Showing posts with label 2012 in review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2012 in review. Show all posts

Friday, December 21, 2012

2012 in Review: Marc Pearson

 Marc Pearson

What have been your personal publishing/comics highlights of 2012?

I made a book called 'Mr. Ray's Grave Thoughts' and it took me a while to make it, but then after I finished it, it was done. If you wanna buy it, it's in stores around.. the place, but also here.

That's the first all me comic I've ever put out, so it was a pretty big deal emotionally. there was a lot of listening to pop songs and making finalising statements while sighing like "Well... *sigh* There you go." or "*sigh* Yeah, I guess I DID do it."

Who are some of the comics creators that you've discovered and enjoyed for the first time in 2012?

 
Okay, so yeah, like everyone else there's that Simon Hansalami guy he's a-grade. he's like a slap in the butt when it's good. Then Michael Deforge is pretty great, and I just read these comics by Jesse Moynihan that were amazing and dreamy, and then there's Melissa mendes, she did this comic called Freddy Stories, and it's really great and it made me feel real emotions that I still feel today, even though I didn't read it today, it's like it travels with me, like a backpack or a rucksack, and I like it. There's Chuck Forsman, he's doing this comic called the end of the fucking world, and it's a real nice comic to read, and it's getting a Fantagraphics release next year, and I would highly recommend it, and then he also runs Oily Comics, which i would also recommend people check out. 


There's a guy called Walker Mettling from Rhode Island, and he's doing these comics with kids under the name PROVIDENCE COMICS CONSORTIUM, and if you don't like it, you're not exciting or interesting, and no one likes you, and the smell of rotten meat is starting to get to everybody else here, and they're starting to say things like "It's a little much, don't you think?". He runs these classes with these kids, and he makes them do all these drawing exercises and stuff, and then at the end they've made their own comics and he prints them up into books so the kids can have them, but even if you aren't a kid, you can have them too! I have them, and I'm not a kid. I'm a man.

Mickey Z, does a comic called RAV thats really great. I got that collection of Kevin Huizenga comics called CURSES and thats like... the perfect comic book.
If you're looking for the perfect comic book, look no further, than CURSES... by Kevin Huizenga.
....
My friend ELLIOT LAMB, just made a book called SWEAT #1 and it's real hot and slow like what I imagine a sting album is like.
 

What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2012?

I read this Lynda Barry book called CRUDDY, because Melissa Mendes said it was good, and I, like everyone else should, trust her implicitly (-and it was real special). I went and saw Hannibal Buress do standup and that changed the way I talk a little sometimes because it was so funny, Lashna's moving back into my house, I've been talking to Alyx again and she's thinking about moving to Melbourne in April next year, which might be weird, but above that I just think it'll kind of be cool. Our relationship has always kind of been in the shadow of how far away she always is, so this is kind of like a new beginning, you know? like I'll get to regularly spend time with her.. which should be cool.  I don't know if that makes sense, but you don't need to get it, you're an email message. 


So, I've enjoyed those conversations, and I gueesss, I've been seeing Elliot Lamb heaps and he's been pretty great. I read this Oliver Sacks book about hallucinations, and there's a whole bunch of stuff about SLEEP PARALYSIS that was pretty interesting, and I was in Massachusetts, and I'd just read a whole bunch of stuff about it, and then it happened to me for the first time ever! and there were auditory hallucinations and everything! I was sleeping in this room, and I couldn't move at all, and could hear this woman moaning behind me, but it wasn't a sexy moan, it was kind of a husky moan... that was like.. maybe a struggly moan? i don't really remember now.. but yeah, i tried to move my arm, but i couldn't! and so iI tried again and again, and then on the third or fourth try, I was able to lift my arm fully up, but it wasn't my actual flesh and blood arm, it was like a ghost arm, with the opacity turned down... or something.. and so that lifted up, and then sank back down into my real arm again, and then I fell asleep. Isn't that weird? Man. so yeah, I enjoyed that.


I saw The Master, but I don't really know if I enjoyed it... ummm... oh, every John Swartzwelder book makes me feel better when I feel bad. He was a writer and a consultant for the Simpsons... ummm.. there's this one Marx Brothers movie that didn't make me feel good, it made me feel terrible, and I'll mention it here because if you've read this far, you'll obviously read anything. It's called THE MARX BROTHERS spend A NIGHT IN CASABLANCA, and it made me feel really bad. usually I watch Marx Brothers films to make me feel better cause sometimes I feel bad, but this one made me feel worse. It made me feel terrible.
 

Have you implemented any significant changes to your working methods this year?

Nope.
 

What are you looking forward to in 2013?

The new Dash Shaw book, Sam Wallman's Australian history comic anthology, the continued adventures of Megg, Mogg and Owl, getting a bike and becoming a nightrider, Katie Parrish comics, whatever Hamishi is doing, the parking lot experiments album... ummmm... theres a new Jim Woodring book coming out? called Fran, I think, which is about Frank's girlfriend. that should be cool. reading the end of THE END OF THE FUCKING WORLD by Chuck Forsman... and I think thats it... I wanna see more rusty brown, hopefully some angsty teenage Rusty Brown... errr... Arsene Shrauwen 2 by Olivier Shrauwen.. that'd be interesting... ummm...


Thursday, December 20, 2012

2012 in Review: Justin Randall

Justin Randall

What have been your cartooning/comics highlights of 2012?
 
Having book 2 of my graphic novel series, Changing Ways hit the shelves and then having the series picked up by a French publisher for a translated release.

Who are some of the comics creators that you've discovered and enjoyed for the first time in 2012?

 I'm really enjoying Jim Woodring at the moment, his work is so surreal.

What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2012?

The birth of my son, Far Cry 3, The new season of Misfits, RC helicopters, cycling, Prometheus and spending quality time with my wife.

Have you implemented any significant changes to your working methods this year?

I doubled the size of my working studio by relocated distracting toys such as consoles and a data projector to another part of the house.

What are you looking forward to in 2013?

Completing Changing Ways book 3 and then finding a new artist to continue the series.

2012 in Review: Andy Conlan



What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2012?
 
I did a political cartoon for which I drew a caricature of John Key, which made me feel like a "real editorial cartoonist". Political cartoons aren't really my thing, but it was fun for the context of it. He was the easy part. I wanted to draw an authentic rendition of the corner of Sunset and Vine for the environment, so I even Google mapped it. It got too complicated until I finally said “fuckit”, and just drew the street signs and some hills behind them. The hills are probably even the wrong shape, but I think I captured Key's gleeful enthusiasm.

Who are some of the comics creators that you've discovered and enjoyed for the first time in 2012?
 
Does rediscover count? Near the beginning of the year I started this Carl Barks frenzy, going into this total vacuum for a few weeks during which a disproportionate part of my waking hours were spent thinking about Uncle Scrooge. I also spent a lot of time reading Schultz. Another highlight was corresponding with Herr Seele about getting one of his Cowboy Henk books. He was concerned that the book was in Dutch, but there was no adequate way to articulate to him that his cartoons are so wonderfully executed that they need no text. Sometimes you can become so sycophantic that it's better to play it cool and not go overboard.

What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2012? (i.e. movies, film, prose, ballet, opera, fine art, exhibitions, etc)
 
I spent a bit of time at auctions this year, overcome with panic whenever works by the late Sir Peter Siddell were on the floor. His work has been a mild obsession for me since I was at high school, so it was an opportunity to see some of the lesser known paintings and other works that aren't held publicly.

Have you implemented any significant changes to your working methods this year?
 
Not really, I've been working the same way since 1995, with a brush and ink. I did go from doing everything on the page to drawing panels separately and assembling them using Photoshop, but I don't like that so I switched back. I prefer to have a page of original art that is a standalone piece of work on its own outside the “post production” environment, so prefer to keep it all on paper.

What are you looking forward to in 2013?
 
I've got some renewed interest in the children's stories I've been working on, so any non editorial comics or illustrative work will be for young readers. I've been working out how to translate the stories and books to moving image, and have seen a hybrid stop motion/2D drawing video that I quite liked, so might adapt that format for my own stuff. A video of me reading my children's book, Mr. Gloomingdale's Downpour, has had a decent amount of views on Youtube for something that's not about cats squeezing each others' blackheads while wearing top hats, so adapting that will be one of the first experiments.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

2012 in Review: Theo Macdonald

Theo Macdonald

What have been your cartooning/comics highlights of 2012?
 
Participating in the Comics Generation exhibition was cool. I've never had my work exhibited, so that was an interesting experience, working out what was worthy of the wall. Luckily the curator, Claire Harris, was very good at identifying that some work was simply better than other stuff. Traveling to Auckland Armageddon to sell my first graphic novel Edward Fisher: Duck, You Flogger was a big deal. This had taken 28 months to complete, so finally releasing it was satisfying, to say the least. It looked fantastic, mainly due to the involvement of Richard Fairgray, who dealt with all the publishing details. 

Who are some of the comics creators that you've discovered and enjoyed for the first time in 2012?
 
The main local work I've enjoyed has been that of the Comics Generation artists: Esther and Sadie Galloway, Zora Patrick, Michael Sanders, and Joel Spencer. There's a common sense of vitality to their work, it had to be created, which I like. 

In terms of general comic reading, I've been woefully unadventurous, mainly just enjoying various continuing series, particularly Locke & Key by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez, which uses Rodriguez' skills from his previous career in architecture to develop a comprehensive universe. One new discovery has been the ongoing webcomic Multiplex, by Gordon McAlpin, which began as a basic movie parody strip, but soon turned into a full fledged dramedy, kind of reminiscent of Freaks and Geeks. The art is vector, which I normally don't find that attractive, but the understated colour palette and sense of consistency afforded by computer generated work really draws me in. 

What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2012?
 
This year I've been attempting to watch Woody Allen's entire directing filmography, a difficult task due to the unavailability of many of his works on DVD, but I'm close, three films left before his latest comes out here. I've also gotten into Jim Jarmusch, Orson Welles, and David Lynch, the last of whom's work I've enjoyed in several mediums, particularly his fine art, which is wonderfully textured and offers great insight into his directorial process. 

My favourite new releases this year have been Young Adult and We Need to Talk about Kevin, both fantastic character driven pieces, albeit in two completely different genres, comedy and horror. Moonrise Kingdom was perfect, in my mind Wes Anderson is still to put a foot wrong. 

I finally got around to reading a lot of the stuff on my bedside table: Howl and other poems, The Trial, The High Window, The Thin Man. There's still a lot to go. 

Have you implemented any significant changes to your working methods this year?
 
It's more just been general development. I began rewriting every page of Edward Fisher as I got to it. The panel layouts are denser and more fluid. Does not sleeping count as a working method? Also I started watching Gilmore Girls when drawing, I assume I'll just stop creating when I reach the end of season 7. 

Not comics, but this year I started using oil paints, which has drastically improved my style. 

What are you looking forward to in 2013?
 
A couple of days ago I decided I'm going to create a sequel to my comic from two years ago, Theocracy. I've got 19 strips ideas written down, and am hoping to publish it online along with the content of the first volume. I've written some short films, a couple of which I plan on making early 2013, and I want to keep developing my painting skills. One project that should be very interesting is getting a new pair of glasses. At this stage there will probably be two lenses, but who knows what will change in editing? 

Also I'll be beginning university in Auckland, which should generate enough angsty angst fun to keep me writing for a long time.
 

2012 in Review: Michael Hawkins

Michael Hawkins

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2012?

My comic highlights this year were threefold.  Mid year I went to the states and Canada on a comics tour, met heaps of awesome talent like Pat Aulisio, Lale Westvind, Conor Stechschulte, Mollie O’Brien and others whose amazing work I was previously ignorant of. Second highlight would be watching the rising star of my good buddy and favourite cartoonist ever Simon Hanselmann. Thirdly meeting on a weekly basis with a steady group of drawing buds (Sam Wallman, Marc Pearson, Elliot Lamb and so forth) has made a great difference to my quality of life.

Who are some of the comics creators that you've discovered and enjoyed for the first time in 2012?

 
Best books? All of the above people. Also locally Grant Gronewald (HTML Flowers) and Katie Parrish and overseas Michael Deforge, Patrick Kyle, Leslie Stein and Derek Ballard. Seems to be a lot of people working at a peek level of inspiration and producing things in individual styles that seem extreme in their newness. Find it easy to point to a general vibe than individual books.


What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2012?


Massively into Dennis Potter at the moment, starting with the Singing Detective and working through all his series and teleplays. Best book I read was We have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. Favourite five songs this year: My Time by Roberto Cacciapaglia & Ann Steel, In High Places by  Mike Oldfield, A Matter of Trust by Billy Joel, Myth by Beach House, Pyramids by Frank Ocean.


Have you implemented any significant changes to your working methods this year?

 
Swapped from photocopying to digital printing. Started a Tumblr. Also used to try and have one major comics series or project on the go at once, this year decided to just start a bunch and let them vie for my attention.


What are you looking forward to in 2013?

 
Organising an erotic art show with some of my favourite local cartoonists. Hopefully going to Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival.


2012 in Review: Steve Sparke

Steve Sparke

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2012?
 
The FEC Extravaganza was my personal highlight. I've thrown together a few comic book launches before but this one was a much bigger effort. It was much more of an event than just a simple launch as we had sketches, signings and a Q&A. The books launching were Kranburn #4 (by Ben Michael Byrne) and Seven (by Alisha Jade), which were both fairly straight forward in their process as it was simply collaborating with one person on their project. Whereas the third book launching, Fireside Tales, was an anthology - meaning I collaborated with five people. That kind of number means a lot more time dedicated to one comic as I try to spend equal amounts of time on each story. So yeah - it really set a bar for me.
 
On top of all that, I was also organising my wedding at the same time (I literally returned from my honeymoon the day before the launch). So this required having most things organised and ready to go a month before the actual event. I know a few people thought I was nuts to do it this way...and they're right! It was insane. I didn't get much sleep throughout the month of August. But holy shit was it rewarding! Everything went off without a hitch and I was really pleased to see the Fireside boys get a chance to show off their talents.

Who are some of the comics creators that you've discovered and enjoyed for the first time in 2012?
 
Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt, creators of The Sixth Gun. It was only just in the last couple of weeks that I've read this and it's absolutely outstanding! Great characters and some brilliant art! They've really struck gold with this story and I can't wait to see where they go next (after the first TPB).
 
Also, to keep it local, I got on to Sacha Bryning's work this year. I first saw a couple of his pieces online and was already impressed, but then he went and floored me with his self-published comic, Sam & Laz. He initially published it online here but then did a small print run for the avid fans.  He also slipped a story into Velocity #2 (Molly Mac), which was bursting off the page with energy. I was able to get him on board for the cover of Fireside Tales and I was blown away by the results (as were the readers). I honestly can't get enough of his art. Sacha, if you're reading this - more art please.

What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2012?
 
I went to see the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra perform the entire score of LOTR: Fellowship of the Rings. It was amazing! They had two choirs, the whole orchestra AND the actual film playing behind them. I'm already booked in for the MSO performing Two Towers next year and I'd recommend everybody else do the same.

Have you implemented any significant changes to your working methods this year?
 
Not particularly. With editing, I'm always changing my methods to suit the person I'm working with. It's necessary for getting the best out of your creator. But significant changes? Nope.

What are you looking forward to in 2013?
 
More Kranburn and Seven. Having already seen what Ben and Alisha have in store for their readers, I'm incredibly excited to see the response.
 
I think Alisha's second book will give readers a chance to settle into the world she has created. The first book really threw the reader in the deep end, which was great as I think the immediacy gave a strong sense of action. But this next book will ease you in a little bit before it takes hold.
 
Ben is going into some crazy territory with Kranburn. I can't give too much away but it's certainly going to leave some people a wee bit shocked. And, of course, we get some more car chases which is always fun!
 

2012 in Review: Li Chen

Li Chen

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2012?
 
Getting the chance to self publish my webcomic as books through funding from Kickstarter was pretty amazing. It allowed me to work full time on my comics and the books for most of the year, and it made me realise that I really wanted to make art and comics as a career.

Who are some of the comics creators that you've discovered and enjoyed for the first time in 2012?
 
I discovered Ryan Andrews work this year. He is a brilliant artist and has written some beautifully haunting comics. I love his style of artwork, it's very inspiring.

What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2012? (i.e. movies, film, prose, ballet, opera, fine art, exhibitions, etc)
 
I've really enjoyed watching a Cartoon Network show called Adventure Time this year. It has a really surreal sense of humor that I try to reflect in my own comics. I also went to the Studio Ghibli Museum in Tokyo this year and found it hugely inspiring. I love their films and they definitely influence my comics and artwork.

Have you implemented any significant changes to your working methods this year?
 
Not really. My comics are still drawn manually with pencil and scanned. Any colour in my comics is then applied digitally. I've just been practicing a lot, and I think that my work has improved throughout the year, which is good!

What are you looking forward to in 2013?
 
Making more comics, making more art. Petting cats.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

2012 in Review: M. P. Fikaris

M. P. Fikaris

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2012?
 

Starting up a little store room in my studio and printing up a new periodical DAILIES while pushing through my inhibitions of medium and painting some comics.

Who are some of the comics creators that you've discovered and enjoyed for the first time in 2012?

 
There's a bunch, best to get look for DAILIES 3 in early 2013 to see some of them! Pre-order one with me in January.

What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2012?


Local theatre, dance, poetry, live music, graffitti, film, performance, art, happenings and all other things seen in Melbourne- we are spoilt!

Have you implemented any significant changes to your working methods this year?

My work is mostly about implementing changes I think...though I have almost finished my second longer formative comic story (oh I mean graphic novel) but the guys who asked to print it are no longer wanting to, so I think it will stay in the files with the other one from 11 years ago... or I may do something I have never really done much before and -  ask for help..

 
What are you looking forward to in 2013?

More web comics, killer bees, and an event every month at Silent Army store room at 110 franklin street Melbourne city. Hope to see u there!


2012 in Review: Christopher Downes

Christopher Downes
 
What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2012?
  
I went to the Australian Cartoonists Association's Stanley Awards weekend for the very first time. I had to crowd fund in order to get there, but it was really fun. I got to meet a lot of heroes of mine and they turned out to be genuinely nice people.

Who are some of the comics creators that you've discovered and enjoyed for the first time in 2012?

 
I really enjoyed Pat Grant's BLUE. I love to slip into his world - partly because I'm in love with his art, but also because his characters do things that (as a teenager) I would have never dared to do. They steal, they cuss and they wag from school.  I didn't have the guts to do any of that stuff in high school. Speaking of high school, I also read Derf Backderf's MY FRIEND DAHMER. I read it in an hour. It was that good.

What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2012?

I've got a 1 year old daughter. She's fantastic. I'm still in awe of watching the becoming of a little person - how she changes and learns. It's like an ultracool version of Pokemon! I've also gotten into Peppa Pig. It took me a while to warm to it, but now I look forward to it coming on. That and Shaun the Sheep. Wow, I'm really sounding like a new parent aren't I? GAME OF THRONES! I liked Game of Thrones a lot! I especially liked the episode where they all went to the dinosaur park and went down the dinosaur slide with Grampy Rabbit. That happened in Game of Thrones, right?

Have you implemented any significant changes to your working methods this year?


I procrastinate a hell of a lot less! That's one thing having a kid will teach you.

What are you looking forward to in 2013?

I think there's a movie I'm looking forward to. I remember seeing the date on the end of a pretty riveting trailer (and yet not riveting enough for me to remember the name or even the subject matter of the movie) and I thought, "Well, the world better not bloody end, cause I'd really like to see that."


Monday, December 17, 2012

2012 in Review: Matthew Hoddy and Caitlin Major

 Matthew Hoddy and Caitlin Major

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2012?


Matthew: The highlight for me was going to all the conventions. Just getting out there, meeting everyone. Both fans and other creators. It helped me feel like this is definitely the right path I should be taking. Especially after some of our more successful outings. Was some real positive reinforcement.

Biggest highlight though was the Brisbane Supanova in November. Our first con was a year before at the Brisnova, in Nov 2011. We knew absolutely NOTHING about cons and had two issues of Space Pyrates to show off. Our wall was pretty much bare (with the exception of our banner and a couple of prints). We were offering cosplay commissions for just $10 and made absolutely no money from the weekend. BUT, we had the greatest time. Everything about it just felt right. Each subsequent convention we attended we learnt something new and put it to practice for the next con. So, to do a whole years worth of cons and come back home with all that knowledge? It felt like everything came full circle.

We've made a bunch of great new friends and discovered things I didn't even think could exist in Australia. Plus, added extra bonus? We found that Brisbane actually has a thriving comics community. Who'd have thought it, right?
 
Caitlin: I guess the biggest highlight of 2012 is the number of people that are reading Space Pyrates, whether online or in print. We've had a lot of positive feedback from our readers and the general public and it seems the amount of readers has increased tenfold since we started out in  Jan 2011. It's the best feeling in the world when someone recognises us at conventions and has read the comic online and really liked it. It feels like I'm finally becoming a real comic book artist!


Who are some of the comics creators that you've discovered and enjoyed for the first time in 2012?


Matthew: I discovered Atomic Robo this year. By Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegna. Both are from the US. The tone, writing and artwork just speak to me. Burned through all 6 published trades and have been buying the single issues of 'The Flying She Devils' as they're released. I've never really been into buying the singles and usually just buy the collected editions if they look interesting. But this series? Man, it has got it claws into me something fierce.

I mean, one of the villains is a time travelling dinosaur scientist that uses sub machine guns and can talk. Plus, it's owner created. Which is exactly the sort of thing we'd like to do. So I look to creators like that for inspiration. Overseas and at home.
 
Caitlin: I've been seeking out other female comic artists this year and I've really been enjoying Hope Larson's comics. She's got a great art style and a real knack for storytelling, and I love a character driven story as much as the next person! I've also been reading Jane Mai's autobiographical comics online (I'm still waiting patiently for my copy of her printed comic to arrive in the mail) they're really cute and funny.


What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2012?


Matthew: Something non-comic related? Oh man... I don't know... Feels like I've been neck deep in comics this whole year and can't remember anything else! Paranorman was a great stop-motion film from the studio 'Laika'. We do a bit of animation ourselves, and that movie in particular I appreciated a great deal. Dredd was really cool. LOOPER, oh man, that was a great sci-fi film despite it's plot holes (albeit time-travel related).

Did see Bill Bailey live. That was a hell of a lot of fun too!

Caitlin: I've been enjoying Gravity Falls a lot lately. It's like the new Adventure Time! Cute and funny and awesome and I absolutely love the art direction. It's probably the best thing to come out of Disney for a long time.

Have you implemented any significant changes to your working methods this year?


Matthew: The whole process of making Space Pyrates has been about learning. It's taken two years to get the this point and we're not even done! While I could draw before, albeit crudely compared to now, just pushing my artwork has been the biggest change. Thinking about it more critically and looking at what I could do differently to make thing better. Streamlining the whole process on my end anyway, from thumbnail sketches to finished & inked page. I've been watching a bunch of artists and trying to learn their tricks. Still need to learn a whole lot more though!
 
Caitlin: I wouldn't say significant changes, but I'm constantly trying to improve my work and I am always inspired by other artists to try different styles or techniques. Space Pyrates was intended as a learning exercise, to experience creating a comic and get my head around the production process and best practises.

What are you looking forward to in 2013?


Matthew: Finishing this story arc of SP and having it printed. Then? Touring around to all cities for conventions to promote it. Looking at relocating from Brisbane at some point too. Depending on work. Also looking forward to starting something new comic-related and promoting the hell out of that. Big plans!

Caitlin: We're releasing the collected edition of Space Pyrates next year so that's very exciting, I can't wait to have that tome in my hands! We've got a lot of conventions planned to promote the book and it's always fun going around and talking to people about comics. I'm also starting to work on a solo comic project, which is slightly different in tone and style to Space Pyrates, so looking forward to that too!

2012 in review: Cory Mathis

Cory Mathis

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2012?

Finishing another mini-comic and getting up to the Armageddon Expo in Auckland to sell it. Earlier this year I did a week long comics class with Dylan Horrocks. I got heaps from it and was great to meet him.

Who are some of the comics creators that you've discovered and enjoyed for the first time in 2012?

Some local talent - Karl Wills' Princess Seppuku and James Davidson's, Moa. I get totally amped when I discover great stuff being made locally. From overseas, James Stokoe's Orc Stain graphic novel was a wonderful gift from a friend in the States and I'm getting awful excited about Mike Mignola getting back into drawing the next Hellboy arc. Also found the original Nausicaa paperbacks which have completely blown me away.
 
What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2012? 

I play a few video-games and I am finding it exciting the amount of original quirky games coming out by smaller independent studios. The PS3 game, Journey was a particular highlight for me.
 
Have you implemented any significant changes to your working methods this year?

I've been getting into a fair bit of dip-pen inking and watercolours, just to balance out all the digital work. That and pushing myself to use more colour and keeping at the figure studies - yip, student life. I think the most important thing I've done is really slow down and take my time with things, both reading and creating. I have a habit of power-reading and churning out pictures then regretting it later.

What are you looking forward to in 2013?

Bringing it all together! That, and an illustration show early next year. I am working on a series of pieces that has nothing to do with dinosaurs!

2012 in Review: Dean Rankine

Dean Rankine
 
What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2012?

Continuing to contribute the occasional comic to Simpsons and Futurama has been an absolute blast. Starting my own project, 'Itty Bitty Bunnies in Rainbow Pixie Candy Land' has been long overdue heaps of fun.

Also being a guest at both OzComic Con and Armageddon Expo were definite highlights. I was treated extremely well by the organizers and I got to me some really great people who've been very supportive of my work.


And just generally feeling pretty proud of the artwork I've made of the year.


Who are some of the comics creators that you've discovered and enjoyed for the first time in 2012?

I had the pleasure of meeting Agnes Garbowska earlier in the year. And I have to say her work is pretty damn adorable - http://www.facebook.com/agnesgarbowska?fref=ts

What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2012?

I've been lovin' Dr Who at the moment.

Have you implemented any significant changes to your working methods this year?

I bought one of those cintiq wacom tablets (either late last year or early this year. I can't quite remember). But I swear, that thing has changed my life. I do all my 'inking' on it now and just love it.

What are you looking forward to in 2013?

I've got about 8 more pages to go on 'Itty Bitty Bunnies' and I'm looking forward to exposing them to an unsuspecting public.

I'm really hoping to be doing more Simpsons stuff. And I'm working on some try-out pages for Spongebob. So wish me luck!


The official announcement hasn't been made yet but I'm coming over to New Zealand mid next year! Woo-Hoo!



2012 in Review: Mat Tait

Mat Tait

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2012?
Just getting a few pages finished that I was happy with.

Who are some of the comics creators that you've discovered and enjoyed for the first time in 2012?
Carl Barks via the great Fantagraphics reprints. It was nice to discover work that I've heard so much about lived up to the billing.

What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2012?
I've been enjoying poring over a massive collection of Piranesi's fantastically detailed and grandiose etchings (via a cheap 2 volume set from Taschen - well worth a buy).  Best movies I've seen this year: Drive, Kill List, and The Battle of Algiers.

Have you implemented any significant changes to your working methods this year?
Mainly making sure that I draw every day, no matter how little, or how busy I've been with other stuff. It gets things done and avoids The Fear.

What are you looking forward to in 2013?
Getting some of the stuff I'm working on completed, maybe getting some stuff into print.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

2012 in Review: Bruce Mutard Part Two


What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2012?

Crikey, I've been away so much that I've seen hardly any movies on the big screen and not a huge amount on the box, either. Anyone who's seen my DVD collection knows I'm a huge movie fan.  OKay, like so many others, I got tuned into the Game of Thrones show and it is fabulous, though I have reservations about all the women being either vixens or whores. The books are great, too. I also decided to follow up on the fuss over the Hunger Games and it was a cracking read - great positive female protagonist who has the awkwardness of a teenager still within her. The film version was quite good, but I can understand why it couldn't be so brutal as the book.

2012 was the year of the popular series, so I've also taken to Stieg Larsson. The books are great reads, though again, for someone who professes to be so caring about women's rights and anti sex-trafficking, Larsson does give undue detail about his female characters sex lives and his male protagonist is a middle-aged unremarkable bloke who seems to have a lot of women hot for him. If you're going to watch it on film, watch the Swedish original TV series version with Noomi Rapace - the cinema forms were cut down from these. Blindingly good thrillers. The big Hollywood version was alright, but sort of unnecessary. Sticking with Sweden - one of the best vampire films I've seen is 'Let The Right One In'. So… Swedish, but so in tune with alienated kids. Powerful. 

I also have become a fan of Once Upon A Time series. Very good mash of all the old fairy tales with twin storylines weaving in and out of storybook and storybook. It's never twee, quite intelligent and the original back-stories to some of the Grimm characters is often pretty insightful. 

Of course, Homeland was a ball-tearer. As was Boardwalk Empire (which I still haven't finished). Australian shows worth a look were things like Rake, Redfern Now (though at times self conscious), Howzat! We have a ton of cinematic talent in this country and too few opportunities to make good use fo them. 

Okay - a big plug  for Dan Hayward's This is Roller Derby as well. Really caught the essential spirit of this girls only grass roots sport. I love their 'fuck you' attitude. Get the DVD.

And another for my dear friend Mira Bartok's 'The Memory Palace' book - how such an upbringing could produce such a lovely person as her and her sister, proves there is far more to nature than nurture. Their mother was clearly a brilliant mind hijacked by schizophrenia. Turns out their mother was a huge fan of comics too, only she never let on. 

Of course, travelling a lot allowed me to see a huge amount of art and architecture that I've only ever seen in books. By far and away the best major art museum that I've seen so far is the Prado in Madrid - gosh, you only have to walk into the room with Goya' Night Pictures to realise what heights art can attain. The Prado is blessed with huge collections of two of the best painters who ever lived in Goya and Velaquez, who were both Spaniard and court painters, so I guess the Prado being made of the royal collection, they had an advantage. But it also has Bosch' 'Garden Of Earthly Delights' which is something any art lover has to see in the original.

Whilst in town, see the Thyssen-Borezma collection of modern art which is one of the very best I've seen. Also saw a lovely retrospective of Odilon Redon whilst in town. Picasso' Guernica is also worth the pilgrimage. Seeing Duchamp' collection at the Philadephia Museum of Fine Art was amazing. I paid my repsects to 'The Large Glass' at last. The Barnes collection in the same city is amazing though way too much of Renoir, whom I have no time for his endless soft porn pics of pudgy women and twee kids.

Barcelona - the famous uncompleted Gaudi cathedral - it is truly, truly breathtaking - a work of astonishing beauty. But the 12th C El Sur cathedral is also gob-smacking beautiful - I'm never short of being astonished at what medieval craftsmen could achieve. And the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao lives up to and exceeds all expectations. But Bilbao itself is more than this museum too. I did see Leonardo' 'Last Supper'  in Milan, too; yes, it is quite remarkable and more so how it survived the rest of the building being leveled in WW2. I could go on and on. Shows - saw a a few of them, too. 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" with Geoffrey Rush was fabulous. I'll stop now. 

Have you implemented any significant changes to your working methods this year? 

Well, if by that you mean I have spent waayyy too much time traveling, doing shows, conferences, organising events and not enough at the drawing board, then you'd count that as a change. It's one I welcome, but I have to scale back. I have a book to do and in answer to my most FAQ: yes, the Fight is on the way but not due out until April 2015. In terms of working methodology, yes things are changing all the time. I write more with pictures these days than with words - akin to my core thesis of what comics are. 

What are you looking forward to in 2013?

Gosh where to start again?

Um… well, clearly the Caravan part 2 heading to TCAF in May. I wil also be presenting at the International Comic Arts Forum in POrtland,OR, that same month. I will be hanging around stateside for a while and then heading to Italy to break the back of my Masters thesis project - a comic installation for a gallery exhibition.

Then the SPXO show in September - another Caravan style trip to showcase Australian and NZ art to the Yanks. It'll be something special and anyone who wants in, can come. Some funding will be available.

The Canberra residency.

Assuming and making use of my appointment as the holder of the Australian Society of Authors Comics and Graphic Novels portfolio. I have plans for this to take representation and the Australian industry to a new level.

Producing lots of comics somehow amidst all this. More events. more everything. Maybe find love too.

2012 in Review: Bruce Mutard Part One

 Bruce Mutard

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2012?

Where can I start with this?

Bologna Childrens Book Fair - 15 times the size of Supageddacon and vastly more interesting. You'll never see such a concentration of illustration talent from all over the world. Amazing. I plan to create an Australian comics showcase to go there in 2014.

Meeting Robert and Aline Crumb at the opening of his retrospective in Paris.
Presenting papers on comics at University of Arts, London; Mansfield College, Oxford; Loughborough University.

Attending the SPXO, which was basically Artists Alley made up only of comics and about the size of Supageddacon. Amazing.

Meeting Chris Ware, Charles Burns, Dan Clowes, Adrian Tomine, Los Bros Hernandez and Francoise Mouly at SPXO. Okay, so I'm a fame junkie. Sue me.

Winning an Australia Council grant to produce the Fight in 2013-14.

Winning an Australia Council grant to take Caravan of Comics to TCAF in 2014.

The Graphic Novels Melbourne Filming process and premiere - even if I did look like a sad sack at the end. Adam Sandler will have to play me in the fictional version of my life.

Who are some of the comics creators that you've discovered and enjoyed for the first time in 2012?

Mirranda Burton - her book 'Hidden' is brilliant and she has some exciting projects up her sleeve. 

Jesca Marisa is a Sth African expat who now lives in NZ. I met her at Sydney Supanova. She has a book called Awakenings that is ravishingly beautiful to look at. She is also an animator whose films are equally good. I am reminded of Miyazaki. She has work to do on her storytelling, but she'll go far I'm sure. She'll be at Big Arse 3 to launch her book in Melbourne. 

Lisbeth Russell, known by her stage name Black Betty, I met at Perth Supanova, is an ex-pat Dane who is a cartoonist, designer, burlesque artist and model for off-mainstream fashion and photographers. She's in Perth and has become a really good friend of mine. Talent to burn. 

 Marijka Gooding is a recent graduate graphic designer I met at a talk I gave at Monash Uni, whereupon it seemed clear she had a very strong interest in comix. I caught up with her later in the year when I recommended her as a designer to Milk Shadow Books and 12 Panels Press. She will also do the design work on books I am publishing  - under Fabliaux imprint. She wrote and drew a comic, Strange Behaviour for her Honours thesis and it is an amazingly accomplished book notwithstanding the fact it's her first. The book's not up on her site unfortunately. 

Badaude (real name Joanna Walsh), whom I met as a consequence of sharing a panel at the Melbourne Writers Festival. A writer/illustrator of observation and life. I still haven't seen her book though one was meant to be sent to me. Interesting woman though I wouldn't say we hit it off in any brilliant way. Worth a look though. 

Caitlin Pesky of Pesky Studios. Met her as a consequence of being invited to participate in an exhibition she organised for the Fringe Festival called This Is Melbourne. She worked in the rag trade (desiging the anonymous images that go on all the clothes for chain stores like Target and Kmart). She has moved out of it to become an illustrator and artist who can at last sign her name to her work. 

Serena Geddes - whom I met in Bologna, is a very talented and lovely woman who is primarily a picture book illustrator. 

Lesley Vamos - another I met in Bologna, coming from an animation background and now does primarily picture books and some comics. Incredibly fast and reminds me a lot of Doug Holgate in style. You should see her go when she is sketching for food… whooboy.  

And check out Dan Drobik who just emailed me for advice. Just graduated from Monash fine art, too. Referred to by a good friend of mine who was a fellow student and orthodox Jewish grandmother (not kidding). She wants Dan to go on the straight and narrow. What, and waste a good filthy mind like this? http://creativelydisappointing.tumblr.com/

Tamryn Louise - another ex pat Saffa, whom I've not met, but put onto by Jesca and Neville. 

Also, the poster artist for This is Roller Derby, Dave um… forgot his surname. Gosh this bloke is better than good. He even digitally paints using a mouse! NO!