Saturday, May 14th, 2011 | 9 Comments
TCAF 2011
This year’s Toronto Comic Arts Festival was bigger than ever as we braved the mobs of thousands of comic fans stampeding the Toronto Reference Library.
Joining us in our travels was fearless Toronto photographer
Sam Javanrouh who documented the weekend’s festivities.
The 6th gathering of the now annual arts festival, founded by The Beguiling‘s Peter Birkemoe and Chris Butcher, brought together fans with their favourite comic artists, writers, and publishers from Canada and abroad.
Photo by Jeremy Sale
Sam Javanrouh
Since he moved to Toronto in 1999 from Tehran, Sam has been caputring the changing face of the city, one day at a time, on his photo-blog Daily Dose of Imagery.
Photos by Sam Javanrouh
Jillian Tamaki, the Brooklyn-based illustrator and comic artist, signs copies of her art book Indoor Voice and graphic novel Skim at the Drawn & Quarterly table.
Photo by Sam Javanrouh
Seth, Canadian graphic novelist, author of Palookaville and Bannock, Beans & Black Tea, to name a few, signing at the Drawn & Quarterly table.
Photos by Sam Javanrouh
Marek Colek one half the brilliant Tin Can Forest (aka Marek Colek and Pat Shewchuk) shows off copies of Baba Yaga and The Wolf, nominated this year for a Doug Wright Award, published by Koyama Press.
Photos by Sam Javanrouh
Edie Fake, Chicago-based artist, author of the phenomenal Gaylord Phoenix at the Secret Acres table.
Lisa Hanawalt showing off her amazing Bird Visions Print and copies of her comic I Want You (1 & 2).
Photos by Sam Javanrouh
Koyama Press represents with a Last Supper-esque table and an amazing group of artists including Michael DeForge, Dustin Harbin, Hellen Jo, Steve Manale, Steve Wolfhard, Keith Jones, and many more…Michael DeForge (left) signs copies of his book Spotting Deer.
Photo by Sam Javanrouh
Photo by Sam Javanrouh
Photos by Sam Javanrouh
Adrian Tomine and Chris Ware at the Drawn and Quarterly table signing copies of Scenes from an Impending Marriage (Adrian Tomine) and Acme Novelty Library (Chris Ware). That’s Seth in the background.
Photos by Sam Javanrouh
Adrian Tomine praticipated, the following day, in a panel with Jillian Tamaki and Lorenzo Mattotti on the differnces between comics and illustration.
Photos by Sam Javanrouh
Chester Brown, author of Louis Riel and his latest graphic novel Paying For It, air-doodles for the crowd.
Chris Ware looking bemused at the D&Q table.
Ryan North photo by Sam Javanrouh. Aaron Costain photo by Jessica Fortner.
Ryan North (left) acting out a scene from his online Dinosaur Comics, while Aaron Costain (right), author of the Doug Wright Award nominated Entropy greets fans.
Photo by Sam Javanrouh
Box Brown (at right) takes a moment out from signing copies of his iconoclastic online and print series Everything Dies. Center: Pat Aulisio – author of the web comics Lazy Orange Cat and generally amazing illustrator. Far left: Jordan Shiveley, editor of Grimalkin Press who publishes the comics anthology HIVE.
Photos by Sam Javanrouh
Jesse Jacobs draws an arctic snow giant in our copy of Even The Giants, while we try to snatch up some of his amazing prints.
Photos by Sam Javanrouh
Chris Pitzer, publisher of Adhouse Books, talking to us about awesome comics like Afrodisiac by Brian Maruca & Jim Rugg.
Photos by Sam Javanrouh
Photos by Sam Javanrouh
Sam Arthur of Nobrow proudly displays the collection of über-beautifully drawn and produced books. Look out for the forthcoming book The New Ghost by Robert Frank Hunter, published by Nobrow
Photos by Sam Javanrouh
Toronto artists Britt Wilson and Vicki Nerino survey their gargantuan collection of comics and zines. Check out The Pretty Ridiculous Adventures of A. Zimmerman. Vol 1. by Britt Wilson, and Gonads: a small collection of animal sex haikus by Vicki Nerino
Photos by Sam Javanrouh
Kate Beaton sigining prints from her hugely popular online series Hark! A Vargrant
Kate Beaton drawing for fans beside stacks of her book Never Learn Anything From History.
Tiny Kitten Teeth fans mob the table of creators of the popular online comic.
Toronto Comic Arts Festival: Pencil it In from Toronto Comic Arts Festival on Vimeo.
Director: Christopher Hutsul
Director of Photography: Vinit Borrison
Producer: Nick Sorbara
Executive Producer: Jacinte Faria
Editorial: Melanie Hider, Bijou Editorial
Score: “Background Noise (Don’t Become)” by Solvent, Courtesy Ghostly International
Sound Design: Vapor Music
Online Artist + Colourist: Hardave Grewal, RedLab
Graphic Novelists: Chester Brown, Michael Comeau, Steve Charles Manale, Vicki Nerino, Michael Cho, Michael DeForge, Seth, Fiona Smyth + Britt Wilson.
A Hard Citizen Production.
S&TM: Our sincerest thanks to Sam Javanrouh for all his help and wonderful photos!
All images © 2011 Sam Javanrouh
TCAF Highlights & More | Koyama Press
May 15, 2011 @ 10:05 am
[...] Squidface & the Meddler TCAF photos [...]
Seth | The SuperSlinger Site
May 16, 2011 @ 9:05 am
[...] Comic Arts Festival 2011. These are from a series I shot that day for the great online magazine Squidface and The Meddler. Check out their great coverage of TCAF 2011 [...]
We Love You TCAF, Oh Yes We Do! | NerdsPwn
May 16, 2011 @ 4:05 pm
[...] comics, and take some pictures. That’s what photojournalist Sam Javanrouh thought. On the blog Squidface and Meddler, Javanrouh has compiled a fantastic array of pictures from TCAF 2011, highlighting the different [...]
Sequential | Canadian Comics News & Culture
May 17, 2011 @ 5:05 am
[...] A very nice photo essay from TCAF at Squidface & The Meddler. Wow, what a difference a professional photographer, in [...]
Comics A.M. | FCBD 2011 generated $1.5 million in publicity | Robot 6 @ Comic Book Resources – Covering Comic Book News and Entertainment
May 18, 2011 @ 9:05 am
[...] Comic Arts Festival organizer Christopher Butcher. Meanwhile, Squidface & The Meddler posts a terrific TCAF photo diary by Sam Javanrouh. [Good Comics for Kids] Batman: Gates of Gotham [...]
Tory
May 19, 2011 @ 8:05 pm
Hey! Lovely article! :)
The TCAF Experience: Volunteer’s Perspective « Vanair Publicity
May 24, 2011 @ 10:05 am
[...] this one site fantastic, Squidface & the Meddler, @SquidfaceMddler on twitter, that have a photographed guide to the [...]
Mario
May 29, 2011 @ 5:05 pm
This is my first time visiting your website. This is an amazing collection of photos! I’ve been to Toronto many times, but I did miss this show. Thanks for allowing me to visit it anyway! Kudos to you!
Nick
August 9, 2011 @ 1:08 pm
Wonderful candid photos of great artists. Great work as always you guys.