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The Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) is a
comic book festival A comic book convention or comic-con is an event with a primary focus on comic books and comic book culture, in which comic book fans gather to meet creators, experts, and each other. Commonly, comic conventions are multi-day events hosted at con ...
held annually in
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
,
Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
. Founded in 2003, TCAF has grown to become one of the world’s largest festivals dedicated to the promotion and appreciation of comic arts.


Programming

TCAF focuses on
alternative Alternative or alternate may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki'' * ''The Alternative'' (film), a 1978 Australian television film * ''The Alternative ...
and
independent comics Alternative comics cover a range of American comics that have appeared since the 1980s, following the underground comix movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Alternative comics present an alternative to mainstream superhero comics which i ...
, but includes other creative arts besides comics. Unlike traditional
comic book convention A comic book convention or comic-con is an event with a primary focus on comic books and comic book culture, in which comic book fans gather to meet creators, experts, and each other. Commonly, comic conventions are multi-day events hosted at con ...
s, TCAF is modeled off of independent comic festivals and art book fairs such as the
Angoulême International Comics Festival The Angoulême International Comics Festival (french: Festival international de la bande dessinée d'Angoulême) is the second largest comics festival in Europe after the Lucca Comics & Games in Italy, and the third biggest in the world after Lu ...
and
Small Press Expo The Small Press Expo (SPX) is an American alternative comics convention. A registered 501(c)(3) that was created in 1994, every year since its inception, SPX has put on a festival, known as The Expo, that provides a forum for artists, writers and ...
. TCAF is a free-admission event.


Page & Panel: The TCAF Shop

"Page & Panel: The TCAF Shop" is a non-profit store located in the
Toronto Reference Library The Toronto Reference Library is a public reference library in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The library is located on the corner of Yonge Street and Asquith Avenue, within the Yorkville neighbourhood of downtown Toronto. The Toronto Reference Library ...
. Opened in May 2015, the shop sells books and merchandise that fund the festival and related activities.


History

TCAF was founded by Peter Birkemoe and Chris Butcher of
The Beguiling The Beguiling is a comic shop in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It specializes in underground and alternative comics, classic comic strip reprints, and foreign comics. It has built an international reputation for focusing on and promoting non- sup ...
in 2003. The festival was held biennially until 2009, when in partnership with the
Toronto Public Library Toronto Public Library (TPL) (french: Bibliothèque publique de Toronto) is a public library system in Toronto, Ontario. It is the largest public library system in Canada, and in 2008 had averaged a higher circulation per capita than any other pu ...
it became an annual event. Starting that year, the festival took place at the
Toronto Reference Library The Toronto Reference Library is a public reference library in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The library is located on the corner of Yonge Street and Asquith Avenue, within the Yorkville neighbourhood of downtown Toronto. The Toronto Reference Library ...
.


Event history


References


External links


TCAF official website
Comics conventions in Canada Book fairs in Canada May events Annual events in Toronto Recurring events established in 2003 2003 establishments in Ontario Festivals established in 2003 Comics conventions Literary festivals in Ontario {{lit-festival-stub