What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2014?
~ Being selected to participate in the NZ Book Council in association with PANZ graphic novelist exchange with Taiwan - #NZatTIBE - is certainly a personal highlight of 2014.
~ Forging a niche as the first graphic poet to have work published in the literary journals Two Thirds North (Uni of Stockholm), Thrush Poetry Journal, Poetry Bus (Money Issue), and Hermeneutic Chaos Literary Journal.
~ Taking a photo of the cartoon illustrated street sign for Bash Street in Dundee, when I was over as a finalist in the Dundee International Book Prize in October.
~ Co-editing the anthology of New Zealand women's comics and cartoons Three Words, with Indira Neville and Sarah Laing.
What are some of the comics you've enjoyed in 2014?
~ Co-editing Three Words has introduced me to some amazing and new-to-me work by New Zealand cartoonists, including the surreal mini-comics of Margaret Silverwood: "Utopia Now" "Waldoland" and "Paradise Lost"; and the pieces created for the anthology are outstanding, a particular favourite being Adele Jackson's personal family history comic.
What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2014?
~ I enjoyed having my unpublished novel highly praised by last year's Booker Prize judge Stuart Kelly. Woop woop - sucking in all the self-esteem boosts I can get!
~My kids are generally awesome - 13 y/o daughter started her rookie lifeguard training this year and 6 y/o son learnt to read fluently - and they give the best hugs (which are in demand for a woman working in the NZ comics scene).
What are you looking forward to in 2015?
~ Exhibiting work in the Taipei International Book Fair, taking part in workshops there and finishing the rest of the graphic novelists exchange residency.
~ Getting better aquainted with Tim Gibson and Ant Sang and out Taiwanese colleagues, Ahn Zhe, 61Chi, and Chuang Yung-shin.
~ Launching Three Words!
