Friday, March 22, 2013

Comic Events


Second Shore and Pikitia Press will be tabling with a fine selection of Australian and New Zealand comics at the Federation Square Book Fair under the Atrium tomorrow from 11am - 5pm.


Tomorrow, Sat 23 March, All Star Comics in Melbourne launch Tom Taylor and James Brouwer's The Deep: The Vanishing Island. Facebook it.


A disparate combination of various Milk Shadow Books comic folk and the Australian writer of My little Pony, Ryan K Lindsay, are signing at Impact Comics in Canberra in the early morning and evening tomorrow. More details here. These creators and more will be at the CanberraZine Emporium from 11am - 4pm tomorrow as well. Facebook it.


Simon Hanselmann launches his Floating World Broadsheet St Owl's Bay at the Silent Army storeroom on March 27th. 

Simon says,
"Tell your friends"... presumably there will be a hotbed of local talent in attendance. a variety of beverages. free snax. maybe some "surprises". IDK. bitching, gossip, passionate rambling etc... "meet n greet". paranoia, social awkwardness.
 Facebook it.

 

Graphic Novels! Melbourne! has an upcoming screening in Canberra on April 6. more details here.

 
Auckland has a new comics shop, Arkham City Comics, opening 1st April. More details here.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

English Comics Daily Diversion: Playbox No. 1,073



The Story of Anzac Part One - Ray Wenban


The Story of ANZAC was part of an educational curriculum produced by the Schools Publishing House in Sydney, Australia, during the late 1950's. Each album in the series depicted significant events in Australian history and biographical portraits over 28 pages of comics enclosed in sturdy card covers.

From the interior cover,

The Australian Children's Pictorial Social Studies are the product of years of accumulated teaching experience in Australian schools.

The series are based on the Social Studies Curriculum of all Australian Education Departments. 

Some of Australia's best artists have been commissioned to translate this knowledge.

Careful attention has been given to the vocabulary used in each book and every effort made to grade the words and pictures to the child's understanding.

Each book tells a complete story of some important part of Australia's history.

Finally, our overall policy has been to fulfil the general basic aim of Social Studies teaching, namely, "...to increase the child's understanding of Historical, Geographical, and Social forces that have shaped...Australia."  

Three series of books were produced from 1958 with the first series consisting of 25 volumes that featured the artwork of Ray Wenban, Arthur Hudson, Montague Wedd, John Bates, Denis Grafton, William Gill, Gwendoline Barr-Rice, and Zdenek Stodulka. Later volumes featured work by cartoonists Peter Chapman and John L. Curtis.









Sources: K, Patrick 'In Search of the Great Australian (Graphic) Novel', Australasian Journal of Popular Culture, 1: 1, pp. 51-66, doi: 10.1386/ajpc.1.1.51_1

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Flash Cain - Phil Belbin & Ray Heath 1951




Before illustrating Kath King of Kismet Cove for Cavalcade, Phil Belbin produced the adventures of Private Detective Flash Cain debuting in April 1949 from scripts by Ray Heath. Flash Cain like other stories featured in K G Murray magazines was repackaged as a comic book.



 Flash Cain Covers from Ausreprints who host a wealth of information on K G Murray comics and other Australian publishers of reprint material.

 
Flash Cain adventure strip Killer Near At Hand from April 1951 issue of Cavalcade.









Images © 2013 Estate of Phil Belbin and Ray Heath

English Comics Daily Diversion: Chicks Own and Bubbles Dec 29th, 1951



Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Paper Trail


Darian Zam writes about the work of cartoonist and commercial artist, Joseph Bruno Moran.

Image from Darien Zam's Long White Kid. Maori Wonderland picture album, published by Frank Duncan & Co Ltd, c. 1920. Possibly the cover, as well as the company’s logo, were designed by Moran. Courtesy of Early Canterbury Photographers blog, canterburyphotography.blogspot.com

Ghost Ghost Tumblr.

 
Joe Wylie's political fumetti at Porcupine Farm.


Bookmarks catchup: Karl DuFresne writes about New Zealand cartooning historian Ian F. Grant.

 Cartoon by NZ cartoonist Trace Hodgson

Five questions with New Zealand cartoonist Steve Bolton.

 

Toby Morris shares recent gig posters he's illustrated.


Janet McAllister writes about New Zealand Comics exhibition Nga Pakiwaituhi.


 Frank and Becky of Tiny Kitten Teeth feature on The Mutant Season at Nerdist.



Animated abstract cartoons by DRAW.



Chris Arrant interviews Moth City creator Tim Gibson.


Sarah Laing shares illustrations from her forthcoming novel The Fall of Light.




John Retallick has brought his Comic Spot podcast out of retirement with an interview with future co-host Gary Chaloner. John with Jo Waite and Bernard Caleo interviewed a wide range of cartoonists in the Comic Spot's first iteration. Listen to Comic Spot archives here.


The Public Relations Institute of New Zealand present a talk from three New Zealand cartoonists this Thursday 21st March at Dida's Wine Lounge in the Auckland CBD. Rod Emmerson, Chris Slane and Guy Body will discuss cartoons and news media with MC Brendan Boughen. More details here.



Bookmarks catchup: Dylan Horrocks talked to Arts on Sunday about New Zealand comics and recounted his experiences at the 2012 Frankfurt Bookfair and Treviso in Italy.


Tim McEwen reviews Bobby N's Digested #2


Nat Karmichael reviews Kokoda: That Bloody Track. Copies are currently available on selected Australian news stands and from Zbeach True Comics.


Cartoonist, 2013 Ruebens Host, and stand-up comedian Jason Chatfield promotes his upcoming show at the 2013 Melbourne Comedy Festival with some speed cartooning. Tickets online at http://goo.gl/Jk53c.







From the Pikitia Press WIP folder:


 Illustration by Allan Xia

Cartooning and comics in New Zealand capping magazines.