Happy 38th birthday Andrew Fulton

Paper Trail

The Many Faces of George Grosz #2 by Keith McDougall Kickstarter: $10 delivered anywhere in the world!

 

 Sarah Laing: Let Me Be Frank #5

 
Daniel Best reveals correspondence between Stan Cross and the Herald and Weekly Times regarding the fate of his original Wally and the Major cartoons.

Thomas David Henshaw obituary by Tom Spurgeon.

 

Robin Snyder and Steve Ditko's Kickstarter for their latest single issue of the Ditko series #9 Teen in it's last 40 hours.

Nicki Greenberg: Children's Book Festival 2014 artist in residence.

Kimble Bent song set to images from Kimble Bent Malcontent by Chris Grosz.

Dustin Cabeal reviews Matt Huynh's Ma.

Anthony Woodward reviews Andrew Fulton's We'm.

  
Andrew Wheeler interviews Sam Orchard about Family Portraits Kickstarter.

  
Bobby N photos from Big Arse #4 comic launch.
 

Paper Trail masthead courtesy of Toby Morris.

2014 Sticky Zine Fair

 
Blurry out-of-focus poorly lit photos of some comic people at the 2014 Sticky Zine Fair.

 David Blumenstein and Anthony Woodward

 People

More People

 Andrew Fulton

 Ive Sorocuk and Alex E Clark

 Jase Harper

 David Blumenstein

 Myles Loughran

 Frank Candiloro

 Phil Bentley

 Marc Pearson

 Michael Fikaris

 Simon Hanselmann

 Michael Hawkins

 Grant Gronewald

 Chris O'Brien and Joanna Anderson

Sam Wallman

David C Mahler

2013 in Review: Andrew Fulton

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2013?

I think my highlight of 2013 was putting together the new round of the Minicomic of the Month Club - the response to that has been great - we got a whole bunch of new subscribers on, and a lot of those I think from people that aren't normally "comics people". Even having a goofy picture of me in the paper didn't take the shine off.

Also getting up to Sydney for the Graphic festival - especially seeing people get up and perform their work as part of the Radio With Pictures show, that was a Good Time.

What are some of the comics/cartoonists you've enjoyed in 2013?

I'm pretty terrible at remembering when things come out, so this are really just things I can vaguely remember from recently. Sorry to everyone who made something I really liked that I can't see from my desk.

I've been really enjoying getting my Oily subscription in the mail, that's always a fun envelope to see. There was one from Nick Drnaso I liked, and Real Rap was funny. Also Pete Toms and Connor Willumsen. And I got some stuff from Peow studios in Sweden, some real nice printmakerly stuff with some spaceships. I keep picking up these Joe Lambert minis I have. Um. *looks at tumblr* Alex Schubert. Pat Grant. Ben Juers. Domitille Collardey. Lisa Hanawalt. Neil Sanders' weird dudes on Instagram. I liked Blood & Thunder as a thing, loved Lachlan Conn's piece in it. Steven Weissman. David King. Sams Wallman and Alden

What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2013?  

I got a new dayjob, but there's no interesting story there. Also I'm enjoying watching my kid play in U10s basketball waaay more than I thought I would.

What are you looking forward to in 2014?

2013's been a pretty slow year, I'm looking forward to maybe dragging myself out of this slump I'm in right now and getting some drawing done. Maybe some mince pies will sort me out?

mumblier.com/

Beard Spotlight: Andrew Fulton

 

Smaller Comics are soliciting subscriptions for a third round of Minicomics of The Month. I signed up for the last years dozen and was pleasantly surprised to receive a variety of minicomics in the mail each month. Minicomics of the Month are posted anywhere in the world and economically priced, I heartily recommend you sign up for a subscription here.

Artists featured on the 2013 roster for Minicomics of the Month are: Neil Sanders, Mel Stringer, Sarah Catherine Firth, Katie Parrish, Christopher Downes, Soft Science, Rebecca Clements, Wendy Mclean, David C Mahler, Erin Hunting, Andrew Fulton, Ben Hutchings.

I asked Smaller Comics Impresario Andrew Fulton a few questions that I really should have put more effort into.

 

Can you talk a bit about the appeal of making minicomics for a cartoonist and utilising a subscription basis for distribution?

For me minicomics are pretty much the perfect thing - I don't know if I'll ever have a "graphic novel" or whatever in me. The subscription model works out pretty great, both I think for the artists and the audience - they've really taken off in the last couple of years. I subscribe to a couple and it's always a delight to find something new and interesting in the mail, especially when it's something where I'm not quite sure what it's going to be. As an artist it's comforting to know that there is a guaranteed audience for the story I am drawing and they aren't going to sit on the bottom shelf. Last season we had about 100 subscribers, and I don't know about other minicomickers, but it takes me a heck of a long time to sell 100 of any other thing I do.

 

This year you're expanding the subs model past 100 subscribers, is there a cap this year? Is there a point that too many subscribers would make the model 'unwieldy'?

Yeah, although I'm not too sure what that number is. I was concerned that 100 would be too many, but that worked out okay for everyone, I think. Part of the appeal of a project like this is the personal touch - people are drawing and printing and folding and stapling and cutting. I wouldn't want to expand too much to the point where that labour becomes onerous and no one wants to do it. Most of the artists are Melbourne based so we might have to organise a monthly stapling party if it becomes to successful.

Tell me about some of the new cartoonists contributing this year around?

First comic out this season will be from Neil Sanders, who I know more as an animator - I'm not sure I have seen him do an actual comic. He does these crazy animated loop things on his tumblr (http://neilsanders.tumblr.com/), all these goofy animals and monsters, it will be cool to see what kind of comics he makes.

Katie Parrish is someone I haven't seen a lot of work out of but would like to see a bunch more. She's one of a few younger cartoonists that I think I mostly became aware of through Marc Pearson, who was in the current subscription round. She does these comics about life and sex and draws these weird lumpy people with pokey noses. It will be great to see what Wendy makes, too - to me her drawings are always crying out for some kind of narrative, but I'm not sure she's ever made an actual comic. And Hutcho always delights.

Read any good comics lately?

I've been enjoying my Oily subscription - the surfing comic from Marc Geddes and Warren Craghead was great, as was The End of the Fucking World, and this thing called Young Dumb and Full of Cum was super funny. Also Maré Odomo's Internet Comics came in the mail recently. He has this sort of messy, pencilly style and comics about everyday things and "feelings". And I really like David King's Crime World series - I got the last one recently - I think it's called The Story of Cop Lopez? It's up on the the Studygroup website, I want to say his style is slightly old-timey and deadpan but that doesn't sound right at all. It's funny anyhow.

Which comic was the worst out of last years twelve?

Well we aren't quite done yet - Sarah Howell should be sending hers out any minute now and we close out the current season with Sacha Bryning. He may disappoint us all horribly. [Editor's note: I've met Sacha and he's lovely bloke and a fantastic illustrator.]

--

Happy 37th Birthday, Andrew Fulton

Paper Trail

Rejected Pat Alexander 4 pager from Dark Horse Presents here.

 

Andrew Fulton's Smaller Comics have a pay what you want sale on here.

Chromacon is a new Illustration and Comics Art convention in New Zealand launching on 12 May at the old Armageddon stomping grounds, the Aotea Centre. A fine line up of illustrators and cartoonists have already been announced on their site and unlike other conventions down this way entrance to Chromacon is free. More information here.

Jason Franks writes about crowdfunding.

 Art by Jan Scherpenhuizen and story by Jason Franks from Sixsmiths vol. 2

Toby Morris has a tumblr!

What if money was no object - Alan Watts at Zen Pencils.

Hamilton comics alert: www.cakeburger.com

(I once saw Mr Cakeburger walk into a comic shop, swipe an issue of Gaiman/Romita Jr's Eternals off the shelf, pay for it and then roll it up and shove it in his back pocket. Cakeburger ain't precious about his comics, I like that in a comics creator.)

The Duluxe Tiny Kitten Teeth Hardcover is now available from Topatoco.

 The Beardy and the Geek podcast interview T-Rex Jones.

The latest issue of The Lifted Brow #15 is available and continues their run of featuring fine cartoonists from Australasia and around the world. Cartoonists featured int he latest issue are, Ben Sea, Blaise Larmee, Noel Freibert, Tin Can Forest, Ben Juers & Bailey Sharp, Simon Hanselmann.

  

The Melbourne comics scene documentary Graphic Novels! Melbourne! film makers Daniel Hayward and Bernard Caleo have announced a screening at the 2013 Angouleme Comics Festival in France (French article here), with screenings in Berlin, Hamburg and London to follow. Focusing on the work of Pat Grant, Mandy Ord, Nicki Greenberg, Bruce Mutard, Graphic Novels! Melbourne! also features Scott McCloud, Dylan Horrocks, Paul Gravett and Shaun Tan amongst others.

 Pat Grant's poster for Graphic Novels! Melbourne!

Another screening in Melbourne will be at Cinema Nova (380 Lygon Street Carlton) on Wednesday 23 January at 6.30pm, with a Q & A afterwards.

Photos from the Carlton Readings laneway premiere are here.