I think my favourite thing on this page is the running gag of Oscar getting shoved. He's like one of those Bimbo the Clown punching dolls you hit and it tips over and then comes back to get hit again. Only with glasses and a cravat.
TCAF!
When did he get so big?
So Jeff and I made it to the Toronto Comic Art Festival on the Sunday. And wow. It's a great show, and it was better again this year. Maybe it was because we were there on the Sunday, but it seemed less crowded and not as hot as last year. There was more room between rows of tables despite having even more participants. And what a line up. It took us hours just to make it around the upstairs Salon area. And I had to go empty my bag at the van half way through the day because my back was killing me from the weight.
Tara at her table.
First person I encountered was our long time friend Tara Tallan as she slipped out before the show opened. She got me into the show early to 'help set her table up' (which I in fact did! Years of doing it ourselves and with her means we can pretty much sub in for each other). Tara was debuting her second collection of Galaxion. You all read Galaxion already correct? Who should be right beside her but another old pal that's been missed, Mike White! Mike's just had his first book published by Slave Labour. Do yourself a favour and get a copy of Amity Blamity. It's got a healthy Bloom County flavour with a slight Looney Tunes afterbite. I'd already ordered and received my copy from my local comic shop, but Mike did let me have a set of his paper inaction figures, and it reminded me how much I've been wanting to produce some for Alex and Walter.
I started my trip around the second floor room, stopping to say hello to J. Torres and pick up a Teen Titans Go! Collection for my son. I figured out quickly that this was going to be a tough balance between getting everything I laid eyes on and cherry picking some things and grabbing a ton of business cards to check stuff out at a later date.
Near J was Faith Erin Hicks who I seem to see once a year at TCAF. Got a chance to chat with Faith, talk about her first experience with self publishing and grab one of the copies of said book , Just the Usual Super Powers, which collects the first whack of her Superhero Girl webcomic. (Do I need to even say go read this anymore?)
I had managed to go one wall when Jeff arrived and we started over, giving him a chance to catch up with Tara, Mike and J. Then we soldiered on around the room. It took us a couple hours just to do the second floor. Highlights included meeting Dave Kellert, I grabbed his Drive collection, Jeff a Sheldon collection. Beside him was Jonathan Rosenberg whose Goats I've been reading from the library but I grabbed the third book to speed up my reading. Goats should appeal to DFS readers, it's why I've been checking it out.
Danny from Sorcery 101
We saw Brian Evinou again, and picked up his latest, Fight Song while chatting about small press, Toronto cons and comic tools. (No, I haven't read it yet Brain, I'll let you know when I have. It was a big pile by days end.) Right next to him was the always fun Danielle Corsetto. She had her new plush McPedro dolls and I was happy to hear she'd be back in TO for Fan Expo which meant I could catch up on her last couple of books then and leave me free to spread the money around to new authors. Speaking of which, I felt bad because when I was buying a Sorcery 101 collection from Kel McDonald, because she was sitting beside Spike of Templar Arizona which I had picked up the first volume of last year. She tried to get me to pick up a Templar book and I had to explain I was trying to spread my money around. It was weird, because I liked Templar, and would like to fill out my collection, but I also knew I'd see her work again.
Not to mention the vinyl cape and saber...
We finally made it over to the table of one of the people I was most excited to meet. I've said it a few times, but my favourite new artists from 2010, (new to me anyway) were Caanan Grall and Scott Chantler. I spoke to Caanan briefly as he swung past Tara and Mike's tables, but Jeff and I finally got to his table and we were in for a big treat. Caanan had made an offer to do comissions for people attending TCAF and I jumped at the opportunity. We exchanged emails and he asked if I wanted something featuring his Max Overacts characters or something Dressed For Success based. TOTAALLYY caught me off guard that he'd offer to do a DFS piece. I'm a big fan of letting the artist decide what they most want to do, and Caanan came back to say he had an idea that combined both MAX and DFS. So I kinda knew what was coming but also was in for a complete surprise. And wow, did he come up with a winner. Not only did he hit DFS and Max, but he also referenced old school Star Wars. The piece was hanging framed above my desk within days. Also grabbed his print collection of the first batch of Max strips, he was doing a unique Max sketch on each. If you've never seen Caanan's work, go read Max and then seek out Celadore and also hunt down his weekly contributions to The Line it is Drawn.
Did I mention he's up for an EISNER?!?!?!?
Kean Soo had tweeted that he was running low on copies of the new book he'd done with Tory Woolcott, Toronto to Tuscany on Saturday, so I was glad to be able to grab a copy of that. Keen is best known for his book Jellaby. It was at this moment I realised I'd forgotten my little con sketches book at home, but as it turns out, I wouldn't have had time to get sketches in it anyway. Waaay more people to see.
Last year at TCAF I picked up a book by Benjamin Rivers called Empty Words. At the time, he also had chapters of another work called SNOW which he had finished and collected for this how. I enjoyed Empty words, so grabbed Snow and was intrigued that he was aloso offering adDigital copy and had an iPad and Kobo reader on his table showing the digital version. Dude's even got a game! Kinda cool.
We ran into Alice Quinn of TDotComics while finishing up on the second floor and once the requisite hugs and hellos were done we forced her to seek out many of the people I've already mentioned here. Then we decided we should eat and I needed to drop some of my haul off. We were pleased to spot a guy reading his newly purchased Galaxion when we went to eat and snapped a pic for Tara.
Buy me this!
Once more we ventured forth into the Toronto Reference library, this time, to tackle the first floor. It was less packed in than last year, so it was easier to move about. The main floor was geared a bit more towards some of the bigger names, the international guests, the more avant guarde and the tables for the publishing houses in attendance. Shopping downstairs was lighter, but there were still some exciting people to see. First up was Scott Chantler, my other new fav from 2010. I'd managed to buy every book he's done already, so I apologized, but grabbed an awesome postcard from one of the splash pages in The Tower Treasure. He had portfolio cases full of original art from all his books and I had to try not to get drool on them. Next time we meet sir!
Poster for a Tale of Sand
Scott was stationed just outside the Transmission-X area and we got a chance to chat with Ramon Perez who gave us not only some insight into the new project he's working on, but a peek at some of the early designs and layouts. Ramon has been tapped to adapt an unfilmed Jim Henson and Jerry Juhl screenplay from 1974. Yeah, that Jim Henson. He had some promo posters for the book and that's the other piece that got hung almost immediately above my desk. Tale of Sand looks to be a beautiful and thought provoking book and is high on my list of can't waits.
One of the big names and new books at the show was Chester Brown's latest. I was planning on waiting to get Paying For It at a later date, knowing it would be easy to come by, but there was Chester signing and chatting with people and I succumbed and made poor Jeff wait while I lined up. It made me happy that he recognized my face, I think just from years of being involved in comics in Toronto. Chet was very friendly and chatty with everybody and did little Chester doodles in everyone's book. this was the only moment in the show when I saw Lezley Davidson, and it was literally a hey! and she was gone again.
By this point the day was running late, we were both over stimulated and it was time for us to return to the home, I mean our homes. I've got a huge stack of business cards and other promo items for tons more stuff that I need to look at, as well as enough reading material for months to come. I'm glad that TCAF is annual now, and while I wish it were more often than that, it's best not, my back and wallet couldn't keep up.
Next year, all being well will be an interesting challenge as we hope to have a table, so shopping and visiting will be trickier. Whatever happens, here's to all involved, it was a great show.
- Chris
One thought on “Dressed For Success – page 81”
Brian Evinou
Thanks for picking up the book guys! Good seeing you both again!