TCAF 2012 KICK-OFF EVENT! Jeff Smith, Gabriel Ba, and Fabio Moon in conversation with Mark Askwith (SPACE)!
Noir and the Fantastic in Comics and Graphic Novels

Friday, May 4th, @ 7:00pm
@ Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge St.
in The Bram and Bluma Appel Salon 
Free to attend, registration required. 

One of the biggest names in the comics industry with over 10 million copies of his landmark fantasy series Bone now in print, Jeff Smith has entered the pantheon of great cartoonists, and his work will be known and loved for years to come. But Bone, while enormously popular with children, was never intended as a series exclusively for them, and the dark world of the series has found many adult fans. Now, with Smith's new project, RASL, he moves in an even more mature dimension, tackling the themes of classic noir and speculative fiction to tell a story that is dark, sinister, and surprising.

Joining Jeff Smith on stage will be two of the most talked-about young creators in the industry, Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba. Hailing from Brazil these twin brothers have been longtime fans of Smith and originally met him more than 15 years ago! They've grown up with Smith's work, and are now producing remarkable works that touch on the fantastic, on noir, and even on sinister subjects themselves. Ba & Moon's collaborative works De: Tales, Pixu, Casanova, and Daytripper have drawn great praise and numerous awards from the comics industry, and their individual works teaming with the likes of Joss Whedon (Buffy, FIrefly), Gerard Way (My Chemical Romance, Umbrella Academy), Matt Fraction (Casanova, Iron Man) and Mike Mignola (Hellboy, BPRD), have cemented their reputations as some of this generation of cartoonists' premiere storytellers.

Please join us in welcoming creators Jeff Smith, Gabriel Ba, and Fabio Moon to the kick-off event for The Toronto Comic Arts Festival 2012. The trio will be interviewed on stage by legendary television producer, comics expert, and interviewer Mark Askwith (SPACE) on the transitions and intersections between their work, how the fantastic is regarded in the comics medium, and the attraction of noir to contemporary comics writers.

This event will include a moderated Q&A. Following the program, the three creators will be available to sign work*.

Admission will be limited to tickets 'purchased' through EventBrite. Ticketed admission is only guaranteed to 6:55pm. After 6:55pm admission will only be by "rush line" at the door.