Contains Graphic Content: Comics Related Films at the NZIFF!

Above: John Hurt, Chris Evans and Jamie Bell in the film adaptation of Snowpiercer.

The 2014 New Zealand International Film Festival is rapidly approaching, kicking off in Auckland from July 17th - 3rd August, before going on the road to twelve other venues around the country. For those viewers with a love of comics and animation, I'm going to highlight some of great comics/graphic novel related film in this year's Festival line-up.

Above: A page from the French graphic novel Snowpiercer, by Jacques Lob, Benjamin Legrand and Jean-Marc Rochette.

One of the most talked about films of the year so far is Snowpiercer, adapted from the French graphic novel series by Jacques Lob, Benjamin Legrand and Jean-Marc Rochette, and directed by Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-Ho (The Host). Set in a dystopian near future, Snowpiercer is mankind's last refuge from a new ice age, a lone, massive train circling the globe in a non-stop journey of survival against a now uninhabitable environment. Inside the train is segregated, with the poor lower class workers in the back carriages, and the elite class living in luxury at the front. This imbalance is about to be challenged when one of the workers, Curtis (Chris Evans), leads a desperate rebellion to take control of the train - by fighting their way to the front.

Described as 'visually stunning' and 'groundbreaking' by critics, this film has proven to be an instant cult classic, and well worth catching on the biggest screen you can find! More details and show times can be found HERE.

Above: A still from We Are the Best!, directed by Lukas Moodysson.

Coming from Sweden, We Are the Best! follows two rebellious teenage girls, Bobo (Mira Barkhammar) and Klara (Mira Grosin), who cut school to form their own punk band. They don't let the fact they are 'musically challenged' get in the way, and recruit a third, more experience musician - Hedwig (Liv LeMoyne), to complete their trio. 

Above: A page from Never Goodnight by Coco Moodysson. Copyright Coco Moodysson 2014.

This punk 1980's era coming-of-age story is written and directed by Lukas Moodysson, adapted from his wife's graphic novel, Never Goodnight by Coco Moodysson. More details and show times can be found HERE.

Above: A still from REALITi, directed by Jonathan King.

Now for some local connections: a filmmaker and more recently a prolific cartoonist, Jonathan King (Black Sheep, Under the Mountain) returns to filmmaking with this low-fi science fiction thriller, REALITi. Written by his comics collaborator, novelist Chad Taylor, REALITi introduces us to Vic Long (Nathan Meister), a media executive with a young family and a bright future. But when a petty crime throws a strange light on the world he has made, he begins to question the very facts of his existence. 

In their approach to making this paranoid thriller, the filmmakers stated, "We wanted to depict the modern urban landscape of New Zealand: the cities and suburbs, the corporate interests, and the fears we import from overseas". Jonathan King will also be making a guest appearance at the Auckland and Wellington screenings. More details and show times can be found HERE.

Above: A still from Over the Moon, featuring Anna Jullienne as Connie Radar.

Featuring in the New Zealand's Best 2014 short film competition, Over the Moon is a impressive adaptation of Karl Wills' Connie Radar min-comic series from The Comicbook Factory. Directed by James Cunningham, the seven minute short features a witty adaptation by Wills and Timothy Kidd, brought to life with the aid of some amazing effects work by a team of students from the Media Design School. 

The short is in competition here for the Madman Entertainment Jury Prize, and has also been selected to screen at the Comic-Con International Film Festival in San Diego later this month. More details and show times can be found HERE.

Above: A still from The Tale of Princess Kaguya.

The latest film from Studio Ghibli, The Tale of Princess Kaguya takes its inspiration from the traditional Japanese folk-tale 'The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter'. Animated in the hand-drawn style of a storybook and set in an unspecified time, a bamboo cutter discovers a miniature princess, Kaguya, concealed in a bamboo shoot. He returns home with his curious discovery to show his wife, only to have it blossom before their eyes into a full gown baby. They adopt the child, who grows quickly for her age, earning her the nick-name 'bamboo' from the other village children. 

When he parents find gifts of gold and fine silk in the forest, they take it as a sign of Kaguya's royal lineage, and leave their pastoral lifestyle behind to raise her as a royal princess. From there the story develops in surprising and unexpected ways, taking a unique spin on the traditional princess fairy tale - from the battle of suitors to the revelation of her true heritage. More details and show times can be found HERE.

For more information on NZ International Film Festival sessions, screenings and events in your area, check out there website HERE.

- AK!

REVIEW: Holocaust Rex Book 1: At the Cursed Gates of Koch by Karl Wills & Timothy Kidd

Above: The cover of Holocaust Rex Book 1: At the Cursed Gates of Koch by Karl Wills & Timothy Kidd. Copyright Karl Wills & Timothy Kidd 2014.

The latest tijuana bible to roll off the ComicBook Factory press is Holocaust Rex, a medieval fantasy comic by Karl Wills and co-writer Timothy Kidd (Came the Dawn).

After exploring space and superhero misadventures in Connie Radar and Princess Seppuku, this is a genre gear shift for Wills, who is more than up for the challenge. His trademark clear line work and attention to detail here is a treat, creating an immersive world - from the prop details (swords, armor), to appropriate buildings and extras, it's all there along with authentic rotting corpses and flies!

Above: Unlettered preview page from Holocaust Rex Book 1: At the Cursed Gates of Koch by Karl Wills & Timothy Kidd. Copyright Karl Wills & Timothy Kidd 2014.

We enter with the story already in motion: Rex is in pursuit of an unknown quarry. His journey is increasingly paved with death, as he encounters a plague victim and then a graveyard, before reaching the quarantined Gates of Koch. Plot wise, we only get a few scenes to chew over, but as with every ComicBook Factory production it's the staging of these scenes that continue to entertain, with expertly drawn body language and actions selling the gallows humor - of which there's plenty to enjoy here.

Volume 2 is already in the works, so I'm looking forward to discovering more about the mysterious Rex (why is he seeking doctors from Nasso? Does it have something to do with his stitched up torso?) and the kingdom of Koch - there's a very handy map on the back of this issue to help you get the lay of the land.

Holocaust Rex Book 1: At the Cursed Gates of Koch by Karl Wills & Timothy Kidd is available to order from the ComicBook Factory HERE for $9.95NZ. Also remember to join the ComicBook Factory Facebook HERE for a sneak peek at Book 2!

- AK!

Faction #3 is unleashed!

Above: The cover for Faction #3, by Ben Stenbeck. Copyright Ben Stenbeck/Faction Comics 2014.

The latest issue of NZ's premier comics anthology Faction is out now!

Issue #3 features a line-up of all-star local comics talent, including: Tim Gibson (Moth City), Li Chen (Extra Ordinary Comics), Katie O' Neill, Mat Tait & Michael Brown, Jonathan King, Cory Mathis, Toby Morris (Don't Puke on Your Dad), and Mukpuddy, with a cover by Ben Stenbeck (Baltimore) and an introduction by yours truly!

Its 86 pages of full-colour comics for $24.95 (+postage), which you can order online HERE or look for it at selected comics and bookstore retailers.

- AK!

Vote Hicksville for the Whitcoulls Top 100 Books!

Above: The Whitcoulls Top 100 Books and Hicksville by Dylan Horrocks.

This week saw the launch of the latest Whitcoulls Top 100 Books voting campaign, asking local readers to vote for their favourite books. The Top 100 has been around for nearly 20 years, and in that time has been topped by perennial best sellers like Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and more recent literary sensations like A Game of Thrones and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. 

In the past it has featured such New Zealand classics as Keri Hulme's The Bone People...and I wanted to list more, but a quick glance at the current Top 100 List reveals there is not a single NZ title on there, which is totally shocking to me! (apparently their place has been usurped by populist drivel like Fifty Shades of Grey...). Now before you go casting your vote for Eleanor Catton's The Luminaries, I'd like you to consider the graphic novel Hicksville by Dylan Horrocks.

Above: Hicksville Author Dylan Horrocks. Photographed by Grant Maiden.

A bona fide New Zealand classic, Hicksville was first published in the US and Canada by Black Eye Press in 1998, and attracted international acclaim from comics and literary critics alike. The Comics Journal wrote, “New Zealand’s recent cultural revival, which has brought us Keri Hulme’s The Bone People in literature and Jane Campion’s The Piano in film, now has a new ambassador in comics: Dylan Horrocks.”

Since 1998 it has been translated into several languages, including French, Spanish, German and Italian. After much demand, it finally received a New Zealand edition from Victoria University Press in 2010. Over the years Horrocks has been selected from a very short list of celebrated local authors to represent our literature internationally at festivals and events in Germany, England, Italy and beyond, largely due to Hicksville's international reputation as a landmark graphic novel.

Given it's international and local standing, I think its well past time Hicksville made the Whitcoulls Top 100 Books!

To make this happen, it's very simple: you can vote at the Whitcoulls website HERE, or fill out an entry form in any Whitcoulls store. And for voting, you go in the draw to WIN 1 of 3 $1000 Whitcoulls Gift Cards! (see their website for full terms and conditions). 

You get to vote for your 3 favourite books and authors, so after voting for Hicksville and Dylan Horrocks, you might want to consider voting for some other very worthy NZ graphic novels currently in print: Shaolin Burning by Ant Sang, Don't Puke of Your Dad by Toby Morris, Incomplete Works by Dylan Horrocks, Kimble Bent: Malcontent by Chris Grosz, The Blastosaurus series by Richard Fairgray & Terry Jones, The Darwin Faeries by William Geradts and Richard Fairgray, Triumph by Greg Broadmore, Mr Unpronounceable Adventures by Tim Molloy, Nice Day For a War by Chris Slane & Matt Elliott, or ((shameless plug)) From Earth's End: The Best of New Zealand Comics by Adrian Kinnaird!

Voting ends Sunday 22nd of June, so lets get voting and make this happen! I'll also be tweeting about it, so join in at #VoteHicksville!

- AK!

News From Earth's End: Late May Edition

Above: Sam Zabel and the Magic Pen by Dylan Horrocks. Copyright Dylan Horrocks 2014.

It's been a busy time here at Earth's End Central, so today I'm going to cover the recent developments in the NZ comics community over the last few weeks.

VUP has just released a preview of the cover from their forthcoming New Zealand edition of Sam Zabel and the Magic Pen by Dylan Horrocks due for release in November. This will collect the complete story that Horrocks started serialising in Atlas and then later on his website HERE. Sam Zabel and the Magic Pen will also be simultaneously published in the US and Canada from Fantagraphics, and in Europe from Casterman.

Above: Tim Gibson artwork for Wellington brewery Garage Project's latest beers: Umami Monster & MECHA-HOP! Copyright Garage Project 2014.

Two items that seem to go naturally together (well, according to most of the cartoonists I know) are comics...and beer! Moth City creator Tim Gibson has produced the artwork for Garage Project's two latest beers: Umami Monster & MECHA-HOP! Created for competition in the Great Australian Beer SpecTAPular 2014, they will certainly be eye-catching with Gibson's Godzilla inspired labels and advertising artwork! There may even be some mini-comics printed to support this release, so keep an eye out...

Above: Garage Project's award-winning beer, Cockswain’s Courage Double Barreled Porter.

Garage Project also recently won a Silver Medal at the World Beer Cup for Cockswain’s Courage Double Barreled Porter, inspired by Greg Broadmore's Lord Cockswain character ("tastes like war!"), so comics inspired labels may be their lucky charm!

Above: An rough for a advert for the PYE Isotronic Record Player, in comics form by Dick Frizzell. Copyright Dick Frizzell 2014.

Staying in advertising, readers of my book From Earth's End: The Best of New Zealand Comics will know about Dick Frizzell's love of comics and the inspiration he drew from them for his art and advertising work. In the 1970s and 80's, Frizzell produced a number of advertisements in comics form for such products as Everready batteries and Levi's Jeans. He recently uncovered this pencil rough created to advertise the PYE Isotronic FL 1000 Record Player, and generously allowed me to re-post it here. As Dick commented, "I turned my ad work into comics at every available opportunity".

Earlier this month, Wellington City Libraries and comic book store Graphic joined forces to celebrate Free Comic Book Day with the event, Comicfest 2014 - featuring a series of comics related workshops and events. 

Above: Cartoonists talking 'shop', from left: Grant Buist, Robyn E. Kenealy and Ant Sang.

This included two panel discussions at the Wellington City Library. One featuring Ant Sang (The Dharma Punks, Shaolin Burning), Robyn E. Kenealy (Roddy's Film Companion, American Captain) and Grant Buist (Jitterati, Brunswick), that you can listen to HERE.

Above from left: Paul Tobin and Greg Broadmore.

The second was a Q&A with Paul Tobin, editor of the NZ fantasy art book, White Cloud Worlds, and Greg Broadmore, creator of the Dr. Grordbort series, that you can listen to HERE.

Above: One of the Auckland Art Gallery's framed pieces by NZ comics pioneer, Noel Cook, on display for my talk at the Auckland Writers Festival on From Earth's End: The Best of New Zealand Comics.

In the lead up to my appearance at the Auckland Writers Festival to discuss my book and the history of New Zealand comics, I did two insightful interviews that might be of interest: one with Renee Liang from The Big Idea that you can read HERE, and one with Courtney Peters from Gather and Hunt, which you can read HERE. Leading book blogger Graham Beattie also reviewed my talk at the festival on National Radio HERE.

The Dharma Punks Kickstarter is still going strong, having reached it's minimum goal target, we are now pushing to make this collection as high quality and available as possible! We could still use your support, so click over and check out some of our exclusive Kickstarter rewards that will not be available anywhere else!

Now to ease you into the weekend, here's some support videos for The Dharma Punks to watch from fellow cartoonists, Dylan Horrocks and Sarah Laing!

- 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!

Kickstarting The Dharma Punks graphic novel!

Above: The Dharma Punks #1 by Ant Sang. Copyright Ant Sang 2014.

Last night at an event in Auckland, I announced the launch a Kickstarter campaign to publish the long out of print NZ comics classic, The Dharma Punks by Ant Sang!

Originally published as an 8-issue comic series from 2001-2003, The Dharma Punks follows Chopstick, a punk who is a part of an anarchist plot to blow up ‘Bobo’s’ a multinational fast-food restaurant. Unable to move on after the death of his 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!

When it was released the series gained a cult following, and early issues regularly outsold bestselling comics like Amazing Spider-Man and Uncanny X-Men at local comic stores. Since The Dharma Punks, Ant has gone on to produce the well received graphic novel Shaolin Burning (2011), and was the designer of the hit animated TV series, Bro'Town.

I recently took to Facebook and Twitter to ask readers what New Zealand comic they would like to see back in print, and The Dharma Punks was the clear favourite. Over a decade after it’s release, the original issues have become increasingly scarce and hard to find. So to remedy this situation I've joined forces with Damon Keen - the editor of Faction Comics, and writer Kelly Sheehan to form Earth's End Publishing: with the intent to publish The Dharma Punks complete collection!

Now to make this a reality, we've turned to popular crowd-funding platform Kickstarter to raise the $8500NZ needed to get this 400 page graphic novel back into print! The Dharma Punks Kickstarter campaign HERE will be running through the month of May. For more details check out our video below:

As you heard in the video, there are some great rewards, from signed copies of the graphic novel, to exclusive artwork and prints only available through this campaign.

We'll be updating the project throughout the month, with new support videos from some notable fans of the original comic series and a first look at some the rewards artwork, so keep an eye on the campaign and help us make this very worthy project a reality!

If you would like a preview taste of The Dharma Punks, there will be a special Free Comic Book Day issue available this weekend exclusively through Heroes For Sale on K'rd in Auckland, and Arkham City Comics at Three Kings Mall in Auckland, and MK1 Hamilton!

- 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!

REVIEW: Incomplete Works by Dylan Horrocks

Above: Incomplete Works by Dylan Horrocks. Copyright Dylan Horrocks 2014.

Here at Earth's End, the work of Dylan Horrocks hardly needs an introduction: celebrated author of Hicksville, Eisner Award winner, New Zealand comics ambassador extraordinaire. And yet, outside of a copy of Hicksville, gathering a sizable collection of his comics is tough going - tracking down early issues of Pickle, a few mini-comics here and there, or clippings from decade old back issues of the NZ Listener. So this collection comes as a great relief to local readers and collectors everywhere. Thanks to the arm-twisting from VUP publisher Fergus Barrowman, we now have a handsome collection of some of Horrocks' rarest work to add to the growing bookshelf of classic New Zealand graphic novels, and it's a fine addition.

Above: A page from 'Little Death' (1986) by Dylan Horrocks. Copyright Dylan Horrocks 2014.

This collection of stories spans Dylan's comics career, from early efforts in 1986, to recent diary comics in 2012. Together these stories form a visual diary of sorts, or a 'stealth autobiography', as the events of Dylan's own life are never far from the surface. The earliest entry, 'Little Death' reflects on Auckland's cafe/bar scene from 1986, in which our protagonist spies a woman across the room, much like Dylan did while drawing this strip, where he met his future wife Terry (there are echoes of this meeting in other strips, like 'Summoning'). 

The thin line weaved between Dylan's fiction and personal life has always been a real strength in his work, and I feel it's that layer of truth behind the fiction that strikes a chord with readers. 'Captain Cook's Comic Cuts' (1994) may well convince you that Cook had a sideline in cartooning because Horrocks' essay feels so genuine, acting as a sort of prelude to Hicksville it takes you on a detour to a world where comics played a more important part in our national history - and why not?

Above: A page from  'The Last Fox Story' (1990) by Dylan Horrocks. Copyright Dylan Horrocks 2014.

Other stories are more openly autobiographical, as 'The Last Fox Story' (1990) takes us inside one of Dylan's biggest turning points, as he struggles to reconcile his relationship to comics while living in England. The reproduction of the mini-comic format (two small spreads a page) feels both intimate and appropriately claustrophobic, as Dylan works through a phobia of comics and rediscovers his own creative voice as a cartoonist. This mini comic became the first issue of Pickle, which in turn lead to the comic series that gave birth to Hicksville. In a very real way his current career is built on the catharsis of this story, and anyone who has gone through a creative or personal crisis can appreciate just how special this story is.

We also get see his cartooning style mature and grow throughout the collection, into the assured creative voice we know today, currently hard at work on his forth-coming second graphic novel, Sam Zabel and the Magic Pen - due out later this year, but serialized weekly over at his website HERE.

Above: A page from  'A Cartoonist's Diary' (2012) by Dylan Horrocks. Copyright Dylan Horrocks 2014.

As it's published locally by VUP, Incomplete Works is also a particularly kiwi collection, featuring strips like The State of Things and Maungarei, with points of reference that would probably be lost on foreign readers. There are also helpful author notes at the back of the book to put these stories into context. It's a minor quibble, but I'd have liked to have seen these formatted with the stories to avoid flipping back to read them after each entry - but this would take away from the diary feel of the reading experience, so it's a forgivable trade-off.

This collection is a great road map of Horrocks' comics career to date, and I'm sure I'll be adding plenty more of his works to my bookshelf in the future.

As an added bonus, you can also listen to my audio review of the book on National Radio's Nights show.

If you are in Auckland, there will be a launch event for the book this Tuesday evening at the Auckland Central City Library, 44-46 Lorne St, Auckland Central, from 6pm-7pm. Dylan will be discussing the collection with cartoonist and author Sarah Laing. So come along to purchase a signed copy and enjoy drinks and nibbles! For more details you can join the Facebook event page HERE.

Incomplete Works by Dylan Horrocks is published by Victoria University Press, RRP $35NZ and is available in bookstores now!

- AK!

Sam Orchard's Family Portraits Kickstarter!

Above: Family Portraits promo image. Copyright Sam Orchard 2014.

Sam Orchard has been a stand-out talent in the local comics scene for some years, producing the much loved webcomic Rooster Tails - an autobiographical series about his life and relationship as a queer transgender guy. He has regularly appeared at Zinefest events and contributed to various local and international anthologies, as well as a number of human rights education and advocacy campaigns.

Produced as a part of his Master of Creative Writing degree in 2011, his auto-bio comic series Family Portraits interweaves Sam's own story as a queer-identified transgender man with vignettes of other queer individuals living in New Zealand. It explores and celebrates how age, history, gender, and ethnicity shape our experiences of ourselves, and how we live in the world. How the stories of others can reflect and affirm our own stories, either through connections or differences.

 

Above: the covers of Family Portraits #1-2 by Sam Orchard. Copyright Sam Orchard 2014.

As the series was produced in full-colour, high printing and shipping costs have prevented Sam from making his comic available in print, so he has turned to crowd sourcing platform Kickstarter to make this happen!

Sam is looking looking to raise $6300 which will pay for the printing of the first two issues of the series (60 pages of full-colour comics in each issue!) and fund a limited tour of the US - where he can connect with his dedicated US reader-base and attend some small press/comic conventions.

So without further ado, he's Sam to talk about the campaign in his own words:

You can pledge and support the Kickstarter project HERE. There are some great rewards available, so please throw your support behind this very worthy cause!

- AK!

Rose Mclver becomes iZombie

Above: Actress Rose Mclver and artwork from the comic series iZombie by Mike Allred.

From Earth's End's media watch, The Hollywood Reporter has announced that local actress Rose Mclver has been cast as the lead for the TV show adaptation of the Vertigo/DC Comics series iZombie.

Created by writer Chris Roberson and artist Michael Allred, iZombie follows the adventures of Gwen Dylan, a gravedigger in an eco-friendly cemetery…who also happens to be a zombie detective. Once a month, she has to eat a human brain – both to keep from becoming a zombie herself, and to keep her own memories intact. As a result, Gwen's mind is crowded with the dead person's thoughts. And lately, she feels compelled to fulfill their final requests.

The TV adaptation for the CW network will be produced by Rob Thomas (creator of the cult TV series Veronica Mars) and Diane Ruggiero. At this stage it is just a pilot commitment, and depending on how it is received it may go to series.

Rose Mclver's breakout role came in the Peter Jackson film The Lovely Bones and has been keeping busy lately with appearances on TV shows Masters of Sex and as Tinkerbell in Once Upon a Time.

- AK!

EVENT: A Night with Alison Bechdel

If you missed seeing her at the NZ Festival Writers Week, you're in luck - as Alison Bechdel will be making one Auckland appearance, brought to you by the Auckland Women's Centre in association with the NZ Festival Writers Week. Bechdel is best known for the comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For and her two acclaimed memoirs Fun Home and Are You My Mother?

Taking place on Sunday, 16th of March at 7pm at the Freeman's Bay Community Centre, Bechdel will be in conversation with Carole Beu, giving insight into her work and discussing the issues surrounding gender and sexual identity that are explored prominently throughout her books.

Tickets are $25, available from The Women's Bookshop (09 376 4399) 105 Ponsonby Rd, Ponsonby, and the Auckland Women's Centre (09 3763227), 4 Warnock Street, Grey Lynn. They are selling fast, so make sure secure your tickets now!

- AK!