Showing posts with label Peter Foster. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Peter Foster. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

2012 in Review: Frank Candiloro

Frank Candiloro 

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

It’s been a big year for me comics wise – I’ve managed to put out 4 books ranging from 30-70 pages each, had a number of interviews and positive write-ups of my work, was involved in Big Arse 2, got featured in Best Art Ever on Comics Alliance a few times, Brian Michael Bendis bought one of my books.… it’s been very encouraging to say the least :P

But if I had to name one major highlight, it would be finally putting out Behind The Crooked Cross; it was something that I wanted to do for a long time and was reluctant to do so since it was a World War II story and it being so different to the comics I usually make. I'm glad that I stepped out of my comfort zone and made something that was very difficult and emotionally exhausting to create. In the long run, I think it paid off. I think it’s my best work to date. 

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

It’s been a big year for Image Comics, and in particular their reboot of Prophet was something of an eye-opener for me; it made me discover the work of Brandon Graham, Giannis Milonogiannis and Simon Roy. They each have different and unique styles but also work quite well together, delivering an awesome, dream-like sci-fi environment, reminiscent of Moebius. Another highlight was discovering some of the old stories that Steve Ditko wrote and drew, such as Mr A, the H. Series and Avenging World, reflecting his objectivist views. It just re-affirmed how great of an artist the man is.

Regarding the local comic scene I discovered a lot of great artists who I had known of for a while but had never sought out their comics until this year. People like Tim Molloy, Scarlette Baccini, Peter Foster, Fil Barlow, Matt Kyme and Matt Nicholls did some superb work this year, among many others, and it’s pretty inspiring.

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

I went on a trip to the US in July, and stayed a while in New York. I had always been interested and influenced by New York culture and it was an amazing, stimulating city, with so much character and history. The Museum of Modern Art, Greenwich Village, Grand Central, Broadway, Little Italy, I could have stayed there for a year and not get enough of the place; it made me think about a new direction for my future comics. It’s inspired me to make a story about it, which should be out at the end of 2013. 

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

I realised that if I wanted to make at least 4 comics a year, I’d have to get a lot more stringent about my creative process. So I decided that I’d draw for 6 hours each night, whether it be comic pages or just random artwork if I’ve completed a comic. It’s important that you’re always making art no matter what it is or how terrible you believe it may be.

I also decided that I’d begin writing the next comic while finishing the current comic I’d be doing. It’s not because I want to speed up the creative process, but simply that I have a lot of ideas for future books, and writing them down in script form ensures that I’ll get around to making them.

What are you looking forward to in 2013?

Naturally I’m looking forward to putting out more books, and also to see how much more the local comic scene grows. It’s still fairly small but the overall quality of the books is vastly improving, so I think there are bright days ahead. Here’s to many more great comics.

Saturday, December 1, 2012

New Comics from Pikitia Press in 2013

With a few weeks left of 2012 I'm deep into work on comics and books for the Pikitia Press publishing slate in 2013.


The third collection of Peter Foster and James H. Kemsley's Ballantyne adventure strips from the Sydney Sun Herald is coming together. This collection will include a back up feature of an unpublished Foster and Kemsley newspaper strip, Sports INC. 72, Initially prepared during the nineties for a newspaper proposal that did not eventuate.


James Davidson's Moa #1, initially released as a black and white ashcan in 2010, has been revamped as a full-size colour comic and a collection of the first three issues of Moa with additional material will be available in 2013. James has posted a seven page preview of Moa #1 here.

I'll have release dates for these soon as well as news of several other comics due in 2013.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Paper Trail

Had to take a break from the Paper Trail over the last few weeks for travelling, editing work, bereavements, and REAL LIFE...

Here is a summary of the entire Internet:

The big Pikitia Press news is the release of our new comic Peter Foster's adaptation of For The Term of His Natural Life this Sunday at the Melbourne Writers Festival:

Facebook it here.




This Saturday is host to another comics event in Melbourne, capital comics city of Australia. Exhibitchin’! is the title of Squishface Studios latest effort to get comics into everybodies lives. As well as works from David Blumenstein, Marta Tesoro, Ben Hutchings, Sacha Bryning, Sarah Howell, Ive Sorocuk, Arran McKenna and Jo Waite, they'll be bitchin' tunes, crazy costumes, chocolate-infested food, tarot readings, body art, a comics jam, badge-making, personality testing, portrait drawing... and an entire leg of ham.

Facebook it here.

Pat Alexander conducts a tour of Squishface studios in prep for Exhibitchin’!

A flux of comic printing plates have turned up on the Australian ebay in recent months, some from Australian reprints of foreign material and some from honest-to-goodness Australian drawn material. Most of these were destroyed after they had served their purpose. At the time of posting, this auction for a plate of the cover to Fiction House's Indians #21 had a few days to run.


Auckland based biennial literary zine POTROAST are looking for contributors for a special comics issue, details here.


Vice comics man Nick Gazin reviews Karl Wills's recent comic Princess Seppuku here.

Special Nippon edition of Karl Wills's Princess Seppuku



Tim McEwen has been working his way through his bedtime reading pile and offers reviews of Jill Brett and Greg Holfield's In For the Krill here, several Australian comics and a few international ones here, and Dean Rankine's Full Metal Chicken here, and his latest Andrew Fulton coverage is at The Australian Comics Journal here.

Andrew Fulton and other people

Inverted Dawn: Exhibition and comics launch at Tinning Street, Melbourne. Opening night September 6th - September 16th featuring Html Flowers (Cougar Flashy) and Girl Mountain (Simon Hanselmann)

featuring...
brothers hand mirror and
girl mountain live


 
 Simon Hanselmann

Tom Spurgeon writes here about the recently passing of art critic and historian Robert Hughes and his connections with comics as a cartoonist early in his career for the Observer in Sydney and in his appraisal of the work of Robert Crumb.

 Robert Hughes
 
Dylan Horrocks provides the cover for dystopic science fiction novel The Aviator by Gareth Renowden


F.E.C Comics are launching three new comics at All Star Comics in Melbourne, 22 September, 6.30pm. Have a look on Facebook here. I can't find anything on the normal Internet but F.E.C Comics are located here.

From the press release:


KRANBURN #4
Ben Michael Byrne returns with the beginning of his second chapter. Brand begins his war against Lord. Blood spillage is a promise.


FIRESIDE TALES
A horror anthology collecting three brilliant stories from some very talented Australian creators; Alex Smith, Andrew Shaw, Billy Tournas, Mike Wszelaki and Will Pleydon.


SEVEN
Fairy tales were once not so child-friendly. Alisha Jade delves into these origins and presents her interpretations.



Congratulations to Trevor Wood and Jen Breach for their recently concluded webcomic, Sawbones. After five years and 289 pages Trev recently posted the concluding page and a blog hinting at upcoming projects. Five years is a long time in webcomics, many don't last five months, so it's commendable to see the work Trevor and Jen have created and their decision to bring their story to a close.

Panel from Sawbones

Melbourne cartoonist Doug Holgate is amongst the speakers at the second Spotlight on Specialists seminars at NMIT, Fairfield, Melbourne on Saturday September 8th.

Details here.

   Doug Holgate

Mike Lynch has been posting galleries of cartoonists portraits including this one of New Zealand's most celebrated cartoonist Sir David Low.


Webcomic: Sigh Five



 Pat Grant's Blue

There was a kerfuffle on the net a few weeks back with some folk critical of a forthcoming GARO tribute anthology. This provoked an interesting discussion of Kickstarter and publishing in general here and here and here and many other places. Of note the SP7 Alt. Comics tribute to Garo Manga edited by Ian Harker and Box Brown features amongst it's contributors Benjamin Constantine, a fine cartoonist from Brisbane. Check Benjamin out here and here and here.


Pikitia Press will be publishing new editions of James Davidson's Moa #1 and #2 later this year and all being well issue #3 will be available for the Melbourne and Auckland Armageddon cons in October. 

Moa on Facebook here.

Moa blog here.

Friday, August 17, 2012

Skinny Arse Comics Launch: Melbourne Writers Festival 2012.

Skinny Arse Comic Launch 2012 - Illustration Bruce Mutard

The Skinny Arse Comics Launch at the 2012 Melbourne Writers Festival is the brainchild of Melbourne cartoonist Bruce Mutard who has been very proactive in comics events in Melbourne as well as travelling Australia and the globe to attend comics events and spread the gospel of Australian comics.
Five comic books are being launched at the Skinny Arse in conjunction with the 2012 Melbourne Writers Festival including Pikitia Press's third release; Peter Foster's adaption of the Australian literary classic For the Term of His Natural Life.

Facebook event here

From the press release:


Unforgotten by Tohby Riddle (Allen & Unwin)

In this beautiful new book Unforgotten Tohby Riddle brings to life what remains largely unseen in the everyday. Exploring the idea of ‘who helps the helper’ and ‘who gives to the giver’, Unforgotten is a stunning book that both adults and children will connect with.
In a time of chaos and constant distraction, Unforgotten reminds us of the place of peace and calm, while at the same time including themes of faith, doubt, friendship and compassion.


All You Bastards Can Go Jump Off A Bridge by J. Marc Schmidt (Milk Shadow Books)

Creator of of the cult classic graphic novels, Egg Story and Eating Steve, and the co-creator of The Sixsmiths, J. Marc Schmidt furiously rains down over 200 pages of comic stories covering art, romance, religion, anger, pop culture parodies, sex and death in his latest collection, All You Bastards Can Go Jump Off A Bridge.

Featuring over a year's worth of webcomics, plus loads of rare strips from small press and anthology titles, All You Bastards Can Go Jump Off A Bridge explores human behaviour, and why it can sometimes be so hard to just get along with each other. Features a foreword by Tango's Bernard Caleo.


For The Term of His Natural Life by Peter Foster (Pikitia Press)

Peter Foster's adaption of Marcus Clarke's classic Australian novel For The Term of His Natural Life. Depicting the hardships of convicts in Tasmania in the early days of the colonisation of Australia. Sixty-four pages of vibrant colour with several pages detailing the original creation of one of Australia's first graphic novels and a foreword from Marcus Clarke scholar Laurie Hergenhan.



"Showman?" The Bret Braddock Adventures Book 1 & 2 by David Blumenstein (Nakedfella Productions)

A webcomic since 2009, the tale of Bret Braddock, wealthy arsehole, recently came to a poignant end. Now the whole story is collected together in two jam-packed volumes. An essential read for anyone who's ever been told "The cheque's in the mail". Created by David Blumenstein.


The Trials of Francis Bear by Gregory Mackay (Milk Shadow Books)

Melbourne indie comix legend Gregory Mackay's latest expedition into the world of the his most beloved character, Francis Bear. This time Francis has to deal with War, punishment, technology and the bottle, all whilst never losing the beautifully sparse signature sarcasm or simple style that makes the book so unique.

This is a free event, and will feature MC-ing by the King of comics examination, Bernard Caleo. Also comics maestro Bruce Mutard will be popping by for some hijinks!

All of the artists will be in attendance, so there'll be lots of signings, short speeches and other fun. An after party will be held nearby (Location, TBA).

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Pikitia Press Updates

Moa #2 © 2012 James Davidson

Pikitia Press is now set up as a small publishing concern and I'm proud to announce we'll publishing James Davidson's Moa comics with the first three issues including a new full colour number one due out later this year. Moa is an all ages comic series, each issue a complete story following the exploits of Possum von Tempsky and Kiwi Pukupuku as they journey the land of Aotearoa on giant moa in search of adventure and good times.

Have a look at an eight page preview of Moa #3 here.

Go like the Moa facebook page. Remember every 'like' adds to the chi in James's drawing hand.
 
Moa will be available from selected outlets and The Pikitia Press Shop.


Pikitia Press has a Tumblr. I hope to use Tumblr as a repository for images, ephemera, and small bits and pieces relating to cartooning and comics that I don't have time to elaborate on in the main Pikitia Press blog. The plan is to post daily but we'll see how that goes.

I'm doing a weekly comics link blogging column for the Australian Comics Journal. Should be there most Wednesdays. Might not do this forever but check it out while it's there.

The first two comics published by Pikitia Press this year were Australian cartoonist Peter Foster's Ballantyne: Where Hidden Rivers Flow (Written by James H Kemsley) and Peter's update of the golden age Australian superhero The Eagle in Return of the Night Eagle. Enthused by the response to our first two publications I decided to get some more of Peter's work in print and a second volume of Ballantyne's adventures is due for release in early August. 

 Return of the Night Eagle © 2012 P.Foster. Ballantyne © 2012 P. Foster, J. H. Kemsley

A new edition of Peter's adaption of the Australian literary classic, For The Term of His Natural Life will be launched at The 2012 Melbourne Writers Festival in October. Expanded to 64 pages, this edition will be in full colour, include background material and a foreword by Marcus Clarke scholar Laurie Hergenhan. More details to come.

For The Term of His Natural Life © 2012 Peter Foster

Saturday, June 9, 2012

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.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Comic Con Article Australasian Post March 6 1986


The above article on the Australian Comic Con at Sydney Opera House in 1986, billed in some quarters as Australia's first comic convention, although I believe there may have been a couple smaller events held earlier. Special International guests included Will Eisner, Brendan McCarthy, and Jim Steranko as well as Australia's own Peter Foster and Frantz Kantor. Photographed and quoted in the article is young comic fan Christopher Sequeira who went on to become a veteran of writer of Australian comics with contributions to many projects since. In recent years Sequeira has established Blackhouse Comic's flagship title The Dark Detective Sherlock Holmes as well as projects for the American market under DC Comics, Marvel Comics and Boom! Studios.


Article courtesy Geoff Harrison

Saturday, December 17, 2011

New Comics from Peter Foster

 

2012 will see releases and re-issues of comics by Melbourne Cartoonist Peter Foster. Foster has had a distinguished career illustrating thousands of pages of comics for DC Thomson in England as well numerous comics in Australia. In the 1980's it was not uncommon to find a DC Thomson comic with two if not three of Foster's stories in it. The Return of the Night Eagle is Foster's re-invention of Carl Lyon's Australian superhero of the '40s, The Eagle, as a legacy hero.
 
 Carl Lyon's The Eagle

  
Interior page from Peter Foster's The Night Eagle



Early 2012 will also see the publication of Peter Foster's out of print adaption of the classic Australian novel, For The Term of His Natural Life, by Marcus Clarke. Initially released in a black and white edition in 1986, well before the term 'graphic novel' was commonplace, this new edition is in full colour with additional material about the background and genesis of this project. As well as these Foster is currently working on full colour editions of his newspaper strip in collaboration with James Kemsley Snr, Ballantyne.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Stitt Autobiographics


Guest's gathered in RMIT's Storey Hall on Tuesday 15 Sept to celebrate the launch of Alexander Stitt's, Stitt Autobiographics, from Melbourne publisher Hardie Grant. An over-sized coffee table book, Stitt Autobiographics features over 1800 illustrations drawn from Stitt's fifty year career in graphic design. Animation stills, Advertising campaigns, comic strips, credit sequences, childrens books and more are included demonstrating Stitt's stylistic use of imagery in various aspects of Australian media.


From the Hardie Grant press release:

Stitt's virtuosity is the stuff of legend among his family, friends, colleagues, clients and associates. He singlehandedly produced some of the first television commercials ever seen in Australia before he turned 20. Stitt Autobiographics started as a digital assembly of work produced over Stitt's 50-year career as a graphic designer and evolved into a personal account of how, why and for whom the work happened, who helped and how it all worked out. The book includes more than 1800 illustrations, as well as pages of comic strips and whole small books, storyboards and film title frames. It has some terrible flops as well as some fabulous success stories. Like most of what Alex Stitt creates, the book is a one-off original.

Buy a copy of Stitt Autobiographics with free shipping and at half retail price here.





Alex Stitt watches as Phillip Adams alludes to their creative circle having been replaced by  replicants from Philip K. Dick novel 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?'


 Alex Stitt and cartoonist Peter Foster.