2013 in Review: Jason Chatfield

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

I was really pleased to see more amazing work from the Aussie comics industry in the 2013 ACA Year Book. Ginger Meggs finally got picked up by the Herald Sun, Courier Mail and Adelaide Advertiser in print and online which is a big boon for his daily Aussie readership. Universal finally assigned me an editor, Josh Peres, and a bunch of marketing for getting Meggsie out there to newer young audiences. I’ve been making Meggs a bit more accessible to audiences beyond his traditional 40-80 y-old demographic. The style is slowly evolving as well which I’m enjoying. 

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

Big congrats to Anton Emdin for his Comic Book Artist of the year win for his work doing movie parodies in MAD. As a MAD fanatic, it’s huge to see an Aussie kicking goals overseas in such a huge publication.

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

Technically it’s still comics, but I finished the new Ginger Meggs website at www.gingermeggs.com and my own website at jasonchatfield.com  It took a lot of fiddling, and they’re still works in progress (aren’t they all) but I’m pretty happy with them.

I’ve been doing stand-up gigs every week this year and have moved from just doing support spots to headlining and MCing comedy clubs. It’s been a great way of dragging me away from the drawing board! 

What are you looking forward to in 2014?

I’m looking forward to finishing the graphic novel I’ve been working on with writer Paul Goddard for the last 4 years.

 jasonchatfield.com

2013 in Review: Paul Mason

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

Being able to travel around the country and meet/catch up with the enthusiastic and genuinely appreciative readers of my nonsense as a comic guest of Oz Comic-Con/Supanova (Perth and Adelaide for the first time, Melbourne, Gold Coast) and locally at ZICS, Brisbane Supanova, and onstage talking comics with Eddie Campbell, Dylan Horrocks and Zac Smith-Cameron at the Brisbane Writer's festival, Free Comic Book Day scribbling for comic fans with Paul Abstruse at Gifts for the Geek at Geelong, being part of 'The New Adventures of The Human Fly #1' anthology released at San Diego Comic-Con (humbly sandwiched in the book between Al Milgrom and Bob Layton), knock-my-socks-off feedback and support from some comic book heroes of mine at SDCC regarding my scribbling, scoring something big at SDCC (to me anyway) to work on with Chris Sequeira next year with a different scope, recruited by GRAPHIC festival to interview Len Wein onstage at the Sydney Opera House...and hopefully knock over my QCA Doctorate before the end of the year.

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

Sadly, I haven't had time to get or read much this year, apart from books and interviews related to the research.But the bursts I did get were great:  I enjoyed the reprint of Will Eisner's 'Last Day in Vietnam', Minor Miracles which I grabbed at a table at SDCC, and a handful of Joe Kubert, Russ Heath and Bob Kanigher's 'Sgt. Rock' reprints. 'Hicksville' by Dylan Horrocks. Oh, and 'Lives', illustrated by the awesome Fillbach Brothers for 1st issue comics: possibly the best 22 page comic story I've ever read.

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

A trip to the UK midyear to represent Australia in the Open World Taekwon-do Championships in Hatfield/London. Good fights, close friends, a lightening bolt, and generally just good to get away from here for a while. Now training for the 2014 Worlds in Korea, as both a competitor and an Assistant/Sparring Coach for Team Australia. Humbled to be onboard at that capacity. Also non-comics, but kind of comics, Lecturing again at the Queensland College of Arts as part of the Griffith Film School. 

What are you looking forward to in 2014?

Squad training for Korea, and Korea itself. Maybe the UK again. More drawing time, more lecturing. A social life. A big chapter of 'The Soldier Legacy', the can't-announce-yet project. Being Happy. Or at least, content.

 http://pm-comic.blogspot.com.au/

2013 in Review: Theo Macdonald

 

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2013?Publishing Theocra(D), the sequel to my comic Theocracy, co-creating the six-episode animated mini-series 'We Need to Talk about Richard and Theo,' and beginning the 'Richard and Theo's Funnybooks' project with 'The Norm,' 'Men on the Moon', and 'Irrelevamp.' 

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

Die Popular and American Captain are two of my favourite ongoing series online, and in print I'm enjoying Joe Hill's Locke and Key, which is supposed to finish next year (I think).

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

The NZIFF had a great line-up this year. Highlights for me included Only Lovers Left Alive, The Bling Ring, Oh Boy, and Frances Ha, which I actually saw outside the festival, but enjoyed it greatly nonetheless. Also, Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine is fantastic.  

What are you looking forward to in 2014?

Publishing another collection of Theocracy strips (to be titled Threeocracy), as well as continuing work on other projects in development. Also Wes Anderson's Grand Budapest Hotel looks fantastic

http://theocracy.blastosaurus.com/

2013 in Review: Dean Rankine

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

2013 has been HUGE!

Continuing to get work with Simpsons Comics has been superb and has opened a lot of doors for me.

I was a guest at Armageddon Expo, Supanova and Oz Comic Con in Melbourne, then got to fly to New Zealand twice for 3 cons (Hamilton, Wellington, Auckland) thanks to Armageddon Expo and Arkham City Comics.

I did a number of in-stores; Heroes For Sale and Arkham City Comics (Auckland), Kings Comics (Sydney), Impact Comics (Canberra) and All Star Comics (Melbourne). And presented at the CREATE Conference in Canberra.

I also got interviewed on JOY fm and New Games Plus as well as radio, podcasts and TV in NZ and a radio thing for France.

AND my comic Itty Bitty Bunnies in Rainbow Pixie Candy Land was released digitally.

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

I generally like my comics low-brow and this year I started getting into digital comics. I've enjoyed Suicide Squad, Batgirl, Aquaman, Batman '66, Red Sonja and I'm in the middle of reading Dr. Who Prisoners of Time. 

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

I got to see His Holiness the Dalai Lama (with 2000 of his closest friends) that was pretty cool!

We decided to give our son a 'bonus year' before sending him to school. Best thing we ever did. And I've loved reading him books and playing Lego Batman together on the XBOX. 

I got to take my daughter with me to New Zealand. That was a really special time which I think brought us closer together. I just loved being with her for her first plane flight. AND we got to sit next to Spiderman writer Dan Slott!

And earlier in the year my wife, kids and I did a driving holiday to Queensland and did the theme park thing. We all had a ball!

What are you looking forward to in 2014?

Itty Bitty Bunnies in Rainbow Pixie Candy Land #1 comics out in print (thanks to the fine folk at Action Lab Comics)!!!!

I'm in the middle of working on the next twisted story as we speak. And I'm really looking forward to showing people. 

And I'm going to Perth and Adelaide for Oz Comic Con which is going to be a hoot!

 http://deanrankine.deviantart.com/

2013 in Review: James Davidson

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

Releasing Moa Volume one at Chromacon was definitely a high. Not only was it good to see all the Moa comics collected in a single volume, it was great to meet lots of the local talent. Sharing a booth with Matt Emery and Sarah Laing was a blast. Living on the coast of Taranaki certainly has it's positives but the one thing it lacks is a thriving comic community, so getting the chance to talk comics all day is always appreciated. Also, being included in Adrian Kinnaird's excellent From Earths End book was a great honor. It is very humbling seeing my work in the same book with some of the most creative individuals New Zealand has to offer.

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

I haven't had much time to read many comics this year. The only one that has left a lasting impression was Seth's George Sprott, which I got from the New Plymouth Library. They just got Grant Morrison's Animal Man omnibus but as I have incurred a few fines I'm too chicken to go and get it!

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

Spotify! I have found so much new music through Spotify. I also like the subscription model which allows you to pretty much consume as much music as you want. Now when an album comes out I can give it a go and if I like it I keep it, if not you can delete it. It certainly makes you more adventurous in your tastes not having to commit $20-$30 on a CD. The album I've jammed the most in 2013 has been Kendrick Lamar's good kid m.A.A.d city.

 
What are you looking forward to in 2014?

Making more comics! Due to a growing family my output has been lower then I would have liked. I would like to get both issues 4 and 5 finished in 2014. With any luck issue 4 will be ready in time for the Wellington Armageddon. 

http://moascomic.blogspot.com.au/

2013 in Review: Alisha Jade

 

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2013?  
This year I've printed 4 comics, with another 2 coming by end of year. 3 of those were 60 page books so really happy with that! I've also been able to meet and spend time with some incredible creators including some I've admired for years. I also did my first real mini comics, which are a blast and I can see myself doing lots of. I also started a tumblr to collect links to local female artists which is growing pretty much every week - it's incredibly cool!

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

I've really enjoyed finding new comics this year in unexpected places - I loved "Mother May I" by Choo in Melbourne and practically everything by Amei  Zhao, whose use of line and colour is just incredible. I was also late to the party in picking up Pat Grant's "Blue" but found the use of colours and textures in the work really eye opening. It feels like this year has just expanded my mind for what comics can be and how they feel.

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

I was able to visit Japan for the first time in October, which was even more amazing than I ever thought it could be.
 
What are you looking forward to in 2014? 

I'm mostly just looking forward to more comics! I'm hoping to finish Seven in the next year and start a new major project (which is already lined up!) and I'm hoping to get to a lot more diverse events than just the big cons. I'm also looking forward to meeting more and more fantastic people - comics creators are just the most interesting people around!

http://www.ajadeart.com/

Paper Trail

Boy's Own adventure by Tony Thorne in Demons.

WIP: Jase Harper's Awk Wood.

Preview of Roger Langridge's L'il Ernie.

Preview for new comic from Katie Parrish.

A lengthy post on T.C. Denne’s soft drink and ice cream business by Darian Zam.

Recreation of a mid-1960s hand screen-printed poster for the Peter Pan Dazzle, by Bob Godfrey.

Philip Bentley has released a his comics memoirs A Life in Comics available from Second Shore.  Phil has been involved for much of the past 50 years with the Australian comics scene through fandom, retailing, writing and publishing. More info on A Life in Comics – a personal history of comics in Australia 1960-1990 here.

  
Phil also recently announced the end of his Australian comics publication Word Balloons.

"With the release of A Life in Comics it seems an appropriate time to draw a line under the publication of Word Balloons. It was not my intention from the outset to conclude its run here, but anyone who has been following the magazine’s trajectory will have seen that its frequency has slowed over the years. This is just the natural consequence of producing an work as labour of love. Eventually enthusiasm will run out. I had thought that perhaps at the end of producing the book I would feel energised and be enthusiastic about getting back into WB, but the opposite has been true, so I very much feel it is time to move on"

Back issues of Word Balloons can be purchased from Second Shore.

Emmet O'Cuana reviews Home Brew Vampire Bullets #0.

Eleri Mai Harris made a beautiful comic for the 2013 Caravan of Comics TCAF excursion.

Gallery of New Zealand reprint comics at The Library of American Comics Blog.

The Dominion Post profiles Murray Webb.

Simon Hanselmann's 2013 CAB report.

Daniel Best announces a Keith Chatto ebook biography.

Neale Blanden diagrams the Melbourne Comics Community.

Jem Yoshioka writes about the recent Women's Cartoon colloquium in Wellington.

Sarah Laing's commentary on the Women's Cartoon colloquium.

  
David Mahler writes about Marc Pearson.

Have you ordered your SAVAGE BITCH?

 Stephen A. Russell profiles Art Spiegelman for The Age prior to his recent Australian visit.

Paper Trail masthead courtesy of Toby Morris.

Armageddon Melbourne 2013

Some of comic folk at Armageddon Melbourne 2013.

All Star Comics

Colin Wilson and Tom Taylor

Colin Wilson sketches Star Wars

Fil Barlow and Helen Maier

Richard Fairgray

Craig Bruyn

Dean Rankine

Matt Kyme, Matthew Nicholls and Ross Stewart

Brent Anderson

Sorab Del Rio

Steve Sparke

Neville Howard and BMB