Hello friends!

It's a sign of the times that the roots of the store, hard-to-find alternative and underground comics, are coming back in vogue. Our best customers have always known that we were 20 years ahead of the curve, and this weekend proves the rule. As part of the massive Toronto arts festival "Luminato", one of The Beguiling's favourite cartoonists, underground comix legend Spain Rodriguez, will be in Toronto. Why? Because Spain will be promoting his new graphic novel biography of Che Guevera.

Let that sink in.

An underground comix artist is in Toronto to promote his graphic novel biography of Che Guevara at a massive corporate-sponsored arts festival, and the book is published by Penguin.
The times, they are a changing. But in a good way, as far as we're concerned.

Spain will be part of a special Luminato program entitled "The Political Graphic Novel", which also feature Canada's Bernice Eisenstein ("I Was A Child Of Holocaust Survivors") and Anthony Lappe & Dan Goldman ("Shooting War"), and the whole thing will be moderated by Peter Birkemoe, owner of this here comics establishment. It's one of those things that you can't quite believe is happening, but you're going to be kicking yourself for years if you miss it.

And we've got free tickets!

Luminato and The Beguiling are giving away 10 free individual tickets to see The Political Graphic Novel this Sunday, June 8, at 7pm at the Miles Nadal JCC (just down the street at Spadina & Bloor). Tickets are still available for just $10 online and will also be available at The Box Office. But if you want to win one, here's what you need to do:

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RULES: To enter for a chance to win tickets, simply send an e-mail containing a valid e-mail address (yours), full name (yours), and functioning phone number (yours) to chris@beguiling.com with the word “LUMINATO” and your full name in the SUBJECT LINE. E-mails must be received before 11:59PM EST on Thursday, June 5th, 2008. All entrants must be subscribed to The Beguiling mailing list for the duration of the contest to be eligible to win (you can subscribe above). Winners will be contacted via e-mail starting Friday June 6th, 2008. Tickets can only be picked up at the box office of The Miles Nadal JCC Al Green Theatre in person by the contest winner.

No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Entries that do not follow above rules exactly will be discarded. Etc.
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And with that, we'll (hopefully!) see this Sunday at LUMINATO: THE POLITICAL GRAPHIC NOVEL. We've attached the complete event information below for those of you that would like to know more.

Thanks for Reading!

- Chris @ The Beguiling

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Luminato Literary - Spain Rodriguez, Bernice Eisenstein, Anthony Lappe & Dan Goldman

The Political Graphic Novel
Sunday, June 8 7pm
Al Green Theatre
Miles Nadal JCC (750 Spadina Ave. @ Bloor)

From the war in Iraq to the life of Che Guevara, the medium of graphic novels becomes political in this evening of literature, illustration and discussion.

As a medium in which to discuss serious political and historical issues, the graphic novel came of age with Art Spiegelman’s Maus and Marjane Satrapi’s super-hit Persepolis. Join Luminato and host Peter Birkemoe, owner of The Beguiling, Toronto’s top graphic novel and comics bookstore, for an evening with award-winning Canadian author and illustrator Bernice Eisenstein, I Was a Child of Holocaust Survivors, who joins underground comics sensation Spain Rodriguez to launch his new book, Che: A Graphic Biography, and Anthony Lappe and Dan Goldman for the Canadian premiere of Shooting War, an exploration of the war in Iraq and the influence of alternative news media.

“Spain is one of the true giants of the comics medium. He is a singular artist; his work is unmistakable.” — Joe Sacco, author of Palestine

Considered one of the ten top cartoonists in the world by Robert Crumb

“The light-handed but searing political satire of Shooting War is taking the Sunday comic strip places it could never have gone before.” –Village Voice

Ticket cost $10
http://www.luminato.com/
Ticketmaster – 416-872-1111

*10.00 tickets available at TO Tix in Yonge-Dundas Square and includes $2.50/ticket Ticketmaster outlet fees. Additional service charge and handling fees apply to internet and phone bookings. $10 tickets also available at the venue one hour before each performance.

For more information on the programs and authors visit: http://www.luminato.com/festival/eng/