Michael Hawkins
What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2012?
My comic highlights this year were threefold. Mid year I went to the states and Canada on a comics tour, met heaps of awesome talent like Pat Aulisio, Lale Westvind, Conor Stechschulte, Mollie O’Brien and others whose amazing work I was previously ignorant of. Second highlight would be watching the rising star of my good buddy and favourite cartoonist ever Simon Hanselmann. Thirdly meeting on a weekly basis with a steady group of drawing buds (Sam Wallman, Marc Pearson, Elliot Lamb and so forth) has made a great difference to my quality of life.
Who are some of the comics creators that you've discovered and enjoyed for the first time in 2012?
Best books? All of the above people. Also locally Grant Gronewald (HTML Flowers) and Katie Parrish and overseas Michael Deforge, Patrick Kyle, Leslie Stein and Derek Ballard. Seems to be a lot of people working at a peek level of inspiration and producing things in individual styles that seem extreme in their newness. Find it easy to point to a general vibe than individual books.
What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2012?
Massively into Dennis Potter at the moment, starting with the Singing Detective and working through all his series and teleplays. Best book I read was We have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. Favourite five songs this year: My Time by Roberto Cacciapaglia & Ann Steel, In High Places by Mike Oldfield, A Matter of Trust by Billy Joel, Myth by Beach House, Pyramids by Frank Ocean.
Have you implemented any significant changes to your working methods this year?
Swapped from photocopying to digital printing. Started a Tumblr. Also used to try and have one major comics series or project on the go at once, this year decided to just start a bunch and let them vie for my attention.
What are you looking forward to in 2013?
Organising an erotic art show with some of my favourite local cartoonists. Hopefully going to Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival.
