MAY 2011 TOUR DIARY, Pt. Three: Kingston/Montréal (1)

Part One

Part Two

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So the day after TCAF we hit the road for Kingston, Ontario -- Incarceration Capital of Canada -- for a signing on the way to Montréal.

View of Lake Ontario from the Kingston hotel room.

Shop window at Four Colour Eight Bit.

The Competition.

After the signing we all went out for drinks, and the natives wandered across the street for poutine, the national food of Canada.  Afterwards I told the group how proud I was that I had gone 4 or 5 days without making fun of the way they talked, and they said "Same here."  Then Maakye made me say the word "Pop," and punched me in the shoulder.

Lovely downtown Kingston, Ontario.

The next day (ahem) we braved crazy Montréal traffic and paradoxical traffic signs to make it to the signing with moments to spare.  Here is the Librairie D+Q window lighting up the beautiful night.

Mr. Cherry-Mouth Owlhead signs books for the throngs of fans.

(Photo by D+Q)

John P., Jason Gilmore, and Alex Jansen.

Librairie D+Q in the morning.

Montréal front yard.

"We like both kinds of music--  Country AND Western!"

Even the sidewalks are tasteful.

Hot Cars.

I can't stop taking pictures of Montréal houses.

Totally looks like the Chicago suburbs.

Jo Jo.

Québec Liberation Front poster.

Trés Americain!

Jo Jo again.

Grissou.

Kuan Yin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, Montréal stylee.

Even the abandoned lots are interesting.

Thursday night I wandered over to the great bookshop Le Port De Tête, where the French cartoonist Marine Blandin was signing copies of her new Delcourt book Fables Nautiques.

When the legendary BD shop Fichtré closed down a few years back, Le Port du Tête bought their stock and expanded into the space next door.  What a selection!  I bought four volumes of Laurent Lolmède's Moins X avant 2000, and had to restrain myself from spending like $200 more.

Mlle. Blandin signing her books (in the European tradition, with a detailed watercolor and ink sketch!)

Diehard Québécois cartoonist and publisher Jimmy Beaulieu.

Original pages from Fables Nautiques.

Walking back to Julie's that night I couldn't help but notice how at home I feel in this city.  It's something I can't explain.  If sometime you get a copy of King-Cat mailed to you with a Montréal return address, don't be surprised!

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NEXT TIME:  Montréal Part Two