TORONTO OR BUST

So I'm heading out to Toronto for TCAF next Wednesday... Between now and then I'll have a few hundred copies of the new King-Cat #75 (The All-Maisie Issue!) printed up especially for the show.  When I get back home I'll have the regular, full print run done and start getting copies out to stores and subscribers (expect mid-to-late May).  (If you're a subscriber and would like to pick up your copy at TCAF, just drop by my table in the Wowee Zonk room!)

There are a number of events going on that I'll be participating in as well:

Thursday May 6 at 6:30 PM, join Ethan Rilly and I as we celebrate the releases of Pope Hats #4 (Adhouse Books) and King-Cat #75; at the Central Bar, 603 Markham St.

At TCAF, I'll be participating in two panels:

Saturday May 8, Noon: John Porcellino and Julie Doucet, in Conversation, moderated by Tom Devlin. In the library on the 2nd Floor

Sunday, May 9, 11:15 AM: Truth & Intimacy in Graphic Memoir, with John Porcellino, Dustin Harbin, and Raina Telgemeier; moderated by Johanna Draper Carlson.  Marriott 200.

(Please confirm time and location as they may change!)

Meanwhile, if you would like to order a copy of the new King-Cat (48 digest sized pages, black and white, shipping mid-to-late May), prices are as follows (including postage):

USA: $6.50
CANADA: $7.60 USD
REST OF WORLD: $9.65 USD

Via PayPal to kingcat_paypal AT hotmail DOT com

If you're in the US you can also send cash/check/mo payable to:

"John Porcellino"
PO Box 142
South Beloit, IL 61080

Thank you!
John P.

WORD UP

Just a quick one guys and gals.

If you're in Toronto this weekend for the wonderful TCAF show and want to pick up a copy of the most recent King-Cat (#73) you can do so at the Koyama Press table.  I sadly won't be there.  Also drop by Blank Slate's spot and pick up the new Oliver East book Swear Down.  No one does what Ollie does, and in this age of instant fad bullshit and copycat high fives, that's saying something.

I'm not going to Toronto, but I will be in Downtown Beloit for Artwalk, tonight, May 10 from 5-9 PM and tomorrow Sat. May 11 from 10 AM to 2 PM.  I'll be upstairs at "My Apt.", 429 E. Grand Ave selling (and signing) some comic books to the masses.  Come on down!

Lastly, may I introduce you to the newest member of the family, Mr. Gibson P. Dawg (The "P" is for "Puppy") AKA Da Woofman, Li'l Hustla, Coach Gibs, and Dat Ding Dong Dog from Kalamazoo:

Ain't he cute?

GO BULLS

GO HAWKS

A MONTH OF SUNDAYS AND SATURDAYS

So, anyhow, I spent early-April to early-May on the road here and there, with weekend trips to Chicago, Columbus, Urbana, and Toronto for comix/zine shows.  Here is a cursory record of those events:

First stop was C2E2 in Chicago.  Joe Chips managed to wrangle himself a free table at this superheroey event (he was giving a presentation on Disability in the Comics) and I managed to wrangle a corner of said table from him.  I guess I was too depressed to take any pictures.  'Nuff said.

Next, out to good ol' Columbus Ohio, for good ol' SPACE.  This trip is always a high point of my year, as I really like Columbus.  I get to visit old High School friends (and their pets), and the show itself is low-key but well-attended by enthusiastic readers and artists.

Ginger Vitus, my l'il buddy.

Spit and a Half table, SPACE

JP, Carol Tyler, MariNaomi at SPACE

After Saturday's tabling we all went over to recent Columbus transplant Caitlin McGurk's new pad where Zeek the Cat slept through the festivities.  Everyone agreed that the Midwest is the new Seattle.

I stayed at my friend John J. and Michele's house north of Columbus.  (Artwork by up and coming cartoonist Mia J.)

I managed to spend some time at the Highbanks Metro Park before leaving Ohio.

Hoo Hah, then down to Urbana, Illinois for the second annual Midwest Zine Fest!

Quimby's manager, Liz "Caboose" Mason, talks to the MWZF crowd about zine distribution.

Midwest Zine Fest

Spit and a Half spread, MWZF

In case you've never been here, this is what Illinois looks like.

Had one last show to do: TCAF, in Toronto.  BFF Noah Van Sciver flew out from Denver to Milwaukee's 1950's era airport, and we got to hang out for a few days before Zak showed up from Minneapolis, and we all headed east together towards Toronto.

Zak left Mpls at 3 AM and I took over driving once he got to Beloit.  This is Zak trying to drown out the Jerry Clower blasting over the car stereo.

Yes.

Beauty, eh?

"Wanna buy a possum?"

Big City Lights

Noah on the roof of our hostel looking out over downtown Toronto, Friday night.

So-called "Supermoon" rising over the Bloor Street Metro

The show itself was so busy I didn't have time to take any photos.  As always, TCAF delivered.  It goes to show you how well it's run that this seemingly perfect show manages to get better year after year.  (Photo above courtesy MariNaomi's Facebook page.)

Saturday I participated in a panel discussion with Lizz Lunney and Darryl Cunningham, co-moderated by Simon Moreton and Ian Williams, on "Comics and Mental Illness."  Surrounded by Brits!  I kept getting distracted by worrying that I was gonna break out into a scouse accent.

L-R: Tom Neely (over shoulder), David Collier, JP, Emily Nilsson, Zak Sally, Noah, Pascal Girard.  Photo ripped from Noah's FB page.

The Three Amigos AKA Road Hawgs

Photo by Tom Devlin

Afterwards, people got together at a bar, but as soon as the Kool Jamz™ started I took off with Noah to book-shop at BMV.  I picked up the Agonizing Love collection, Fantastic Four Masterworks Volume Two, and a John Cleary Buddhist anthology that included Timeless Spring, a book I've been looking for for years...

Sunday was simply insane.

That evening I wandered around alone, trying to clear my head.  We ended up waking at 3:30 AM to head back home, jamming out to Van Halen II on our way out of town.

MAY 2011 TOUR DIARY, Part Two: TCAF

Click here for Part One

I woke up Friday and Met Canadian stalwart Dave Lapp at The Beguiling, where we happened to run into the great Julia Wertz and Sarah Glidden.  Dave and I went to brunch and I made plans to meet up with Sarah and Julia later.

The Beguiling -- one of the world's great comics shops.

Dave Lapp and John P.

Chili for breakfast.

Toronto street scenes...

Spadina Avenue.

L-R: John P., Sarah Glidden, Lisa Hanawalt (Photo by Julia Wertz).  You don't want to know what we were talking about!

Afterwards I headed over the the TCAF venue for a roundtable discussion with Chester Brown, Adrian Tomine, Seth, and Chris Ware (Moderated by Picturebox's Dan Nadel).  Wow.

Walking home Friday night.

Spit and a Half table, TCAF Day One.

Tom Devlin sells the shit out of some Chris Ware.

La Mano magnate Zak Sally busts ass on his Blackberry.

La Pasteque table.  Beautiful!

Mademoiselles Sarah Glidden and Julia Wertz.

Edie Fake at the Secret Acres table.

Super-Canadian Dave Lapp.

Tugboat Press' Greg Means.

"I love Canada THIS much!"

Saturday crowd, as seen from the staircase.

Hellen Jo and Calvin Wong at the Koyama Press mega-table.

Dinner at Fresh Saturday evening.  Clockwise from top left: Sparkplug's Dylan Williams, Tom Neely, John P., Zak Sally.

Sunday I was tailed for Austrian TV.

Mr. Chester Brown.

Mon ami Pascal Girard with his Doug Wright Award.

The inimitable Annie Koyama.

Out on the street for a living:  Lisa Hanawalt, Tom Neely, Tom Kaczynski, John P., Dylan Williams; Sunday evening.

Big Party at Miller's: JP, Mister Shyler, Tom Neely; AKA "Baguette Basement."

We only ordered soft drinks, and the staff figured out we were Yankees, so they blasted us with a projected Stanley Cup playoff game.

Zak "Mr. Smooth" Sally, and assorted non-alcoholic beverages.

"Doesn't anyone speak American around here?!?"

* * *

NEXT: Kingston and Montreal

Some images courtesy Sarah Glidden, Dave Lapp, Tom Neely, and Julia Wertz.

Thanks guys!