Toronto Comic Arts Festival

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The Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) is a comic book festival held annually in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 2003, TCAF has grown to become one of the world’s largest festivals dedicated to the promotion and appreciation of comic arts.

Toronto Comic Arts Festival
StatusActive
GenreAlternative comics convention
FrequencyAnnual
VenueToronto Reference Library
Location(s)Toronto, Ontario
CountryCanada
InauguratedMarch 29, 2003; 21 years ago (2003-03-29)
FounderPeter Birkemoe
Chris Butcher
Most recentApril 29-30, 2023
Next eventMay 11-12, 2024
Attendance25,000
Organized byTCAF
Websitehttp://torontocomics.com/

Programming

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TCAF focuses on alternative and independent comics, but includes other creative arts besides comics.[1] Unlike traditional comic book conventions, TCAF is modeled off of independent comic festivals and art book fairs such as the Angoulême International Comics Festival and Small Press Expo.[2]

TCAF is a free-admission event.[2]


History

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TCAF was founded by Peter Birkemoe and Chris Butcher of The Beguiling in 2003.[1] The festival was held biennially until 2009, when in partnership with the Toronto Public Library it became an annual event. Starting that year, the festival took place at the Toronto Reference Library.[1]

Event history

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Dates Location[3] Attend.[3] Featured Guests
March 29, 2003 Trinity-St. Paul's United Church600
May 28–29, 2005 Honest Ed's Parking Lot6,000
August 18–19, 2007 Victoria College6,000Chester Brown, Darwyn Cooke, Evan Dorkin, James Jean, Joe Matt, Paul Pope, Seth[4]
May 9–10, 2009 Toronto Reference Library10,500Ivan Brunetti, Anke Feuchtenberger, Emmanuel Guibert, Bryan Lee O’Malley, Paul Pope, Seth, Yoshihiro Tatsumi, Adrian Tomine[5]
May 8–9, 2010 Toronto Reference Library12,500Daniel Clowes, Jeff Lemire, Paul Pope, Dash Shaw, James Sturm, Charles Vess, Jim Woodring[6]
May 7–8, 2011 Toronto Reference Library15,000David Boswell, Chester Brown, Darwyn Cooke, Ludovic Debeurme, Brecht Evens, Usamaru Furuya, Lorenzo Mattotti, Mawil, Natsume Ono, John Porcellino, Jillian Tamaki, Adrian Tomine, Pendleton Ward, Chris Ware[7]
May 5–6, 2012 Toronto Reference Library18,000Gabriella Giandelli, Aislin, Gabriel Bá, Kate Beaton, Alison Bechdel, Arne Bellstorf, José-Luis Bocquet, Guy Delisle, Tom Gauld, Matt Holm, Jennifer Holm, Jason, Konami Kanata, Kazu Kibuishi, Kid Koala, Bryan Lee O’Malley, Hugues Micol, Fábio Moon, Catel Muller, Michel Rabagliati, Andy Runton, Jeff Smith, Pendleton Ward, Adam Warren[8]
May 8–9, 2013 Toronto Reference Library18,000Bill Amend, David B, Blutch, Boulet, Ivan Brunetti, C.F., Chihoi, Glyn Dillon, Lisa Hanawalt, Gilbert Hernandez, Jaime Hernandez, Chip Kidd, Michael Kupperman, Eric Lambé, Bryan Lee O’Malley, Ulli Lust, Taiyo Matsumoto, Rutu Modan, Françoise Mouly, Frederik Peeters, Paul Pope, Michel Rabagliati, Dash Shaw, Art Spiegelman, Gengoroh Tagame, Raina Telgemeier, Judith Vanistendael[9]
May 10–11, 2014 Toronto Reference Library22,000Moyoco Anno, Isabelle Arsenault, Kate Beaton, Gabrielle Bell, Christophe Blain, Fanny Britt, Ed Brubaker, Darwyn Cooke, Michael DeForge, Renaud Dillies, est em, Pascal Girard, Réal Godbout, Akira Himekawa, Lynn Johnston, Kazu Kibuishi, Reinhard Kleist, Abel Lanzac, Luke Pearson, Sean Phillips, Mimi Pond, Trina Robbins, Jeff Smith, Jillian Tamaki Mariko Tamaki[10]
May 9–10, 2015 Toronto Reference Library24,000Pénélope Bagieu, Lynda Barry, Marc Bell, Pascal Blanchet, Boulet, Charles Burns, Eleanor Davis, Étienne Davodeau, Julie Doucet, Hunt Emerson, Gurihiru, Simon Hanselmann, Dustin Harbin, Matt Holm, Jennifer Holm, Aya Kanno, Killoffer, Lucy Knisley, Ed Luce, Jason Lutes, Lorenzo Mattotti, Scott McCloud, Anders Nilsen, Seth, ND Stevenson, Barbara Stok, Gengoroh Tagame, Jillian Tamaki, Adrian Tomine, Chip Zdarsky[11]
May 14–15, 2016 Toronto Reference Library25,000Marguerite Abouet, Adrian Alphona, Balak, Kate Beaton, Boulet, Chester Brown, Brian Chippendale, Brecht Evens, Duncan Fegredo, Manuele Fior, Matt Furie, Pia Guerra, Lisa Hanawalt, Simon Hanselmann, Jennifer Hayden, Faith Erin Hicks, Keith Jones, Shintaro Kago, Bendik Kaltenborn, Jeff Lemire, Emi Lenox, Francisco Sousa Lobo, MariNaomi, Sean Phillips, Michel Rabagliati, Rokudenashiko, Ant Sang, Steve Skroce, Raina Telgemeier, Noah Van Sciver, Brian K. Vaughan, Bastien Vivès, Gene Luen Yang, Barbara Yelin, Chip Zdarsky[12]
May 13–14, 2017 Toronto Reference Library25,000Charlie Adlard, Isabelle Arsenault, Paolo Bacilieri, Pénélope Bagieu, Gabrielle Bell, Fanny Britt, Svetlana Chmakova, David Collier, Katherine Collins, Dave Cooper, Colleen Coover, Eleanor Davis, Aimée de Jongh, Joe Decie, Guy Delisle, Rick Geary, Élise Gravel, Anna Haigisch, Shannon Hale, Igor Hofbauer, Jesse Jacobs, Jason, Jeff Lemire, Marjorie Liu, Ulli Lust, Jane Mai, Dave McKean, An Nguyen, Michael Nybrandt, Bryan Lee O’Malley, Gary Panter, LeUyen Pham, Nate Powell, Michel Rabagliati, Sandrine Revel, Emma Ríos, Martina Schradi, Gengoroh Tagame, San Takeda, Jillian Tamaki, Marcelino Truong, Ngozi Ukazu, Scott Westerfeld, Eric Kostiuk Williams[13]
May 12–13, 2018 Toronto Reference Library25,000Yvan Alagbé, Brooklyn Allen, Ho Che Anderson, Inio Asano, David B, Romy Blümel, Vera Brosgol, Eddie Campbell, Emily Carroll, Cecil Castellucci, Michael Comeau, Max de Radiguès, Michael DeForge, Brigitte Findakly, Gale Galligan, Melanie Gillman, Charise Mericle Harper, Jamie Hernandez, Ananth Hirsh, James Kochalka, Hope Larson, Hartley Lin, Liniers, Wauter Mannaert, Françoise Mouly, National Cartoonists Society, Audrey Niffenegger, Katie O'Neill, Molly Knox Ostertag, Yuko Ota, Danish Pavilion, Chris Reynolds, Julie Rocheleau, Sergio García Sánchez, Fiona Smyth, Jillian Tamaki, Mariko Tamaki, Lewis Trondheim, Jen Wang, Georgia Webber, Ronald Wimberly, Stephanie Wunderlich[14]
May 11–12, 2019 Toronto Reference LibraryGabriel Bá, Bessora, Daria Bogdanska, Emily Carroll, Alexandre Clérisse, Ezra Claytan Daniels, Margreet de Heer, Aimee de Jongh, Entreviñetas, Kieron Gillen, Bill Griffith, Stephanie Hans, Erica Henderson, Gord Hill, Junji Ito, Jason, JonJon, Lucy Knisley, Nora Krug, Ness Lee, Rachel Lindsay, Richard Marazano, Jamie McKelvie, Fábio Moon, Søren Glosimodt Mosdal, Anders Nilsen, Alex Norris, Ben Passmore, Emilie Plateau, Jérémie Royer, David Rubín, Brian Selznick, Seth, Vivek Shraya, Mark Alan Stamaty, James Stokoe, Hiromi Takashima, Craig Thompson, Typex, Jhonen Vasquez, Kelsey Wroten, Chip Zdarsky[15]
May 9–10, 2020 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[16]
May 8–15, 2021 Held virtually[17]
June 17–19, 2022[18] Toronto Reference LibraryTillie Walden, Rumi Hara, Robyn Smith, Zviane, Emma Hunsinger, Jamila Rowser, Jenn Woodall, Anoosha Syed, Benjamin Marra, Terry Dodson, Akane Torikai, Johnnie Christmas, Jo Rioux, Lee Lai, Conor Stechschulte, Emily Hampshire, Katherine Battersby, Stanley Wany, S. Bear Bergman, Joe Ollmann, Aimée de Jongh, Sonja Ahlers, Saul Freedman-Lawson, Catherine Castro, Mikaël, Seth, Ho Che Anderson, John Patrick Green, Brandon Mitchell, Veronika Barinova, Hope Larson, Neil Gaiman, Maggie Edkins Willis, Ben Passmore, and Gord Hill.[19]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Braga, Matthew (May 9, 2011). "Toronto Comics Fest, Ruining Mother's Day Yet Again". Torontoist. Retrieved December 22, 2011.
  2. ^ a b "2010 Hero: The Toronto Comic Arts Festival". Torontoist. December 23, 2010. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
  3. ^ a b "About TCAF: History and Staff". Toronto Comic Arts Festival. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  4. ^ Boyd, Kevin (June 11, 2007). "TORONTO COMIC ARTS FESTIVAL AUG 18-19 ANNOUNCES 2007 GUESTS". CGC. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  5. ^ "Announcing the 2009 Toronto Comic Arts Festival (via Archive)". Toronto Comic Arts Festival. March 5, 2009. Archived from the original on August 2, 2009. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  6. ^ "Toronto Comics Arts Festival (TCAF) Preview". The Comics Journal. April 30, 2010. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  7. ^ "Featured Guests - TCAF 2011 (via Archive)". Toronto Comic Arts Festival. 2011. Archived from the original on May 10, 2011. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  8. ^ "Featured Guests - TCAF 2012 (via Archive)". Toronto Comic Arts Festival. 2012. Archived from the original on May 9, 2012. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  9. ^ "Featured Guests - TCAF 2013 (via Archive)". Toronto Comic Arts Festival. 2013. Archived from the original on May 27, 2013. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  10. ^ "Featured Guests - TCAF 2014 (via Archive)". Toronto Comic Arts Festival. 2014. Archived from the original on April 23, 2014. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  11. ^ "Featured Guests - TCAF 2015 (via Archive)". Toronto Comic Arts Festival. 2015. Archived from the original on May 6, 2015. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  12. ^ "Featured Guests - TCAF 2016 (via Archive)". Toronto Comic Arts Festival. 2016. Archived from the original on April 13, 2016. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  13. ^ "Featured Guests - TCAF 2017". Guidebook. 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  14. ^ "Featured Guests - TCAF 2018 (via Archive)". Toronto Comic Arts Festival. 2018. Archived from the original on April 30, 2018. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  15. ^ "Featured Guests - TCAF 2019 (via Archive)". Toronto Comic Arts Festival. 2019. Archived from the original on April 18, 2019. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  16. ^ "TCAF 2020 Announcement of Event Cancellation". TCAF. March 18, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  17. ^ "TCAF 2021: virtual lineup announced". Comics Beat. February 1, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
  18. ^ "TCAF 2022". TCAF. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
  19. ^ "TCAF 2022 Featured Guests". TCAF. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
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