christopher Butcher, Festival Director, TCAF

Hey folks! Since we sent out our initial press release and launched our 2009 website, we've added more than 50 guests to our line-up of comics authors and graphic novelists attending the Toronto Comic Arts Festival this year!

Make sure to check out the TCAF frontpage for updates!

- TCAF Staff

MARCH 5 2009: Just a note, TCAF is happening MAY 9-10, 2009. There is an erroneous report in the Globe & Mail that it's on this weekend. This is not true. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

For TCAF Website, visit http://www.torontocomics.com/tcaf

THE BEGUILING IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE:
THE 2009 TORONTO COMIC ARTS FESTIVAL
WWW.TORONTOCOMICS.COM/TCAF

Presented by The Toronto Public Library and The Beguiling Books & Art

Saturday May 9th & Sunday May 10th, 2009
The Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge St.
FREE TO ATTEND

TORONTO, Ontario - The Beguiling, Canada’s finest purveyor of comics and graphic novels is proud to announce The 2009 Toronto Comic Arts Festival, to be held Saturday May 9th and Sunday May 10^th, 2009 in Toronto, Canada, in conjunction with The Toronto Public Library. This marks the fourth gathering of international graphic novel authors and cartoonists under the TCAF banner, and will be the most spectacular yet thanks to its brand new partnership with The Toronto Public Library.

Drawing a diverse array of cartoonists from around the world, the Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) is a phenomenal exhibition of international comics talent, and a chance to celebrate Canadian comics authors here at home. TCAF will showcase the talents of its guests through an ambitious programme of exhibitor presentations, gallery showings, lectures, workshops, discussion panels, interactive readings, and the 2009 Doug Wright Awards for Canadian Cartooning.

At the center of the Festival proceedings are the international premieres of numerous long-anticipated works, both by and celebrating Canadian cartoonists, and by graphic novel creators from around the world! Canadian programming highlights will include the debuts of The Collected Doug Wright - both a collection of work and tribute to the beloved Canadian newspaper cartoonist - and George Sprott, a new graphic novel by Seth collecting his acclaimed comics from The New York Times Magazine. Toronto’s own Bryan Lee O’Malley, creator of the popular Scott Pilgrim series will attend TCAF to present the fifth volume of the series, and to discuss the Hollywood adaptation of his work filming in Toronto this spring!

Among the international cartoonists appearing at TCAF for the first time will be: Emmanuel Guibert (France), with his new graphic novel The Photographer, a gripping account of the work of Doctors Without Borders in Afghanistan; Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Japan), debuting his massive 840-page biography A Drifting Life; Anke Feuchetenberger (Germany) will present new work at the Festival (TBA); American Adrian Tomine will premiere the softcover edition of his bestseller Shortcomings; and American Ivan Brunetti will offer the collection of his dark humour comics, entitled Ho!.

First held in 2003, The Toronto Comic Arts Festival was conceived to provide interaction between the creative community and the public, and was modeled on similar festivals around the world. TCAF 2009 will take place at The Toronto Reference Library, at 789 Yonge St. just North of Bloor Street in the heart of the city. The Festival will feature over 15,000 square feet of attractions within the Reference Library complex, more than 200 cartoonists, and more than two weeks of programming and events leading up to the 2-day exhibition extravaganza! For more information, visit http://www.torontocomics.com.

GUESTS
The Toronto Comic Arts Festival is proud to welcome the following Guests of Honour (please check www.torontocomics.com often, as new guests are regularly being added to the line-up):

Ivan Brunetti: Based in Chicago, Illinois, Ivan Brunetti has been a mainstay of alternative and independent comics for more than 15 years, following the breakthrough success of his manic, psychologically intense autobiographical series Schizo. With a wide variety of artistic styles at his disposal, Brunetti’s work has ranged from incredibly dark humour comics in his books Haw and Hee! to his covers for The New Yorker, completing editorial illustration, comics, and curating an art show in between. Brunetti is the editor of Yale University Press’ Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, and True Stories Volume 1 & 2, the definitive overviews of contemporary art comix and graphic novels. Brunetti is currently on the faculty of Columbia College Chicago, where he teaches classes on comics, drawing, and design.

Anke Feuchtenberger: Born in East Berlin, Anke Feuchtenberger co-founded the group “Glowing Future,” which carried out political actions through art—graffiti and wall paintings—in the public space. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the group combined their art with narrative comics, creating both books and gallery exhibitions shown around the world. Feuchtenberger’s work includes Hie kleine Dame, Mutterkuchen, Die Biographie der Frau Trockenthal, and Der Palast. Her only work available in English is the short graphic novel The Crossing which appears in the Actus Tragicus anthology Happy End. Anke Feuchtenberger appears at TCAF with the support of the Goethe Institut in Toronto.

Emmanuel Guibert: The writer of a great many graphic novels for readers young and old, among them the Sardine in Outer Space series, The Professor’s Daughter, and Alan’s War, Emmanuel Guibert is a major talent in his native France who is garnering accolades here in North America. His most recent work is The Photographer, a gritty account of Doctors Without Borders’ 1980s mission in Afghanistan, as seen through the eyes of a great photojournalist, the late Didier Lefèvre. Emmanuel Guibert appears at TCAF with the support of The French Consulate of Canada.

Bryan Lee O’Malley: Canadian cartoonist Bryan Lee O’Malley is best known for the Scott Pilgrim series of graphic novels an action/romance/comedy story heavily inspired by video games, and set in the city of Toronto. Scott Pilgrim Volume 5 is due this spring from Oni Press, and Scott Pilgrim is currently being produced as a movie for Universal Pictures, directed by Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead) and starring Michael Cera (Superbad) in the title role. It will be filming in the city of Toronto from March through July of 2009.

Paul Pope: In America, he's been called the "comics destroyer;" in France, he's been called the "Jim Morrison of comics" and "comics' Petit Prince." One of a handful of young cartoonists consistently gaining critical praise and media attention, Pope has been featured in Canada on MuchMusic and Space, among others, and his work has appeared in print outlets like Spin, Entertainment Weekly, Jalouse, V Magazine and The Village Voice. His recent works have included stints on popular comics icons in Batman and The Fantastic Four, original graphic novels Heavy Liquid and 100%, and the career retrospective art book Pulp Hope.

Seth: Internationally-acclaimed cartoonist Seth hails from Guelph, Ontario, and is one of the best-known Canadian cartoonists in the world. His works include the graphic novels It’s A Good Life If You Don’t Weaken, Clyde Fans, Wimbledon Green, and the ongoing comic series Palooka-Ville. 2009 will see the realization of a long-held dream of Seth’s: a career retrospective of one his favourite cartoonists, Doug Wright (1917-1983). Published by Drawn & Quarterly and edited and designed by Seth, The Complete Doug Wright Book One will debut during the fourth-annual Doug Wright Awards, to be held the evening of Saturday May 9th. Seth will also be premiering a new graphic novel of his own, George Sprott, which collects and greatly expands upon Seth’s comic strip serialized in The New York Times Magazine. In addition to his graphic novel work, Seth is a busy book designer and illustrator whose work regularly appears in The New Yorker and The Wall Street Journal.

Yoshihiro Tatsumi: Born in Osaka, Japan in 1935, Yoshihiro Tatsumi is an incredibly influential Japanese comics artist widely credited with starting the “Gekiga” style of comics in Japan in the late 1950s, expanding the audience for comics (manga) to include more than just children. Beginning in 2006, Canadian publisher Drawn & Quarterly undertook the task of bringing Tatsumi’s work to the West, by publishing collections of his short stories The Push Man, Abandon The Old In Tokyo, and Good Bye. The 2009 Toronto Comic Arts Festival will see the international debut (in English) of Tatsumi’s masterwork—a massive 840-page autobiographic memoir about his career in comics entitled A Drifting Life. Already hailed as one of the most important graphic novels of 2009, Yoshihiro Tatsumi will be on hand to premiere the work alongside designer Adrian Tomine, and the two will discuss it in a special presentation.

Adrian Tomine: The creator of one of the most popular alternative comic book series of all time, Optic Nerve, Adrian Tomine is an accomplished writer, illustrator, and designer. His graphic novel collections include 32 Stories, Sleepwalk, and Summer Blonde, and an artbook entitled Scrapbook: Uncollected Work 1990-2004. In 2007 Tomine completed his most-acclaimed graphic novel to date, Shortcomings, and TCAF will see the premiere of the softcover edition of this bestseller as well as a special 10^th Anniversary Edition of 32 Stories. Adrian Tomine was also responsible for “discovering” the work of Japanese creator Yoshihiro Tatsumi, bringing the work to the attention of Drawn & Quarterly and designing and editing the collections of his work published there. Adrian Tomine will be a part of a special presentation of Shortcomings and Yoshihiro Tatsumi’s new graphic novel A Drifting Life during the Festival.

For more information on all guests and a regularly updated listing of attending cartoonists, please visit: http://www.torontocomics.com/tcaf/guests.html.

SPONSORS
The Toronto Comic Arts Festival would not be possible without the assistance of our sponsors and partners, including:

The Toronto Public Library

The Beguiling Books & Art, The Ontario Arts Council, The Toronto Arts Council, The Goethe Institute, The French Consulate of Canada, Magic Pony Shop + Gallery, and all of our publisher friends.

PRESS
Please submit all interview requests, press inquiries, and press accreditation requests to: 2009@torontocomics.com.

We're confirmed: The 2009 Toronto Comic Arts Festival will be held Saturday May 9th and Sunday May 10th, in Toronto, Canada. Our new digs? The Toronto Reference Library, a huge and beautiful modernist building, able to accommodate all of our growing Festival needs.

Invitations are being sent to past exhibitors this month. If you are interested in exhibiting at TCAF for the first time, please read the info at http://www.torontocomics.com/tcaf.

For general inquiries, e-mail 2009@torontocomics.com.

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Hello everyone!

I’m Christopher Butcher, one of the co-founders and organizers of the Toronto Comic Arts Festival. I and my co-organizers, Peter Birkemoe and Matthew Seiden, decided that a letter might be a nicer way to address the public than a press release after TCAF 2007, our most successful and praised festival to date.

In the days following the TCAF, we’ve been inundated with calls and e-mails congratulating us on a show that was well-run, well-curated, and in such a beautiful, historic setting as the University of Toronto campus. Added to that are numerous Internet message board posts and blog entries proclaiming this the “best comics festival around” (Mark Siegel, Editor In Chief, First Second Books) and we’re very confident in announcing TCAF 2007 a huge success.

TCAF is different than any comics event I’ve ever attended… it was a conscious decision on our park to add something new and innovative to the comics landscape. Perhaps the one thing that surprises people about TCAF—attendees, press, and exhibitors alike—is that the show is completely FREE for the public to attend! The doors are open and people can walk in and out and return at their leisure (with staff and volunteers greeting them at the door with a smile and a program book). Because admission is free, it removes the psychological barriers associated with going to ‘a comic book show.’ Curious, tentative newcomers share in the energy of a crowd of enthusiastic and knowledgeable fans, and get caught up in attending panels, getting sketches and buying books as a result. TCAF is designed to show the interested public the best that the comics medium has to offer: a broad, accessible, varied view of comics instead the stereotypical collectibles and nostalgia image they might have. As an antidote to the frequent “news” items about outrageous prices being paid for rare and mint condition vintage comics, we kick open the doors and invite the public to witness firsthand that comics and graphic novels are a living, breathing, and most importantly, booming medium.

TCAF also has a fairly unique-to-comics approach of selecting exhibitors and creative guests from across different facets of the industry, including art-comix, independents, mainstream publishers, world manga, webcomics, superheroes, comics historians and especially mini-comics and self-published materials. Because the show is free, we try to pick exhibitors and guests who will appeal to the public, who will put on a great display in their exhibit space and who will engage attendees. We were really pleased to see how well all of these diverse talents worked within the TCAF space, with each section of the show’s eight rooms and two floors truly having something for everyone, including attendees who weren’t already comics fans, but were curious about the medium. All the TCAF exhibitors did a fantastic job of enhancing the stately Victoria College building, and we’d like to thank them for their efforts. In particular, we’d like to commend the folks responsible for the new Toronto-based webcomics collective Transmission-X for turning their room into a beautiful, multi-faceted exhibition space of comics art, illustration and video installation. That interactive experience was the perfect articulation of my specific vision for TCAF, and we hope that more exhibitors will follow their lead in future years (though not, perhaps, their 3am finish time!).

Our number one goal in putting on the festival every two years is to draw attention to the great comics being produced in Canada and around the world. Hearing from exhibitors that they had a great show, financially, personally, and promotionally, we know we’re achieving our goals.

Because of the vast amount of media coverage that TCAF received, before, during and even features and profiles afterwards, TCAF has a much larger reach both locally and internationally than we've ever had before, and than most typical comics festivals or conventions. That exposes new audiences to great comics, and this year specifically the works of TCAF exhibitors and special guests including Paul Pope, Seth, Hope Larson, Jillian Tamaki, Darwyn Cooke, Ryan North, Joe Ollman, Paul Gravett, and dozens more. Attendance for TCAF hovered at around 6,500 people over the course of the Festival, with demographics fairly evenly split between men and women, and with the primary age demographic solidly in the 18-35 area (though many both much older and much younger attended as well). This builds on our strong attendance of 2005, having our show remain approximately the same size – an intimate size and experience we and the exhibitors enjoy. Our observation though, is that our 2005 show was held adjacent to a main thoroughfare in the city and because of that there were a number of attendees who enjoyed the event as spectacle, whereas the majority of attendees this year were pre-informed about the event (and according to our exhibitors came with money to spend). We’re aware that most traditional cons and festivals like announce higher and higher attendance numbers with each successive show, but we don’t work that way.

I’m going to start thanking people now. First and foremost, a special mention of our volunteers. You’ve probably heard it before, that these events couldn’t happen without the help of the people behind the scenes, blah blah blah. Well, one of our volunteers GOT HIT BY A CAR on his bicycle ride home from the show Saturday and still showed up for his all-day shift on Sunday. Seriously. We were set-up for the show in under 3 hours on Saturday morning, and everything was torn down and clean an hour and a half after we closed un Sunday. Our volunteer staff were absolutely amazing: friendly, tireless, and extremely competent in every task. We’ve received tons of compliments, and I want to say for the record that the show would not have happened without them, period. My sincere thanks go to everyone who volunteered to help for TCAF 2007, including Adam, Ahrem, Amanda & Victoria, Anthony, Bryce, Carl, Carlos, Choon-sik, Corey, Dave, Denise, Diana, Diane, Ehab, Erin, Jacob, Jennifer, John, Linda, Myung-Jin, Ba Da, Paul, Rizie, Rob, Solly, Stacey, Steve, Tom, Victor, and everyone else whom I’ve inadvertently forgotten. You were all awesome. And you have the t-shirts to prove it.

The Festival also looked bloody great out in the world this year, thanks to some phenomenal pieces of art by our talented attending artists. Thanks go to: Darwyn Cooke, who made TCAF look more festive than ever with his gorgeous cover art to Comics Festival 2007 and our official 2007 Poster; to Bryan Lee O’Malley for lending Scott Pilgrim to the cover of Comics Festival 2007 and to our promotional material ensuring a healthy dose of recognition from Torontonians; to Evan Dorkin for having his characters Milk & Cheese destroy Toronto in some lovely promotional art; to Zach Worton for turning around our excellent program book cover and badge art in no time flat; to James Jean for his beautiful and haunting image for TCAF sponsor The Beguiling’s 20^th Anniversary Print (which debuted at the show); to Chip Zdarsky, whose talented fingerprints are all over everything we did; and last but not least to Paul Pope for lending his pretty face to the cover of Eye Magazine, one of Toronto’s two alt-weeklies, for our most visible and effective promotion of the year. Funny how that works out.

I’d like to thank the TCAF staff, including Nathalie, Andrew, Jason, Naseem, and Scott for taking excellent care of their respective responsibilities: we love you very much. I’d like to thank The Beguiling staff for giving up their weekend to be conscripted into service, including Parish, Becca, Kayla, James, Derek, Jerry, and Shane. Our panel moderators Ed, Jeet, Jon, Lianne, and Neil did a great job with their respective engagements, and really every one of our guests who held a workshop or created a presentation for the show, especially Darwyn Cooke, Paul Gravett, James Jean, Marc Siegel, Jason Thompson, and George A. Walker, added immeasurably to our success. Speaking of events, I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank all of the wonderful folks who put on ‘satellite’ TCAF events around the city. Our appreciation goes out to: Jim Munroe, Salgood Sam, and Claudia Davila for the Drawn Out Apocalypses launch; The Doug Wright Awards committee and especially Matt Seiden for our Friday-night kick-off event; Brendan Fletcher, Willow Dawson, and Bryan Lee O’Malley for the Songs & Pictures party; Brian McLachlan for the Indiana Jones party and art show; and our venue CENTRAL for our ‘victory’ party Sunday night.

I need to thank our sponsors, too. Not just because we’re contractually obligated to do so (heh), but because they really came through for us on all fronts. OWLkids, Eye Magazine, the Ontario Arts Council, the Toronto Arts Council, Firefly Books, Drawn & Quarterly, and all of our publisher friends: your contributions were very much appreciated. We’ll be hitting you up again in 2009.

I know this is going to seem weird to all of you reading, but I really need to take a second and thank The Beguiling. I know I work for The Beguiling, and one of the other TCAF organizers Peter Birkemoe is the co-owner of The Beguiling, but nonetheless: props. The Beguiling is the main sponsor of the festival, putting a ton of money and an amazing amount of sweat-equity into ensuring that the show goes on. Basically, every hour that I invest into TCAF is one taken away from my job at The Beguiling, and the whole free festival does sort of distract from my employer’s job of selling comics. TCAF wouldn’t happen without the support of this fine store, and as an employee I’m always proud that we bring some of the finest comics creators from around the world to Toronto (and they in turn fall in love with our shop and brag about it elsewhere: I particularly love that).

Finally, to Matthew Seiden, this year’s Festival Director. You did a great job this year, especially in putting up with Peter and I—two less than organized people who live in our own heads more than the real world. Everything you contributed made the show better than it’s ever been, and we’re really sorry to see you go. Best of luck. :)

And with that, I think we’re done for this year. I’m exceptionally happy with how everything turned out, and despite some bumps in the road, I think we came through it all fantastically well. Thank you to everyone who came out, who spread the word, and who made this the best comics event I’ve ever been to.

Christopher Butcher, Festival Co-Founder
On behalf of Peter Birkemoe, Matthew Seiden, and himself.

(Photos by Flickr user "The Doodlers" except where noted. 1st: TCAF Main Floor Exhibition Space, photo by Karen Whaley. 2nd: Gina Gagliano and Mark Siegel of First Second Books. 3rd: Transmission-X installation space, featuring art by J. Bone. 4th: TCAF Second Floor Exhibition Space. 5th: Beguiling 20th Anniversary Print by James Jean. 6th: TCAF kick-off party.)

Hey everybody! TCAF 2007 is NEXT WEEKEND, August 18th and 19th! It's a free event celebrating the best and brightest of Canadian cartooning and featuring comics authors from around the world! Check out the TCAF website at http://torontocomics.com/tcaf!

• A huge guestlist (over 200 comics authors, publishers, artists, and more)!
  
• Guests of Honour including Paul Gravett, Chester Brown, Darwyn Cooke, Evan Dorkin, James Jean, Joe Matt, Paul Pope, and Seth!


• Tons of other guests from webcomics creators like Jeffrey Rowland and R Stevens to Canadian graphic novelists Bryan Lee O'Malley and Svetlana Chmakova to MOME contributors Eleanor Davis and Tom K.!


• A full slate of programming! Panels, workshops, readings, author signings and more!


• An Evening with Joe Matt, hosted by Seth and Chester Brown! Friday night!


• The 2007 Doug Wright Awards! Friday Night!


• SONGS & PICTURES featuring great comics-related bands at Sneaky Dees Saturday Night!


• ...much, much more!

ALSO: Head to http://www.eyeweekly.com/contests/ for your chance to win a prize pack including signed TCAF posters and a copy of all of this year's comics and graphic novels nominated for a Doug Wright Award!

Hope we see you next weekend!

http://torontocomics.com/tcaf

- Chris @ The Beguiling

Hey there folks! Since we put the 2007 Toronto Comic Arts Festival website online, we've added nearly 20 new guests, with more on the way.

Also attending TCAF this year will be Kei Acedera, Adrian Alphona, Roxanne Bielskis, Bobby Chiu, John Green, Tom Humberstone, Tom Neely, Vanessa Satone, James Sturm, Tara Tallan, Jason Thompson, Noel Tuazon, Maurice Vellekoop, Marion Vitus, Rob Walton, Dylan Williams, and George A. Walker, as well as Dan Nadel and PictureBox and Canadian studio Imaginism.

Bios, links and more can be found online at http://www.torontocomics.com/tcaf.

Have you made your plans for TCAF yet?

- Chris

TORONTO, Ontario - The Beguiling, Canada’s premier comics bookstore, is proud to announce the 2007 Toronto Comic Arts Festival, to be held Saturday Saturday August 18 and Sunday August 19 2007 in Toronto, Canada. This is the third gathering of independent cartoonists, comic artists and graphic novelists under the TCAF banner, and it’s looking to be the biggest and best yet!

Featuring a diverse array of Canadian cartoonists, in addition to artists and graphic novelists from the United States and Europe, The Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) will showcase the talents of its guests with an ambitious programme of exhibitor presentations, gallery showings, lectures, workshops, discussion panels and interactive readings. The whole event kicks off on Friday August 17 with the historic on-stage reunion of famed graphic novelist trio, Chester Brown, Seth, and Joe Matt (Joe having departed Toronto years earlier, when he heard the siren call of Hollywood…). Other guests include Society of Illustrators 2006 Gold Medal winner, James Jean, founder of the Center for Cartoon Studies and esteemed graphic novelist James Sturm, and fan-favourite creator of Milk & Cheese, Evan Dorkin, in his first ever Canadian appearance!

TCAF 2007 has expanded to fill the entire Old Victoria College building and Burwash Quad on the University of Toronto Campus, just across the street from the recently-revitalised ROM and steps from Museum subway station. Featuring over 15,000 square feet of festival space, more than 200 cartoonists, and 2 jam-packed days of programming and events, TCAF 2007 will redefine comics events not just within the city of Toronto, but across North America.

TCAF was founded in 2003 in response to the overwhelmingly positive feedback to interaction between the creative community and the public witnessed at similar festivals around the world. TCAF’s innovative format is modeled on grass roots comics festivals such as MoCCA (Museum of Cartoon and Comic Art) Festival in New York (http://www.moccany.org), and the more artist-oriented European festivals such as Stripdagen in Haarlem, NL (http://www.stripdagenhaarlem.nl). Attending Canadian cartoonists including Chester Brown, Svetlana Chmakova, Darwyn Cooke, Bryan Lee O’Malley and Seth are continually recognized as leaders in their fields. Canada is also home to one of the world’s renowned and important English-language comics publishers, Drawn & Quarterly. TCAF is Canada’s opportunity to not only promote and celebrate homegrown artistic talent and publishers, but also to broaden its scope beyond our borders and showcase creators from around the world, many of whom will be in Toronto for the first time. This prestigious gathering of artists is sure to attract a massive national and international audience.

GUESTS
The Toronto Comic Arts Festival is proud to welcome the following guests of honour (please check http://www.torontocomics.com/tcaf often, as new guests are regularly being added to the line-up):

Chester Brown: Chester Brown’s graphic biography of historical Canadian anti-hero Louis Riel in the graphic novel LOUIS RIEL has drawn critical acclaim from the international comics press as well as closer to home in publications like The Globe and Mail and Maclean’s. Brown’s ED THE HAPPY CLOWN [currently in feature development by Canadian filmmaker Bruce MacDonald] was recently re-released by publisher Drawn & Quarterly, and Brown is hard at work on his new autobiographical graphic novel due in 2008. Chester Brown was born in Chateauguay, Quebec, and now lives in Toronto, Canada.

Darwyn Cooke: Internationally acclaimed storyboard artist for numerous Warner Brothers animation projects (including BATMAN ADVENTURES and SUPERMAN ADVENTURES) Cooke broke new ground with his illustration-influenced graphic novels SELINA’S BIG SCORE (a noir crime-drama featuring a modern-day Catwoman) and DC: THE NEW FRONTIER (a McCarthy-era epic featuring the DC Comics/Warner Brothers superheroes). 2008 will see the release of an animated feature film based on Cooke’s DC: THE NEW FRONTIER from Warner Brothers animation.

Darwyn Cooke is also the artist behind the 2007 Toronto Comic Arts Festival poster, featuring a truly festive crowd celebrating with comic books.

Evan Dorkin: The notorious creator of MILK & CHEESE and DORK will be joining the Toronto Comic Arts Festival for his first-ever comics event in Toronto! After starting at Marvel Comics, Dorkin made his name on hip, contemporary looks at youth in popular culture through his series HECTIC PLANET and his short humour strips in anthologies including INSTANT PIANO. Currently, Dorkin's work can be seen in annual issues of DORK and in NICKELODEON MAGAZINE, MAD MAGAZINE, and on the cover of the new Larry Doyle novel “I Love You Beth Cooper”.

James Jean: Currently the cover illustrator for the best-selling graphic novel series FABLES, James Jean is a graduate of the School Of Visual Arts, New York. He has received an impressive number of comics and illustration awards including Eisner Awards, the Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators of LA, American Illustration, and has appeared in The New York Times, SPIN and Playboy magazine. James was born in Taiwan, raised in New Jersey, and educated in New York, where his love of comics inspired a career in illustration and dreams of painting.

James Jean is also the artist who created the limited edition print celebrating the 20th Anniversary of TCAF sponsor The Beguiling Books & Art.

Joe Matt: For over ten years Joe Matt has been notorious in cult circles for the embarrassing frankness with which he reveals his distressing habits and predilections. His most recent graphic novel, SPENT, took over 8 years to complete. Matt was born in Philadelphia in 1963. By his own account (collected in the graphic novel Fair Weather in 2002) he was a spoiled, selfish, and unpleasant child with a bedwetting problem, who also happened to be obsessed with collecting comics.

Paul Pope: In America, he's been called the "comics destroyer;" in France, he's been called the "Jim Morrison of comics" and "comics' Petit Prince." One of a handful of young cartoonists consistently gaining critical praise and media attention, Pope has been featured in Canada on MuchMusic and Space channel, among others, and his work has appeared in print outlets like Spin, Entertainment Weekly, Jalouse, V Magazine and The Village Voice. He is also the only American cartoonist to have worked for Japan's largest manga publisher (Kodansha). His recent works have included stints on popular comics icons in BATMAN YEAR 100 and THE FANTASTIC FOUR, and 2007 will see the releasing of his career-retrospective art collection PULP HOPE, debuting in time for TCAF.

Seth: Chief among the Canadian contingent will be internationally-acclaimed cartoonist Seth from Guelph, Ontario. With his recent graphic novels CLYDE FANS and WIMBLEDON GREEN drawing popular and critical acclaim, Seth has been hard at work on a number of new projects including GEORGE SPROTT (1894-1975), a graphic novella which recently finished its serialization in The New York Times. In addition to his graphic novel work, Seth is a busy book designer and illustrator whose work regularly appears in The New Yorker and The Wall Street Journal.

OTHER TCAF ITEMS OF NOTE:
- A large family area, with activities for young readers and a number of top children’s and young adult graphic novelists including Raina Telegemeier (BABYSITTER’S CLUB graphic novels), Mike Cho (MAX FINDER MYSTERIES, Owl Magazine), and J. Torres (DEGRASSI: THE NEXT GENERATION, TEEN TITANS GO!).
- Scott Chantler, artist on the forthcoming adaptation of Stephen Colbert’s ‘novel’ TEK JANSEN IN ALPHA SQUAD SEVEN and creator of the great Canadian fur-trade graphic novel, NORTHWEST PASSAGE.
- Noted international manga creators and experts including Svetlana Chmakova (DRAMACON), Becky Cloonan (EAST COAST RISING), and Jason Thompson (author of MANGA: THE COMPLETE GUIDE).
- A strong presence of internet-oriented cartoonists and webcomics creators, including Ryan North (DINOSAUR COMICS), Rich Stevens (DIESEL SWEETIES), Joey Comeau (A SOFTER WORLD), and Roxanne Bielskis (staff cartoonist, Torontoist.com).
- More than 200 comics guests, with over 130 already confirmed!

For more information on all guests and a regularly updated listing of attending cartoonists, please visit: http://www.torontocomics.com/tcaf/guests.html.


SPONSORS
The Toronto Comic Arts Festival would not be possible without the assistance of our sponsors, including:

The Beguiling,Canada’s foremost purveyor of comics, graphic novels and high-art funnybooks. http://www.beguiling.com.
The Ontario Arts Council
The Toronto Arts Council

PRESS
Please submit all interview requests, press inquiries, and press accreditation requests to: press2007@torontocomics.com.

Elk’s Run: Nominated for seven Harvey Awards, this groundbreaking series has finally been collected by New York publishing entity Random House/Villard.

The town of Elk's Run's fanatical survivalist founders have sealed it off from the rest of the world, transforming it into a twisted hybrid of Mayberry and the Branch Davidian compound.
When a fatal accident leads to a revenge lynching and a series of murders, the town's teenagers try to escape only to have their own parents hunt them down. The ensuing cat-and-mouse game involves a mine fire, a stockpile of napalm and a rash of terrorist plans.

In cooperation with Random House of Canada, artist Noel Tuazon will be on hand to discuss the genesis of Elk’s Run via an audo/visual presentation, and sign copies of this wonderful new collection.


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Nick Cardy: Comic Strips: Nick Cardy has been a dynamic artistic force within the comic book industry for over 60 years. Beginning in 1939 with the Eisner/Iger shop through a number of important newspaper strips, a 25 year association with DC Comics and an extensive stint in advertising (TV Guide), magazines (Crazy, National Lampoon) and numerous movie posters (Star Wars, The Bad News Bears), 85 year old Nick Cardy continues to delight his ever-growing legion of fans with a multitude of commissions and special projects to this day.

While his work at DC has been often lauded, Cardy’s short, but bright career in newspaper strips has received minimal attention.

Nick Cardy: Comic Strips reviews Cardy’s entire strip catalogue beginning with Lady Luck (1942) through Batman (1972) and includes an archive of previously unpublished artwork.
Frecklebean Press editor/publisher Sean Menard has put together the definitive look at Cardy’s diverse newspaper strip work including his refreshing interpretation of Tarzan.

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Come on our and support local Toronto comic authors, network with illustrators, artists, and more, and maybe even have a pint or two.

- Chris @ The Beguiling