Paper Trail

Aniqa Mannan writes about the production of Blood & Thunder #2

Aaron Hawkins interviews Spencer Hall.

Melbourne launch for The Long weekend in Alice Springs at 8pm May 30th Readings, Carlton.

Nat Karmichael writes about the comics of his childhood and the 50th anniversay of the publication of John Dixon's Air Hawk.

Christian Pearce blog.

ENDLESS MANSION featuring Simon Hanselmann and HTML FLOWERS opens may 30th at galeria watdafac, Madrid, Spain. Pre-order catalogues here.

Danny Stanley comics.

Chromacon comic art competition winners.

Amy Louise Maynard reviews Mirranda Burton's Hidden.

 David C Mahler's My True Love (Not for Kiddies).

Good luck to Jason Chatfield this weekend hosting the 67th Annual Reuben Awards.

 

Elf-Fin Trailer.

Before they stuffed her in a yellow leotard and cat whiskers, Ruth Atkinson's creation, Patsy Walker was the star of popular teen comics. Here's a pile of Australia editions of Patsy Walker, all conforming to the A.G.P. teenage code of approved reading.

Paper Trail masthead courtesy of Toby Morris.

Caravan of Comics 2013

The second Caravan of Comics embarks from Australia this year taking Melbourne cartoonists over to America for various comic events. This caravan features an almost entirely different line-up than the 2012 excursion and includes: Scarlette Baccini, Mirranda Burton, Marijka Gooding, Patrick Alexander, Gregory Mackay, Dan Hayward and Bruce Mutard. 

The Caravan of Comics site has full details here.

An Indiegogo campaign is currently fundraising for caravan travel costs here.

 


Caravan Of Comics 2 from Daniel Hayward on Vimeo.

Graphic Novels @ Fed Square

Happening: Federation Square Book Fair
When: Tomorrow ( 16 February 2013)
Where: The Atrium, Federation Square Melbourne.
Time: 11am - 5 pm

Graphic Novels @ Fed Square is a recent initative from Second Shore Publisher Phil Bentley and Melbourne cartoonist Bruce Mutard, once a month they will be tabling at the Fed Square Book Fair alongside numerous book dealers and other authors. Bruce will have a selection of his back catalogue, The Sacrifice, Stripshow, The Silence and his last few copies of The Bunker as well as a selection of prints. Phil will have a selection of Second Shore publications and assorted works by local cartoonists. Phil and Bruce expect to rotate in other publishers and cartoonists in forthcoming months with Hidden Author Mirranda Burton in attendance tomorrow with copies of her book and prints.

2012 in Review: Matt Kyme

Matt Kyme

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

In Sept I launched That Bulletproof Kid where I upload my ongoing superhero web comic; That Bulletproof Kid. It’s a full colour comic illustrated by an awesomely talented friend, Arthur Strickland. In October I began uploading a second web comic which I wrote and illustrated called The Ace. In Nov I also uploaded an 8 page story called Secret History which was illustrated by Gareth Colliton and coloured by Joe Roberts.
 

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

There are sooo many talented people out there! I was totally blown away by Hidden by Mirranda Burton. It was so tender and heartfelt, when you read it you feel as if you are listening to an old friend. I enjoyed the creepy and psychological atmosphere of The List by Paul Bedford. Fred Russell-Atkins had me laughing with his action packed, typo filled Spitfires, McBlack comics by Jason Franks are clever, surprising, genre challenging, 4th wall breaking meta which are a hoot to read. Thomas Tung’s Rent My Seal and Jake Harrison, Relationship Detective are a heap of fun as is High School Romance by Jin Chan Yum Wai. Guzumo by Matt Emery kept me and my high school students entertained and slightly confused.

Endlessly prolific writer, Matt Nicholls delivered 3 amazing comics this year; 2 issues of Collateral and my personal favourite, Our Love Will Never Die But We Will, which has to be the most romantic zombie story ever. Matt also has a wicked web comic called Vesper that is illustrated by Ross Stewart. One of my biggest highlights was discovering work by the amazing Frank Candiloro. His work is something else. His stories are all so different from the last and his artistic style is so original and unmistakable. My favourite of his is Behind The Crooked Cross. It is a harrowing comic which is testing and moving. I should mention the amazing artists and writers that I have been lucky enough to work/collaborate/brainstorm with this year, Franco Pollizzi, Eros Harries, Annerleigh Pappos, Gareth Colliton, Joe Roberts, Simon Wright, Steve Partridge, Andrew Fitzgerald and Arthur Strickland.

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

My wife and two kids are a heap of fun. We have had a heap of laughs together this year and I’m very lucky to have them. Outside of family stuff, I’m really digging the new albums by The Cribs and Cat Power. I finally gave into peer pressure and started watching Breaking Bad. The new series of The Walking Dead has been great. Avengers and Batman movies were really cool. I liked The Artist and Argo too. My kids have discovered The Aquabats Supershow which is super rad. That Kony video was good. The world not ending was pretty good too.

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

Pretty much everything is new this year.  I did all the art for The Ace (my first ever comic) after I finished writing it and it drained my life. I enjoyed writing it far more than illustrating it so I decided that from now on I would avoid doing comic art like it was the plague. The only thing I enjoy as much as writing comics is getting fresh pages of art in my inbox. Working with Arthur of That Bulletproof Kid is a dream. I give him some rough sketches when I send him the scripts. It’s up to him if he wants to use them or not. I have never had any complaints with his pages, the dude knows how to draw and I love his colours! As far as my working methods go, I have sketchbooks with ideas and design/sketches all over the place, I have files with all my random ideas for stories/plots and characters,  a file with the rough story lines and a separate file where I type out the finished scripts. I do a heap of cutting and pasting, tweaking, refining, reading, re-reading etc before I send the scripts off top the artists. Did that put you to sleep?

What are you looking forward to in 2013?
 

I look forward to working with Arthur on That Bulletproof Kid and perhaps some other projects. I look forward to meeting more creators and discovering their work. I hope the new Superman movie is good. I don’t know what else will be on the cards next year, just have to hold on tight and see what happens.

http://thatbulletproofkid.com/wordpress/

2012 in Review: Bruce Mutard Part Two

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

Crikey, I've been away so much that I've seen hardly any movies on the big screen and not a huge amount on the box, either. Anyone who's seen my DVD collection knows I'm a huge movie fan.  OKay, like so many others, I got tuned into the Game of Thrones show and it is fabulous, though I have reservations about all the women being either vixens or whores. The books are great, too. I also decided to follow up on the fuss over the Hunger Games and it was a cracking read - great positive female protagonist who has the awkwardness of a teenager still within her. The film version was quite good, but I can understand why it couldn't be so brutal as the book.

2012 was the year of the popular series, so I've also taken to Stieg Larsson. The books are great reads, though again, for someone who professes to be so caring about women's rights and anti sex-trafficking, Larsson does give undue detail about his female characters sex lives and his male protagonist is a middle-aged unremarkable bloke who seems to have a lot of women hot for him. If you're going to watch it on film, watch the Swedish original TV series version with Noomi Rapace - the cinema forms were cut down from these. Blindingly good thrillers. The big Hollywood version was alright, but sort of unnecessary. Sticking with Sweden - one of the best vampire films I've seen is 'Let The Right One In'. So… Swedish, but so in tune with alienated kids. Powerful. 

I also have become a fan of Once Upon A Time series. Very good mash of all the old fairy tales with twin storylines weaving in and out of storybook and storybook. It's never twee, quite intelligent and the original back-stories to some of the Grimm characters is often pretty insightful. 

Of course, Homeland was a ball-tearer. As was Boardwalk Empire (which I still haven't finished). Australian shows worth a look were things like Rake, Redfern Now (though at times self conscious), Howzat! We have a ton of cinematic talent in this country and too few opportunities to make good use fo them. 

Okay - a big plug  for Dan Hayward's This is Roller Derby as well. Really caught the essential spirit of this girls only grass roots sport. I love their 'fuck you' attitude. Get the DVD.

And another for my dear friend Mira Bartok's 'The Memory Palace' book - how such an upbringing could produce such a lovely person as her and her sister, proves there is far more to nature than nurture. Their mother was clearly a brilliant mind hijacked by schizophrenia. Turns out their mother was a huge fan of comics too, only she never let on. 

Of course, travelling a lot allowed me to see a huge amount of art and architecture that I've only ever seen in books. By far and away the best major art museum that I've seen so far is the Prado in Madrid - gosh, you only have to walk into the room with Goya' Night Pictures to realise what heights art can attain. The Prado is blessed with huge collections of two of the best painters who ever lived in Goya and Velaquez, who were both Spaniard and court painters, so I guess the Prado being made of the royal collection, they had an advantage. But it also has Bosch' 'Garden Of Earthly Delights' which is something any art lover has to see in the original.

Whilst in town, see the Thyssen-Borezma collection of modern art which is one of the very best I've seen. Also saw a lovely retrospective of Odilon Redon whilst in town. Picasso' Guernica is also worth the pilgrimage. Seeing Duchamp' collection at the Philadephia Museum of Fine Art was amazing. I paid my repsects to 'The Large Glass' at last. The Barnes collection in the same city is amazing though way too much of Renoir, whom I have no time for his endless soft porn pics of pudgy women and twee kids.

Barcelona - the famous uncompleted Gaudi cathedral - it is truly, truly breathtaking - a work of astonishing beauty. But the 12th C El Sur cathedral is also gob-smacking beautiful - I'm never short of being astonished at what medieval craftsmen could achieve. And the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao lives up to and exceeds all expectations. But Bilbao itself is more than this museum too. I did see Leonardo' 'Last Supper'  in Milan, too; yes, it is quite remarkable and more so how it survived the rest of the building being leveled in WW2. I could go on and on. Shows - saw a a few of them, too. 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" with Geoffrey Rush was fabulous. I'll stop now. 

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

Well, if by that you mean I have spent waayyy too much time traveling, doing shows, conferences, organising events and not enough at the drawing board, then you'd count that as a change. It's one I welcome, but I have to scale back. I have a book to do and in answer to my most FAQ: yes, the Fight is on the way but not due out until April 2015. In terms of working methodology, yes things are changing all the time. I write more with pictures these days than with words - akin to my core thesis of what comics are. 

What are you looking forward to in 2013?

Gosh where to start again?

Um… well, clearly the Caravan part 2 heading to TCAF in May. I wil also be presenting at the International Comic Arts Forum in POrtland,OR, that same month. I will be hanging around stateside for a while and then heading to Italy to break the back of my Masters thesis project - a comic installation for a gallery exhibition.

Then the SPXO show in September - another Caravan style trip to showcase Australian and NZ art to the Yanks. It'll be something special and anyone who wants in, can come. Some funding will be available.

The Canberra residency.

Assuming and making use of my appointment as the holder of the Australian Society of Authors Comics and Graphic Novels portfolio. I have plans for this to take representation and the Australian industry to a new level.

Producing lots of comics somehow amidst all this. More events. more everything. Maybe find love too.

http://brucemutard.com.au/

2012 in Review: Bruce Mutard Part One

 Bruce Mutard

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

Where can I start with this?

Bologna Childrens Book Fair - 15 times the size of Supageddacon and vastly more interesting. You'll never see such a concentration of illustration talent from all over the world. Amazing. I plan to create an Australian comics showcase to go there in 2014.

Meeting Robert and Aline Crumb at the opening of his retrospective in Paris.

Presenting papers on comics at University of Arts, London; Mansfield College, Oxford; Loughborough University.

Attending the SPXO, which was basically Artists Alley made up only of comics and about the size of Supageddacon. Amazing.

Meeting Chris Ware, Charles Burns, Dan Clowes, Adrian Tomine, Los Bros Hernandez and Francoise Mouly at SPXO. Okay, so I'm a fame junkie. Sue me.

Winning an Australia Council grant to produce the Fight in 2013-14.

Winning an Australia Council grant to take Caravan of Comics to TCAF in 2014.

The Graphic Novels Melbourne Filming process and premiere - even if I did look like a sad sack at the end. Adam Sandler will have to play me in the fictional version of my life.

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

Mirranda Burton - her book 'Hidden' is brilliant and she has some exciting projects up her sleeve. 

Jesca Marisa is a Sth African expat who now lives in NZ. I met her at Sydney Supanova. She has a book called Awakenings that is ravishingly beautiful to look at. She is also an animator whose films are equally good. I am reminded of Miyazaki. She has work to do on her storytelling, but she'll go far I'm sure. She'll be at Big Arse 3 to launch her book in Melbourne. 

Lisbeth Russell, known by her stage name Black Betty, I met at Perth Supanova, is an ex-pat Dane who is a cartoonist, designer, burlesque artist and model for off-mainstream fashion and photographers. She's in Perth and has become a really good friend of mine. Talent to burn. 

 Marijka Gooding is a recent graduate graphic designer I met at a talk I gave at Monash Uni, whereupon it seemed clear she had a very strong interest in comix. I caught up with her later in the year when I recommended her as a designer to Milk Shadow Books and 12 Panels Press. She will also do the design work on books I am publishing  - under Fabliaux imprint. She wrote and drew a comic, Strange Behaviour for her Honours thesis and it is an amazingly accomplished book notwithstanding the fact it's her first. The book's not up on her site unfortunately. 

Badaude (real name Joanna Walsh), whom I met as a consequence of sharing a panel at the Melbourne Writers Festival. A writer/illustrator of observation and life. I still haven't seen her book though one was meant to be sent to me. Interesting woman though I wouldn't say we hit it off in any brilliant way. Worth a look though. 

Caitlin Pesky of Pesky Studios. Met her as a consequence of being invited to participate in an exhibition she organised for the Fringe Festival called This Is Melbourne. She worked in the rag trade (desiging the anonymous images that go on all the clothes for chain stores like Target and Kmart). She has moved out of it to become an illustrator and artist who can at last sign her name to her work. 

Serena Geddes - whom I met in Bologna, is a very talented and lovely woman who is primarily a picture book illustrator. 

Lesley Vamos - another I met in Bologna, coming from an animation background and now does primarily picture books and some comics. Incredibly fast and reminds me a lot of Doug Holgate in style. You should see her go when she is sketching for food… whooboy.  

And check out Dan Drobik who just emailed me for advice. Just graduated from Monash fine art, too. Referred to by a good friend of mine who was a fellow student and orthodox Jewish grandmother (not kidding). She wants Dan to go on the straight and narrow. What, and waste a good filthy mind like this? http://creativelydisappointing.tumblr.com/

Tamryn Louise - another ex pat Saffa, whom I've not met, but put onto by Jesca and Neville. 

Also, the poster artist for This is Roller Derby, Dave um… forgot his surname. Gosh this bloke is better than good. He even digitally paints using a mouse! NO!

http://brucemutard.com.au/

Drawn From Life

With more than a dozen events involving cartoonists in the Melbourne Writers Festival this year the expanding presence of Cartoonists has seen the production of a cartoon newspaper featuring 27 local and international cartoonists. Oslo Davis edited and produced the project and answered a few questions for me about Drawn From Life.

What was the print run of Drawn From Life?

35,000. We handed out 12,000 at 6 train stations on the morning of Friday the 26th of August, and the rest were handed out and picked up at the Melbourne Writers Festival at Fed Square and ACMI.

Were there any difficulties in coordinating the twenty-seven cartoonists featured in Drawn From Life?
 

Not really, there were some people who were too busy to be involved, but mostly I got who I wanted and everyone got their work in on time. A couple struggled with the concept, and I left my own contribution to the last minute so felt under the pump a bit, but we all worked through it.

I really enjoyed working with everyone, especially the extremely talented Colombian Diego Patino who did the cover - that was a very important part to get right.

With the expanding presence of local and international cartoonists in the Melbourne Writers Festival program do you think Drawn From Life could become a regular fixture?
 

Many people have asked if this could become more regular, but I am not sure if I could be the one to continue it. Not that I haven't enjoyed it, mind, but I need to step away from it for a while. Also, it will depend on funding and sponsorship.

What was the response to the distribution of Drawn From Life on selected train routes in Melbourne?
 

Very good. People came to the stations looking for it. Most were surprised to get it (in many cases it was thrust into their hands so they didn't have a choice!). There was no one 'type' of person who took a copy: everyone from students to business men to old people to housewives (or at least people who were dressed like housewives, whatever housewives dress like ...) took a copy and read it.

How did you go about selecting contributors for Drawn From Life? and what was the lead in time?
 

I had the luxury of a lot of time to select the artists I wanted in Drawn From Life. I came up with a 'hit list' and then worked with Steve Grimwade and the staff at the Melbourne Writers Festival to refine the list and contact the artists. I was in the fortunate position of choosing people whose work I liked, and those whose work I wanted to see more of, hence the mixed-bag nature of it all. Obvious I have been a fan of Bruce Petty and Ron Tandberg for many years, but I was also keen to see them alongside some up-and-comings and little-knowns, like Rebecca Hayes and picnick.

Interview conducted via email September 2011

Drawn From Life Contributors

Peter Arkle     Matt Bissett-Johnson     Mirranda Burton    Robin Cowcher    Oslo Davis    Pat Grant    picnick First Dog on the Moon     Nicki Greenberg     Anthony Woodward    Jim Woodring    Andrew Weldon 

Ron Tandberg    Shaun Tan   Bruce Petty    Alex Hallat   Rebecca Hayes    David Blumenstein    Diego Patino

Sarah Howell    Bruce Mutard     Fiona Katauskas    Jon Kudelka     Mandy Ord     Andrew Joyner    Judy Horacek

Matthew Martin    Jo Waite