Free festival dedicated to comic books coming to Toronto this weekend

Toronto is about to get a serious dose of cartoon magic this weekend as Canada's largest celebration of comics and graphic novels returns to the city.

They say never meet your heroes, but if your hero happens to be the creator behind your favourite manga series (like Battan, for instance), it might be worth breaking that rule for a day.

The free two-day festival kicks off Saturday, June 6, with more than 350 artists, novelists, and creators from around the world in attendance. 

This year's event will feature its largest group of international guests in six years, welcoming acclaimed and emerging artists from Japan, the Philippines, India, several Latin American nations, and across Europe.

While superheroes certainly have their moment in the spotlight, this will be your chance to also explore horror, fantasy, and even some family-friendly comics, too. 

The festival will take place at TMU's Mattamy Athletic Centre (formerly Maple Leaf Gardens). The annual event regularly attracts more than 28,000 visitors, making it one of the biggest comic arts gatherings in North America.

If that's simply not enough, organizers are hosting a full day of professional development programming on Thursday and Friday, where comics creators, librarians, scholars and others can connect and bond over their love of the craft.

Whether you're a lifelong collector or simply looking for a fun indoor activity this weekend (warning: rain is, as of now, on the forecast this whole weekend), this free festival offers plenty of reasons to assemble your crew and head downtown.

For the full schedule of programming and hours, visit the festival's official website.

Toronto Comic Arts Festival will take place at the Mattamy Athletic Centre, located at 50 Carlton St.