A Tale of Two Cons

Apparently the end of Summer is prime time for Comics fans in Toronto*. There were not one, but TWO comics-related shows over the past few weeks, and because I feel it is my duty, I spent some time at both.

First up, the Toronto Comic Arts Festival. I was prepared to say that the best part of this show was that it was free, but this is just not true. I mean, it was free, don't get me wrong, but it was also a pretty great show. They held it in an old building on the University of Toronto campus, which gives them serious bonus points for atmosphere. And it was almost exclusively hipster indie comic artists and authors (even the few guys there who'd worked with DC and Marvel - Paul Pope and Stuart Immonen, for example - are far more 'edgy' than your standard comic book artist.) Also, there were a ton of great webcomic creators there, including two of my favorites, R. Stevens and Jeffrey Rowland. Also Ryan North and Chris Hastings, from whom I bought this most excellent tshirt. What Would Batman Do, indeed. I also picked up a few compilation books from people I'd never heard of, and checked out some pretty cool art (although I was out of money and could not buy any). As free shows go, this one rocked. And now that I've been once, I would totally pay moneys to go again next year (if they decide to start charging, that is, although I would obviously prefer that they didn't.)

This weekend is the Toronto Fan Expo, which has Comics, Sci-Fi, Horror, Anime, and Gaming components. Sounds cool, right? Is not so great, actually. Look at the guest list, man. Even the people who CANCELLED are pretty mediocre. Supposedly it's been better in the past, and maybe they made a huge mistake by scheduling it the same weekend as PAX, but whatever. Also, it's one of those cons where you have to pay extra to be able to see any of the panels - your $25 ticket only gets you access to the dealer's room, and a few of the signings. Needless to say we just went to the dealer's room and bought a lot of comics. Oh, the World Series of Video Games was there, also. Which is kinda cool, I guess. I was looking forward to watching some serious Guitar Hero shreddage, especially if someone chose to play 'Miserlou' on expert. But when the second dude we saw picked a song on MEDIUM and then proceeded to screw it up, I was a little disappointed. And shockingly, watching a slew of people sit at computers and play WoW is not nearly as thrilling as I had anticipated. The best thing about this show, really, was the mix of people attending. I didn't bring my camera, because I wasn't expecting so many cosplayers, but they were EVERYWHERE. We briefly debated instigating a fight between the Horror fans and the Anime kids, but it wasn't to be. The one booth selling TPBs for 40% was the redeeming factor, since I easily bought enough to make up for the ticket price.

*Yes, there is a third Comic Convention in Spring, the Paradise Con. We went to that too, but since it sorta sucked, I'm not going to bother with it. Really, it wasn't worth the price of admission.

Automated DMV!

I think this might be the best idea any government has ever had: self-service DMV kiosks!! It's genius. If all you're doing is paying a fee, why should you have to do it in person? I think this explains why, when I went to get my Ontario drivers license (still have to do that in person), there was no line and virtually no wait at the actual Driver Licensing office. The other genius thing they do? Aside from first-time licenses and drive tests, you can take care of just about any other motor vehicle regulatory service at a privatized center, and they are everywhere. No 2-hour waits surrounded by unhappy people waiting to be served by surly staff. It's pretty great, really.

The postal service is slightly more convenient, also. There are Canada Post locations everywhere (the nearest mall has 2 of them). And they're open at hours when most people can actually go! Too bad the actual mail-delivery part of Canada Post is ice-age slow, especially for packages.

Red, this one's for you

Have I mentioned the beer store?

So in Ontario, you can only buy booze at the LCBO or at the Beer Store. It's kinda like Utah but without all the polygamy. While it's a wee bit inconvenient to not be able to grab a six-pack while grocery shopping, the awesomeness of the Beer Store makes it all okay. First of all, they're everywhere. I don't think there's anywhere in the city you can live without having one or the other within a few blocks of you. Then there's the name : THE BEER STORE. It's brilliant. If they sold t-shirts or hats I'd buy them. Also, you can return your old cans, bottles, bottlecaps, wine and liquor bottles and boxes to them for cash and for Green cred. But the best thing about the beer store?



THE WALL OF BEER. Just look at the choices, man! You just walk up to the register, place your order, and your beverages are delivered to you on a conveyor belt as if by magic.

Now, not all Beer Stores are like this - some are self-serve, refrigerated warehouses, but those generally have an inferior selection. The one pictured above is right across the street from me. So far, my favorite Canadian beer is La Fin du Monde, from Quebec, which I had to try after Dave kept raving about it (thanks, Dave!). I'm gonna "force" myself to keep trying others, though. If it weren't for the fact that beer is insane pricey here, I'd be in big trouble.

Gee, how convenient

Now that the "accelerated" part of this Library Tech program is almost over, I've been thinking that it's time to look for a job. With a study visa, though, you're not allowed to work off-campus for the first 6 months (which means not until November for me), although you can work on-campus at any time. Also, you need to apply for a separate work permit to work off campus and that application costs $150. Okay, fine, I don't mind working on campus - it would actually be a hell of a lot more convenient, anyway, since I'm already here. Here's the catch : most campus jobs want you to be eligible for the Ontario Work Study Program. Guess what? You have to be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident for that. Thanks again, Canada.