Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy launches TCAF

GEEKPR0N was at the launch of Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy by Sam Maggs, which kicked off the Toronto Comic Arts Festival.

Sam will also be leading panels this weekend including “What Do Women Want” looking at the female comic readership (4pm High Park Ballroom, Bloor Yorkville Marriott) as well as signing at the Penguin Random House of Canada booth in the atrium on Sunday afternoon.

The Fangirl’s Litany in poster form.

The launch itself was jam-packed with all sorts of local creators and fans including those from the comics world, the television world, cosplayers, and online creators. There were posters and table tops with the Fangirl litany splashed around the room, and several of the ladies who were in the book trailer were also in attendance.

Just some of the people waiting to meet Sam.

Sam was introduced by Innerspace’s Teddy Wilson, who said “this book touches universal themes of fandom… [this] is both universal and specific at the same time which is the definition of great art.”

Teddy Wilson introduces Sam Maggs.

Sam talked about how she wanted to write something “really positive about loving who you are.” And she praised the contributions of her illustrator Kelly Bastow for the art of “diverse fangirls and showing different types of awesome women.”

Copies of the cover and fun robots! (Everyone loves robots.)

I spoke with Kelly later in the evening and managed to wrangle a quote: “It’s fantasitc that the book has brought so many people together. It’s the first of its kind and I’m honoured to be a part of it and I’m so proud of Sam.”

So are we Kelly!

Sam & I