On August 18 and 19 The Toronto Comics Arts Festival (also known affectionately as TCAF) celebrated the best that Small Press comics has to offer, including quite a few Toronto-based artists and writers. Of course, as with every show, the three biggest names—Seth, Chester Brown and Joe Matt—were there to sign their books. But many lesser-known (and in my opinion, more talented) artists were also on hand.
The first of these is Jim Munroe, who many book lovers may know as the Toronto native behind No Media Kings. Mr. Munroe has been self-publishing novels for a long time, but now has tried writing a comic book with great success. His book (with artist Salgood Sam) is called “Therefore Repent” and is a love story set in the period after the Rapture occurs.
Bobby Chiu and Kei Acedera from Imaginism Studios create the kinds of work that you should simultaneously use to entertain children and also keep away from their impressionable little minds. It’s lush and rich work that delves into some quirky areas, but I promise you, you will never be bored.
Brian Maclachlan’s new book, “No Dead Time” is a pretty amazing book. It is a love story set in a world where the characters that inhabit it reflect on the outside the way they are on the inside. While the love story is nice, it is that conceit that makes the book. Watching a customer in a record store slowly evolve into a caveman as his pathetic tastes in music are revealed is just simply genius.
Michael Noonan’s latest work is called “The Luxury of Living” an autobiographical book that gives us a look at his life as it relates to his daughter and his struggles to keep her in his life. While the book is great, it is maybe just a little bit too sparse. It could easily be twice as long.
And speaking of autobiographical works, I would be remiss to overlook Steve MacIsaac’s excellent second installment of “Shirtlifter” which chronicles his experiences coming out and coming to terms with his sexuality. “Shirtlifter” is sexually frank and graphic, so visit his site or pick up the book at your own discretion.
