Last week, the Toronto Cartoonist Workshop opened their doors in celebration of Fit-to-Print’s first publication, Holmes Inc, and a brand new workspace. Being CBD’s TCW correspondent, I headed to the city to check out the festivities. After a stroll down College Street (and getting lost one less time than our Editor-in-Chief) I arrived at the party already in full swing. Like the TCW itself, the new workspace is small but welcoming. The first room was a showcase for Holmes Inc. artwork. Framed original inks and pencils lined the walls and writers and artists mingled with the crowd. They eagerly signed copies of their comic, which could be purchased onsite if you missed it at Fan Expo.
The second room had snacks and drinks for all and I grabbed a beer before touring around the gallery. For many of the Holmes Inc. contributors, this was their first printed work and they were ecstatic to see their name plaques underneath their framed pages. One artist admitted that this was her first time penciling a full story as she handed out newly minted business cards. She definitely has reason so celebrate.
If there is one thing that separates the Toronto Cartoonist Workshops from other art schools, it’s the level of collaboration. Holmes Inc is a collection of short stories written, penciled, and inked by graduates of Ty Templeton’s Bootcamp. Everyone is eager to talk about their upcoming projects, previous work, courses they’re taking, and of course, comics in general. I spent the rest of the night wandering from group to group chatting about the November TCW schedule, cartoons, and the best (and worst) of recent comics. Realizing I was coming dangerously close to missing the last train out of the city, I said good-bye, thanked Sean Menard and Walter Dickinson for the invitation, and purchased a copy of Holmes Inc. It was a great opening for a wonderful school and everyone involved deserves the very best of luck. I can’t wait to see what they come up with for the second Fit-to-Print project. Who knows, I’ve completed both of Ty Templeton’s Bootcamp classes, maybe you’ll see my name under one of those pages next year.
You can learn more about the Toronto Cartoonist Workshop and November’s classes at http://cartoonistsworkshop.wordpress.com/ and Holmes Inc. at http://holmesinccomic.wordpress.com/
