Hey everybody! So, we are just incredibly bummed to not be in Toronto right now (all the Tim Hortons we could have been eating ????) because it’s one of the best shows in this hemisphere to bring new books to the people! To help assuage our grief, we decided to put together a roundup of things new stuff that we were especially excited to show you, and the artists we were going to be hosting, so that you can still check them out! Obviously it’s not as good as the real thing, but it’ll have to do for now! Our good friends at The Beguiling Books & Art can hook Torontonians up with the books listed here, everyone else can get them (with free domestic shipping in the US) from Fantagraphics.com!
Hope to see all your beautiful smiling faces there, this time next year!
Shintaro Kago: Really hoping we can make this one happen in the future! We were incredibly stoked to help host the guro manga master, especially as it coincided with the release of the stunning new Dementia 21 Vols. 1 & 2 Boxset! If you’re a fan, head over to our Instagram page now, where you can enter to win one in our giveaway!
Moa Romanova: This Swedish artist’s debut graphic novel, Goblin Girl, would definitely have been one of the stars of the show, plus we were really hoping she could elevate the cool factor of our booth with her amazing work and fashion! Hope to see host her next year, but in the meantime, we strongly suggest you order the book here, and follow her on Insta here.
Vivian Chong & Georgia Webber: If you are a Toronto local, you might get a chance to see one or both of these two hometown heros before next spring, since we hope to be able to host an event for their amazing new collaborative OGN, Dancing After TEN, at some point this year! Follow Georgia on Instagram, here.
Olivier Schrauwen: Schrauwen’s new book, created collaboratively with the French duo Ruppert & Mulot, is one of the absolute standout books of the spring. Publisher’s Weekly called Portrait of a Drunk , “A good old-fashioned 18th-century pirate yarn filled with depravity, random violence, cruelty, and laughs.” It’s also incredibly surreal and just gorgeously illustrated. Treat yourself, you will NOT be disappointed!
Rikke Villadsen: Rikke’s newest book, Cowboy, queers the classic Spaghetti Western to such an extent that you may never be able to watch one the same way again. Broken Frontier said of it, “Breaking barriers and forcing one to look at the familiar in strange ways has always been the hallmark of great art. Rikke Villadsen deserves accolades for this one.” And we agree! Nose picking, gender reinvention, and one of the most unforgettably bizarre sex scenes in the history of comics make this spring release an absolute must-have. Follow her on insta as well for some quality content.
Kevin Mutch: The Rough Pearl represents two Fanta firsts, our first OGN by Xeric Award-winning cartoonist Kevin Mutch, and our first book to feature a glow-in-the-dark cover! It just got a great review from Artillery Magazine. Zombies, aliens, and arts academia, oh my! Kevin is on Instagram, here.
Noah Van Sciver: The crowning achievement of Van Sciver’s career will certainly be completion of his three-volume biography of Fante Bukowski, America’s worst writer. Read more about the reclusive self-proclaimed genius in this tell-all interview with Slate. This special “Library of Fantagraphics” edition collects The Complete Works of Fante Bukowski together for the first (and almost certainly the last) time! Noah is on Instagram, here.
Charles Forsman: If you’re in need of some TV quaran-tainment , we highly reccommend the new Netflix original series based on Forsman’s most recent book, I Am Not Okay With This! A great adaptation, created by some of the same talents that brought you The End of the F***ing World. You can also follow Chuck on insta and twitter!
If it’s fresh merch you’re craving, check out the new Gilbert Hernandez tees we’re selling as a fundraiser for the Book Industry Charitable Foundation, aka BINC! Social distance in style and support a great cause!
If you’re still hungry for more #TCAF2020 content, follow the hashtag on twitter, Instagram, Facebook etc. throughout the weekend, check out their debut books page, and keep an eye out for the digital showcase they’re putting together! You can also buy from or donate to Page & Panel, the TCAF retail space inside the Toronto Public Library, which is especially hard hit right now.
Alrighty, that’s all we’ve got for now. Thanks for reading, and hope to see you all at #TCAF2021 if not before!