EVENT: Free Comic Book Day 2017!

It's that time of year again...Free Comic Book Day! This worldwide comics initiative takes place on the first Saturday of May each year; with the initial aim of promoting public awareness of comics, it is now more firmly focused on promoting reading and creating a fun event where both parents and children can share their mutual love of the comics medium.

Here's a list of the comic book stores in NZ taking part:

Heroes For Sale 
582 Karangahape Road
Auckland

Arkham City Comics
Royal Oak Mall (upstairs near McDonalds)
Shop 45a/691 Manukau Rd
Royal Oak, Auckland

MK1: Mark One Comics
551 Victoria Street
Hamilton

Graphic
106 Cuba Street
Wellington

Comics Compulsion
58 Main N Rd, Papanui
Christchurch

There's plenty of titles to choose from (for a full list, check our the FCBD website HERE - titles may vary in availability), and each store has it's own in-store specials and events taking place, so this weekend head over to your nearest comic book store to join in the fun!

- AK!

EVENT: White Trash HC Release Party

Above: White Trash by Gordon Rennie & Martin Emond. Copyright Gordon Rennie & Martin Emond 2015.

In the early 90's, local cartoonist Martin Emond made a splash in the international world of comics with his first major project, a fully painted graphic novel, White Trash. Written by Gordon Rennie, the story follows two hard-traveling heroes:  ‘The King’ (an Elvis analogue) and Dean - a teen slacker with more than a passing resemblance to the lead-singer of Emond’s favourite band Guns ‘N Roses - on a hellish road-trip across Southwest America. In a life and career that was far too brief, White Trash has stood the test of time as one of Emond's best and most influential works; so it's great to finally see this revered work get the re-mastered, hardcover treatment it deserves from UK publisher Titan Books!

Above: The limited edition print created exclusively for the Arkham City Comics Release Party by Rufus Dayglo & Simon Morse.

To celebrate its release, Arkham City Comics is holding a White Trash release party in-store this Thursday 21st of May from 5.30 - 8pm. As a special bonus, an exclusive White Trash print has been created for the event by two of Martin's closest friends and collaborators, Rufus Dayglo and Simon Morse.

An A5 bookplate edition of the print will be available with the first 20 copies of the White Trash HC purchased for $39 each. You can also get a limited edition A3 size White Trash print for $20 each with 100% of the proceeds going to Youthline.

There will also be some artists drawing White Trash inspired artwork LIVE at the event from around 6.30pm, with the finished pieces to be auctioned off for charity.

If you're not based in Auckland, or can't make the event this Thursday and are interested in a copy of the book or an A3 print, hit up Jeremy either through the Arkham City Comics FB page HERE or via e-mail at: mrj@arkham.co.nz & arkhamcitycomics@gmail.com. For more details, visit the Arkham City Comics website HERE.

This is a great opportunity to own a definitive edition of a local legend's work, and also support a very worthy cause. I'm sure Marty would have been stoked with this event, and if you're there on Thursday night, I bet you will be too!

- AK!

Above: Artwork from White Trash by Martin Emond. Copyright Gordon Rennie & Martin Emond 2015.

News From Earth's End: February Edition

Above: Mr Unpronounceable Adventures by Tim Molloy. Copyright Tim Molloy 2013.

Tim Molloy will be releasing his next comic collection Mr Unpronounceable Adventures, at the 'Big Arse 3' comics launch taking place in Melbourne on March 2nd. Other NZ comics launching at the event include: Awakenings #2 by Jesca Marisa, and Adversaries by Matt Emery. You can find more about Big Arse 3 HERE. Tim also has an art tumblr that you can check out HERE.

Above: Former Gotham Comics employees Jeremy Bishop and Michel Mulipola rise from the ashes....

The end of January saw a major shake-up in the management of Auckland's much-loved comic store, Gotham Comics. This resulted in a mutual parting of ways between the store owners and long serving manager Jeremy Bishop and employee Michel Mulipola. While the future of Gotham Comics may be uncertain, Bishop and Mulipola aren't going dwell on the past and already making plans to set-up their own brand new Auckland store, Arkham City Comics! 

More details are still to come, but you can join the inmates at their Facebook group HERE (over 300 inmates strong in just over a week!). Here at Earth's End we wish them the best of luck with their new endeavour, and I'll be updating with any news of the opening when it happens.

Above: Thor: The Mighty Avenger by Roger Langridge and Chris Samnee. Copyright Marvel Comics 2013.

Despite a parting of ways last year on the issue of creator rights, Marvel Comics are releasing a paperback collection all of Roger Langridge's Thor: The Mighty Avenger stories in one volume. This should be available now from your local comic store, or book retailers/Amazon etc in early March.

Above: Rocketeer: Hollywood Horror #1, variant cover by Roger Langridge and J. Bone. Copyright IDW 2013.

Langridge is currently writing a four issue mini-series based on Dave Stevens' Rocketeer for IDW. With art by J. Bone, the first issue of Rocketeer: Hollywood Horror is in comic stores now.

Above: New guests added to the Chromacon artists line-up. Top row: Paul Tobin, Chris Slane, Henry Christian-Slane. Bottom row: Michel Mulipola, Richard Fairgray and Kayla Oliver.

The line-up for May's Auckland illustrator event, Chromacon 2013 continues to grow with some impressive new additions in the last few weeks. Paul Tobin, artist and editor of the White Cloud Worlds books will be in attendance, along with award-winning cartoonist Chris Slane, and Chris' son Henry Christian-Slane proves talent runs in the family, fronting his own impressive artwork.

Michel Mulipola will be on hand, as well as Blastosaurus creator Richard Fairgray, and Hawkes Bay illustrator Kayla Oliver. Chromacon is a FREE event which will be taking place at the Aotea Centre, Auckland on the 12th of May. For more updates visit the Chromacon website HERE.

Above: An illustration by Tony Renouf. Copyright Tony Renouf 2013.

One of the major figures in the Dunedin comics scene in the 1980s and 90s, Tony Renouf has a new online presence at his blog HERE. He's posting new work and mussing about his life and times working at a second-hand record store.

Above: Sci-fi stickers from Tip Top's Galactic Bar Ice-cream range, featuring artwork from Colin Wilson. Copyright Tip Top Ltd 2013.

From the depths of the internet comes this nugget of rare NZ comics memorabelia: a set of stickers featuring sci-fi artwork from the great Colin Wilson! Created in 1977, the set of 10 stickers and game poster could be collected with each purchase of the Galactic Bar Ice-cream. The Galactic Bar featured a similar promotion tied into the release of the first 'Star Wars' movie.

 

More images of the Galactic Bar posters and wrapper. Copyright Tip Top Ltd 2013.

Its likely that this set was created to continue the success of the promotion without the expensive royalties attached to a tie-in product. In any case, the stickers are very rare now and can only occasionally be sighted on TradeMe.

To address the lack of resent updates: I'm currently very busy working on a publishing project that is taking up a great deal of time, but will make readers of this blog VERY happy...so keep your eyes peeled for a big announcement in early May.

-AK!