News / Top Shelf Tackles TCAF 2016!

Top Shelf Tackles TCAF 2016!

May 13, 2016

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Featured guests Jennifer Hayden and Jeff Lemire lead a terrific lineup of Top Shelf talent at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival this weekend (May 14-15 at the Toronto Reference Library). Jennifer's critically-acclaimed memoir The Story of My Tits makes its TCAF debut this weekend, along with the stunning Limited Slipcase Edition of Jeff's now-classic Essex County, and the festival is celebrating with dedicated spotlight programming around each author.

Joining them are Canada's own Troy Little (with his addictively great adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas), Ray Fawkes (whose alluringly twisted Junction True makes its TCAF debut), Eric Orchard (the wild imagination that brought you Maddy Kettle), plus from the IDW extended family, Conor McCreery (Kill Shakespeare) and Brenda Hickey (My Little Pony). And last but not least, we'll have hot-off-the-press copies of the much-anticipated Cigarette Girl, featuring the groundbreaking indie manga of Masahiko Matsumoto, plus Apocrypha Now, Renée, and many other outstanding new releases.

Click below to see all the panels & programs featuring our authors, and come see us at TCAF booth #271!

Top Shelf / IDW Author Programming at TCAF 2016!

Spotlight: Jeff Lemire interviewed by Ray Fawkes
Saturday 11:00 – 12:00 — The Pilot, 22 Cumberland
Comics pals and occasional collaborators Jeff Lemire and Ray Fawkes are two of Toronto’s best known creators, thanks to their diverse careers which include careers writing comics for DC, Marvel, and Valiant, as well as creator-owned graphic novels published by Image, and Top Shelf. In this feature interview, Fawkes will interview Lemire about their careers, collaboration, and their upcoming projects including Lemire’s Fall 2016 graphic novel, Roughneck.

Putting Your Heart on the Page
Saturday 11:00 – 12:00 — Hinton Theater. Toronto Reference Library 3rd Floor
Jon Chad, Eric Orchard, and Sean Karemaker are three prolific and hyper-imaginative cartoonists. Between the three of them they’ve made educational comics for kids, children’s books, fantasy webcomics, indie graphic novels, and more. Together they’ll talk about how they decide on their best ideas, how much energy goes into each page, and what it takes to connect with readers of all different ages.

Comics 101: Comics & Libraries
Saturday 11:00 – 12:00 — Marriott: Summerhill Room
Are you a librarian or educator who is comics-curious but never knew where to start? Let Hope Nicholson (Secret Loves of Geek Girls), Conor McCreery (Kill Shakespeare), and Scott Robins (Toronto Public Library) discuss strategies on how to get increase literacy via comics. Plus! Come find out how to get more comics and graphic novels into your libraries! A discussion on all the ways that Comics & Libraries can work together for a brighter future. Moderated by Glen Downey.

Spotlight: Jennifer Hayden
Saturday 1:30 – 2:30 — Marriott: High Park Ballroom 1
A caustic, sarcastic, and riveting graphic novel, Jennifer Hayden’s memoir The Story of My Tits chronicles the author’s battle with breast cancer, body image, relationships and more. In this spotlight program, Jennifer Hayden will be interviewed by Brigid Alverson (Robot6) on her story, and what it’s been like to have shared that story with the world.

The Monthly Grind: Working as an artist or writer on a monthly series
Saturday 2:45 – 3:45 — Marriott: Forest Hill Ballroom
Learn how Chip Zdarsky (Sex Criminals), Margueritte Bennett (Insexts), Jason Latour (Southern Bastards), Ivan Brandon (Drifter), Ray Fawkes (Junction True), and Emi Lenox (Plutona) stay on deadline as they are on the hook each month for a new comic! Andrew Wheeler moderates a lively round table about the difficulties and rewards of churning out a series on the regular.

Adult Memoir
Sunday 11:15 – 12:15 — Marriott: Forest Hill Ballroom
The cliché says to ‘write what you know’, yet the act of doing it is a lot more complex than any cliché! Noted autobiographists Meags Fitzgerald (Long Red Hair), Gina Wynbrandt (Someone Please Have Sex With Me), Jennifer Hayden (The Story of My Tits), and Teva Harrison (In-Between Days) navigate, curate, and cull their memories for the sake of their narratives. Find out how they make the tough choices on how best to present their life experiences in a panel moderated by Brigid Alverson.

CAROUSEL!
Sunday 4:00 – 5:00 — The Pilot, 22 Cumberland
Carousel, R. Sikoryak’s long running comics performance/reading series, returns to TCAF with shows by Michael DeForge (Lose, Dressing), Andrea Tsurumi (Why Would You Do That?), Kriota Willberg (No Pain, Pathology Laffs), Jennifer Hayden (The Story of My Tits), R. Sikoryak (Masterpiece Comics, iTunes), and more.