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

Mini Paper Trail

CGNZ profile Samantha Asri.

I don't direct folk to facebook too often but have a look and like Alex Hallatt's Artic Circle page over here.

Karl Wills' Princess Seppuku animation test.

Sarah Laing talks about her new novel The Fall of Light on Radio New Zealand.

Sarah shares some preliminary sketchbook work for The Fall of Light here.

I really like this comic by Gavin Aung Than.

Fiona Katauskas talks pictures with syndicated cartoonist Jason Chatfield.
 

Facebook page for Sam Wallman's Australian hisory anthology Fluid Prejudice.


"Fluid Prejudice is a collection of comics and drawings focusing on underrepresented and alternative visions of Australian history. An exhibition and a 200 page book will be launched late 2013, at Trades Hall, Melbourne."

Blood and Thunder 2 enters the Truth Zone. Part one and part two.

Clint Cure is seeking funds for a series of comic book biographies featuring movie directors.

System Earth Comic trailer, a quarterly comic series from the Dunedin Comic Collective from the mind and fingers of Tom Garden.

I haven't been keeping up with things but Paul Rigby's Gallery and studio closed after eight years of operation a couple weeks ago. Further details here.

Michael Hawkins and Sean T Collins are still busy chronicling a behind the scenes look at Justin Beiber's life.

I like these goofy anthology covers from the fifties where Frew's lead character The Phantom would interact in bizarre ways with Australian characters created to capitalise on the Phantom's success.

I figure if I tease a bunch of articles/interviews here I'll give myself the impetus to finish them.

At the top of my to-finish-pile, writing up the few hours I spent with recently passed Frew publisher Jim Shepherd last year. Jim was very generous with his time and shared many wonderful stories and anecdotes with me that i really should get down on the record.

Profile on Australian illustrator Walter Jardine.

 Profile and interview with June Mendoza.

 A write up on collecting comics after thirty years.

Interview with Clubhouse comics editor Brendan Halyday.

Paper Trail masthead courtesy of Toby Morris.

Paper Trail

Rory Hewson writes about F.J. Nealie's Rotorua cartoons. Preview here. Further commentary here.

JAMES JAMES!

Bob Temuka writes about focusing on individual panels from comics.

 Kelly Sheehan's idea of a perfect panel: This moment from Tim Kidd's Came The Dawn

Chromacon have Boosted and Pledgeme campaigns running to help finance their festival.

Renowned political cartoonist Malcolm Evans paints a live billboard drawing in central Wellington.

Tim Molloy shares album art for Cash Savage and the Last Drinks.

Sam Orchard shares a page from a submission to the Anything That Loves anthology.

Tyrone Ohia's Te Blog.

 
This is Moonbeard.

Kiwigame's NZ advertising Flickr set.

Another Kiwigame Vintage NZ Advertising set. I used to buy and use these tattoos!

 
It can't hurt to link to more DIE POPULAR.

Tane William's illustrations for Steve Braunias.

Ele Jenkins tumblr.

Grant Buist recently wrote about concluding his twelve year run on strip Jitterati for Wellington paper Capital Times which has ceased publication. A recent post on Buist's site indicates he has found a new home for Jitteratti.

Capital Times' last issue came out this month after 38 years of publication. The issue below featured Mat Tait's illustration from Pictozine #2.

Melbourne Comics festival on in Northcote this weekend. More details here.

Ive Sorocuk shares a detail of the cover created in collaboration with Alex Clark for his forthcoming Comics Face collection.

Kevin Patrick writes about the discovery of  Terry Trowell paintings in Western Australia.

Popeye.com interview Roger Langridge.

Paul Mason writes about an Australian soldier character in Timely/Marvel Comics.

Anthony Woodward offers 4 issues of Sketchbook Comix through a pay what you want model.

Anthony is preparing a third Chugnut Comics free comic book day comic. Read Chugnut #1.

 Simon Hanselmann features in the latest issue of š! #13 'Life Is Live'.

Gavin Aung Than tackles super heroes via Jack London at Zen Pencils.
 

Daniel Best writes about his forthcoming book about Australian comics publisher Newton Comics. Best has also established a Newton Comics facebook group.

Joshua Santospirito features on The Comic Spot.