Paper Trail

Tomorrow: Zine and comic event Copier Jam. FB Event page.

Copier Jam is an exhibition showcasing current zine and independent comic creators, collectives and distributors from across Australia. Join us at Childers Arts Space (CHARTS) during the Childers Festival for the Copier Jam! opening event, "The Staples Sessions: Zine and Indie Comics" with curator Jeremy Staples

Georgia Kartas interviews Cazz, Naja and Soph, founders of the All Star Women's Comic Book Club.

Caravan of comics are giving you free comics weekly, just take them.

New Melbourne comics publisher Twelve Panels Press launch their first title at The Salty River by Jan Bauer at Readings in Carlton, Melbourne, 27th August. FB Event

Coming up this week if I can get my act together: A lengthy investigation into the career of one of New Zealand's unsung pioneering cartoonists Phyllis Fitzgerald by Darian Zam.

This column is sneakily bought to you by the Barry Linton Kickstarter. Finely crafted comics and prints by Barry delivered through the mail system into your sweet sweet hands.

Barry reviews a copy of 20th Century BC.

Paper Trail masthead courtesy of Toby Morris.

Tonight at The State Library of Victoria: Ledger Awards

The revamped Ledger Awards are on tonight at the State Library of Victoria. The ceremony starts at 7:30pm and features a performance of the Shipwright and the Banshee by cartoonistmuso's Christopher Downes and Joshua Santospirito.

FB event page.

Among the sponsors of this years awards are the wonderful Jeffries Printing in Sydney. Admire their stunning Pat Grant graphics below:

The shortlist for the Bronze, Silver and Gold awards are:

Ambient Yeast. Pat Grant (self published)

The ANZAC Legend. Dave Dye (self published)

Art as Life. MP Fikaris (Silent Army)

At Work Inside Our Detention Centres: A Guard’s Story. Sam Wallman, Pat Grant et al. (The Global Mail)

Awkwood. Jase Harper (Milk Shadow Books)

Brothers. Andrew Fulton (self published)

Blood and Bone. Tom O’Hern (San Kessto)

Bug. Scarlette Baccini (self published)

Burger Force #15-18. Jackie Ryan (self published)

Captain Congo: The Perils of Pug. Ruth Starke, writer. Greg Holfeld, artist. (from The School Magazine)

Dark Hope Legacies. Phil Spinks, Chris James Melkizedek (Dark Hope Comics)

Dies Horny and Afraid. Andrew Fulton (self published)

Fortress of Regrets. Katie Parrish (self published)

Frankie Holliday. Nic Lawson (self published)

Gasoline Eye Drops. Chris Gooch (self published)

Gazer. Carla McRae (self published)

Gente Corriente. Vincent Zabus, writer. Thomas Campi, artist. (Ediciones La Cúpula)

In the Tasmania. Christopher Downes (self published)

Itty Bitty Bunnies in Rainbow Pixie Candy Land Save Xmas. Dean Rankine (Action Lab/Danger Zone)

Kudelka and First Dog’s Spiritual Journey. Jon Kudelka and Andrew Marlton (self published)

Megahex. Simon Hanselmann (Fantagraphics)

Modern Polaxis. Sutu et al. (self published)

Monster Zero. Frank Candiloro (FrankenComics)

Mr Unpronounceable and the Sect of the Bleeding Eye. Tim Molloy (Milk Shadow Books)

Ned Kelly. Monty Wedd (Comicoz)

Neomad #3. Sutu & Love Punks (Gestalt)

OI OI OI #2 .Various (Comicoz)

Onna-bugeisha. Frank Candiloro (FrankenComics)

Pinocchio. David Chauvel, writer. Tim McBurnie, artist. (Editions Delcourt)

Pistoleras. Frank Candiloro (FrankenComics)

Seven #4. Alisha Jade (self published)

The Squidder. Ben Templesmith (44Flood/IDW)

Squishzine Brunstown. Various (Squishface Studio)

Teen Dog #1-3. Jake Lawrence (Boom! Studios)

Thistle. Sarah Howell (self published)

Tristian and the Gaza Strip. David Blumenstein (self published)

Two Posh Old Ladies Who Found Themselves in a Bit of a Zombie Apocalypse. Nic Lawson (self published)

Very Quiet, Very Still. Chris Gooch (Optic Pop)

We’m. Andrew Fulton (self published)

“When is A Door Not a Door?” Jen Breach, Douglas Holgate (from Explorer: The Hidden Doors, Amulet Books)

2014 in Review: Jen Breach

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2014?

Scholastic Graphix acquired Doug Holgate's and my three book middle grade graphic novel series Clem Hetherington.  It's ridiculous. And awesome. It's ridiculously awesome.

I heard Lynda Barry speak and saw an exhibition of Richard McGuire's process notes and original art for Here.  Both were extraordinary and I'll be thinking them for the next year at least.  

What are some of the comics you've enjoyed in 2014?

I always answer this question without looking at my bookshelf, so there are inevitably things I have forgotten.  I'm okay with this if you are.

Jase Harper made two of my favorite things of the year - his book Awkwood and his mini On My 42nd Birthday I Was Washed Out To Sea, which was completely perfect. Pat Grant's nailing it with his Ambient Yeast chapters. Fulto's We'm was a delight, as ever.   

Olivier Schrauwen’s Arsene Schrauwen, Emily Carroll's Through the Woods and Eleanor Davis' How To Be Happy were excellent collections of excellent works.  I really dug Kris Mukai’s Commuter, Kerascoet’s Beautiful Darkness, John Martz’s Cat Named Tim, Luke Howard's stylistically diverse range of mini comics. Daryl Seitchik’s ascerbic yet vulnerable tone is completely compelling and Leslie Stein's water colors continue to make me giddy.

My favorites of the year might be Sophia Foster-Dimino’s Sex Fantasy minis which are perfect and Jesse Jacob’s Safari Honeymoon.    

What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2014?

I feel like non-comics culture really stepped up this year - I saw amazing concerts, astounding art, shook what my mama gave me to some fun music and read some great books. Good job, culture, you done good.

I've been up to my elbows in post-apocalyptic stories as I write more Maralinga.  I've been particularly delighted by Dog Stars by Peter Heller, Far North by Marcel Theroux, Meg Rosoff's How I Live Now, Jeff Vandemeer's Annihilation and most extra especially Colson Whitehead's Zone One.

What are you looking forward to in 2015?

Doug and I will have a picture book called Something's Amiss at the Zoo out from Lothian Children's in the Australian winter and we'll be launching it at the Melbourne Writer's Festival, I think.  It'll be my first trip back to Australia in more than 2 years and I'm looking forward to seeing all my comics buddies in their shiny lovely faces.  

There are some other books that I'll be happy to meet - a collection of Dakota McFadzean’s Dailies and Max DeRadigues' Moose both from Conundrum, a new instalment of Ethan Rilly's Pope Hats series from Adhouse, Richard McGuire’s Here (is out in 2 days as I write this eeeeeeee!).  Max DeRadigues started a new Oily series in 2014 called Bastard and it's already great, more of that will be awesome.

I'm taking all of January off work to finish the first draft of Maralinga as a palate cleanser in between the second and third books of the Clem Hetherington series.  Just the idea of an entire month in the studio makes me swoon a little with happiness.  I hope Doug and I will be able to self-publish a little more Maralinga while we work on Clem Hetherington next year - it's been more than a year since the first twelve pages went up and we are nearly four months overdue on the second instalment.  I'm deeply embarrassed about both of those things and hope we can figure out that magical - and so far elusive - balance.

2013 was good, 2014 was better, 2015 will be best :)

Jen Breach

Paper Trail

I like these portraits by Jem Yoshioka using The National Library’s heritage palette collection.

A Comic Bastard reviews Andrez Bergen and Matt Kyme's Tales to Astonish #3.

Caitlin Major at Hopscotch Friday.

Pre-order Maralinga Book One - available in September.

It's two years old but I hadn't seen this interview with Dave de Vries before.

Paper Trail masthead by Toby Morris.