Sunday started with breakfast. It is the most important meal of the day. Well, it is for me, I need that coffee. 

I finally had a chance to actually go around the festival, so I did. ^_^ I picked up a bunch of stuff, like Laura Dean Keeps Breaking up With Me by Rosemary Valero-O’Connell and Mariko Tamaki, Megan Rose Gedris’ Spectacle, and Emily Carroll’s When I Arrived at the Castle (which I forgot to bring to our panel and therefore did not get signed, d’oh.) I also managed a moment to check out the Zine space at Cumberland Terrace, which I missed completely last year.

I was given review copies of Kiss Number 8 by Colleen AF Venable and Ellen T. Crenshaw who, unrelated to this, I had met at barcon this weekend and who were both lovely. The folks from Seven Seas were repped by a well-stocked table at Page and Panel.

Some of the Seven Seas ladies who were there gave me a lovely box of chocolates and a copy of Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare (which I’ve already read and will be reviewing tomorrow. Also a copy of Transparent Light Blue, which I reviewed Friday and Blank Canvas, the comic essay by Jellyfish Princess creator Akiko Higashimura.

I was given a copy of Spotted by Jenny McKeon, and I had a lovely conversation with Lianne Sentar and letterer CK Russell, whose work on Kase-san is so excellent. I love these ladies. Much missed was our friend and colleague, Lissa, who was there in spirit, if not in body.

On the floor I picked up Curb Angels by Christopher Ducharme and Lisa Mendis, Box of Bones by Yize Jama-Everett and John Jennings and the Afrofuturism prose anthology [Mothership], both from Rosarium Publishing. I cannot wait to get into those. I also picked up Genesis by  Marta Chudolinska, because her comic work includes prints from woodcuts and linotype.  I was instantly hooked and we briefly chatted about keeping old crafts alive.

I also stopped by the Graphic Medicine table. This is a very fast-growing genre in comics, as all of us tell our stories of illness, disability, aging and the like.

But what did I take on the plane to read? you’re probably not asking, but you should be. On the way up, I read The Stars are Legion by Kameron Hurley and hot damn is it gay good.  ^_^ But the winner of the show for me is Chronin by Alison Wilgus. This story is historical and science fiction and samurai drama and time-travel all at once. It instantly reminded my of Amakusa 1637 (which I never reviewed? I cannot believe that) for many reasons and I can’t wait for the second and final volume. I hope you’ll all take a look at this fun and interesting new comic.

My last panel of the day was a creator spotlight with Emily Carroll who was HILARIOUS. In fact, I was really blessed, both my creator panels were with people who were engaging and funny. Yay!

I had had dinner with my extended Toronto family on Friday, but on Sunday I went out with my boys, Sean Gaffney, Alan Harnum and Merc (who of course has a real name, but I have never once thought of him that way.) We talked Utena as one does and fanfic and other important fandom things. Thanks to them all for taking time to chat with me over Canadian cider and pub food.

My event was capped off with a lovely long conversation with Takashima-sensei, who was so genuinely fun to talk to. We of course talked manga and Yuri and stuff. Many thanks to Mimmy Shen who had to do a lot of work as an interpreter for us and who was both spectacular and fashionable. Takashima-sensei drew an original piece of art for the Yuri exhibit. How lovely is this?

I have so many people to thank this year. First, thanks to all the folks who came to our Yuri panels! Your passion and joy was contagious. I love you all. Thanks to the lovely folks at Sparkler Monthly (hi Becca, we hardly had a chance to talk!) and Seven Seas. My admirable and talented roomies, Heidi MacDonald and Deb Aoki, the rest of the Comics Coven, Brigid Alverson and Johanna Draper-Carlson, Sean Kleefeld and Laurieann Davis, Morgana Santilli, Zachary Clemente, all the ALA folks, Gina, Amy and Matt, Erik Ko, and all the TCAF volunteers. My very sincere and special thanks to the many folks at the Japan Foundation, Nobi-san. Ayumi-san, Shimizu-san, thank you so much, you were so welcoming!And my love and devotion to Christopher Butcher and Andrew Woodrow-Butcher for literally everything they did to make the 100 Years of Yuri Exhibit happen.

Thank you Jocelyne Allen and Mimmy Shen for interpreting and being magnificent humans. And thank you Kumagai-san and the Shinsokan folks and thank you so much to Takashima Hiromi-sensei. It was my very sincere pleasure to meet you and speak with you, We will definitely keep in touch.

Thank you all again for reading my TCAF 2019 journal – I hope to see you all there next year.