Vancouver cartoonist/comic historian Ken Boesem writes & draws the soapy serialized comic strip The Village, which turns seven in 2012. John Bell's Invaders From The North: How Canada Conquered the Comic Book Universe (2007) lists Ken as someone doing interesting contemporary work and his full mini-comics output is archived in the UBC Library's Rare Books & Special Collections. Ken's work has been published or reviewed in Maclean's, Geist, Broken Pencil, OCW, The Vancouver Sun, The Stranger and others and has appeared in the graphic anthologies SPX (2003) and Funday Sunnies (2009).

Outside of comics, Ken's illustrations appear throughout the new memoir Foodsluts at Doll & Penny's Cafe (May 2012) by award-winning writer Tony Correia and his posters appear on the odd lamppost as does he (with his nearest and dearest) as part of the Queer History Project's 2011 Chosen Family photo/heritage marker project. He also provides art direction for award-winning film/stage productions and acts as "drag"aturg to popular drag performer Vera Way.

Ken's currently at work on a graphic adaptation of Canada's first science fiction/fantasy novel and a series of school-friendly history books about Canada's Golden Age of comics, our first costumed crusaders and their fascinating creators.

Ian Boothby is a multiple Shuster Award, Harvey Award and Eisner Award nominee and Eisner Award-winning comic book creator best known for his work as one of the main writers on THE SIMPSONS and FUTURAMA Comics for Bongo including the SIMPSONS FUTURAMA CROSSOVER CRISIS and COMIC BOOK GUY THE COMIC BOOK.

Ian is also an improv, sketch and stand up comedian living in Vancouver, Canada where he co-hosts the SNEAKY DRAGON podcast.

Matt Bors is a nationally-syndicated editorial cartoonist and editor based in Portland, OR. He was a 2012 Pulitzer Prize Finalist for his political cartoons, which appear regularly in The Sacramento Bee, Portland Mercury, Pittsburgh City Paper, and on Daily Kos.

Bors has traveled to Afghanistan and Haiti to produce and edit comics journalism and served as an editor for Cartoon Movement. In 2012, Bors was the recipient of the Herblock Prize and the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi Award for his editorial cartooning.

His first graphic novel, War Is Boring, was a collaboration with journalist David Axe. His latest book is a collection of political cartoons and essays titled Life Begins At Incorporation.

Born in London, Ontario, Canada in 1953. His first comic strip -- HEART BREAK COMICS, starring Laszlo, Great Slavic Lover -- was published in the Vancouver "underground" weekly Georgia Straight 14 July, 1977. In June 1978 a new strip entitled REID FLEMING, WORLD'S TOUGHEST MILKMAN appeared. The first REID FLEMING comic book was published by the author in October 1980, and has never been out of print. In 1984 HEART BREAK COMICS was co-published by the author and Last Gasp of San Francisco. From 1986 to 1990 a new REID FLEMING series was published by now-defunct Eclipse Comics of California; the five books comprised the graphic novel ROGUE TO RICHES. In 1991 Eclipse published a compendium of all the REID FLEMING comics entitled FUN WITH REID FLEMING, in both soft- and hard-cover editions. Three hundred copies of the hard-cover edition included a tipped-in colour plate signed by the author.

In 2011 I.D.W. of San Diego published the first of two volumes collecting all the REID FLEMING comics, as well as HEART BREAK COMICS. Volume II will contain a new REID FLEMING graphic novel called ANOTHER DAWN. Also in 2011 Mr. Boswell was inducted into the Canadian cartoonists Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Toronto, part of the annual Doug Wright Awards. The title "Giant of the North", along with a medal created by esteemed cartoonist Seth, was bestowed upon the author at the Art Gallery of Ontario on 7 May 2011.

Mr. Boswell is also a photographer, and his portrait of Leonard Cohen (shot in Vancouver in 1978 for the Georgia Straight) is the cover image for the new authorised biography by Sylvie Simmons.

Mr. Boswell is married, the proud father of three grown children, and lives in Vancouver, B.C.

Ed Brisson is a Vancouver-based comic book writer and letterer. He's best known for his self-published crime series MURDER BOOK and Image published COMEBACK and EL DIA DE LOS MUERTOS. His latest series through Image/Shadowline, SHELTERED, with local artist Johnnie Christmas, hits stores in July.

The Cloudscape Comics Society is a coalition of indie comic book artists centered in Metro Vancouver who publish yearly anthologies and foster a community where BC comic creators can network with each other while developing their craft and continuing to push the boundaries of the comic book medium. In 2007, a Vancouver artist named Jeff Ellis decided to bring together several local indie comic book creators for a collective project. A year later, Robots, Pine Trees, & Broken Hearts was published, featuring nine stories written by independent BC comic artists. This was soon followed by Historyonics (2008), an anthology of historical fiction; Funday Sunnies (2009), a tribute to the classic Sunday colour comic strips; Exploded View (2010), a science fiction anthology where each artist explored their own unique vision of the future, and 21 Journeys, a full-colour collection centered around travel and self-discovery.

Their most recent book is Giants of Main Street, tales of fantasy and magic set within urban environment. All their anthologies are available for purchase on their website.

A Softer World is a comic that was created by Emily Horne and Joey Comeau so that people would recognize them as important artistic geniuses. Sometimes the "comic" is sad or harsh. It should be noted that this is in the tradition of George Simenon's 'romans durs' (or 'hard novels') and not in the lesser traditions of comics like Peanuts or anything else not French. Comeau is a French name. (Pronounced kuh-moe, by the way. Joey is very important, please say his name correctly. Emily is also very important but her name is easier to pronounce.)

Farel Dalrymple was the artist on Omega the Unknown (Marvel Comics) with writer Jonathan Lethem. His creator-owned comic book, Pop Gun War (Dark Horse Comics), was a Xeric grant recipient and won a gold medal from The Society of Illustrators. Farel was a co-founder of the comic anthology Meathaus and has worked on a range of illustration and cartooning projects for comic book publishers (Marvel, DC, Image, Dark Horse, Ad house), magazines, book publishers, ad agencies and film studios. He is currently residing in Portland, Oregon where he is writing and drawing an original comic book story, The Wrenchies, for First Second Books, drawing an occasional issue of Prophet for Image Comics, and working on his webcomic, it will all hurt for Study Group Comics.

Rebecca Dart is a Vancouver-based artist working in the animation industry on such shows as Mission Hill and My Little Pony. She is currently working on a Battle Kittens graphic novel.

Vancouver-based illustrator and painter, Camilla d'Errico, has made her mark on the Fine Art and Comic book industries. Camilla has shared her passion illustration on collaborative projects with comic all-star authors including Joshua Dysart, Serena Valentino, Neil Gaiman and Grant Morrison, with publications through Image Comics, Arcana Studios, Slave Labour Graphics and Darkhorse.

Camilla's true love of storytelling is seen through her own self-published comic series, Tanpopo. From volume 1, Tanpopo has grown and developed to unfold Camilla's story and characters across transmedia platforms. Print, internet serialization, and active engagement for readers through conventions, schools and online see Camilla's stories and characters reach back to touch the hearts of those who approach them. Camilla's Tanpopo characters have found their way into designer toys, costume contests, and interactive characters on social media networks. Tanpopo invites comic readers to enjoy classic literature and comics together, enriching their scope and sparking new appreciation for both new and original works of fiction. A hardcover edition of Tanpopo 1-3, available from Boom Studios in 2012, will be inviting more readers to experience Camilla's most personal art and storytelling for themselves.

Becky and Frank have been working together and making comics for a million years. Originally from New Zealand, they are now based out of Los Angeles where they continue to make comics and children's books.

They are most known for their hand-painted online serial Tiny Kitten Teeth and its companion piece, Tigerbuttah, which is produced in a faux Little Golden Book style. In late 2012, they released the first collection of Tiny Kitten Teeth in hardcover. At VanCAF 2013 they will have their brand new book, Capture Creatures, a collection of 151 hand-painted creatures, which has taken close to two years to complete.

Brandon Graham was born in December of 1976, the grandson of pin-up artist Bill Randall. He grew up in Seattle around a lot of graffiti and comics. Some of his books are King City, Escalator and Universe so Big.

He lives in Vancouver BC with his lady Marian Churchland. He writes and sometimes draws the Image series Prophet and he's been working on his new book, Multiple Warheads and sketchbook collection, Walrus.

Meredith Gran is a cartoonist and animator from New York. She most recently drew the Adventure Time miniseries "Marceline and the Scream Queens" and spends a lot of time on her webcomic Octopus Pie.

Jeph Jacques writes and illustrates the webcomic Questionable Content. He was born in Rockville, Maryland, graduated from Hampshire College with a degree in music. He lives in Easthampton, Massachusetts with his wife and business manager Cristi.

Morgan Jeske is a cartoonist who draws comics like Disappearing Town and Change (Image Comics). He lives and works in Vancouver. He refers to himself in third person professionally.

Steve LeCouiiliard is a story artist, web comicker and self-published cartoonist. He is best known for his three-volume comedy strip Much the Miller's Son, for which he won a Xeric Grant in 2010. Steve is currently wrestling with Una the Blade, a Sword and Sorcery comic about a barbarian single-mom and Mister Satan, an affectionate revisionist superhero based on Adam West's Batman. He lives in Coquitlam with his wife and two young sons.

Steve is the artist of VanCAF 2013's promotional art.

Steve Lieber's comics and illustrations have been published by DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, Image, Dupuis, Scholastic and many others, but he's best known for his work on Whiteout, a graphic novel that was adapted by Warner Brothers as a feature film, and UNDERGROUND, a graphic novel that's famous for being pirated on 4Chan.

His various projects have received nine Eisner Award nominations, and he won the Eisner for Best Limited Series for Whiteout Volume 2: Melt. Steve's a founding member of Periscope Studio, the largest studio of comic book artists in North America. He lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife, the novelist Sara Ryan.

(Profile photo provided by Lori Matsumoto)

James Lloyd started drawing comics as an effective way of avoiding almost all normal adult responsibilities. His career in comics includes ten years as regular penciller on both the Simpsons and Futurama titles for Bongo Comics, a brief stint self-publishing a slew of small-press work, and a long stretch of being Canadian. He worked in various capacities for Vancouver's animation industry in the nineties on such cultural phenomenons as MGM Lionhearts and the Littlest Angel's Easter Special. He looks forward to topping these momentous conquests by introducing the concept of irony to Vancouver's heavy metal community.

Sam Logan is the Vancouver-based creator of Sam and Fuzzy, a webcomic epic featuring warring ninja mafiosos, adorable rodent gangsters, and lovesick stalker vampires; he also provides artistic and motivational support for the enigmatic alternative artist Rikk Estoban, creator of Skull Panda. When not drawing comics, Sam can be found in the company of a labrador retriever named Macbeth.

Nina Matsumoto (better known online by the alias of "space coyote") is a Japanese-Canadian Eisner Award-winning comic book artist. Critically-acclaimed for her unique style and versatility, she has released two volumes of her original manga Yokaiden through Del Rey Manga. A lifelong fan of The Simpsons, she regularly pencils for Bongo Comics (Simpson Comics, Bart Simpson Comics). She also illustrated The Last Airbender Prequel: Zuko's Story, and is an artist for the T-shirt company Meat Bun.

Marv Newland has lived and worked in Vancouver, Canada since 1972. He has produced illustrations for many magazines including: Georgia Straight, Vancouver Magazine, Geist, Discorder, Outside Go, Travel etc., La Petite Lettre De La Poudriere and Joe Magazine. Pines & Palms published a series of books featuring drawings from his sketchbooks during the years 1988 through 2000. In 2009 Newland had a one man show of his watercolour painted postcards at galeriebarbes in Serignan, France. In 2010 Chernoff Fine Arts, Vancouver held an exhibition of his watercolour postcards and larger works. Newland makes animated films with International Rocketship Limited, Vancouver and the National Film Board of Canada. He is a part time animation instructor at Vancouver Film School and University of the Fraser Valley.

Steve Rolston has been telling stories in the comic book medium for over a decade and has illustrated a range of genres, from the spy series Queen & Country to the punk rock comedy Pounded; from the teen drama Emiko Superstar to the supernatural thriller Ghost Projekt. While he most often works with writers, Steve has gone solo on a few comics such as the cartoony Jack Spade & Tony Two-Fist and his slacker noir graphic novel One Bad Day.

His comic book work has earned an Eisner Award and Cybils Award, as well as a couple Shuster Award nominations. Beyond comics, he has provided illustrations for educational children's books and character designs for both tv animation and video game projects.

Steve also teaches a part-time course on the art of comic book storytelling at the VanArts school.

Simon Roy is a cartoonist and illustrator from Victoria, BC. He burst onto the comics scene in 2009 with his first book Jan's Atomic Heart that left reviewers wondering if he was a new talent or a classic creator from Europe. Every review cited the resemblance of his work to the artists of Heavy Metal Magazine, where he has also been published. He is currently co-writing and illustrating Image Comics' Prophet series. More of his work can be found here.

James Stokoe is a Canadian comic book artist who is known for his work on such titles as Orc Stain, Wonton Soup and Godzilla: Half Century War. He spends his days watching The Fast and The Furious and drawing terrible terrible things. Give him fresca, he likes fresca.

Kurtis Wiebe is a Vancouver, Canada-based author who's been established in the world of comic writing since 2009. For his contribution to the critically-acclaimed Green Wake, Kurtis was presented with the Outstanding Comic Book Writer Shuster Award.

His other credits include The Intrepids, Peter Panzerfaust, Debris, Grim Leaper and The Lineage.

Marley Zarcone thinks she's Scully from The X-Files. Do not tell her she isn't, things may get violent. She has drawn for Madame Xanadu, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Forgetless and Elephantmen. Marley is currently collaborating with Brandon Graham on an unnamed project.