2013 in Review: Sam Orchard

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

Getting to be on panel discussions with some of my comic heroes like Dylan Horrocks, Sarah Laing, Ant Sang and Adrian Kinnaird. Plus I got to meet the great Robyn Kenealy this year!

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

I became obsessed with Strip Search's first series - a reality comic artist show? Addictive.

Erika Moen's new 'Oh Joy Sex Toy' is amazing. Getting to pledge and get a copy of Jem Yoshioka's Sunshine Comic was excellent also.And I haven't managed to get my hands on Adrian's "From Earth's End" yet, but I am hoping I will get copy for xmas (*wink wink* xmas present gift givers) and so I am sure I will enjoy that as 2013 draws to a close.

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

There are non-comics things? I got an awesome job this year following Philip Patston around, that is something I really enjoy.

What are you looking forward to in 2014?

Busting out some more comics, and finally kickstarting my queer comics books 'Family Portraits.

roostertailscomic.com

2013 in Review: Gavin Aung Than

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

Zen Pencils has continued to build a fantastic, international community of readers which makes me extremely happy. Hearing from teachers, students, office workers, parents and retirees and how they all enjoy my comics is really the highlight for me - I never thought my work would have such an impact. Zen Pencils has been featured by big mainstream websites such as Buzzfeed, The Huffington Post, Gawker, The AV Club and Slate - which is kind of cool, since I'm just a dude working out of my spare bedroom in suburban Melbourne.

 

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

Thanks to my iPad, I've started reading comics regularly again - I've enjoyed Hawkeye, Daredevil, Fury: Max and Prophet.

 

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

Well, I'm a TV junkie, so ... Breaking Bad, House of Cards, The Newsroom and Game of Thrones.   

 

What are you looking forward to in 2014?

Continuing on improving my work at Zen Pencils and reaching a bigger audience. I've got a big project that will hopefully happen in 2014 that I can't talk about right now. I also hope to do a bit more travelling, with the US on the agenda and possibly San Diego Comic Con!

 

zenpencils.com

2013 in Review: Caitlin Major

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

This year myself and Matthew Hoddy ran a successful Pozible campaign to get Space Pyrates collected edition printed! We got 200 books printed and have already sold out and got it reprinted as two smaller volumes. We took Space Pyrates to almost every state (all except WA, but we'll get there one day!) and we also travelled to America for the Small Press Expo and it was very well received all over! I also contributed a comic to the Brisbane comic collective 'Ashcan.' The comic I submitted was a short prelude to my next big project which should see the light of day next year. I also participated in the 24 hour comic challenge, which was... challenging. I didn't finish my 24 pages but it gave me some good perspective on my workflow and how much I can achieve in a day.

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

I have been enjoying 'The Deep' by Tom Taylor and James Brouwer, and can't wait for the next instalment. I picked up a copy of 'Relish' by Lucy Knisely at the Melbourne Writers Festival which opened me up to the world of beautiful journal comics. Tim Molloy's 'It Shines and Shakes and Laughs' was brilliant! Becky and Franks 'Capture Creatures' made me want to pick up my paint brushes and give it another go. I'm excited to see where Sam Calcraft and Lex Rosek take 'Escape Velocity.' There are so many more that I can't possibly list, I've spent more money on comics this year than anything else I swear! 

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

There's something other than comics!? Not in my life! Oh there was that one time I went to the beach... that was nice. I guess.

What are you looking forward to in 2014?

Moving to Canada and going to Toronto Comic Arts Festival and other conventions in North America. Also releasing my solo comic project!

 

caitlindmajor.tumblr.com/

2013 in Review: Matt Kyme

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

This is a cinch. Working with author extraordinaire, Andrez Bergen, to produce Tales To Admonish. The three stories that Andrez concocted were all so varied and original. All three of them stem from his novels; The Condimental Op and Who Is Killing The Great Capes Of Heropa?.  Andrez is a breeze to work with and he is a brilliant wordsmith.

I’d be remiss to mention the fine work that Arthur Strickland has been doing on our ‘That Bulletproof Kid’ webcomic. Arthurs pages just get stronger and stronger

Being invited to participate in Darker Forces: Degeneration by the good folks at Gaining Velocity was a huge honour. My single page in this project will sit alongside work by an amazing group of artists from Australia and South Africa. I can’t wait to see that comic.

I’ve recently worked on a project with the awe inspiring Katie Houghton-Ward, which I’m hoping to be able to announce more details on soon. Her art is off the scale.

I drew a really fun project called Mercenary Dreams written by Fred Atkins. We hope to get it on shelves at some stage. Fred has a very unique, zany style. It was a lot of fun to collaborate with him.

Lastly, I recently finished a quirky little three pager for an upcoming issue of Darren Koziol’s DECAY. The story that Darren sent me is honestly my favourite story from any issue of DECAY I’ve seen.

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

Discovering (thanks to Andrez) Lone Wolf and Cub. It’s so addictive. The story is so beautiful in its simplicity, but each new test the protagonists face is so well crafted by Koike, he never repeats himself, each new challenge is so different from the last. It’s a very endearing tale of fatherly love in the most perilous circumstances. And don’t get me started on Kojima’s art.

Locally, I really dug new stuff from Matt Nicholls. His third issue of Collateral was as consistently excellent as its predecessors. His pace is perfect and the tension is really foreboding and palpable. Craig Bruyn exploded onto the scene with the debut issue of From Above which showcases his strengths in writing and art. I thought it was very impressive.

Marvel/DC/Image/etc offered up some treats: FF, Daredevil, Savage Wolverine, Superior Spiderman, Thanos Rising, Infinity, Batman, Batman Black and White, Batman/Superman, Batman Incorporated, Batman and Robin (THAT’S A LOT OF BATMAN), Injustice: Gods Among Men, Superman/Wonderwoman, The Walking Dead, Invincible, Saga, Jupiter’s Legacy, Mind MGMT, Hinterkind, X-O Manowar. A lot of these were hit and miss but all deserved a mention.

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

Huh? 

What are you looking forward to in 2014?

Darker Forces: Degeneration and my story in DECAY will be published early in 2014. Andrez and I will have Tales To Admonish 2 landing on shelves sometime. The way we work, you may expect a few issues. That Bulletproof Kid will also be making his first appearance in print early next year. Depending on Arthur’s wrists, we could very well have That Bulletproof Kid 2 out by the end of the year

Mid-year should see the launch of a big fat project I’ve half-jokingly/half seriously dubbed ‘That All Star Bulletproof Kid’. This will feature no fewer than 13 short stories featuring That Bulletproof Kid and his supporting cast buy some of the most amazing creators you could imagine. More details on this soon.

thatbulletproofkid.com

2013 in Review: Anthony Woodward

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

I undertook a project to complete a 12 page mini comic. I wrote, scripted and inked the whole thing and will be ready to print up some copies hopefully soon. I have also been getting back into my sketchbook practice a lot this year, playing around with new techniques, tools and materials. I hate most of the results until I look back in a few weeks and look at the drawings a bit objectively and my thoughts aren't so harsh.  

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

I've been getting into Tumblr a bit more this year and discovering a whole bunch of new artists, it drives me crazy sometimes, it's hard not to be overwhelmed with the variety and quality of comics being produced. Ben juers is putting together a psychiatry comics anthology and I've been enjoying seeing some of the sketches and panel previews. 

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

I've always been a fan of audiobooks and this year I've been getting into some great fiction adaptions like, 'do androids dream of electric sheep', 'world war z', the 'Harry Potter' series read by Stephen Fry and more recently 'I am Legend'

What are you looking forward to in 2014?

Hoping to keep up my level of drawing I've been able to do this year and then some more. I would like to start some new comic projects but I had probably better finish off the ones I started  this year, especially my 12 page mini comic. 

 awcomix.tumblr.com/

2013 in Review: Simon Hanselmann

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

"My Floating World broadsheet "ST OWL'S BAY" got nominated for an Ignatz, That was pretty nice. Had an art show in Madrid with HTML Flowers that went pretty well. Fantagraphics officially announced the book of mine they're releasing next year ("MEGAHEX") and i was able to brag about it on tumblr. Comic Arts Brooklyn was amazing, I launched my new book from Space Face Books ("LIFE ZONE") there. I had a very good time...

And a bunch of other stuff... It's been a very good year for Megg, Mogg & Owl.

Closing out the year with some work for Pitchfork, the Believer and Mould Map.

#youngprofessionals #2013"

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

"Oh, God... This would be the longest list of names.... 

Some of my current favourite things are Lala Albert's new stuff for Mould Map 3.

John Pham's Epoxy 4. anything by JMKE.

Spiders Pee Paw. Michiel Budel. Weird 4. White Cube.

Breakdown Press. Corbera. ZHV. Leon Sadler. HB. Negron. Estrada.

Pompeii was really good. 

Susceptible was really good.

I really liked Strawberries by Mia Schwartz.

PK. MDF.

Michael Hawkins.... a million other people and things."

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

"Blaise Larmee's Nudes. Top of the Lake was a good TV series. Traveling again was cool. The new Drake album. Karaoke." 

What are you looking forward to in 2014?

"Releasing MEGAHEX with Fanta' in July or so and doing a book tour. Fulgencio Pimentel's also releasing a gigantic Spanish Megg & Mogg collection. There's a few new little books I want to make with some cool small press publishers. Doing another art show with HTML Flowers. Working on some secret stuff...

There's a ton of stuff I want to see completed next year.

Hopefully TRUTH ZONE will return early in the year...

I can't wait to see what all of my friends do next year too.

2014 should be a good year for comics."

girlmountain.tumblr.com/

Peeper Trail

Victory University Press have announced Incomplete Works, a forthcoming collection of Dylan Horrocks shorter comics.

"Daydreams, fantasy, true love and procrastination feature strongly in this marvellous selection of Dylan Horrocks’s shorter comics. Running from 1986 to 2012, Incomplete Works is both the chronicle of an age and a portrait of one man’s heroic struggle to get some work done."

Maralinga by Jen Breach and Doug Holgate.

"Maralinga spins an alternative history from the 1956 British nuclear tests in the Woomera. Three hundred years later a ruined, irradiated, post-apocalyptic Australia is a place where monsters are real and one girl, the last of an isolated and dying community in Melbourne's south, launches a desperate journey to find sanctuary and a mythical inland sea."
 

Pat Grant talks to Dan Berry on Make It and Tell Somebody.

Happy Together Forever by Katie Parrish

Sarah Laing's Helmet Lady.

Canberra Times Obituary for Australian science fiction, librarian and bibliographer Graham Stone.

Comics workshops in January 2014 at the State Library of Queensland with Paul Mason. Details here.

Hannah Lee Writes about the New Zealand Cartoon Archive.

I like the cut of Jason Chatfield's jib on television.

Beardy and the Geek talk to Gary Chaloner.

Meet the Makers: Katie Parrish

 Three Thousand profile Simon Hanselmann.

Paper Trail masthead courtesy of Toby Morris.

2013 in Review: Li Chen

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2013? Reaching 300 comics on Extra Ordinary, and making my first long format comic to celebrate! You can see it here. It was so much fun, I really want to make more long comics.

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

I've been reading some Japanese comics, I've especially enjoyed Kiyohiko Azuma's comics: Azumanga Daioh, and Yotsuba&! They are both slice-of-life comics, my favourite genre.

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

Drinking lots of tea, going on long walks.

What are you looking forward to in 2014?

Hopefully publishing volume three of Extra Ordinary!

exocomics.com

2013 in Review: Michel Mulipola

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

I have a couple of personal comics highlights:

The first is definitely helping my good pal, Jeremy, open up the comic book store, Arkham City Comics in Auckland, NZ. It's a place we've created as an 'asylum' for freaks and geeks to be who they are and celebrate what they love.And the second would be the very successful Headlocked Kickstarter campaign. Due to the amazing support from our backers, we were able to get this motion comic made as a Stretch Goal:

Also, being a finalist in the inaugral Secret Walls X Aotearoa Live Art Battles was choice! I went out to represent comic book art taking out graffiti artists in the process.I lost out to my friend, Paul Walsh, but am proud to have drawn the first ever full comic book page in a Secret Walls battle!

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

There are so many comics and creators whose work I've enjoyed in 2013. Working at Arkham City Comics, I get spoilt for choice. I enjoy Greg Capullo's stuff on Batman. Also enjoying Thor: God of Thunder. SAGA is fantastic as well as anything by Sean Murphy. Oh, and Tom Taylor's stuff on Injustice and Earth 2. Pretty much anything he touches is gold!

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

There's not much non-comics related stuff that happens in my life. Even my pro wrestling career is rooted in comic books. But one non-comics related highlight would be my nephew successfully battling a brain tumour with minimal side effects from radiation therapy. He's a little battler and inspires me every damned day.

What are you looking forward to in 2014?

2014 is shaping up to be a big year for me if 2013 is anything to go by.

I'm currently working on the Headlocked Kickstarter stuff, got a few side projects in other media going, a possible collab with a writer I admire and I'm hoping to make it to SDCC next year to do signings and maybe a panel. But yeah - who knows what 2014 holds for me, I'll just keep chugging along and before I know it, it's 2015 and Avengers 2: Age of Ultron time!

kid-liger.deviantart.com/

2013 in Review: Christopher Downes

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

Going to the Stanley Awards weekend in Coffs was great. For me it's kind of like going to a Comic Con where many of your idols are there and they regard you as one of their peers. (Still wrapping my head around that concept.)

I've also been incredibly lucky to have picked up a LOT more work through the Mercury. I'm now drawing 4 cartoons a week and loving it!

 

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

I've discovered the work of two very amazing artists this year. 

I know I'm coming late to the party on this one, but I saw the work of Jim Mahfood this year when my 2 year old daughter pulled a collection of his Tank Girl comics off the shelf at the library. I love his loose-yet-confident inking style and I've adopted his splatters into my own work.

I also discovered the work of John Darkow, a cartoonist for the Colombia Daily Tribune in Missouri. His work is outstanding! He's one of the few cartoonists working today who doesn't use colour. Honestly, his cartoons don't need it. The linework is frenzied and impeccable! Plus, the guy incorporates this bloody FANTASTIC hand drawn typography with his cartoons. Seriously, it has as much life as his characters. You really have to look him up to know what I'm talking about. I don't follow American politics, but I still look at Darkow's work daily.

 

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

I recently saw some of George Lambert's paintings in the Queensland Art Gallery and fell deeply in love. My wife got me a nice big book on him which I plan to read very soon.

 

What are you looking forward to in 2014?

At the moment, I don't know what I'm looking forward to, but I'm sure there are some wonderful surprises in store!

sirwdchosen.blogspot.com.au/

2013 in Review: Ryan K. Lindsay

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

Having issues on 3 different projects all start coming out was probably the comic making highlight (I released FATHERHOOD, my one-shot through Challenger Comics; GHOST TOWN through Action Lab's Danger Zone imprint; and the MY LITTLE PONY RAINBOW DASH one-shot through IDW). Seeing a lot of hard work drop in the one year was a highlight and I hope to keep it all moving along nicely. I would also list traveling to Seattle for the Emerald City Comic Con in March a highlight as I got to finally meet a lot of really awesome people, have a few drinks, and chat for real.

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

We're in a golden age of great comics right now and I'm stoked to be a reader amongst such quality. I've really dug on HAWKEYE, THE MASSIVE, SEX CRIMINALS, THE PRIVATE EYE, FIVE GHOSTS, EAST OF WEST, DAREDEVIL, THE WAKE, TRILLIUM, BATMAN '66, FATALE, STRANGE NATION, RAT QUEENS, SHELTERED, HIGH CRIMES, as well as smaller things like Ryan Ferrier and Chris Peterson's ULTRANOVA, and Louie Joyce's very recent A LIFE IN THE CITY.

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

Having my second child in February certainly ranks as a highlight. I super dug Stephen King's Hard Case Crime pulp JOYLAND, and I'm a ways into DOCTOR SLEEP which is shaping up to be pretty good. BREAKING BAD ended the only way it could. I discovered Spotify and through it a whole mess of rad new tunes (the OST to ENTER THE DRAGON being on the highest rotation). And PACFIC RIM was the place to send my heart to have fun this year.

What are you looking forward to in 2014?

I have two miniseries greenlit for 2014 - neither of which I can talk about but they are with insanely talented artists who are making the work look far better than it had any right to coming out of my head. I'm also putting together some DIY one-shot type stuff that I'm super excited about. The trade for GHOST TOWN should drop around March. I'll be attending a few conventions and am looking forward to getting around Australia to put some stories into hands, chat copious amounts of Daredevil with people, and just enjoy the rad atmosphere that comics people bring with them. 2014 is going to be another superb year of reading great comics, writing some new material, and having loads of fun with my family.

ryanklindsay.com/

2013 in Review: Tim Molloy

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

Being asked to take part as a guest of the Adelaide Writers Week as part of the festival in March next year! Madman taking on distribution of Milk Shadow Books was a big one.

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

Ben Hutchos You Stink and I Don't collection. Pat Grants story about his dad Toormina Video. Properly investigated  Moebius this year.  Always good. Thomas Ott's R. I. P.  Was amazing...

What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2013? 
My wife and I had a baby boy this year! This experience has easily been the best thing that has ever happened to me!

 
What are you looking forward to in 2014?

The Writers Week thing should be great...  Later in the year the sequel to Mr Unpronounceable Adventures will be published ,  if all goes well! Just drawing all the time,  or as much as I can,  and hopefully getting better in every way.

 timmolloy.tumblr.com/

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/