Toronto Comicon 2023 hosted an impressive Artists’ Alley, which is always one of the best places to be at cons. Rows of talented and creative artists, whether up-and-comers or industry veterans, are always a sight to behold. While at the event, I spent much of the weekend browsing, shopping, and talking to some great artists while checking out some awe-inspiring work.
Here are just a few of the talented artists I wanted to highlight.
ViviDoodles
Vivi’s abundance of Mothman art is what drew me to their booth. They had some amusing pieces that resonated with my sense of humor. They mostly had prints and stickers and offered 5-minute commissions, so I picked up a Mothman doodle. This was a con highlight for me.
If you’re located in or around Vancouver, Toronto, or Montreal, Vivi can be found at TCAF, VANCAF, and MCAF over the next few months. They will also be debuting their 12-page pilot comic, The Inn at the Edge of the World, at TCAF at the end of April.
Gillian Newland
Gillian’s booth at Toronto Comicon caught my eye with beautiful pop-culture-inspired and animal-centric pieces. Her art is more on the side of traditional art, with many done in watercolor, a style I’ve come to enjoy a lot. I ended up picking up a beautiful God of War-inspired piece.
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Throughout her illustrious career, Newland contributed to several projects, including illustrating various children’s books and covers for a handful of Young Adult novels. She also illustrated the award-winning Canadian books The Magician of Auschwitz, I Am Not A Number, and A Boy Asked The Wind.
Brian Hoang
Brian is a Vietnamese-born artist that specializes in traditional art. As his art career blossomed, he began to be heavily inspired by pop culture, which influences his work. As his career evolved, he’s become more focused on using his art as a lens to explore the culture and history behind his Vietnamese heritage.
Brian has been exhibiting at Fan Expo Canada since 2007, and since 2008 has exhibited alongside a group of like-minded artists that can usually be found sharing the same row of tables at shows. Brian will often exhibit his work beside his fellow artist and wife, Gillian Newland.
Brian and his incredible art will be at Calgary Expo from April 27th to April 30th, as well as more dates throughout the year.
Shirayukinikki
Shirayukinikki is a Toronto-based artist specializing in anime and video game-inspired Lifestyle items like drinkware, clothing, plushies, jewelry, hair accessories, and more. On top of that, she offers adorable enamel pins and other accessories for fans of various animes, mangas, and games to properly show off their love for their favorite properties.
Shirayukinikki definitely had one of the more unique booths at Toronto Comicon. The adorable anime/game-inspired chilled glass tumblers are my favorite thing from the booth. Next time I see Shirayukinikki at a convention, I will buy one!
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Shirayukinikki will be hitting up a ton of conventions in the next few months: Otafest Calgary (May 19-21), Anime North (May 26-28), Animethon Edmonton (July 14-16), Anirevo Vancouver (August 18-20), and Anime Toronto (September 1-3). So if you’re in the area, stop by and admire (and buy) the adorable wares!
FluffyBiscotti
FluffyBiscotti combines food and pop culture in the most adorable ways possible. She is a self-taught artist who has been doing digital art for over 13 years and has exhibited in Artists’ Alleys all over Canada since 2017.
FluffyBiscotti started their art adventure drawing anime-inspired art but shifted her focus when she discovered the beauty of combining two of her favorite things, Pokemon and food. She is heavily inspired by food photography and still-life paintings.
For those wanting to see their unique art in person, FluffyBiscotti will be at Animethon (Edmonton) from July 14-16, Fan Expo Canada (Toronto) from August 24-27, and Anime Toronto from September 1-3.
I would love to highlight every fantastic artist I saw at Toronto Comicon’s Artists’ Alley. If you’re looking for stunning pieces to adorn your walls or shelves, check these artists out!
