Labels: events, links, manga, Manitoba, Winnipeg

Labels: events, furries, links, Quebec

Guy Delisle's panel had about 50 people, which is twice up what I've ever seen for a cartoonist of that type in that particular time set. The questions from the audience were mostly about the political implication of his Pyongyang book, translated in the US by Drawn and Quarterly. I thought the most fascinating thing he said was how he was dedicated to his publisher despite their rejecting a new book he then took elsewhere. I can't imagine a North American publisher having the same attitude. Also that he masked or did not portray a lot of confidence between himself and some of the North Koreans with which he interacted.

Labels: events, graphic novels, international

Labels: events, graphic novels, international

Labels: comic jams, events, Montreal, Quebec

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But for some furries, getting together virtually wasn't quite as fulfilling as meeting in person, leading to informal "fur meets" and, later, conventions like Anthrofest.

"For a weekend you can just be yourself, be your character, do what you gotta do" is Ciccone's succinct explanation of the convention.

Last year, the convention attracted around a hundred attendees. This year, Ciccone, who pays for the convention with at least $4,000 out of his own pocket, expects at least 125.

"Furry is very much a labour of love. If you're in this to make money, you better be very good at drawing, or making costumes."

Labels: events, Montreal, Quebec

The cartoon currently appears in 36 newspapers in Canada, including the Toronto Star, Ottawa Citizen, Victoria Times Colonist, Regina Leader Post, Calgary Herald, and Edmonton Journal.

Chuckle Bros is the collaborative work of Brian Boychuk, a violinist with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, his brother Ron Boychuk, originally from Regina, and illustrator Ronnie Martin, also from Ottawa.

"With Torstar Syndication Services covering the Canadian market and now Creators Syndicate on board for both U.S. and worldwide distribution, the stage is set for one heck of a ride," said Brian Boychuk. "The Chuckle Bros are as ready as we'll ever be."

"The fabulous success of the Chuckle Bros launch was a great beginning, as editors found out what we already knew: this is a terrific little comic that people will love because it consistently delivers a solid punch line and outstanding art," said Robin Graham, Managing Director, Torstar Syndication Services. "Eight months later, we are still adding a steady stream of new customers."

"Chuckle Bros will make a great addition to our line-up and we're so excited to have them on board with their zany humour," said Margo Sugrue, National Sales Director, Creators Syndicate. "I first saw the panel in an editor's office at the Ottawa Citizen, and knew immediately that I'd love to have it."

Labels: Alberta, Calgary, comic strips, Edmonton, international, Ontario, Ottawa, Toronto

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Soop used humor to point out social ills and to suggest things needed to be changed. From the time of his youth Soop lived with muscular dystrophy. As his disease progressed Soop focused less on journalism and became more of an activist in the aboriginal disabilities community and was awarded a Meritorious Service Medal posthumously in 2001.

Labels: Alberta, Calgary, events, exhibits, political cartooning

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Next, in November, a new take on a timeless classic will surprise and enchant you in the action/fantasy Dorothy of Oz Vol.1: "When Mara Shin's dog Toto gets lost one fateful day, she follows his trail along some yellow brick road and ends up in the wonderful land of Oz! Everyone instantly starts calling her Dorothy, but these aren't the cowardly lion, brainless scarecrow and heartless tin man adventures you remember. This fantastic fairy tale features familiar character ... but with a definite action/animated twist!"

Then in December, Magical JxR Vol.1 tells the story of two teenage wizards and the young girl they befriend: "Jay and Aru are two of the most popular students in wizardry school. However, before they can graduate, they must venture out into the REAL world and fulfill a one year magic contract with a human girl named Cho-Ah. Is Cho-Ah ready for a whole year with two enthusiastic wizards-to-be at her beck and call?"

With more titles planned for 2008, these three new ongoing series are just the beginning of UDON's Korean Manhwa line.

Labels: international, manga, publishing

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Wolk has a contrarian streak: He likes to tweak the masters and champion the half-forgotten. Strikingly, he has some harsh words for Spiegelman and Ware, while being tenderly protective toward Gene Colan, the journeyman hack who drew the Tomb of Dracula. These curious judgments (which I find thoroughly unconvincing) are perhaps a legacy of Wolk's fannish roots. They also call to mind Wolk's intellectual hero, the late film critic Pauline Kael, who liked to put in a good word for trashy pleasures. Kael loved starting critical fights, a habit Wolk has inherited.

Labels: comics history, international, reviews

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Over 200 people attended the event on Saturday June 23rd to honour the life of Shiragha Rahimi, celebrate his cartoons, and raise funds for the post-secondary education of the seven children he left behind when he was killed in a car accident in January. Early estimates suggest the event raised over $10,000.

Labels: events, political cartooning

Labels: events, Ontario, Toronto

"nothing good is said about CEREBUS or Dave Sim unless it is prefaced by at least three caveats to make sure that the listener is aware that the speaker is absolutely and unequivocally establishing from the outset that they couldn't be further apart from Dave Sim and his ideas if they had been shot out of a cannon in the other direction"

Labels: blogosphere, comics history, links, publishing

Labels: comics retailers, comicshoptalk, Ontario

The cost of the new program is $38,000, and tuition payments can be spread out over the duration of the course. There will also be refunds for students who discontinue the program.

Schacker says the new diploma is unique in North America and is aimed at people who want to be concept artists in the fields of animation and video gaming. "It had to be a four-year program because there's a lot to learn," she says.

Goran Delic, for many years a concept artist and senior production designer for Nelvana Studios in Toronto, will lead the new program. In addition to his work at Nelvana, Delic has also done illustrations for newspapers, including the New York Times, has written graphic novels and is an illustrator for Universal Pictures.

Like many college programs -- public or private -- Max the Mutt's four-year diploma was developed with direct input from the gaming industry itself. Some of the Canadian companies consulted include Rockstar Toronto, Pseudo Interactive and Vancouver's Electronic Arts.

Labels: comics in school, Ontario, Toronto

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hardcore anime follower, 22-year-old Jacqueline McPhee of Sydney, said 20-somethings are also fascinated by the art and culture of anime.

"Last year I had people from eight to 27-year-olds come to the picnic," said McPhee, who organizes the event.

"You don't get them much older than the high 20s, but many of my friends who are into it are in their mid-20s.

"Once you get older, some people are worried about doing something like this in the public eye.

"But if you know enough people to go with you, you feel more comfortable."

Growing up with an interest in anime, McPhee found it difficult to meet people her age with the same interest in Japanese animated characters.

She said the annual picnic gives local youth from across the island a chance to express their love of anime freely with others.

Labels: events, manga

...cultural theorists have turned their gaze to the world of good and evil and subversion that some comics represent. Like Jeet Heer, he is an Indian born Canadian and learned to speak English by reading comics.

From that early interest he developed a lifelong passion for this type of storytelling and has written about it for the Boston Globe and the Literary Review of Canada.

Jeet Heer's writing about comics is described as ingenious and imaginative...

Labels: comic strips, comics history, international, pod casts

Labels: graphic novels, international, Ontario, publishing, Toronto

1. The Winnipeg Free Press reports on Lynn Johnston's induction into the Order of Manitoba:

Johnston, 60, rose to fame in the 1980s with her comic strip For Better or For Worse, now seen in over 2,000 newspapers worldwide.
Johnston, who now lives in northern Ontario, said she was "flummoxed" at the recognition.

"I'm ready to move back now," Johnston said, adding she feels a special place in her heart for our province.

"It would be great to call this home," she said.

2. The National Post interviews George Zotti, manager of Toronto comic book store Silver Snail, about what it takes to work for his elite organization:

if you want to work in his Queen West store, you'd better know your She-Hulk from your She-Ra, because Zotti has more questions than the Riddler when it comes to hiring a new clerk.

Do you like manga? Do you like action figures? Do you have a collection? And perhaps most crucial of all, are you a Marvel guy or a DC guy?

"That kind of gives me an idea if they know what they're talking about or if they're just trying to bluff," says Zotti. "Just because you have retail experience doesn't mean you're qualified to work here."

3. The Globe and Mail examines new trends in male-centric homedecorating, where the action figure is king. Interview subjects include Tom Spurgeon and Bart Beaty:

Bart Beaty, a University of Calgary professor who writes about comic books as visual culture, has confined his collection of comics and graphic novels to two areas of his house: The pamphlet-style Batman and Superman comics are in a closet in the basement, but the 3,000 European graphic novels he collected while researching his next book are on display in his dining room.

"We have people over for dinner and they sit there and stare and go 'What the hell is that?' " he said. "But I like the way it looks."

4. Toronto pop culture nerds are flocking to Friday Fright Night at the Bloor Cinema, according to The Globe:

Some horror fans are skeptical of Fright's claim that they screen real prints. But a visit to the projectionist's booth proved the reels were, in fact, real. Three months ago, the cinema acquired new, smaller lamp houses for their projectors, which help to create sharper colour and image.

Steve Manale, a 34-year-old comic-book artist, was one who noticed. "That print was perfect," he said, "I didn't see one scratch or splice."

5. The Globe's James Adams takes the pulse of Raincoast Books on the eve of the publication of the final Harry Potter novel. Raincoast is also a big graphic novel distributor, counting D+Q among its clients. Now that the Harry Potter craze may be winding down, how does Raincoast plan on filling the gaps in its publishing schedule?

As the Potter boom unfolded, Raincoast did expand editorially, buying the Polestar and Press Gang imprints in 2000, while moving more into children's literature (earlier this year it hired Tonya Martin, a New Yorker from Rowling's U.S. publisher, Scholastic, as children's books editor).

It had earlier brought in Joy Gugeler, managing editor for Vancouver's Beach Holme Publishing, to supervise a new Canadian adult-fiction program. But that program was folded last year, and while Raincoast's staff of 130 is almost double what it was a decade ago, the growth has been on the distribution, sales and marketing side.

"Still, you have to think that, had the latest Potter been released later this year, or in the spring of 2008, its suggested Canadian list price likely would be lower than $45, given the lag in price adjustment that seems to occur: in strictly mathematetical terms, the current price is actually a 2004 price"

That is not the case with the Honest Ed's store site, which would mean both the demolition of an iconic building and a jump across Bathurst for the development that has been creeping west along Bloor out of the city core.

Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone says that the city has not seen a proposal to redevelop the site. But if it does, he thinks redevelopment should not include Mirvish Village, the retail strip of converted houses along Markham Street, which the Mirvishes turned into arty stores and restaurants decades ago.

Labels: Alberta, Calgary, comics retailers, ephemera, events, links, Manitoba, Ontario, publishing, Toronto, Winnipeg

Labels: British Columbia, interweb, pod casts, Vancouver, webcomics

Labels: blogosphere, events, international

Heroes was founded 18 years ago and has been in several locations. Brahm started as an employee and took over the business seven years ago.

Always a comic fanatic, Wiseman was already buying and selling comics when he was studying English and visual arts at the University of Western Ontario. Wiseman said comic books and graphic novels are still a powerhouse in pop culture.

"It's an influential media. We are seeing about 10 comic book movies a year now," he said.

On Monday, the fixtures from the restaurant that used to occupy the building will be auctioned and renovation of the 4,000 square foot space will begin.

With the help of a loan from Mainstreet London, the facade will get a facelift that may include a mural of superheroes. Wiseman hopes to open the new store by the end of October.

Labels: comics retailers, comicshoptalk, Ontario

The decision to raise prices on the newsstands wasn't made in a vacuum. Marvel has made these pricing changes as a result of feedback from the people they sell comic books too: the comic book store retailers and newsstand buyers. These are the people that buy the comic books from Marvel to sell to the comic book fans. While lower prices benefit the readers, they don't benefit the retailers. Retailers get a percentage of the cover price. The higher the cover price, the more profitable the item is for the retailer. Comic books are competing for space on the newsstands with magazines that typically cost about twice as much. While comic book prices may seem high to readers, they may seem low to the newsstand buyers. This puts publishers like Marvel in a difficult position in which they have to balance the needs of the retailers and the end consumers. Experimenting with the cover price on selected titles and measuring the results may be unpopular, but it isn't bad business.

Labels: comics retailers, international, links, publishing, U.S. superhero franchises

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for the almost three years now, Toronto-based comic book retailer Silver Snail has bypassed the issue by selling new comics and books from Marvel, DC, Dark Horse and Image comics publishers at the American cover prices.

While the American comic book prices are adjusted from month to month, those companies haven't been paying attention to the rising Canadian dollar, said Silver Snail buyer Michael Dillon.

"Their Canadian prices were always ridiculously, three or four dollars above what the American price is. We thought it just made more sense money-wise to just sell at the American (price)."

There may be alternate solutions to the book and comic book pricing differential, but industry-wide discussions and agreements would have to take place to change the system.

Labels: comics retailers, international, Ontario, publishing, Toronto

Long-time favourite Fiona Smyth has provided a glass display case of her comics as well as a wall of thumb-tacked originals, highlighting her uncanny and lovely mutating girl figures.

Labels: events, exhibits

Quite a bit of my cartoon work is a little racy, so I knew it would never see the light of day in print. I guess I wanted to share the irreverent, kooky side of myself to a larger audience, and see if people enjoyed it, or were totally freaked out by it. Surprisingly, most people liked my wacky cartoons and ideas. But I also wanted to be a part of a larger conversation regarding discussing books and authors and ideas and the fascinating world of publishing.

Labels: blogosphere, interviews, Ontario, Toronto

Labels: Ontario, real world, Toronto

This is a last-minute signing because we wanted to make sure that the
book would be in stores FOR SURE this Wednesday, and it will! Anything
you can do to help us spread the word would be appreciated. Include in
your listings! Tell your friends! And limit one copy per customer...

Labels: events

In fact, this is quite a touchy subject in Canada. Quebec-s nationalist movement has long been tainted with anti-Semitism. And Quebec is, without question, the most anti-Israeli and most anti-American of the Canadian provinces, earning it the nickname "Quebecistan." The anti-Semitic French comedian Dieudonne, for example, is hugely popular in Quebec (far more so than in France), invited to mainstream comedy festivals and onto publicly-funded radio, where he receives a sympathetic welcome.

This is not to say there is no anti-Semitism elsewhere in Canada. But were such cartoons to appear in the Globe and Mail (a national paper out of Toronto) or the Calgary Herald or Vancouver Sun, all hell would break loose.

More intellectually lazy still, some have tried to draw a parallel with the Danish Mohammed cartoons, stating that if one encouraged their publication, one should rejoice at these cartoons. I am not suggesting that these cartoons should not have run. Personally, I find them over the line, but each editorial page should decide such things for themselves. It should also be noted that Le Devoir was, to its credit, the only mainstream publication in Canada to run (one of) the Danish cartoons. I did believe the Danish cartoons should be published -- but I took no delight in the cartoons themselves, or the reaction they engendered. And that is where a more accurate comparison can be made.

So far, no one in Quebec's Jewish community -- or any Jewish community anywhere – has rioted, burned any embassies, threatened beheadings or caused the cartoonists in question to go into perpetual hiding.

Labels: Alberta, British Columbia, Calgary, Ontario, political cartooning, Quebec, Toronto, Vancouver

I have some original pieces of art going up for exhibit and sale this weekend in San Francisco @ mamabuzz cafe for the Everything Kitchen Sink show there -- it's a formal send off for the defunct art and culture magazine I contributed to over the last 4 years. Here's the info and links about the show and jpgs of the art.

Labels: events, exhibits, links

A desire to master English was a big part of what made comics attractive; they seemed like a fast-track to literacy. The school board had labeled me a "remedial reader"; ashamed of this stigma, I tried to learn as much English on my own as quickly as I could.

Labels: comic strips, comics history, interviews

Labels: British Columbia, mascots, Quebec, Vancouver

Canadian comics creator Steve MacIsaac makes his triumphant return to Toronto this August at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival. He'll be debuting Shirtlifters #2, the second issue of his one-man anthology of queer comics. MacIsaac's work is very grounded, offering up portraits of men who are wrestling with modern queer issues -- marriage and immigration, integrating families and queer identity -- all of these are starting points for sometimes sexy, surprising stories that will hit close to home for many men.

Labels: blogosphere, Ontario, reviews, Toronto

Never draw a floor if you don't have to! It's too much perspective work and you should pay more attention to the story. It will also cut 40% of your drawing time and the work will be compositionally stronger (if you are Geoff Darrow or Brian Bolland, please ignore).

Labels: blogosphere, how-to, Ontario, Toronto, writings by cartoonists

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If cartooning is a solo activity, acting is a cacophony of souls; I like the quiet control I have over my work in cartoon-land, and I enjoy the collaborative process of theatre. In my life, the contrasts feed one another, and I feel lucky to be able to indulge in more than one passion.

Labels: British Columbia, comic strips, Vancouver

The shelves at Happy Harbor at Manning Crossing bear pretty much the nerd-store standard stock of comics, manga geek-books and vinyl tchotchkes, but Happy Harbor competes on atmosphere. I was in there killing time while I waited for my ride after a wisdom-tooth extraction, and the staff were all "Have a seat!", directing me to a couple of comfy chairs, encouraging me to sit and read. A refreshing reversal of the police-state customer-is-the-enemy approach of some other shops.

Labels: comics retailers, comicshoptalk, Edmonton

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Before slipping into her Power Girl costume, Liana K took a moment to introduce DC/Vertigo editor Shelly Bond to the assembled fans.

Labels: events, Ontario, paradise comicon, Toronto

"I actually have two new graphic novels out this fall. Wild Ride from Orca Publishers is the first in a new series, Graphic Guide Adventures. It's a wilderness survival adventure for 8-14 year olds, about three kids who get trapped in the woods of northern BC. In addition to the story, real life, step-by-step wilderness survival tips are blended into the action, so kids can learn how to build a shelter from tree branches, how to cross a river safely, set a broken limb and lots more fun stuff. It comes out in October. The next in the series is Ramp Rats, which is about skateboarding and is packed with instructions on how to land skating tricks. It comes out in 2008.

Coming out in September is Max Finder Mystery Collected Casebook Vol. 3, the third installment in my you-solve-it mystery comic, Max Finder Mystery, which ran in OWL Magazine for four years."

Labels: blogosphere, British Columbia, graphic novels, interviews