A selection of comics currently available from The Sticky Institute, 10 Campbell Arcade, Degraves Subway, Melbourne.
Paper Trail
Been trying to get back in the habit of doing regular Paper Trail columns. It's hard to find time to do things you know? But here is something. Maybe I can pull together smaller columns throughout the rest of the month. Perhaps maybe.
A new Silent Army Storeroom opens in August. FB event page.
Kelly Sheehan interviews Rosetta Phone creators writer Mary Tamblyn and artist Bethany Hughston - Part one - Part two - Part three.
Comicsmas in July: Comics launch in Melbourne this weekend at All Star Comics. FB event page.
Dylan Horrocks Apologises at Chromacon 2015
Indira Neville comics essay Competent Boy Comics - An Explanation and follow up essay
New Zealand Comics are Not Competent Boy Comics. Indira's second essay includes a table of New Zealand Comics events and publications, the dismal amount of NZ women cartoonists featured in them, and possible rationale behind this. I couldn't disagree with 80% of the points Indira makes and don't feel intelligent enough to debate the other 20% but I am very grateful that Indira and other guest bloggers have been writing essays for the Square Planet Comics Blog on important issues in comics rather than the 'Simple Team Comics Boosterism' that seems to plague a lot of comics journalism.
Fred Atkins interviews Frank Candiloro
Simon Hanselmann has a new book out in November from Fantagraphics. Megahex is in it's third printing! Sweet.
This column is bought to you by the Barry Linton Kickstarter, c'mon get onboard! Finely crafted comics and prints by Barry delivered through the mail system into your sweet sweet hands.
Paper Trail masthead courtesy of Toby Morris.
Homecooked Comics Festival 2015
In keeping with my tradition of untimely comics reportage here's a few notes from the Melbourne Homecooked Comics festival on the weekend of 24th-26th April this year.
I greatly enjoyed the expanded Homecooked Comics Festival this year with special guests (Dylan Horrocks, Paul Peart-Smith, Madeline Rosca, and Thomas Campi) and additional talks, exhibitions and presentations beyond the one day fair aspect. I think it was a rainy day? But there was a solid attendance of public eager to engage with the local comics scene. Some personal highlights in lazy bullet point form,
- Talking to Dylan Horrocks about a grand plan for a New Zealand Comics Archive.
- Comic of the show for me was Art is a Lie by Susan Butcher and Carol Wood, first title from Bruce Mutard's Fabliaux. Collecting comics originally featured in American magazine Artillery, there is no art or cartooning style these women cannot ape and recontextualise.
- Hanging out with my little bro who was sharing table duties with me, nice to see a bunch of his first mini-comics fly off the table - look at his art here, Endpaper Anxiety.
- Bernard Caleo
- Chatting Love and Rockets with Matt Kyme
- Meeting Paul Peart-Smith and chatting about my particular favourite comics of his.
A big thank you to organisers Sarah and Clea for offering me a spot to do a presentation on the career and life of New Zealand/Australian cartoonist Noel Cook.
Below a few pictures of comics people at Homecooked 2015, there were many more that I did not get to take snaps of because I'm a terrible stupid pretend comics paparazzo with barely adequate point and snap skills.
Claire Wilson and Michael Fikaris
Andrew Fulton
Scott Reid
Paul Peart-Smith , Thomas Campi and Dylan Horrocks
Steve Sparke
Scarlette Baccini
Frank Candiloro and Matthew Nicholls
Christian Roux, Neville Howard, and Alana Bruyn
Ben Hutchings
Darren Close
Matt Kyme
Brendan Halyday
Bernard Caleo and Sarah Howell
Bruce Mutard and Carol Wood
Dean Rankine
Marigold Bartlett
Tim Molloy
David C Mahler
Dale Maccanti
Jase Harper
Dylan Horrocks and Colin Wilson
Clint Cure
Jim Bridges of the Australian Cartoon Museum
Festival of the Photocopier Zine Fair 2015 part two
There were a lot more comic people at this years Sticky zine fair, apologies to the hundred odd folk I missed. Here's a few of the comics folk I managed to get holiday snaps of.
Rose Wu, Rosa Hughes-Currie and Linda Lew
Ben Juers and Michael Hawkins
Michael Fikaris
Merv Heers
Simon Hanselmann, JMKE, and HTML Flowers
Ele Jenkins
Nicky Minus and Bailey Sharp
Minicomics Mogul Andrew Fulton
Chris Gooch draws the zine scene
Phil Bentley
Jess Parker, Ben Hutchings, Scott Reid, and Captain David Blumenstein (focus optional)
Brendan Halyday and Frank Candiloro
Brent "The Destroyer" Willis
Ive Sorocuk
Jase Harper and James Andre
Nicky Minus and Sam Wallman
Bobby N
HTML Flowers
Marc Pearson
Tim Molloy
Not Matt...by Michael Fikaris
After the wonderful afternoon selling good comics to good Melbourne folk, Brent Willis and I headed over to Port Melbourne to purchase healthy salads. In a terrifying confrontation we found Brent's toughest of the tough anti-anti-heroes from THRUST JUSTICE had escaped the page and entered our reality! We hastily purchased out healthy salads and retreated to the safety of my Art Deco apartment on the waterfront.
Thrust Justice in the "COMICS"
Thrust Justice in "THE REAL WORLD"
To learn more about Thrust Justice purchase a copy to read with your healthy salad from the Pikitia store.
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.
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)
