Last Stop: Auckland Armageddon Expo 2014!

Above: Ant Sang and his new graphic novel collection of The Dharma Punks.

This is a late breaking announcement due to all the work surrounding the launch of Earth's End Publishing, but if you follow this blog and live in Auckland, chances are you already have your tickets for this long weekend's Auckland Armageddon Expo! It all kicks off with a preview night on Friday 24th (tomorrow) - from 6pm-9pm, and then three full-on days of pop culture madness, from Saturday 25th - Monday 27th of October!

This will be one of the most well attended conventions by local creators in several years, so I wanted to take this opportunity to spotlight the many great local comics releases you can get your hands on this weekend!

As seen above, Ant Sang will be attending Armageddon to sign advance copies of The Dharma Punks collected edition, the first graphic novel offering from Earth's End Publishing! (booth 95).

I'll also be there with copies of From Earth's End: The Best of New Zealand Comics, along with Damon Keen from the Faction Comics Anthology (3 issues available), and the Sheehan Brothers - creators of The Inhabitants, who also happen to have a new mini-comic debuting at the Expo.

Above: The latest Morgan children's book, Morgan Goes To Sleep, by Richard Fairgray, Tara Black and Terry Jones.

Square Planet will once again be attending with a variety of new comics and creators, which you can discover at Mega-booth 100! Richard Fairgray - best known for Blastosaurus, Ghost Ghost, Anoraks & Acolytes and now the Morgan series of children's books, will have new entries available for all of his titles, as well as some more surprises.

Above: Ralphi by Richard Fairgray.

Above: Robyn Kenealy by Richard Fairgray.

Above: Tara Black by Richard Fairgray.

Square Planet will also be launching exclusive cartoonist sketchbooks this year, featuring artwork from some of their upcoming collaborators, including Ralphi - creator of Ricky & Lyle, Robyn Kenealy - creator of American Captain, Tara Black - creator of I Fight Crime.

Above: Nothing Fits by Mary Tamblyn & Alex McCrone.

New this year at the NZCC booth 169, we will have the graphic novel Nothing Fits from Christchurch creators Mary Tamblyn & Alex McCrone, as well as the latest edition of NZ's longest running comics anthology Funtime, edited by Jason Lennie. We'll also have the latest Bristle Annual #2, edited by Brent Willis.

Above: THRUST JUSTICE! by Brent Willis.

Speaking of Brent Willis, he has a new comic launching at Armageddon courtesy of Pikitia Press booth 153, the irreverent THRUST JUSTICE! Get a copy before it gets you!

Above: Moonbeard by Squires.

 Pikitia Press will also be selling Moonbeard by Squires - a 132 page comics collection, as well as titles from Sarah Laing, Barry Linton, James Davidson and more!

Above: The Time Traveling Tourist from Beyond Reality Media.

BRM will have a host of graphic novels and comics available from the Mega-Booth 100, including: Prepocalypse Vol.1, Warden Vol.2, The Time Traveling Tourist, and many more! Artist Alan Robinson will also be in attendance.

Above: Copies of the graphic novel Headlocked: The Last Territory by Michael Kingston & Michel Mulipola.

One of our friends Michel Mulipola has a new graphic novel out, Headlocked: The Last Territory - set in the world of professional wrestling. You can pick up a signed copy from him at the Arkham City Comics booth 95. Darick Robertson - artist of Transmetropolitian, The Boys and many of US titles will also be signing at the Arkham City Comics booth throughout the weekend.

Above: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, as illustrated by co-creator Kevin Eastman.

Other international comics guests appearing at the Expo include the legendary co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Kevin Eastman (Sunday only); the writer of Chew - John Layman, and James Tynion IV & Kyle Higgins, co-writers with Layman of the weekly series, Batman Eternal.

So if you love comics, this weekend make sure you get along to Auckland Armageddon Expo, held at the ASB Showgrounds Greenlane, from October 24th - 27th. For more information visit the Armageddon Expo website HERE.

- AK!

EVENT: The Dharma Punks Graphic Novel Launch!

Above: The cover of The Dharma Punks graphic novel by Ant Sang. Copyright Ant Sang 2014.

Its been crazy busy here at Earth's End Central, with the launch of Earth's End Publishing's first graphic novel, the long awaited collected edition of The Dharma Punks by Ant Sang!

It will launch tonight (October 23rd) at a special signing event at Heroes For Sale, 582 Karangahape Road, Auckland, from 6.30pm. Ant Sang will be on hand to sign copies, there will be refreshments, and even a music set from the PCP Eagles!

If you pledged on Kickstarter, you will be able to collect your special editions with exclusive extras from this event, and also from the Earth's End booth 95, this weekend at the Auckland Armageddon Expo 24th-27th October. We will also have copies on sale at Armageddon Expo all long weekend, with Ant Sang signing, along with myself with copies of From Earth's End: The Best of New Zealand Comics, Damon Keen from Faction, and the Sheehan Brothers of The Inhabitants fame!

If you don't live in the Auckland area you will still be able to pick up a copy of The Dharma Punks from your local retailer when it is released next Friday, 31st of October. You can pre-order it now at your retailer - as word of mouth will help get this book out there - and if they need directions on where to find us, you can send 'em to: earthsendpublishing@gmail.com!

So hope to see you tonight or over the long weekend, as The Dharma Punks makes its long awaited return to a bookshelf near you!

- AK!

Ant Sang's The Dharma Punks graphic novel available at last!

Above: The cover of the collected edition of The Dharma Punks by Ant Sang. Copyright Ant Sang 2014.

Today I can announce the publishing date for Ant Sang's The Dharma Punks graphic novel will be October 31st, 2014! This will be the first publication from Earth's End Publishing, a new boutique publishing house formed by myself, Damon Keen and Kelly Sheehan!

Originally published as an eight issue comic series between 2001-2003, The Dharma Punks has been out of print for over a decade,  and has since gained a reputation as a local comics classic. Collected under one cover for the first time, this 424 page volume features re-mastered artwork, exclusive bonus material, and an introduction by Elizabeth Knox (Wake, The Vintner’s Luck).

For the uninitiated, Ant Sang is an award-winning designer & cartoonist. His previous graphic novel Shaolin Burning spent eight weeks in the Booksellers Top Ten List, and was a winner of the Storylines Notable Young Adult Fiction Award in 2012.

Above: A preview page from The Dharma Punks by Ant Sang. Copyright Ant Sang 2014.

Synopsis:

Auckland, New Zealand, 1994. A group of anarchist punks have hatched a plan to sabotage the opening of a multi-national fast-food restaurant by blowing it sky-high come opening day.

Chopstick has been given the unenviable task of setting the bomb in the restaurant the night before the opening, but when he is separated from his accomplice, Tracy, the night takes the first of many unexpected turns. Chance encounters and events from his past conspire against him, forcing Chopstick to deal with more than just the mission at hand.

Still reeling after the death of a close friend, and struggling to reconcile his spiritual path with his political actions, Chopstick’s journey is a meditation on life, love, friendship and blowing things up!

Above: A preview page from The Dharma Punks by Ant Sang. Copyright Ant Sang 2014.

About Earth’s End Publishing:

Earth’s End Publishing is a newly formed boutique publishing house, aimed at bringing into print comics and graphic novels by some of New Zealand’s best cartoonists. Formed by Adrian Kinnaird, founder of the From Earth’s End blog and writer of From Earth’s End: The Best of New Zealand Comics; Damon Keen, designer and co-publisher of the NZ comics anthology Faction; and Kelly Sheehan, experienced bookseller and writer of the comics series The Inhabitants. Our modus operandi is to produce beautiful, exceptionally designed comics, and to make them available throughout New Zealand and the world.

Copies of The Dharma Punks are now available for order from Earths End Publishing. Email: earthsendpublishing@gmail.com. A special retailer price is available. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any queries or require further information. 

Publishing details:

The Dharma Punks
Ant Sang
Trade paperback, 424 pages
RRP: $39.99
Released: 31st October 2014
ISBN: 978-0-473-28906-5

So check out our new Facebook page HERE, or follow us on Twitter for future Earth's End Publishing announcements and updates!

- AK!

WIN Tickets to From Earth's End at the Auckland Writers Festival 2014!

Next weekend I'll be participating in the Auckland Writers Festival 2014, giving a one hour talk on my recent book From Earth's End: The Best of New Zealand Comics, at the Auckland City Art Gallery, on Saturday 17th of May, from 1.15 - 2.15pm. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster HERE. Or visit the Auckland Writers Festival page HERE for more event details.

The talk will be a journey through the history on New Zealand comics, with plenty of rare, amazing visuals from some of our greatest forgotten comics and creators. As a special treat, there will also be original artwork from pioneering NZ cartoonist Noel Cook on display - not seen in public for over thirty years!

Now I have TWO DOUBLE PASSES to giveaway for this event! I'll be giving away one pass away here and one on the From Earth's End Facebook page HERE, so here's how it works: to go in the draw to win one of the passes I want you to leave a comment below (or on the Facebook page) telling me who your favourite NZ cartoonists is, and your favourite work by that creator (for example: Dylan Horrocks, Hicksville). Oh, and one entry per person!

Entries will close on Tuesday, 13th of May at 12 noon, and I'll be drawing the winners names that evening at 6pm and posting them here and on Facebook. You must be an Auckland, NZ resident to enter, as that's where the talk is taking place, and you'll need to pick up the tickets from the CBD prior to the event.

So get posting, and hope to see you there!

- AK!

EVENT: The Dharma Punks: In Conversation with Ant Sang

Before his best-selling graphic novel Shaolin Burning, cartoonist Ant Sang was known for his highly ambitious comic series The Dharma Punks. A graphic novel published in eight chapters from 2001 - 2003, the story follows Chopstick, a punk from Auckland who becomes embroiled in an anarchist plot to blow up Bobo's, a multinational fast food restaurant. Unable to move on from the recent death of his friend, and struggling to reconcile his spiritual path with his political actions, Chopstick's journey is a meditation on life, love, friendship, and blowing things up!

At almost 400 pages, it was an epic undertaking that struck a chord with local comics readers, becoming one of the highest selling local comic books of all time; it was available from most retailers, and in some comics stores it even out sold such chart topping comics as Uncanny X-Men and Amazing Spider-Man. The comic series helped launch Ant's career as a go-to creative, leading to his award-winning design work on the animated TV series Bro' Town.

At a special event held at the Auckland Central Library, 44-46 Lorne St, Auckland Central, on Thursday May 1st, I'll be hosting a conversation with Ant Sang, looking back at this landmark comic series: discussing its origins, Ant's creative process: from scripting to final art work, marketing, distributing the series and more! If you are an aspiring comic artist or designer, this will be a great chance to go behind the scenes into the mechanics of creating a graphic novel.

The talk is a FREE event held at Auckland Central Library, Level 3, from 6pm - 8pm on Thursday, May 1st. There will be refreshments available from 5.30pm before the talk starts. You can find more details at the Auckland Libraries events page HERE.

And there will also be an exciting NZ comics publishing announcement on the night - trust me, you won't want to miss this!

- AK!

From Earth's End comes to Auckland Writers Festival 2014!

I'm pleased to announce that I'll be taking part in this year's Auckland Writers Festival 2014, taking place May 14th-18th. Featuring in the Weekend Gallery series, I'll be giving a one hour lecture at the Auckland Art Gallery based on my book, From Earth's End: The Best of New Zealand Comics, taking place on Saturday, May 17th, from 1.15 - 2.15pm.

 I'll be discussing the history of New Zealand comics and their creators; covering our early comics pioneers like Noel Cook and Eric Resetar, examining the forgotten rise and fall of the local comics industry in the 1950s, through to the contemporary cartoonists of today. And as an added bonus, I've arranged for three pieces of artist Noel Cook's original artwork to be displayed at the talk. Part of the Auckland Art Gallery collection, these pieces have not been viewed in public since 1979 - so this is a great opportunity to see rare examples of one of our greatest cartoonists artwork up close!

Above Left: an early Noel Cook sci-fi comic Adrift in Space (1940/50s). Right: Cook outside the Auckland Art Gallery, 1979. Copyright the Noel Cook Estate 2014.

For more information on Noel Cook's career and the turbulent history of comics in New Zealand, you can find From Earth's End: The Best of New Zealand Comics in stores now! (or purchase online HERE). Here's a brief sample of some of the great press its picked up since its release in November:

'From Earth's End: The Best of New Zealand Comics is Kinnaird's lavish survey of local comics past and present, bringing back the lost world and showcasing the one that grew, and is still growing...' - NZ Listener

'...an achievement of great beauty – a satisfyingly weighty paperback filled with colour and a breadth of imagery and concept that is truly breathtaking. This book belongs on a coffee table where it can be stumbled across and dipped into, with new discoveries waiting to be made on every page.' - Metro Magazine

'...the history of comics, and New Zealand comics in particular, remain a mystery to most, and From Earth's End goes some way towards rectifying that, while still remaining incredibly entertaining. It's essential for anybody who has had a passing interest in local comics, and a beautiful book in its own right.' - The New Zealand Herald

'This is a fantastic book, and I use that word in its comic book ‘sense’ and in my own. The level of research, the full prints of stories or sequences, and the respect Kinnaird clearly has for his topic and the artists who work in the genre is very clear. He knows his stuff and it shows.' - Booksellers NZ

'The purpose of this book is to help New Zealanders rediscover their comics legacy, to join Kinnaird "at Earth's end and celebrate one of our nation's best kept secrets". The secret is out now and is one every New Zealander should let themselves in on.' - New Zealand Books Quarterly Review

From Earth's End: Adrian Kinnaird: Saturday May 17th, 1.15 - 2.15pm, Auckland Art Gallery Auditorium.

Tickets: Earlybird $20 (before Weds 14th May), standard $25, Patron $15, student $12.50. You can purchase tickets online HERE, or in person at the Aotea Centre Box Office or any Ticketmaster outlet, or phone (09) 970 9700 or 0800 111 999 (note that service fees may apply).

Above: The Etherington Brothers. Artwork copyright the Etherington Brothers 2014.

If you're interested in comics, cartoons and illustration, here are some other Writers Festival sessions that might appeal:

Mad Comics: The Etherington Brothers: Sunday May 18th, 10 - 10.30pm & 1 - 1.30pm, Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre, 50 Mayoral Drive. Tickets are FREE and available HERE.

UK cartooning brothers Robin (the writer) & Lorenzo Etherington (the artist) produce all-ages comics, including the graphic novels Monkey Nuts and Baggage, as well as a host of licensed comics including: Transformers, Star Wars, The Terminator, Kung Fu Panda and many more. They will be sharing their adventures in words and pictures in front of a live audience, great for ages 5-10, so bring the kids along for some infectious cartooning fun!

There will be a morning and afternoon session, on Sunday May 18th, 10 - 10.30pm & 1 - 1.30pm. These are FREE family events, but tickets will need to be collected for space allocation, order them HERE.

Above: A cartoon by Michael Leunig. Copyright Michael Leunig 2014.

Living Treasure: Michael Leunig: Sunday May 18th, 4 - 5pm, ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre, 50 Mayoral Drive.

Tickets: Earlybird $20 (before Weds 14th May), standard $25, Patron $15, student $12.50. available HERE.

In 1999, Michael Leunig was declared an Australian Living Treasure. A cartoonist, poet and cultural commentator, his drawings and philosophies have delighted and inspired generations – and been stuck on countless fridges. In conversation with writer Kate De Goldi, he talks about his work, his life and his latest titles Holy Fool and The Essential Leunig: Cartoons From A Winding Path. This session will also feature live on-stage drawing!

So book now for some great comics related events! For more information on the Auckland Writers Festival, May 14-18th 2014, check out the official website HERE.

- AK!

EVENT: Comics at Writers Week 2014!

The New Zealand Festival is currently underway in Wellington, with the Writers Week section kicking off tomorrow. 

Above: Let Me Be Frank #1, by Sarah Laing. Copyright Sarah Laing 2014.

This year's event features a variety of comics related panels, starting on Saturday 8th of March with 'Reading For Writers' at 9.30am. This two hour panel features Linley Boniface, Beattie’s Book Blog author Graham Beattie and Commonwealth Short Story Prize winner Emma Martin discussing their reading habits, and Let Me Be Frank cartoonist/writer Sarah Laing provides a confidence-boosting briefing on how best to absorb a comic!

Tickets are $45, and you can find more information on the talk HERE.

Above: The cover of Incomplete Stories by Dylan Horrocks. Copyright Dylan Horrocks 2014.

Later that evening, Dylan Horrocks will be celebrating the launch of his new comics collection, Incomplete Stories, with a release party - along with fellow Victoria University Press author Caoilinn Hughes' new poetry collection, Gathering Evidence. This is a FREE event, taking place Saturday, 8th of March at the Exchange Atrium, 24 Blair St, Wellington Central, from 7.30pm. See the event page HERE for more details.

There are also plans for a Incomplete Stories launch in Auckland later in March, so keep an eye out for that.

Above: American cartoonist Allison Bechdel.

The Festival will also be hosting acclaimed US cartoonist, Allison Bechdel. Creator of the widely published comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For, she has also produced two bestselling graphic memoirs, Fun Home (2006) - which chronicles her childhood memories and her difficult relationship with her father, and Are You My Mother? (2012) - an exploration of her relationship with her mother and her time spent in therapy. Bechdel will be discussing her work and more, with community art space director Moira Clunie. The panel will be taking place on Sunday, 9th of March at 1.45pm at the Embassy Theatre.

Tickets are $18, check out the Festival page HERE for more details.

Above: The 'Comicsville' line-up: (from left) Adrian Kinnaird, Robyn E. Kenealy, Dylan Horrocks and Jonathan King.

Next up, From Earth's End: The Best of New Zealand Comics will be spotlighted in the 'Comicsville' panel, on Monday, March 10th at 10.45am at the Hannah Playhouse (formally Downstage Theatre). I'll be joined on stage with three of the featured cartoonists from the book: Dylan Horrocks - author of Hicksville; Robyn E. Kenealy - author of Roddy's Film Companion and the webcomic American Captain; and cartoonist/film director Jonathan King - author of Threat Level. We'll be discussing the exciting developments and growth of the New Zealand comics scene of the last few years, including the publication of From Earth's End and Dylan Horrocks' latest collection, Incomplete Stories.

Tickets are $18, check out the Festival page HERE for more details.

Online ticket sales are available now through the Writers Week events page HERE or Ticketek HERE. Some events are selling fast, so book you tickets now!

- AK!

A Life with Comics, Chapter 3: Escape To New York

It's been a long time coming, but the third chapter of auto-bio comic strip, My Life with Comics is here! Since it's been a while, I've included the first two chapters here to get everyone back up to speed.

In this chapter I discover Marvel Comics, specifically The Amazing Spider-Man. I was getting these issues from a second-hand store, so there was a good mix of current (early 80's) and older issues (70's and 60s reprints like Marvel Tales), so I got to really experience some of the best Spidey comics created - from the classic Lee/Ditko material, to John Romita Sr. (who I'm channelling for this strip), Gerry Conway & Gil Kane, Ross Andru and more.

This strip is also dedicated to my grandmother, May Kinnaird, who passed away last year at the age of 93.

- AK!

Announcement: From Earth's End: The Best of New Zealand Comics

Hi everyone, I can finally reveal why my blogging over the past year has been relatively patchy: I've been writing a book!

The inception of this project goes back to the very beginning of this blog, with my main objective being to introduce the New Zealand public to its award-winning community of cartoonists - to rightfully establish comics as one of the important cornerstones of New Zealand arts and culture. I'm excited to share the details with you, so without further ado, here's the official press release:

Random House NZ presents the first major book dedicated to New Zealand cartoonists, From Earth’s End: The Best of New Zealand Comics by Adrian Kinnaird, to be released Friday, 1st of November, 2013, through Godwit/Random House NZ.

New Zealand has a rich history of comics and has produced award-winning, internationally recognised creators such as Dylan Horrocks, Roger Langridge and Colin Wilson. An active community of respected writers, artists and designers is becoming more prominent and gaining mainstream recognition: Ant Sang’s bestselling Shaolin Burning and Chris Grosz’s NZ Post Book Awards finalist Kimble Bent being recent examples.

 From Earth’s End reveals for the first time the history of one of the country’s most enduring and subversive art forms. Discover the origins of New Zealand comics, from the pioneering cartoonists of the early twentieth century, to the rebirth of local comics in the 1970s, through to the bestselling graphic novels of today.

The collection showcases work from 30 of New Zealand’s best cartoonists, ranging from internationally acclaimed creators to emerging new talents, including: Tim Bollinger, Laurence Clark, James Davidson, Draw, Martin Emond, Tim Gibson, Trace Hodgson, Dylan Horrocks, Mat Hunkin, Adam Jamieson, Robyn E. Kenealy, Timothy Kidd, Jonathan King, Sarah Laing, Jared Lane, Roger Langridge, Barry Linton, Lee-Yan Marquez, Tim Molloy, Toby Morris, Simon Morse, Ralphi, Ant Sang, the Sheehan Bros, Chris Slane, Cornelius Stone, Mat Tait, Ned Wenlock, Karl Wills and Colin Wilson.

There is also a section revealing the wide influence of comics on New Zealand popular culture, featuring exclusive interviews and appreciations from some of the nation’s leading creative minds, including: Emily Perkins, Dick Frizzell and Vincent Ward.

From Earth’s End is written by Adrian Kinnaird, an Auckland based cartoonist and writer of the award-winning blog of the same name, the first dedicated to New Zealand comics and culture.

“The exceptional talent of our cartoonists is well known around the world, and to me this was a prime opportunity to not only bring that awareness home, but to celebrate an art form that New Zealanders have made their own”, said Adrian Kinnaird. “This book features rare material that has never been seen in print before, like the late Martin Emond’s Switch Blade, or underground legend Barry Linton’s epic Aki series. This book is going to surprise a lot of readers and change their perception of what comics are and can be. It’s going to be really exciting to see.”

“At long last, a book that brings together every aspect of New Zealand comics: the people, the art, the stories”, comments Dylan Horrocks, author of the internationally acclaimed graphic novel Hicksville. “Whether you want to delve into the fascinating history, enjoy some breathtaking art, or just curl up with a stack of great Kiwi comics, From Earth's End delivers all that and more. This is a landmark book not only for New Zealand comics, but for New Zealand culture full stop.”

Publication Details:

 From Earth’s End: The Best of New Zealand Comics

 - Publication date: Friday 1st of November, 2013

 - Written with an illustrated introduction by Adrian Kinnaird.

 - Designed by the award-winning Alan Deare.

 - Afterword by Roger Langridge (Snarked!, Thor: The Mighty Avenger).

 - Format: 448 pages, Paperback, 210mm x 250mm, heavily illustrated with colour and black and white illustrations throughout.

 Retail: $59.99 NZ


For media information contact:

Yvonne Thynne
Publicity Manager Random House New Zealand Ltd

Email: ythynne@randomhouse.co.nz

-------

If you like this blog, you are going to LOVE this book! If it is a success, it will open the day for a whole industry of New Zealand comics are graphic novels in the future, so please don't be shy about showing your support!

I'll be sharing exclusive details and previews every week here, but you can also join the official Facebook page HERE. And you can also follow me on Twitter: @adriankinnaird (and hashtag #fromearthsend).

I look forward to sharing more with you in the coming weeks, so here's to starting a publishing revolution!

-AK!

PODCAST: Nga Pakiwaituhi: New Zealand Comics and Graphic Novels

Above: The New Zealand Comics Panel, featuring (from left): Dylan Horrocks, Adrian Kinnaird, Sarah Laing and Sam Orchard.

As a part of the Auckland Arts Festival 2013, the St Paul St Gallery at AUT hosted two comics exhibitions: Nga Pakiwaituhi: New Zealand Comics, an exhibition of work by contemporary New Zealand cartoonists, and Comics, Manga & Co. :The New Culture of German Comics, an overview of the current German comics scene.

Nga Pakiwaituhi: New Zealand Comics featured the work of over 30 local cartoonists, which you can revisit in my gallery of the exhibition HERE.

Above: Dylan Horrocks asking the tough questions!

Towards the end of the exhibition in mid-April I took part in a panel discussion on New Zealand Comics. Moderated by Dylan Horrocks, creator of Hicksville, the panel also featured Sarah Laing, novelist and cartoonist of the webcomic Let Me Be Frank, and Sam Orchard, also a webcomic cartoonist, as the creator of Rooster Tails.

You can now listen to a full podcast of the panel HERE.

We discuss how we got into comics, our backgrounds and working process, as well as lots of other fun bits and pieces related to New Zealand comics culture. Enjoy!

-AK!

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!

COMIC STRIP: A Life With Comics #2: Into The Woods

Above: A Life With Comics #2: Into The Woods (CLICK ON THE ART TO ENLARGE).

Copyright Adrian Kinnaird 2011.

Welcome back for the latest chapter of my new comic strip, exploring my earliest experiences with comics!

This one is really my 'first contact' with the medium of comics and it's unique reading experience. It's interesting to note the similarities to Dylan Horrock's first comics experience as depicted in the introduction to the new edition of Hicksville. 

It was a very personal experience for me, so it's nice to know I'm not the only one who had that kind of reaction. Scottish comics writer Grant Morrison has often talked at length (most recently in his excellent superhero exploration/memoir Supergods) about his relationship with comics been likened to visiting another dimension or plane of existence, and while that might sound a little far fetched, I think there's some truth to that.

There really is something very hypnotic (and almost seductive) about the juxtaposition of panels in comics, that's far more immersing than other forms of entertainment. Perhaps it's that feeling that you're engaging in an exchange with the media: it provides the information through words and images, but it's up to you as the reader to add the extra dimension of time and space, bringing the reading experience to life.

But this was just my first taste, a gentle primer in the language of comics. My next comic-book would grab me by the collar and throw me head-first into a world of imagination beyond the laws of physics and science. Anything would be possible...and it was all taking place on the other side of those four-colour windows.

-AK!

COMIC STRIP: From Earth's End: A Life With Comics #1

Above: My Life With Comics #1: Origins (CLICK ON THE ART TO ENLARGE).

Copyright Adrian Kinnaird 2011.

Hi everyone, welcome to my new regular comic-strip feature! Some of you may not have been aware, but long before I was a blogger, I was first and foremost a cartoonist. I've continued to work on graphic novel projects alongside my blogging for the last few years, but due to the long-form nature of those projects and the ins-and-outs of publishing, I've shown very little of that work publicly. Now for a while I've had people needling me to put something new out there, and I've been keen to do that, but it was just a matter of finding the right project and format...

I've never done a full autobiographical comic before, so that idea was really appealing to me. Comics have always been a part of my life, both as an interest and a form of expression, informing my view of the world around me in quite unexpected but profound ways. The more I thought about it, framing my formative years growing up in New Zealand alongside my experiences relating to comics quickly gave way to an avalanche of story material. From the amusing stories of backyard superheroics to the teen years of DIY comics creation, it will all be covered here. After a week working on this project I've already uncovered surprising memories of the unexpected effects comics have had on my life and development as a person that I haven't seen covered elsewhere, so it should make for an interesting journey.

I chose the Sunday Comic Strip format as it seemed like a good fit for short chapters and allowed me to publish it in a regular fashion (and one day soon print it in a cool large newspaper format!).

Above: My script/Rough for A Life With Comics#1. Copyright Adrian Kinnaird 2011.

Now for some behind the scenes extras: above is my script/rough for chapter #1.

Usually if I'm writing for a comic or graphic novel I write a full script, but for comic strips I find the space is so limited it's best to start by sketching out the room you have to work with first (in this case, I went with an A4 page space of two tiers). This way you can sketch in the panels you know you'll need to tell the story, and figure out how best to use the remaining space to fill in the blanks. The same goes with the dialogue, the space is limited so if you can't fit it on the page in the sketch you've probably over-written.

Since this strip is charting my way through comics history, I had considered drawing it in different styles depending on the content eg. drawing this first 'origin story' in the style of Superman artist Joe Shuster etc. I ultimately decided against it, as I feel it will be more interesting to capture my likeness growing up over time, rather than adjusting to the style of different comic artists. But I will try to capture the feel of those comics in pacing and style; in this one I looked to early issues of Action and Detective Comics for the description boxes, flat colours and balloon tails, so keep your eyes peeled for subtle references!

Above: Some reference photos of me from the early 80s (yes kids, that's what telephones used to look like!).

And of course reference photos from the time period were also helpful to recapture the memories as close as possible to the way I remember them (and having them on the drawing board generally helps put me in the right head-space).

Ok, well I hope you enjoy this first one, and come back for more soon!

-AK!