I’m flying to Toronto this weekend for the excellent Toronto Comics Arts Festival. With nearly 200 talks, screenings, gallery shows, workshops and live drawing demonstrations, it’s going to be one hell of a weekend.
I will be on three panels over the weekend, and here’s where and when you can catch me, when I’m not hanging out at the Conundrum Press booth:
Saturday 14th May
Learning Center 1, Toronto Reference Library
10:00 – 11:00 — Spotlight: Ant Sang
Brought up in New Zealand and Hong Kong, Ant Sang’s work in comics, film, and animation evidences worlds of influences from anime and sci-fi to comic books and Shaw Brothers kung-fu films. Inspired by the mid-90s alt-comix scene, he began creating and self-publishing his own comics, becoming one of New Zealand’s most respected graphic novelists! As part of Conundrum Press’ 20th Anniversary, Ant has travelled from New Zealand to present from his Conundrum-published work Dharma Punks, and discuss his long comics and animation career.
Workshops: Writer’s Room, Toronto Reference Library 3rd Floor
1:30 – 3:00 — Ant Sang: Comics and Animation
Description: New Zealand artist Ant Sang has been writing, drawing, and self-publishing comics for years. He’s also dividing his time between comics and writing and designing major animation projects, including the new film ‘notes to eternity’. In this workshop and discussion, Ant will talk about applying his comics skills to film and animation, and vice versa.
Sunday 15th May
Marriott Bloor-Yorkville Hotel, 90 Bloor St. East, Toronto
2:45 – 3:45 — Diversity
It is unmistakable that the evolution of any medium is contingent on the inclusion of a healthy variety of different voices. Karla Pacheco (Inspector Pancakes), Anne Ishii (Massive Goods), Ant Sang (The Dharma Punks), Cathy G. Johnson (Gorgeous), Gene Yang (Boxers & Saints), and Bill Campbell (Rosarium) are some such forces changing the canon of what is considered comics. Learn strategies on how you can also take part, on all axes of identity, in this panel moderated by Image Comics’ David Brothers.
Many thanks to Creative New Zealand for assisting with the trip. Hope to see you there!