TCAF a Month Away, With Tons of Guests

TCAF 2019 poster by Junji Ito

It’s spring, so it’s time for TCAF, the Toronto Comic Arts Festival, one of the high points of the comic convention season.

One of the many things that makes this such a terrific show is that they incorporate mainstream comics, art works, independent releases, international input, and manga, covering the entire gamut of the medium. Their headlining guest this year is Junji Ito, making his first North American appearance. Ito is an acclaimed creator of horror manga, including Uzumaki and Gyo. He’s visiting to mark the debut of Smashed: Junji Ito Story Collection, published in English by Viz. Junji Ito will participate in an on-state interview, live drawing, and special ticketed autograph sessions.

TCAF 2019 poster by Junji Ito

Also featured as guests this year are Emily Carroll (Through the Woods, When I Arrived at the Castle), Ezra Claytan Daniels & Ben Passmore (BTTM FDRS), Lucy Knisley (Kid Gloves), Bill Griffith (Zippy The Pinhead), Anders Nilsen (Big Questions), Brian Selznik (Wonderstruck), Seth (Clyde Fans), Gabriel Ba (The Umbrella Academy) and Fabio Moon (Daytripper), and Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie (The Wicked + The Divine). That is a cool list that demonstrates just how many ways and formats and traditions there are to working in comics!

New this year is a Young Adult program stream and featured guests, with an overview and labeled YA panels. (YA is aimed at 12-18-year-old readers.) Guests include Flavia Biondi (Generations), Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau (Bloom), Ryan North (The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl), Sarah Winifred Searle (Sincerely, Harriet), Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell (Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me), Colleen AF Venable and Ellen T. Crenshaw (Kiss Number 8), and Tillie Walden (On a Sunbeam).

TCAF 2019 poster by Lorena Alvarez

There’s also programming for kids and guests aimed at them, including Lorena Alvarez (Hicotea and the festival poster shown above), Kazu Kibuishi (Amulet), Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham (Real Friends), Chad Sell (The Cardboard Kingdom), and Raina Telgemeier (Smile and the keynote speaker for the professional programming day on May 10).

TCAF is held May 11 and 12, 2019, at the Toronto Reference Library on Yonge Street in Toronto, Canada. Attendance is free!



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