Chapter 19 The Old Drawing Board
1298 Words
Seth, the ubiquitous, one-named magazine illustrator, also happens to be one of our best-known comic book artists. Has graphic novel, It's A Good Life If You Don't Weaken, is filled with pages of moody and evocative city scenes. But in 2002, Seth moved to the nearby town of Guelph, so there's open competition for top spot. Here are four candidates.
• Matt Blackett (mattbcomic.com) has been self-publishing his mini-comic, M@B, since 1998. Snatches of dialogue and mundane moments add up to a complete, three-panel diary of Blackett's life. In 2003, eight issues of his comic were collected in a volume called Wide Collar Crimes.
• Her 2000 graphic novel, Can of Worms, is Catherine Doherty's autobiographical tale of the adopted artist's search for her birth mother. Wordless save for reprinted correspondence, the story has the perfect pacing of a silent movie.
• If you dropped the old Pogo comic strip into modern consumer society, you'd get Enter Avariz, Marc Ngui's 2003 book. But Ngui (bumblenut.com) also knows his local history. His comic strip tour of Cabbagetown appeared in the Toronto Star in 1999. Future tours will cover the Humber River and the old town of York.
• Another comics artist interested in history is Diana Tamblyn. Her biography of insulin founder Frederick Banting first appeared in the acclaimed anthology SPX 2002. One year later, Tamblyn (speedlines.com) published an expanded edition under her own imprint.
Bookstores
Acadia Books Great shop for out-of-print art books. 232 Queen St. E., 416-364-7638
Annex Books Looking for CanLit? Look no further. 1083 Bathurst St., 416-537-1852
Another Man's Poison All about design, collectibles, and architecture. 29 McCaul St., 416-593-6451
Another Story
General, kids, and educational books. 164 Danforth Ave., 416-462-1104
Bakka Science Fiction Book Shoppe
Ray guns and cyberpunk. 598 Yonge St., 416-963-9993
Balfour Books
Used book shop strong on art and lit. 601 College St., 416-531-9911
Ballenford Books on Architecture
Building a collection? 600 Markham St., 416-588-0800
Moving Pictures
The art community has been centred on Queen West for so long now it's easy to assume that has always been the case. Not so. In the late 19th century, artists gathered in the Yonge and Adelaide area. The centre of bohemia was the old Toronto Arcade, a three-storey structure at 131-139 Yonge Street. With shops on the ground floor and a peaked glass roof to let in natural light, the Arcade was an early version of the Eaton Centre. Top floor studios were rented out for five dollars a month. There was no gallery system at this time, so recognition came only through self-promotion in art clubs such as the Toronto Art Students League, which held drawing classes and meetings at 56 King East. A sketch group called Little Billie met in the back room of a joint called McConkey's, at 27 King West. Art supply shops like Art Metropole and Matthews & Brothers, both on Yonge, would occasionally hold exhibitions.
The Beguiling
One of North America's best comic
shops, specializing in independent
comics, manga, and original art. 601 Markham St., 416-533-9168
Friendly independent chain has thrived in the face of the superstores.
501 Bloor St. W., 416-961-4496;
348 Danforth Ave, 416-469-9997;
1950 Queen St. E., 416-698-1444;
2350 Bloor St. W., 416-961-9412;
1430 Yonge St., 416-961-1228
Chapters
Flagship store for the Canadian chain.
110 Bloor St. W., 416-920-9299; other locations
Contact Editions
The biggest used book shop in town.
759 Mount Pleasant Rd., 416-322-0777
The Cookbook Store
Whatever your taste. 850 Yonge St., 416-920-2665
David Mirvish Books on Art
Browser's delight. 596 Markham St., 416-531-9975
Arts Enclave
The elegant arched doorway at 14 Elm Street is the entrance to a select society: the Toronto Arts & Letters Club. Formed in 1908, it has been both a home for senior artists and a social club for other professionals who may not practice the arts, but appreciate them. Inside, there's a grand dining hall, much like a smaller version of the quasi-Medieval Great Hall at Hart House (no surprise; they used some of the same building materials), plus meeting rooms, a bar, and a library. Throughout, the walls are covered with photos and artwork reflecting the careers of illustrious past members like former Governor General Vincent Massey, composers Healey Willan, Louis Applebaum, and Sir Ernest MacMillan, the Group of Seven, author Robertson Davies, music festival founder Nicholas Goldschmidt, playwright, performer and producer Mavor Moore, and eminent theatre critic Herbert Whittaker, to name a very few.
Sacred Images
A hidden trove of Group of Seven artwork is to be found at St. Anne's Anglican Church (270 Gladstone Ave., 416-536-3160), designed by Ford Howland in a - for the time and place very offbeat domed Byzantine style. In 1923, painter J.E.H. MacDonald was
commissioned to decorate the interior, and he brought
along his GO7 buds Frederick Varley and Franklin
Carmichael to help him produce 17 murals on the life of
Jesus Christ, as well as local sculptors Frances Loring
and Florence Wyle to embellish the interior ceiling.
A Different Booklist
African and Caribbean selection. 746 Bathurst St., 416-538-0889
Glad Day Bookshop
Long-time stop for gay and lesbian books. 598-A Yonge St., 416-961-4161
Indigo
Books, candles, coffee, more books. 55 Bloor St. W., 416-925-3536; other locations
Jamie Fraser Books
Pulp magazines, out-of-print mystery and sci-fi, and scattered movie books. 427-A Queen St. W., 416-598-7718
Letters Bookstore
Over 30 years of small press. 77 Florence St., 416-537-5403
McBurnie and Cutler
Classic used book shop, with good local history section. 698 Queen St. W., 416-504-8873
Nicholas Hoare
Fireplace, comfy chairs, and books. 45 Front St. E., 416-777-2665
Pages Books and Magazines
Hip lit and culture. 256 Queen St. W., 416-598-1447
Pandemonium Books and Discs
The best book shop in the Junction.
And the only one. 2862 Dundas St. W., 416-769-5257
More Than Meets the Eye
Want to see one of the city's secret attractions? Easy. Just walk down the first alley off Portland Avenue, south of Queen Street; the walls are covered in graffiti, pieces, and throw-ups as far as the eye can see. Graf artists from all over come to Queen between Bathurst and Spadina, looking to leave their mark, like TRIK, who made his name by tagging high up on the Bathurst Street Bridge.
But not everyone is impressed. Take Staff Sergeant Heinz Kuck, who heads the police Graffiti Eradication Program. Using a team of volunteers and students doing mandatory community service, Kuck has reclaimed over 16,000 square feet of downtown city space. As far as he's concerned, graf artists are vandals who often get off easy with a mischief charge and fine.
Then there's someone like Duro III. An artist with over 400 murals (legal and illegal) to his credit, he has moved from the simple world of tagging to owning his own multimedia company, Vengence9. His clients include HMV Canada and Absolut Vodka.
Cartoon Characters
About 130 cartooning connoisseurs are members of the Toronto Animated Image Society (37 Hanna Ave., 416-533-7889, awn.com/tais), an organization that promotes the skills and appreciation of animation. They hold screenings and classes, and offer members a discount on related arts supplies. They also hold an annual picnic on Toronto Island, where, we expect, they hold animated conversations. (Sorry.)
She Said Boom
Used books and CDs. 372 College St., 416-944-3224; 393 Roncesvalles Ave., 416-531-6843
Silver Snail Comic Shop
Oldest comic store is still your one- stop X-Men shop. 367 Queen St. W., 416-593-0889
This Ain't the Rosedale Library
It sure ain't. Lots of lit and gender studies. 483 Church St., 416-929-9912
Toronto Women's Bookstore
A quarter century strong. 73 Harbord St., 416-922-8744
University of Toronto Bookstore, St. George Campus
More than just textbooks. 214 College St., 416-978-7900
Uprising
Anarchist, activist, and upstairs. 685 Queen St. W., 2nd floor, 416-516-2966
World's Biggest Bookstore
Toronto's original mega-store,
just off Yonge.
20 Edward St., 416-977-7009
- Writer
