2013 in Review: Colin Wilson

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

In a year where I've had no original work published - a first for me in probably 15 years - I guess my personal highlight was seeing my name in the opening credits for the film Bullet to the Head, based on Matz and my series Du Plomb Dans La Tete first published in France ten years ago. The fact that the film never made it to the big screens in Australia, and in reality bore no relationship whatsoever to our original source material might seem like a little churlish to mention at this late stage. But what the hell...... one of my books made it to the big screen! Thanks Sly......

A second highlight for me this year has been watching the career path of my good friend and occasional co-auther Tom Taylor, who has progressed from our comic adaption of his short theatre piece The Example back in 2007 to working as one of DC Comics top writers on series such as Injustice and Earth 2, not to forget the wonderful work he is doing on The Deep (published here in Australia by Gestalt) with James Brouwer. Good stuff....

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

Spending so much of my time working on producing my own stories, I actually read very few comics these days. But one of the series that really caught my eye is Stuart Immonen and Wade Von Grawbadger's (hey, great name!) current run on All-New X-Men. Not ever being a superhero fan I find the story completely impenetrable, but the art those guys are turning in (along with Marte Gracia and Rain Beredo's impressive colour) continues to amaze me month after month.
 

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

For a variety of non-comic related reasons 2013 has been a very difficult year around here, and so these days I prefer to put this year into the bottom drawer and work towards improving the prospects for the next one....

What are you looking forward to in 2014?

Comic related, I have two books scheduled for publication in Europe next year, via two major French publishers. The first is a one-off single volume for an already well-established and very hi-profile series published by Dargaud, the second is the first book in a new original series for Delcourt. I am working with the same co-authors who wrote the two Jour J books we published with Delcourt over the last couple of years - Fred Duval and Jean-PierrePécau, and everyone has high hopes for this new series - my first for Europe in many years. Currently I am completing the final pages of this first book, and the current plan for 2014 is to get as much work done on the second volume of the series before heading over to Europe mid-year for an extended book signing tour. These things never go completely to plan, but at the moment everything is shaping up for a very interesting year.......

colinwilsonart.com/

Armageddon Melbourne 2013

Some of comic folk at Armageddon Melbourne 2013.

All Star Comics

Colin Wilson and Tom Taylor

Colin Wilson sketches Star Wars

Fil Barlow and Helen Maier

Richard Fairgray

Craig Bruyn

Dean Rankine

Matt Kyme, Matthew Nicholls and Ross Stewart

Brent Anderson

Sorab Del Rio

Steve Sparke

Neville Howard and BMB

Comic Events

Second Shore and Pikitia Press will be tabling with a fine selection of Australian and New Zealand comics at the Federation Square Book Fair under the Atrium tomorrow from 11am - 5pm.

Tomorrow, Sat 23 March, All Star Comics in Melbourne launch Tom Taylor and James Brouwer's The Deep: The Vanishing Island. Facebook it.

A disparate combination of various Milk Shadow Books comic folk and the Australian writer of My little Pony, Ryan K Lindsay, are signing at Impact Comics in Canberra in the early morning and evening tomorrow. More details here. These creators and more will be at the CanberraZine Emporium from 11am - 4pm tomorrow as well. Facebook it.

Simon Hanselmann launches his Floating World Broadsheet St Owl's Bay at the Silent Army storeroom on March 27th. 

Simon says,

"Tell your friends"... presumably there will be a hotbed of local talent in attendance. a variety of beverages. free snax. maybe some "surprises". IDK. bitching, gossip, passionate rambling etc... "meet n greet". paranoia, social awkwardness.

 Facebook it.

 

Graphic Novels! Melbourne! has an upcoming screening in Canberra on April 6. more details here.

 
Auckland has a new comics shop, Arkham City Comics, opening 1st April. More details here.

Paper Trail

DIE POPULAR!

Former New Zealand Comic Gazette reviewer Stephen Jewell profiles Rufus Dayglo.

Neale Blanden's blog.

Pipedream Comics interview Jason Paulos.

I missed it, but here's some Chaykin heavy coverage of last years Brisbane Supanova from Tim McEwen.

Howard Chaykin and David Yardin (Photo by Tim McEwen)

Maude Farrugia and Jen Breach are amongst the twelve winners of the Australian Society of Authors 2012-2013 Annual Mentorship Program.

Simon Hanselmann's bookshelf at Its Nice That.

Roger Langridge cartoon blogged his recent trip to New Zealand.

  
Forthcoming Scar Studios Exhibition.

 

 
Michael Hill writes about small press Australian comics in the 1990's.

 

Tom Taylor and James Brouwer launch the second volume of The Deep in Melbourne at All Star Comics.

Dellaram Vreeland profiles Dillon Naylor.

Scarlette Baccini's Bathwater Books.

Australian comics community on Reddit.

 
Greg Broadmore mural on the ceiling of the Roxy. (from Meredith Yayanos.)

Melbourne Comic Meet Up 2012

My Camera died before I could snap the forty odd folk inside but here's a few of the comic folk at the December meet up in Melbourne. There were actually women folk there too.

  Ben Hutchings and James Andre

  Philip Bentley and Daniel Reed

 Jason Franks

Assorted Melbourne Comic Folk

Tristan Jones and Tom Taylor

Paper Trail

 Tom Taylor with a Colin Wilson 'warm up' sketch at Melbourne Armageddon 2011

Prolific Melbourne comics writer Tom Taylor has commenced a months residency at insideadog.com.au. Insideadog focuses on young adult literature and is managed by the State Library of Victoria. Over the course of the month Taylor is answering questions concerning writing and his career as well as providing insight into his work processes. Read Tom Taylor's contributions here.

Copyright 2012 Peter Bromhead

Michelle Hewitson interviews septuagenarian cartoonist Peter Bromhead for The New Zealand Herald here. The New Zealand Listener has a brief piece from earlier this year on Bromhead here.

Copyright 2012 Dylan Horrocks

Dylan Horrocks is conducting a visual storytelling workshop at the Whitireira Library in Porirua, Wellington, from 25th -29th June. Writers, artists, curious beginners and experienced cartoonists are welcome. The workshop costs $150, email Chris.White@whitireia.ac.nz for bookings.

Zombie Cities illustration by Martin Szabo. Copyright 2012 Silver Fox Comics

Sydney Publisher Silver Fox Comics are releasing their first graphic novel, Zombie Cities, at this years Sydney Supanova on June 15th. Silver Fox Comics debuted in 2011 with a modernised take on Zorro. Zorro was distributed via Gordon and Gotch to Australian newsagents which is exceedingly rare for a locally produced comic in this day and age.

Zombie Cities is 104 colour pages and written by Silver Fox publisher Sorab Del Rio with illustrations handled by multiple artists from around the globe.

Film Maker Daniel Hayward and Cartoonist Bernard Caleo have been making a feature documentary Graphic Novels! Melbourne! that examines the extraordinary graphic novel culture of Melbourne. Focusing primarily on four cartoonists, Nicki Greenberg, Mandy Ord, Bruce Mutard and Pat Grant, the movie will also cast its eye over the comics-making culture of Melbourne. To aide production of their documentary Hayward and Caleo are hosting a fundraiser in conjunction with Readings cinema in Carlton. For more details they have a dedicated page here.

 Illustration by Glenn Smith 2001

Michael Hill writes about 2001 Savage pencils exhibition of contemporary comic art that featured work by Australian and New Zealand cartoonists here.

New Zealand comics blogger Adrian Kinnaird appears on this weeks episode of Media 7 discussing comics creator rights. View here.

 

Kidzone Copyright 1983 Bob McMahon  

This week on Pikitia Press I'll have a feature interview with Dunedin cartoonist Bob McMahon.

 Ballantyne Copyright 2012 Peter Foster and James H. Kemsley

I'm still in the midst of setting up Pikitia Press as a publishing entity but the above image is a proof of the second volume of Ballantyne adventures by Peter Foster and James H. Kemsley scheduled for July 2012. Reformatted from their several year run at the Sydney Sun Herald, Foster has meticulously coloured his black and white Ballantyne daily strips to produce a dynamic full colour adventure comic. More details about publishing plans this week with several comics and books by some of Australia and New Zealand's finest cartoonists currently on the publishing slate.

Sources: Bromhead image http://mp.natlib.govt.nz/detail/?id=11169