Return of Tingfest is a Sure Sign of Spring
By Dan BrownThe birds are chirping. The snow is gone. The grass is growing. And Tingfest is back.The festival, which celebrates work from Southwestern Ontario graphic artists, kicks off April 16 and runs to May 18. This spring marks the eighth time it has been staged. “I lost some years over the pandemic so it’s hard to keep track,” said Diana Tamblyn, the London graphic novelist who is the driving force behind Tingfest, which launched in 2014. Last spring marked the annual fixture’s return after COVID.Named after legendary London Free Press editorial cartoonist Merle Tingley, it brings together those who have followed in his footsteps and takes place at the Tap Centre for Creativity on Dundas Street.“I think Ting brings up real joy, warmth and goodwill in people,” Tamblyn said. “He grounds the festival and (that) is why we feature his work every year and a huge photo of him greets people as you walk through the door at TAP.”As always, pieces by the featured artists will line the space’s walls for public viewing. There will also be plenty of free programming for the whole family.“This year a theme seems to have emerged of art and music,” Tamblyn said. “In fact, this year features award-winning musicians Kevin Hearn (of Barenaked Ladies), Lido Pimienta (a Polaris Prize winner) and Owen MacKinder (of the Birthday Massacre band, who have charted four songs on the Billboard 200) – all of whom people might not know are talented artists, as well as musicians. On top of this list, Matt James – a Governor General’s Award-winning illustrator – is also a musician and plays regularly in a band.”“This is not to take away from the rest of our featured artists who themselves have diverse talents on top of their visual-artist skills,” she added. “Such as editorial cartooning (Frantisek Bidlo), video-game design (Chris Elliott), silk-screening and murals (soft flirt), educator, comics collector, and academic (Ivan Kocmarek), ceramicist (Julian Miholics), animation (Dax Gordine), and illustrator and graphic novelist (Alyssa Waterbury, who also designed this year’s festival poster).”I don’t know about you, but if I get the chance, I’ll be quizzing Hearn about his time as musical director for the late Lou Reed’s band. I am also especially excited about seeing Kocmarek, who is an expert on Second World War-era Canadian comic books.Among the many offerings Londoners will be able to check out during the festival’s run are the Ting zine expo, the small-press spotlight, and a maker station for kids. Tamblyn tells me the featured publishing house this time around will be RAID Press. “Because we have RAID, Ramon Perez will be making an appearance since it’s his imprint AND he is just starting a run on (DC’s) The Flash as the artist!,” she said.Yes, it’s that Ramon Perez – the one who illustrated the Jim Henson-inspired Tale of Sand! I hope I get the chance to meet him!Tamblyn reports it feels “a bit surreal” the festival has lasted this long: “The first year (in 2014), the festival seemed like a bold experiment that we weren’t sure would fly. We didn’t know if anyone would respond or show up. It was nerve-wracking! And then on opening night we had Merle Tingley himself appear . . . . So many people showed up for Ting – friends, colleagues, neighbours.”Tamblyn says Tingley’s visit “was like a rock star arrived” (the cartoonist passed in 2017 at the age of 95).“(After the first year) we weren’t sure if we could do it again! And we did. I have to say I was never worried that London and Southwestern Ontario had the talent to fill 10 featured artists spots at a festival year after year, but would people still come without Ting himself present? They have, and every year I’m grateful and overwhelmed all over again,” she said.Tambyn is aided every spring by TAP Centre executive director Sandra De Salvo and her team.With any luck, this will be the Tingfest that finally puts all those COVID memories to bed. “All I really know is I started the pandemic with black hair and came out of it with mostly grey hair!” Tamblyn said.Dan Brown has covered pop culture for more than 31 years as a journalist and also moderates L.A. Mood’s monthly graphic-novel group.
