Loose Crayons - Hawkes Bay Comics Anthology

Covers of Loose Crayons #4,#5 (Apologies to Ant Sang for swiping his parental advisory logo!)

WARNING: Some of the comics in this post may be deemed offensive

My first foray into publishing comics was as an editor and contributor for an anthology, Loose Crayons, which ran for five issues in 1996. Living in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, at the time I was inspired by my neighbour who a few months prior had launched a music fanzine. With contributions from musicians and art students at the Eastern Institute of Technology I published the first 16 page (incl covers) black and white A5 issue in early 1996. It was well received at the local comic shop who managed to sell through a few small runs.

Elixir Joy by Cherie Rosvall ran in the first four issues of Loose Crayons

After the first issue I added colour card covers and the page count expanded to 28 pages. A lot of submissions were from art students that were not particularly interested in comics or versed in comic form which lead to some interesting results. Over the five issues there was only one submission that could have been regarded as a typical superhero story.

 

 

Menno Huiber's The Adventures of Rob + Ronny was serialised in the first three issues.

I would sneak into my workplace around midnight, ring the security firm to offer an explanation for deactivating the alarms, and then make as many copies on the photocopier as I felt I could safely get away with. One night I used a whole toner roll which I feared would lead to my discovery but it was never mentioned.
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 Michael Hawksworth contributed the three part Scared of the Juice in Loose Crayons #3-#5

In issue four I published three comic strips by a high school friend that proved a bit controversial. I was of the mind that I would publish anything and I considered Loose Crayons to be informed by what I understood as a punk aesthetic. I was also drawing inspiration from what little I knew of the sixties American underground scene. Unfortunately many contributors took offence to these strips and informed me they no longer wanted to be a part of the anthology. I limped along for one more issue that was primarily filled with my own comics with issue #5 in August 1996 being the last.

Two of the three controversial strips from Loose Crayons #4
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Loose Crayons was never distributed beyond Hawkes Bay. It's quite possible no-one outside of this part of New Zealand ever saw it. Many small press efforts like this I'm sure have been created in corners of the world never to see any wider audience. Perhaps less so in today's Internet age.

All Comics featured are copyright their respective creators. Loose Crayons was edited by M.Emery.

Little Hongi - George F H Taylor

George F H Taylor is another obscure New Zealand comic artist that I have found several examples of but no trace of anything biographical. Taylor produced Little Hongi - Adventures in Maoriland for Auckland publisher John G. Helleur, a Jaygee production, in the fifties.  Another mystery figure in New Zealand comics Helleur was also involved in the New Plymouth printed Bingo Comics although I am unsure if this was on the production side or solely as a distributor.

Though undated the byline of 'This is an approved comic' along the top left spine side of the cover would indicate it was published after 1954. The byline provided assurance for parents that were aware of Frederic Wetham's Seduction of The Innocent, a treatise on the dangers of comics and children. New Zealand had it's own 'Seduction of The Innocent' with a thirty page essay by Margaret Dalziel published in the literary journal Landfall in March 1955.

George F H Taylor also produced Science fiction titles Space (of which I'm aware of two issues) and Dick Astro of Space Patrol as well as tackling funny animals in Wonder Comics (1958).

In the 1950's Jaygee produced children's albums similar to English annuals with thick card covers with pages sometimes of a similar stock. Taylor contributed illustrations to these which were typical of the boy's own prose genre with titles like 'Thrilling Adventures'.

Sources: Landfall Vol. 9 No. 1 March 1955 - Comics in New Zealand - Margaret Dalziel, Space #1 and Dick Astro of Space Patrol from collection of Geoff Harrison, The Australian Comic Collector - The Comics of New Zealand - Geoff Harrison.

High Seas - Terry Currie

High Seas is twenty pages, black and white, and undated although I would guess it was published in the 1950's. No credits are featured although the artwork is signed Terry Currie in a few places. Back cover has an advert for another comic, Clancy The Clown and a printer/publisher credit - Marketing Services (N.Z.) Ltd, New Plymouth. - J.G.H. The lead feature is a High Seas Adventure followed by some shorter back up's, Kid Kiwi and Arrow Boy.

Phantom Commando - Flame Over Korea

Flame Over Korea is a nine page Phantom Commando story by Maurice Bramley from Page Publications Phantom Commando #16. This issue also features two other Maurice Bramley stories, The Big Gun and The Raiders.

 

H. B. K. Hislop Publications

There is little information available about Auckland publisher H. B. K. Hislop Ltd but from what I can ascertain they published several pulp titles over the forties and fifties. Titles such as Laughs, Burlesk and True Detective Police cases where largely compiled from American material with Laughs offering payment for joke submissions from locals. The initial issues of Laughs had covers illustrated by Auckland artist 'Carr' with later issues illustrated by an artist signed as SLYE. Laughs and Burlesk contained cartoons and gags often poorly cropped from American magazines.

Despite being based in New Zealand's largest city, Auckland, all of H.B.K. Hislop's publications were printed 350 kilometres down the east coast at Te Rau Press Ltd who still operate in Gisborne today. Another note of interest is an issue of Detective Police Cases was deemed obscene and placed upon the list of censored publications in Ireland in 1954. If anyone has more information about this publisher I'd love to hear from you.

Laughs Volume 1 published December 1944

Laughs Volume 2

 

 Laughs Volume 4

 

  Laughs Volume 6

Laughs Volume 14

Laughs Volume 15

Laughs Volume 8

Laughs Volume 11

 

Interior page of Laughs Volume 1

  Back Cover Advert for artist Carr

 

 True Detective Police Case No. 37

 True Detective Police Cases No. 42

 Back Cover of True Detective Police Cases No. 42

Burlesk Act. 43