Toronto Comics Arts Festival 2013

TCAF Sunday May 12, 2013

Wow, I was completely blown away by the artists I met at the Toronto Comics Arts Festival (TCAF) this year. It was a very fulfilling experience and for those who never went to TCAF before, I highly recommend you try going next year and be seriously prepared with lots of cash. You’ll be amazed on how much stuff you just want to buy there.

Oni Press featuring Bryan Lee O'Malley's " Scott Pilgrim"coloured series

Hilarious X-ray portraits by Jason Laudadio

TCAF is one of the best conventions you can ever go to. It’s a week-long convention that has a great focus on comics, graphic novels and their creators. You get to meet several popular artists and publishers in the industry, attend very informative and helpful lectures, gallery shows and panel discussions and participate in all kinds of neat events. It’s just absolutely amazing. I wish I could clone myself so that I could attend everything that this unique comic convention has to offer. Oh and if all of this doesn’t incite you to come well guess what, it’s free.

Yes. I’m not kidding.

Unfortunately this year, I was only able to attend TCAF on Sunday. Despite of that, I was very pleased with how I used up my time there. I managed to attend three inspirational lectures about making comics. Plus with no regrets, I impulsively purchased four awesome graphic novels. 

Here are my beloved purchases which I still have to read! If you are interested to learn more about them, I've included links to their website for you to check them out.

"Sunny" 

by Taiyo Matsumoto + free print.

 

"Once Upon A Time Machine" 

by Andrew Carl and Chris Stevens + free print.

 

"Skull Kickers" by Jim Zub, Edwin Huang and Misty Coats

"Spera" by Josh Tierney, Miloogiannis, Vanderklugt, Chan and Weaver

"The Clamhead Kid in Pit of Death"

by Jason Laudadio

Most of them were actually signed by the creators themselves, which I’m super stoked about! It was such a great opportunity and experience to meet the artists and have them sign my graphic novels. It made my books even that more special, meaningful and completely worth it.

I surely can't wait to go to TCAF next year. Can you?

Need a New Car

Honestly, I never liked the idea of driving to Toronto. The crazy traffic, ridiculous amount of changing road signs, the parking and worrying about pedestrians/bikers. Sounds familiar? Yeah, it's just something I don't want to deal with. However two weeks ago, I decided that it's time to face it and just drive there because Janice and I had an interview to go to!

Sigh... but what were the chances that my car decided to die on me while I was driving down the highway that day?! It was seriously dangerous. My acceleration pedal wasn't working! You see, my car no longer works normally like most cars. It's like a toy. It needs to be switched on with a button in order to work. Funny thing is, the switch was breaking and I felt the car shutting down on me.

I was surprised that Janice was really calm about it. She was very supportive by giving me tape to keep the switch stuck on. It was pretty funny. Anyway, this story is a happy one. With my car's dying breath, I managed to park at a parking lot. Janice and I made it to the interview on time and it turned out pretty well.

Regardless, it's about time I get a new car. Something that's not made out of plastic and won't get me killed in the near future.