Comic Store Events!

I've also been lax with the book store nooze for all you comic and art book fans, so lemme tell ya 'bout two events happenin' this weekend. First off, our humble homies at the Labyrinth are holding a 'Mighty Muggs' art show, character design showdown and charity sale...man, talk about a full dance card. Details about what you can get and what you should bring are on their blog.

Second, our graphic guerrilla buddies over at the Beguiling are welcoming new Tank Girl artist Rufus Dayglo (lovin' that name, fella) as drops across the pond to celebrate his run on the series. Just be aware that if you wanna shake hands with Rufus, the event is tonight, Friday the 7th! Sorry for the late warning, it's been that kind of a week. Plus, on Tuesday it's the Marvel 70th Anniversary and Sale. Prepare to get poor, comics fans. Sounds like a full weekend. More to come...enjoy yo'selves, ya heah!

Free Comics Day 2009

This week I'm all about the comics. Made it out to Free Comics Day at the Beguiling, and brought my trusty Xacti. Managed to get Clayton Hamner (C-Ton), Tara Tallan (Galaxion), Kean Soo (Jellaby) and Chip Zdarsky (Monster Cops) in my sites, and they gives good interview. Sorry it took a week to get this up, but, hey, everything is a production with me. Music by the most excellent Tettix (go download his stuffs!). More to come!

TCAF and free comix!

Hey! First off, apologies to our homies at The Beguiling and The Labyrinth for no heads up on Free Comics Day, which happened over the weekend. Don't worry, the real comix-palooza comes this weekend as the Toronto Comic Arts Festival happens once again, this time at the Toronto Reference Library (just get off the TTC at Yonge & Bloor, point yer ass north, and follow the geekling hordes.) There will be tons of indies there signing their latest, so bring your wallet. Oh, and a special comix related treat (plus TAIS nooze of course) comin' up in a day or so. Cheers!

Note: Labyrinth's minions will not be there in any official capacity, I'm afraid...this is pretty much Beguiling's gig for indy animators, not yer typical vendor show. Don't fret...next show that Labyrinth will be at is Anime North, coming up later this month. Bonus!

Bryce-A-Mation: Animation Unleashed

Just hoid the good woid from fellow animator and TAIS board dood Bryce Hallett. Seems he went ahead and animated a trailer for that other guide book. Y'know, the one what I fergot in my 'books you need' list? Sorry, Ellen and Bryce, me brains have been a quart low and a dollar short as of late.

Ellen's book has been getting well-reviewed and well-received around the interwebnets, and yet after doing the post about books a few weeks back it fell completely off this pooch's radar, a damn shame, cuz it's a good book to have...so I've been told. Fortunately, the ever stalwart Bryce (he who illustrated said book) has kept me a copy, signed by Ellen and hisself...so I'll be able to check it out mesself soon! I'll do up a mini-review for y'all in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, check out the trailer and get a copy from the Amazon, or if yer in Toronto, hit up The Beguiling (copies comin' soon!) or The Labyrinth (no word on copies yet...I'll call 'em tomorry) for your very owns. More later!

Tais and Beguiling nooze!

Ollie wouldn't want us all mopin' on such a nice day, so let's hoist a glass of the best to one of the best and look to days ahead. Events continue to hop here at TAIS and at our fave comic shoppe, The Beguiling. These posts are huge, so I'm gonna abridge 'em to just the pertinent info, the skinny if you will. For more details, click the links or head on over to the TAIS or Beguiling sites. Check it out!
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ARTIST RUN MACHINES, OPEN SOURCE CULTURE
free panel discussion
Saturday April 12, 1-3:30pm (reception to follow) The Melody Room, Gladstone Hotel
1214 Queen Street West, Toronto

people power projectors
free projection event
Saturday April 12, 9-11pm
Images Festival closing party
401 Richmond St West, Toronto

For more info about MEDIA ART MATTERS! visit the IMAAontario website at:
http://www.imaa-ontario.ca

Contact event coordinator Tom Leonhardt to apply for a travel subsidy at:
mam@imaa-ontario.ca
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THE FREE SCREEN: REGENERATION
Wednesday, April 16, 7pm
Jackman Hall, Art Gallery of Ontario, 317 Dundas St. W., Toronto, ON
Free admission

For More information: www.cinemathequeontario.ca
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Beguiling Newsletter highlights:

1. STORE: Jillian Tamaki’s art from SKIM now exhibited in store.

For more on SKIM, visit www.groundwoodbooks.com and for more on Jillian Tamaki’s artistic process, check out this great feature at Drawn.ca.


2. ART: Michel Rabagliati now in The Beguiling’s Art Store!

You can see Michel Rabagliati’s originals online.

All of Rabagliati’s graphic novels are also available in-store, in both French and English.


3. EVENT: Free Comics for Kids Day, Saturday May 3rd

Saturday May 3rd, 2008. 12noon - 5pm
Palmerston Library, 560 Palmerston Ave (at Bathurst Subway Station)
Featuring authors Michael Cho, Steven Manale, and Jeremy Tankard
FREE!

For more information please contact chris at The Beguiling.


4. EVENT: Free Comic Book Day, Saturday May 3rd

Just a reminder folks, The Beguiling will still be holding it’s regular Free Comic Book Day activities on Saturday May 3rd, from noon to 6pm in front of the store (or possibly inside if it rains…).

If you’re a local creator that’d like to come out and engage fans on the date of the event, we’d love to hear from you! Drop me an e-mail.

More information will be forthcoming.


5. EVENT: From Hanga to Manga at the Toronto Public Library

>From Hanga to Manga
Saturday April 19th to Sunday June 28th 2008
TD Gallery, Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge Street

The Man Who made “The Great Wave”
A discussion of Hokusai by Katerine Govier
Thursday, May 22nd at 7PM
Toronto Reference Library, Beeton Auditorium, 7PM


Both events are free!


6. EVENT: Industry Night at The Vic: April and May


INDUSTRY NIGHT @ THE VIC
The Last Wednesday of Every Month
581 Markham Street, 8pm-10pm


7. CONTEST: Win free passes to Harlan Ellison Biopic at HOT DOCS

Hey Beguiling Mailing List Subscribers! The always-excellent HOT DOCS documentary film festival has provided us with 5 pairs of tickets for the new Harlan Ellison documentary DREAMS WITH SHARP TEETH, showing at The Bloor Cinema on Saturday, April 26th at 9:30pm.

Want to win a pair of tickets? Here’s what you need to do:

RULES: To enter for a chance to win tickets, simply send an e-mail containing a valid e-mail address (yours), full name (yours), and functioning phone number (yours) to chris@beguiling.com with the words “HOT DOCS” and your full name in the SUBJECT LINE. E-mails must be received before 11:59PM EST on Wednesday, April 16th, 2008. All entrants must be subscribed to The Beguiling mailing list for the duration of the contest to be eligible to win. Winners will be contacted via e-mail starting Thursday April 17th. Tickets can only be picked up at The Beguiling (601 Markham Street) in person by the contest winner.

Well, I've been alluding to this for a few weeks, so before I heads off to grab a copy of Condemned 2 (scary as hell) I'll make the big announcement. The Toronto Animated Image Society is proud to announce...MONSTERJAM!

Yep, we've organized a new anijam this year, and this time around the theme is monsters. Animated 10 seconds however your want of whatever story you want, but it's gotta be about monsters. Send us a 720x480 Quicktime (give me a shout if you've got conversion or upload issues) along with a couple of stills and your contact info by May 30th. We'll edit all your creepy goodness into a big-ass anijam film that'll be first screened at the National Film Board in June as part of TAIS' Animation Celebration. Afterwards, we'll post it up on MyToons and submit it to Channel Frederator, and it'll be featured on the TAIS main site.

Did I mention prizes? The guys at Monster Factory and The Beguiling were kind enough to throw some goodies our way to use as prizes for the coolest, creepiest entries. We've got hand-made monster stuffies and author-signed copies of Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi and Kean Soo's Jellaby! I'll post some pictures of them goodies next week, as well as keepin' you posted on all our entries here on the blog, as well as supplying you with the occasional sneak peak.

Special thanks go out to the folks at Channel Frederator and MyToons for the promise of pimpage for this event. Don't just sit there, there's monsters to animate...go, go, go!

Amulet and Jellaby

Follow-up post for the Kean and Kazu event at the Beguiling. Managed to snag me a copy of both, signed by the authors especially for an upcoming TAIS event. Hmmm...two signed copies of two books with monsters in 'em? Coincidence? Stay tuned... Thanks to Kean Soo and Kazu Kubuishi for letting me bend their ears for a while, and for signing them books!

Meanwhile, the books. Both authors are workin' with tried and true themes here...a magic item in an old house opens up a gateway to a hidden world in 'Amulet', and a young loner-ish girl finds a pet monster in 'Jellaby'. These are not hackneyed stories, however. Kazu's 'Amulet' is imbued with wonderfully evocative artwork that practically animates off the page, and his characterization of a family rocked by tragedy trying to rebuild itself is heartfelt. You'll want to stick along for the ride.

As for 'Jellaby', well, just look at him! Kean's pet monster story isn't all fluff either. There's a real dark edge to Portia, his main character...a scene inside a police station with a handcuffed crook creeped me the hell out, and gives a hint at tragic past events without slapping you about the head and neck. Jellaby the monster is an interesting character as well, at turns childish and curious but loyal and quick to protect his friends. Only, who is that dark character in Portia's dreams? My only complaint...the book ends all too soon. Lookin' forward to the follow-ups for both these books!

Special thanks to The Beguiling for hosting the signing during a raging snowstorm, no less, and for last year's Free Comic Day event, where I discovered 'Jellaby'. Also, a shout-out to Kimonokitsy Studios, who clued me into 'Amulet' and Kazu's other fine works. Oh, and more monster hints later...