Toronto Comics Arts Festival back with hybrid 2022 edition featuring Neil Gaiman, Seth, Akane Torikai and more

As with most large-scale events, the Toronto Comics Arts Festival (TCAF) had to pivot to a virtual model during the pandemic instead of its usual weekend-long public event at the Toronto Reference Library and other locations. The popular annual festival, which in previous years has drawn upwards of 20,000 people to its free program of panel discussions, artist talks, book signings and workshops, is back to an in-person gathering from June 17 to 19, 2022 at the library – welcome news for festival director Miles Baker.

“Last year, we did a fully digital show, which we’re really proud of, but it wasn’t quite a TCAF,” Baker admitted in a recent interview with CBC Books. “This year, as we were gearing up, we wanted to do a few things differently – including shifting the dates a little bit – instead of falling on a Mother’s Day weekend, it’s actually on a Father’s Day weekend this year. And the other major piece is that we are a fully hybrid festival this year – being able to offer the virtual program as well was really important to us – it helps bring the festival to the entire world. So we’re thrilled to offer both. “

TCAF, which began in 2004 and also runs Page & Panel, its own non-profit store located at the Reference Library that sells books and merchandise to help fund the festival, aims to promote the breadth and diversity of comics as a medium of literary and artistic worth. This year’s program covers everything from talks and signings from emerging artists to spotlights on acclaimed Canadian veterans such as Seth and Joe Ollmann and a virtual conversation (all TCAF digital programming is available June 18-26 on the festival’s YouTube channel) with best-selling British writer and graphic novelist Neil Gaiman.

“It’s always been a dream of ours to have Neil at the show. But there’s always sort of a problem – which is that he’s too famous for a free show like ours,” Baker said with a laugh. “Being digital really bypasses that problem, and we’re lucky enough to have one of Neil’s best friends, Mark Askwith, in town, so pairing them together for a feature interview was a really easy decision on our part.”

Baker’s other highlights include a virtual talk about anarchism and comics with Vancouver-based Indigenous artist Gord Hill and American comics artist and political cartoonist Ben Passmore; a discussion between American writer and publisher Jamila Rowser and bestselling Vancouver-based graphic novelist Johnnie Christmas looking at the deeply personal experiences of Black hair care; and a spotlight on manga creator Akane Torikai, making her North American comics festival debut.

“Since 2009, we’ve always featured a Japanese manga creator, and this year is no exception,” Baker said. “She’s coming in support of the series Sensei’s Pious Liewhich is a really provocative look at a teacher and a student who are both victims of sexual assault, and it really explores this interesting dynamic of power and secrets. “

For Toronto comics fans looking for a local angle, Schitt’s Creek actor Emily Hampshire will be introducing her debut graphic novel on June 17, followed by members of indie-rock collective Broken Social Scene offering a sneak peek of the upcoming graphic novel based on their breakthrough album You Forgot It In People being released this fall with music-focused publisher Z2 Comics.

Children’s programming remains a key focus at this year’s TCAF, with plenty of hands-on workshops and family-friendly presentations.

“TCAF is all about bringing people to the medium of comics, because it’s such a great vehicle for storytelling. And kids’ comics in particular have had a real renaissance over the past 20 years,” Baker said. “For us to get kids into the building and interacting with comics, it’s the most loving space imaginable for that next generation of cartoonists or comics readers to just explore and be delighted with the medium. It’s one of my favorite spaces to observe at the festival . “

TCAF is all about bringing people to the medium of comics, because it’s such a great vehicle for storytelling.

A new addition to this year’s TCAF lineup is a parallel academic symposium that’s also free and open to the public, focusing on the history and future of comics communities.

When it comes to current trends in the comics world, fantasy titles continue to build buzz – and there are plenty of Canadian creators leading the way in that genre, Baker noted.

“We’re definitely in a golden age of fantasy. We’re seeing a lot of full-length graphic novel series set in unique fantasy worlds,” he said. “We have a session called Final Fantasy on Saturday where both writers, Stephanie Cooke and Jo Rioux, are Canadian.”

As part of its mandate to showcase the breath of what comics are and can be, TCAF has always focused on ensuring diverse representation in its programming, from the artists and creators who are presenting to the books and artwork itself.

“I feel like it’s never been a better time to be a comic artist coming from any background,” Baker said. “From the standpoint that the internet is able to connect you to an audience that is hyper-focused, to the fact that every major publisher now has more than one comics imprint, there’s opportunities for more stories and creators.”

It’s never been a better time to be a comics artist coming from any background.

As TCAF welcomes comics fans back in person to the Reference Library this weekend, the festival kicks off with a panel looking ahead to the future of comics in the next 20 years. So what does someone like Baker, who spends his time steeped in that culture, envision when he ponders where comics are headed?

“The old idea where someone might have thought that comics are just for kids is not a question that anyone will ask any more in another 20 years,” Baker said. “We’re at a point where the generation who are in their 40s and 50s who grew up with comics now have their own kids who are also into it.

“I don’t think it’s much different than a prose book – they’re just different stories that have their own strengths,” he adds. “No matter what you are interested in, there’s something for you [in comics] – from deep historical and journalistic works, to zany humor and everything in between. “