My Instantaneous III piece

There was a slight difference with this year's Instantaneous (a charity auction of individual panels by Adelaide sequential artists) as opposed to the first two shows (where you just had to do a single panel) -this time you had to put the panel in context with a minimum of three panels but preferably in a page. The three panels/complete page would then be printed in the booklet/guide.

Having pretty much made coloured dots with emo caption my shtick it took awhile to figure how I'd not have to draw for at least 3 panels.

One afternoon-flicking-red-paint-around-until-it-looked-just-right later

I had this,
titled Strike.
(Lettering by Em)

The actual panel which was auctioned is the second one and went for enough to provide 20 soup kitchen meals.

Wait for it....wait for it......

Apparently Doujicon was a bit dodgy.

(Pun!)

Nothing underhanded went of course, more so no one really went. Attendance was low, even though it was meant to be a good location. 131 people turned up - i'm not sure if that includes creators with tables.

Originally I was going to let loose with the snark.

How I would improve Doujicon?
Get rid of the pointless english letters in the title. Spell it out in Kanji. The title should be even MORE meaningless - that'll get the hardcore fans in!
The octopus as mascot isn't working. So replace him with something else - then have a vote to get the kids really involved on how to make it less lamer! I nominate a camel dressed as Snake Plissken!
Flyers and posters aren't antiquated enough in this Facebook world! Use town criers and morse code! Get someone to write and preform an opera!
Etc
Etc
(End Snark)

But while the title and mascot and promotion aren't working, to me there's a fundamental issue.

The same weekend there was AVCon in Adelaide, a anime/manga convention. About 1500 people turned up. I didn't go because i didn't know about it until after the fact.

Now on an Adelaide vs Melbourne scale; AvCon was 1000% better.

Its apples and oranges. They are two different events.

Avi thinks he's selling oranges but he's got apples. He really wants to sell oranges but its all apples.

The audience for Avcon is anime and manga fans.
The audience for Doujicon is people who like homemade comics (including manga).

Every uni has a Anime appreciation club, there's been magazines on J-Pop Culture, whole companies exist to sell manga and anime. The audience is big.

The audience for homemade/self published manga is a niche in a niche. All Avi had to do was figure out how many Oztaku's he had sold in Melbourne. That's the audience for Doujicon. Even though it had some really good work in it, its harsh to say, but Oztaku didn't have the readership nationwide to sustain itself. How can the same type of work sustain a convention?

Now here's a generalisation; Australian manga buyers are very picky. They want original manga - some of them go to the extent that they buy the japanese version without being able to read it or they'll go to the effort to learn japanese because the translated stuff is a slap against humanity. When fans complain about dubbed anime there is little chance they will stoop to buying a self-published manga comic by a non-japanese.

It's a shame when you consider the world's largest comic convention is Comiket, and its primarly self-published comics. Half a million people. Twice a year.

So there is a choice - either a long campaign to convince local manga fans that true manga fans like self-published work not that corporate owned kids stuff - just like Japan.
Or
Open the audience up to people who like originality and creativity; not just manga but all comics and zines and give it a new name and new direction (and trash the stupid childish mascot).

Why I hate Quentin Tarantino

Terribly embarrassing admission - I used to like Tarantino. I thought he was a maverick film maker - pushing boundaries. In my defence I was a film student, so it went with the territory.

I saw Reservior Dogs on the big screen (well it was at the Mercury Cinema so it was bigger than a TV). It was pretty awesome. The blood, the raw cruelty, the unhappy ending - it seemed so fresh. Seemed being the operative word. I had gotten into Hong Kong Cinema around the same time; the cover to the video (as in VHS) for John Woo's Killer advised it was the world's highest body count - so how could i not rent it? I got hooked.

While watching Ringo Lam's City on Fire it dawned on me; this is Reservoir Dogs but ....not. It was weird, essentially the same story but shot differently. It caused a slightly bitter taste in my mouth.

Pulp Fiction was good though, I saw that twice at the cinema. It still holds up.

But Jackie Brown - in what world is watching someone choose and buy a cassette for 20 minutes entertaining? Ugh. Kill Bill #1; shallow and empty. I didn't bother with #2.
And Death Proof is just indulgent rubbish.

The thing that really bothers me is that his films are just mash-ups of Quentin's favourite things. Homages are ok- they can bring some depth to a text, but plain old "stealing" concepts is a bit much. It just shows a lack of creativity or originality. Its all pastiche; glorifing empty cinema from the 70s but shooting it with 30 million dollar budgets.

Sure you can claim Warhol did the same thing; low art to high art but at least Warhol's work said something; on consumerism, on modernism. What does Kill Bill say - Quentin likes feet? That his audience would like recooked work as opposed to the originals? That there is nothing new under the sun? If you don't have pop cultural references in your movies that doesn't require a Google search you aren't an interesting writer?

Nostalgia was once seen as a sickness - something that kept us going forward, moving on. Move on Quentin, Move on.

Lots of photos of me

Even 6 months after the fact I'm still trying to figure why i find this so funny.

Care of Practice Catcus (NSFW)

Graphic Novel: the Pondering (Part 2)

Many years back I was at a Dymocks in a surburban shopping centre. It was late but I and Em were biding time until a movie started. I saw Moore and Campbell's From Hell on the shelves. Oh my God, acceptance! Comics are going mainstream baby!
I scanned the shelves for other Graphic Novels and found nothing else so i cornered a sales assistant and kind of pointed in the direction of From Hell.
"Have you got any other Graphic Novels?"
I may have looked a bit excited but she looked at me rather strangely, like she was trying to suss me out. I didnt' think to much of it, its that same look when people find out you read comics 'You? Really? Wow?'
"Um.... hang....on" and she darted away.
I continued scanning shelves for something new to read when the store manager walked up to me "um, have you read American Psycho?"
"huh?"
"That's pretty graphic"
Oh my God she thinks i'm some sort of sicko.
"Wha? No, no, no - graphic novels! Like From Hell" - which i grabbed of the shelf. She flicked through it
"Oooooooh comic books - we've got TinTin"
Oh my God she thinks i'm some sort of nerd.
I thanked her deflatedly for her help and slunk to the gardening corner to Em.
"I'm so embrrassed-"
"Aroused! You're aroused" she blurted.

And so ended the most embarrassing moment in my life.

So what are graphic novels and why are they so troublesome?

Looking within other mediums didn't really bring up answers to what a graphic novel could be - within other mediums, formats don't define anything; Harold and Kumar go to White Castle is still a movie at 88 minutes, like Lawrence of Arabia at 200minutes plus (too lazy to check actual runtimes). Sure there are novellas but the name makes sense 'Tiny novels' and I've never seen novellas marketted as a "novella" "just released a new novella!" like any comic book with a spine is bandied about with "Graphic novel".

But thinking about something like Harold and Kumar and Lawerence of Arabia started me thinking. I love both but there is something different.
Dude Where's my Car is a movie
Bicycle Thief is a film
Bad Boys 2 is a movie
Citizen Kane is a film

Its not a matter of quality, i like all the above titles; they are all good. Its not about source country, just because its foriegn doesn't mean its a film, Jackie Chan makes movies not films. Being old doesn't make it a film, Key Largo is a movie.

To me, movies are pieces of entertainment while films are peices of art that say something; there's more going on than just a plot. Films are subtextual or metatextual.

There's a similar concept with books; you go to a good bookstore and they'll be a Literature section and a Fiction section. There's art and then there's decoration.

Following this line of thought; comics are "superficial" and designed to entertain. Graphic Novels have something deeper going on - they carry a meaning outside of just have a plot. A graphc novel can be an 8 page story in an anthology or it can be a 32 book series released by Toykopop. If you can discuss the book without just rehashing the plot or talking about the art- then its a graphic novel. And I'd like something a bit more than "Spiderman is about the responsibility of power" especially when most Spiderman comics involve him hitting people.

Who decides what is a graphic novel and what's a comic book? Well for me its a 'wisdom of the crowd' scenario - i enough people say Blankets is a Graphic Novel and back this up with reasoning then it can be a graphic novel. If a creator just says their new comic is a graphic novel
or its publisher - I don't believe them.

I usually like my terms defined a bit better but i'm reasonably happy with this fuzzy and subjective definition because we can start talking about the books themselves instead of the silliness of the format.

Graphic Novel; the Pondering (Part i)

I consult on websites; information architecture, usability, accessibiliy, captology, etc, etc. Sometimes my work involves sitting in a group defining and discussing abstract concepts. During one meeting we were talking about improving our Document Management System; defining what a circular is, what a memo is, what a briefing is....when is a Policy a Policy and when is it a Guideline. It is more intreresting than it sounds (well to me anyway).

Well I ask "What's the difference between a factsheet and a manual?" and i got a incredulous stare in return "its the same difference between a comic book and graphic novel" (they had read Preacher and knew about Alan Moore).

"That's stupid!" I stammered.
"Graphic Novels are thicker with a spine"
"What! You have no..."
"oh there's other stuff like better paper"

I had already started to think about what is a graphic novel based on Anthony Woodward's post
Using format is a pointless exercise; that's more a defining medium thing.

There needs to be something else. The very smart chaps at Comicspot use the cute "Bookcomic" and "Comicbook", i think that's still very formatty but its not coming up with new terms to be wanky about. Something is either one or the other. Using Graphic Novel opens up to many terms of conjecture; what's graphic, what's novel. What about trade paperbacks (another format which is at least industry standard sizewise).

For me anyway - I like defining stuff. I like discussing stuff and you need to be able to define Film Noir if you are going to talk Film Noir. If you want an opinion on bebop jazz then you better know what bebop jazz is, otherwise you'll look foolish. And since i look foolish most of the time - i like to think stuff through and get my ideas straight.

The best point to start is compare it to other mediums. Do other mediums create these groupings based on its materials. Pretty much every medium uses genre; a comedy is a comedy no matter if you see it on the big screen, on dvd at home or have downloaded it to your iphone. A story told using sequential images can be essentially the same story if delivered in a serial comic, a compliation tradepaper back or if its on Wowio.

I say "can be essesntially"; serials need that regular catchup exposition, digital content can't be as detailed as printed material because the technology isn't as precise (72dpi vs 300dpi). But i would contend that the story is the same; just told differently. War and Peace the book tells the same story as the movie with Henry Fonda. Doctor Zhivargo has been told as a book, movie and made for TV miniseries and they all tell the story of a bloke in Russia.

The quality and success at telling that story though is totally up to debate.

What's been happening?

You know stuff.

• In april was the Third instantaneous gallery/Auction thing. Attendance was about half Instananeous II and it showed at the prices art was achieving. The most expensive piece sold for $300 which was about half what the most expensive piece sold in December.
• My own peice sold for $95, which as non-artist, makes me happy.



• Comikaze happened Queen's birthday weekend. i purposefully kept my fat head out of the way. Last year someone thanked me as an organiser and i didn't correct them. I felt like a massive asshole for claiming glory so this year i played it cool. Though the turn out was not as big as previous years, I think the quality was really strong.
• I read some incredibly good Austrlian comics. Some good Australian Comics, some decent Australian Comics and some truly horrible shitty Austrlian Comics. I feel rantings will ensue.


• During the same time, i accidently scratched my cornea which didn't heal. i kept putting off going to the doctor because surely my mutant healing abilities would kick in and fix the problem. Well two weeks of having a weeping eye that starting causing short stabbing pains when i blinked eventually made me go to the doctors.It seems it wouldn't heal because ever time i blinked the cut reopened. I then developed a secondary infection which meant stronger antibiotic drops and about 5 doctor visits. I had to wear a patch - and not a cool one either. It was 4 weeks of not being able to look at anything and focus properly. Not fun, Clarence.


• It seems like my anxieties and inability to relax properly have caught up with me and I've developed hypertension; which I think is a cool way of saying High Blood Pressure. I'm hyper tense!.




• I never really played video games obsessively but i got strangely addicted to Mario Kart.
• I have never liked Science fiction, it always seemed lame. But have started watching Battlestar Galactica and its pretty good (there was a couple of second season episodes that were lame and a really crap boxing episode is season three). Its like the West Wing but with explosions!




• I'm building outdoor furniture out of metal, stone and wood. Six weekends in and i regret starting.

Ahem.... tap tap tap

Its been about four months since I've blogged. Its been a mixed bag of being to busy to blog and not having anything to blog about. Though I'm going to try really hard to post something regularly.

I'll start slow....

Like i went to see the breeders play last night and beside the douche who decided to relive 1995 and start slam dance it was really solid gig. I also couldn't stop thinking the the Deal Sisters would be the perfect (ie hottest and coolest) tuckshop ladies at Rock 'n Roll Highschool.

A High School where Iggy Pop is the gym teacher, Thurston Moore teaches Calculus and David Bowie is Vice Principal.

Chicken Soup 2: Chicken walks on Water

by LFW and me, monday lunchtime







The "scripts" take about 2 minutes and are less than 25 words. LFW does the art in about 5 minutes.

The Chicken Soup is Magic; Jesus Style!

by LFW and me, friday arvo

Thanks for liberally smoking

Well, i don't smoke. I don't really care if others do, I worked with all types of vile gases and dusts so second hand smoke doesn't bother me. Well, actually I do care about stinking like shit the morning after going out, but I don't really go out anymore so its a moot point.

But I am sort of interested in the way the anti-smoking brigade has pretty much been ineffectual.

Warning labels on packets of smokes - dud
Graphic images on smoke packets - dud
Graphic ads on TV - dud
Lessons at school - dud

None have really seem to have made a great differnce.

I had the idea to do a comic with John Howard thanking smokers for their tax money. The original draft was first written 3 years ago with the intent to finally publish it on No Tobacco day, but since I never actually knew when that was (Its not in my Daily Dilbert Desk Calendar) it sat on my computer. Of course it would have been more powerful with Howard still in power, with Rudd as PM smokers can say "Yeah my smoking is helping do all the good stuff!"
But in my mind MY income tax and money from my groceries goes to education and hospitals, but SMOKER's cigarette taxes goes to pay the wages of Opposition backbenchers and overseas trips.

So a slightly redrafted two pager - Thankyou for liberally smoking

Mitsibushi Closes - navel gazing 380

From about 1989, when I was 14 to 1998 i spent various summers working as a Trades Assistant on various sites. I worked at a foundry and tyre factory and would end up dirty and sooty, coughing up black. I worked a snack food factory which seemed great at first, scooping up hot crisps and corn chips fresh from the fryer but you quickly realise you just ate 10 handfuls of warn unflavoured crap directly from a vat of boiling oil. Plus after crawling through A/C ducts cleaning filters you ended feeling greasy. Working labratories and private homes was ooookay but you had to be so tidy and careful that you spent too much time trying pussyfooting around you never got anything done.
My favourite was working at Mitsubishi - it was close to home (i could walk) and it was relatively comfortable and clean. I enjoyed decommissions - which entailed just taking shit apart - ripping through metal with a grinders and oxy torches, bashing stuff with hammers and pinch bars, destroying 30 tonnes of metal over a couple of weeks. It was more fun than having to lay 5km of pipework 6 metres above the ground or installing massive runs of duct work where the powers that be have it measured it out to the millimetre (with no gap for error) so you spend more time making (ie forcing) things fit than putting things together. Since i was the low man i had to do all the painting (which they always made me do once it was installed instead of beforehand), sealing with sticky-sticky sealant, sweeping (i was always careful not to turn my brain completely off because i feared i'd re-enact Turbo's Broom scene in Breakin') and generally carrying everyone's tools.

But i worked with some great guys; the welder who showed me how to plan out a job and get it done - skills i use in Project Management; the plumber who instilled a love of jazz; the electrician who's general good dispostion after 9 days of 8+ hour days was unfathomable but well appreciated. All guys who i still think fondly about and hope to catch up at some xmas reunion party.
It was good to work as a contractor in ever-changing groups, with all types of people in an effort to get a usually not fun job done. You learn patience, problem solving, keeping personalities from ripping each other apart. Like the guy who would periodically ask "When do you wink at a -insert racial epitaph here-?" and then make out he was looking down a rifle scope. He'd get a bit cranky if you'd finish the joke for him, so you'd have to put up with string of degoratory terms and then meekly laugh. There was the good natured speed-freak who had a new computer component every week which he would describe in great detail in an effort to impress (at this point i had no idea about computers - and some say still don't). There were the bikers (the anglo one who hated immigrants and his Maori mate) who invited me to Bikie events because they were doing security and it would be fun and then were surprised when i declined (i was 16).

The last summer i worked at Mitsubishi, i was the longest serving employee of the contracting company (tells you something about the company) and somehow that gave me the ability to provide Safety Talks that Mitsubishi now required all contractors to undertake. So I mumbled for 3 minutes stuff like 'don't run power leads over puddles', 'wear some type of glasses when using a grinder' 'wash your hands'. That summer i almost killed a group of electricians milling around a console when i dropped a sheet of corrogated iron (.9 x1.8m) from 3 stories up, it missed the group but gouged a nice gash into the cement floor. I skitted down asap and casually picked up the sheet "hey fellas, sure is hot ain't it? how about the cricket?". I believe a walk out was barely averted.

Well, yesterday was the last time those guys walked out. The factory is now closed after 40 years of producing cars. It seemed like a good place to work. The social club raised hundreds of thousands for charity. And simply in a world where things just seem to be made by faceless people somewhere else, it shows that regular people created a good car in good conditions. Its hard to comprehend that there are workers that have been there for 20, 30 years. Belonging to a generation that flits and skips positions at whims, its hard to understand the loyalty of wanting to work for one company for more than 10 years. Possibly more admirable is working in manufacturing for so long - the patience, fulfilment of doing essentially the same thing 48 weeks a year for so many years. And now its over, losing a job you like sucks, especially when that job gets cut from the company for financial reasons. Having to move on, knowing that you did nothing wrong, is hard to do.

Being one of the few factories in the southern suburbs i hope that something takes its place soon. But theres something reflective about watching those guys file out of the factory gates, opening their bags to be half-heartedly peered at by the security just like i had to do 10 years back, looking for the next job.

I couldn't car less

I sold my car couple weeks back and therefore I have no car to call my own. I've owned a car since i was 17 and was pretty much always dependent on them. Truthfully, i was always wary of people who didn't drive - especially those who didn't have their license. What were they afraid of? Fear of failing? What was stopping them? Realise, that this is Adelaide, a suburban sprawled city with a lame excuse for public transport - subsequently driving is necessity. This distrust was exacerbated by working and hanging around people who would sponge lifts, constantly.

My first car was an 1976 Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT, a beautiful looking car which could move - from the lights in was mediocre but once it got over 80km/hr it picked up and handled well. Only problem was that it was essentially a italian styled red hole that consumed more cash from my pocket than petrol (an amazing 13L per 100km, which is just crazy for 1.6L engine).
I sold that to a friend - who essentially did the same, did it up and then sold it for peanuts - and bought myself a brand new car; a Hyundai.

It was pedestrian and practical but once i started in the city it was barely driven. I was spending money on registration and insurance and barely doing 500km a year. I got the calculator out and did the mathematics and realised that with the needed new tires and service, plus petrol I'd be better off sticking with Public Transport or if need be using taxis. I could do one return taxi trip to the city, once a week and still be ahead financially.

So yeah, the car is gone and i have to think ahead when organising errands for myself. So I'll be sponging lifts off my friends soon.

Instantaneous 3 - Adelaide Comic Art Exhibition

I never did get around to posting an indepth look at the pieces in last year's second Instantaneous Comic Art Exhibition and Auction, held last December. It was a classy affair where 40-50 pieces of comic art, specifically individual panels, were displayed and auctioned with the money going to a soup kitchen charity.

Here's a recap from last year, I tried to get scans of the other pieces but wasn't able to but here is mine, which now proudly hangs above someone's bed. I bought this piece by Owen Heitmann, after eyeballing the competing bidder.


The text in the scan read "He awoke to the remnants of her breakfast and his perpetual melancholy."

It follows on the emo, minimalist shtick i started with my first piece; (3 white dots on a black background).

Which leads us to the next Instantaneous exhibition - pieces are due 21st of March at Pulp Fiction Comics but you needed to pre-register first. The exhibition will coincide with Free Comic Book Day, May 6.

The hardest part for me this year is that i need to figure out how not to draw 3 panels instead of just one, as the accompanying booklet places the panel in context.

Anyway there's more information at Pulp Fiction Comics.

On the Fringe at the Zine Fair

On Day 13 of the Heatwave that Melted Adelaide, the Fringe Zine Fair took place at on old industrial bakery in the middle of Adelaide. It was the first time it had been positioned in a dedicated area as opposed to the first two fairs where it was in a lane just off the main cafe strip.

This lead to the first observation, there were less passer-bys, less traffic BUT those who did turn up were interested enough in zines and DYI publications to make the effort.

I brought the full run of Sureshot Presents and my own VS; 10 copies of each and sold out of Doug's flipbook, sold out of Weber's Crab Allan book and sold 7 copies of VS. I expected the Guide to Australian Comics not to get to many sales - it sold 3 copies. What was most disappointing was Mandy Ord's book which i expected to be right up the alley for alternative hipsters and non-comic people. It grew cobwebs. I discovered that the Sticky stall had copies for sale but I didn't ask if they had sold any. I know that Mandy has sold at least 150 copies and we did a reprint (200 more for her) - I've sold about 130 and have 30 copies left. All in all I sold about half i would sell in a whole supanova weekend or at the first Doujicon which is ok since it cost me a train ticket and 5 hours of time.

I was joined by Owen Heitmann and EvilDan who also sold comics. Jing turned up later to steal my customers. Dan did well selling his Angry Comic Shop guy and Pretty Zombies; Owen did well selling other people's stuff. We left early because we are punk-rock like that (actually i had to scoot home to prepare dinner for 7).

It was a good and I'm feeling like publishing more stuff, so as always if you want to make money from your 32+ page self contained story, let me know

Adelaide Fringe Zine fair

For the realz culture, the Adelaide Fringe Zine fair is happening at the old Balfours factory on saturday.

I'll be there with the few Sureshots and VS i have left. Owen Heitman will be there and others. It will be cool AND hot.

Making a mark on the Marx Brothers

One day an artist chap popped up on my MSN looking for a script. I was surprised and greatly flattered because i am quite the fan of this Particular Creator and he is quite reticent to work with others.

I tossed out ideas; rock 'n roll porn, little riding hood modernisation, battling war tales. Like a little brother trying to impress his older sibling, i energetically made up nonsense hoping he'd play with me.

We discovered we had a common love; Marx Brothers.

I remember reading that Billy Wilder was going to direct a film; A Day at the UN staring the Marx Brothers and always thought it would be cool to write an imaginary comic adaption interspersed with biographical details.

But this idea was much much bigger than the 6 pages this creator wanted to spend drawing. So i had the idea of a self-contained old school trailer with cheesy narration, on-set interviewing and then a slam of quick jokes. And interspersed with biographical snippets.

The hard thing is getting the humour correct - not just repeating jokes from the other movies. I'm not sure I've succeeded that well - especially the physical humor of Harpo.

I wrote the first 5 pages while i was stuck at a beach house on Kangaroo Island, hours away from anything. Being an earlier riser, I'd type away (instead of fishing like the other insomniac). That wrote easily. The last 3 were hard, doing slapstick is tricky and that took me 2 months of pondering.

This is a second draft, so there will be spelling mistakes and grammatical hiccups.

Anyway, please enjoy my imagined adaption of the Marx Brothers in A Day at the UN.

5 shades of Dino - how Dean Martin made me feel happier.

Late last year I got hit with the melancholy. Probably because of the suckiness of work, family infecting me with their madness and a general loss of direction (I need to do stuff; like build cellars, publish magazines or learn something new otherwise I feel a bit pointless).

I started listening to Dean Martin. Compulsively.

Martin came to prominence as Jerry Lewis’ straight man. And I loved Jerry Lewis as a kid. I remember every Sunday afternoon they’d play a Lewis movie, but only if I behaved in church – such was the power of my parents; act up in church they’d make sure Jerry Lewis (or as I said it apparently – “jer-wee woo-wis”) wouldn’t be on. So I’d tune out for an hour and a bit while the chubby priest prattled on in Slovenian backed by a tone deaf choir whose age averaged medieval, in the end learning a great patience.

At first it was all about the Jerry, but as I got older i noticed it was Martin that really carried the films. Jerry by himself was way to hammy, throwing up every slapstick trick and seeing what would stick. Martin gave the flicks a certain cool, some structure. In Hollywood and Bust (which I may have seen more than Star Wars) Martin hated Lewis, but you can’t tell. That's kind of cool.

So in my funk I’d gravitate to certain songs, which slowly become less and less depressing.

You belong to me

Just remember when a dream appears
You belong to meI'
ll be so alone without you
Maybe you'll be lonesome too and blue

At the time, Em was flying around to Sydney, making work trips to Mt Gambier, Whyalla so the song did kind of strike a cord. What’s interesting is that originally it was a female torch song; you can imagine it being sung to boyfriends and husbands going off to fight the war. But with Martin singing it sometime in the late 50s it brings in a new resonance – women strengthened during the war, boarding planes and leaving their traditional roles of housewives to see the world while their partners mournfully miss them. In my mind I picture a curly haired Ava Gardner type journalist, camera slung over her shoulder searching for the next big scoop, visiting beautiful exotic locales and meeting interesting people, while Martin is stuck at home hoping his girl doesn’t forget him. It’s all rather hopeless and depressing.

(Of course I don’t feel really comfortable with “You belong to me” so i prefer to mumble “You’re the one for me” in tune, of course.)

Little ole Wine Drinker Me -


And when they ask who's the fool in the corner,
Crying

Travelling a little bit away from dumpsville but still within city limits, Martin is broken hearted, far from home, his only consolation is drinking wine, which I think is probably the saddest alcohol. Some will say bourbon, but nope; wine is cheap, easy to drink and no hungover is as bad as a one from 3 bottles of cheap red wine. But it is a nice way to suffer.
Except for wine and a working jukebox, Dino’s got nothing going for him; but when you consider the old adage of wine, women and song – two out of three ain’t too bad.

Houston

Nobody calls me freind,

Its sad the shape I'm in

Going back to Houston
Houston
Houston
I Got a girl waiting out for me
Well at least she said she'd be

Dean Martin loved Country music, apparently. He even played a cowboy in one of the best traditional Westerns ever. Though in this video he's bit more Roy Rogers than John Wayne. Houston is about a down on his luck guy just wanting to get to Houston. Its pretty depressing but there’s some life, a bit of hope that his girl might be waiting there for him, but in the least he's got a home and bed. Its got some clever lyrics and is kind of funny, especially when compared to the other ‘funny’ western song; Not Enough Indians which is archaic and misogynistic.

Open the door and let the good times in -


Don't let nothing stand in your way
Just open up the door and let the good times in
Tomorrow's gonna be better than today

What I appreciate about this song is the production, not so much in the video but in the Capitol Records (or Columbia) audio release. A lot of Dean Martin songs from the late 50s - early 60s have these awful back up singers that all sound like cloned fat bald men, or blonde stepford wives; their only job is to repeat the lyrics in unnerving perfect harmony. Its frustrating in something like Standing on the corner, to have this barber shop quartet echoing the lyrics; washing the tomcat out of the lyrics making it into something homogenous and safe. This song though has this great party mood, even though its about a poor, hungry smoker who’s girlfriend is fooling around on him and has discovered rodents have drunk all his alcohol – essentially a miserable existence there's this great unbridled hope and joy. You can't help but smile.

On an evening in Roma -


Down each avenue or via, street or strata
You can see 'em disappearing two by two
On an evening in Roma
Do they take 'em for espresso
Yeah, I guess so
On each lover's arm a girl
I wish I knew
On an evening in Roma

Finally, away from the blues; far from the sad drunk who’s woman has left him; the poor jobless stooge far from home – this is an ode to being with the one you love. Even cheekily wondering what those couples are getting up to as they slip away. I sway from being a francophile to an italophile (???) but I hear this song and I’m Marcello riding my vespa on cobbled streets on my way to meet my senorina, dodging hanging laundry hoping no one will notice the melted chocolate gelato on my suit.

Don't know what the country's coming to
But in Rome do as the Romans do

Makes decisions so much easier.

Waldo's Hawaiian Holiday in the Press

Gestalt Publishing is releasing a Graphic Novel sequel to Repo Man and its recieved some ink in EW and on the Cinematical blog

It looks pretty exciting

Dave de Vries: Comic Maker, Decision Maker, Movie Maker

I read in the Advertiser yesterday an article on 'amateur' film makers and one of the film makers featured was Councillor Dave De Vries, best known for Southern Squadron and the Phantom mini (Marvel), he also did a good Green Lantern Annual and Black Lighting series.

Well he's making a short film.

Comic comic podcast #1

The second podcast by David Blumenstien and Ben Hutchings is up. Most interestingly is the talk about selling comics to shops. In my web consulting and writing for the web training I've started using Pareto Principle; Pareto was an early 20th century economist who discovered that 80% of the wealth of Italy was held by 20% of the population. Since then its been used as a rule of thumb - i use it to say 20% of an organisation's business responsibility is needed by 80% of the community so websites need to reflect that 20%; all other content is non-core and a waste of time. The Pareto Principle is also used in sales; that 80% of sales come from 20% of your customers. That's not to say that individuals are buying multiple copies. When i think of customers, I think of either comic shops or venues where i sell the book like zine fairs and conventions. And at first with Ozcomics Magazine and Sureshot Presents I'd chase every sale (moreso with the Magazine); deal with multiple shops selling 1-5 copies in each shop except for 3 shops which would order 20+ copies consistently. At first I'd thought that the shops that had smaller orders would grow but they didn't so i stopped bothering.

Now I'm thinking that I might just deal with Adelaide, cons and fairs - my cut is bigger and i sell more with less hassle.

On a related note the guys also talk about writing to an audience, this was brought up at Pulp Faction as well. I'm in the commercial camp; i think that you need to consider your audience and write for them. I always find the people who say "You write/create for yourself" to be essentially wankers. They either suffer egos so large the believe themselves to be more important than the audience (who essentially pay them) or people with no confidence in their skills so when their work doesn't "succeed" (however they define success) they counter with "I wrote it for myself (so it doesn't matter what other people thought of it)". I think its more important to be happy with what you create, to be proud of it otherwise you are just hacking for a wage (not that there is anything wrong with that; many plumbers, nurses and taxi drivers are doing what they do to put food on the table - they have no pretension about it). So i'm in the mind that it should be "You make sure you are happy with your work".

I think the Comic show at the Melbourne comedy festival is a great idea and is a billion times better outreach program than anything else i've seen; FCBD, cons).

Another good show.

And the Stan Lee

"Seinfeld fanfic" "Seinfeld?" "Seinfeld Fanfic" "Fanfic?" "That's what I'm saying"

For some reason I had the notion that every month this year I'll post up a script; in attempt to lead a slightly more creative life. Sometimes it'll be comic script, sometimes it won't - its all out there in either case. Because, i only came up with this notion recently I didn't have anything new, so I dusted off an old script I did at university.

At the time i was immensely proud of it, it did get some praise which helped but with hindsight I'm slightly embarrassed that I wrote a Seinfeld script around poo jokes (in my defense it was written around the time Something about Mary got released).

And its based on a true story.

I slightly cleaned up some spelling mistakes and language but essentially from 1998 here it is (DOC, 77k).

Just because you love something doesn't mean you should do it for a living

There's the stereo-type of the grumpy comic shop owner, that guy who thought

I really like comics, I want to be around comics all the time, I'll start my own shop and I can read comics all the time. It'll be great, except for those fucking customers.

They know what they are talking about but have lacking social skills and sales abilities.

Well, I got a homebrew kit for xmas (which means next xmas I'm going to get socks and jocks) and needed some supplies. Previously I went to a homebrew shop out in the hills, requiring abit of a drive. With a shortage of time I thought I'd try a local shop (the only shop my side of the city). I walked in and waited, purusing the shelfs, while the owner served some other guy. Then i had these exchanges;

"Have you got any of the Cooper's plastic long neck bottles?"
"I think I've sold out, haven't had a chance to unload my car, they're shit anyway, glass is much better"
"Yeah, I've heard that glass is better, but I'm just starting out so I'm just going the cheaper option"

Instead of "I haven't got any in now, have you considered glass, its easier to clean and makes the beer taste better"

Then I asked about about any ways of invigorating a stalled batch. He asked what i had used and told him Coopers Pale Ale with the supplied Brewer's sugar. At this point he sneered and then proceeded to tell me how Coopers have done a disservice to Homebrewing and that they are shit.
I peered to my right and noticed 5 shelves stacked with Cooper's Malt Extracts.
He then got overly technical, talking about what i should have done (Not used Coopers), his own pale ale varieties, the day he's had, history of yeast. In his 15 minutes of talking he mentioned picking up the fermenter and swirling it, which was the sum total of what i needed.

He's overt tone was just "you are wrong and stupid" which is most probably true but the maxim "the customer is always right" doesn't piss off the people putting money in your pocket.

Its not "you are wrong and stupid" its "You are right and smart BUT you could be righter and smarter"

Sigh

I then asked him the cost of a bottle drainer and asked to buy some carbonation drops.

"How am I supposed to pay rent?"

Now, in the couple of homebrew books I've read it was made clear that it was ok to ask the homebrew shop guy questions, even so i still did feel guilty that i took up they guy's time
(but i usually feel guilty/anxious about something). However if it wasn't for the ranting i would have been there for 2 minutes not twenty.

"i'll be back for those bottles and drainer, and i like the look of the red irish ale" Which translates to, I'll probably never come back because you're kind of rude and don't want to encourage you.
"hmmfff"

Which is a shame since he did have some nice stuff and was conveniently located.

Shaun Tan's The Arrival is loved by the French. Deservedly.

Shaun Tan's The Arrival has won Le Grand Prix at Angouleme. That's pretty big news.

nakedfella and nonstinking fella podcast

Indie comic creators (the good interesting kind) David Blumenstien and Ben Hutchings do a witty intelligent podcast talking about the scene, conventions and each other.

Things I agree with

• I think that there are enough talent to warrant some sort of awards/recognition
• Some nerds get a little bit too excited at conventions
• charging more than $6 for a 32 page comic is idiotic
• Pop culture conventions are nor for comics
  

Things I don't agree with

• Trudy Cooper isn't the only decent writer in the country, there's the guy who does Nakedfella
• $200 is a fair price for a table in artist alley
  
• People who reverse their cars into parallel carparks (not actually relevant to the podcast, but i'm just saying is all)
  

Another Adelaide Artist - Tim McBurnie

Just in the new year, i was scanning various "Best comic lists" and someone mention Seven Pirates, a french book, by Australian Tim McBurnie. Having never come across this name before, I got my google on and discovered he actually resides in Adelaide.

He does some lovely work.

His site

His blog

2007 Ledger Awards announced

The 2007 Ledger Awards for Australian comic books released in 2006 have been announced.

Congratulations to all the winners.

That was 2007, this is 2008

I'm still trying to figure out if 2007 was a good year. It wasn't a bad year. First year of Marriage, yeah, was good; finished some projects around the house (retaining walled lawn, cellar) and started planning the next (deck, fire pit, wood oven, gazebo) and work was alright. But it wasn't great, which is fair enough, it can't always be good times.

Best Movie:
2 Days in Paris
Runner up:
Superbad

Nothing overly dramatic or hard hitting, but smart and entertaining.

Worst Movie:
Pirates of the Caribean; End of the World
Over long and over complicated. Disappointing since i really liked the first two. Rescue Dawn was shit as well.

Best Dvd
Stanger than Fiction
Runner Up
Branded to Kill
At one point in the middle of the year I watched a really bad Michael Douglas movie and pretty much declared i'd stop watching rubbish. So I started hitting Bergman, Godard and De Sica and haven't regretted it since. The post modern rom com of Stranger than Fiction faltered at the end but was still a joy to watch. Branded to Kill is just crazy film making that is still tangible and satisfying.

Best book
Keep Off the Skyline: The Story of Ron Cashman and the Diggers in Korea / Peter Thompson and Robert Macklin
I don't read enough regular books, but amongst the non-fiction war books i read this was easily the best of them. Enough pathos to keep you interested mixed with the background information to give a better idea of why.

Worst book
Terror or love?: Bommi Baumann's own story of his life as a West German urban guerrilla
Essentially the story of a brat just trying to find a reason to fuck shit up.

Best "Graphic novel"
The Arrival by Shaun Tan.
Just wonderful. Deserves even more accolades.

Worst "graphic novel"
Black Dossier
I liked the first two because the fan-fiction elements didn't really drive the narrative, i didn't need to be familar with ever piece of genre fiction since, i dunno, 1812 for it to make sense.

Best Australian comic
DeeVee Whatever the latest one was
Runner-up
Wrong by Jing
As a whole there was some disappointing Australian Comics released this year. Some with beautiful art but disappointing writing (CAB), decent writing but poor art (Local Act books). There weren't many book that hard a true spark of excitement or creativity(like 2006), a lot of releases seem so calculated and most of the time I expected better (Character Sketches). If it wasn't for Comics Rehab (Various), Guh (Jase Harper), Wrong and Deevee, it would have been a very disappointing year.

Best Comic
Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad

Worst comic
Everything I read by Tony Bedard
He wrote a couple of issues of Birds of Prey (with great art by Nicola Scott) and Legion of Superheroes after Simone and Waid, respectively, and they were shit.

Best Music
Spring a leak, The Lucksmiths
Luckmsiths can do no wrong, this album has some great covers and bsides. And 2007 was officially the year i lost touch with new music. A lot of 2nd albums (Interpol, Bloc party, jens lekman) graced the ipod but not a lot really got me excited, besides maybe Gogol Bordello. The two most played albums were probably Dean Martin's All the hits and Jonathan Richman's The Berkeley Years.

Worst Music
Prince's Plant Earth
I probably played the Fergie album more often then the latest album from my favourite preformer, which means it was pretty shit.

Best Purchase
Deconstructed Country Road peacoat
I'd been looking for one for at least 2 years and while i'm not keen on Country Road quality, they're high end stuff seems to be ok and i got this for a bargin.
Runner up
Australian daybill for the 1956 re-release of the Marx Brother's Day at the Races
I just have to find a frame that fits it, but even though there is some double lines from a displaced registration during printing (i think that's the term) its still beautiful.

Best TV
The Unit
Lost, Heroes, etc didn't really grab me as much this year, not like this David Mamet and Shawn Ryans tv series. Its not high art but its incredibly consistent.

Worst TV
24
I turned off most shit, except for 24 which just plunged from being my favourite show ever to right-wing torture-porn.

Worst Purchase
56K modem
Not so much the modem, i bought it when i was updating my dad's computer to Vista and his current modem may not have been compatible. I bought the modem ahead of time because my dad lives 2 hours away and didn't want to have to make an extra trip back. I was told that i wouldn't get my cash back but credit back if i returned the modem. that was cool. When i didn't need the modem and went to get my credit the retailer A & R reneged because it was two weeks old. Asshats who won't get my business again.
Runner up
Probably the second hand mulcher that can't handle big stuff like leaves.

Best Wine
Heartland Pinot gris/Viognior

Best Quote
"Is the seafood fresh?"
"Chef assures me the seafood was freshly defrosted 2 days ago."

Best Person
My tailor. Emma

Worst Person
Me. I've learnt there are two sides to every story and subsequently I have to remember that people are inherently good. But in this instance the worst person would be me.

Very few jokes using the term 'seamen' really work

Yesterday, I was lucky enough to go sailing. I'm not sure why, but for awhile I've been wanting to learn to sail, it could because of the Season One finale of OC where Seth sails away or it could be yearning to be as one with the calm ocean, a willing servant to the beck of the weather.

So once B found out of my desire, he organised to go out on his dad's 36 foot sailboat. With my phone stowed away (that's sailor talk for stored away) i wasn't able to take photos but it was kinda like this;


Mick, the captain who had spent the previous night on the boat, doing it 'full Bruce Willis style, gave us a quick run down of how to deal with the ropes, mixing up clockwise and anti-clockwise to hilarious results.


B, piloting the boat whilst i furled the head sail, pulled the main sail and passed around the Pizza Shapes.


The other Mick, Michael, moors the boat after sailing back into harbor.


Then we had some drinks.

Irony is owning a spoon factory and dying at a fork in the road.

I've been quiet again. Having to work through Xmas while its nice and everyone else gets a break means i'm not really into the whole computer thing too much out of work hours. So in my time off i've been playing heaps of Xbox and talking about comics to random strangers.

Even though i'm working and its miserably hot the whole festive season was pretty good. XMAs was spent with family, my annual batch of ice cream went down really well (though my ice cream maker is now broken). NYE was probably the best for awhile (really low key and relaxed) and I spent New Years day watching De La Soul put on a good show.

On saturday we had the monthly Panels and Gutters comic drinks at the Grace Emily. It was a small turn out of about 15 people, with many scared off by the heat. It was an enjoyable afternoon with some art shown and irony defined.
Peter from Pulp Fiction Comics puts money on a tab for discounted drinks but with the smaller turn out there was $30 left over. That's 7 shots of tequila, bar keep.
Em had joined us and was enjoying white wine spritzers but on Dan's insistence she got a shot and a lemon wedge. Seven upturned glasses and 6 lemon rinds later (i ate mine) we were off. A bunch of us went back to Dan and Claire's in an attempt to see if our old couch (that i'm not allowed to sell), fits in their flat. We stopped of at the bottlo and while Dave suffocated in the boot I had this exchange with Em
Em: Can you get something for me to drink?
Me: Sho, white wine? Rose?
Em: I don't knoooow
Me: Gin? You can throw the empty bottle at me
Em: Can we get some tequila?
Me: Ok, how about this one?
Em: Get the one with the scorpion in it!
Me: Its twice the price and not actually tequila
Em: Its got a scorpion in it!
Me: Ok

30 minutes later, 2 shots later
Em: Its not thaaaat nice
Me: Try it with lemonade

10 minutes later
Em: Do you want to finish my lemonade?

So I spent the evening drinking beer and mezcal as well as pub squash and mezcal mixers, cursing the scorpion. We watched Dan's old skate videos (including a protracted poo eating sequence), guitar heroed, planned road trips and ate decent pizza. It was a good night.

A year ago today

Me and BJ turn up after enjoying pints and burgers and a mad dash for forgotten accessories (my belt and shoes). This was after i was admonished by my mother for not wearing a tie which in turn caused my father to rip his tie off to use as a belt (he too had forgotten his belt). He stated that no one would notice, but then spent the rest of the day asking people "Do you like my belt?"


As the string quartet played, the lovely bride treads the aisle


The day was a 42 degree scorcher so we had to do some last minute re-arranging, ergo the ceremony in the shade.


And married


Post photos rehydration


Joining the ceremony fun

The night was relaxed with people enjoying the much cooler evening. About 60 of close friends and family joined the festivities, including 14 that made the trip from the old country. I made a knob of myself in my speech by using the phrase "if you ever wake up with a hooker, call me, sorry, shit i mean dead hooker" and then doing a rather embarrassing/cute shuffle/wedding dance.

It was a good day

Instantaneous II - Quick recap

I'll probably do a better, more accurate recap later on when i get the details but

• 45 pieces were auctioned
• about 300 people turned up (but i'm bad at guessing these things it could have been 150)
• All the pieces sold
• I liked the free red wine, as did Evil Dan. Emma didn't like the free red wine, as did Dan's mum.
• the highest was $500 for a piece by Team Radelaier Clare Oakes
• the lowest was $65 (i think)
• Everyone liked the Rose
• My piece sold for $170
• The average price was about $130
• So over $5000 was raised
• that' will provide about 1000 meals at the Adelaide Soup Kitchen
• I forgot to take photos, but everyone would have looked awesome
• I bought a piece of Owen Heitmann's art
• no my mum didn't buy my piece
  
• You can still see the exhibition until December 23rd, upstairs at the Grace Emily
  
• I'll try and get scans of the top sellers
  

Secret Santas are kind of dumb and annoying

Essentially, Secret Santas are kind of dumb and annoying

ebay feedback

Sellers who wait for feedback before providing feedback are knobs.

Australian Comics Podcast

After a bit of a wait Maggie, Komala, Practice and myself are back for a new Australian comics podcast a look back at con season and some aussie comic releases.

Instantaneous II

Next Tuesday, 4th of December at the Grace Emily, Pulp Fiction Comics is present the second Instantaneous exhibit charity auction.

The first Instantaneous went well, raising $1800 for Adelaide Soup Kitchens.

The second Instantaneous promises plenty of wine, 35 pieces of art that will be auctioned by a professional auctioneer. Peter from Pulp Fiction has also spread the word to a lot of the art news places in Adelaide so it should be a good night.

More details at the Pulp Fiction Comics website and Facebook

I have another piece in it and I hope it sells.

On a related note, December 1st is the monthly Panel and Gutters comics drink up at the Grace Emily so if you like comics - turn up.

Rooftops Launch

Everyone knows I adore Mandy Ord's work, so I think its awesome that she has another book being launched by a publisher.



So if you are in Melbourne and have the slightest interest in good comics, go to Brunswick Bound on Saturday 1st of December at 2pm.

If you can't make it, then original art will be displayed for the next month.

If you go say Hi from me, and then give a girly giggle.

Other Melbourne creators plan on having their monthly drinks somewhere in the neighborhood.

Comics Rehab - Australian Comic Creators creating comics

Some great great comic creators are taking part in Comics Rehab, where they must work through their issues and make 4 panels every four days.

It also means we get new comics from David Tang (Knee Pockets), Amber Carvan (Brick Dog and Other stories) and Claire Robertson('How Comics can change the world' - which i need to dig up and do a follow up) and BowB, who I'm not familar with.

Mo! its NOvember

I have a complete inability to grow facial hair so today is the first day of NOvember.
As in

"Hey Mark, you gonna grow a 'stache?"
"No"

Sureshot Presents - Reviewed

Johnny Boy, Italian lad living in Japan reviews Sureshot Presents.

The Cellar, seriously

Pretty much every friday, for the past 2 years whenever i was asked what am i doing on the weekend, i replied "Working on the cellar". Last month i finished it.

When we bought the house there was a door that went to a small cavity under the house. It was about 3 feet high, 6 feet wide and 10 feet deep. We used it as garden tool storage. I don't have any 'before photos', ok I do but they involve me in my PJs finding xmas presents.

I had my wine stored at my mums' place, but with her retiring i didn't trust her with my collection. So I started digging. Or chipping. The "soil" was essentially clay and rock and the area was so confined that i couldn't swing an pick. I started with a hammer and chisel and then slowly progressed to get a pick happening. I'd chisel and pick the dirt lose and scoop it in to buckets left over from grouting the bathroom and make a pile in the backyard.

18 months into the dig, The Big D visited and had a look and said "Marko, a hammer drill would make easier". So after a $50 hammer drill purchase i discovered in 4 weekends i could dig about the same as it took 9 months.
1) The floor to dining room, which i swear is still perfectly level, I don't care what the spirit level says.
2)Em had an awesome idea of using perspex/pvc sheet to show how much got dug and the cool dirt. All the supports were welded by me.
3)I removed a brickwall that was supporting the dining room floor and replaced it with a big heavy beam and posts. Also where i taught myself welding.
4)The height of the original dirt floor. I pretty much dug about 5 tonnes of dirt.
5)Paved floor courtesy of Emma because I had a dummyspit due to her not being able to decide on the paver pattern.

All in all the space is about 3x4 metres with 40% shelving. The wine is all databased and its location is documented.

1) The crappy chinese lanterns were not my idea. I have to fix the lighting and electrical (get rid of the cord wrapped around the beam and so forth) but electrical and car stuff bore me to tears and i just can't make the effort to learn. Plus its hard to kill yourself welding, plumbing, tiling, sheet metaling, etc but having been shocked 3 times working in construction, i'd rather leave it to others.
2)Cheap MDF + left over timber floor stain = sweet finish
3)The ethnic artifacts were my idea
What you don't see is i had to mix and pour 350 kilos of cement to act as a step from the small door to the floor. You can't see the bull horns above the door either.

So what do you do with five tonnes of dirt? Apparently landscape the backyard (my idea was have a big pile of dirt).

Here's me getting rid of one bucket, it was followed by another 150 or so. The tree in the foreground got chopped down - it was only 3 metres from the house and over 10 metres high. So it had to go any way, it also meant that i spent 3 weekends chopping wood.

This is the "after" picture. Em's comment is "The after shot is supposed to look better than the before shot". 5 Tonnes wasn't enough to fill the space so i had to dig another 1-2 tonne from the bottom of the block and carry it up (our block drops 11 metres from the front to the back).
1)Where the tree was, now replaced by a wonky clothesline that doesn't matter how much cement or welding i do to still wonks.
2)It took 3 months (12 weekends) to build all this. The timber sleepers have pins through them that hold it all together. Each hole for the pin took about 45 minutes to drill. To save time i didn't bother putting pins right in the corner. When i put in all the dirt the corner subsequently split. So in an effort to save 3 hours of work, i had to spend 3 days digging the sides out, rebracing it with crappy looking strap and refilling it all.

And that's that project done.
Next the Deck. Or stairs from the road to the house. Or amphitheater and firepit/lamb spit.

Rosa rose parla amore - Nonna (1994)

Unfortunately a death in the family can bring the worst of people, but positively, the very best as well.

Killeroo commits Homicide in the City

I don't know why but i "found" screen captures of Killeroo #2 appearance in last monday's (8/10/07) episode of City Homicide (all of 1.5 seconds worth).





Whilst I swear I didn't watch the episode, from what i scanned the presence of the comic makes no sense - its owned by a 50 year old cripple/serial killer. Actually maybe it does make sense.

Didn't Killeroo also appear in Water Rats or Stingers? Or was that The Watch?

This should go in my facebook question thing, but all the same

If i wanted to buy cool tshirts online from Australian sources i would look where?
(Please don't say google)

Red J's Horoscope says Gemini

Lying in the Gutters' reports that local artist Jon "Red J" Sommariva is working with Jay Faeber on a book for Image called Gemini.

And it does look nice

Eating Steve with an Egg; New Australian Graphic Novel released

Marc J Schmidt, a New South Wales resident, who previously released the cute Egg Story in 2004 through SLG is releasing a new GN this October titled Eating Steve.

For some reason i thought it was about lesbians but its about zombies. Here's a preview.

Your comic shop probably didn't order it so go ask for it, then wait a couple of weeks.

Grants do happen to comic folk

Congratulations to Liz/Azuhru for getting grant cash money to fly to the San Diego ComicCon. Once there she'll have to do stuff like schmooze editors and most likely carouse with other creator, I look forward to reading her articles on Ozcomics.com.

AEIOU should go to the VOWELS launch

Gestalt Publishing will be having a launch party for their second book Vowels by Skye Odgen on friday 27th of September.

Taking place at Planet Books, 642-648 Beaufort St Mount Lawley WA, it will be presided by Ben Templesmith (or Brian) and there will be beer and nibbles. They'll also be music.


More info at the Gestalt Site

Great Gatsby was Great

I've finished Nicky Greenberg's adaption of The Great Gatsby and was thoroughly impressed. It is a beautiful book, and it is incredibly apparent how much love and care went into its creation. I haven't read the original, nor seen the movie Redford movie - quite honestly I only knew the book by title and little else so i can't compare it with the source material. But it is quite the mesmerizing read, and i did almost get teary at the end.

I'd recommend it to anyone, comic fan or not.

One nigglying aspect that I can't answer without reading the source material is how does this differ to the book. In regards to the hypertextuality what is the point of the 'graphic novel' adaption. It is obviously a work of love, the creator spending many years working on the art (5-7 years apparently) and creators should be able to create what they like (and not be dictated to by dickheads like myself) but i ask myself, what does this add to the 'great gatsby' mythos?

When Van Sant redid Pyscho, it added a little to the story (wanking Norman) and it also showed that good movies and film techniques don't date. The ending Fincher's adaption of Fight Club differs to Palahniuk's book but provides a different subtext.

Its possible I think too much and i should just accept a great book for what it is and stop looking for bigger pictures.

anyway, highly recommended

supageddon

In one month's time Armageddon is happening in Melbourne and Supanova is happening in Sydney.

But did you know that next year Supanova's in Melbourne - March 28-30, Brisbane - April 4-6, Sydney - June 20-22, Perth - June 27-29? Well they are so competition is good.

Next year, Armageddon is in Sydney in April and Melbourne in October (or the other way round, actually i think its the other way around)

I have no affiliation with either cons, I've pretty much declared I'm not going to Supanova again (but i was grumpy at the time - and i'm fickle) and I had a rant about Bill's (the main dude at Armageddon's) actions on the web (essentially churlish passive aggressiveness).

With that out of the way

Artist Alley
Snova - 1 x 1.8m table + 3 chairs = $220
geddon - 1 x 1m table + 1 chair = $100

If you share a table (split costs) or have heaps of gear, snova wins.
(numbers may be wrong but close enough)

Comic Guests
Early on Armageddon had this one won, but Ed Brubaker pulled out and his replacement Greg Rucka pulled out too. They now have Gail Simone as their big guest, with Jimmy Palmiotti another great guest. Amanda Connor and David Wohl round out the international Guests. Nicola Scott is the only Australian creator, though a very good one at that.

Supanova went to bat with Dan Didio and Ben Templesmith a very big score; Dan would appeal to DC fans and creators. Templesmith has a movie opening that month as well (30 Days of Night) which would be a boon for media coverage. But they both pulled out (Didio for family reasons - which must be massive because of the 2 months notice) and Templesmith is in Hollywood walking the red carpet. There were rumours of a Marvel creator and editor showing up, but that didn't eventuate. The biggest guest now is Stan Lee, who is doing a video link up 9am Saturday morning, the early time is because Stan doesn't work past 5pm LA time, I assume its happy hour for seniors at the local Flashdancers. Actual people coming include Marv Wolfman, Whilce Portacio (which does makes my inner fanboy squeal) and Brandon Peterson. Someone called Nate Butler is also coming, he's done kids books (muppets, looney tunes, etc) (and appears to be a Born Again). Besides Portacio, not terribly exciting, none of them are releasing anything curently. On the local guests front, there is some good representation David Yardin, Queenie Chan and Madeline Rosca, Stewart McKenny, Chewie Chan, and Chris Sequeria. Only Yardin, Chan and Rosca are working consistently on international comics (at the moment).

So interms of international comic guests, its Armageddon with a win. In terms of Australian creators its Supanova's show.
All up, Snova by a nose.

International guests
I usually don't care, I'm not into the majority of pop culture, so bgrade actors and general has beens don't impress. Though i do recognise its these guests that get punters buying tickets. So in those terms Armageddon wins, the animation guests are fantastic (just Bruce Tim and Billy West alone would be awesome) and while I have no idea besides sweaty 40 year olds would be interested in Adam West and Julie Newmar, i do recognise they are quite the get. Supanova do have way better anime/manga representation which is, you know, what the kids want. Snova probably has the 'best' guest, the dude who plays Xander in Buffy, which is still like a/kind of current show. Also getting the director of Wolf Creek is pretty cool. But 'Geddon does have porn actress Jasmine st Claire which will get them through the door. They also have WRESTLERS! and Australian Idol contestant Bobby Flynn! i'm hoping for a match up!

Miscellaneous
Snova has a better local track record with more visibility but you have to travel too far to get to the cons. Since his telling off a couple years a go, Daniel has made sure that Australia Creators get highlighted. Armageddon only have one and looking through the New Zealand guest lists of the past, there doesn't seem to be many local creators listed (though i may be wrong). The Snova forum is much more interesting, but it is fun giving Kongster bad Karma points on the Armageddon boards.

Armageddon is in the city and the actual variety, quantity and quality of guests is much better; i just think it needs more anime/manga and local representation to make me happy (and that's important!)

If it was a boxing match, Armageddon wins by points. Though it is very very apparent that Armageddon's appearance to the scene has made Supanova pull up there socks.

Shit, if it's gonna be that kind of party, I'm just going to stick my dick in the mashed potatoes!

Just once it would be nice if i caught up with comic people interstate and wasn't drunk and or exhausted.

Brisbane Writers Festival

If you are in Brisbane go to CYA Conference
and at 1:35 listen to the award winning Shaun Tan (The Arrival which ships soon to comic shops).

Ask him "Being an award winning graphic novelist, do you get like hot groupies and stuff?"

Unfortunately Nicki Greenberg (The Great Gatsby) is doing a talk at the same time, i would just wonder in between the two.

Ask her "Can you sign my copy of Great Gatsby and help me fill out my will?"

at 2.05 LF Weber (Crab Allan) reveals the paradise, THE PARADISE, that is game making! Mr Weber is nervous about the presentation, so help him out and turn up in your underwear.

Ask him "Platinum Studios is entering the share market, do you plan on buying any shares of the publishing company?"

Then straightafter, at 2:50 Mr Campbell (Uncanny Xmen #400 and From Hell) enters the ring. Whilst i have to admit that i prefer when he works with other writers (daren white, alan moore) his theories and general nattering about the sequential arts is top notch. (though, i rarely understand a word that comes out of his mouth).

Ask him "In regards to graphic novels, in particular the graphic novels you have worked on, both those graphic novels you've written and produced art for and those graphic novels you have only provided art for, do you prefer your graphic novels to be graphic or do you prefer your graphic novels to be novel, and if i may follow that up with, are graphic novels too good to read in the dunny?"

Then at 3:50 minicomics maestro Leigh Rigozzi (Tales of Hobartian life) talks about comic books.

Ask Him "If William Shatner had the powers of the Thor and Adam West had the powers of Superman, and they fought, who would win?"

I skipped myspace

I'm on Facebook, I have no idea what i do there, but there I am.

Blogs for your eyes

When Mandy Ord posts pictures i do a little Snoopy dance in my head


When LFW posts pictures i do a little school girl squeal (especially when he turns off the bikini filter).

Two artists who couldn't be more different in style but who demonstrate the beauty of local comics.

The Mount

Em, had a lunch meeting down in Mt Gambier today, usually see drives down and stays over night but because of other factors she had to drive there and back in the same day. So i took the day off work and joined her for the trip.

In essence, 9 hours of driving + tasting a dozen wines + purchasing 7 bottles of wine, buying 6 comics from a 2nd hand store + eating 2 burgers (one nice pub burger for lunch, one road house burger for dinner) + 1 Dean Martin CD + Spring = A Great day

Good business and the business of being good

Apec this, Apec that. The media is full of stories of protesting APEC and hijacking APEC, but nothing about what APEC is actually doing. Its a shame, because if the media did report the truth it would pretty much establish why people are protesting it and hijacking it. Its pretty much so rich countries (which Australia truthfully only marginally fits into) and their businesses can get richer.

Now, I'm for business, as a means to support a family and community it can be an awe inspiring and satisfying activity.

So www.kiva.org is probably the most beautiful antidote to the going ons of Sydney.

I try and only watch good films now

Would it be that bad if there was a short exchange in the 4th Die Hard movie that
went along the lines of

"I'm leaving you John! I can't take it anymore. Its not worth it!"
"Not worth it? Not worth it!! I saved your life! I killed for you!"
"Not for me John, for you. You did all that for you."
"For me? Yeah, i wanted to get shot at!"
"You wanted to win, that's why you got shot at. That's why you do everything! That's why you're fighting now, not to save this marriage but because if I leave then that means you lose. Well I'm leaving and there's no winning me back"

but even so it would have been a shit movie.

I liked the first 2 Die Hards - i need to watch the 3rd one again to see if its any good. but the first couple were released at a time when the action stars were brutes like Arnie, Stallone, Chuck Norris, and Steven Seagal. But in Die Hard, Bruce Willis is really just a normal guy barely getting by, he's a brawler who just doesn't give up, who gets by more by determination and street smarts than firepower and skill. In Die Hard 4, though
HE DRIVES A CAR INTO A HELICOPTER!!!!
HE JUMPS ONTO A HARRIER JET!!
AND THEN JUMPS OFF IT!!!!
for fuck sake.


Gah, where's my copy of Rashomon!

The Great Great Gatsby

I picked up my copy of Nicki Greenberg's adaption of The Great Gatsby today. It is truly a beautiful looking book. Even Em was slightly intrigued by the book - except for the 'funny looking characters' >sigh<.

I felt slightly disappointed that at my local Borders's it wasn't displayed in the new releases section, nor was it in the Fiction section under "G" but in the Graphic Novel section racked between Tomb Raider and Showcase Presents. And it was the only copy.

The cashier was incredibly excited by the book while she rang it up, especially at the inside goss i knew; it took 5 years to draw, Nicki is from Melbourne and the Fitzgerald family heartily approved the book when they saw it. I'm so smooth.

Also spotted in Dymocks (where I asked about The Great Gatsby last week, to be told they are getting 5 sometime in September) Kevin Patrick and Doug Holgates' Prehistoric Australia.

Trauma of the week #629 - Adventures in babysitting

Standing in a supermarket aisle, drunk, completely mesmerised by the variety of nappy and nappy related products and ringing Em asking "How much does whatserface weigh? They don't sell by age, but by weight". A scale weigh later and some subtraction, she replies "10 kilos". I believe i spent 10 minutes deciding between the packet for 6-11kg or 10-15kg. All during which i thought, I'd rather be buying tampons and tubes of hemorrhoid cream.

3 things i like

After the horribleness 3 things that make life beautiful

Vespas


French New Wave Actress


Vineyards

i hate today

Ribbed sensation

7kg of ribs + 6 bottles of wine + 12 peeps + fire = the goodness

Around the traps

If you are Canberra today go see Matt "Stikman" Huynh at Impact Comics

Or if you wish to get freqee

a huge assortment of comic creators are molesting/manipulating/decorating bunny figures, including Ben Constantine, Brett Weekes, Brett Williams, Corey Warren, Dan Gibbs, Giles Kilham, Glenn Manders, Jase Harper, John Stewart, L.F. Weber, Matt Huynh, Mel Stringer, Mike Mungus, Scott Beattie, Steve Martinez, Tonia Walden, and Will Kelly.

If you are south side in Melbourne there is the Melbourne Writers Festival.
Featuring
Shaun Tan and Nicki Greenberg at Wesley College at 1:45 on the 27th of August
Shaun Tan at Merlyn Theatre at 12:30 on the 28th of August
Eddie Campbell and Nicki Greenberg at the Beckett Theatre at 12:45 on the 29th of August
Eddie Campbell and Shaun Tan at Merlyn Theatre at 11:45 on 3oth of August .

Then back in Brisbane at the Brisbane Writers Festival you can see Byran Talbot, Eddie Campbell, Nicki Greenberg, Leigh Rigozzi and Shaun Tan talk about stuff (i'm guessing writing and graphic novels)

And in Adelaide, rib nite.

Still here

Too sick to write anything, to you who gave me this cold, you suck. But this is the fourth post back.

The wine blog

Sipped, Slurped and Swigged South Australian Wines is the wine blog. Whilst i haven't updated it in awhile, i have scribbles of notes around the place concerning the dozen or so wines I've drunk in the past 2 months.

The description does say it all, its more for me than others, so ergo it has been described by others (actually other) as "written while drunk. its terrible". I haven't found a groove yet, in terms of what i actually review a wine.

On a very related, i had great fun writing wine/comic reviews for Pirotess' Food zine (which i can't find a direct link for). Instead of matching food and wine, i pondered what South Australian wine I'd drink with specific Australian comics. If memory serves me correctly I covered Happy Birthday Anyway, Guh! and Witch King . If i can find the file I might post it up (if its cool with Miss P Tess.

Consignment is a con

One of the mentioned columns i wrote was "Consignment is a Con", whilst people may mistakenly believe I'm not down with POD (yeah, you know me), consignment is the most ugliest stain on the scene. I refuse to do it.

I think Wolf has another 2 or 3 columns that I've done, which means I don't have to think of another column for awhile.

lets try again

I haven't posted here or the wine blog for about 2 months because I've been busy, I promised myself i wouldn't post until the cellar was done but i'm two weeks behind so screw that. I also got stage fright - I was asked to do regular columns for two sites - i wrote about half a dozen pieces, one which has been posted/published.
Then i pretty much discovered i had nothing to say.

So i'm having another go at it. Which experience shows I'll either post 3 more times and disappear forever or., you know, just keep posting.

Je suis Marxiste, tendance Groucho

----------------
Now playing: Lil Wayne - We Don't
via FoxyTunes

Ledger Voting now open

The nominations phase is over, now its a matter of voting.

The two big niminees are Surfing the Deathline by Matt Godden and Phillip Bentley's Passionate Nomads. Congrats.

Thanks to everyone who nominated Sureshot Presents Crab Allan: Gothic Boogaloo for Story of the Year.

So go vote!

Aussie is runner up in International Manga Awards

Congratulations to Madeleine Rosca for being a runner up in the International manga Awards.

You can check out her work at her deviantart account and her LJ.
Out of a field of 146 entries, its quite the achievement.

Apparently, the Tasmanian creator has a book out through Seven Seas, called hollow Fields.

The things you find in your own backyard.

Supanova Comic Guests

JMS has pulled out - again.

However Dan Didio has been announced, DC Comics Publisher (I think - he's a bigwig all the same) so i'd be poilishing that samples portfolio and preparing that plot pitch now. I remembr back in the Ozcon days, Michael Richardson (Dark Horse Publisher) and other editors or sales directors from Marvel and DC would show up.

The other guest is Ben Templesmith which should be a big draw especially since 30 Days of Night will be premeiring 10 days after. I'm sure he'll be everywhere in the media beforehand - plus he's a very nice fellow as well.

New Publisher on the block - Hero Central

In the last year, Sureshot Presents, Gestalt Publishing, Local Act Publishing and Prophecy Comics have entered the Australian Comics publishing game, well now there is Hero Central. These guys seem to be an imprint of an online comic shop which means distribution is already in place.

They are looking for submissions, seemingly superheo stuff looking at the slant of their site.

Comikaze Day 3

I did plan to do another 8 pages of strips, either more VSes (Vsii?) or the other ideas rattling in my head "Trevor the slightly criminal goldfish" or "That's our Quentin".

(I think deep down i want to write sketch comedy - it disgusts me)

But then sitting down, i thought I was making a mockery of the whole thing, sitting down and scribbling rubbish art and bad jokes in a couple of hours. I wasn't challenging myself - i was taking the easy way out. So i thought better of it.

Comikaze 2007 - Day 2

First I'll Apologise for fucking with your LJ Friendslist, i'll link to my pages now.

On day two of Sticky Strippers i started a new strip based on a pub conversation I had with Owen. At the Grace Emily there's a library of books and we perused through "Education for Retarded Children" published sometime in the 70s. There was a picture of one child wearing plaid next to a plaid recliner, in the next photo he had disappeared and Retarded Ninja was born. We came up with a sitcom heme song because that's the most important bit.

Em of course asked "Why does he have to be retarded?" her question dripped with PC, my reply was "but he's a ninja, that like negative retard, it balances it out." She eye rolled and left.

The idea was to use sitcom cliches as a starting point.

So follow the link to "Dah Dah Dah Retarded Ninja"

24 Hour Comics - Day One

I'm probably making a mockery of the whole thing - making lamish jokes (they make me laugh though) with really bad drawing.

On Saturday I did 8 pages of my VS comic - i started out hand drawing anything but then got too lazy and just started photoshopping

Sticky Strippers - VS

Comickaze 24 Hour Challenge - The Prizes

For me, its about the challenge, the glory of getting it done for others its all about the booty.

For those who enjoy the booty, there are some good prizes for the grabbing. A Wacom and Artist Alley table! Cassssh! Art supplies for the drawing and books! Books for the reading! And comics!

See the listing and then do the registering if you haven't already.

Comikaze countdown

Its less than a week till the Comikaze 24 hour challenge where artists try and create 24 pages of comics in 24 hours.
If you can't put aside a whole 24 hours, then you can just do 8 pages or 16 pages so there is no excuse not to register.

My piece for Instantaneous

At the monthly Panels and Gutters drinks, we were told through last month's Instantaneous Exhibition we raised $1800 for the St Vinnie's Soup Kitchen. Nice.

Also come December, there will be another exhibition in the same vien where artists will be asked to supply a panel of art. This time, though, the peices will be auctioned off.

This is my peice, which I'm hoping is hanging in someone's house right now

"Painting" by me, lettering by Emma.

PS. Practice informs me because of my blogger layouty thingy my 'art' is being obscured. Here's alink to the jpg.