Nice NZ Fan Art: Featuring Toby Morris and Jason Winter

Above: Captain Sunshine as depicted by Jason Winter. 

Here are two great examples of NZ Comics fan art; the first is by Jason Winter, revisiting the world's first 'environmental superhero' Captain Sunshine, created by writers Peter Farrell, Roy Middleton, Reuben Sandler and drawn by Colin Wilson in 1979.

Above: Captain Sunshine #1 (1979). Copyright Sundial Watches Limited 1979.

It was the first original full-colour superhero comic of its kind to be produced in New Zealand, with a massive estimated print run of 100,000 copies. The comic was created to promote an ill-fated sundial wrist-watch, which failed to catch the public imagination and quickly killed any chance of future comic adventures (Wilson pencilled a second issue which was never published, and the art has been lost to the ages...).

Above: Terry Teo, by Toby Morris.

Terry Teo was the hero from three original NZ graphic novels produced by writer Bob Kerr and artist Stephen Ballantyne, starting with Terry and the Gunrunners in 1982. The first graphic novel in the series sold 20,000 copies, and was popular enough to inspire a local TV series in 1985, starring Adrian Bell as Terry Teo. The graphic novel also produced two sequels: Terry and the Yodelling Bull in 1986, and Terry and the Last Moa in 1990.

Above: Terry and the Gunrunners by Bob Kerr and Stephen Ballantyne. copyright Bob Kerr and Stephen Ballantyne 1982.

-AK!

GO READ: City Lights 2: Planet Of Fear

Above: City Lights 2: Planet Of Fear, cover by Jonathan King. Copyright Chad Taylor & Jonathan King 2012.

The second chapter of the thoughtful sci-fi serial City Lights by Chad Taylor & Jonathan King is now available to read at The Brighter Future website HERE (and Chapter 1 HERE). In this chapter, scientist Jim Green debriefs Pentagon military generals on his potential discovery of alien life on a distant planet, and what it may mean for mankind.

Above: Dr Green debates the potential threat to Earth from the existence of alien life-forms. Art by Jonathan King. Copyright Chad Taylor & Jonathan King 2012.

Once again this strip nicely skews the conventions of the sci-fi genre, playing off the fantasies of alien invasions embedded in our popular culture and contrasting it with the reality of our planet's limited safe guards and technological reach. It will be interesting to see where this goes next. As the saying goes: To be continued...

-AK!

EDUCATION: Creating Comics: From Webcomics To Graphic Novels

Above: Richard Fairgray & Terry Jones by Richard Fairgray.

If you live in the Auckland area and have always wanted to give comics creation a go, here's your chance: a five week night class with the creators of Blastosaurus! 

Taking place at Rangitoto Collage from Tuesday 29th of May, the course will fill you in on everything you need to know about creating comics. A look at the conventions of the comic book from the past to the present; learn how it has developed through history, and apply this to the production of a comic/graphic novel or comic strip. With practical exercises during each class.

Above: A page from the Blastosaurus webcomic, by Richard Fairgray & Terry Jones. Copyright Richard Fairgray & Terry Jones 2012. 

The tutors are Richard Fairgray, writer/artist of Blastosaurus, and his co-writer Terry Jones. Together they have been publishing Blastosaurus for over four years, as a comic and a successful webcomic which you can view HERE. Fairgray has also co-written the webcomics The Inspiration Duncans and The Darwin Fairies for Beyond Reality Media, which you can read HERE.

The tuition fee for the complete 5 week course is a very reasonable $159.00 incl GST, which includes material costs. Registration closes soon, so to enroll or find out more, visit the Rangitoto Collage website HERE.


-AK!

Above: The recently released Blastosaurus Issue 00, by Richard Fairgray & Terry Jones. Copyright Richard Fairgray & Terry Jones 2012. 

NZ Graphic Novels rule the NZ Post Children's Book Awards!

Above: Nice Day for a War, by Matt Elliot and Chris Slane.

The winners of the NZ Post Children's Book Awards 2012 were announced on Wednesday night at a Wellington ceremony, with three of the major prizes going to comics related books. Nice Day for a War, by Matt Elliot and Chris Slane took out the top prize of Children's Book Of The Year, and won the Non-Fiction category. Nice Day for a War is based on the World War I diaries of writer Matt Elliot's grandfather, Corporal Cyril Elliot. The diary entries are complimented by gritty narrative comic sections depicted in stunning watercolour art by Chris Slane, that clearly made an impact on the judges. Gillian Candler, the Awards Convenor of Judges praised its unique approach to its subject, "Nice Day for a War is a stand-out book which offers young readers an honest glimpse into the lives of soldiers during World War I. The beautiful fluid line drawings and muted watercolour washes bring the diary to life. The interplay between the illustrations and text creates a powerful, emotionally engaging story for young readers".

Above: Shaolin Burning by Ant Sang.

Ant Sang's powerful debut graphic novel Shaolin Burning received the runner-up Honour Award in the Picture Book category. This is a great result, as Shaolin Burning was something of a surprise entry into the Picture Book category, with many industry watchers commenting that its subject matter really places it closer to the YA fiction category than anything else. As Ant commented, "I thought it would be tough for Shaolin Burning to compete in the Picture Book category, so was really pleased to receive the Honour Award. And fantastic that Elliot and Chris' Nice Day For a War scooped the top award of the night. NZ comics represent!"

However, If there was a prize for media coverage, Shaolin Burning would have certainly come out on top. It was easily the most talked about book leading up to the Awards, bringing some attention back to what can occasionally be a fairly predictable and safe line-up. With these results I expect we'll be seeing a lot more local graphic novels in the pipeline as publishers love award magnets, especially books that capture the public imagination.

-AK!

That Time Superman Fought a Moa!

Above: Superman VS a Moa. Copyright DC Comics 2012.

Via BoingBoing: well, the headline really speaks for itself.

Ironically, there's a cafe around the corner from me that features a screen-printed painting of this on the wall, so I guess it's not as obscure a comics event as one would suspect...

-AK!

Free Comic Book Day 2012!

Above: Free Comic Book Day banner by Michel Mulipola.


Free Comic Book Day returns this Saturday 5th of May at a comic store near you! 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.

Featured titles this year include: hot on the back of the hit film Avengers: Age Of Ultron, the DC Comics New 52 Special, the Valiant Preview, Grant Morrison's Dinosaurs VS Aliens and many more.

There's also a great range for younger readers: the Moomin Colour Special, Bongo Comics Free-For-All, Barnaby, Superman Family, and a very limited Mouse Guard/Labyrinth hardcover!

Local shops are also making an extra effort to make this an event for the whole community, with bonus prizes for dressing up and lots of other fun activities. Here's a breakdown of what's happening at comic shops across the country:

AUCKLAND:

Gotham Comics: 
264 The Mall, Onehunga, Auckland. Ph/Fax: +64 9 634 4399
Open: 10am - 4pm

- For walking in-store between 10am-4pm you get 2 FREE comics!
- For wearing a Superhero (or Super Villain) Costume you get 2 more FREE comics!
- For a Gold Coin Donation to Royal Oak Intermediate you get 2 more FREE comics!
- Plus Bargain deals in-store!
- Cheap Comics! Cheap Trade Paperbacks! Cheap Cool T-shirts!

Heroes For Sale K Road:

277 Karangahape Rd

Newton, Auckland.

PH: 6493070682

Open: 10am - 5pm

HAMILTON:

MK1: Mark One Comics:
551 Victoria Street, Hamilton. PH: 07 8393728
Open: 9am - 5pm

Reasons why you should visit Mark One on Free Comic Book Day:

Reason #1: We are giving away 4000 comics this year! That’s 2000 more than last year! There really will be something for everyone – and a few surprises to boot!

Reason #2 (although you are going to have to be early to take advantage of this one!): Small press publisher Archaia (known for producing beautiful comics in high quality formats like Mouse Guard, Okko and Rust) are offering the very first hardcover book in Free Comic Book Day history!

Reason #3: DC wraps up one of their best year’s in publishing (and that’s saying something for this 85 year old company) with a major sneak peak at the next wave of DC’s full line relaunch (the new 52!) If you’ve been enjoying the new 52 (and so many out there are – it’s been a great Mk1 sales success!) you will want to check out DC’s main FCBD offering (and yes there are others!)

Reason #4: Marvel are on the cusp of what will be one of their best years (thanks to the new AVENGERS movie) look for lots of Avengers comics and Spider-man offerings!

Reason #5: Star Wars, Superman, Transformers, Smurfs, Simpsons, Spongebob, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Yo Gabba Gabba, Joss Whedon’s Serenity, Walt Disney’s Donald Duck, and lots, lots more. All the best in comics on the best comics day of the year.

Reason #6: Mk1 celebrates 23 years in Hamilton with our now traditional (and only annual store wide sale!)  Hint: the discount matches our age!

CHRISTCHURCH:

Comics Compulsion: 
58 Main North Road, Papanui, Christchurch.
PH: 3797866 or email: comics@xtra.co.nz for details.
Open: 10am-4pm

On the 5 May 2012 we will again be participating in the world wide event, and like last year when we were still working out the back of my house we will fire up the BBQ and make a fun day of it. Hope you can make it along and celebrate with us.

Could be a good day to break out the superhero costumes!

PALMERSTON NORTH:

The Badcave:
86 Broadway Ave, Palmerston North. PH: 06 3566779
Open: 10am-4pm

WELLINGTON:

Graphic: 
106 Cuba Mall PH: 04 3842 691
Open: 10.30am-3.30pm

So head to your nearest comic shop this Saturday and enjoy sharing some great FREE comics!

-AK!

GO READ: Angouleme by Jerome Bihan

Above: Page 1 of Angouleme by Jerome Bihan. Copyright Jerome Bihan 2012.

Jerome Bihan, cartoonist and editor of the great anthology series Radio As Paper, has started a new comics diary of his recent trip to the Angouleme Comics Festival. He'll be updating it weekly at his blog A Strict Diet Of Self, found HERE.

Above: So Art Spiegelman walks into a bar...Page 6 of Angouleme by Jerome Bihan. Copyright Jerome Bihan 2012.

It's well paced and richly inked, with some surprise celebrity comics cameos to boot! I'll be monitoring the progress of this lush comics travelogue and you should too.

-AK!

Road To Armageddon: Hamilton & Wellington 2012

It's that time of year again, the start of the Armageddon Expo season in New Zealand. And this year it's extending it's scope, with it's first Hamilton based expo. Taking place this weekend, April 14-15th at the Claudelands Event Centre, bringing it's circus of all things sci-fi and geektastic to the heart of the Waikato!

Above: a cover from the acclaimed comic series 100 bullets, by Dave Johnson. Copyright Vertigo/DC Comics 2012.

As always there'll be a health presence of local and international comics guests.

Headlining this year's guest list is Dave Johnson, comic artist and award-winning cover artist of such books as:100 bullets, Punishermax, Batman, Unknown Soldier and many more. He also collaborated with writer Mark Millar on the highly acclaimed Superman mini-series Red Son, which recast Superman as a communist Russian superhero. Aside from his comics work, he's also a veteran animation designer, working on such shows as: Batman Beyond, Justice League, Legion of Super-heroes, Venture Bros. and Ben 10.

Above: A Witchblade cover by Stjepan Sejic. Copyright Top Cow Productions 2012.

Ron Marz is a long-time comics writer, having written for just about every major comics company in the business, including DC Comics, Marvel, Top Cow, Dark Horse and CrossGen. He's often been the go-to writer for fantasy with a cosmic scope, leading to extended runs on such titles as:Green Lantern, Silver Surfer and Star Wars. In Green Lantern he co-created the popular character Kyle Rayner, who replaced a temporarily crazy Hal Jordan (it was the 90s, look it up kids!). More recently he's been writing the Witchblade franchise for Top Cow productions, and it's spin-off titles Magdalena and Artifacts.

Above: The Inhabitants, by the Sheehan Bros. Copyright Sheehan Bros 2012.

There will be a strong NZ Comics presence at the event, with myself and Kelly Sheehan (one half of the Sheehan Bros) manning the NZ Comic Creators Booth. We'll be selling a wide variety of local comics, from creators all across the country. If you missed the Comics Generation exhibition that recently took place in Wellington (see last months posts), we'll have stock available from those young creators for you to check out!

Above: Cover of Moas #2 by James Davidson. Copyright James Davidson 2012.

James Davidson will be there with copies of the latest issue of his full-colour all-ages adventure series Moas. Set in Colonial New Zealand, it features Possum Von Tempsky and Kiwi Iti, two Moa riding adventurers. It looks to be a rollicking great yarn in the Carl Barks tradition, so be sure to seek out a signed copy!

Above: Blastosaurus: The 'Fries With That' Caper' issue 00, by Richard Fairgray & Terry Jones. Copyright Richard Fairgray & Terry Jones 2012.

A permanent fixture on the local convention scene, Blastosaurus creator Richard Fairgray will be on hand with a new print issue of Blastosaurus:The 'Fries With That' Caper' issue 00. If you'd like a preview of what to expect, you can check out two free issues of the new full-colour Blastosaurus series at the official website HERE.

Above: Ghost Ghost Squared by Richard Fairgray. Copyright Richard Fairgray 2012.

He'll also a copies of Ghost Ghost Squared available, a sequel to Ghost Ghost, a comic he wrote as a child and redrew recently.

Above: Armageddon Expo and Beyond Reality Media head-honcho Bill Geradts, with copies of The Inspiration Duncans Hardcover collection.

Leading NZ webcomics site Beyond Reality Media will be well represented, with print copies of two of their titles available for the first time! The Inspiration Duncans series written by Bill Geradts and Richard Fairgray with art by Gonzalo Martínez, will be available in a special 80-page Hardcover edition. The Warden series, written by Bill Geradts and Christian Gossett with art by Alan Robinson, will also be available in a softcover collection. Keep an eye out for both of these eye catching books and the creators signing at the Beyond Reality Media booth (as well as the Warden in person!).

The Armageddon Expo Hamilton is on this weekend at the Claudelands Event Centre, open from 10am-6pm. Tickets are available on the door and from Ticketek HERE. I'd strongly recommend buying tickets in advance to avoid the endless lines that can sometimes build up at these events, as no one wants to spend an hour waiting in line!

If you can't make it to Hamilton, fear not, it will all be happening again NEXT weekend in Wellington, 21st-22nd at the TSB Bank Arena ((whew!)). For more information on other events taking place over the weekend at the Armageddon Expo, check out the official site for news and updates HERE. We'll see you there! (I'll be the person NOT in costume).

-AK!

GO READ: Done To Death: The Truth

Above: Page 1 of Done To Death: The Truth by Stevie James & Michel Mulipola. Copyright Stevie James & Michel Mulipola 2012.

Michel Mulipola's artwork has gone from strength to strength in the last few years, and the comics industry is starting to take notice. Last year Michel was one of the few artists attending San Diego Comic Con to be hand-picked for a portfolio review with DC Comics Art Director Mark Chiarello. They've officially invited Michel to submit further art samples, so it won't be long until other publishers start knocking on his door. Until then, you can find some of his impressive artwork over at his deviantART page HERE.

A prime example of his crazy art skills is this new short story, Done To Death: The Truth, illustrated for Wellington writer Stevie James. Completed in a mere two weeks(!), it's a great showcase of Michel's artistic strengths: great character, pacing, and plenty of atmosphere to burn. You can read the full story HERE.

-AK!

Comics Generation exhibition: An Inside Look

Above: Comics Generation, an exhibition featuring young cartoonists, currently on this weekend at Thistle Hall (corner of Cuba and Arthur Streets) in Wellington. All photos by Claire Harris.

Currently taking place at Thistle Hall in Wellington, Comics Generation is shinning a light on the work of promising young cartoonists, including the artwork of: Theo Macdonald, Michael Sanders, Sadie Galloway, Esther Galloway, Zora Patrick and Joel Spencer. Via the Thistle Hall Facebook Page, here's some exclusive photos of the exhibition by curator Claire Harris.

Above: Some wide views of the exhibition space.

Above: Meyo original artwork form a 27 page full-colour comic by Joel Spencer.

Above: Narrative strips from The Tragic Existence of Egbert the Egghead and Colonel Kernel and Batbat cover gallery by Michael Sanders.

Above: SpaceCat Adventures cover artwork by Michael Sanders.

Above: The Honey poison by Esther Galloway on the left side, followed by The Nightmare by Sadie Galloway.

Above: Drawings, sketch book and The encyclopedia of Small (and big) Creatures by Zora Patrick.

Above: Artwork by Theo Macdonald.

Above: Artwork from Theocracy by Theo Macdonald.

Above: Copies of the childrens' printed comics for sale at the exhibition.

Today is the last day of the show, so if you're in the Wellington area, I advise you to drop your copy of the Weekend Herald and get down there while you still can! And if you miss the exhibition, keep an eye out for New Zealand Comic Creators distributors at shows like the Armageddon Expo where you may be able to track down a copy of these great comics for yourself!

-AK!

EVENT: Comics Generation

The next generation of New Zealand cartoonists will make their presence felt tomorrow night, with the opening of Comics Generation an exhibition featuring comics and zines created by six young Wellingtonians, ranging in age from 5 to 17 years old. The creators include: Theo Macdonald, Michael Sanders, Sadie Galloway, Esther Galloway, Zora Patrick and Joel Spencer.

Above: Theo Macdonald meets comics legend Neil Gaiman, in this autobiographical strip from Theocracy #1. Copyright Theo Macdonald 2012.

Curated by cartoonist and NZCC comics distributor Claire Harris, the exhibition will showcase the young creators original artwork as well as work in progress, with the opportunity to purchase their printed comics and zines.

Above: The cover of Theocracy #1. Copyright Theo Macdonald 2012.

Two of the featured cartoonists are already well seasoned self-publishers. Theo Macdonald's first comic, Skate Rat produced when he was just 12 years old, picked up ‘Best Debut’ at the New Zealand Eric Comics Awards in 2010, and was followed up by the highly amusing Theocracy.

Above: The cover of SpaceCat Adventures #2 by Michael Sanders. Copyright Michael Sanders 2012.

Another early starter, Michael Sanders has drawn 6 issues of SpaceCat Adventures to date, starting at age 8. Written in tandem with his father Paul Sanders, the series follows SpaceCat as he traverses his way through the galaxy on adventures featuring aliens, space guns and anything Michael's imagination can put to paper! You can read more of SpaceCat's adventures at the official website HERE.

Above: SpaceCat experiences an alien menace in Terror In Squizball by Michael Sanders & Paul Sanders. Copyright Michael Sanders 2012.

Both of these young creators have already had their comics sold throughout the country at comic stores and the Armageddon Expo thanks to distribution through the New Zealand Comic Creators network.

In conjunction with the exhibition, their will also be two workshops held to encourage children in creating their own characters, zines and comic book stories. These will occur Saturday 31 March and be presented by experienced tutors, with one freestyle workshop suitable for all ages, and a second focused on story and character development for older children. Workshop numbers are limited, to reserve a place contact Paul Sanders at spacecatadventures@gmail.com. For other enquires contact Claire Harris at claire@frailsistercomics.com.

Comics Generation opens tomorrow night at Thistle Hall (corner of Cuba and Arthur Streets) in Wellington at 5.30pm, and runs till Saturday 31st of March. I'm sure you'll be seeing more from these talented creators in the future, so if you're in the Wellington area make sure you head along to support the cartoonists of tomorrow, today!

-AK!

FIRST LOOK: Baltimore: Dr. Leskovar's Remedy

Above: The cover for Baltimore: Dr. Leskovar's Remedy #1 by Ben Stenbeck. Copyright Dark Horse Comics/Mike Mignola 2012.

Dark Horse Comics have recently announced that Lord Henry Baltimore will be returning for a new 2 issue mini-series in May, with Baltimore: Dr. Leskovar's Remedy. This will be the third installment in the series of adventures for the monster hunter, following on from highly successful previous Baltimore volumes: The Plague Ships and The Curse Bells, written by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden with art by Ben Stenbeck.

I caught up with local artist Ben Stenbeck for a brief chat on what to expect from the series, and an exclusive preview of his interior artwork!

Above: An interior page from Baltimore: Dr. Leskovar's Remedy #1 by Ben Stenbeck. Copyright Dark Horse Comics/Mike Mignola 2012.

AK: Been your third arc on Baltimore, are you finding yourself in a comfortable drawing 'groove' with the character?

BS: Little bit. Its very slow for me. But yeah I think issue #1 has 1 or 2 panels of Baltimore that I'm happy with, that I think I've got the character working. Which I haven't really had with the past books, Its a bit like every time I draw him, I'm trying to figure out how to draw him. But I think I'm getting there.

AK: With the new arc only 2 issues long, will this be a more compressed action-oriented story than the suspense building pace of the previous arcs?

BS: Yes. Chris said something along the lines of it being 'Blissful Madness'.  Its a weird, fun story. I think The Curse Bells was the darkest thing we've done so far, it gets really nasty in some places and Dr Leskovars Remedy is like a bit of relief, its a lot of fun (when I say fun, I mean: Monsters and Gore. Well..Monster Gore which is the most fun type of gore).

AK: Each installment of the Baltimore series has contained its share of gruesomely great creatures for Lord Baltimore to cut his way through (and the Mignola cover image does promises some giant ape action!), any other hints of what kind of creepy images or creatures we can expect to see this time around? 

Above: Baltimore: Dr. Leskovar's Remedy #1, alternate cover by Mike Mignola featuring King Kong. Copyright Dark Horse Comics/Mike Mignola 2012.

BS: That King Kong cover is part of Mike's 'Year of Monsters'. This year he's doing 12 alternate covers that have nothing to do with the comic they are on the cover of. Its a chance for him to do some cool images of his favourite monsters along side his characters. That King Kong and Baltimore cover is my favourite so far, but sadly I don't get to draw King Kong. But yes, this series has monsters. Lots of monsters.

AK: I heard that you contributed some ideas and suggestions early on for this story. What were some of the things you wanted to explore and add to the series through your artwork?

BS: Well that's hard to answer with out spoiling the series. But a long time ago I mentioned to Mike that I wanted to do a certain type of character. And I had this idea for a setting, this environment that I wanted to draw. Its just a cool weird thing that i thought would look interesting. And there's something else but it kind of turned into the last half of the 2nd issue, so You'll have to wait.

AK: Is Baltimore your sole focus for the foreseeable future or do you have any other projects coming up?

BS: There is a 2 part story I was meant to be doing with a 'Hellboy-verse' character. But things get changed, I'm not sure whats happening with that now. I've got a series of my own that I'm planning to try and squeeze in in 2015. Something I've had bouncing around in my head for almost 20 years. But that's a long way off, so for now its all Baltimore. I just got the script this morning for the next oneshot. I haven't finished reading it yet, I got distracted by answering this email. Better get back to work. Sorry for all  the vague answers! 

All will be revealed when Baltimore: Dr. Leskovar's Remedy #1 hits shelves in May, so pre-order your copy now! For more info on Ben Stenbeck's artwork and comics, you can visit his website HERE.

-AK!