EVENT: Traders Of The Lost Art!

If you like spending your weekends looking for cool popular culture nic-nacks in Second-hand Stores, then look no further: this event is for you! Gotham Comics manager Jeremy Bishop remembers a time when events like Armageddon were a smaller comics based affair, where collectors had a chance to sell and trade their rare collectors items. That was the genesis of this weekend's Traders Of The Lost Art event, taking place this Saturday, October 6th of October at Pearce St Hall, 3 Pearce St, Onehunga, Auckland (behind the Jordan Recreation Centre).

It will feature a wide range of traders like: Gotham Comics; Doctor Who specialist store, RetroSpace; the New Zealand Comics Creators, with the latest in local comics; new zine Potroast; Richard Fairgray's Blastosaurus, as well as several private collectors looking to off-load some of their rare comics, toys and collectables!

There will also be a Dr Sketchy Art Group drawing session happening from 1pm.

The event runs from 10am - 3pm, entry is $5 for an adult, $2 for children (5-13), and under 5yrs are FREE! (and there will also be door prizes;)

There's free car parking, and its close to the Onehunga bus and train stations; so there are plenty of good reasons to go on a collecting quest out to Onehunga this Saturday!

-AK!

Gotham City Gold Rush!

Above: Jeremy Bishop, owner of Gotham Comics in Onehanga, Auckland, holding valuable early 'Batman' issues owned by a private collector. Picture by Peter Meecham, from an article in the Sunday Star Times/Stuff.co.nz.

The recent record-breaking auction sales of key 'golden age' (1930s - late '40s) comics in the last two weeks has captured public attention, making international news and sparking new interest in the comics collecting market.

Above: 'Action Comics #1', featuring the first appearance of 'Superman'.

Two weeks ago 'Action Comics #1' (1938), the first appearance of 'Superman', became the first single comic book to sell for $US1 million (NZ$1.42m), smashing the previous record-setting sale for the same issue the year before for $US317,000 ($NZ451,000).

Above: 'Detective Comics #27', featuring the first appearance of 'Batman'.

Not to be outdone by the blue boy-scout, only days later this record was topped by a copy of 'Detective Comics #27' (1939), featuring the first appearance of 'Batman', which went for $US1,075,500 ($NZ1.5m).

Above: 'Detective Comics #38' (1940), featuring the first appearance of Robin.

Above: 'Batman #1' (1940), the first issue of his on-going series.

In the picture from the article Jeremy is holding up a copy of 'Detective Comics #38' (1940), featuring the first appearance of Robin, and 'Batman #1' (1940), the first issue of his own comic book series. The private collector also owns 'Batman' issues 2-4, which individually could be worth thousands. You can read the original article HERE, and the article on the 'Action Comics' sale HERE.

If you have an elderly relative who was fond of the 'funny books', now might be the time to pay them a visit (...and clean up their attic or garage for them while you're there!).

-AK!

Road to Armageddon '09: New Ground #12

Above: An exclusive look at the cover of New Ground #12 by Jared Lane. Copyright Jared Lane 2009.

With the Armageddon '09 Pulp Culture Convention just over a month away, I'm going to be spotlighting the new local comics making their debut at this year's convention.

First up, I've got the exclusive announcement of the talent line-up for New Ground #12:

Jared Lane - 'For God. For King. For Country!
Steve Saville - 'Follow the Grief Lines'
Stevie & Kelly Marie - 'Snow Day'
Neala - 'Punkid'
Rex and Miguel - 'Adventures of Rex & Miguel'
Matt Kelly - 'Kiwiman: Crossover of the Finite Island 3'
James Davidson - 'Groundsman: Falling Leaves'
Aruneshwar Singh - 'The Circle'

All this under a cover by Jared Jane (as seen above).

Be sure to stop by the Gotham/DMC Comics booth at the convention to pick up a copy and meet some of the talent. Also, if you'd like to submit material for a feature issue, Armageddon's a great chance to meet DMC Comics publisher Jeremy Bishop in person and show off your art samples! So get drawing and we'll see you at the show.

-AK!

A quick stop at Auckland Zinefest '09

Amongst the zines on offer at the Auckland Zinefest this past weekend there were a couple off New Zealand comics vying for punter attention. Jerome Bihan, editor of the 'Fleet FM Radio as Paper' comics anthology was there with copies of his new solo effort 'Pig'.

'Pig' introduces us to a cartoonist who is taking a great deal of sadistic pleasure from his waster comics adaptation of 'Romeo & Juliet', until his own love life reveals itself to be equally tragic and pathetic. It features some great characterization; the lead character Peter, appears to almost tick on the page with restless energy as he waits for his instant noodles to microwave.

Above: A page from 'Pig'. Copyright Jerome Bihan 2009.

The pacing is also equally strong, with a regulated four panel grid breaking up Peter's moment to moment actions and thoughts. The style of storytelling reminds me a little of Alex Robinson's 'Box Office Poison', and should appeal to the same readership. It's an economical 13 pages, but neatly sets itself up the story for future chapters. At only $4 bucks it's well worth your golden pennies.

Above: Jerome Bihan selling his wares next to the DMC booth (on the red table).

Jeremy Bishop, DMC publisher of 'New Ground', was also there with their new volume 11, featuring an eye-catching cover from the always excellent Roger Langridge.

With the 'New Ground' series, Jeremy has offered young up-and-coming NZ cartoonists the chance to put pen to paper and see their work professionally printed, which is a great initiative and deserves to be commended.

This issue features stories by: James Davidson, Donald Snelling & Justin Lane, Robin Hotter & CJ Alvarez, Steve Saville, Jeremy Bishop & Tuku Wiki-Pasene, Thomas Arthur Bailey and S.J. McClearly & Kelly-Marie.

Above: Jeremy Bishop at the DMC booth.

While not all the featured content is that polished, that's kind of the idea here. It gives young people passionate about making comics the opportunity to put some of their work out there without spending a king's ransom to see it in print. It's a great improvement on my generation, who had to take over the photocopier at our parents' offices across the nation to see out results printed (staples not included!). So if you have a budding cartoonist in the family that you want to encourage, give them a copy of 'New Ground'. If they're not overwhelmed by what's inside, challenge them to do better in the next issue.

If you would like to submit a story or artwork for a future issue of 'New Ground', you can contact the publisher at: Jeremy.bishop@dmcnz.co.nz.

-AK!