Kalman Andrasofszky posted some lovely new art

Labels: art, can-con, capes, Toronto

Labels: books.torontoist, Chris Butcher, interviews, TCAF 2010, Toronto

Labels: books.torontoist, interviews, Kean Soo, kid lit, kids comics, Ontario, profiles, Toronto

The Comic Jam is tomorrow night [that's tonight, folks!], Tuesday, January 26th, 9 o'clock till 12ish, Cameron House, backroom, 408 Queen St. W., Queen-Spadina. Bring your own pens, paper provided.
See you there!
Dalton

P.S.: - Rob Westall has revamped his website at oddnogginz.com

- Cartoonist Rutz and myself are having an afternoon comic jam/collage/ art thing on February 27th from 1-4, at the Wychwood Barns. We will be selling zines, so if you want to bring me some of your zines to sell, I can shill them for you. Email me if you need more details. There's no alcohol :( so this is a great event for people looking for a comic jam with a daytime vibe. I'll email more updates in February.

- There's 3 cartooning workshops starting this February taught by some of Toronto's best comics professionals! http://cartoonistsworkshop.wordpress.com/workshops/

Labels: comic jams, Dalton Sharp, events, social ink, Toronto

Hello everyone and Happy New Year. I hope your holidays were enjoyable.
Things are coming along well for our show coming up in March. I have received allot of feedback from many of you concerned with the higher prices compared to our shows in the past. Because of this we have a few options to offer. First we are lowering the price to $210 CDN plus GST. We are also offering four foot tables at $129 CDN plus GST. Hopefully this will allow everybody to be able to participate this year if they want to.
http://www.wizardworld.com/home-toronto.html

Please feel free to contact me with any questions.
Thanks
Peter Dixon
Paradise Comics
416 487-9807

Labels: aperances, conventions, cosplay, events, events links, floppies, Ontario, paradise comicon, Toronto, wizard

Subject: COMIC BOOK INKING COURSE from the Toronto Cartoonists Workshop

Hi:
I have just posted a gallery of select examples of instructor artwork for the “Comic Book Inking: 4 Perspectives” course. It features a range of images by J. Bone, Ramon Perez, Ty Templeton & Pat Davidson. Take a moment to experience for yourself the diversity of style and technique that will be the focus of this rare learning opportunity.

“Comic Book Inking: 4 Perspectives” is a course developed for inkers who want to expand the mark making vocabulary of an existing style, or pencillers who wish to break into finishing their own work. It will include both lecture and demonstration components with each of the artists.

To secure one of the remaining spots in this course contact Walter Dickinson at:
647-502-7605
or
info@cartoonistsworkshop.com

Please don't delay in signing up for this workshop. I don't know when this will be offered again due to the schedules of the contributing instructors.

Cheers.

Walter Dickinson
Coordinator
Toronto Cartoonists Workshop

Labels: comics in school, drawing classes, gallery, how-to, let's get technical, Ontario, Toronto

Labels: conventions, festivals, news, TCAF 2010, Toronto

Labels: Dan Clowes, Drawn and Quarterly, news, TCAF 2010, Toronto

Labels: blogosphere, mini-comics, Toronto

Labels: aperances, awards, C-List, comics history, events, Montreal, movies, new books, reading, Toronto

Labels: conventions, cosplay, events, hobbystar, manga, Toronto

It's the Toronto Comic Jam!

Labels: comic jams, events, Ontario, Toronto

Guests: Tom Raney, Francis Manapul, Marcus To, Agnes Garbowski, Leonard Kirk, Marcio Takara, Kent Burles, Ty Templeton +

Plus lots of comics.

View Larger Map

Labels: conventions, events, hobbystar, Ontario, Toronto

Labels: comics retailers, events, Ontario, Toronto

Hey everybody!

Even though there's tons of other stuff to look at at seanwardsuperparty.com including two full graphic novels for you to read, today is a big milestone for me. It's the tenth update since the end of the last story, so the tenth addition to the collection made just for the website.

Here is a quick and handy recap of what's happened in the Super Party so far!
AT HOME WITH BENNY BUNNY AND BERNADETTE - domestic bliss and talk of moustaches
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE 1960s - the sixties were all about the three B's
THE CANADIAN SPECIAL - meet The Go-Go Girls, the Queen's enemies
BENNY BUNNY AND BIGFOOT KICKIN' IT - Bigfoot's return appearance. Now he's got a surprise for Benny Bunny
BANQUO BURGER in THE GRAND OPENING - your favorite advertising mascot meets his greatest nemesis: The Sumo Pirate
THE STORY OF THE BENNY BUNNY BUTTER BAND - When Benny goes electric, the passport office goes crazy
BIGFOOT'S BIRTHDAY - guest starring Kanye West
A WEEK IN THE LIFE OF BENNY BUNNY - see how the star prepares in the lead-up to show time
AN UNTOLD STORY OF THE BEATLES IN NEW YORK - the never-before-heard secret night after their historic Shea Stadium concert
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S MACBETH - Shakepeare's classic tragedy, Super Party style. With Benny Bunny, Bubb Rubb, and Tony Montana

Be sure to let me know which is your favorite!

And don't forget that there's all kinds of bloggedy goodness bubbling all the time at seanward.net
-Sean

Labels: Ontario, Toronto, webcomics

"Canada's Largest Zine Fair and Festival of Alternative Culture"

The heart of the event, indie publishers both in print and online come from across the country and the continent will fill the old Gladstone Hotel to it's gills, to show off their wares. We are cautioned to be amazed at the creativity, ingenuity, and sheer weirdness of it all.

There is a huge line up of stuff this year, sorry i'll be missing it. Check here for the many events held along side the main floor, in various rooms about the old hotel: Hotel Room Installations; 1:00-7:00pm; Canada's brightest and weirdest will be creating one day unique environments to explore in five of the Gladstone Hotel's Rooms. There's The City of Craft General Store, ARTCADE 2009, The Lost Window: Toronto Mannequin Window Displays 1930-1950 [provocative found-photo exhibit], Spelunkin' fer Culkin [3Dzine installation by Wowee Zonk], and....

The Toronto Comic Jam Room: All day long sequential art.

On the last Tuesday of every month the Toronto Comic Jam meets at the Cameron House to collaboratively create comics. But on November 1st it will be coming out of the back room and setting up shop in one of Canzine's art rooms where it will invite passers-by to stop in and draw a panel or two. Past Toronto Comic Jam books will be for sale. Links- regular Jam home page, and the Facebook event page.

The slide show is anything tagged Canzine from the flickr stream, if you go have a great show!

Labels: Canzine, events, events links, festivals, Ontario, social ink, Toronto, zine fair, zines

Labels: new books, Toronto

Labels: C-List, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg

Quarter Life Crisis

"Toronto has what I would call a fairly respectable comics scene - from the ongoing popularity of the Toronto Comic Arts Festival to the existence of several fine comics stores (including my fave, The Beguiling) and the noticeable increase in comics-related booths and programming at Word on the Street this year."

Labels: new books, Ontario, reviews, Toronto, wordonthestreet

Labels: awards, events, pod casts, Toronto

Labels: awards, events, pod casts, Toronto, webcomics, wordonthestreet

Labels: awards, C-List, new books, shusters, Toronto, wordonthestreet

Labels: comic jams, events, events links, Ontario, social ink, Toronto

Labels: awards, events, graphic novels, Sequential, Toronto

Labels: awards, can-con, events, halloffame, Ontario, shusters, Toronto

Labels: art show, awards, events, floppies, graphic novels, Toronto, U.S. superhero franchises

Labels: events, graphic novels, Toronto

Labels: book launches, events, graphic novels, interviews, Toronto

Labels: conventions, cosplay, fanexpo 2009, hobbystar, manga, Toronto, U.S. superhero franchises

Labels: conventions, cosplay, events, fanexpo 2009, hobbystar, manga, Toronto

Labels: conventions, events, fanexpo 2009, hobbystar, Toronto

Labels: can-con, conventions, events, events links, Ontario, Toronto

We just launched the brand new Montreal Comic-Con website - www.montrealcomiccon.com. Please feel free to send us your comments and/or suggestions about it. Any comments and/or suggestions regarding the event itself are also welcomed.

See you in September!

Oscar, Elizabeth and Alex :)

We've just launched the mini-site for Sword of My Mouth, making the first two issues (and commentary from me and Shannon) available for subscribers and people who've pre-ordered the graphic novel. It's the first third (48 pages) of the book so far, and we'll be adding a chapter every other month until we launch the complete graphic novel edition at next year's Toronto Comic Arts Festival.

One of the things we did differently with this book was research, and so I'll take this opportunity to write a bit about that...

Labels: conventions, links, Montreal, new books, Ontario, publishing, Quebec, Toronto, webcomics

Labels: British Columbia, C-List, comic jams, conventions, international, interviews, links, new books, Ontario, publishing, Quebec, social ink, Toronto, Vancouver, webcomics

Labels: comics retailers, dollar, Toronto

Labels: "summer reading 09", guest bloggers, summer reading, Toronto

Labels: "summer reading 09", guest bloggers, summer reading, Toronto

This appears to be fairly big news.

Labels: conventions, cultural imperialism, events, paradise comicon, Toronto

"That's right, the next Toronto Comic Arts Festival will be held Saturday May 8th and Sunday May 9th, 2010, at the 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."

Labels: events, festivals, tcaf, TCAF09, Toronto

Labels: anthologies, magazines, new books, Toronto

Labels: events, manga, Toronto

Labels: events, festivals, Ontario, panels, pod casts, tcaf, TCAF09, Toronto

Labels: awards, C-List, events, graphic novels, international, links, tcaf, TCAF09, Toronto

Labels: awards, events, festivals, Ontario, tcaf, TCAF09, Toronto

Labels: blogosphere, C-List, comics in libraries, events, graphic novels, links, tcaf, TCAF09, Toronto, webcomics

Labels: awards, C-List, comics in libraries, events, graphic novels, links, tcaf, TCAF09, Toronto

Labels: awards, C-List, comics in libraries, conventions, events, graphic novels, links, tcaf, TCAF09, Toronto

Labels: C-List, links, Ontario, tcaf, TCAF09, Toronto

get the big one for the best art!
Large | Medium | Small


was available in the Pulp at TCAF '09

Labels: comic strips, comics criticism, comics history, comics in libraries, interviews, Montreal, new books, Ontario, profiles, Quebec, Sequential Pulp, tcaf, TCAF09, Toronto, Vancouver

Labels: awards, comics in libraries, conventions, events, graphic novels, Ontario, tcaf, TCAF09, Toronto

Labels: art show, events, graphic novels, international, Ontario, TCAF09, Toronto

Labels: events, graphic novels, international, manga, Ontario, tcaf, TCAF09, Toronto

Labels: anthologies, book launches, events, Ontario, TCAF09, Toronto

Labels: awards, book launches, new books, Ontario, tcaf, TCAF09, Toronto

Labels: art show, events, Sequential Pulp, tcaf, TCAF09, Toronto

Labels: comic strips, publishing, Toronto, webcomics

Labels: comics in libraries, events, Toronto, webcomics

Sean Craig, Brad Mackay, Globe and Mail Update
March 31, 2009

OTTAWA/TORONTO ---Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty have announced a $50-million aid package for Canada's struggling comic book industry.

They said Canada's bailout, which they called a "short term loan," is proportionate to the operations of Canadian retailers and publishers, which are estimated to be about 20 per cent of North American production.

The two leaders announced the package on Tuesday morning at a joint press conference in Toronto.

Ontario will contribute about $10 million to the package and Ottawa will provide $40 million.

Harper told reporters the aid package "is not a blank cheque" and that he wants to see comic book stores, distributors, publishers, and cartoonists work together to restructure their operations.

"All stakeholders are going have to be part of the solution," Harper said.

The aid package will also:

-give loan access to small retailers, start-up publishers and more established publishers and other businesses that are part of the general comic book industry
-give additional tax breaks to those directly involved in the production of comics in Canada, including cartoonists, writers, artists, and inkers (but not colourists, letterers or editors)
-create a Federal program for archiving and accessing webcomics and make their production subject to funding from the new technologies branch of Telefilm Canada

In the U.S., Marvel, Darkhorse and Fantagraphics had said they need credit and loans as they restructure their companies.

Meanwhile, DC has said it does not need immediate help, but had asked for a line of credit.

Harper said the aid package was part of a "holistic approach" to save an industry that helps provide hundreds of thousands of jobs to Canadians.

He said governments need to act, especially in the wake of the financial sector economic crisis. The publishing, and especially the comics industry, has been particularly hard hit by the credit crunch, which affected their producers' access to loans and their consumers discretionary purchasing power.

A comics industry failure would have ripple affects well beyond Ontario, the centre of Canada's comics producing and consumption sector, Harper said.

"This is a huge problem that faces the Ontario economy and the Canadian economy by extension and it is critical that we work together," he said.

McGuinty said the economic crisis has created the need for bold action.

"These are extraordinary circumstances that require extraordinary measures," he said.

Today's announcement came on the heels of the proposed US $500 million in aid to comics publishers and retailers that U.S. President Barack Obama announced on Friday.

Ontario NDP leader Howard Hampton said the loan package should suffice for now, but it would have been more useful had it been handed down earlier.

As credit has tightened, it has become harder for every part of the industry to function, said Hampton.

Displaying an understanding of the specifics of the market, he added that everyone from "the Wednesday crowd" to the publishers and distributors themselves, need access to credit in order to keep the industry running.

"We saw that happening months ago," he said.

If the money had been handed down at that time, "it would have made an even bigger difference," Hampton said.

Comics industry analyst Jeet Heer estimated that the combined loan packages from Canada and the U.S. would help keep the struggling North American comics industry afloat only for the next quarter or so.

"It probably only buys them three months or four months where they can get their ducks in order ... and hopefully come up with a plan to get everything straightened out so that they can survive," he told The Globe and Mail on Tuesday evening.

Diamond Distributors Canadian spokesperson Max Douglas said the Canadian response will provide a "great sigh of relief" across the industry, noting that the loans will help his company complete a transition it began in 2005. He said Diamond is moving towards creating more streamlined distribution systems, using solar-powered robots, and moving away from "that same old adolescent superhero crap we've been pushing for decades."

Douglas added that the bailouts show a "great signal of stability" for the industry.

Drawn and Quarterly publisher Chris Oliveros told The Globe the aid package is good for Ontario, Quebec and the country.

He said he's pleased that the bailout includes commitments by the government to develop young talent at the same time that it makes it possible to translate "even more painfully arty, twee, puzzling and metaphysically troubling graphic novels by cartoonists from Iceland, Slovenia, and, of course, France."

"I think the commitment of maintaining levels of quality and accessibility for emerging producers in Canada at the existing level is a fairly good commitment," said Douglas.

"As long as we maintain our share in the Canadian market, which is part of this loan, I think we'll be part of the future investment and will continue to work with the companies."

Oliveros indicated that D+Q's plans are to continue production at the current level.

"Our plans for the Fall publishing season right at the moment are to see us continue on at that (20 per cent) level, and this type of support, as we work out the details, will give us the ability to continue on roughly at that level," he said. Oliveros added that one side-benefit of the bailout is a contract D+Q has signed with the Prime Minister to publish a graphic novel history of hockey, written by Harper and illustrated by artist Chester Brown. "It's sort of a libertarian-family values-law-and-order take on Canada's favourite past-time."

Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff criticized the deal, noting that he has a new book coming out as well that he thinks would benefit from a graphic treatment. "It's sort of a literary justification for torture and the War in Afghanistan," he added. "I think maybe Julie Doucet or Michel Rabagliati would be good choices as illustrators."

Meanwhile, Douglas took issue with critics of his monopoly-like distributor who have said they make too much money -- some quoting the questionable figure of more than $1 billion per year, which has never filtered down to Canadian tax coffers and has been debunked by some industry analysts.

He said "that based on our estimates" Canadian consumers are as comics crazy any other North American or foreign comics market.

"It's a little bit frustrating to concentrate on distributors," he said.

He also reminded critics that only two years ago, Canadians were paying almost twice as much as their U.S. neighbours for the same comics and graphic novels, not to mention action figures and Buffy the Vampire Slayer limited edition dvds and Battlestar Galactica scale models.

He said he wants Ottawa to "concentrate on the root cause of the problem. We still think the root cause of the problem is too much manga and art comics" he said.

Peter Birkemoe, owner of The Beguiling in Toronto, called the Canadian aid package "good news for cartoonists and their families."

But he also said he was concerned that Harper told reporters that "everyone" will have to make concessions.

"Labour costs are not the problem," he told The Globe.

But Birkemoe noted that the current industry leadership will have to decide how to proceed to help make the Canadian comics industry economically viable in the years ahead.

A spokesman for Warner Brothers, which owns DC Comics, said, "There will be job losses ... it's something that is going to happen. We kind of hoped the Watchmen movie would help get us through this, but response has bee tepid: it kinda sucked and everyone was really freaked out by that giant blue penis."

But he added, it's better to have some job losses rather than "not having the industry at all. We are just going to have to reprint more Siegel and Shuster and Jack Kirby comics since we don't have to pay royalties for those."

Heer said it was inevitable that cartoonists would have to make concessions, no matter how painful they might be.

"If they don't make serious concessions, then Marvel, DC, Darkhorse, and even Fantagraphics and D+Q will continue to lose market share to manga, video games, and porn and they'll lose their jobs anyway," he said.

He said it is likely cartoonists will be asked to make concessions on selected perk benefits -- such as food and shelter -- before they are asked to increase page production.

Labels: dollar, graphic novels, Ottawa, publishing, Toronto, trade

"it has been decided that putting a show on that weekend
would not be wise. Reasons for this are summer vacations, camp and
cottage season as well as a lack of interest from American dealers and
possible attendees.

I have been in discussions with someone from the Hyatt Regency
(formerly the Holiday Inn) and the only other date they could offer
was our Thanksgiving weekend. The dates we had been looking towards
have been late October and November.

Unfortunately it looks like we are going to have postpone our show for
this year. We will definitely be working towards doing a show in 2010.
With all the upheaval of shows in the next few years (Wizard moving
and canceling shows, and Reed Expositions expanding into Chicago and
moving their New York dates) we will be working on moving into an open
timeslot. Hopefully we will be making our 2010 announcement in early
January of 2010."

Labels: conventions, paradise comicon, Toronto

Filmmaker Don McKellar to host 5th annual Canadian comics awards at the Art Gallery of Ontario

Labels: awards, events, events links, Ontario, tcaf, Toronto

BEFORE YOU START
"Someone wrote in another Xeric testimonial that you should not attempt self-publishing and all of this business unless you have no choice. This is really true. It's a tonne of work, there's no money in it, and trying to put comic books out there for public consumption is another full-time job on top of doing the actual (creative) work. I have tried to get rid of my bookish compunctions from every possible angle. I went to art school to learn how to make stuff to put into books. I talked emptily about potential book projects for years. I took a course in book publishing so I could make other peoples' books. I've read a million books looking for one that hasn't been written or illustrated yet. And yet all of this has still brought me here."

Labels: blogosphere, how-to, links, Ontario, tools of the trade, Toronto

Sword of My Mouth #1
Jim Munroe (w) - Shannon Gerard (a)

If Ella didn't have her baby, she'd go crazy from the loneliness. But she might still go crazy from the guilt, because the baby isn't quite right. The world was simpler before the righteous floated away into the sky, and magic started working.

A stand-alone six-issue story continuing on from acclaimed graphic novel Therefore Repent! Sword of My Mouth moves the focus from Chicago, under siege by angels with machine guns, to the urban prairie of Detroit, where a different kind of struggle is faced.

Folks in the D have banded together to turn land with burned out crackhouses into farming tracts, and seem to be on a road to self-sufficiency... until Famine rides into town. This six-issue story arc will be written by creator Jim Munroe ("a pop culture provocateur" - Austin Chronicle) and drawn by Shannon Gerard.

B&W - 32 pages - $3.99
See PREVIEWS page 266.
Diamond Previews code: MAR09 4308

FREE DIGITAL COPY: If you want to preview the grafic novel Therefore Repent! it's now also available for download via the NMK site here.

Labels: digital comics, downloads, free, new books, Ontario, Toronto

Labels: comics on tv, creator's rights, movies, Ontario, Toronto

Labels: change, comics retailers, conventions, Diamond, interviews, news, Ontario, paradise comicon, Toronto

Labels: events, illustration, political cartooning, Toronto

Labels: conventions, events, hobbystar, Toronto

Labels: book launches, humour, Toronto

Labels: events, festivals, graphic novels, Toronto

Labels: book launches, events, floppies, Toronto

Labels: obituaries, Ontario, political cartooning, Toronto

Teacher's graphic tales star kids on the fringes

By Iain Marlow
STAFF REPORTER

Dave Lapp has drawn a graphic novel homage to the Regent Park art centre he's worked in for 12 years. It says as much about him as it does about the centre and the kids who frequent it.Drop-In is defined by tension and anxiety, attained through assembling peculiar moments perched on a razor's edge between awkward and actual danger.

One, too unbearable to include in his collection of truthful, comic-book-style vignettes, involves kids who shove a shopping cart down a staircase toward the drop-in centre. It narrowly misses a little girl. Lapp, 43, runs out to yell at them.

The lead boy just glares at him."As if saying, `Is that all you got?'" Lapp recalls, shivering slightly...

Labels: new books, news, Toronto

Labels: holiday wish list, Toronto

Labels: holiday wish list, Toronto

Labels: anthologies, events, international, Toronto

• Attempt to ban Tintin in Peterborough: Tintin in America targeted for depicting "aboriginal people in a 'stereotypical and offensive' way."

• Reminder: Dave Lapp and Chester Brown in T.O. tonite.

• Von Allan interviewed about "art, comics, trying to get better, Diamond, mental illness and a few other odds and ends."

• Jeet Heer has a report on his appearance with Diana Tamblyn and Ho Che Anderson in the USA. You should also check out Jeet's blog for his most recent articles on Pakistan, Obama's Lieutenants, and the Bush Legacy. Sharp stuff.

• Milo has a thorough report from the Toronto Fall Comicon.

• The Walrus has a two-art interview with Lynda Barry here and here.

• Tom Spurgeon interviews comics writer Kathryn Immonen on her Hell-Cat miniseries for Marvel and the serialized graphic novels she produces online with her husband.

• Faith Erin Hicks is profiled by her hometwon (Milton) paper and talks about her new graphic novel, The War at Ellesmere's.

• D+Q at Expozine 2008

• Reviews: Glamourpuss #4, Annotated Northwest Passage

Labels: links, Toronto

Labels: book launches, graphic novels, Toronto

Join us Sunday Nov.30/08 at the Metro Toronto Convention Center (North Building)

For Toronto ComiCon Fall Convention !!!!

80 dealer tables.

Admission $5.00 and Free to Fan Expo V.I.P pass holders.


With SPECIAL GUEST:

STEPHEN SADOWSKI,
Artist- AVENGERS/INVADERS

Past works include- JSA (and associated JSA titles)
STARMAN, WONDER WOMAN, WITCHBLADE, FLAMING CARROT, THE AVENGERS, RED SONJA and PROJECT SUPERPOWERS.

Also appearing-

Alvin Lee
Sam Agro
Andy B.
Kent Burles
Ray Fawkes
Agnes Garbowska
Marvin Law
Benjamin Rivers
Kalman Andrasofszky
Dave Ross

More guest's and other forms of fun information to be announced soon.

Labels: conventions, hobbystar, Ontario, Toronto

"This incredible event brings together over 250 creators of all kinds of printed matter – from books to zines to posters and comics – in both English and French. In the past seven years, Expozine has become one of North America's largest small press fairs, attracting thousands of visitors as well as exhibitors from as far afield as Chicago, Toronto, Ottawa, and Quebec City!

At Expozine, one can discover a multitude of publications and printed works that are often difficult to find anywhere, much less all in the same room! The result is a rare opportunity to peruse the work of hundreds of young and emerging authors, publishers and artists, and to see what the winners of last year's Expozine Alternative Press Awards are up to. Not to be missed! "

Labels: conventions, ephemera, events, events links, Expozine, Montreal, new books, Ottawa, photos, poetry, small press, Toronto, undergrounds, zine fair, zines

Labels: book launches, publishing, Quebec, Toronto

Labels: events, floppies, international, Toronto

Labels: exhibits, Toronto

Labels: blogosphere, graphic novels, international, interviews, Toronto

Labels: comics on tv, Ontario, people, small press, Toronto, video, zine fair, zines

Labels: events, events links, exhibits, Ontario, Toronto

Labels: lectures, Ontario, Toronto

www.torontocomicjam.com

Labels: comic jams, Ontario, social ink, Toronto

• A short slide show of scenes from this past weekend's 9th Rendez-vous International de la BD in Gatineau, Quebec.

• Related: French-language profile of Thierry Coppee, creator of Toto; Swiss wordless graphic novel creator Daniel Bosshart.

• Walrus Mag comics blogger Sean Rogers walks us through his various Mystery Hoards (tm) from recent Toronto book sales. I recently found Steig's The Lonely Ones at a thrift store in Brantford, Ont.

• Alain M. Bergeron's Capt. Static kids book/comic reviewed in the Gazette.

• The charity-centric efforts of the cartoonists involved with 24-Hour Comic Day at Happy Harbor comic book shop are the focus of this profile in Metro-Edmonton.

• Zach Worton and John Martz meet Lynda Barry, the Star interviews her, while Xtra and the Post profile Chip Kidd (both were in T.O. this weekend).

Labels: Gatineau, links, Toronto

Labels: book launches, Canzine, cartoonists, comics on stage, events, events links, interviews, Ontario, Toronto

Labels: awards, graphic novels, news, Ontario, Quebec, skim, Toronto

Expozine No.7!

@ 5035 St-Dominique [map] (Eglise Saint-Enfant Jesus, between St-Joseph and Laurier, near Laurier Metro).

Free admission!

Creators of all kinds of printed matter and crafty DIY fun will be in attendance, in numbers! - from books to zines to posters and comics - in both English and French. In the past seven years, Expozine has become one of North America's largest small press fairs, attracting thousands of visitors as well as exhibitors from as far afield as Chicago, Toronto, Ottawa, and Quebec City! That's the PR, but it truly is a smorgasbord of cool stuff!

Drop buy and discover multitudes of things that are often difficult to find anywhere else, much less all in one room! One very big, sometimes steamy room being a November [MTL winter] crowd so bring stuff you can peal off easy, and something to carry it and all the cool books and stuff you're bound to end up buying! Also there's usually some good eats sold on sight, and lots of prime spots for food or drinks in the area.

Most of the Montreal art and DIY crowd show up on one side of the tables or the other, and there's usually some off site part time stuff going on too.

To reserve a table at Expozine, you can fill out the online registration form before November 17, 2008, or mail the printed form to Archive Montreal, box 1232, Place d'Armes, Montreal Que. H2Y 3K2.

They are also looking for sponsors folks, contact them at expozine@archivemontreal.org if your interested.

www.expozine.ca

Check out this Flickr slide show of past Expozines, to get a taste of what to expect.

Labels: book launches, conventions, events, events links, Expozine, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec, small press, Toronto, zine fair, zines

"I've been covering the comic book industry for years and have always found the level of professionalism and maturity of players involved lacking. Many times, I have written and said that what passes for public discourse in this industry would get all participants fired from their respective jobs, were they in any other mature industry." - Herve St-Louis

Labels: Alberta, analysis, awards, blogosphere, British Columbia, Calgary, can-con, cartoonists, Gatineau, grants, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Toronto, Vancouver

Labels: links, Quebec, Toronto

Can you admit that the desire to be idle has taken control of your life? Come to the Annual General Meeting of the Royal Society of the Indolent, where Mark Kingwell, Joshua Glenn and Seth will celebrate the release of The Idler's Glossary (Biblioasis) by outlining their "11 Step Program For Idlers" – A This Is Not A Reading Series event presented by Pages Books & Magazines, Biblioasis, and EYE WEEKLY.


THE IDLER'S GLOSSARY: "Dawdler." "Layabout." "Shit-heel." "Loser." For as long as mankind has had to work for a living, which is to say ever since the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, people who work have disparaged those who prefer not to. Joshua Glenn's glossary, which closely examines the etymology and history of hundreds of idler-specific terms and phrases aims not merely to correct popular misconceptions about idling, but to serve as a preliminary foundation for a new mode of thinking about working and not-working. Never again will you be able to describe an indolent person as "languid," Epicurean behavior as "dissipated," or an idler as a "slacker." Mark Kingwell's introductory essay offers a playful defence of the idler as the true citizen of the world, enlisting support from literary and philosophical sources, putting forward a case for the ultimate reevaluation of all values. Seth's charming illustrations highlight the pleasures of introducing a bit more idleness into life alongside the everyday horrors endured by the vast majority of those leading lives of quiet desperation. The Idler's Glossary is destined to become the Devil's Dictionary for the idling classes, necessary reading for any and all who wish to introduce more truly "free" time into their daily lives.

Labels: book launches, events, Ontario, Toronto

• Jeet Heer on Harper's pretend populism and the cultural minefield he seems to have stepped into.

• Walrus blogger Sean Rogers writes about the Chester Brown series of promo comics about Toronto culture and nails Chester's approach to humour.

• Speaking of Mr. Brown, it looks like there is a new anthology to help fill the shelves in the Metis graphic novel section alongside Louis Riel: Now there is Stories of Our People: A Metis Graphic Novel Anthology, illustrated by cartoonist Carrie Saganace.

• Photos from the You Ain't No Dancer book launch at Lucky's Comics in Vancouver.

• The contributors to the above-mentioned anthology were interviewed on Inkstuds awhile back

• A report from the Calgary con by a U.S. comics person.

• Ryan Sohmer's webcomic Least I Could Do has just been collected in book form for the 5th time. Entitled Yield to Me, the book is available through this link.

Labels: Alberta, British Columbia, Calgary, links, Toronto, Vancouver

Labels: links, Toronto

Labels: book launches, events, graphic novels, poetry, Toronto

Hello,
The Toronto Comic Jam is this Tuesday, September 30, (TONIGHT!) from
9:00ish on, in the back room of the Cameron House, 408 Queen St. W., Spadina
& Queen.
B.Y.Own pens. Paper provided.

Also: Charlie's Gallery Live Art Drawing Classes (events happen every other
Thursday) and always start at 8:30 p.m.
112 Harbord Street
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=24085631452&ref=ts#/group.php?gid=18446549707

See you there! -Dalton
www.torontocomicjam.com
It's The Toronto
Comic Jam - Facebook

Labels: comic jams, drawing classes, social ink, Toronto

George Todorovski & Chris Hatzopoulos present The Bear Stories

Labels: adults only, book launches, events, Ontario, Toronto

OJINGOGO'S MATT FORSYTHE
AT STRANGE ADVENTURES THIS SATURDAY 9/20/9!
SLIDE SHOW & SIGNING

Saturday, September 20th 2009, 7:00 PM

Strange Adventures
5262 Sackville Street
Halifax, NS (902)425-2140

As featured on the cover of the Montreal Mirror!

ABOUT OJINGOGO:
Nominated for 2 Eisner Awards for best web comic, winner of an Expozine award, and hailed by the Montreal Mirror, Matthew Forsythe's Ojingogo is already highly anticipated. Exuding simplicity in design and narrative, Ojingogo is an illustrated, dreamscape of abstracts and events. The otherworldly pantomime about a girl, her squid, and the creatures and calamities they experience together, is an intrinsically expressive and deeply rewarding journey. Drawing from Forsythe's Korean influences, Ojingogo is accessible for all ages, tossing aside traditional narrative conventions in favour of creating its own world, language and rules that anyone can find a home of their own in.

ABOUT MATT FORSYTHE:
Matt Forsythe was born in Toronto in 1976. He studied politics and religion at McMaster University and has worked variously as a database programmer in Dublin, a motorcycle courier in London, and a kindergarten teacher in Seoul, South Korea.

Ojingogo was originally serialized as a Web comic in 2004. It was nominated for an Eisner Award in 2005 (Best Digital Comic) and featured in the "Year's
Best Graphic Novels, Comics, and Manga." Ojingogo was nominated again for an Eisner Award (Best Digital Comic) and won an Expozine Award (Best English Comic) in 2006.

He works at the National Film Board of Canada in Montreal and teaches journalism at Concordia University. His illustrations have also appeared in a variety of magazines and periodicals including the Wall Street Journal, Chickadee Magazine, and Kayak: Canada's History Magazine for Kids.

Labels: events, graphic novels, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Toronto

Labels: real world, Toronto