Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that comics have come a long way since Superman; the recent film adaptation of Frank Miller's Sin City being an obvious example, not to mention the success of Marjane Satrapi's excellent biographies, Persepolis and Persepolis 2.

Toronto, hip to all that is cutting edge, is not blind to this trend. Thus, the second Toronto Comics Arts Festival, which features over 100 writers, comics and artists, officially begins tomorrow night, with a kickoff party at Horseshoe Tavern, and runs through Sunday.

The good people at The Beguiling and Scholastic Canada sponsor TCAF in it's mission to promote our own local and Canadian talent while also showcasing international creators. Events include gallery presentations, lectures, workshops, discussion panels and interactive readings.

Honoured guests at the festival include (but are not remotely limited to) Jeff Smith, author of Bone, M@B who I'm sure we all know from eye, and Paige Braddock, who writes Jane's World.

For a closer look at an artist featured in the festival, read Danielle's recent interview with Chip Zdarsky, auteur of Prison Funnies and Monster Cops.

Friday at the Horseshoe is the aforementioned TCAF kickoff party featuring Kid Koala. Doors open at 9pm and the show starts "later." Tickets, available at The Beguiling, are 15$ and give a discount on other TCAF events. If you're under 19, though, you'll have to be satisfied peeking in the window or checking out some of the other events on Saturday and Sunday.

A TCAF Patron Pass wristband (20$, 10$ for under 18) gets you in to all the main events on Saturday and Sunday, which take place in the square block radius at Bloor and Bathurst - additional ticket purchases are required for access to Harbourfront and Horseshoe events.

Access to the TCAF Main Tent, which features over 100 artists, is free, as is the Scholastic Canada Children's Tent. Both the tents are located behind Honest Ed's in Honest Ed's Alley and will be open from 10am - 6pm Saturday and 11am - 5pm Sunday.

To read the full calendar of events and reading click here. For any additional info, email contact@torontocomics.com.