E noho rā 2013

Big thanks to all the New Zealand & Australian cartoonists and comic makers who contributed to the 2013 in Reviews. I'm signing off for a few days and will back with some galleries and interview posts on Jan 1st 2014.

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2013 in Review survey index:

Gregory Mackay bit.ly/190OERO
Brendan Boughen bit.ly/JTJaic
Cory Mathis bit.ly/18T5bnx
Matthew Hoddy bit.ly/IUnEK2
Andrew Fullton bit.ly/1jgoC3G
David Blumenstein bit.ly/ITI7i9
Justin Randall bit.ly/J1s6Gm
David C Mahler bit.ly/1cNhdDC 
Grant Buist http://bit.ly/1gAZEtX 
Jen Breach bit.ly/Jx2xhz
Ben Michael Byrne http://bit.ly/INu0uO 
Brendan Halyday  bit.ly/18PvQVv 
Toby Morris bit.ly/1hmGBRw
Bruce Mutard bit.ly/1dvAYhu 
Stuart McMillen bit.ly/1c034Ek 
Joshua Santospirito bit.ly/18Gnek2
Frank Candiloro bit.ly/IQTJSh
Richard Fairgray bit.ly/19DaLdX  
Colin Wilson bit.ly/IPOyCn  
Jason Franks bit.ly/IEKkhl 
Matt Kyme bit.ly/18vb8qB  
Anthony Woodward bit.ly/1kqIz36  
Caitlin Major bit.ly/1d4l5xN  
Sarah Laing bit.ly/1fh9ptS  
Sam Orchard bit.ly/1f3kvC3 
Gavin Aung Than bit.ly/J95ipc
Scarlette Baccini bit.ly/18BiyMe  
David Follett bit.ly/1gYFZRT
Simon Hanselmann bit.ly/1dbhuyu  
Michel Mulipola bit.ly/1aDPPD9
Li Chen bit.ly/18cmLb6  
Ryan K Lindsay bit.ly/19itb3v   
Christopher Downes bit.ly/1hzFxMU  
Dean Rankine bit.ly/18k8YKi 
Alisha Jade bit.ly/1bFijT3    
Theo Macdonald bit.ly/1dOK4u7
Paul Mason bit.ly/ILOFzC  
James Davidson bit.ly/1bFmVZp  
Tim Molloy bit.ly/1cYKoBi  
Jason Chatfield bit.ly/1bIyCP1

2013 in Review: Brendan Boughen

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

The highlight of the year was definitely being the live on-site cartoonist for several Microsoft NZ events, including the launch of the Surface Pro tablet and then the big TechEd 2013 conference, attended by over 2000 people. It was cool to see some of my cartoons from those events retweeted internationally. That gig has since turned into some new opportunities with Microsoft which will utilise both my day-job skills as a PR consultant, and my cartoonist alter-ego.

This year saw a number of Fairfax technology magazines in New Zealand close down, one for which I had been drawing a monthly tech-themed cartoon for over 18 months. While it was sad to no longer be in print there, it looks that strip might be finding a new home in another magazine in 2014. I’ve also continued to do monthly cartoons for Touchstone magazine, and am proud to have received some snarky offended letters to the editor about one cartoon I did about churches and zombies. (If cartoons aren’t being provocative, what’s the point?)

Personally though, I feel like I’ve done some of my best work ever on my web site in 2013. It hasn’t always been on a weekly basis, as is my usual aim, but the times I have got one up there I’ve really liked how they’ve turned out. This one’s a favourite.

 

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

Christian Henry’s Anyone for Rhubarb? web comic continues to hit new heights. I don’t know where he finds the time to produce such complex, bizarre and funny work. 

Political cartoonist John Kudelka continues to stand-out for me for his ability to make powerful points with just a few scribbles. 

I also enjoyed seeing the final collected volume of  Opus strips by Berkeley Breathed of Bloom County fame. 

It’s also been great to see Kiwi comics celebrated through a number of new publications, including the history book From Earth’s End by Adrian Kinnaird and the second volume of Faction Comics.

 

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

Some superb movies have come out this year. I very recently enjoyed The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, but also dug Sound City, Warm Bodies, Now You See Me, Pacific Rim, Gravity, Iron Man 3,  Joss Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing and the conclusion of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost’s Cornetto Trilogy ‘The World’s End’.

Also, as one of the few who still buy CDs, I have enjoyed getting into more music this year now that all the CD stores are going out of business and having cheap CD sales. Faves have included Lamb of God, Nick Cave, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Joseph Arthur, Karnivool, Nada Surf, Placebo, Pendulum, Pearl Jam, and Lorde, to name but a few. (The talented young Kiwi whippersnapper Lorde also inspired a cartoon.)

 

What are you looking forward to in 2014?

Mostly I’m looking forward to pushing myself creatively with some new cartooning endeavours in addition to everything that’s been started this year. As well as my tech-cartoon finding a new home in print, I’m launching a new webcomic in January which is being created in collaboration with a writer friend. We’ll be aiming to publish it three times a week and maybe even produce a bit of merch around it. Keep an eye on Twitter (@BelindaBitsch) for the announcement of that one kicking off.

However, the big thing I’m going to try and achieve in 2014 is my next book, which I’m planning to be a 25 year retrospective on my “career” as a cartoonist alongside some reflections on creativity and cartoons. It’ll feature a bunch of never before seen material, and should be fun to put together!

cartoonsbyjim.com/

2013 in Review: Gregory MacKay

 

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2013?
Starting off the year by making a mini-comic for the Mini-comic of the month club was great. I haven’t made one like that for a long time. I was also made a 24 page comic about my time in New York during Hurricane Sandy last year. It was specifically for the Caravan of Comics which came later in the year. I started writing it at the Chugnut comic’s camp in March and had it ready by the time we left in May.  A film student friend made a short documentary about me and my comics called ‘Ink machine’ which was a pretty interesting thing to be a part of. It’s out there on YouTube. Check it out.

The Caravan trip was an adventure. It was great to go to TCAF for the second year in a row. Montreal and Seattle were great. Doing in-store appearances at Drawn & Quarterly and Fantagraphics was enlightening. We got to meet so many cartoonists like David B. and Taiyo Matsumoto, plus plenty of local artists everywhere we went.  I hung out in New York for a while after the trip, mostly at Hang Dai studios with Dean Haspiel and my cartoonist buddies form the Florida residency last year.

I was lucky to win an Australian Society of Authors grant to develop a children’s graphic novel I have been working on. After much hard work it was picked up by Allen & Unwin.

I was also lucky to have a proper conversation with Art Spiegalman this year, and Francoise Mouly was very interested in the children’s graphic novel idea.

Designing a CD booklet and disc was a highlight,  as was the many other illustration projects I took on this year.  Working on my next book was a big focus. It was also great to see The Trials of Francis Bear get picked up by Madman entertainment via James Andre’s Milkshadow books.

Collaborating with Adam Ford for Cordite Literary journal and having a Francis Bear comic acquired by Vice.com were publishing highlights.

What are some of the comics/cartoonists you've enjoyed in 2013?
 I bought so many mini’s to name on tour. Standout comics were Tomines Optic Nerve 22. Jonathan Allen’s Vacationland.  Mini’s by Julia Gforer and Uni Moralez. So many others. Pat Grants ‘Toormina Video’ gets my comic of the year.  Hanselmanns ‘Life Zone’ was great.

What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2013? 
I enjoyed Dark Mofo, especially Kurt Hentschläger’s “Zee”. Which was the most disturbing experience if have had from any artwork. I enjoyed touring the model making studio at the Museum of Natural History in New York and seeing behind the scenes of this amazing museum. Reading the source material for the new Miyazaki film in its original comic form, as well as the book by Jiro Horikoshi was a great insight. Being on the USS Intrepid for Memorial Day in New York was special.  New York was very special, and I visited many galleries and cartoonists while I was there. White Night was fun, it was so calm.  Starting to run proper distances was also an achievement, as was climbing Mount Arapiles
 Learning watercolour techniques from Simon Hanselmann and chatting with Oslo, and asking questions of Shaun Tan make for some useful professional development.  Also someone got a tattoo of Francis Bear which was awesome.

What are you looking forward to in 2014?
I’m forward to working on my kid’s graphic novel, and my next two books.  As well as expanding my illustration and 3D work.  I am expanding my illustration and watercolour work too.

2013 in Review: Cory Mathis

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

Couple of big ones for me - I won the NZ Young Cartoonist competition earlier this year, which led to me getting my first working gigs as a cartoonist in the newspaper and magazines. Getting a Saurian Era story into the second volume of Faction Comics was a big goal accomplished for me, looking forward to the next one now. Chromacon! Having a table and hanging with everyone was a huge buzz. Man, next years one is going to rock :D

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

I've been on a bit of a Brandon Graham binge - King City, Prophet, eating it all up. Staying on top of Hellboy and Fables has been a treat this year as well.

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

My mates bought me a dinosaur porn novel for my birthday, 'Jurassic Gangbang 2 - Dominated by Dinosaurs.' I haven't actually read it yet, but I certainly enjoyed recieving it. I suppose depending on how much I enjoy it will determine whether it stays a 'non-comic...'

What are you looking forward to in 2014?

I'm taking the prize money from the cartoon comp and putting it towards getting to Florence in July. Going to do an intensive art atelier summer school - should be an adventure. Just raising money for that, staying busy and if I'm lucky, squeezing out another Saurian Era comic before I go.

 

corysaur.com/

2013 in Review: Toby Morris

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

 

Don't Puke On Your Dad coming out in September was good- first time I've had someone else putting out my work so that's been a whole new experience. 

And I didn't expect things would go down this path this year but I've ended up with a gig doing New Yorker style one panel gag cartoons for the Listener. I never thought that's where I'd go, but it's been a new thing learn and I've been enjoying it.

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

I've just been making my way through Adrian Kinniard's mega collection From Earth's End, a lot of old favourites but also bits I've never seen, that's great. I liked American Captain, Tim Danko's Once made me feel weird, and Mat Tait's Flying Dutchman book was cool. 

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

Special sauce black chilli prawns from Canton Cafe in Kingsland is my thing of 2013. And my second son Iggy being born, that was cool. I got married too, that was fun. But those prawns, man, seriously.

 
What are you looking forward to in 2014?

I don't know what the next book is right now, so that's exciting. Lots of half formed ideas, gonna be fun to see where they go. Looking forward to getting some sleep as the new baby settles in a bit.

xtotlworldwide.com/

2013 in Review: Matthew Hoddy

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

Having the crowd funding campaign being successful and, subsequently, releasing my first book. Then taking that book with much success around the country and hanging out with all our comic making friends at home in Brisbane & Sydney & Melbourne & Adelaide. But the best part was taking the book overseas to SPX. Which was mind blowing to say the least. Meeting all the people I watch online. Seeing that they are just people like us making comics from home and with jobs. Some of which make comics from home AS their jobs.

The whole trip was memorable and inspirational. Met so many people and I can't wait to go back and see them all.

Also, honourable mention of the 24 hour comic jam I organised at Ace Comics for a few of the local creators. On the night it was pretty dang exhausting, mentally AND physically. But it went great and was a bunch of fun!

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

There has been so many! Spent quite a bit on comics at SPX. Some of which are Anthony Clarke's 3 Beartato books, Becky & Frank's Capture Creatures featuring Becky's beautiful water colours & Scott C's Greatest Showdowns. Just to name a few.

Ed Brubaker's Incognito was an interesting read. The Ninja Turtle 'Secret History of the Foot Clan' was really enjoyable too. Also read a few super hero comics I wouldn't usually read. Won't mention which ones (Batman Beyond).

But even more recently, Douglas Holgate & Jen Breach's 'Maralinga', cannot wait until it is finished!

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

Mostly video games. But also some animated series. Steven Universe is a really great show. Pretty recent too. Stories, colours and designs in it are fantastic. Discovered the game 'Fez' about a little 2d being that one day discovers his world has a third dimension. It's super cute and nostalgic. Which I found through one of the Humble Bundles.

The animated Batman series from the 90s has been a highlight too. Everything about it was really well done.

Two movies I really dug were Pacific Rim & Elysium. Both are sci-fi films I dug for completely different reasons.

Been playing through 'The Last of Us'. It's super creepy but super well done.

What are you looking forward to in 2014?

Taking my books overseas once again! Hopefully SPX again, but TCAF is definitely happening. We've also been accepted into Sand Diego Comic-Con. Which is going to be pretty full on and amazing.

That and making new books and releasing them into the world.

  

mkhoddy.tumblr.com/

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/

2013 in Review: David Blumenstein

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2013? I did a bunch of stupid political comics in the lead-up to the federal election because I was angry at all the participants and the yucky little games they play in the media.
The best one was called The Bolt Report. I entered it in the Lord Mayor's Creative Writing awards and it won one! Then Andrew Bolt found out about it, threw it to the attack dogs on his blog, and they got quite nasty -- especially the ones who thought it was real, who got quite mad at the "teacher" for her leftist subversion!
I asked Tristian if he'd like to respond to all this, and he has.

This has all been a lot of fun, but I'm not sure anyone learned anything. Anyway, the piece (and some of the comments from Bolt's blog) will be on display at the City Library early next year.
Also, I got a chance to collaborate with a Guardian journalist, Paul Owen, on a piece recapping the federal election. That was great and I want to do more comics journalism stuff. I'm researching something about lobbyists at the moment.
I had a few cracks at live cartooning, at a show called "Picture This" at Comedy Festival and at the Melbourne Writers Festival in "Draw! Draw Faster!". That's fun.
Am also enjoying the occasional ACA meetups, and the Stanleys conference is always nice because I get to chat a bit with "proper (paid) cartoonists".
What are some of the comics you've enjoyed in 2013?
I've been enjoying the political cartoons of David Pope and David Rowe. And Chris Downes always does good stuff.

Michael Hawkins does comics but the thing I liked most of his this year was his work in an exhibition called Fleshtonez.

Pat Grant's "Toormina Video" is an excellent, moving short comic and was just as excellent as a staged reading at the Opera House.

Good seeing collections of Dillon Naylor and Tim Molloy stuff come out thru Milk Shadow Books/Madman. Hutcho too, but we all know I love him.

Andrew Fulton does excellent comics despite having childrens to raise; that's always impressive. And he runs the Minicomic of the Month Club. Those minis are often real good.

Daniel Reed's Grubby Little Smudges of Filth looks really good, but Comixology's "web viewer" is broken so I haven't read it yet.


Myles Loughran's "Laugh Until You Spew". I'm not that into diary comics but I like his, and there's a heartwarming ending after all the spew.

 Every so often I go to All Star Comics and I pick up an American comic that looks interesting. They're all about zombies fighting crime or scientists fighting mutant zombies or zombie scientists going back in time to meet Abraham Lincoln, and they all want to be written like League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and look like Hellboy.

But they're not.

What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2013? I just watched the last two series of "Eastbound and Down". "Breaking Bad" finished well, too. "Justified" continues to be good.

Anna Krien's "Night Games" and Tom Doig's "Moron 2 Moron" are excellent booky-books.

Liking Katharine Murphy's writing on Guardian Australia. David Marr is pretty brilliant too. Maybe they'd like to collaborate on a comic?

Been listening to Harry Shearer's "Le Show". Angry coverage of important things, and sketches which make you sad. It's comedy, but not really.

I go to Tassie a lot. It's nice.

What are you looking forward to in 2014? Finishing my animated cop show, BE A MAN.

Jase Harper's upcoming graphic novel looks good, only seen peeks of that in Squishface and on his blog.

We just renewed the lease on Squishface for one more year?

www.nakedfella.com/

2013 in Review: Owen Heitmann

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

Every published story is a thrill, but I was particularly pleased to have my story 'Doing The Harry Holt' included in the anthology Unknown Origins & Untimely Ends: A Collection of Unsolved Mysteries (Hic & Hoc Publications).

 

It's also been great fun to organise Comics With Friends And Strangers (a monthly meeting for like-minded folk in Adelaide who enjoy drawing comics), together with my girlfriend, Gina Chadderton (a talented cartoonist herself). Cartooning can be a solitary business, but I find it a refreshing change to create in a group atmosphere, and it's also been wonderful to meet up with other local artists, many of whom I wasn't aware of before.

 

And, of course, it was an honour to be asked to write the introduction to Dillon Naylor's Da 'n' Dill: The Showbag Years.

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

There have been a lot! I'm sure I'll forget some, but... cartoonists I've just discovered this year have included Vera Brosgol (Anya's Ghost), MK Reed and Jonathan Hill (Americus) and Garen Ewing (The Adventures of Julius Chancer). I knew of Walt Kelly already, but only just read his Our Gang stories, and enjoyed them a lot. Old favourites I've continued to devour include Floyd Gottfredson (thanks to Fantagraphics' Mickey Mouse reprints), Caanan Grall (Max Overacts) and Trudy Cooper (Oglaf)... but really, there's too many to mention! Being in a relationship with a cartoonist also means I get lots of amazing comics drawn for or about me, and those are really top of the list.

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

I was stoked to finally see Weezer play live, after having been a fan for more than half my life. I also remain addicted to golden age radio plays. 

What are you looking forward to in 2014?

Fantagraphics beginning their Don Rosa Library reprint series of his Donald Duck and Uncle $crooge comics. And maybe buying a house, if I don't spent all my money on comics.

24hourcynic.com/

2013 in Review: Justin Randall

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

Seeing the first French translation of my work.

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

The Maxx & Jim Woodring.

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