Schedule
Programming
Friday, April 28th
6:30 pm
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TCAF 2023 Kick-Off Panel: Hurt Land:
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Moderator Marc Ngui (Future Parfait) speaks with featured guests Cole Pauls (Kwändur), Jesse Jacobs (New Pets), Nina Bunjevac (Heartless), and Fly (Fly Zine Archives), about creating comics as we slide towards dystopia. How do they maintain mental health, endorse ethical practices, and find joy and inspiration in today’s world? What strategies can they share about creating their work during a pandemic? Why are social justice and the climate crisis intrinsically linked? Most of these creators have current and past connections to zine making. How will zines save us all?
Saturday, April 29th
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10:00 am
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HINTON PROGRAMMING
Author Rights​
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24-year industry veteran Peggy Burns (Drawn &Quarterly) demystifies the author contract, explaining how to spot a transparent contract just as much as an unscrupulous one. She’ll cover what questions to ask an agent before signing their contract (or any contract), define a list of key contract points for the author, and clarify what terms you should look for in a fair contract, whether it be with your agent or publisher.
LEARNING CENTRE PROGRAMMING
Cartoonists in Conversation- Fly Squatter
Featured guest and zine legend Fly and TCAF General Programmer Fiona Smyth (You Know, Sex) chat about Fly’s zines, comics education and squatter activism on NYC’s Lower East Side. The Fly Zine Archive, collected and curated by Fly since the late 1980’s, was acquired and exhibited at the Minneapolis Institute of Art in 2021. The archive includes artist, activist and comic zines from within punk, squatter, feminist, and anarchist communities.
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NOVELLA ROOM PROGRAMMING
Cartoonists in Conversation-Teen Acher
Featured guest, cartoonist, and animator Victoria Ying (Hungry Ghost) and graphic memoirist Deb JJ Lee (In Limbo), both illustrators extraordinaire, discuss creating YA graphic novels, depicting mental health, and tackling the often unspeakable. Victoria and Deb will talk about navigating graphic medicine themes and how they connect with their young audience.
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11:00 am
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JAPAN FOUNDATION PROGRAMMING
A Conversation with Jun Mayuzuki - Creator of After the Rain and Kowloon Generic Romance
For the past few years, Jun Mayuzuki has become one of fastest rising stars in the world of manga. Widely celebrated for her charming and sensual art style, beautiful depictions of slice-of-life moments, and masterful skills at pacing and comic storytelling, she has amassed noteworthy awards, including the Golden Tiara Grand Prize, the Manga Taisho Award, and the Shogakukan Manga Award. Come witness a conversation with Jun Mayuzuki as she goes through her amazing career, starting from her early beginnings to her latest series Kowloon Generic Romance.
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REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. TO REGISTER, CLICK HERE.
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This panel will be located OFFSITE at the Japan Foundation. It is located at 2 Bloor Street E, Suite #300.
*Attendees will be required to wear masks during this panel.
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HINTON PROGRAMMING
Greetings from Montréal: BD and Comics from Québec
How well do you know your neighbors? Home to some of the top publishers of comic books and a thriving self-publishing community, Montréal boasts one of the most vibrant comics scenes in the world, bar none! But barriers still remain, and many curious readers just aren’t sure where to start exploring the world of Québec bandes dessinées. Come meet some of the incredible creators who make up the diverse Montréal scene as they discuss what makes for a good comics city, the intersecting cultures of francophone BD and anglophone comics in Québec, and what the future holds for an increasingly interconnected comics community throughout Canada and beyond. Presented in English.
Boum (Boumeries, The Jellyfish)
Julie Delporte (This Woman's Work, Corps vivante)
Lee Lai (Stone Fruit)
Ariane Cloutier (It'll Be Alright?)
Tania Mignacca (Ponto)
Moderated by François Vigneault
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LEARNING CENTRE PROGRAMMING
Cartoonists in Conversation-Squire & Knight
Featured guest and acclaimed Eisner Award–nominated cartoonist Scott Chantler (Bix, Two Generals, Three Thieves) talks with editor, comics scholar, and consummate journalist Irene Velentzas about his new all-ages graphic novel Squire & Knight, and the breadth of his prolific career from historical accounts to fantasy to jazz reveries. What’s next for Scott? What can’t he do?
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NOVELLA ROOM PROGRAMMING
Life Cycle of a Small Press
Featured guest, comics publisher and journalist Zainab Akhtar (ShortBox) and Patrick Crotty (Peow), Annie Koyama (Koyama Press) and TCAF Programming Creative Lead Faduma Gure (The Black Nerds) talk about lessons learned from the rise of a small press to the international stage.
12:00 pm
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HINTON PROGRAMMING
Cartoonists in Conversation- Stardust and School Lockers
Featured guest and celebrated creator Tillie Walden (Junior High, with Tegan and Sara) and cartoonist, educator and local hero Rosena Fung (Living With Viola) talk about collaboration, graphic meds, and star lost lovers. Tillie collaborates with Canada’s own musical stars Tegan and Sara on their newest memoir about Queerness, music and sisterhood during the messiness of junior high.
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LEARNING CENTRE PROGRAMMING
What She Said: Feminist as in F*ck You
Moderator and cartoonist Jenn Woodall (Space Trash) speaks with featured guests Joy San (Sugar and Other Stories), and Mel Stringer (Fart School) about women’s friendships, violent fantasies, sexual appetites and Deviant art accounts.
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NOVELLA ROOM PROGRAMMING
Projecting Thought– The Experimental Comics Of Martin Vaughn-James
Author, comics critic and journalist extraordinaire Jeet Heer, Canadian comics ambassador and Chevalier Seth and favourite comics journalist Sean Rogers discuss the experimentations of cartoonist and artist Martin Vaughn-James. The Projector and Elephant, two long unseen classic stories, were published as one volume in 2022 by New York Review Comics. The book is designed by Seth and with an introduction by Jeet. Seth and Jeet will share Martin’s work with new audiences.
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DISCUSSION ROOM PROGRAMMING
Editors in Conversation: Kiara Valdez x Amanda Meadows
Listen in on rising star editor and author Kiara Valdez (FirstSecond) in a candid conversation with editor and publisher Amanda Meadows (Oni Press, The Devastator) about navigating the comics industry as outsiders on the inside, how editorial works, and balancing a writing career on top of it all.
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1:00 pm
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HINTON PROGRAMMING
Cartoonists in Conversation-Where I’m Coming From
Featured guest and comics original Barbara Brandon Croft (Where I’m Coming From) and Canadian comics royalty Ho Che Anderson (Godhead) discuss her celebrated syndicated strip about Black women’s experiences, cartooning as an act of archiving history, and the comics legacy of her family.
LEARNING CENTRE PROGRAMMING
Cartoonists in Conversation: Indigenous Self-Publishing
For millenniums, Indigenous people have told their own perspective and shared their culture through storytelling. Join featured guest Cole Pauls (Kwändur), and cartoonist Chris Scriver(Ordinary) as they share their own perspective on being Indigenous comic creators, self-publishing comics and what the future of Indigenous comics could look like.
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NOVELLA ROOM PROGRAMMING
Cartoonists in Conversation- Faulted Heroes
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Featured guest and celebrated prolific cartoonist Noah Van Sciver (Joseph Smith and the Mormons) and beloved Canadian cartoonist and comics curator Joe Ollmann (Fictional Father) discuss seers, prophets, and the necessity for anti heroes.
DISCUSSION ROOM PROGRAMMING
WORSHOP/PRESENTATION: Remixing the past, present, and future of comics with R. Sikoryak
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R. Sikoryak draws (literally) from the history of comics to illustrate and subvert classic literature and documents. In this visual presentation, Sikoryak shows us his process of creating his graphic novels, such as Constitution Illustrated, that reference over 100 years of strips, comic books, and graphic novels, including everyone from George Herriman (Krazy Kat) and Jack Kirby (Fantastic Four) to Raina Telgemeier (Sisters) and Alison Bechdel (Dykes to Watch Out For). He talks about his sources, research, and production methods to catalogue and reinvent the comics canon. (seating available for approximately 25 people)
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Bio:
Cartoonist R. Sikoryak is the author of Constitution Illustrated, Masterpiece Comics, Terms and Conditions, and The Unquotable Trump (Drawn & Quarterly). He’s adapted the classics for various anthologies, including The Graphic Canon and RAW. His comics and illustrations have appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times Book Review, The Nation, The Onion, MAD, and more. Sikoryak teaches in the illustration department at Parsons School for Design and previously at The Center for Cartoon Studies. Since 1997, he's presented his live comics performance series, Carousel, around the United States and Canada. He lives in New York City with his spouse, Kriota Willberg. (seating available for approximately 25 people)
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2:00 pm
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HINTON PROGRAMMING
Cartoonists in Conversation- Growing Panes
Featured guest and Angoulême prize winning cartoonist Joe Kessler (The Gull Yettin), co-founder and art director of London based Breakdown Press, discusses his new book, being feted in Angoulême, the state of comics publishing, narrative art and pushing all boundaries with TCAF friend and comics journalist Sean Rogers.
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LEARNING CENTRE PROGRAMMING
Cartoonists in Conversation- Telling Stories
Featured guest and innovative cartoonist Tommi Parrish (Men I Trust) and cartoonist and friend Lee Lai (Stone Fruit) discuss unconventional love stories, navigating Queer friendships, reinventing the comics medium and napping.
NOVELLA ROOM PROGRAMMING
Cartoonists in Conversation- ONE
TCAF, Hollow Press, and the Istituto Italiano di Cultura, Consulate General of Italy – Cultural Section are honored to present featured guest David Marchetti in discussion with multidisciplinary artist, writer, printmaker, illustrator, and publisher Cleopatria Peterson (they/them) about his phenomenal new book One (Uno). Cleopatria will talk with David about the creation of his 400-plus page mostly wordless graphic novel, his love of dinosaurs and beagles, stream of conscious journeys, and his next project “L’osservatore”.
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2:30 pm
JAPAN FOUNDATION PROGRAMMING
A Mangaka's Creative Process with Jun Mayuzuki
Behind the creation of the brilliant work that is Kowloon Generic Romance is a strict and scheduled process helmed by creator Jun Mayuzuki. But even before she came to draw the first chapter of her ongoing series was a deliberate creative process that developed her beloved characters and the world they live in. Learn about Jun Mayuzuki’s creative process and life as a working mangaka in this panel that delves into the creation of Kowloon Generic Romance.
*After the panel, there will be a 1-hour autograph session with Jun Mayuzuki at the JFT library from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM. This autograph session is limited to those who attend the panel, and tickets will be handed out to interested attendees after the presentation. Please note that there is a limit of one autograph per attendee.
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REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. TO REGISTER, CLICK HERE.
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This panel will be located OFFSITE at the Japan Foundation. It is located at 2 Bloor Street E, Suite #300.
*Attendees will be required to wear masks during this panel.
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3:00 pm
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HINTON PROGRAMMING
Cartoonists in Conversation- Driving Ambition
Featured guest, celebrated cartoonist and Kramers Ergot editor Sammy Harkham (Blood of The Virgin) and TCAF co-founder Peter Birkemoe, two barometers of hip, talk about movies, comics, and other cool stuff. Sammy’s much anticipated graphic novel Blood Of The Virgin is the culmination of chapters that originally appeared in his critically acclaimed comic Crickets.
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LEARNING CENTRE PROGRAMMING
Horrid World- Why We Need Horror And Dystopic Stories More Than Ever!
Moderator, writer, editor and zinemaker Alison Lang (Women with Guts) discusses the need to scare ourselves to death with Jenna Cha and Lonnie Nadler (The Sickness), Erik Svetoft (Spa), Peter Rostovsky (Damnation Diaries) and featured guest Joy San (Sugar and Other Stories). Creators and fans of these genres share their deep love of gore, spectral beasties, viral attacks and post-apocalyptic sunsets.
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NOVELLA ROOM PROGRAMMING (CANCELLED)
Cartoonists in Conversation: Living In Laneha House
Featured guests and California’s own Lawrence Lindell and Breena Nuñez (Laneha House) and influential Queer comics scholar, educator, editor and curator Justin Hall talk about nurturing a family run small press, championing BIPOC and Queer cartoonists, pursuing their own comics paths, and raising a kid in the midst of it all.
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DISCUSSION ROOM PROGRAMMING
WORSHOP/PRESENTATION: The Man In the McIntosh Suit
Award-winning multidisciplinary visual storyteller & community artist-educator Althea Balmes in conversation with featured guest and celebrated cartoonist Rina Ayuyang (The Man In the McIntosh Suit) about her new book and the representation of the lives of Filipino migrant workers in California. They will discuss the importance of sharing histories and truths through storytelling, especially through the effectiveness of the accessible medium of comics. (seating available for approximately 25 people)
4:00 pm
HINTON PROGRAMMING
Cartoonists in Conversation- Desert Punk
Featured guest celebrated filmmaker and cartoonist James Spooner (The High Desert) and comics artist and political cartoonist Ben Passmore (Sports Is Hell) discuss his graphic memoir and the 20 year anniversary of his ground-breaking documentary Afro-Punk which is being screened as part of TCAF 2023.
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LEARNING CENTRE PROGRAMMING
The Noiseless Din- The Work Of Scott Carruthers- A celebration of the life and work of Toronto cartoonist, artist and musician Scott Carruthers
Artist, animator and musician Tanya Read (Mr.Nobody), artist, curator and writer Sally McKay, experimental cartoonist, writer and publisher Mark Laliberte (Carousel/Popnoir), and TCAF GeneraProgrammer Fiona Smyth (You Know, Sex) talk about Scott’s Doug Wright Award winning experimental graphic novel The Noiseless Din, art career, co-curating the Fly Gallery with his partner Tanya , their musical collaboration Ethel and The Mermen, and his full on DIY kick-ass attitude!
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NOVELLA ROOM PROGRAMMING
Cartoonists in Conversation- Meet Me In the Back Room
Featured guest, celebrated Toronto cartoonist and this year’s TCAF poster artist Erik Kostiuk Williams (2AM Eternal) and Doug Wright Award winner and confidente Sami Alwani (The Pleasure of the Text), talk about Queer nightlife, pandemic online experiences and emerging out the other side.
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DISCUSSION ROOM PROGRAMMING
WORKSHOP/PRESENTATION: Indigeneity and Comics Medium as an Action for Change
Featured guest Cole Pauls (Kwändur) and Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm (This Place: 150 Years Retold), performer, librettist, spoken-word artist, and respected educator who founded Kegedonce Press, Ontario's longest-running Indigenous literary publisher, in conversation about Indigenous cartoonists affecting social justice through creating comics. (seating is available for approximately 25 people)
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Sunday, April 30th
11:00 am
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HINTON PROGRAMMING
Binky Brown Meets The World-The Legacy of Autobiographic Cartoonists- Part Two
Moderator and cartoonist Shira Spector (Red Rock Baby Candy) discusses all things autobio with Maureen Burdock (Queen Of Snails), Natalie Norris (Dear Mini: A Graphic Memoir, Book One) and featured guests Rina Ayuyang (The Man In The McIntosh Suit), Natalie Norris (Dear Mini: A Graphic Memoir, Book One),and Nick Maandag (Harvey Knight’s Odyssey). The influence of autobiographic comic pioneers Aline Kominsky-Crumb, Diane Noomin and Justin Green is undeniable. What is the legacy they have left to cartoonists today, as well as other pioneers of the genre? How do these panelists approach this genre in their own comics and who were their inspirations?
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LEARNING CENTRE PROGRAMMING
Cartoonists in Conversation-Inner Sites
Two of the comic world’s sweethearts, featured guest Jesse Jacobs (New Pets) and Aaron Costain (Entropy) discuss sentient buildings, visually crafting spirituality, and arm-wrestling existentialism.
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NOVELLA ROOM PROGRAMMING
Dynamic Duos- Writer And Illustrator/Cartoonists Collaborators
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Moderator, writer and graphic novel and kids book editor Serah-Marie McMahon (Killer Style: How Fashion Has Injured, Maimed, and Murdered Through History) speaks with Fanny Britt and Isabelle Arsenault (Forever Truffle), J. Torres and David Namisato (Stealing Home), Cory Silverberg and Fiona Smyth (You Know, Sex), Mario Brassard and Gerard DuBois (Who Owns The Clouds) , and Jack Briglio and Claudia Dávila (ThunderBoom) about the collaborative process and strategies for working this way.
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12:00 pm
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HINTON PROGRAMMING
Uni Brows- Decimating The Divide Between Comics And “Art”
Moderator, experimental cartoonist and publisher Mark Laliberte (Popnoir) speaks with featured guests Erik Svetoft (Spa), Jesse Jacobs (New Pets), Joe Kessler (The Gull Yettin), Tommi Parrish (Men I Trust) and Patrick Kyle (Baby) about their art/comics practices, how they are sick of discussing distinctions and what is the potential of the comics medium in the future.
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LEARNING CENTRE PROGRAMMING
Zines Legacy- Part One: Comic Zine Pioneers
Moderator and TCAF General Programmer Fiona Smyth talks with featured guests Fly (Fly Zine Archive), James Kochalka (Glork Patrol-Book 3), Lorenz Peter (Moon Boots) about stealing photocopy keys, working with little toner and wielding long arm staplers in the early days of self-publishing. What kernels of wisdom can they share with emerging cartoonists?
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NOVELLA ROOM PROGRAMMING
Cartoonists as Educators- In The Comics Classroom
Moderator and Queer comics scholar, educator, editor and curator Justin Hall (No Straight Lines) speaks with K.Briggs (Macbeth), Georgia Webber(Dumb), and Rosena Fung (Living With Viola) about their go-to-curriculum, the influence of Lynda Barry and why the demand for this kind of education keeps growing every year.
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DISCUSSION ROOM PROGRAMMING
WORSHOP/PRESENTATION: “Panel One: They Stand On A Blustery Beach”
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Featured guests cartoonist and stained glass artist Lynette Richards (Call Me Bill) and cartoonist, writer and visual artist Kyle Vingoe-Cram (Kettle Harbour) discuss strategies and tips for crafting interesting characters and building fully realized worlds in fiction and non-fiction comics. They will share their creative processes and research for their stunning debut graphic novels. Call Me Bill is the first title released by Conundrum Press’s new young adult imprint, Emanata. (seating available for approximately 25 people)
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1:00 pm
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HINTON PROGRAMMING
Cartoonists in Conversation-The Alchemy of Drawing-Philosophy and Practice
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Comics titans Nina Bunjevac,featured guest celebrating the tenth anniversary edition of Heartless,and Chester Brown (Mary Wept Over The Feet Of Jesus) talk about drawing in panels, alchemy, and anything else they’d like to share with us mere mortals.
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LEARNING CENTRE PROGRAMMING
Crowdfunding - Your New Sidekick!
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Michel Vrana (Black Eye Books), Conan Tobias (Doug Wright Awards), and John Ward (Arbutus Films) will share with moderator David Barach, president of Crowdfundr, their experiences with crowdfunding, how it fits in with their creative goals, and what they think about crowdfunding as a sustainable model for funding and career development.
NOVELLA ROOM PROGRAMMING
Publisher in Conversation- ShortBox For The Win
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Featured guest, exemplary comics publisher and journalist Zainab Akhtar (ShortBox) and TCAF Programming Creative Lead Faduma Gure (The Black Nerds) talk about comics publishing, the state of comics today, and championing emerging cartoonists.
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2:00 pm
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HINTON PROGRAMMING
Cartoonists in Conversation-No Straight Lines
Featured guest and influential Queer comics scholar, educator, editor, and curator Justin Hall and Canadian comics and illustration legend Maurice Vellekoop discuss archiving LGBTQ2S+ comics, autobiography as an activist act, and their respective recent endeavors.
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LEARNING CENTRE PROGRAMMING
Zines Legacy- Part Two
The Intersection Of Queercore And Riotgrrrl Movements -Moderator and Word Balloon Academy Programmer MJ Lyons (Queer Werewolves Destroy Capitalism: Smutty Stories (Queering Consent) talks with featured guests Eric Kostiuk Williams (2AM Eternal), Mel Stringer (Fart School), and writer, editor, librarian and zine expert Lindsay Gibb (National Treasure: Nicolas Cage), about the debt the current zine world owes to these two movements and how influential they are as a shared movement.
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NOVELLA ROOM PROGRAMMING
The Soft Movement- Vulnerability in Comics and Zines
Moderator cartoonist, artist and zinester Olea Kim discusses the rise of Softness depicted in the works of Karen Shuagguan (Quiet Thoughts) , Slugtrain (Dress-Up Zine), Melanie Yan (Make-Believe & Wannnabee), Lina Wu (Flowers Look Like Weeds) and Cleopatria Peterson (Sweetness of Red, New Growth). Why has this emotionally evocative movement taken a gentle and loving hold of the zine and comics world? What are the inspirations for this work? How is this work transforming discussions around subjects like gender, mental health and self-care?
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DISCUSSION ROOM PROGRAMMING
WORKSHOP/PRESENTATION: Sore Whatsits - Cartoonists Health Workshop
Cartoonist, massage therapist and educator Kriota Willberg (Draw Stronger: Self-Care For Cartoonists and Other Visual Artists) shares best practices for healthy cartooning in this informal workshop. (seating available for approximately 25 people)
3:00 pm
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HINTON PROGRAMMING
Cartoonists in Conversation-Baby Shambles
Featured guests, influential cartoonist Patrick Kyle (Baby) and inventive cartoonist and art director Joe Kessler (The Gull Yettin) talk about comics experimentation, reinvention, and next-level sh*t. Baby is Patrick’s newest book published by Breakdown Press.
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LEARNING CENTRE PROGRAMMING
Wordysmiths- Comics Writers
Moderator, writer, producer and interviewer Mark Askwith speaks with featured guests Jim Zub (Rick And Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons: The Complete Adventures) and J.Torres (Stealing Home) and Ryan North (Danger and Other Unknown Risks) about their origin stories of becoming comics writers. What keeps these three heavy hitters inspired and creating content and what has changed in the comics industry since they started out?
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NOVELLA ROOM PROGRAMMING
Cartoonists in Conversation: Can’t Stop Won’t Stop
TCAF Programming Creative Lead Faduma Gure (The Black Nerds) speaks to Toronto’s own cartoonist Beddo about his Hip Hop History comics, how to encompass a movement and what’s coming next. Faduma and Beddo will talk about the breadth and importance of his work.
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DISCUSSION ROOM PROGRAMMING
WORKSHOP/PRESENTATION: Royal Comics: The Sequential Art of Illuminated Manuscripts
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Cartoonist K.Briggs, creator of the new graphic novel adaptation of Macbeth, shares inspiration from medieval illuminated manuscripts through historical examples. Pages from the new Macbeth will be presented and a medieval meme-making activity.
(seating available for approximately 25 people)
4:00 pm
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HINTON PROGRAMMING
Raising Kids- Parenthood and guardianship in comics
Moderator and exploratory drawer of the intersection of parenting, neurodivergence and queerness, Amy Noseworthy (Mamahood, Normal Human Adult) discusses the tiring travails of autobiographic portrayals of parenthood/guardianship with featured guests Briana Loewinsohn (Ephemera: A Memoir), and Megan Kelso (Who Will Make the Pancakes). These comics have taken over social media and mainstream magazines almost in real time. Why is there this explosive sharing of TMI? And why is it about time?
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LEARNING CENTRE PROGRAMMING
Zines Legacy- Part Three -Punk Zines and Gutter Social Justice
Moderator and inimitable novelist Kristyn Dunnion (Stoop City) talks with featured guests James Spooner (The High Desert), Cole Pauls (Kwändur), and Fly (Fly Zine Archive), about the influence of zines in creating culture, community and activism. What is the enduring impact of zines on DIY culture and where is it going?
NOVELLA ROOM PROGRAMMING
Graphic Medicine for Kids and Teens
Moderator, cartoonist and educator Rosena Fung (Living With Viola) speaks with Cory Silverberg (You Know, Sex), Victoria Ying (Hungry Ghosts), Deb JJ Lee (In Limbo) Tillie Walden (Junior High with Tegan and Sara) about the research and care in creating graphic medicine content for young readers. These creators share the transformative power of these books in children’s lives.