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Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Toronto Comic Arts Festival



WINNER: TCAF is the best festival of all!

There are too many reasons... from the organization, to the general atmosphere, to the people... that it's a free show in a public library with open lighting, instead of an expensive show charging admission in a horrible convention center... that everyone gives you respect and makes you feel like a guest, rather than treating you like a junk dealer at a flea market... where the organizers and staff are genuinely interested in promoting all facets of this diverse art form, rather than shutting people out at the whims of someone's opinion as being "too arty", or "too mainstream", or "too amateur", or "too awesome"... where volunteers (some of whom are art students and illustrators interested in what's going on and eager to help out) are there to sit at your table while you're on a panel or bathroom break, and making change for you when you're selling $1 mini-comics and all you have is twenties... where the crowds of comic fans seem endless, and the people there to use the library are also genuinely interested, rather than hordes of braindead fanatics killing time until they get to see the trailer for Avengers or whatever... where every cartoonist behind a table is happy and having a great time because of all of the above!

This is how it's done, son!

Someone give Chris Butcher and Peter Birkemoe and everyone else involved some kind of award!

I just wish all "comic conventions" could be
more like this "Comic Arts Festival."

As a side note... How'd I get cool enough to sit at this table?


Looking forward to next time!

3 comments:

Ben W said...

Who are the other chaps at the table with you?

tom Neely said...

Clockwise starting with me, John Porcellino, Zak Sally and Dylan Williams

J.T. Dockery said...

Tom, glad to read your review. Seems like everybody I know that went had a blast. On the small scale scene, the show in Portland, Maine treated artists well, even free beer and pizza the night before at the Shipyard brewery. Free (good) coffee and water for exhibitors...it was kid friendly (I even sold some stuff of mine to parents, har), but it was good times. I was joking to travel buddies, as a cartoonist, give me free beer, pizza, coffee, and water, and I feel like royalty! Also, the little small show in Lexington, Kentucky last year, UP! Fair, did it up right too, even delivering free lunch to our tables...beats the flea market mentality by a a long shot...