We’re back at Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF), the city’s number one celebration of independent comics! This annual two-day festival, held in downtown Toronto since 2003, is one of the most unique events of its kind — welcoming over 28,000 local and international visitors and featuring more than 315 artists from around the world.
What makes TCAF truly special is its ongoing commitment to accessibility and independent arts culture. It remains a completely free, non-commercial public arts and cultural festival — something rare in today’s landscape.
Representing Saturday AM this year was none other than Austin Harvey-Younis, our Editor in Chief! You might remember his visit last year alongside Gunhild creator Fred Tornager. (If not, check out our previous coverage here).
This time, Austin flew solo dolo — but still had an absolute blast.
He was even invited to participate in the LED (Libraries & Education Day) and its Manga 101 panel!
A Look at LED: Libraries & Education Day
A staple of TCAF, Libraries & Education Day 2025 brought together a dynamic mix of educators, librarians, academics, and comic lovers. Think of it as a meeting point for K–16 education and GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums) institutions.
This year focused on graphic medicine, comics as cultural heritage, and thoughtful discussions around collection development, readers’ advisory, and comics advocacy.
Comics are an incredibly interdisciplinary medium, and LED creates the perfect space for conversations that connect higher ed, K–12, public libraries, and GLAM communities.
Austin’s Experience
Needless to say, it was an action-packed, inspiring day — filled with engaging conversations, passionate fans, and unforgettable moments with the Saturday AM community.
Here’s what Austin had to say:
“TCAF truly is something special. Creators, Educators, Librarians – all of these comic lovers come together to celebrate the greatness that is comics! The best part about it? It’s FREE!”
Couldn’t Make It to TCAF? No Worries.
We’ve got tons of photos from the event to help you experience it through our eyes — scroll down to see what went down!
