Weekend Viewing: Comics Creator Rights and Colin Wilson

Above: Me, appearing on Media7 to talk Creator Rights.

Thanks to On Demand viewing, here's some comics related online viewing to get you through the weekend.

First up, I appeared on this week's episode of Media7 to discuss the current state of Comics Creator Rights, and the currently plight of the Siegel & Shuster Estate in their ongoing battle with Warner Bros for control of Superman. It's also accompanied by a great piece on Jack Kirby by reporter (and sometimes cartoonist) Jose Barbosa! You can view it on the TVNZ7 website HERE. And a big thank you to Russell, Jose and the team for having me!

Above: A self-portrait of NZ cartoonist Colin Wilson, surrounded by the many characters he's drawn over the year.

Thanks to the NZ On Screen archive, you can watch this rare 2004 interview with celebrated NZ cartoonist Colin Wilson, from the arts TV series The Living Room. Wilson was the originator of the 70s anthology comic series Strips, before finding fame and fortune in Europe drawing Judge Dredd and Lt. Blueberry. This interview offers a great candid look into Colin's art practice and studio, highly recommended weekend viewing that you can view HERE! 

-AK!

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!