This week: Toronto SpeakEasy Comic Book Show

Toronto SpeakEasy, a monthly gathering of the city’s creative community, hosts its annual Comic Book Show this coming Thursday, Nov 5,  8pm-midnight at the Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen West, second floor lobby).

The main event is in the evening, but I think you might be able to pop in any time during the day to check it out. It’s pay what you can, but suggested donation is $4. Official blurb from the SpeakEasy web site.

Toronto is home to some of the best-known comics artists in North America. We have an active and vibrant community putting out some of the highest quality comics to be found anywhere. The SpeakEasy Comics Show features an eclectic mix of Toronto’s talented comic book artists – from those who do newspaper strips and political cartoons, to underground comix and mainstream superhero comic books! The event promises to display an exciting cross-section of the comics’ community here in Toronto, as well as a glimpse into how good comics are made. As the old cliché goes, there really will be something for everyone.

The complete list of exhibitors includes:

• 

  Hard Drive issue #1, Cyberpunk Comics

  Toronto Comic Arts Festival (featuring work by Marc Bell, Darwyn Cooke, Evan Dorkin, James Jean, Bryan Lee O’Malley, Seth and more)

• Matthew Daley
• Ian Daffern, Freelance Blues
• DMF Comics & Elsewhere Media, Chris Hatzopoulos & George Todorovski
• George Michael Faust
• Gibson Quarter
• Lamin Martin
• Awesome Marcus Ninja, Joel Buxton & Shane Heron
• rutz (a.k.a. Ruth Tait), Talking Pictures
• David James
• Ben Rivers
• Dale Camus
• Greg Dunford, Cyberpunkcomics.com
• Shane Kirshenblatt Freefall Entertainment
• The Joe Shuster Awards

“Hasta la vista, baby” Dave Sim accepts Shuster Award

Dave Sim, creator of Cerebus, is one funny – some might say odd – dude. He won a Shuster award a few weeks ago for his most recent work Glamourpuss. He couldn’t be there  (and neither could I). But here’s one of three pre-taped acceptance speeches he sent in advance to the committee.

How about that tuxedo look  he’s sporting?

2009 Joe Shuster Award winners

Artist: David Finch – Ultimatum #1-2 (Marvel Comics)

Cartoonist: Dave Sim – Glamourpuss #1-4, Judenhaas (Aardvark-Vanaheim)

Colourist: François Lapierre – “Gédéon et la bête du lac” Contes et légendes du Québec (Glénat Québec), Magasin général 4 (Casterman)

Writer: Mariko Tamaki – Emiko Superstar (DC/Minx), Skim (Groundwood Books)

Cover: Niko Henrichon – Hostile Tome 1 (Dupuis)

Webcomics: Cameron Stewart – Sin Titulo

Publisher: Les 400 Coups/Mécanique Générale

Comics for Kids: Kean Soo, Jellaby Book 1 (Hyperion)

Gene Day Award for Canadian Self-Publishers: Jesse Jacobs for Blue Winter, Shapes in the Snow

The Harry Kremer Award for Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Retailer: Legends Comics and Books (Victoria, British Columbia)

Canadian Comic Book Creator Hall of Fame
* George Menendez Rae (1906-1992)
* Réal Godbout (1951-)
* Ken Steacy (1955-)
* Diana Schutz (1955-)

Speaking of Canadian comic book talent…

The Joe Shuster Awards are tonight at the University of Toronto campus. Admission is free. They’ll also have a booth at the Word on the Street festival tomorrow.

As I look at the nominee list, I see names of a half-dozen talented artists and writers working on everything from mainstream books to indie projects who I didn’t realize were Canadian. And there are more French-language titles than I had expected. The Apocalipstix and Les Nombrils (nominated in 2 categories) sound intriguing. I’ve been meaning to check out Northlanders – just waiting to clear through my stack of trade paperbacks before I get into too many new series.