Toronto Comics Arts Festival 2013

I went to visit TCAF at the Toronto Reference Library with a few friends on Saturday. There were many great comics and artworks to pick up, but not enough funds. T_T

It seemed more crowded this year than last year (a common theme among every new year). The line up to get into the second floor exhibitor room was mighty longer than last year's line. I am thankful for the line, because otherwise I don't think people would be able to move around as easily inside the room. I almost bumped into kids here and there. The atrium was a little more crowded (and a lot more warm) but the whole event was totally worth visiting.

There were a few cosplayers there. I guess they like to cosplay very much (even with the perceived unspoken rule of no cosplay at this event). Just... no big props, please. The library doesn't have enough room already what with more than 1000 people on the first 2 floors (I don't even want to get into the basement and third floor).

It was hard to get pictures of the place without people getting into the frame or getting into other people's way while trying to take pictures. I only took one.

Looking forward to next year again.

_{P.S. Sorry we couldn't spend more time together Lorena, Megan, Stephanie, and Geoff.}

Kera Magazine in Toronto

This post is a follow-up to Kera Magazine post.

I was out with a friend for lunch today at J-Town and it turns out that there is a book store there that sells Kera magazine. Yeah, you read that right-- there's a store that sells Kera magazine in Toronto. Well, right at the border of Toronto, but still in the Greater Toronto Area. I didn't catch the name of the shop, but according to J-Town's website, it should be Japan Book Centre. The magazine is available for $13.99.

Not familiar with J-Town?

J-Town is Toronto's largest Japanese shopping center. You can find various Japanese eateries, a bakery, fish market, boutique, salon, gifts, books, and more. The variety of food in J-Town are exquisite and delicious.

You can find J-Town on Steeles Avenue East between Woodbine Avenue and Victoria Park Avenue, right off of Highway 404.


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Emerging

A manga I have thoroughly enjoyed in the past was "Emerging" by Masaya Hokazono. Thank you to the team at Endless Abyss for scanlating the manga in English! As for a brief introduction to the manga, I believe someone already prepared that:

Japan is a brilliant model of Asian success and obligation. But how would this country manage a large-scale sanitary crisis? What would happen in Shinjuku, one of Tokyo's biggest districts, if a man exploded in the street during broad daylight? How would the political and sanitation authorities manage such a crisis? Please consider this question as long as you can--because it's already too late for professors Onodera and Sekiguchi! Is an emerging virus slowly spreading itself into the arteries of the Japanese capital?

I was reminded of the manga yesterday night when I arrived home late from a systems thinking event. I didn't notice my one pink eye until I saw myself in the mirror. You would think that someone at home would have noticed my eye and pointed it out to me. While I was reminiscing of Emerging's plot, I thought: "why not take a picture of the eye... and bring it to Photoshop?"

The results:


I tried.