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Preview – VanCAF 2024 at Roundhouse Community Centre, Vancouver, May 18-19
VanCAF returns for another FREE two-day event this weekend. There’s so much going on that we’ve tried to whittle it down to five must-see events and creators.
Johnnie Christmas
The BC writer/artist has worked with Margaret Atwood on the Angel Catbird series. His 2022 middle grade graphic novel debut Swim Team earned a spot on the National Book Awards longlist, a Coretta Scott King Award Illustrator Honor, a Barnes & Noble Children’s and YA Book Award nomination, and a Harvey Awards nomination. He’s also the writer of the comic series Tartarus and Crema.
George Metzger
An underground comix pioneer, Metzger has made his home in BC since the mid-’70s. His work has appeared in such seminal underground publications as Yellow Dog and Gothic Blimp Works. He published the first issue of his first solo comic book series Moondog in 1969. In 1978, he published Mu: The Land That Never Was, his epic about the fate of a lost continent. Metzger has contributed other tales to numerous publications, including Heavy Metal and worked in Marv Newland‘s Vancouver animation studio. In 2016, Fantagraphics Books re-issued his pioneering graphic novel, Beyond Time and Again, and will publish The Lost Worlds of George Metzger in June 2024. He continues to write and draw. (George will take part in a discussion with Robin McConnell and Concrete writer/artist Paul Chadwick May 18 from 3 -3:45 p.m.)
Diana Schutz
After editorial stints at both Marvel Comics and Comico, Schutz became senior executive editor at Dark Horse Comics. She was Frank Miller’s editor on Sin City and 300, Matt Wagner’s editor on Grendel, Stan Sakai’s editor on Usagi Yojimbo, Harvey Pekar’s editor on American Splendor, and Larry Marder’s editor on Beanworld. She has edited international material in translation, such as Blacksad and The Manara Library. Among the authors she has worked with are Michael Chabon, Neil Gaiman, and the late Harlan Ellison. She was comics pioneer Will Eisner’s Dark Horse editor until his death in 2005. Semi-retired, she now works as a translator of European graphic novels. (Schutz will take part in two events this weekend.)
Jean-Marc Rochette
After giving up mountaineering in 1976 following a serious accident Rochette began a career as a comics artist. He drew the series Edmond le cochon and Transperceneige (Snowpiercer), which was later adapted for the screen in 2013 by Korean director Bong Joon-ho. Currently the French artist is devoting himself to a more personal work such as La Dernière reine (2022). (Rochette talks to journalist Marc Fournier at VanCAF and will be special guest at a screening of Snowpiercer at Cinematheque May 18 at 7 p.m.)
Kaori Tsurutani
Tsurutani made her manga debut in 2007 after winning silver in the 52nd Tetsuya Chiba Awards for her story “Okina Daidokoro” (Big Kitchen). She went on to receive the New Face Award in the 22nd Japan Media Arts Festival Manga Division for her series BL Metamorphosis, which was adapted into a live action film in 2022. The author of don’t like this she has also contributed to stories to such manga anthologies as Ironna Watashi ga Honto no Watashi (All These Mes are the Real Me) and BL First Crush Anthology: Five Seconds Before We Fall in Love.
