Four Day Geekend: Bad Manors

For my last night in Toronto, I decided to visit the local branch of the Storm Crow.  Since the opening of its Commercial Drive location in 2012, the Storm Crow geek-and-gamer-bar franchise has been a complete success in Vancouver, with the popular Broadway outlet opening its doors in 2015.  Having had the pleasure of spending time at both those locations, I was eager to complete the hat trick by visiting the Storm Crow Manor on Church Street.

 

Surprisingly, and a bit sadly, I didn't love it.

It’s difficult to say exactly why I was left cold by my experience. On paper, all the same elements were there:  I was seated in their Victorian hunting room, which featured a large bone hatchet right beside me, a large mounted rancor head in front of me and an equally large Beholder head behind, but somehow it still didn't work for me in terms of atmosphere.

 

As its name would indicate, the Toronto venue is a large converted manor house, and they’ve chosen to keep the basic room divisions, which may take away some of the communal feel that I'm used to from the Vancouver locations.  It's certainly busy enough - there's a steady flow of traffic through the foyer, in spite of the fact that it's Sunday night and it's freezing cold outside.

The menu is very similar, with a couple of unexpected differences:  apparently Eastern Canada rates garlic bread, steak, and french onion soup, all of which I think would be welcome in Vancouver (in case anyone from the company is reading this).

My server gave me none of the geek vibe that the Vancouver contingent has, but then neither did the waitress during my first visit to the original Tavern. She also managed to get my order a bit wrong - twice - but that’s a thing that can happen anywhere.

I can’t help but think they could have done more with the blank canvas of this building. Perhaps something that was more ostensibly 19th century in its approach, more Lovecraft than Lucas, more steampunk than science fiction - there are hints of that in the decor where I'm sitting, but really, only hints.

I finished my food, I finished my beer, I settled up my bill, and I left, feeling a bit like I'd wasted my night out, and without even getting a comment on my Doctor Who "The Angels have the phone box" t-shirt.

But, let's be fair - I only saw a bit of the space, and I might have left with a completely different impression if I'd been sitting on the second floor, or in a different room.  I'd like to think that the same sense of geek community that's made the Vancouver Storm Crows so popular is there in Toronto as well, and I just need to come back at the right time to find it there.

- Sid

Four Day Geekend: Hunting for Books, Fit the Second

While I'm visiting Toronto, it seems sensible to take advantage of the opportunity to check around for some of the books flagged for replacement as part of my New Year's resolution to catalogue my library. (Although I can't let myself get too carried away, I only have one piece of carry on luggage and a computer bag.)

The area around the University of Toronto used to be a haven for used book stores, and I'm pleased to discover that part of Toronto has managed to avoid the wave of construction that has rebuilt a lot of the downtown core since the start of the new millennium. 
 
Here's the map for my expedition: starting at College and University*, I'll head west, turn north at about Bathurst, go a bit further west on Bloor, then jump on the subway and go someplace to get warm, it's a cold winter's day and the wind chill factor is taking the temperature down to about -15 C.

The Beguiling

 

My first stop on College isn't actually a used book store as such - I wanted to take a look at The Beguiling Books and Art, which is dedicated to the full range of graphic storytelling. It's been around since 1987, but I'm reasonably certain that this will be the first time that I've ever been through the door, I had a lot of brand loyalty towards The Silver Snail when I lived in Toronto.

The ambient music is some kind of forceful acid jazz as I walk through the door, which gives my visit an unexpected cinematic feel as I make my way around the store.  It's a reasonably large space, split into two storefront areas and directly connected on the west side to Little Island Comics, aimed at comics for kids up to the age of 12.  There's also a basement section dedicated to back issues of comics, which I don't take the time to visit.

Marvel and DC graphic novels are well represented on the shelves, but the balance is more toward independent or non-superhero content, and the Staff Picks/New and Notable displays at the front are completely indie in their offerings.

I'm a little tempted by a collection of H. P. Lovecraft comic adaptations, but it's a big book to haul back to Vancouver with me - see my previous comments regarding luggage -  so I put it back on the shelf and head back out into the cold to start the hunt for books.

She Said Boom!

 

She Said Boom! is what I think of as the template for a used book-and-music store:  narrow storefront space, some original plank flooring, books around the edges, vinyl in the middle.  Like The Beguiling, they're also featuring an aggressive jazz soundtrack - is that the thing for bookstores right now?

It's not a large selection of science fiction and fantasy, just a couple of bookcases,** but I manage to find a couple of things from my replacement shopping list: an excellent trade paperback version of Pat Frank's Alas, Babylon, the first post-apocalyptic novel that I ever read; Nova, by Samuel R. Delaney, and Downbelow Station, by C. J. Cherryh, an excellent space opera which is long overdue for some kind of streaming service adaptation - it's not exactly Game of Thrones in space, but it has a lot of the same intensity.

The woman who is behind the counter vanishes at some point while I'm browsing, and is missing in action for close to ten minutes while I stand patiently at the till.  I fight the urge to take my three books and just leave, that seems like the wrong approach to take, given that she's obviously decided to trust me.

In the fullness of time, she comes back up from the basement and coyly suggests that she needs to dry her hands before dealing with my purchases, which at least indicates that she washed them after whatever activity was taking place down there.  I gingerly accept a bag and a receipt, and I'm off to the next destination on my list.

Balfour Books

 

I can tell that Balfour Books is a classic old-school bookstore just by the distinctive smell of old paper that wafts into my face as I walk through the door.  However, to misquote Obi Wan Kenobi, this is not the book store I'm looking for - in fact, for most of my visit, I'm reasonably certain that they don't actually have any science fiction. 

Eventually I do discover their SF section, cleverly concealed in a wire rack at floor level, and even though Balfour only seems to have about 50 science fiction paperbacks in stock, I don't leave empty handed. They've got a copy of The Deathworms of Kratos, second in the wonderfully bad Expendables series by Richard Avery that I originally received as a Christmas gift in 1979 - it's one of the books from my replacements list that I thought I'd have a lot of trouble locating, so I'm quite happy to have persevered in my search.

While I'm paying for my book, I notice that there's a Buck Rogers pop-up book on display behind the counter.  Given that I own a classic Buck Rogers ray gun, I'm a bit interested, but it's a little too rich for my blood - I tap out well before single book purchases hit the $250 mark.  Perhaps if I win the lottery...but not today.

I trudge away through the cold and snow, up to Bloor Street and Doug Miller Books.

Doug Miller Books

 

Doug Miller Books appears to be one of those bookstores where, like Raven Books near 29 Palms, you get the feeling that it's gotten away from them. The aisles are crammed with boxes that presumably hold books, and there's a second row of books shelved behind the front row - a classic response to limited shelf space, but not one that really lends itself to casual browsing.

As I ponder the selection, I'm surprised by the holes in the science fiction and fantasy section - no Harlan Ellison, no Philip K. Dick, no Ursula K. LeGuin.  Perhaps behind the books I can see?  Deciding that discretion is the better part of valour, I select a Gordon R. Dickson book, Naked to the Stars, and a just barely acceptable copy of Peregrine: Secundus, by Avram Davidson from the books that are actually visible.  (Yes, Peregrine: Primus is on the list as well, but sadly, the copy I bought on Friday didn't survive an attempt to remove the price tag.)

As I head toward what is apparently the only the Lego book store counter in captivity with my meagre selection, I'm surprised to see another bookcase of science fiction paperbacks, not in any particular order (other than perhaps by colour or publisher, it’s that abstract), which, regardless of oddities of cataloguing, features quite a good selection of the books that I'm looking for, and, as per my choice at Balfour, books that I wasn't expecting to find easily.

Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, I quickly add The Tower of Zanid, by L. Sprague de Camp; Dancers in the Afterglow, an early Jack L. Chalker book; The Regiments of Night, by Brian N. Ball, not one of the better known names in the field, but it's a book that I've always liked; John W. Campbell's The Ultimate Weapon (I'd rather have an earlier printing, but beggars, choosers, etc.); The Thurb Revolution, the final book in the Anthony Villiers series, cleverly written by Alexei Panshin; and an early Neil Jones book, Doomsday on Ajiat, one of the Professor Jameson novels - this last selection isn't on my replacement list, but it's a good addition to the rest of the series that I already have. 

And then, on my way back, I pass BMV Books on Bloor Street - and don't go in. It appears to have a large footprint and lots of stock, I can even see the Graphic Novels table through the window, but this point, I'm looking at about 20 books altogether that I need to cram into my carry-on, and it seems ill-advised to add anything else to that list - not to mention my fervent desire to take a break and warm up.  Regardless, I'm pleased, it's been a much more rewarding day than my last attempt to start updating my library.  Who knows, maybe at some point I'll actually start looking in Vancouver.

- Sid

* I've been away from Toronto for too long, that address sounds like it's made up, like the corner of Yonge and Restless, or Binthere and Dundas.

** I have a really simple yardstick for this - do I own more science fiction and fantasy books than the store has for sale? In this case, I have a huge lead.

Four Day Geekend: Star Trek Lives!

It's Saturday morning, and I'm off to the wilds of Scarborough in order to spend some time with my friend Colin - AKA Cloin, the pretty Campbell brother.*

He picks me up at the subway, I get a tour of the new apartment and a cup of tea (served in a Star Trek mug, which turns out to be exactly on theme), we socialize for a bit, and then we head for the Pickering Flea Market along with his charming partner Jennifer, in bold defiance of the blizzard that is sweeping across the GTA.

The greater part of the Pickering Flea Market doesn't hold a lot of interest for me in terms of actual buying rather than browsing - you have to really want a cheap pet hair vacuum cleaner or affordable broadsword (both of which are available) if you're going to have to fly it across Canada to get it home.  There are other stalls that offer more manageable items, such as wallets and Blu-ray discs, but I'm really just looking rather than looking to buy.

However, one end of the cavernous warehouse space houses the Antiques and Collectibles section, which is of somewhat more interest to me.  The last time we were here, I unexpectedly discovered some vintage 1950s science fiction magazines,  so I'm curious to see what hidden treasures I might find this time.

The selection of items is certainly comprehensive:  furniture, books, albums, hardware, lamps, paintings, prints, photos, wall sconces, statuettes, and anything else that might be of interest to a collector.  (And, of course, miniature bagpipes - this is the kind of thing that you find when you shop with a guy named Campbell.)

However, other than a comic book or two, nothing really catches my eye until we pass down a row of locked glass cabinets, one of which contains a selection of Star Trek convention programmes and souvenir photo books from the 70s.

The eight pieces, covering the years from 1973 to 1976, are affordably (and surprisingly) priced at $5.00 each, so I clean out the shelf. The staff member who unlocked the cabinet cheerfully attempts to upsell me by suggesting a few of the other Star Trek items in the cabinet, but discretion is the better part of valour:  I'm far more likely to get the programmes home in one piece than a boxed Star Trek Fan Kit.

In the fullness of time, after a harrowing drive through the blowing snow and a satisfying Italian dinner, I'm back at the hotel and can take a look at my new acquisitions, which turn out to be a fascinating window into the early years of Star Trek fandom.

Those early fans are a testament to perseverance.  The original series ended in 1969 after only three seasons, and the animated series managed just two seasons and 22 episodes from 1973 to 1974.  This is long before home computers are a factor, let alone the internet, so the fans relied on newsletters, amateur fan-made magazines (aka fanzines), local clubs, and, of course, conventions, in order to maintain the Star Trek connection.

Although these programmes represent the very early days of Star Trek conventions, it's obvious that they're already viewed as significant events, attracting a wide range of guests in addition to those from the show itself.

As an example, the schedule for the first day of the 1976 convention features some heavy hitters from the world of science fiction: authors Hal Clement, Gordon R. Dickson, Ben Bova, and Harry Harrison, along with legendary illustrator Kelly Freas, and Gemini/Apollo astronaut James McDivvit - not to mention "What is Science Fiction?", a seminar featuring Harlan Ellison and science fiction legend Isaac Asimov which I would certainly have paid good money to attend.

In addition to schedules of convention events and so on, the books are predominantly composed of black and white promo photos - again, it's before the internet, so fans looking for pictures from the show would have been very pleased to receive 15 or 20 good quality prints from the show.  (That being said, I envision people taking these programs home after the convention ends and then carefully and thoughtfully cutting them up into individual pages, which, as somewhat of a collector, makes me wince a little.)

The programs also feature a Star Trek parody comic, Star Truckin, which I'm astonished to see was created and drawn in part by Matt Howarth, who went on to a noteworthy career as a prolific and successful underground indie comics creator and illustrator.

It's interesting to note that he's already collaborating with fellow artists Tony Sciarra, Mark Kernes and W. E. Rittenhouse, who would assist in the creation of Changes, Howarth's exceptional graphic novel that was serialized in Heavy Metal magazine in the 1980s - my first introduction to his work.  In fact, the comic in the 1975 program features characters who appear to be the original (if unnamed) versions of Ron and Russ Post, the distinctive primary characters from Changes, who went on to star in their own comic book, Those Annoying Post Brothers.**

All in all, I consider this to be a bit of a score in terms of value for money, although now, I'm wondering how much programs from the very first Star Trek convention in 1972 would cost.  Well, who knows, maybe the next time I'm in Pickering...

- Sid

*With no offense to Ralph, after all, someone had to be the smart one, although to be honest, when you're talking about the Campbell Brothers, the ideas of "pretty" and "smart" are really just relative to each other, rather than any sort of universally held standard for either concept. 

** I realize that most people will read this and shrug, but trust me, from a fan perspective, this is amazing deep dive forensic background stuff.  Interestingly, I can't find anything online that indicates Matt Howarth's age, I was trying to determine how old he would have been when he was doing Star Trek fan comics.