You may remember me mentioning the highly entertaining documentary, Comic Book Heroes last year. It focused on West Australian publisher Gestalt Comics and their struggle to great success. It aired on Australian TV last year and is really worth watching. If you missed it however, fear not!
As part of this year’s Perth Writers’ Festival, you can see it for free, along with a Q and A of some of the talented Gestalt crew, at Octagon Theatre, Nedlands on Saturday February 22.
Australian publisher, and subject of the recent, and excellent, Comic Book Heroes documentary, Gestalt is having a huge sale this month.
You can pick up such fine goodies as both volumes of The Deep (written by Injustice’s Tom Taylor, and soon to be an animated series), the two volumes of creepy horror to be found in Justin Randall’s Changing Ways, the always amusing and thoughtful Digested series by Bobby N, and oh, so much more.
The latest digital offering from the Unmasked series by Gestalt Publishing is out now. My review of the third issue by Christian Read and Gary Chaloner can be found here.
Melbourne based publisher Milk Shadow Books are launching two new comics at All Star Comics in Melbourne on Saturday October 12. The two comics are Dillon Naylor’s Da ‘n’ Dill-The Showbag Years, and Ben Constantine’s Squirt-Stone-The collected Plump Oyster volume 1. Both creators will also be there.
You can find out more about the event right here, and here is where you’ll find more of Milk Shadow’s unique creations, and below is the official lowdown of the event.
Milk Shadow Books, All Star Comics Melbourne and Madman proudly invite you to celebrate the launch of Dillon Naylor’s Da ‘n’ Dill – The Showbag Years and Ben Constantine’s Squirt-Stone – The Collected Plump Oyster Volume 1.
Come along and be part of the long-awaited return of the cult children’s comic creations , Da ‘n’ Dill, and the first mega collection of the amazing, alternative Plump Oyster comic series.
In a rare appearance, both of the artists will be in attendance – signing, sketching, and discussing their work – with you!
For a limited time, the books will be packed into their own showbag with lollies, and other gifts courtesy of Madman Entertainment Australia.
Plus there will also be signed limited edition art prints for sale by both Dillon and Ben!
AND… two people could find the LUCKY TICKETS, which entitles them to a page of original Da ‘n’ Dill art or a piece of art by Ben Constantine.
Come along and see some of the strangest and best work that the Australian comix community has to offer!
I reviewed the second Zombie Cities anthology from Australian publisher, Silver Fox Comics, here at Broken Frontier.
The talented team behind Western Australia’s Gestalt Comics have been going from strength to strength in the last few years. They may be a small outfit from Perth, but their ambition knows no bounds and the diversity of their goodies is most impressive. From the upcoming animated series based on The Deep, written by Injustice’s Tom Taylor, to working with noted novelist Kevin J. Anderson, Gestalt are the local (to me, anyway) guys done good.
Documentarian Nick Dunlop has seen the work they’re doing and is bringing their efforts to the small screen in a new documentary entitled Comic Book Heroes, which follows Gestalt founders Wolfgang Bylsma and Skye Ogden over two years, as they travel to the wonderful madness of San Diego Comic-Con, and generally experience the highs and lows of a small comics publisher making it on the international stage.
The doco screens on ABC1 here in Australia on Tuesday the 13th, as well as the 20th, of August at 10pm. Here you can see the tantalising trailer.
At Broken Frontier is my review of Justin Randall’s sequel to his Changing Ways OGN.
Zombie Cities is exactly as it sounds – it’s zombies in cities. It’s much more exciting than it sounds however, with more epic action and exotic locales than a James Bond film. There are seven stories within this 104 page fast paced fiction of flesh eaters, and unlike most anthologies which are filled with hits and misses, the quality leans much more on the “hit” side here.
The first tale is very Australian, like the publisher Silver Fox Comics, and sees zombies rampaging across Sydney including landmarks such as Luna Park, and the Harbour Bridge. The pace is relentless as we are introduced to a cast of colourful characters including a weather girl attempting to interview a zombie, some teenagers on a disastrous night out, and a grizzled father who uses a cricket bat as a mean weapon. The second story is creatively titled Yes We Can Kill Zombies and is centred on President Obama and his struggles to lead his country post-zombification. It has a slower pace, but a greater emphasis on dialogue and character, with Obama taking some clear, and surprising, action in a desperate effort to unite his nation.
Blood at Bondi is concerned with the return of a long missing lifesaver on Bondi Beach, and Horror at Hirajuku is madcap fun, with three teenage girls in Japan mingled with generational family issues, whacky fashion, and George Clooney spruiking an eyeball food outlet. God Save The Queen is a deliciously thrilling drama focused on the ghastly secrets of the royal family. The New York set If I Ca Kill ‘Em Here, I Can Kill ‘Em Anywhere follows the aftermath of the assassination of the NY mayor who instituted a radical law to rid the city of zombies, namely that for every zombie you kill, if there are no living relatives, you are allowed to claim their assets. Finally Voodoo Zombie Racer focuses on a reanimated racing driver in Rio de Janeiro.
Sorab del Rio is the sole writer on all the offerings here, except Horror at Harajuku, which is ably co-written by Mladen Luketin.
There’s a sense of madcap fun running throughout every story here with a great mix of drama, action and dark comedy and with only a few pages to set up unique characters and situations, it’s impressive that each story can stand on its own as a memorable take on this increasingly popular sub-genre.
The art is, as to be expected from any anthology, a diverse offering, but the highlights are Mauro Barbieri’s slightly cartoony, exaggerated approach in God Save The Queen, and the work of Netho Diaz who gives Obama a superb likeness, and also brings detail and realism to the New York story.
As a piece of design, Zombie Cities’ streamlined approach works a charm, from the hard to resist cover, to the simple, and appropriate diagrams used as chapter breaks.
Rounding out this collection are some amazing pin-ups reflecting the stories in the preceding pages, and a few answers posted on Silver Fox’s Facebook page about why zombies are just so darn appealing. Some may expect that there are simply no more stories to be told regarding the undead but Zombie Cities proves in an entertaining fashion that thankfully just isn’t true.
Zombie Cities is a full colour original graphic novel and will be available at the Supanova convention in Sydney, and at Kings Comics.
My interview with Aussie comics creator Pat Grant is now up at Broken Frontier. Our chat is mainly about his new OGN, Blue which will be released next month. It’s a funny, honest and visually impressive look at xenophobia and youth and is definitely worth picking up.
See that great zombie print below? It can be yours for only $10 – $20, depending on where you live. Plus funds from each sale will go to support a fantastic charity. You can buy it from the site of Silver Fox Comics, the new Australian publisher of the entertaining Zorro series, or at this Sunday’s Anime at Abbotsford event in Sydney.
SILVER FOX COMICS PRESENTS “SYDNEY ZOMBIES” LIMITED EDITION PRINT!
We’re pleased to present our fist ever limited edition print entitled “Sydney Zombies”! This all exclusive original is available for $10 (excl p&h) and limited to only 200 copies, and printed on matt 300gsm A3 size stock. This amazing artwork underwent over 10 rounds of changes before finalising the piece. This will also be the cover of next year’s new release “Silver Fox Presents!” We’re predicting a sell out of the complete edition so order your copy today before you miss out!
EACH SALE RAISES MONEY FOR THE BRAIN FOUNDATION!
We are also donating $2 from each sale to The Brain Foundation who fund research to reduce the incidence and impact of Brain disorders such as Alzheimers, Dementia, Epilepsy and Parkinsons Disease to name but a few. Prints are $10 for pickups in Sydney. For mailouts, its $10 + $5 p&h.
These prices are for Australian orders. International orders are $20. For multiple orders contact Sorab Del Rio at sorabdelrio@silverfoxcomics.com.au
Credits: Pencils and Inks: Jopax
Colours: Zoar Huerte & Don Ticchio
Publisher/ Conceptualist: Sorab Del Rio
This ad for Youi insurance was filmed at Sydney’s Kings Comics, which I wrote about here, and uses some goodies from Black House Comics as props. Not that you can see much of either, but it’s pretty cool.
You can check out the ad at Bleeding Cool.
If you’re in Melbourne at the end of the month, check out this launch from Australia’s best comics publisher.
On Saturday, the 29th of October at 3pm, All Star Comics will play host to a book launch like no other. Internationally-renowned authors from across Australia will converge on Melbourne for the official launch of four stunning, critically-acclaimed books.
New Australian publisher Silver Fox Comics is quickly getting noticed with their radical interpretation of the classic, blade swinging avenger Zorro. Read my review of the second ish here at Broken Frontier, and keep an eye out for it your LCS, or a newsagent near you if you’re in Australia.
While you’re at Broken Frontier, you must check out this great list in Joe Keatinge’s latest One You Want column which gives shoutouts to a diverse array of 52 different comics. It’s not that long and is definitely worth a read if you’re stuck for something new to check out.
Also have a read of this examination of DC Comics’ 1997 experiment called Tangent, which saw familiar characters such as Green Lantern and Superman reinterpreted in bold ways, long before DC’w New 52 did.
Aussie publisher of great series like The Dark Detective: Sherlock Holmes is now accepting submissions for their bimonthly anthology, After the World. Awesome news. Details here and summary below.
After the World features short stories in the horror, sci fi and speculative fiction genres and is distributed throughout Australian newsagents and online via www.blackboox.net.
We are looking for stories between 1,000 and 5,000 words, although stories up to 10,000 words may be accepted. At the moment we are particularly keen on strong sci-fi stories.
Each issue of After the World features a story set in our After the World shared zombie universe. These stories are normally around 28,000 words in length and applications for upcoming slots are welcome. Please be aware, however, that we generally allocate these jobs to writers we have worked with before. Please also be aware that it is a guided universe and you will be asked to include specific plot points in any story idea you submit.
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