NewsThe MINT Project Participates in the Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF)
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Jun 4, 2026
MINT, the Manga International Network Team, which aims to promote the diversity of Japanese manga abroad, continues their tour in North America at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF).
They are set to participate in several workshops and panels hosted by TCAF on Libraries and Education Day in Toronto. These events will feature MINT creators and advisors along with artists, librarians, and researchers from several countries around the world. The events, which also include the Word Ballon Academy (WBA), are a chance for participants to gain new, international perspectives and understanding.
For the next two days, June 6th and 7th, the MINT team of creators, editors, advisors, and coordinators will participate in several exciting panels exploring the unique and diverse themes across the world of manga.
MINT will also have their own booth at the festival, so if you’re in the area be sure to drop by and say hi!
Check out the official TCAF website to find more information, including a full list of panels and discussions: https://www.torontocomics.com/
MINT Project TCAF Event Schedule
June 5th
◆Libraries and Education Day
Venue: Toronto Metropolitan University Archives and Special Collections（350 Victoria Street, 4F）
9:00-9:50 AM
Opening Panel: Comics Preservation
Participants:
-Emily Yoshimoto (MINT Creator / Editor, LEED Publishing Co., Ltd. /Manga Artist)
-Mara Thacker (University of Illinois/ Librarian)
-Megan Halsband (Library of Congress / Librarian)
Moderator: Amie Wright (TCAF Executive Director)
10:00-10:50 AM
Spotlight on MINT Manga
Participants:
-Yuki Yamaguchi (MINT Creator / Editor, HERO’S INC.)
-Kirin Inoue (MINT Creator / Editor, LEED PUBLISHING CO., Ltd.)
-Adam Jimenez (MINT Project Coordnator)
-Jocelyne Allen (Japanese to English Translator/ Interpreter)
Moderator: Deb Aoki (MINT Advisor / Manga critic/ Editor)
11:00-11:50 AM
Graphic Medicine Without Borders
Participants:
-Moka Onmae (MINT Creator / Manga artist)
-Tsubasa Kosaka (MINT Creator / Editor, AKITASHOTEN)
-Joana Mosi (Portugal / Graphic Novel Artist)
-Maureen Burdock (USA / Graphic Novel Artist)
-Arizona O’Neill (Canda/ Illustrator)
-Veronica Post (Canada / Graphic Novel Artist)
Moderator: Shelley Wall (University of Toronto Mississauga / Associate Professor and Associate Director)
◆Word Balloon Academy: Workshop for WBA
Venue: Catalyst Space (80 Gould Street)
1:30-2:30 PM
PRESENTATION: Crafting and Conveying Emotion: Illustrating the Feelings of Characters
Participants:
-Marco Kohinata (MINT Creator / Manga artist)
◆Special Event
Venue: Jet Ice Lounge（Fourth Floor Mattamy Athletic Centre 7）
6:00-7:00 PM
TCAF 2026 Kick-Off Panel: 20 Years of TCAF
Participants:
-Battan (MINT Creator/ Manga Artist)
-Chris W. Kim (Illustrator / Comic Artist)
-Jenn Woodall (Illustrator / Comic Artist)
-Mauvice Vellekoop (Illustrator / Comic Artist)
Moderator: Amie Wright (TCAF Executive Director)
June 6th
TCAF Day 1
Venue: Mattamy Athletic Centre, 50 Carlton Street, Toronto, ON
The MINT booth is located at the Hockey Arena on the 3rd floor (No. 190–192), and the exhibit is on the Concourse Level on the 4th floor. See the TCAF 2026 Exhibitor Maps for details.
12:30-1:30 PM
Dangerous Cartooning: Politics and the Personal in a Perilous Age
Venue: The Bunker (3rd floor)
Participant: Tokushige Kawakatsu (MINT Creator / Manga Artist)
4:15-5:05 PM
Alternative Manga with the MINT Project
Venue: Jet Ice Lounge (4th floor)
Participants:
-Battan (MINT Creator/ Manga Artist)
-Sumire Nobuto (MINT Creator / Editor, Futabasha Publishers Ltd.)
-Marco Kohinata (MINT Creator / Manga Artist)
-Debora Aoki (MINT Advisor / Manga Critic/ Editor)
4:30-5:30 PM
A Drop of Colour on a White Page: Being “the Other” in Comics
Venue: The Bunker (3rd floor)
Participant: Keita Katsushika (MINT Creator / Manga Artist)
Moderator: Nehal El-Hadi
June 7th
TCAF Day 2
Venue: Mattamy Athletic Centre, 50 Carlton Street, Toronto, ON
The MINT booth is located in the Hockey Arena on the 3rd floor (No. 190–192), and the exhibit is on the Concourse Level on the 4th floor. See the TCAF 2026 Exhibitor Maps for details.
11:30 AM-12:30 PM
The Comic Book Gig Economy
Venue: The Bunker (3rd floor)
Participants:
-Keita Katsushika (MINT Creator / Manga Artist)
-Kirin Inoue (MINT Creator / Editor, LEED PUBLISHING Co., Ltd.)
1:30-2:30 PM
Biopics on Bristol: The World of Biographical & Autobiographical Comics
Venue: The Bunker (3rd floor)
Participant: Emily Yoshimoto (MINT Creator / Editor, LEED Publishing Co., Ltd. /Manga Artist)
Moderator: Megan Halsband (Library of Congress / Librarian)
3:30-4:30 PM
Craft & Commerce: The Art & Business of Comics Collaboration
Venue: The Bunker (3rd floor)
Participants:
-Marco Kohinata (MINT Creator/ Manga Artist)
-Yuki Yamaguchi (MINT Creator / Editor, HERO’S INC.)
Real-time updates regarding each event will be posted to MINT’s official X account, so be sure to check it out here: https://x.com/mint_manga?s=11
Contact
MINT secretariat
Japan Publishing Industry Foundation for Culture (JPIC)
Email: creator-project@jpic.or.jp