ANNOUNCE: Scott McCloud in Toronto May 6th

PLEASE INCLUDE IN YOUR EVENT LISTINGS

The Varsity – University of Toronto presents

SCOTT McCLOUD IN TORONTO
Understanding, Reinventing, and Making Comics

Sunday, May 6th, 7PM
OISE Theatre, 252 Bloor St. West
(At Bloor St. W. and St. George Subway Station)
Tickets: $10 in Advance, $15 at the door
Available at The Beguiling, 601 Markham Street

In association with The Toronto Comic Arts Festival Aug. 18-19
and The Beguiling Books & Art 20th Anniversary

WWW.TORONTOCOMICS.COM

TORONTO, Ontario – The Varsity, Canada’s largest student newspaper, is proud to present SCOTT MCCLOUD, the author of UNDERSTANDING COMICS, in the exclusive Canadian presentation of his world-renowned visual lecture Understanding, Reinventing, and Making Comics. McCloud’s presentation on comics, storytelling and web technology has packed lecture halls at Harvard University, MIT, The Smithsonian, Microsoft, IBM, and Pixar. Now, McCloud brings his expertise to Toronto on Sunday May 6th.

MAKING COMICS, McCloud’s third exploration of the emerging graphic novel medium (written in graphic novel form, of course) was recently published by Harper Collins to wide acclaim. In a truly unique move to the world of publishing, McCloud and his entire family (wife Ivy, and daughters Winter and Sky) have embarked on the Making Comics 50 State Tour, celebrating the release of the volume in all 50 U.S. states (with a special stop in Toronto!). Featuring daily blog updates of the tour by the entire McCloud clan and a whirlwind of press coverage, the tour has been a phenomenal success.

“We couldn’t be happier to help in bringing Scott McCloud to Toronto” said Peter Birkemoe, owner of The Beguiling and co-sponsor of the event. “At a conservative guess, we’ve sold thousands of copies of McCloud’s books, with his newest really appealing to the burgeoning segment of the population—young and old—interested in creating their own graphic novels.”

“McCloud’s books speak to more than just fans of comics,” said Christopher Butcher, the co-founder of the Toronto Comic Arts Festival. “McCloud’s theories on comics—storytelling, narrative, and technology—have broad applications in the fields of graphic design, writing, and interactive multimedia. Understanding Comics and Making Comics have bolstered the claim that combining words and pictures to convey information are universal, and that comics and graphic novels as a medium really are for everyone.”

THE EVENT:
Scott McCloud: Understanding, Reinventing, and Making Comics visual lecture presentation will be held Sunday, May 6th at The OISE Theatre, 252 Bloor St. West (at St. George Subway Station). The doors to the event will open at 7pm, with McCloud taking the stage roughly 30 minutes later.

Tickets are $10 per person, available in person at The Beguiling Books & Art, 601 Markham Street, Toronto. Tickets are available via phone at The Beguiling, 416-533-9168, Monday-Friday 11am-7pm. Advance ticket prices valid until and on Saturday May 5th, 2007. All tickets are for general admission seating. This event is appropriate for all ages.

Please note: This event is strictly limited to only 450 tickets, available on a first-come, first-served basis.

THE BOOKS:
Understanding Comics, Reinventing Comics, and Making Comics are published by HarperCollins Canada, and are currently in stock at The Beguiling. Copies of all books will be for sale at the event.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Scott McCloud is the award-winning creator of Zot!, Understanding Comics, and Reinventing Comics. His books are available in sixteen languages. Sin City creator Frank Miller called him “just about the smartest guy in comics.” He has given Visual Lectures on Comics and Technology at destinations as diverse as Harvard University, Electronic Arts, The Smithsonian, Microsoft, SXSW, and Pixar.

The Making Comics 50 State Tour began in New York City in September 2006, and will end in Hawaii in August 2007. The official tour blog is online at http://community.livejournal.com/mccloudtour.
 
MEDIA QUERIES:
For queries regarding the event, contact Christopher Butcher, manager of The Beguiling, 416-533-9168 or via email at: chris@beguiling.com.

This event is made possible with generous support of
The Varsity – University of Toronto, HarperCollins Canada, The Beguiling Books & Art,
and The Toronto Comic Arts Festival, August 18-19 2007

www.torontocomics.com