Hero: The Toronto Comic Arts Festival

Torontoist is ending the year by naming our Heroes and Villains of 2007––the people, places, and things that we've either fallen head over heels in love with or developed uncontrollable rage towards over the past twelve months. Get your dose, starting Boxing Day and running into the new year, three times a day––sunrise, noon, and sunset.

In a city of endless comicons, the behemoths battled it out while the little guy emerged a winner.

This year's Toronto Comic Arts Festival (August 18–19) was a huge success, thanks to the organizational prowess of The Beguiling and their merry band of volunteers. TCAF's impressive line-up of both internationally recognized cartoonists and local talent seemed even more impressive when you consider that there were zero admission fees. Plus, the selection of U of T's Old Vic building as a festival venue was a welcome change from a cold convention centre hall.

In the end, TCAF welcomed around 6,500 guests over two days. Torontoist was there with a camera in one hand and a signed copy of This Will All End In Tears in the other––not a bad way to spend a weekend afternoon in the city, in our opinion. Let the countdown begin for TCAF 2009.

Photo of Ryan North by Karen Whaley.