2012 in Review: Ben Michael Byrne

Ben Michael Byrne

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2012?

Getting another four (40 page) issues of Kranburn out there, obviously a huge thanks go out to FEC comics/Steve Sparke for that. Starting work on an amazing project titled Job Dun with the very exciting writer Mark Hobby, when I first got the issue #1 script, I was scrolling faster and faster to read it and couldn't wait to get my teeth into it. Having short stories I wrote and illustrated in Terra #1 and Home Made #1 and Velocity #2. Also doing art duties on a short story for Futurequake in the UK. Cover for Spitfires #3. Sorry if I've forgotten anyone. :P

Who are some of the comics creators that you've discovered and enjoyed for the first time in 2012?
 
100 Bullets. Over a decade ago I was in Ireland and a friend there urged me to read it, but I was still pretty much sci-fi/anthologies only at that point (2000AD etc) and didn't follow up. But now I'm happily chewing my way through the 100 Bullets trades, got another three or four waiting for me under the Christmas tree, yippee. :-D

What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2012?

Reading and re-reading Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels, pure bliss. I can have a pile of unread books waiting, but I'll still end up picking up one of his and opening it for the 50th time.

Have you implemented any significant changes to your working methods this year?

Nothing drastic I think, but I'm always tweaking it here and there, as my child get older (she's approaching three) I have to adapt my schedule etc. The biggest change would probably be streamlining my work a little more and getting more 'German' with my efficiency (are positive racial stereotypes still naughty? Meh :-D ). My wife and I purchased a house about a year ago and I'd always wanted a cork board in my study, so now I have this well laid out timetable, with all current and future projects on it, each page of a job etc represented by a rectangle that I fill in as I go etc so I can at a glance see what needs tending/what's getting a bit close to deadline. I'm in anal heaven. Readers may interpret that however they wish, guffaw!

What are you looking forward to in 2013?

For myself: more Kranburn. Seeing Job Dun in print, its being coloured by Noelle Dreeves and will be longest coloured work I've ever been a part of so far, very exciting.

Outside of comics, owning the new Dredd movie, owning the new Metro: Last Light game (as well as Suvarium, Wasteland 2, Nuclear Union but I'm not sure exactly when those are due).

Birth of our second child and the pooey nappies that brings with it. :-D

And if I grew and extra arm or two maybe starting another of my longer running projects that I've been cooking for a few years. There's a pretty big project I've been writing for a long time now called NSEW and I'm really keen to grow it further.

http://kranburn.thewebcomic.com/

2012 in Review: Paul Bedford

Paul Bedford

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2012?

 
Answering these questions.

Oh, and having the films rights for my OGN, The List optioned. The bonus is, I've been commissioned to write the screenplay adaptation. I'm into the second draft and, while proving a tough write, it's giving me the opportunity to have a second chance at my story; to change/improve scenes, dialogue etc. It's also a challenge to adapt my story into a 3 act structure, which the GN certainly isn't.

The other highlight was having the 3 volumes of The List finally printed in a single volume GN. It was great after all these years of envisioning it in this form to finally hold it in my hands. Very rewarding indeed. Sales at the stores, online and at the Cons have certainly improved since it became an all-inclusive read.

Other highlights include: continuing excellent reviews of The List from around the world; amazing - at times, touching - feedback from readers who seem to find a place to put their pain while reading the work; meeting new fans of the work at Cons and watching the local scene grow with great new talent.

Who are some of the comics creators that you've discovered and enjoyed for the first time in 2012?

 
My two fave discoveries of the year (I tend to read only Aussie/NZ stuff) were Zombolette by Scarlette Baccini (Milk Shadow Books) and Kranburn by Ben Michael Byrne (FEC Comics). I suppose if we are talking about artists, we are actually talking about their art.

Zombolette: Many laugh out loud moments. A no-holds-barred, clever and unpredictable work. I've read it three times which has revealed the more subtle humour. I have heard rumour of a sequel, so it’d better be as good as the first, or I’ll burn Scarlette’s house down. I will, ya know.

Kranburn: I'm crap at keeping up with web comics so, as much I loved reading this on the web, I fell away from this series, always wishing it was in print. I'm certainly a print purist. Even comics on a tablet don't really do it for me - I just don't find the experience as engaging or visceral. Anyway, I was rapt when i heard it was to be published. Now, having just read issue 5 (a dark and brutal stand out in an already dark and brutal series), I am thoroughly eating it up. Ben's world building succeeds in drawing the reader into its barren, harsh dystopia. The surface adventure of the first four issues has now taken a deeper turn, and the pace has slowed. Both of these things are a welcome breather and shows Ben's grasp of his character. I believe he is on the 230 odd page mark, which is awesome news. I'd happily sit down as read the whole bloody thing in a massive GN.

What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2012?

Battlefield 3. Nuff said.

Have you implemented any significant changes to your working methods this year?

Battlefield 3. It means I get less work done.
 

What are you looking forward to in 2013?

There is some new Battlefield 3 DLC coming out, so that'll be grouse and even more destructive to my artistic pursuits.

Aside from that, the producers who optioned The List screenplay will be shopping it around to various movie houses. That'll be an exciting and terrifying time. Man, the thought that it might get picked up and made into a feature film is almost too exciting to bear.

With the TPB out, I will be submitting it to various companies for possible publication. Let's see if any of these so called publishers of art are gutsy enough to pick it up.

I will finally get my short story anthology finished and get a bunch of artists to draw them up. I’ve had one drawn up so far and released as a mini which has received excellent feedback, so it would be nice to get the entire bunch done released as a collection. It's very different to The List: no violence, horror, drugs etc, so it won't sell.
Thanks for reading my babble. Now go and buy my book: http://www.thelistgraphicnovel.bigcartel.com/

2012 in Review: Steve Sparke

Steve Sparke

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2012?

 

The FEC Extravaganza was my personal highlight. I've thrown together a few comic book launches before but this one was a much bigger effort. It was much more of an event than just a simple launch as we had sketches, signings and a Q&A. The books launching were Kranburn #4 (by Ben Michael Byrne) and Seven (by Alisha Jade), which were both fairly straight forward in their process as it was simply collaborating with one person on their project. Whereas the third book launching, Fireside Tales, was an anthology - meaning I collaborated with five people. That kind of number means a lot more time dedicated to one comic as I try to spend equal amounts of time on each story. So yeah - it really set a bar for me.

 

On top of all that, I was also organising my wedding at the same time (I literally returned from my honeymoon the day before the launch). So this required having most things organised and ready to go a month before the actual event. I know a few people thought I was nuts to do it this way...and they're right! It was insane. I didn't get much sleep throughout the month of August. But holy shit was it rewarding! Everything went off without a hitch and I was really pleased to see the Fireside boys get a chance to show off their talents.

Who are some of the comics creators that you've discovered and enjoyed for the first time in 2012?

 

Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt, creators of The Sixth Gun. It was only just in the last couple of weeks that I've read this and it's absolutely outstanding! Great characters and some brilliant art! They've really struck gold with this story and I can't wait to see where they go next (after the first TPB).

 

Also, to keep it local, I got on to Sacha Bryning's work this year. I first saw a couple of his pieces online and was already impressed, but then he went and floored me with his self-published comic, Sam & Laz. He initially published it online here but then did a small print run for the avid fans.  He also slipped a story into Velocity #2 (Molly Mac), which was bursting off the page with energy. I was able to get him on board for the cover of Fireside Tales and I was blown away by the results (as were the readers). I honestly can't get enough of his art. Sacha, if you're reading this - more art please.

What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2012?

 

I went to see the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra perform the entire score of LOTR: Fellowship of the Rings. It was amazing! They had two choirs, the whole orchestra AND the actual film playing behind them. I'm already booked in for the MSO performing Two Towers next year and I'd recommend everybody else do the same.

Have you implemented any significant changes to your working methods this year?

 

Not particularly. With editing, I'm always changing my methods to suit the person I'm working with. It's necessary for getting the best out of your creator. But significant changes? Nope.

What are you looking forward to in 2013?

 

More Kranburn and Seven. Having already seen what Ben and Alisha have in store for their readers, I'm incredibly excited to see the response.

 

I think Alisha's second book will give readers a chance to settle into the world she has created. The first book really threw the reader in the deep end, which was great as I think the immediacy gave a strong sense of action. But this next book will ease you in a little bit before it takes hold.

 

Ben is going into some crazy territory with Kranburn. I can't give too much away but it's certainly going to leave some people a wee bit shocked. And, of course, we get some more car chases which is always fun!

 

 http://www.feccomics.com/

2012 in Review: Gary Chaloner

Gary Chaloner

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2012?

Twenty-twelve started off being a very bad year (continuing on from an even worse 2011, filled with death and mayhem), but over the last six months, things have really turned around with a lot of work being done and cleared off the drawing board that should be seeing the light of day in the new year. I had a blast taking over from Emily Smith on Gestalt's Unmasked, written by Christian Read. By year's end I should be finished that. I've also got the first issue of The Undertaker Morton Stone in the bag for Gestalt as well. Issues two and three of the series are almost finished. On a good productive roll there. I've also been doing a lot of illustration work for a new series of adventure paperbacks featuring Doc Wilde by Tim Byrd. It was a very successful Kickstarter campaign that's now getting into high gear. The first book in the series should be available within the month. 

Who are some of the comics creators that you've discovered and enjoyed for the first time in 2012?

Kranburn by Ben Michael Byrne was a nice discovery. Enjoying that a lot. The story and characters have a lot of presence and Byrne's writing in general sucks you in and takes you along for the crazy ride.

Blue by Pat Grant was brilliant and totally deserves all the praise its getting. A well executed project from beginning to end. Utilising both web and print to maximum effect. Nicely designed, nicely drawn, nicely told.

What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2012?

Movies? John Carter, Prometheus, Dark Knight Rises (Bane's voice not so much), Avengers (Captain America's modern outfit, not so much). Yes, they're the usual suspects, but I didn't have much time to see too many flicks, so the big ones stood out.

Books? Went through a James Ellroy phase. Read the Underworld USA trilogy: American Tabloid (again), The Cold Six Thousand (again) and Blood's a Rover. I'm so over him now.

TV? The Walking Dead. Breaking Bad, Boardwalk Empire, Bored to Death.

Music? Springsteen (The Promise and Wrecking Ball), My Morning Jacket, David Ruffin

Have you implemented any significant changes to your working methods this year?

God knows I try. But old habits die hard. Always searching for ways to speed up productivity while maintaining quality, but the older I get, the more comfortable I am with the old ways and the more unsatisfied I am with digital art, disposable pens, non-sable brushes. The big change is working standing up. The body knows no pain now.

What are you looking forward to in 2013?

Seeing all the stuff I've been working on recently getting out and about. An Unmasked print collection! More Undertaker!! Doc Wilde!!! I might even get around to finishing my Breckenridge Elkins adaption.

I'm also looking forward to seeing the revamped Ledger Awards (or whatever they'll be called) getting back up and running under the auspices of Supanova.

Now that the Australian Comics Journal website has been bubbling along with baby steps over the last six months, I'd like to see what the next phase for that is.

I've also got a secret graphic novel project for Gestalt to return to (working like a Trojan tin the meantime...) and a The Jackaroo collection to get out this year. So I hope another big, productive year is on the way.

http://garychaloner.com/

http://australiancomicsjournal.com/