Fabulous afternoon at VanCaf Day 1- the Vancouver Comic Arts Festival last Saturday!

I have broken down some highlights from my visit into 6 blog posts:

1. Julian Lawrence, Drippy the Newsboy, Conundrum Press: BLOG LINK

2. Kat Verhoeven, Towerkind, Conundrum Press BLOG LINK

3. Emily Cowan, Boundary Comic

4. Jasmine Schuett, Spaceclub Comic

5. Inspector Pancakes

6. Erica Moen, Boumeries and VanCaf takeaways/notes

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3.  EMILY COWAN, COMIC ARTIST, BOUNDARY COMIC

I adore this artist.  For so many reasons.  It has been such a joy getting to know her more and more this past year!

Emily has an impeccable eye for character study and environment.  Her comics also drip of authenticity.

I was elated to see her set up at her VanCaf booth (table C4), displaying her delicious product.

I learn so much through my interactions with Emily and her art.  We are certainly soul-sisters when it comes to our desires to work fulltime on our art as hermits in our personal caves, riddled with anxiety and self-doubt, but driven nonetheless.

I do love that Emily demands honesty and exploration of identity in her own work.  Be it the gentle, masterful strokes of her pen, the quirky aspects of her characters, the conversation with environment or the metaphoric imagery of inner angst.

Indeed, she has inspired me to embrace and really explore my own identity.   Identifying as an asexual, pan-romantic, cis-woman artist at age 53 is fabulous and LIBERATING!  Bad ass, even!

BOUNDARY is a long-form comic about being stuck, difficult families, changing friendships and the different kinds of boundaries in our lives.  Mostly though, it’s about adolescent frustration and the unbearable tragedy that is being fifteen.  

The worst part of being fifteen is the monotony.  That’s what Paige thinks anyway.  Doing the same things, seeing the same faces, hearing the same opinions and going to the same places: day in, day out, forever – it’s driving her crazy!  Add a teacher’s strike that completely stalls the school year, friends who don’t seem to think monotony is a problem, and parents who think EVERYTHING is a problem and Paige feels ready to tear her hair out from the restlessness.  She can’t wait for a few more years to pass so she can finally DO SOMETHING – because after all, once you grow up you can finally make things happen for yourself.

…Right?

Check out Emily’s experience at VanCaf in her 365 Project: