DRAWING FROM EXPERIENCE
Toronto comic anthology looks to add diversity in characters, artists,
A comic anthology on shelves this spring is quintessentially Toronto and, with that, intentionally diverse.
Toronto Comics made a point to search for different perspectives to include in its new release, titled Osgoode as Gold, said Steven Andrews, Toronto Comics’ production editor.
“One of the big focuses this year is to get more female comic creators in Toronto better represented,” he said. “We tried to make that when people pitched us a story, the characters were not the same generic, straight white dude that dominates most comics media.”
The anthology, out on May 12 in Toronto bookstores and on its website, contains stories that city residents are sure to recognize. Included is one about a family of mistreated raccoons; another involves a day-trip on an inundated, carp ridden Toronto Island.
The latter, called “The Flood,” was written by Toronto resident Mireille Messier. The story is loosely based on bicycle trips taken by her daughter through the soggy island when it was closed to the public last year, she said.
“We do have our own sailboat and because of the flood when the ferries got cancelled last summer, we would still go to the island and sneak on,” Messier said.
“My teenage daughter and her friends would take their bikes and go to Centreville (Amusement Park) even though it was closed,” adding that the story has a Scooby-Doo spin.
Another story, called “Erasure,” is about a young woman who visits the site of a former residential school, which was attended by her grandmother. The protagonist is disheartened by people’s ignorance of the pain Indigenous people faced behind its walls, said Shaikara David, who illustrated the story.
David, who’s Mohawk from Akwesasne and a recent graduate of Algonquin College’s animation program, said she was thrilled to have a platform to help send such a strong message, noting that it was the first comic she freelanced.
“It made me feel connected to myself in a better way,” she said. “Finding yourself as an artist is hard and I feel like I’m starting to create my own voice.”
The compilation, created by 52 artists mostly from the GTA, include “tasteful product place- ment” of the city and refrain from playing up obvious landmarks such as the CN Tower, Andrews said. The release is Toronto Comics’ fifth anthology.
Its first anthology came out in 2014.
Since then, the organization has seen an increase in crowdfunding, indicative, Andrews said, of the city’s demand for these types of books. Its first kickstarter garnered $7,000; last year, the organization received $20,000. It seeks to raise a similar figure this season.
“That allows us to make indie comics,” Andrews said, referring to crowdfunding, adding that some artists, such as David, are recent graduates hoping to get a leg up in the field.
“It made me feel connected to myself in a better way.” SHAIKARA DAVID ON DRAWING A COMIC FOR THE ANTHOLOGY