Monthly Archives: November 2010

November 17th, 2010 Releases featuring Canadian Creators

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Spider-Girl #1 Variant Cover by Mike Del Mundo

If I have missed any works by Canadian Comic Book Creators, please leave a comment, or send me an email at jason@joeshusterawards.com

Agents Of Atlas Versus X-Men & Avengers Trade Paperback
Marvel US$19.99
Artwork by Takeshi Miyazawa and Leonard Kirk.

Artifacts #3
Image/Top Cow US$3.99
Cover by Kalman Andrasofszky.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

Batman Incorporated #1
DC US$3.99
Artwork and Cover by Yanick Paquette. Inks by Michel Lacombe. Colours by Nathan Fairbairn.

Batman Incorporated #1 Cover by Yanick Paquette, Michel Lacombe and Nathan Fairbairn

Batman: The Brave And The Bold: Fearsome Fang Strikes Again Trade Paperback
DC US$12.99
Written by J. Torres.

Batman: The Return #1
DC US$4.99
Artwork and Cover by David Finch.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

Brightest Day #14
DC US$2.99
Cover by David Finch.

Brightest Day #14 Cover by David Finch

Chaos War: Chaos King #1
Marvel US$3.99
Colours by Jim Charalampidis.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

Chaos War: Dead Avengers #1
Marvel US$3.99
Artwork and Cover by Tom Grummett.
Preview at Newsarama

Cowboy Ninja Viking #10
Image US$3.99
Artwork, Colours and Cover by Riley Rossmo.
Preview at Comic Book Resources.

Cowboy Ninja Viking #10 Cover by Riley Rossmo

Elephantmen #28
Image US$3.50
Cover by Steve Skroce.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

Fantastic Four By Jonathan Hickman Vol. 2 Trade Paperback
Marvel US$15.99
Artwork by Dale Eaglesham.

The Flash #6
DC US$2.99
Artwork and Cover by Francis Manapul.

The Flash #6 Cover by Francis Manapul

Ghost Projekt #5
Oni Press US$3.99
Artwork and Cover by Steve Rolston.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

G.I. Joe: Cobra Vol. 2 Trade Paperback
IDW US$19.99
Colours by Lovern Kindzierski.

Green Hornet: Blood Ties #2
Dynamite Entertainment US$3.99
Artwork and Cover by Johnny Desjardins.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

Green Hornet: Blood Ties #2 Cover by Johnny Desjardins

Hack/Slash: Trailers Part 2
Image US$6.99
Written by J. Torres.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

Haunt #11
Image US$2.99
Inks by Todd McFarlane.
Preview at Newsarama

Kill Shakespeare #7
IDW US$3.99
Written by Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col. Artwork by Andy Belanger. Colours by Ian Herring. Cover by Kagan McLeod.

Kill Shakespeare #7 Cover by Kagan McLeod

Mirror, Mirror Trade Paperback
Kickstart Comics US$14.99
Cover by Darwyn Cooke.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

Mouse Guard: Legends Of The Guard #4
Archaia Studios Press US$3.50
Written, Artwork and Colours by Karl Kerschl.

Mouse Guard: Legends Of The Guard Hardcover
Archaia Studios Press US$19.95
Written, Artwork and Colours by Karl Kerschl.

Artifacts #3 Cover by Kalman Andrasofszky

Northlanders #34
DC/Vertigo US$2.99
Colours by Dave McCaig.

Realm Of Kings Trade Paperback
Marvel US$34.99
Inks by Terry Pallot. Colours by Nathan Fairbairn.

Scott Pilgrim’s: Precious Little Box Set
Oni Press US$72.00
Written, Artwork and Cover by Bryan Lee O’Malley.

Chaos War: Dead Avengers #1 Cover by Tom Grummett

The Secret History Book 12
Archaia Studios Press
Artwork by Igor Kordey. Colours by Chris Chuckry.

Shockrockets Hardcover
IDW US$24.99
Artwork by Stuart Immonen.

Mirror, Mirror Cover by Darwyn Cooke

Siege: X-Men Trade Paperback
Marvel US$15.99
Artwork and Colours by Niko Henrichon.

Spider-Girl #1
Marvel US$3.99
Variant Cover by Mike Del Mundo.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

Elephantmen #28 Cover by Steve Skroce

Star Wars: Dark Times Vol. 4: Blue Harvest Trade Paperback
Dark Horse US$17.99
Artwork and Cover by Doug Wheatley. Colours by Dave McCaig and Chris Chuckry.

Supergirl #58
DC US$2.99
Colours by Blond.
Preview at Newsarama

Ghost Projekt #5 Cover by Steve Rolston

Superman #705
DC US$2.99
Variant Cover by Yanick Paquette. Variant Cover Inks by Michel Lacombe. Variant Cover Colours by Nathan Fairbairn.

Superman: The Last Stand Of New Krypton Vol. 1 Hardcover
DC US$24.99
Colours by Blond.

Superman #705 Variant Cover by Yanick Paquette, Michel Lacombe and Nathan Fairbairn

Warlord Of Mars #2
Dynamite Entertainment US$3.99
Artwork by Stephen Sadowski.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

X-Factor #211
Marvel US$2.99
Inks by Pat Davidson.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

Batman: The Return #1 Cover by David Finch

Dale Eaglesham takes on the Incredible Hulk in February

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That's not Dale in the loincloth --- it's Ka-Zar!

Marvel has announced that Dale Eaglesham will be taking over the artistic reins on The Incredible Hulk for a 3-issue story arc that starts in issue #623, which will be out in February 2011.

Marvel’s press release:

Marvel is pleased to announce that superstar artist Dale Eaglesham (Fantastic Four) joins New York Times bestselling author Greg Pak on Incredible Hulk this February! The new team launches headfirst into “Planet Savage” – a new three-part story arc starting with Incredible Hulk #623. Witness the Green Goliath cut a swath of destruction through the Savage Land with guest-stars Ka-Zar, Red She-Hulk, Skaar and Korg in tow. But is the world’s wildest terrain the perfect place for a newly remerged enemy to snuff out the Hulk clan for good?

Prepare for more gamma-infused mayhem than ever before!

“I’m having the most fun I’ve had in years right now. I feel like a kid in a candy store – Hulk, KaZar, the Savage Land? It doesn’t get any better than that for me,” says Eaglesham. “A Hulk book means that I get to unabashedly draw musculature, which everyone knows I love. And I get to work with Greg, who is such a good guy, a real team player, and seems as excited about this as I am. These are fun times!”

Mark Paniccia, Marvel Senior Editor, added “I’m really psyched the timing worked out so Dale could draw this Savage Land arc. His stuff has a cool blend of elegance and Kirby-style kinetics. And the detail is absolutely stunning!”

Greg Pak and Dale Eaglesham’s mean, green “Planet Savage” starts in February. Don’t miss it!

INCREDIBLE HULK #623
Written by GREG PAK
Pencils and Cover by DALE EAGLESHAM
Rated A…$2.99
ON SALE THIS FEBRUARY”

Happenings: Expozine, Montreal QC Nov. 13-14

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Expozine, Montreal’s annual small press, comic and zine fair, will take place on Saturday, November 13 and Sunday, November 14, 2010, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 5035 St-Dominique (Église Saint-Enfant Jésus, Laurier Métro). Free admission.

Expozine OPENING PARTY, Friday, November 12, 8:30 p.m., Sala Rossa, 4848 St. Laurent, $5 FEATURING: Tony Ezzy and Super Fossil Power; readings by Sherwin Tjia and Mathieu Arsenault, and more!

This incredible event brings together nearly 300 creators of all kinds of publications– from books to zines to graphic novels – in both English and French. In the past nine years, Expozine has become one of North America’s largest small press fairs, attracting thousands of visitors as well as exhibitors from across North America and even Europe!

Continue reading →

Remembrance Day – Two Generals

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Two Generals — Scott Chantler’s excellent graphic novel translation of his grandfather’s war journal (published by McClelland & Stewart), is definitely one of the better books to come out this year by a Canadian cartoonist, and now that it is widely available in bookstores and comic book specialty stores, today would be a perfect day to reflect on the the book and it’s topic – remembering the Canadian veterans that fought in the first Two World Wars. Two Generals is a WW2 book – looking at the actions of Scott’s grandfather and infantry leading up to and following the allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944. It is not a political book, but a translation of one man’s personal experiences.

Canada at War: Remembrance Day, by the books is the Toronto Star’s selection of Remembrance Day reading picks – and there’s a positive review of the book, which the Star selects as their top pick:

We were a wee bit apprehensive about what Guelph’s Scott Chantler would do with his attempt to present World War II and his own family history through a graphic treatment. A comic book as a lens for such a sombre, sensitive subject? As evidenced by his previous Northwest Passage, a serious multi-volume history set in colonial Canada, we should have known better. Chantler’s Two Generals (McClelland & Stewart, 144 pages, $27.99) is our top pick this Remembrance Day, not for its novel mix of format and subject but for its stunning success in bringing home the real foot soldier’s experience of those awful days.

(To read the full review follow the link above)

Additionally, The Beguiling’s Chris Butcher submitted a generally positive special review of the book to the National Post which ran last Friday.

Finally, the website iFanboy gives a very positive review of the book.

Upcoming appearances by Chantler have been posted earlier on this website — he’ll be at Guelph’s the Dragon this Saturday, November 13 for a signing and a children’s art class, and he’ll be at the upcoming Toronto ComiCON at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on Sunday, November 21.

Happenings: Toronto ComiCON Sunday, November 21, 2010

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Toronto ComiCON
When: Sunday, November 21 · 11:00am – 5:00pm
Location: METRO TORONTO CONVENTION CENTER – NORTH BUILDING
255 Front St West, Toronto, ON
Admission $6 / FREE for Fan Expo Canada VIPs & Kids 8 and Under

A popular one-day show for Toronto comic book fans and collectors, the Toronto ComiCON returns on Sunday, November 21st.

SPECIAL GUESTS:
- Jamal Igle, Artist – Supergirl (DC)
- Francis Manapul, Artist – The Flash (DC)
- Alvin Lee, Artist – Birds of Prey (DC)
- Marcus To, Artist – Red Robin (DC), Soulfire (Aspen MLT)
- Agnes Garbowska, Artist – Girl Comics (Marvel)
- Jim Zubkavich, Writer – SkullKickers (Image)
- Scott Chantler, Cartoonist – Two Generals (McClelland & Stewart), Tower of Treasure (Kids Can Press)
- Richard Zajac, Inker, Soulfire (Aspen MLT)
- Ken Steacy
Plus: meet the creative team behind KILL SHAKESPEARE:
- Anthony Del Col & Conor McCreery, Writers
- Andy Belanger, Artist
- Kagan McLeod, Cover Artist

Happenings: Scott Chantler @ The Dragon – Saturday, Nov. 13th, 2010

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From The Dragon, sponsor of the Comics For Kids award:

The Dragon takes pride in our comic and graphic novel selection for all ages and to help support the young reader community we are hosting regular Comics for Kids Day events!

Saturday, November 13th is Scott Chantler Day at The Dragon.

First up: the book launch of Two Generals. Scott will be in store from 12pm – 1pm to chat about and sign copies of his newest release. There will likely be a podcast recording. Check out the research-related content over at the book’s own site, Two-Generals.com.

Then, from 1pm – 3pm, Scott will host a Drawing for Kids Workshop in support of Tower of Treasure, a wonderfully fun all ages book from Kids Can Press. This workshop is FREE with all supplies and a snack supplied by the Dragon, but participation is limited to 10 CHILDREN so be sure to sign up soon!

If you are interested in this event, contact The Dragon by email or call 519-763-5544.

Essex County makes it into the Canada Reads Top 10

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Canadians were asked to vote for the books you most wanted to see on Canada Reads — the Essential Top 10 Canadian Novels of the Decade. Jeff Lemire’s Essex County Trilogy was selected as one of a small handful of graphic novels in the top 40, and has made the cut to be included in the Top 10.

Here are the ten —

Canada Reads Top 10

The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis

The Birth House by Ami McKay

The Bone Cage by Angie Abdou

The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill

Bottle Rocket Hearts by Zoe Whittall

Essex County by Jeff Lemire

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Pattern Recognition by William Gibson

Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden

Unless by Carol Shields

Five of these titles will be selected by five celebrity panelists to defend during the Canada Reads debates in February. The books and panelists will be revealed on Wednesday, November 24!

There’s a contest — Correctly guess the final five titles and you could win a chance to see the final round of debates and meet Jian Ghomeshi and the panelists! To enter, all you have to do is send in your prediction for the final five using this form. As with every contest, there are rules and regulations, so be sure to read those here! The deadline for the contest is Sunday, November 21, at midnight ET. Jian will randomly draw a name from all the correct entries on November 24. Good luck!

So, what do you think of your Top 10? Any surprises? Who do you think will move on to the final five? Share your thoughts onFacebook, Twitter or in the comments below!

Happenings: All Ages History of Comics

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HISTORY OF COMICS PRESENTATION
Thursday, November 11, 2010 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
They’ve been vilified as a waste of paper and condemned as corrupting the young. Educators and parents have been cursing their existence for generations. Yet the comics/graphic novels medium is alive, thriving, and has become such a mainstay in popular culture that it’s seriously studied at colleges and universities. So what was all the fuss about? How have comics been viewed by society, what is their role, and how much do comics reflect their times? On Thursday, November 11th, 2010  @ 7pm come see this lively presentation by 2008 Joe Shuster Award Winner Walter Durajlija, proprietor of Big B Comics, and Chris Owen, Sequential Art History Instructor at Mohawk College.

http://www.myhamilton.ca/events/history-comics

Audience -Adults, Parents, Teens

Cost - FREE

Location - Terryberry Branch – Hamilton Public Library, 100 Mohawk Road
West,Hamilton, Ontario

Contact – 905-546-3921 Terryberry Library

Reminder: Level Up and bring Scott Pilgrim vs. the World home today

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Today sees the release of SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD on DVD and Blu-Ray. I’m heading over to get my copy of the Blu-Ray (which includes a dvd copy AND a digital copy I can download onto my iPod and laptop) later this afternoon. Blu-Ray should cost about $30 not including taxes.

Last Friday night I went down to the Bloor Cinema for the free fan screening of the film, followed by a Q&A with director Edgar Wright, Bryan Lee O’Malley and others. The lines of people attempting to get in were astounding – there’s certainly huge support for the movie in Toronto (where it is set — the rest of Canada, please don’t hold that against the film!). Thanks to the Beguiling for hooking Debbie, Jason and I up with passes.

It was amazing how well the film plays with an eager audience, and Wright’s suggestion that we cheer whenever Canadian money appears on screen was perfect – as looneys and twoonies appear during a lot of the movie’s key dramatic moments. Quite a few people were saying it reminded them of what public showings of the cult film the Rocky Horror Picture Show are like, with audience participation – people yelling at the screen, dressing up as their favourite characters and what not. Hopefully the Bloor and other indie theatres will consider booking and promoting further public screenings.

Yes, the movie was a big disappointment at the box office, despite the overwhelmingly positive reviews. It’s just too hard to categorize just what Scott Pilgrim is other than it is a fun film by a visionary director based on a great series of graphic novels. I have no doubts about the success this film will see on home video, as it’s already a cult classic. The movie inspired a tremendous boost to the graphic novel series, which is being repackaged as a boxed set this week in bookshops and comic stores. With over a million copies in print, SP the graphic novel series had a huge impact on graphic novel sales this year and is inspiring an entire generation of young cartoonists.

Listening to them talk and watching the making of documentary (which is on the dvd/br) O’Malley’s involvement in the movie was a lot more than we expected, as he and Wright explained the collaborative interaction they and the rest of the movie production team had during the entire pre-through-post production process. His involvement definitely makes me feel a lot better about being able to hype the film here on the JSA site.

Scott Pilgrim Vol. 6: Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour is eligible for consideration in the Cartoonist category for the 2011 Joe Shuster Awards, which will be presented in Calgary, AB on Saturday, June 18th. We’ll see if SP6 earns O’Malley his 6th nomination. He won the category in 2006 for Volume 2.

Von Allen’s Stargazer Volume 1

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Stargazer is in the November Previews with an order code of NOV101057.  ISBN of 978-0-9781237-2-7, suggested retail price is $14.95 US/$15.95 CDN. 122 pages.  Black & White. There’s also a dedicated website for the book at http://stargazer.vonallan.com

“Stargazer Volume One is a black-and-white graphic novel following three girls stranded on a faraway alien world. Young Marni has recently lost her grandmother, with whom she was very close. Her grandmother had also bequeathed a mysterious “Artifact” upon her – and it is this object that transports Marni and her friends, Sophie and Elora, far away from any home they have ever known. The three girls must pool their courage and resources to learn more about this unreal new world, and the strange things within it – a robot, a faraway tower, and an unknown monster hidden in shadows. Stargazer is a story of wonder, exploration, determination, and inward as well as outward challenge, and is highly recommended for readers of all ages.”  (http://www.midwestbookreview.com/ibw/jul_10.htm#Comix/GraphicNovel)

November 10th, 2010 Releases featuring Canadian Creators

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Assassin's Creed: The Fall #1 Cover by Karl Kerschl and Cameron Stewart

If I have missed any works by Canadian Comic Book Creators, please leave a comment, or send me an email at jason@joeshusterawards.com

American Vampire #8
DC/Vertigo US$3.99
Colours by Dave McCaig.

Assassin’s Creed: The Fall #1
DC/Wildstorm US$3.99
Written, Artwork and Cover by Karl Kerschl and Cameron Stewart. Colours by Nadine Thomas.

Atomic Robo And The Deadly Art Of Science #1.
Red 5 Comics US$3.50
Colours by Ronda Pattison.

Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes #1
Marvel US$3.99
Colours by Jean-Francois Beaulieu.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

Birds of Prey #6 Cover by Alina Urusov

Birds Of Prey #6
DC US$2.99
Artwork by Alvin Lee. Cover by Alina Urusov.

Comic Book Guy: The Comic Book: The Collector’s Edition #5
Bongo Comics US$2.99
Written by Ian Boothby.

DC Comics Presents: Brightest Day #2
DC US$7.99
Artwork by Dale Eaglesham.

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #1 Variant Cover by Darwyn Cooke

Dungeons & Dragons #1
IDW US$3.99
Written by John Rogers.

G.I. Joe: Hearts And Minds Trade Paperback
IDW US$24.99
Colours by Lovern Kindzierski.

Glamourpuss #16
Aardvark-Vanaheim US$3.00
Written, Artwork and Cover by Dave Sim.

Knight & Squire #2 Cover by Yanick Paquette, Michel Lacombe and Nathan Fairbairn

Knight & Squire #2
DC US$2.99
Cover by Yanick Paquette. Cover Inks by Michel Lacombe. Cover Colours by Nathan Fairbairn.

New Avengers #6
Marvel US$3.99
Artwork and Cover by Stuart Immonen.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

North 40 Trade Paperback
DC/Wildstorm US$17.99
Artwork, Colours and Cover by Fiona Staples.

New Avengers #6 Cover by Stuart Immonen

R.E.B.E.L.S. #22
DC US$2.99
Artwork by Claude St. Aubin.

Red Robin #17
DC US$2.99
Artwork and Cover by Marcus To.

Skullkickers #2 (2nd Printing)
Image US$2.99
Written by Jim Zubkavich.

Red Robin #17 Cover by Marcus To

Spawn Origins Collection Vol. 8 Trade Paperback
Image US$14.99
Written and Artwork by Todd McFarlane.

Star Wars: The Old Republic #5
Dark Horse US$2.99
Artwork by Dave Ross.
Preview at Dark Horse Comics

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #1
DC US$3.99
Variant Cover by Darwyn Cooke.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

Glamourpuss #16 Cover by Dave Sim

Ultimatum Hardcover
Marvel US$34.99
Artwork by David Finch.

The Unwritten #19
DC/Vertigo US$2.99
Colours by Chris Chuckry.

X-Men Forever 2 #11
Marvel US$3.99
Cover by Tom Grummett.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

X-Men Forever 2 #11 Cover by Tom Grummett

Diamond best sellers by Canadians – October 2010

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Diamond has released a bunch of information for the October 2010 product sales and market shares. The information is not specific on the units sold to the direct market, but based on the lists, here’s how graphic novels primarily by Canadian artists, writers and cartoonists performed in October’s top 100 among all of the Walking Dead trade paperbacks and hardcovers:

GRAPHIC NOVELS

Richard Stark's Parker: The Outfit Cover by Darwyn Cooke

#3 for units sold / #2 for dollars earned – Richard Stark’s Parker – The Outfit by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)

#17 for units sold / #10 for dollars earned – Y the Last Man Deluxe Volume 4 featuring art by Pia Guerra (DC/Vertigo)

#46 for units sold / #59 for dollars earned – The Saga of Rex by Michel Gagne (Image Comics)

#56 for units sold / #89 for dollars earned – Jonah Hex: Counting Corpses featuring art and cover by Darwyn Cooke (DC)

#94 for units sold / #124 for dollars earned – Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life aka Scott Pilgrim Vol. 1 by Bryan Lee O’Malley (Oni Press)

#96 for units sold / #58 for dollars earned – Palooka-Ville 20 by Seth (Drawn & Quarterly)

Some Geographical Perspective for Americans on Canadian Locations

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Most of Canada's 34+ Million population clusters in cities close to the US/Canada border like Vancouver, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City and Halifax. 21 Million people live in Central Canada (Ontario and Quebec). 10 Million people live in the Western Provinces and the other 3 million in the Maritime Provinces. Under 100,000 people live in the northern territories.

As Canadians know, Canada is a massive country, not just east-west, but also north-south. To our American friends, you need to think of a provice as you would a state. For your sake, I’m using miles below instead of kilometres. 1 mile = 1.609344 kilometers.

Central Canada (sometimes the Central provinces) is a region consisting of Canada’s two largest and most populous provinces: Ontario and Quebec. Due to their high populations, Ontario and Quebec have traditionally held a significant amount of political power in Canada, leading to some amount of resentment from other regions of the country. Before Confederation, the term ‘Canada’ specifically referred to Central Canada. Today, the term “Central Canada” is less often used than the names of the individual provinces. Despite its name, Central Canada is only called central due to it being the centre of political power in Canada. It is located entirely in the eastern half of the country, with Quebec extending further east than every province, except for Newfoundland and Labrador.

Longitudinally, the middle of Canada is a meridian passing just east of Winnipeg, Manitoba – hence the argument for using the name Central Canada to refer to the Winnipeg show — it is the city closest to the longitudinal middle of the country; however the geographic centre (latitudinal and longitudinal) of Canada is located further north and is near Arviat, Nunavut.

Anyway, Ontario and Quebec are called Central Canada because the provinces on either side of it are often grouped together as distinct regions historically and politically – effectively dividing Canada into 3 distinct regions: the Western Provinces (British Columbia gets lumped in with the three Prairie Provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta) to the West (natch), Ontario/Quebec aka Central Canada (as they are in between) and the Maritime (or Atlantic) Provinces to the east.

A quick, cursory overview of English language comic events in Central Canada (Ontario/Quebec) — Ontario has lots of comic book events, including: the Beguiling’s Toronto Comic Arts Festival, Wizard’s Toronto Comic-Con, and then there’s Fan Expo Canada (also in Toronto), which also puts on the smaller Toronto ComiCON events. Ottawa has the Ottawa Comic & Card shows. Quebec has many french language comics festivals in Gatineau, Quebec City and Montreal. As far as english language comics events go, Montreal has the Montreal Comic Con and some smaller minicons.  To give you a sense of how close Montreal and Toronto are, it would take you about 6 hours to drive from one to the other – about 340 miles.

Manitoba is the next province west of Ontario. Winnipeg, MB is the home of the C4 Central Canada Comic-Con that Wizard just acquired for 2011. If I wanted to drive from Toronto to Winnipeg it would take me about 24 hours to do it, almost 1400 miles to drive. The closest competing convention to the Central Canada Comic-Con is the Minnesota FallCon in Minneapolis-St.Paul (8 hours driving, over 450 miles), which takes place in mid-October.

West of Manitoba it’s Saskatchewan, which really has absolutely no comic-cons at this time.

West of Saskatechewan it’s Alberta – whose biggest cities are Edmonton and Calgary. Calgary is home to the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo and the Red & White Calgary Comic & Toy Expo.  I wouldn’t say that the Winnipeg Central Canada Comic-Con and the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo are in much competition any more than any other shows in different regions are. It would take you 13 hours to drive to Calgary from Winnipeg as they are over 800 miles apart. New York and Chicago are about 13 hours driving apart – almost 800 miles. It would take someone in Toronto over 35 hours of non-stop driving to go the over 2100 miles to Calgary.

Generally this is why most Canadian dealers in Central Canada (Ontario/Quebec) don’t do Western conventions and vice-versa. For the rare ones that do, they generally ship their books instead of driving them.

Finally, west of Alberta, over the Rocky mountains, is British Columbia, whose biggest city Vancouver has only some smaller one day shows at this time – the Vancouver Comicon. Vancouver and Calgary are almost 12 hours driving apart – a little over 600 miles. Vancouver really is the unplucked gem in the Canadian convention scene – with a burgeoning creative scene, a film and television industry that includes many genre-related programs and movies being filmed there, and a geographical proximity to Seattle, WA it’s no wonder that I keep hearing rumours of different groups and companies thinking of setting up a convention there.

It’s official: Wizard has obtained the C4 Central Canada Comic-Con

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Well, we ran the rumour last Friday night  (scooping Rich Johnston by a whole 6 days), so here’s the official press release confirming that yes, it is true — the owners of The Central Canada Comic-Con have given up and given their show over to Wizard Entertainment.

The 2010 event just happened last weekend with ~10,000+ attendees over the 3 days.

Wizard World Acquires Central Canada Comic Con (C4)!

Popular Event Will Continue In Winnipeg In 2011!

Wizard World Acquires Central Canada Comic Con (C4)!Gareb Shamus, CEO of Wizard Entertainment, today announced the acquisition of the Central Canada Comic Con, of which the 2010 event was held this past weekend at the Winnipeg Convention Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The date for the 2011 Wizard World Central Canada Comic, now part of the world’s largest pop culture convention series, has not yet been announced.

“We have seen this hugely successful event and are proud to add Central Canada Comic Con as our second Canadian show,” said Shamus. “We look to continue its run of great events and celebrating pop-culture across Canada.”

“I am excited to be partnered with Wizard World as they will help bring the C4 Event to the next level for the fans,” said Damien Paille, President of Cencon Inc. and Show Manager of Central Canada Comic Con. “They will benefit the community exponentially.”

Central Canada Comic Con is the second largest convention of its genre in Canada. The show grew out of the Manitoba Collector’s Expo, with everything from sports cards to antiques to toys and comic books. In 2000 it became the Manitoba Toy & Comic Expo, dropping the antiques and reducing the sports cards.

In 2006, the show’s attendance exploded as the Manitoba Comic Con, and brought in attendees from all over Manitoba and North Dakota. The show focused on toys, comic books, gaming, anime, and local artists. In 2007, it added media guests from the world of Star Wars, Superman, Star Trek and more. Finally, in 2008, it moved to its current home at the Winnipeg Convention Centre. Wizard World will continue all the customs and traditions that have made this show successful, while adding many of the elements that Wizard World fans have come to expect at our pop-culture festivals across North America!

Join tens of thousands of fellow fans as they converge at the Winnipeg Convention Centre at Central Canada Comic Con to celebrate the best in pop culture. Wizard World Comic Cons bring it all – Movies, Comics, Toys, Video Gaming, Games, TV, Horror, Wrestling, MMA, Original Art, Collectibles, Anime, Manga, & More! Brought to you by the group who produces the most widely attended Comic Con tour!

Happenings: Montreal Super-Mega Charity Comic Convention, November 13-14, 2010

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I learned recently that a new convention would be debuting in Montreal, QC this month. It’s called the MONTREAL SUPER-MEGA CHARITY COMIC CONVENTION and it takes place on November 13-14. It seems to have come together very quickly, as the show was just announced in early October.

According to their website, the goal of the Montreal Super-Mega Charity Comic Con is to help others less fortunate: 50% of all admission ticket sales will be donated to the Pediatric Oncology Unit of the Montreal Children’s Hospital.

I also received an email from show director Dr. Gerry Ross. I know Gerry mainly as a comics dealer who has been around for some time, who owns the Montreal store 1,000,000 Comix and has exhibited at various shows in New York, Toronto and Montreal.

The website was a little difficult to figure out at first, as the tabs for GUESTS, EXHIBITORS, ABOUT US, etc. don’t work, but everything is listed on the home page that you need to know about the event itself.

When: November 13-14, 2010

Where: Holiday Inn, Pointe-Claire Montreal Airport. 6700 Trans-Canada Highway, Pointe-Claire, QC. Free Parking.

Hours: 11AM-7PM on Saturday and 11AM to 5PM on Sunday. VIPs get in an hour early.

Admission is $9.99 per day, $18.99 for a 2 day pass. Everybody gets a free comic worth anywhere from $0 to $500 (randomly selected).

There’s also a VIP rate of $14.99 per day, $27.99 for the weekend. VIPS get in early, and receive a signed, limited poster by Richard Comely, and a vintage Starspawn (?) portfolio or something equivalent to it if supplies run out.

Kids 8 and under are free admission.

Guest of Honour is Richard Comely, creator of Captain Canuck.

Celebrity Guests:
Actress Rebecca Staab (Invisible Woman – unreleased “Fantastic Four” movie)
Actress Sofia Shinas (“The Crow”)
Actress Brenda Bakke (“Star Trek: The Next Generation”)
Actress Jennifer Korbin (Cinemax After Dark’s “Lingerie”)
Actress Denise Cobar (Cinemax After Dark’s “Lingerie”)

Comic Guests:
Geof Isherwood
Attila Adorjany
Darren Emond
Richard Serrao
John Hebert
Sanya Anwaar

Dealers
1,000,000 COMIX INC (Montreal)
WES HAGEN (Kitchener-Waterloo)
JONATHAN MARSH COLLECTIBLES (Montreal)
GUY LEGER (Kingston)
COMIC DETECTIVE (Ottawa)
ADAMO MASTANDREA (Montreal)
JACK CONTREL (Montreal)
BACK ISSUE COMICS (Ontario)
ANIME EXPLOSION (Ontario)
K2 CONSULTING GROUP – KRIS Kycia (card game inventor Fantasy: Adventure Quest Cards)
GALLERY Synesthesia (Montreal art school and gallery)
CHOZEN STUDIOS (Newmarket, Ontario, Comic Books and Children’s books)

Items of Note:

Yanick Paquette has donated a Wonder Woman illustration which will be auctioned off at the show.

There will be a showing of the unreleased “Fantastic Four” movie from 1994 by Roger Corman – movie actress Rebecca Staab (The Invisible Woman) will be there to take questions.

Galerie Synesthésie, a Montréal art school offering drawing, painting, and comic book making classes is presenting. Storytelling through Comics, by legendary artist Geof Isherwood. Isherwood teaches all aspects of comic book storytelling, including the character development, dramatic story structure, snappy dialogue, easy-to-follow sequential artwork, eye-catching inking, clean lettering, and enhancing mood through colour.

There will be prizes for best male and female superhero.

Since this is a new event, I can’t really vouch for it in either direction. Clearly on the positive side of things is the promoter’s statements that he will be splitting his gate receipts with the Montreal Children’s Hospital. I look forward to reading the show reports from attendees and guests.

Interviews: Kevin Boyd on the decision to hold the ceremony in Calgary in 2011

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Peter DeCourcy of Comic Book Daily caught up with Kevin this afternoon to ask him some questions about this morning’s announcement that the 7th Annual Joe Shuster Awards Ceremony will be held in Calgary in June 2011.

Will we be seeing a gradual attempt to move the Joe Shuster Awards around the country?

Kevin Boyd: Yes, that is the plan. We are looking very closely at Montreal, Vancouver, Halifax and possibly Winnipeg as future host cities. We are a national award and we want to go to the various communities across the country and connect with them. We don’t want the Awards looked upon as just being specific to a single convention or city.

There’s more at Comic Book Daily, including hints at our plans for 2012.