Category Archives: Events

Holiday Charity Art Show and Sale

Wednesday December 6th, 2023 @ 6:01PM – 7:01 PM

As many of you have heard, John Biernat, former owner of The Dragon Lady comic shop and a key figure in the Toronto comic book community passed away in September. Observant customers will also have noticed that there has been a large influx of comic book and comic strip reprint collections coming into the shop as we have purchased portions of John’s personal library.

John’s estate has made a generous donation of some of his comic art collection to form the core of a holiday charity art sale. This includes cover recreations by C.C.Beck and Martin Nodell and prints by Bob Kane and Dick Sprang. We’ve expanded the offerings by asking artist friends of the store to contribute drawings along the golden age super-hero theme. 100% of all sales will go to benefit Maggie’s, one of the country’s oldest sex-worker justice organizations, who recently lost their offices in a fire.

We are listing the pieces as they arrive in our artstore so that you can see what sort of pieces are coming.

Holiday Charity Art Sale at the Beguiling Art Store

The sale will be in a silent auction format, wrapping up at 7PM.  We have received and are welcoming more advance bids if there is a piece here that catches your eye and you can’t make it on Wednesday, you can email mail@beguiling.ca. We are only able to receive exact bids and not proxy bids. Any items not sold on the 6th will be available at a set price for the next two weeks.

There are many great potential gifts for the holidays here as all of the art from John’s collection is elaborately professionally framed.

Some highlights from the collection include:

Secrets of the Bat Cave by Dick Sprang 33″ x 23″ (estimate $700-1000 CAD)

Master Comics #21 cover recreation painting by C.C.Beck  11″ x 15″ (estimate $2400-3500 CAD)

All Star Comics #33 cover recreation painting by Irwin Hasen 16′ x 23′ (estimate $1000-$1500 CAD)

We have received donations from many cartoonists in support of this fundraiser, including Rick Taylor, Chester Brown, Jeff Lemire, Fiona Smythe and Maurice Vellekoop. Please check out the artstore and our social media chanels to see new additions as they come in.

NOV 24TH: “LIVING WITH VIOLA” INSTAGRAM LAUNCH + TAKEOVER W/ ROSENA FUNG

On Wednesday November 24th, The Beguiling and Little Island Comics are excited to welcome Rosena Fung to launch her new YA graphic novel LIVING WITH VIOLA from Annick Press.

Viola will be taking over our Instagram for the day leading up to an Instagram Live interview with Serah-Marie McMahon

This is an online event which will be featured on the Beguiling Instagram account throughout the day and then streaming via Instagram Live here: instagram.com/thebeguiling/

Living with Viola is available for preorder now in our webstore


About Living with Viola:

Heartbreakingly honest and quietly funny, this graphic novel from a debut creator is a refreshingly real exploration of mental health, cultural differences, and the trials of middle school.

Livy is already having trouble fitting in as the new girl at school—and then there’s Viola. Viola is Livy’s anxiety brought to life, a shadowy twin that only Livy can see or hear. Livy tries to push back against Viola’s relentless judgment, but nothing seems to work until she strikes up new friendships at school. Livy hopes that Viola’s days are numbered. But when tensions arise both at home and at school, Viola rears her head stronger than ever. Only when Livy learns how to ask for help and face her anxiety does she finally figure out living with Viola.

Rosena Fung draws on her own early experiences with anxiety and the pressures of growing up as the child of Chinese immigrant parents to craft a charming, deeply personal story that combines the poignancy of Raina Telgemeier’s Guts with the wacky humor of Lumberjanes. Exuberant, colorful art brings Livy’s rich imaginative world—filled with everything from sentient dumplings to flying unicorns—to life on the page.

OCT 21-NOV 18: DRAWN & QUARTERLY’s 5 WEEKS OF EVENTS

Drawn + Quarterly is presenting  5 weeks of virtual events with your favourite authors! We are happy to be a featured bookseller of these amazing titles by these amazing creators.
Order them from our webstore and receive a limited edition bookplate.

Brecht Evens (The City of Belgium)

w/ D+Q Exec. Ed. Tom Devlin
Thursday, October 21, 2021 – 1:00pm
Virtual Event – Watch here


Mirion Malle (This Is How I Disappear)

w/ Sophie Yanow (The Contradictions)
Friday, October 29, 2021 – 8:00pm EST
Virtual Event – RSVP Here
D+Q acknowledges the support of The French Embassy in Canada for this event


 Keum Suk Gendry-Kim (The Waiting)
w/ Alexander Chee (How to Write an Autobiographical Novel)
Tuesday, November 2, 2021 – 8:00pm EST
D+Q acknowledges the support of LTI Korea for this event

Philippe Girard (Leonard Cohen: On a Wire)

w/ Joe Ollmann (Fictional Father)
Tuesday, November 9, 2021 – 8:00pm EST
Virtual Event – RSVP Here
D+Q acknowledges the support of The French Embassy in Canada for this event


Rutu Modan (Tunnels)

w/ Jason Lutes (Berlin)
Thursday, November 18, 2021 – 1:00pm EST
Virtual Event – RSVP Here

OCT 21-NOV 18: DRAWN & QUARTERLY’S 5 WEEKS OF EVENTS

Drawn + Quarterly is presenting  5 weeks of virtual events with your favourite authors! We are happy to be a featured bookseller of these amazing titles by these amazing creators.
Order them from our webstore and receive a limited edition bookplate.

Brecht Evens (The City of Belgium)

w/ D+Q Exec. Ed. Tom Devlin
Thursday, October 21, 2021 – 1:00pm
Virtual Event – Watch here


Mirion Malle (This Is How I Disappear)

w/ Sophie Yanow (The Contradictions)
Friday, October 29, 2021 – 8:00pm EST
Virtual Event – RSVP Here
D+Q acknowledges the support of The French Embassy in Canada for this event


 Keum Suk Gendry-Kim (The Waiting)
w/ Alexander Chee (How to Write an Autobiographical Novel)
Tuesday, November 2, 2021 – 8:00pm EST
D+Q acknowledges the support of LTI Korea for this event

Philippe Girard (Leonard Cohen: On a Wire)

w/ Joe Ollmann (Fictional Father)
Tuesday, November 9, 2021 – 8:00pm EST
Virtual Event – RSVP Here
D+Q acknowledges the support of The French Embassy in Canada for this event


Rutu Modan (Tunnels)

w/ Jason Lutes (Berlin)
Thursday, November 18, 2021 – 1:00pm EST
Virtual Event – RSVP Here

MAY 20: Joe Ollmann’s FICTIONAL FATHER Launch w/ Seth!

Thursday, May 20th at 8PM EST, cartoonist JOE OLLMANN will be live on zoom to celebrate the release of his new book FICTIONAL FATHER from Drawn and Quarterly. Joe will be joined in conversation by the one and only SETH!

While supplies last, bookplates signed by Joe Ollmann will be available at the Beguiling with purchase of FICTIONAL FATHER, available May 18th. Preorder yours here on our webstore

RSVP to the zoom event here or watch it on our Facebook Live

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About Fictional Father:

A RECOVERING ALCOHOLIC LIVES IN THE SHADOW OF A WORLD FAMOUS COMIC STRIP AND ITS TYRANNICAL CREATOR

Caleb is a middle-aged painter with a non-starter career and a checkered past. He also happens to be the only child of one of the world’s most famous cartoonists, Jimmi Wyatt. Known for the internationally beloved father and son comic Sonny Side Up, Jimmi made millions drawing saccharine family stories while neglecting his own son.

Now sober, Caleb is haunted by his wasted past and struggling to take responsibility for his present before it’s too late. His always patient boyfriend, James, is reaching the end of his rope. When Caleb gets the chance to step out from his father’s shadow and shape the most public aspect of the family business, he makes every bad decision and watches his life fall apart. Is it too late to repair the harm? Are we forever doomed to make the same mistakes our parents did?

MAR 30: HIROMI GOTO + ANN XU “SHADOW LIFE” VIRTUAL LAUNCH

Tuesday March 30th at 8PM EST we are very excited to celebrate the launch of award-winning Canadian writer and poet Hiromi Goto’s Shadow Life, a graphic novel illustrated by Ann Xu. The event will be broadcast virtually over Crowdcast.

The book follows Kumiko, a tenacious 76-year-old woman who refuses to while away her remaining years in an old folks’ home and submit to death – even as death comes knocking. It’s a brilliant, heart-rending, beautiful piece that defies stereotypes about age, gender, sexuality, and ethnicity, and celebrates the importance of families both born and chosen.

This book is shaping up to be a favorite of the year! Hiromi Goto and Ann Xu will be present for a reading and discussion moderated by Loyalty Bookshop’s Christine Bollow.

RSVP for the Crowdcast event here
Preorder your copy (with a signed bookplate) from our webstore here

FEB 27: Tintin, Astérix & cie : la timide aventure américaine de la BD franco-belge au XXe siècle

ENGLISH FOLLOWS
Cette conférence sera en français uniquement.
_____________
Comment ça marche ?
1/ RSVP ici https://www.crowdcast.io/e/tintin-astrix–cie–la/register
2/ Recevez un lien peu avant l’événement.
3/ Profitez bien de la conférence !
This talk will be in French.
How does it work ?
1/ RSVP here https://www.crowdcast.io/e/tintin-astrix–cie–la/register
2/ Receive a link shortly before the event.
3/ Enjoy the conference!
_____________
Vous avez grandi en lisant Tintin, Astérix et Lucky Luke ? Vous avez toujours aimé les BD ? À l’occasion de cette conférence, sortez de votre bulle et venez explorer l’aventure des bd franco-belges en Amérique du nord.
La grande bande dessinée franco-belge a connu un énorme succès dans la seconde moitié du XXe siècle, contrastant fortement avec la réception décevante dont elle a fait l’objet dans le Nouveau Monde : à partir de la fin des années 50, Tintin, Astérix, Lucky Luke et nombre de leurs coreligionnaires ont été accueillis en Amérique avec une indifférence inexplicable par rapport à la popularité dont ils ont bénéficié dans leurs pays d’origine — à l’exception notable des Schtroumpfs, qui ont percé à Hollywood, mais au prix d’une américanisation radicale qui a annihilé leurs racines belges.
Cette exportation “ratée” de chefs d’œuvre populaires de la francophonie Européenne d’après-guerre s’explique par des facteurs économiques, mais aussi et surtout culturels : s’acclimater à l’Amérique du nord a été mission impossible pour des œuvres, séries et personnages dont la modernité était encore très fortement marquée par leurs racines européennes.
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Qui est votre conférencier ?
Jean-Paul Gabilliet est professeur de civilisation nord-américaine au département des mondes anglophones de l’Université Bordeaux Montaigne. Il est spécialisé depuis trente ans dans l’histoire culturelle de la bande dessinée et de l’illustration aux États-Unis et au Canada ainsi que de leurs circulations transatlantiques.
Outre de nombreux articles, il est l’auteur de Des Comics et des hommes : histoire culturelle des comic books aux Etats-Unis (Editions du Temps, 2005) et de la première biographie consacrée au “pape” de la bande dessinée underground américaine, R. Crumb (Presses Universitaires de Bordeaux, 2012). Il a récemment dirigé le numéro du Journal of Comics and Culture (Pace University Press, New York) consacré à « US Comics in France / Bandes Dessinées in America ».
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You maybe grew up reading Tintin, Asterix, Lucky Luke? You’ve always liked comic books? On the occasion of the talk, get out of your bubble and come explore the adventures of Franco-Belgian comics in North America.
Franco-Belgian comics have met an enormous success in the second part of 20th century, strongly contrasting with the disappointing reception they went through in the New World: At the end of the 50s, Tintin, Astérix, Lucky Luke and many of their coreligionists were welcomed in America with an unexplainable indifference, compared to the popularity they received in their origin country – except for the Smurfs who made it to Hollywood, at the cost of a radical Americanisation that annihilated their Belgian roots.
This “failed” exportation of popular masterpieces of post-war European Francophonie can be explained by economic factors, but first and foremost cultural factors: adapting to North America was mission impossible for works, series and characters whose modernity was still strongly marked by their European roots.
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Who is your speaker?
Jean-Paul Gabilliet is a teacher of North-American civilisation in the department of Anglophone worlds at University Bordeaux Montaigne. He’s specialised for 30 years in the comic and illustration cultural history in the United-States and in Canada, as well as their transatlantic circulations.
In addition to many articles, he is the author of “Of Comics and men : A cultural history of American comic books” and the first biography dedicated to the “pope” of underground American comics, R. Crumb. He recently directed the edition of Journal of Comics and Culture (Pace University Press, New York) devoted to « US Comics in France / Bandes Dessinées in America »

FEB 4: JASON LOO + CHIP ZDARSKY “AFTERLIFT” LAUNCH ZOOM PANEL

Thursday, February 4th at 6:30PM EST,  JASON LOO and CHIP ZDARSKY will grace all of us with their presence to celebrate the  physical release of their 2020 EISNER AWARD WINNING book AFTERLIFT, out now from Darkhorse.

ANTHONY OLIVEIRA moderates a panel with these two Canadian comic darlings.  Click here to register for the webinar, starting at 6:30 EST, February 4th on Zoom.

Ride-share driver Janice Chen has enough to deal with, from annoying passengers to overbearing parents. But when she picks up a pair of mysterious passengers who are pursued by otherworldly forces, Janice realizes that her already-terrible day might be headed straight to hell.

 

THE BEGUILING BOXING WEEK 2020 SALES INFO!

BOXING DAY! Most in-stock books are 20% off.
Shop from the comfort of your home and get some truly amazing comics!

The medium-sized print:
Almost every in-stock, in-print book* ordered on December 25th, 26th, and 27th will be discounted 20% after checkout when we process your order.

You won’t see the discount when you check out. Even if you enter a credit card number. Nothing is charged until we have the books in our hands and have manually applied your discount. No worries!
The fine print:

  • This deal is on books that are in stock. You can see which books are supposed to be in stock on the webstore, and we’ll confirm that they are when we pick your order. Because inventory management systems (and the humans who operate them) are imperfect, there may be some things which show as in-stock but aren’t. Our intention is to give you a deal on the books we have here in the store, and this is the best way we’ve figured out to do this in these pandemic times. Please bear with us!
  • This deal is for regular, in-print books. Not rarities. Not old comics. Normal, regular, in-print books, as determined by us at our sole discretion.
  • This deal excludes December new arrivals. A brand-new release that came out on December 20th, for example, or stock of a zine we just got in on December 5th, would not be part of this deal. Again: this will be determined at our sole discretion.
  • This deal does not combine with any other discounts or promotions. The 20% off will be assessed against the Canadian publisher’s list price or the Canadian price based on The Beguiling’s current exchange rate
  • This deal does not apply to any items placed on hold or ordered before 25 December 2020. And it only applies to purchases placed on the dates of the sale.

Can I take advantage of this amazing sale without shopping online?
We’re taking a much deserved break during this sale, so online is your only option for getting these deals. We won’t be answering the phone, and we won’t be checking our email. If you want 20% off – place your order online!

You don’t need to have a credit card though! You can order online during the sale and pick up and pay by cash or debit at our curbside wicket after we reopen on the 28th.

So, to summarize: place your order online on the 25th-27th, get 20% off, and pick up (or have it shipped to you) when we’re back to business the following week.

Is that all there is?!
Nope! We’re going to have a bunch of rotating deals throughout the month of January. Really good ones, too. Follow us on Instagram @TheBeguiling or sign up for our mailing list to keep up with all of them and maximize your comics habit!

AUG 10: “THE MONTAGUE TWINS” VIRTUAL EVENT WITH CREATORS NATHAN PAGE & DREW SHANNON

Penguin Random House Canada, The Beguiling, and Little Island Comics invite you join us in a virtual Zoom celebration for Ontario creators Nathan Page and Drew Shannon’s new middle-grade mystery series, The Montague Twins! We’ll mark the publication of the first book in this new series, The Witch’s Hand, as writer Anne Thériault interviews them about their historical adventure full of thrills, witchcraft, and sass, before opening it up to your questions!

Additionally, you can enter a raffle to win one of two pages of original art from The Witch’s Hand. Simply donate to Friends of Ruby (minimum donation: $25) and send your e-receipt to YoungReaders@penguinrandomhouse.com (you can black out the amount and your real name, if you wish), and we’ll randomly select two attendees as winners at the end of the virtual event! Friends of Ruby work with LGBTQI2S youth with a focus on mental health, even providing food and shelter.

The Beguiling is so pleased to be serving as the official bookseller of this event! You can buy a copy of the book RIGHT HERE! We’ll also have copies signed by Nathan and Drew available! If you’d like a signed copy, just be sure to mention it in your order notes!

About The Montague Twins:

“Brothers. Detectives. Witches? Meet Pete and Alastair Montague in the first instalment of a new graphic novel series that mashes the Hardy Boys with Brian K. Vaughan’s Paper Girls.

Pete and Alastair Montague are just a couple of mystery-solving twins, living an ordinary life. Or so they thought! After a strange storm erupts on a visit to the beach, they discover there’s more to their detective know-how than they’d previously thought. Their guardian, David Faber, a once prominent professor, has been keeping secrets about their parents. At the same time, three girls go missing after casting a mysterious spell, which sets in motion a chain of events that takes their small town down an unexpected path. With the help of David’s daughter, Charlie, the Twins discover there are forces at work that they never could have imagined, which will impact their lives forever.”