The Tin Manx #2

Fundraisers for Japan in Toronto

In 2005 I traveled with Craig to Tokyo and Kyoto, through an art grant from the Ontario Arts Council. The photos here are from that awe inspiring trip.
If you are in Toronto this week please come out to support two events to raise funds for Japan. Many local artist friends works will be auctioned.

http://www.torontoheartsjapan.com/

http://ashita11.tumblr.com/

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=153943768000329

The Tin Manx #1

Here is the beginning of weekly Loly posts. How did she spend her time when Xian was in school? Let's find out...

Check out the great TNW review on the blog Word of Mouse Books:
http://www.wordofmousebooks.com/?p=2232

The Never Weres Book Launch Photos

The book launch was a raging success. Thanks to This Is Not A Reading Series' Marc Glassman for hosting and sponsoring the event. The Annick Press crew of Brigitte Waisberg and Joanna Karaplis and the TINARS crew of Charlie Huisken, Anna Withrow, Judy Wolfe, and Jesse Huisken promoted and organized an amazing event! Grateful thanks to all! And thank you to the ever supportive Gladstone Hotel as the venue for the party.
http://www.tinars.ca/
http://www.annickpress.com/

Artists/ Zinesters/Cartoonists Patrick Kyle and Mark Connery narrated Jesse's and Loly's parts during the reading of the first chapter.
http://www.patrickkyle.com/
http://www.perroverlag.com/markconnery.html
Here I am with the super group of my partner The Bon's Craig Daniels, Ain't the Rosedale Library's Charlie Huisken and illustrator/cartoonist Maurice Vellekoop.
http://www.myspace.com/wearethebon
http://www.mauricevellekoop.com/

Me and my best supporter!

Photo taken by supportive pal Erella Ganon. http://www.erella.com/

Friends Tracy and The Bon's guitarist Pete Gleeson join the party.

Roller Derby queen Demolition Dawn Weaver attends the event sans skates.

The party grows.

Walker Ballantyne-Hill and Judy Wolfe welcome the well wishers and work the book table.
http://www.walkerballantyne.com/

Yes, please!!

The insightful interviewer and long time supporter RM Vaughan, esteemed writer and art critic for the Globe and Mail.
http://www.rmvaughan.ca/

The Never Weres extraordinary editor and Annick Press writer David Wichman.
http://www.annickpress.com/authors/wichman.asp?author=560

Andrea Manica narrates the part of Mia, onstage with Patrick and myself.
http://cerealwithasmile.blogspot.com/

Long time pal, drummer and screenwriter/director Tina Cooper reads the part of Xian.
Mark reads Loly.
http://www.cutoffshorts.ca/

Tell us about the process...

Friends and some previous students celebrate at the launch.
http://www.selenawong.com/
http://www.ryandodgson.com/

Thank you!

Graphics Goddess/Publisher Annie Koyama, a great patron to the cartooning/zinester scene in Toronto and beyond!
http://koyamapress.com/

Some enthusiastic younger readers.

David Wichman, I hope we can do this again!

Comics and drawing jammers.

Xian, Mia, and Jesse in colour!!
Thank you to everyone who made it out to the launch! Much love!

The Never Weres Book Launch

The book launch is impending and here are the deets:

Fiona Smyth’s new graphic novel launches with RM Vaughan interview, live performance, and drawings/comic jam.

Readers, writers, and artists celebrate the debut of Fiona Smyth’s first graphic novel for young readers, The Never Weres (Annick Press), as art critic for the Globe and Mail, RM Vaughan joins author and illustrator Fiona Smyth for a conversation about her vivid career. Audience members of all ages are invited to grab Sharpies and doodle a panel for the event’s collective drawings/comics jam and watch as narrators bring a chapter of The Never Weres to life against a changing backdrop of the book’s illustrations.

Sunday, March 13

The Gladstone Hotel Ballroom
1214 Queen Street West

Doors open at 2 pm; Event starts at 2:30 pm

$5 or Free with book purchase

I have been watching, collecting, writing about, and loving Fiona's work for 20 years. “The Never Weres” is the latest installment in a long, beautifully strange career.

– R.M. Vaughan, the Globe and Mail art critic

THE NEVER WERES: Cartoonist Fiona Smyth shares the story about three teens who become humanity’s only hope for survival in this science fiction, fantasy graphic novel.

Late in the next century, the human race is on the verge of extinction. A mysterious virus has resulted in no births in almost a generation. Despite the impending doom, three urban teenagers try to live their lives with hope.

Mia strives to preserve humanity’s compassion through her art and her volunteer work with the “oldies.” Tech-savvy Xian spends her time tinkering with the robots she’s sure will inherit the earth. Jesse, the son of geneticists, is convinced the future lies with cloning, but society is reeling from the grotesque failures of previous attempts. When the friends stumble upon the 60-year-old mystery of a missing girl, it leads them to the world’s only successful clone—and the key to saving our species.

As graphic novels continue to increase in popularity, this story uses the form to its best advantage in depicting a dystopian future as visually detailed as it is emotionally rich. Fiona Smyth’s energetic, hip illustration style will appeal to kids while the gripping narrative will keep them breathless to the very last page.