TCAF, The Toronto Comic Arts Festival has announced a ton of its Featured Guests and programs for the 2017 Festival, running May 13 & 14, 2017!

Returning once again to Toronto Public Library’s flagship branch, Toronto Reference Library, as well as official hotel The Marriott Bloor Yorkville, and new venue The Masonic Temple, TCAF 2017 is set to welcome more than 400 comic book authors from around the world, and will feature more than 50 comics and graphic novels making their debut at the Festival!

If you’ve missed the announcements on Twitter, Facebook, and torontocomics.com, keep reading for an overview of TCAF 2017!

Canadian Guests

• David Collier, creator of numerous beloved alternative comics works and unique projects including the recent Colville Comics for the Art Gallery of Ontario will return to TCAF to debut his new graphic novel Morton: A Cross-Country Rail Journey from Conundrum Press.
• Katherine Collins, creator of Neil The Horse will be on hand to be inducted into Giants Of The North Canadian Cartoonists Hall of Fame, and debut The Collected Neil The Horse from Coundrum Books.
• Dave Cooper, cartoonist, fine artist, and animator, will attend TCAF in support of the anniversary edition of Ripple: A Predilection for Tina, and to screen the new animated feature based on his work ‘The Absence of Eddy Table.’
• Guy Delisle, author of PyongYang, Jerusalem, and The Burma Chronicles, will be on hand to launch his new graphic novel Hostage from Drawn & Quarterly, and will be the subject of an art exhibition on the third floor of Toronto Reference Library.
• Jeff Lemire, award winning creator of Essex County, Underwater Welder, Sweet Tooth, and the acclaimed recent release The Secret Path (with Gord Downie) will launch his new graphic novels Roughneck, from Simon & Shuster, and A.D.: After Death, from Image Comics. Jeff Lemire is also the illustrator of one of TCAF 2017’s three official posters!
• Jillian Tamaki, Governor General’s Award winning co-creator of Skim and This One Summer, and creator of SuperMutant Magic Academy, returns to TCAF to launch her new collection Boundless, from Drawn & Quarterly.

American Guests

• Gabrielle Bell (USA), author of The Voyeurs, and Lucky, will be on hand to launch her new book Everything is Flammable.
• Gary Panter (USA), alternative/underground comics legend and set designer for beloved TV Show Pee Wee’s Playhouse will return to TCAF to launch his new graphic novel Songy of Paradise, from Fantagraphics Books.
• Nate Powell (USA), creator of the graphic novels You Don’t Say, Any Empire, and Swallow Me Whole, and illustrator of the acclaimed civil rights memoir MARCH, with John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, returns to TCAF for the release of Nate Powell’s Omnibox, a collection of works from Top Shelf Productions.
• Ngozi Ukazu (USA) returns to TCAF to celebrate the release of the second volume of her beloved gay hockey comic series Check, Please!

International Guests

• Paolo Bacilieri (Italy), will attend in support of his new graphic novel FUN from SelfMadeHero, and be featured in an exhibition of his original art with the support of The Italian Cultural Institute.
• Penelope Bagieu (France), author of Exquisite Corpse, will launch her new graphic novel California Dreamin’, a biography of The Mama’s and The Papas’s singer Cass Elliot, from First Second Books.
• Joe Decie (UK), returning to TCAF with the support of The Lakes International Comics Festival, in support of his new graphic novel Collecting Sticks, from publisher Jonathan Cape.
• Igor Hofbauer (Croatia), best known for creating all of the album artwork for the Juno-nominated ‘Afraid of Heights’ by Canadian rockers Billy Talent, will make his TCAF debut with the graphic novel Mister Morgen, from Conundrum Press.
• Jason (Norway), is a fan favourite comics creator and is returning to TCAF in support of his brand new graphic novel On The Camino, from Fantagraphcs Books.
• Michael Nybrandt (Denmark) attends TCAF in support of his English language debut Dreams in Thin Air from Conundrum Press, the story of the formation of the Tibetan National Soccoer Team, with a preface by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
• Gengoroh Tagame (Japan), internationally renown creator of Japanese gay erotica, will return to TCAF to debut the English-language translation of My Brother’s Husband, the Japan Media Arts Award-winning story of gay struggle and acceptance in Japan, published in English by Pantheon Books. My Brother’s Husband will be the subject of a small exhibit of original art displayed in the Browsery at Toronto Reference Library.
• Marcelino Truong (France, Vietnam), will be at TCAF in support of his memoir Such A Lovely Little War: Saigon 1961-63, published by Arsenal Pulp Press.

These are just some of the more than 40 Featured Guests and 400 exhibitors from around the world that will be participating in TCAF 2017! For the full list, head to torontocomics.com!

Special Program: Celebrating Toronto Publisher Koyama Press’ 10th Anniversary!

Vital Toronto publishing house Koyama Press turns 10 in 2017, and they’re making this TCAF a big one! With 6 essential debuts from some of the freshest voices in the medium, Koyama Press will be properly celebrated through a variety of panel discussions and an amazing art show, and will have artists in attendance from throughout the history of the company! Featured creators include:

• Eleanor Davis (USA), author of the Award Winning short story collection How To Be Happy will be on hand to debut the new graphic novel You & A Bike & A Road, from Koyama Press. Eleanor Davis also illustrated one of TCAF 2017’s Official Festival Posters!
• An Nguyen & Jane Mai (Canada & USA), this duo will be on hand to launch their exploration of Japan’s Gothic Lolita Culture, So Pretty, Very Rotten. This book will also be the subject of a gallery showing of original art and materials at The Japan Foundation Toronto from May 11th through May 16th. 
• Other featured Koyama Press creators include Eric Kostiuk Williams (Canada), launching their new Toronto-focused queer graphic novel Condo Heartbreak Disco; Jesse Jacobs (Canada), launching their psychedelic new graphic novel Crawl Space; Keiler Roberts (USA), launching their new graphic memoir of motherhood and artistry Sunburning; Ben Sears (USA), launching their new action adventure graphic novel Volcano Trash.
• Plus look for Koyama mainstays John Martz, Patrick Kyle, Michael DeForge, Ginette LaPalme, Dustin Harbin, and more exhibiting at the rest of the show!

Special Program: NBM Turns 40!

TCAF is excited to host a special celebration of the 40th Anniversary of NBM Publishing! Publisher Terry Nantier will be on hand for the company and he’ll be joined by comics luminaries including , and they will celebrate through programming and author appearances including:

• Sandrine Revel (France), visiting TCAF for the first time in support of her book Glenn Gould: A Life Off-Tempo!
• Rick Geary (USA), author of the historical true-crime series’ A Treasury of Murder… amongst a luminous career of achievements!
• Metaphrog (Scotland), the Franco-Scottish duo of Sandra Marrs and John Chalmers have been delighting audiences for decades, through their Louis series, and their beautifully illustrated new children’s fairytales!

Special Program: German Comics Pavilion presented by Comic-Salon Erlangen, in partnership with The Goethe Institut Toronto

TCAF is partnering with premiere German comics event Comic-Salon Erlangen, taking place every two years in Erlangen, Germany! The first part of the partnership is an exhibition of German comics and artwork at TCAF 2017 in The Appel Salon at Toronto Reference Library. Produced with the support of The Goethe Institut in Toronto, this exhibition will feature an original art show, information on the Erlangen Comics event, a selection of German-language graphic novels, and participating artists including:

• Ulli Lust (Austria/Germany), returning to TCAF for the first time since 2013! Ulli is the award-winning creator of Today is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life, and the forthcoming book Voices in the Dark. 
• Anna Haifisch (Germany), visiting Toronto in support of her independent comics work and her comic strip The Artist, featured on Vice.com.
• Martina Schradi (Germany), an author, cartoonist, and cerified psychologist. Martina Schradi will be curating a special exhibition on German LGBT comics art in this space, including her own work Oh, I See?!.
• Rotopol Press (Germany), the German art comics publisher will return for TCAF 2017 and will welcome publisher Rita Furstenau and cartoonist Carmen Jose.