I’m working on a longer account of TCAF for PW, but here’s some photos to capture the high while it’s fresh. While the weekend was tinged with sadness over the passing of Canadian native son Darwyn Cooke, the general mood was a celebration of the kind of creative spirit that Darwyn embodied. TCAF s always a chance to catch up with old friends and meet new ones; you never know when you’ll be crossing the street near the library and run into an old TCAF mate and then meet some legend of Canadian comics who’s new to you. Getting to delve into the history of Canadian cartooning is one of the true joys of the weekend, along with the welcoming hospitality and piles and piles of great comics that you can’t possibly get home in one suitcase.
I was lucky to run into R. Sikoryak and Kriota Willberg on my Porter Air flight and enjoy my annual crepes lunch with them. (Bob also helped me with some of my long standing anxieties about Powerpoint and Keynote!) Indefatigable Brigid Alverson and Deb Aoki were my roommates and dinner and breakfast companions, and we all joined Calvin Reid and Jody Culkin for post show beers. I also had dinner with my old pal Mark Askwith and coffee with Glen Downey, dinner with a whole bunch of amazing cartoonists and beers with too many great people to remember. These good friends and so many other made this a wonderful weekend that I wouldn’t miss for anything.
Here’s my quick and dirty photo album.
Some of the treasures at the Panel & Page shop at the TRL. All breakfast cereal tastes better when eaten with a Sailor Pluto spoon.
More goodies to deplete your wallet.
Only at Page and Panel can you purchase a complete Another Rainbow Little Lulu set or a Fat Little Pony t-shirt.
Thursday night at the Alliance Francaise a fantastic panel with Balak, Bastien Vivres, Manuele Fior, Francesco del Lobo, Barbara Yellin, moderated by Mark Askwith.
This new anthology has new Otomo and more!
Balak and \ivres sign. What a duo! I never got a chance to talk with them. This was a small reception and signing at the Alliance Francias after the panel. Boulet was there and some reps from publishers including Soarng Penguin and SelfMadeHero.
The next morning Ryan North kicked off the creator and librarian/educator track with a talk. Here he reiterates how images and words arrest attention with signs. Two are not real. Can you tell which?
TCAF was ready to be unleashed!
The view from the stage at the The Rise of the GRaphic Novel Panel with Andy Brown, Annie Koyama, Mark Siegel and Brian K. Vaughan. How many do you know?
The dark streets of cold Toronto. Does it always hail in May?
The line for Rokudenashiko, the vagina kayak artist. IT’s a bit hard to see btut it went all around the staircase.
Rokudenashiko signs and sketches.
Tillie Waldman. If this is the new model cartoonist, it’s pretty amazing.
Kate Beaton and D&Q publisher Peggy Burns
George WAlker, woodcut artist and publisher. I’m afraid I didn’t get the name of his boothmate but I’ll add it when someone clues me in.
Frank Santoro brought along Vanessa Del Rey to meet TCAF.
Unknown, Ethan Rilly and Joe Kessler in the Wowee Zonk room. IT’s so backlit so the photos aren’t great.
Starday things are heating up. Soon there was a line just to get on the stairs.
The Comics ≠ Games section on the second floor was humming.
Rachael Smith and Adam Cadwell
Two of the Peow Studios creators.
In the Masonic Temple people were drawing to porn music and it ws awesome.
HArd to get a good picture but what an awesome venue. Also haunted, I’m told. PLus the address is 888 Yonge Street. Gotta love the masons.
AS I walked around, signs of urgan gentrification endemic to every place you’d want to live were everywhere
I would so live in the building but they want to tear it down and put up a douche tower.
The stage is set for the Doug Wright Awards!
Seth kicks things off.
Dustin Harbin was called on to MC after Brad McKaye had a family emergency. It was a very special and emotional evening and Dustin really pulled it off in a classy and funny way. Bravo.
All the nominees gather!
Seth presents to Patrick Kyle for the Pigskin Peters award — a very popular winner!
And Kyle dons the award as is tradition!
Betty LIang spoke and put the awards together in fine fashion.
I was pressed into duty to present the Nipper. Sohonored to be a part of this night. Luckily I had packed a dress, tuxedo jacket and sparkly necklace just in case someone asked me to present an award. Always be prepared! Photo by Brigid Alverson.
“Sexy Grandpa” Joe Ollman.
Chester Brown presents the book of the year.
Part of the Jasper the Bear tribute to James Simpkins. They was very special but deserves its own post.
Adam Kanerva accepts from Phylllis Wright on behalf of Michael DeForge.
Brown and Noah van Sciver share a laugh afterwards.
David Brothers and my boon companions Deb Aoiki and Brigid Alverson. TCAF is so full of friendship, that’s what makes it the best.
Andrea Kalfas (http://www.andreakalfas.com/) one of dozens of cartoonsits whose work I’m not familiar with that looks amazing.
Tillie Waldman and SPike Trotman spoke on “Inclusion” in a lively discussion as they say.
Karla Pacheco now offers a full theme park of Inspector Pancakes and other merch.
Ryan North at his booth. He’s sold out of all his Squirrel Girl trades.
This is an adorable mini by Laura Terry who’s big graphic novel is coming out from Scholastic next year.
The prolific Kel McDonald.
After the show beers wityh Calvin Reid. I tried to get a picture of him and this Elvis photo but it didn’t quite work out.
And so to Porer Air and farewell, Toronto. Until 2017!
The Beat’s coverage of TCAF is made possible this year by the generous support of Z2 Comics.
A nice set of pictures, and it was particularly good to see Kate Beaton. A minor typo: Tilly W’s last name is Walden, not Waldman. As for the more important point, yeah, she’s pretty amazing.
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Thanks for the snaps! Quick note: It’s Tillie Walden, not Waldman :)
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Great pics! This was a fantastic year for TCAF, despite the sad passing of Darwyn Cooke. It was perhaps fitting that his final day was one where so many people gathered in one place could share stories and remember him.
A nice set of pictures, and it was particularly good to see Kate Beaton. A minor typo: Tilly W’s last name is Walden, not Waldman. As for the more important point, yeah, she’s pretty amazing.
Thanks for the snaps! Quick note: It’s Tillie Walden, not Waldman :)
Great pics! This was a fantastic year for TCAF, despite the sad passing of Darwyn Cooke. It was perhaps fitting that his final day was one where so many people gathered in one place could share stories and remember him.
Oh, and as you asked, that’s Marta Chudolinska beside George Walker
( http://martachudolinska.com/ )
I believe the gentleman beside Ethan and Joe is Sebastian Frye of Swimmers Group.
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