The Toronto Comic Arts Festival 2014
@ Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge St.
Saturday May 10th, 2014, 9am-5pm
Sunday May 11th, 2014, 11am-5pm


If you’re a fan of comics, manga, or graphic literature, make sure to clear your calendars this May in order to attend The Toronto Comic Arts Festival! With the main Exhibition taking place May 10th and 11th 2014 at Toronto Reference Library, and a week’s worth of events leading up to it, TCAF is expected to draw a crowd of 20,000 across all festival events, and will reach new heights as one of the most celebrated literary comics events in the world!

Founded in 2003 in cooperation with Toronto’s venerable comix enclave The Beguiling, The Toronto Comic Arts Festival seeks “to promote the breadth and diversity of comics, and what is considered comics, as a legitimate medium of literary and artistic worth.” By partnering with Presenting Sponsor Toronto Public Library, TCAF has achieved its goal of changing the North American comics landscape by creating an industry-leading event that is free, diverse, and accessible to existing readers of comics and new fans alike. TCAF 2014 will see a significant increase in the availability and diversity of programming, and this year will feature the largest and most international array of participating authors in the history of the festival!

TCAF 2014 will see a remarkable collection of authors and special programming.

Attending authors include:

Lynn Johnston: The creator of the enormously popular comic strip For Better or For Worse, and inductee into the Canadian Comics Hall of Fame, welcomed as an honoured guest of TCAF 2014.

Jillian Tamaki: Artist and co-author of the Canadian Governor General’s Award-nominated SKIM, Society of Illustrators Gold winner, debuting her new graphic novel This One Summer (Groundwood/First Second).

Mariko Tamaki: Writer and co-author of the Canadian Governor General’s Award-nominated SKIM, acclaimed author and playwright, debuting her new graphic novel This One Summer (Groundwood/First Second).

Est Em: TCAF is proud to welcome accomplished Japanese manga-ka Est Em, author of nearly two-dozen graphic novels in Japan, working primarily in the field of BL (homoerotic manga for women).

Kate Beaton: New York Times bestselling author of Hark, A Vagrant! (Drawn & Quarterly), named one of Time Magazine’s best books of the year.

Gabrielle Bell: Frequently chosen for inclusion in the Best American Comics series, Gabrielle Bell’s short stories are among the best being produced today, and a new collection of them will debut at TCAF entitled Truth is Fragmentary (Uncivilized Books).

In addition, TCAF will greatly expand its programming across the city for 2014, including a full day of programming on Friday, May 9th, aimed at the professional community of comics creators, publishers, and librarians. May 9th Special Programs Include:

The Word Balloon Academy: This year, TCAF will be presenting a full day of programming on Friday, May 9th, aimed directly at the creative community! Under the moniker The Word Balloon Academy, experienced comics authors and professionals will present skills-building workshops, business-related classes, and health & safety seminars.

CSSC-SCEBD Academic Conference: TCAF welcomes the Canadian Society for the Study of Comics under the Festival umbrella for the presentation of its 2014 conference on May 9th, 2014. A call for papers has been announced with details at http://www.comics-scholars.com/.

Librarian & Educator Day: TCAF will continue its successful Librarian & Educator programming on Friday, May 9th, 2014. Featuring experts in the field of using comics in libraries and education, as well as an outstanding selection of presenting authors and publishing representatives!

TCAF Exhibition Special Programs on May 10th and 11th include:

Canadian Reading Series: Putting the Canadian content front and center, TCAF has created a new space that will feature readings and presentations from Canadian graphic novel authors across both days of the festival. This will be in addition to all existing streams of programming, and a great way to discover local authors and those from across Canada, as TCAF itself becomes more internationally diverse.

Additional programs will include TCAF Kids Day 2014, Comics Vs. Games 3, Gallery Showings, Screenings, and more!

Be sure to check the TCAF website and social media outposts for up-to-the-minute updates!

Website: http://torontocomics.com/

Twitter: @Torontocomics

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TorontoComics

Tumblr: http://torontocomics.tumblr.com/

SPONSORS

The Toronto Comic Arts Festival would not be possible without the assistance of our sponsors and partners, including presenting sponsor Toronto Public Library and primary sponsor The Beguiling Books & Art.

TCAF is produced with the support of the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council.

We would also like to acknowledge funding support from the Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario.

TCAF is also excited to partner with Revvly, Revvly’s cloud-based platform powers software tools that make managing your event inventory smarter and simple

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, which last year invested $157 million to bring the arts to Canadians throughout the country.

Nous remercions le Conseil des arts du Canada de son soutien. L’an dernier, le Conseil a investi 157 millions de dollars pour mettre de l’art dans la vie des Canadiennes et des Canadiens de tout le pays.