Dailies

The first edition of a new comics anthology, Dailies, was recently produced by the Silent Army publishing concern. Contained within the pages of the striking 32 page tabloid newspaper format are sixty artists from Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia producing their takes on 'newspaper strips'. Established cartoonist's such as Tim Molloy, Tim Danko, Mandy Ord, Glenn Smith, Ben Hutchings and more feature alongside emerging young talent. Cartoons are presented in a variety of forms from abstract art comics to riffs on popular newspaper strips as well as dense multi-panel narratives.

Excerpt of Mandy Ord's Desperate Times

Each release will feature different versions of contemporary views of the comic art strips presented in black and white, two colour, and full colour spreads.

I asked Dailies Editor M P Fikaris a few questions via email about his latest project.

What was the impetus to publish Dailies?

There were a few really. But mostly, as with all anthologies I have published, to show the fine talents of my friends. Also, with dailies it is a little bit of an idea on doing things quickly and without too much pre design and study as most comics tend to be). I asked the artists to submit something in a short time frame, hoping not only to get us doing something without too much thought but also to get something that could be repeated and continued like the daily comics of old newspaper cartoonists.

 Excerpt from The Pox Girls Plan 9 From Outer Space

Some of the material in Dailies seems far removed from the concept of  'the comic art strip', some perhaps more in the realm of art comics, were there editorial guidelines for Dailies? Were you involved in editorial guidance with any of the contributors?

I asked a lot of friends, some with a more traditional comic strip making background and others who I thought were doing things that are very similar in nature to the comic strip. My mind is very open to comics in many mediums and I certainly don’t restrict a comic to squares on a page with characters talking.

 Excerpt from Leigh Rigozzi

 What was the print run of Dailies? Are you satisfied with the finished product?

The print run was 3000 copies. I am satisfied that it is complete, but there are certainly a lot of pips in it. It is the first time I have laid something out for newsprint and I have learnt a bunch of things. My budget was pretty low (but very gratefully it was covered by a fellow artist who wants to remain unknown) so I did it with a printer that was possibly less helpful than I could have hoped. The first issue is not about perfect layout for me but more about getting it complete and making it a progressive thing. The next issue is due in May this year and the following to come out in August, then again in November.

Were there any difficulties in assembling an anthology with this many creators spread out over the globe?

Yeah, a little frustrating – but that was the challenge.

 

Excerpt from 'Megg's Coven' by Simon Hanselman

Where is Dailies available from?

With this collection I plan to take it to the streets and sell it  like a paper – but with a twist. Combining my background as an artist on the streets and doing work with local theatre companies I am very excited to try something a little different … to have unadvertised ‘happenings’ each month in a Melbourne laneway… each will be plastered with the papers contents on the walls(done the night before) and myself and another dressed to impress with paper in tow ‘performing’ a selling technique I hope will make the paper a more interesting and mysterious collection of stories and artworks for all sorts interested in ‘culture’.

I have plans to do this next week and will be recording it for future reference.

Currently I am also selling it on the silent army website - www.silentarmy.org. and successfully at various art fairs/stalls and markets. The plan with this has always been to glue into laneways of the city and distribute through other less traditional comic outlets. Flexing creative flare instead of bending to the needs of the stores.

 

 All cartoons copyright 2012 their respective creators.

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.

Big Arse 2 Comic Launch

Big Arse Comic Book Launch #2 To Be Held in March

Melbourne, Australia - Following the success of 2011’s Big Arse Comic Book Launch 

the Melbourne comics community in hosting a second, even bigger event to launch of fifteen (15) new works created by authors from the fast-growing local scene.

These books are published by a diverse array of publishers, from the small press to national publishers, with reach into the newsstands and the global comics market.

Presented by the inimitable, indomitable, inglorious and invincible Bernard Caleo.

Saturday, March 3rd from 2:00pm

Sentido Funf

243 - 245 Gertrude Street

Fitzroy

Victoria, Australia

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.

 

Early New Zealand History In Pictures

Another selection of stories from Charles Mckenzie's Early New Zealand History In Pictures.

 

 Early New Zealand History In Pictures courtesy Geoff Harrison