EVENT: New Zealand Comics Weekend

This Easter will see the return of the New Zealand Comics Weekend, to be held from the 2nd-4th of April, at The Basement Gallery, 39 Dixon Street, Wellington. A wide range of independent New Zealand comics and zines will be on sale, with the following events and activities scheduled during the weekend:

Friday 2nd of April:

The festivities kick off with an opening night celebration from 5.30pm, featuring two exhibitions: 'NZ Comix in the 70's' and 'The Work of H.W. Bennett', curated by NZ comics historian Tim Bollinger, which will run for the entire weekend from 10am daily.

Saturday 3rd of April:

5.30pm: The Wellington Launch of the Victoria University Press edition of 'Hicksville' by Dylan Horrocks.

'Hicksville' is arguably New Zealand’s best know graphic novel, and the VUP edition is the first edition of the novel to be published in New Zealand. It has been translated into several languages, and its author, Dylan Horrocks, has been a guest of several comics and literary events, including the Les Belles Etrangères festival in Paris.

7:30pm: The Black River Digital New Zealand Comics Awards

A celebration of excellence in New Zealand’s independent publishing community, hosted by Fringe Festival comedian Nic Sando, featuring an interview with Burton Silver of 'Bogor' fame.

The following is a list of nominees for the 2010 Black River Digital New Zealand Comics Awards, also known as 'The Erics'. The Erics (named after early NZ comics pioneer Eric Resetar) recognise excellence in the New Zealand comics community.

BEST COMIC:

The Inhabitants by The Sheehan Bros
The Tangled Garden by Draw
Love Stories by Mat Tait
Hotpools by Ned Wenlock
Book by Hayden Currie, James Rowsell and Matt Henley

BEST COMIC STRIP:

Western Park by Tim Kidd.
Thumbscrew Theatre by Brent Willis, Salient 2007.
Tim Bollinger's recurring series in White Fungus magazine.
Jitterati by Grant Buist.
Desert Funnies by Grant Buist.

BEST ANTHOLOGY:

Bristle (ed. Brent Willis)
Radio as Paper (ed. Jerome Bihan)
Pictozine II (ed. Dave Bradbury)
Book (eds. Hayden Currie, James Rowsell, Matt Henley)

BEST WEBCOMIC:

I Fight Crime, by Tara Black and Richard Fairgray.
Tiny Kitten Teeth, by Frank and Becky.
Drawing Silence, by Draw.
Guzumzo Comics, by M. Emery.
How to Understand Everything and not hate yourself

BEST ARTWORK:

The Inhabitants, art by Darren Sheenan
Hotpools by Ned Wenlock
Chicks with Knives by Claire Harris
Utopia Now Vol.1 by Margaret Silverwood
Love Stories by Mat Tait

BEST WRITING:

Passion of the Gimps by Clive Townsend & Brent Willis
The Inhabitants writing by Kelly Sheenan
Omnisexual by Robbie Neilson
The Garden by Draw

BEST DEBUT:

Book by Hayden Currie, James Rowsell and Matt Henley
Hotpools by Ned Wenlock
G33K by Renee Lyons
Skate Rat by Theo MacDonald
Girls can Really Fuck You in the Head by Elliot Stewart

BEST SHORT PIECE:

Under the Bed by Tim Molloy (Single issue)
The Adventures of Happy Satan by Ari Freeman (Bristle #2)
Super Camel by Claire Harris (Bristle #1)
Commuters by Brent Willis (Bristle #1)

The categories BEST COMICS RELATED WEBSITE and BEST DISTRIBUTION will be decided based on popular vote.

This year the judging responsibilities will be shared between Roberta Gregory (American author of ‘Bitchy Bitch’), Andrei Molotiu ( editor and publisher at Fantagraphic Comics), New Zealand Writer Elizabeth Knox, Ant Sang (of ‘Dharma Punks’ and ‘Bro’ Town’), Cornelius Stone (probably best known for ‘Knuckles the Malevolent Nun’), Claire Brunette (one of the co-ordinators of the Wellington City Library Small Press collection), Australian cartoonist and organiser David Blumenstein, and New Zealand’s pre-eminent comics historian, Tim Bollinger.

Other events confirmed but yet to be scheduled include: bande-dessinee with Travis Lealand-Mapelsden, Abstract comics with Dick Whyte, and engaging kids comics activities with G.C.R.

The NZCC (New Zealand Comics Creators) will be hosting sales all weekend at both NZ Comics Weekend and Wellington Armageddon. They will a full range of NZ comics on offer at both venues, including the new edition of Dylan Horrocks' 'Hicksville', 'The Imposter' by Lee-Yan Marquez and a new issue of 'Chicks With Knives' by Claire Harris.

For more information on NZ Comics Weekend or The Black River Digital New Zealand Comics Awards, you can visit the NZ Comics Weekend blog or email: nzcomicsweekend@gmail.com.

-AK!