Working for the WEEKEND!

Busy working on Spidey pages, and lectures for my three classes…but I’ll be taking some time off this weekend for TWO events! On Saturday November 24, from 7pm on there will be an INDUSTRY NIGHT PARTY at 587A College Street West 2nd Floor, in Toronto. Hosted officially by The Comic Book Lounge/Guerilla Printing and informally  by many of the comics-oriented businesses in the area, including my Comic Book Bootcamp, and my studio-mates, Comic Book Embassy. Other “industry friends” hosting are TdotComics/Quintessential Comics, The Joe Shuster Awards, Uys-Faber Publishing, and Lost Heroes (the movie).

“Industry Night” simply means–the comics industry and anything and everything related to it. So if you’re a fan, creator, wannabe creator, retailer–please join us for drinks, conversation, war stories and shmoozing. No one will be checking your Geek Cred at the door–anyone is welcome! It’s a great opportunity to hang out and meet some of Toronto’s comics creators.

Wanda Maximoff by Marco Rudy available as a print

AND!! Just found out–The Comic Book Lounge & Gallery will be launching a month-long gallery show of works by MARCO RUDY! Coming off a run of Swamp Thing, about to start a top-secret supercool project, Marco will be showing off his paintings, comic pages and (I think?) selling prints. Marco’s stuff is unbelievably gorgeous–I’m a huge huge fan. And, just for fun–ask him about some of the techniques he uses to produce his paintings and commissioned pieces! Let’s just say, Joe Kubert would be proud of him.

Swamp Thing #11 by Marco Rudy

The next day, Sunday November 25,  is the one day Toronto ComiCon event, hosted by HobbyStar (FanExpo Canada). A much smaller and more intimate event than FanExpo, this is the perfect event for people who only want the comics side of the convention–it will be comics retailers, comics creators and comics-related businesses. We’ll be there at a table for Comic Book Bootcamp, sharing space with The Comic Book Lounge & Gallery and Guerilla Printing.

The convention will take place at The Royal York Ballroom, at 100 Front Street West, 11-5pm. It’s 8 bucks at the door to get in.

Stop by and say hi, and talk to us about classes, get a sketch or have your books signed.

Ty the Guy!

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY and…

Saturday May 5 is Free Comic Book Day ! It’s like Christmas with less nog!

Christmas is RUINED. If only there was something to read with Batman in it, some time in May...

But just in case FREE COMICS aren’t enough for you ravenous T-Dot funny book fans–it’s also the weekend of The Toronto Comic Arts Festival, where the best of the indy creators gather together and just commit art all over the joint. Bring splash guards for all the flyin’ ink and paint.

You want MORE?  Free Comics and a great comics convention isn’t enough?   How greedy are you guys?  Okay, just to calm down the insatiable maw I sense out there, The Comic Book Lounge & Gallery ( conveniently located at the same address as the Toronto Cartoonists Workshop) will be crawling with lots of great comics creators including Stuart Immonen, Kathryn Immonen, Gibson Quarter, Marco Rudy, Raffaele Ienco, Mike Del Mundo, David J. Cutler, Karly Macdonald and this long eared Ty-Bunny, signing autographs, doin’ sketches, and making FREE COMIC BOOK DAY the magical adventure that it is.

According to the plans I’ve heard, there will be face painting for the kids, a mini artists alley, and obviously–free comics!! And word has it that Toronto Batman might make an appearance.

There, I hope that satisfies you folks for a day of comics fun.   After that exhausting day is over, I’m going to put my feet up on the couch at the Comic Book Lounge…and…

WAIT!  THERE’S MORE?!?!?

After the Free Comic Book Day events are over,  starting at 8pm, I will be sitting talking with my guests about Canadians and the comics industry exploring the idea of “As Canadian as possible under the circumstances.” in a LIVE talk show.

The first person I thought of to be my first guest ever was Mark Askwith. I’ve known Mark for thirty years now? Wow–long enough that I’ve lost track. I met Mark back when he was manager of The Silver Snail comic shop. When Mark created the much-beloved and much-missed Prisoners of Gravity for TVO, I did the art for the opening sequence, and guested on it frequently. These days, Mark is a producer at Space:  The Imagination Station, producing Inner Space. That’s only some of his comics cred–there’s so much more!

And we’ve got Will Pascoe, director of an upcoming documentary about the Golden Age of Canadian comics superheroes. And we’ve got Scott Chantler, the award winning creator of Two Generals and Towers of Treasure! Not enough for you? We’ve also got Ken Lashley–as he says in his bio “[he’s] worked for them all, Lucasfilm, lucas arts, Hasbro, Mattel, Dc comics, Marvel comics, Fox sports..etc..” In the midst of his many projects, he’s doing covers for DC Comics at the moment.

We’re planning for roughly an hour–but if we’re having too good a time, we might go longer. And the audience isn’t allowed to be shy, as we will be taking questions! (But keep your questions relevant to the conversation.  No one gets to bring up our Mayor’s weight problems or the price of gas.).

When On the Couch’s inaugural episode is over, there will be an announcement of the Joe Shuster Award nominations. Then–

–an Industry Night Party to celebrate comics, Canadians, the Shuster Awards and anything else we can think of.  We will make you ACHE with fun.

Come join us for some of, or all of the day–and the night! We’re excited about everything we have planned for Free Comic Book Day and for On the Couch with Ty Templeton. (This will be the  first of hopefully many On the Couch episodes–unless there’s a death in the audience, or an armed rebellion, we’re coming back).

Ty the Guy OUT!!

Here now, your BONUS FREE COMIC BOOK MOMENT:

Isn't this cool? And it didn't cost you a dime.