Fiona Smyth | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1964 (age 60–61) |
| Occupation(s) | Cartoonist and illustrator |
| Known for | Cheez |
| Notable work | Nocturnal Emissions |
Fiona Smyth (born 1964) is a Canadian cartoonist, illustrator, and comics educator.
Born in Montreal, Smyth was educated at a Catholic girls' school before her family moved to Toronto. After graduating from the art program at Central Technical School, she took a degree from the Ontario College of Art in 1986. She began creating comics as a student, inspired in part by the work of Keith Haring and Chester Brown. [1]
Smyth established herself as a painter and muralist (including designing the facade of the iconic Sneaky Dee's music venue) in Toronto, often incorporating comics and zines into her practice, stating "“Even my earliest shows, I would make zines to sell. So I would have an art show but make a mini-zine to sell, because people might not be able to afford a painting, but they could afford a zine.” [2]
Along with collaborating with schoolmates Maurice Vellekoop and Seth, Smyth also contributed solo work to many comics anthologies and zines. Vortex Comics published four issues of her comic book series Nocturnal Emissions between 1991 and 1994. Her longrunnig weekly comic strip Cheez began in Exclaim! Magazine and ran for ten years (1992–2002). [3]
Smyth has been an instructor at OCAD University since 2006. She was inducted into the Giants of the North: The Canadian Cartoonist Hall of Fame in 2019. [4]
Her book with Cory Silverberg, Sex is a Funny Word, appeared on the American Library Association's Top 10 Most Challenged Books list for 2017 [5] and as 20 on the Top 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books for 2010-2019. [6]
| Year | Title | Publisher | ISBN | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Cheez | Pedlar Press | 978-0968652220 | collecting comic strip work from Exclaim! Magazine |
| 2011 | The Never Weres | Annick Press | 978-1554512843 | graphic novel |
| 2013 | What Makes a Baby | Seven Stories Press | 978-1609804855 | with Cory Silverberg |
| 2015 | Sex is a Funny Word | Seven Stories Press | 978-1609806064 | with Cory Silverberg |
| 2018 | Somnambulance | Koyama Press | 978-1927668542 | career retrospective collection |
Inuit artist Alootook Ipellie and Toronto comic creator Fiona Smyth will be inducted into the Giants of the North Hall of Fame at the annual Doug Wright Awards on May 11.
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