Weekend Listening: Island To Island and Superman VS Muhammad Ali

Above: The star-studded, cameo heavy cover for Superman VS Muhammad Ali, by Neal Adams. Copyright DC Comics 2016.

This week I returned to the Radio NZ Nights show to discuss the world of comics with Bryan Crump!

First up, with the recent passing of boxing icon Muhammad Ali, I revisit The Champ's brief detour into the comics world, with the 1978 publication of Superman VS Muhammad Ali by DC Comics. This one-off special produced by Neal Adams and Dennis O'Neil stands apart as a unique piece of 70's pop culture and Ali memorabilia, and is well worth seeking out!

Above: Island to Island: A Graphic Exchange between Taiwan and New Zealand.

Next we discuss Island to Island, a joint publishing initiative between the Publishers Association of New Zealand, the Taipei Book Fair Foundation and the New Zealand Book Council, in the form of a Graphic Novelists Exchange: giving three cartoonists from New Zealand and three from Taiwan the opportunity to collaborate and produce a graphic novel together.

The project saw local cartoonists, Ant Sang, Tim Gibson and Rachel Fenton, team up with Taiwanese cartoonists 61Chi and Ahn Zhe, to create stories for each other, to be shared as cultural 'gifts'. Published by Dala Publishing, Island to Island is available in New Zealand via Upstart Distribution, and is well worth tracking down.

You can listen to the full recorded interview HERE.

- AK!

REVIEW: Island to Island: A Graphic Exchange between Taiwan & New Zealand

Island to Island is the unique product of a joint publishing initiative between the Publishers Association of New Zealand, the Taipei Book Fair Foundation and the New Zealand Book Council, in the form of a Graphic Novelists Exchange: giving three cartoonists from New Zealand and three from Taiwan the opportunity to collaborate and produce a graphic novel together.

In October 2014, Taiwanese cartoonists Sean Chuang, 61Chi and Ahn Zhe traveled to New Zealand to meet and collaborate with local cartoonists Tim Gibson, Rachel Fenton and Ant Sang. The following February saw our cartoonists join their collaborators in Taiwan to continue working on the project and attend the Taipei International Book Fair 2015, at which New Zealand was a Guest of Honour.

The finished result of this cultural exchange is a graphic novel in which the six cartoonists share personal stories with each other in a series of 18 interlocking tales, which can be read separately, but read as a whole form a visual conversation between the six artists across two cultures.

It’s an ambitious undertaking to combine multiple artists on a single project of this kind – more often than not resulting in a bland amalgamation of individual voices into a single artistic statement; but here their difference in approach to art and storytelling proves to be this book’s greatest strength. Rather than forcing their styles together, the artists have instead ‘gifted’ a story to each other – sharing a memory or story as a response to their conversations and interactions during the exchange.

Despite language proving to be an initial barrier of communication for the artists, they clearly share a fluency in creativity, as their stories manage to capture revealing, and intimate reflections of one another through graphic storytelling.

For example, 61Chi’s story for Rachel observes Fenton’s life up until their meeting through the evolution of her hairstyle, while Rachel’s response looks inward – imagining a room for 61Chi and what it may tell her about her personality and view of the world outside of this dream construct. Ant Sang and Sean Chang share stories of fatherhood, and a combined love of kung-fu heroics. Elsewhere Ahn shares photographs of people from his city that he hopes Tim Gibson may find character inspiration from, and Gibson in return offers a parable about reaching for greater creative heights, while enjoying their present successes.

Above: A page from Son, by Ant Sang.

Their artistic styles couldn’t be more different, from Sang and Chi’s polished illustrative comic book styles, to Zhe’s photography and Fenton’s impressionistic visual poetry - the most visually versatile across the project – but together they form a wonderfully visual exchange of ideas that more than lives up to its title, making this inter-island cultural collaboration a rousing success.

Presented in an oversized format, lavishly designed by 61Chi as a gift book with English and Mandarin text in mind, Island to Island represents a new benchmark for cultural collaboration in the arts sector, and with a quality result like this, one hopes there will be more to follow.

Island to Island: A Graphic Exchange between Taiwan & New Zealand by Ant Sang, Tim Gibson, Rachel Fenton, Sean Chuang, 61Chi and Ahn Zhe. Published by Dala Publishing, and distributed in New Zealand by Upstart Press Distribution. Retail price: $45.00, ISBN: 9789866634567

- AK!

New Release: Island to Island

The new graphic novel, Island to Island, is the unique product of a joint initiative between the Publishers Association of New Zealand, the Taipei Book Fair Foundation and the New Zealand Book Council in the form of a Graphic Novelists Exchange: which gave three cartoonists from New Zealand and three cartoonists from Taiwan the opportunity to collaborate and produce a graphic novel together.

In October 2014, Taiwanese cartoonists Sean Chuang (The Window), 61Chi (Room) and Ahn Zhe (The Dream Under the Bed) came to New Zealand to meet and collaborate with local cartoonists Tim Gibson (Moth City), Rachel Fenton (Three Words) and Ant Sang (The Dharma Punks). The following February saw the NZ cartoonists join their collaborators in  Taiwan to continue working on the project and attend the Taipei International Book Fair 2015, at which New Zealand was a Guest of Honour.

The finished result of this cultural exchange is Island to Island, a large format graphic novel in which the six cartoonists share stories with each other in a series of 18 interlocking tales, that can be read separately, but read as a whole form a unique visual conversation between six artists across two cultures.

Island to Island is available to order now from Upstart Press Distribution, by emailing: orders@upstartpress.co.nz.

Island to Island

200 pages, 297x210

RRP: 45.00NZ

ISBN: 9789866634567

- AK!

EVENT: Three Words Book Launch!

Above: Three Words Auckland book launch poster by Alie Mcpherson.

The long awaited, all-female NZ comics anthology Three Words: An Anthology of Aotearoa/NZ Women's Comics will launch this Saturday night, 5th of March at The Audio Foundation, 4 Poynton Tce, Auckland, from 7pm. Edited by Rae Joyce, Sarah Laing and Indira Neville and published by Beatnik, this anthology highlights the work of over 60 female cartoonists across a range of styles and content, from professional illustration to homemade zines, and everything in between. 

The launch will feature entertainment from some of the book's talented contributors: The Doll!, Rachel Shearer, Ducklingmonster, Ralph and poets Andra, Rachel Fenton, and Raewyn Alexander.

Above: Wellington Three Words book launch poster by Becca Hawkes.

If you can't make it to Auckland, there will also be a Three Words Wellington Launch! In association with the New Zealand Festival Writers Week, the Three Words Wellington launch will be taking place on Saturday 12th of March at Meow, 9 Edward Street, Wellington, from 3pm. So drop by to show your support for this history making publication!

Here's the official press release:

Women in Aotearoa New Zealand make comics. They make slick professional comics and homemade crafty ones. some are conventionally attractive and some are beautifully ugly. Some have logical linear narratives and some are cerebral visual leaping swirls. There are big proud comics and small humble ones, widely distributed comics and one-offs, comics that are deep and meaningful and some that are light and silly. There are physical, emotional and intellectual comics, intentional and accidental comics, happy, sad, funny, angry, scary, confusing and wondrous comics.

For some it may be a surprise to find so many comics by women cartoonists, since conventional wisdom would have us believe that the comics scene is a boys’ club. But it’s not a surprise to us. Although women’s comics haven’t been represented much in New Zealand history books, they have been found in zines and magazines, tumblrs, twitter feeds, shoe boxes, art galleries, painted on old tea trays and brochures, magneted to fridges, tattooed on forearms. And now they’re also here. In this book. A whole bunch of them, up front, visible, available and MAKING HISTORY.

With comics by: Adele Jackson, Alex McCrone, Alex Wild, Alice Tumblescribbleson, Alie Mcpherson, Anna Critchton, Andra Jenkin, Bek Coogan, Beth Duckingmonster, Beth Sometimes, Caroline Anderson, Celia Allison, Claire Harris, Dawn Tuffery, Demarnia Lloyd, Diane Rimmer, Elsie Jolliffe, Emma Blackett, Erin Fae, Debra Boyask, Giselle Clarkson, Indira Neville, The Rabbid, Jem Yoshioka, Jessica Dew, Jessica Hansell, Joanna Anderson, Judy Darragh, Kayla Oliver, Kerry Ann Lee, Margaret Silverwood, Olga Krause, Linda Lew, Lisa Noble, Liz Mathews, Loux McLellen, Lucy Meyle, Maiangi Waitai, Marina Williams, Mary Tamblyn, Mengzhu Fu, Mirranda Burton, Miriam Harris, Pritika Lal, Rachel Benefield, Rachel Shearer, Rae Joyce, Raewyn Alexander, Ralphi, Rebecca Hawkes, Renee Jones, Rosemary McLeod, Warsaw, Sally Bollinger, Sarah Laing, Sarah Lund, Sharon Murdoch, Sophie McMillan, Sophie Oiseau, Stella Corkery, Susan Rugg, Susan Te Kahurangi King, Suzanne Claessen and Zoe Colling.

And essays by Robyn Kenealy, Rae Joyce, Ruth Boyask, Jem Yoshioka and Miriam Sapphira.

TITLE:  Three Words: An Anthology of Aotearoa/NZ Women's Comics
EDITED BY: Rae Joyce, Sarah Laing, Indira Neville
SOFTCOVER: 264 pages
SIZE: 160mm x 210mm
PUBLISHER: Beatnik Publishing
ISBN: 978-0-9941205-0-2

PRICE: $50.00NZ

And if you can't make it to either event, you can also order it online now through the Beatnik website HERE. For more information and updates, visit the Three Words blog HERE.

- AK!

Graphic Voices at Auckland Writers Festival 2015

Above: The four cartoonists taking part in A Graphics Affair; from top left: Rachel Fenton, Damon Keen, below left: Sam Orchard and Ant Sang.

The Auckland Writers Festival returns for 2015, and continues its love affair with graphic literature - boasting events featuring several well known local cartoonists.

A Graphic Affair, taking place on Sunday May 17th, from 4.30pm - 5.20pm, is a FREE event featuring four NZ cartoonists taking to the Aotea Centre Limelight Stage to present stories from one of their works. 

The line-up features: Rachel Fenton, a former winner of AUT's Graphic Fiction Prize and recent participant in the NZ Book Council's Graphic Novelist Exchange Residency in Taiwan; Damon Keen, editor of the NZ comics anthology Faction, and the upcoming High Water collection; Sam Orchard, author of the autobio webcomic Rooster Tails, and the comic series Family Portraits; and Ant Sang, author of Shaolin Burning, The Dharma Punks, and designer of the TV series Bro' Town.

For more information, visit the Auckland Writers Festival event page HERE.

Above: Ant Sang.

Ant Sang will also be leading a special workshop entitled, Comics 101.

Limited to 40 participants, join Ant to discuss, draw, and explore the creative process behind creating a graphic novel. Tickets are $45, with the workshop taking place on Friday May 15th, from 9am - 10.30am, at the Goodman Fielder Room, level 4, Aotea Centre. For more information, visit the Auckland Writers Festival event page HERE.

Above: Zak Waipara.

As a part of the Family Day Events on Sunday May 18th, Zak Waipara will be sharing Maori Myths - Maori mythology and legends with a modern twist. An animator and cartoonist, readers may remember Waipara's work from the late 90s comic Children of a Dying Nation, he has also worked as a designer on Maori Television's children's show Miharo, and a wide variety of children's books.

This event will be taking place at the Herald Theatre from 1.15pm - 1.45pm, and is suitable for ages 5-10. This is a free event, but tickets are required for booking. For more information, visit the Auckland Writers Festival event page HERE.

The Auckland Writers Festival will be held at the Aotea Centre from the 13th - 17th of May. Tickets are on sale now, so get in quick for the best seats in the house, and visit their website for a full list of events HERE.

- AK!