Unlocking June's Gate: Summer's Arrival or Comic Con's Call?
Summer Cons, and Award Nominations Pros!
It’s been a busy month, so we’re going to brush aside any preamble and dive right into things with our little Proust Questionnaire with the friendly, loveable, and emotionally exuberant Damian Canta…
Hey! It's me, Damian! I'm an illustrator, graphic designer, former Vancouverite, current Torontonian. I spend most of my time working out of the RAID Studio but when I'm not there you can find me riding my bike around the city or just ambling through the woods looking for Sasquatch. Yeah, big wanderer... even bigger wonderer. I have a couple books out under the 'House of Doom' series, and I'm in R4ID: KLAATU, which is cool too, BUT if you're into cartoons from the golden-age of animation... I'm working on a side project that may interest you, but that's a secret so you didn't hear it from me. If you're interested please give me a follow and I'll try to keep you updated.
What is your favourite word, and why?
OOPS - Because it has so much universal potential. I'm a sucker for good interjection.
What is your least favourite word, and why?
REFRIGERATOR - Maybe it's the awkward syllable count, or maybe it's the soft "g" in the middle of such a clunky robot-word... I'm not sure. All I know is that having to say it. or write it. feels like way more effort than it's ever worth.
What turns you on creatively?
Silliness, nature, or some odd synchronicity between the two. Trivial stuff happening in real-time is a pretty reliable way for me to forget about creative block or self-doubt. Touch grass, then fall over!
What turns you off creatively?
Imbalance. Shallowness. Greed.
What is your creative routine?
Start with quick notes or rough sketches to get ideas down
Research and find reference material
Move on to thumbnail sketches to work through ideas quickly
Take favourites into value and/or colour studies
Create a refined pencil sketch
And then ink or paint or digital whatever for the final piece
I try to problem solve and tackle decisions early on, this leaves room in the execution stages for me to be comfortable and truly embrace "happy accidents."
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
If it was still historically significant, definitely a ninja or shinobi dude, but if we're talking like... these-days practicality, then maybe a mail carrier... who, completely by chance, throws letters like they're shuriken. 🥷
What is your favourite creator (Author, illustrator, designer)?
This is a loaded question for someone part of an artist collective. There are just too many individuals doing cool stuff to choose from, BUT some of my favourite groups doing interesting things are: 12ozCollective, Lincoln Design Co., Furry Puppet Studio, Northern Contemporary, MUTI, Resist Clothing Co., and the Canadian Typography Archive. Shout out to no one.
Follow Damian on Instagram to discover more of his work!
As summer approaches, we are excited to brighten up our sunny gallery with a new art show featuring the psychedelic-styled work of Matt Herzog.
Matt Herzog is a multidisciplinary artist whose talents span traditional and computer animation for motion graphics, film, and television. He is also an accomplished graphic designer, traditional painter, and illustrator. His vibrant and eclectic style promises to bring a dynamic energy to our gallery.
We are honored to showcase Matt’s art and invite you to join us for the launch party on June 21st at the RAID Gallery & Cafe located at 1720 Queen Street West — details forthcoming on Meetup.com/RAIDsessions. Don't miss this opportunity to experience Matt's captivating work in person and celebrate with us!
You can find all the information on our Meetup profile: meetup.com/raidsessions/events/
You can see more of Matt’s art and support his incredible work on his Instagram and Website!
We are thrilled to announce that two RAID creators have been nominated for prestigious awards!
Danesh Mohiuddin has been nominated for the 2023 NCS (National Cartoonists Society) Divisional Award in 'Book Illustration' for "Princess Pru and the Ogre on the Hill" (written by Maureen Fergus). Danesh, an Indian-Canadian children's book illustrator, is celebrated for his whimsical, colorful style and traditional ink lines. His journey from Hyderabad to Dubai, Toronto, and Spain is a whimsical adventure marked by comic books, art school, and a diverse illustration career. His art spans humor, editorial work, toy designs, and more. Danesh is currently based in Toronto. You can learn more about the award nomination on the NCS website.
Follow Danesh on Instagram and on www.daneshm.com
Danesh Mohiuddin is an Indian-Canadian Children's Book Illustrator who is known for his whimsical colourful style and traditional ink lines. His journey from Hyderabad to Dubai, via Toronto and Spain, is a whimsical adventure marked by comic books, art school, and a diverse illustration career. Danesh's art spans humour, editorial work, toy designs, and more. He is currently based in Toronto.
Follow Danesh on Instagram and on www.daneshm.com
Next in line, with a 2023 Eisner Nomination for Best Anthology, is "Deep Cuts." This anthology is an astonishing collection of humanist stories that weave tales of struggle, joy, and hope through sixty years of jazz. Join writers Kyle Higgins and Joe Clark, along with an all-star cast of artists including Danilo Beyruth, Helena Masellis, Diego Greco, Ramón Pérez, Juni Ba, and Toby Cypress, with colorist Igor Monti on interiors, Chris Brunner and Rico Renzi on covers, and lettering by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, for one of the most unique reading experiences in comics.
Eisner voting is currently open, and all registered comic book professionals are eligible to vote until June 6th! Industry professionals can REGISTER and vote on the EISNER BALLOT SITE.
We’re excited to share the arrival of “Kingdom Riders” by Shannon Delton and RAID member Marcus To to bookshelves near you! Pages we witnessed Marcus’ creating one day at a time, have now coalesced into a beautiful original graphic novel from IDW Publishing.
Described by editor Dave Wielgosz as a "cross between The Hunger Games and Pokémon," “Kingdom Riders” introduces readers to a brand-new, fantastic world full of all kinds of different creatures, monsters and more.
Discover more about the book over in this great article on CBR.
Marcus To is a New York Times bestselling illustrator and storyteller who lives in Toronto, Canada. Throughout his career Marcus has drawn virtually every modern superhero, having worked on Red Robin, Huntress, X-Men, Avengers, Flash, and Wonder Woman. He is currently the artist on X-Force for Marvel Comics.
Follow Marcus on X [@marcusto], Instagram [@marcusanthonyto], and Bluesky [@marcusto].
It’s a packed summer conventions season for RAID and many of our creators! We’re proud to announce that S.M. Carter author of To Steal The Sun, Dax Gordine of Forest Folk fame, and Ramón Pérez from this year’s Eisner Nominated Deep Cuts, will be guests at this years East Coast Comic Expo this coming JUNE 7-8th in Moncton, New Brunswick!
If you’re in the neighbourhood, swing by, say hello, and discover some amazing works of art!
If the Canadian east coast is a bit out of your normal stomping ground, Ramón Peréz will also be attending Heroes Con in Charlotte, North Carolina, from June 14 - 16th, followed by GalaxyCon in Raleigh, North Carolina from July 25 - 28th! He will be exhibiting with fellow creators under the Essential Sequential banner! Booth details are as of yet unavailable but visit the Heroes Conand Galaxy Con websites respectively for further information!
In an effort to grow and connect our community, we are excited to be hosting regular in-person events at RAID HQ, located at 1720 Queen Street West in Toronto’s Parkdale neighbourhood. To better curate these events, we've created RAID Sessions on Meetup.com. By joining the group, you'll stay informed about all our upcoming live events.
Join us for our bi-weekly LIFE DRAWING Sessions or our exciting GALLERY EXHIBIT LAUNCHES! These events are perfect opportunities to meet new people, learn new skills, and step out of your comfort zone.
Additionally, over the past few months, we’ve had the joy of partnering with Studio Jean-Guy for our social media. This dedicated duo is giving it their all and producing fantastic and fun content for our RAID Instagram and Tik Tok channels! If you haven’t followed us yet, please do, and give us a like ❤️ if you enjoy what you see!
Here’s a favourite of ours — a highlight reel from this year’s Toronto Comicon…
We’re signing off in a BIG way today with Tiny Chef (we LOVE him) making our fellow Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ favourite gastronomical delight… Pizza!
Can you rhyme off some of their topping choices?!
Well, should you be drawing a blank, and want to find inspiration for your next pie order... we have found the complete list!