The Montreal Comic Arts Festival presents a rich program for its 12th edition with more than 60 free activities offered around its “Creation: from imagination to reality” theme. For a second year in a row, MCAF will be held on SDC Rue Saint-Denis territory from Friday, May 26 to Sunday, May 28, 2023. Saint-Denis will become a pedestrian street for the occasion between Roy and Gilford Streets to welcome more than 250 artists and 160 exhibitors from here and abroad under its tents.

Renowned comic artists gathered in Montreal
For its 12th edition, MCAF is pleased to welcome more than 250 comic artists from Québec, Canada, and abroad to Montreal. Among the guests in attendance will be Martin Panchaud, who won the Fauve d’or prize of the Angoulême Festival with La couleur des choses, authors Aisha Franz and Dorothée de Monfreid, in addition to Manuele Fior, Fábio Moon, and Gabriel Bá who illustrated the Umbrella Academy series which has been adapted for television and is available on Netflix.

As for American artists, MCAF will welcome Sarah Andersen, well known on Instagram with her Sarah’s Scribbles series and Nick Drnaso whose last work Acting class has just been translated to French. Canadians Cole Pauls and Joe Ollmann will also attend. Québec artists will be in the spotlight with more than 200 local artists, including Cab, Réal Godbout, Walter Scott, Arizona O’Neil, Brandon Moitchell, Alex A. and Wes Craig.

A variety of activities to learn about and celebrate comic arts
A variety of activities to learn about and celebrate comic arts MCAF offers a host of activities for manga fans this year, including a round table, a conversation and 4 workshops dedicated to Japanese comic arts. Also, the festival has the pleasure of welcoming Sourya Sihachakr, the artist behind Talli, Daughter of The Moon, as well as Jean-François Laliberté and Sacha Lefebvre who have published Les élus Eljun, the first manga formated 100% Québec-made comic book.

Live drawing animations will be back this year to bring families together and amaze festival-goers. Creation workshops ranging from script to drawing and storyboarding will be offered for young and old alike. The round tables will cover a variety of topics such as biographical stories, despicable characters in
comics, working with colour and light, the second life of a book, and how to talk to children about sensitive issues. Other intimate conversations will allow different subjects to be discussed, including artificial intelligence, Fanzine creation and father figures. Lastly, a mural on the theme of comics will be created during the festival on Saint-Denis in partnership with the Mu organization.

Exhibitions that bring comic arts from here and abroad to light
During the festival, ninth art enthusiasts will be able to learn all about Brazilian comics thanks to an exhibition presented by the Consulate General of Brazil in Montreal. The winners of the first Manga O-Taku grant will also have their own exhibition. Plus, the general public will be able to discover the steps involved in creating a comic book with the exhibition How to create a comic book. This exhibition has been revised and improved for the occasion thanks to the contribution of comic artist Alex A.

A festive and accessible comic book stroll
Proud of last year’s success, the Montreal Comic Arts Festival is once again setting up its tents on a pedestrianized Saint-Denis Street, between Gilford and Roy. Festival-goers will be able to walk along a 1,2 km comic book stroll filled with activities, exhibitions and encounters, rain or shine. Located near the Laurier, Mont-Royal and Sherbrooke metro stations, MCAF is easily accessible by public transit or bicycle and invites its public to three days of free festivities.

For more information visit: www.fbdm-mcaf.ca

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