Inkspot 53

The

Tom-Tom of the Australian Cartoonists’ Association

ISSUE 53 WINTER 2007

www.cartoonists.org.au

MORT DRUCKER with ADRIAN SINNOTT SHREWSBURY 2007 with GEORGE HADDON SOUTH AUSTRALIA 1985 ASK the DOCTOR ASK LINDSAY REVIEWS ...and heaps of BEACH CARTOONS

Inkspot is produced four times a year by the Australian Cartoonists’ Association.

PO Box 318 Strawberry Hills NSW 2012 ACA AFFILIATED ORGANISATIONS National Cartoonists Society President Jeff Keane Secretary Rick Kirkman www.reuben.org Cartoonists’ Club of Great Britain President Terry Christien Secretary Richard Tomes www.ccgb.org.uk FECO President-General Marlene Pohle Secretary-General Peter Nieuwendijk www.fecoweb.org Inkspot Somnolence: James Kemsley Inkspot Prereader: Steve Panozzo Inkspot contributors: Dave Allen, Peter Broelman, Jason Chatfield, Terry Dunnett, Lindsay Foyle, George Haddon, Rolf Heimann, Chris Kelly, Roger Penwill, Adrian Sinnott, Ian C. Thomas

Cover Mort Drucker www.cartoonists.org.au

Terry Dunnett

Number 53 Winter 2007 www.cartoonists.org.au 1300 658 581 ACA Board Patron Vane Lindesay (03) 9523 8635 President Peter Broelman 08 8255 9939 president@abwac.org.au Deputy President - (NSW VP) Paul Batey 0414 857 996 nsw@abwac.org.au Membership Secretary Mick Horne (08) 9527 3000 treasurer@abwac.org.au Secretary Kerry-Anne Brown (03) 5446 2224 secretary@abwac.org.au Treasurer Grant Brown (03) 5446 2224 treasurer@abwac.org.au Vice Presidents Rolf Heimann (Vic/Tas) (03) 9699 4858 vic@abwac.org.au Sean Leahy (Qld) (07) 3325 2822 qld@abwac.org.au Dave Allen (SA/NT) (08) 8370 9010 sa@abwac.org.au Jason Chatfield (WA) (08) 9247 4087wa@abwac.org.au

I

t’s not every day the ACA gets involved in industrial matters.

We usually leave that for our comrades at the MEAA who are more organised and have the legal standing of a registered trade union.

The Fairfax copyright contract issue is one of concern for the ACA. A letter expressing those concerns has been sent to Fairfax. Many of our members are freelance cartoonists who produce work for Fairfax and could be affected by the copyright contracts that are placed before them.

“The Australian Cartoonists’ Association (ACA) wishes to raise its deep concerns over the latest copyright agreements for editorial and photographic contributors.

Many of our members are freelancers and as such wish to maintain professional independence and control of how their own copyrighted works are used.

The ACA is concerned by reports that the Fairfax contracts unfairly remove intellectual property and moral rights from artists for no equitable compensation and that they also impose restrictions on trade on who a freelancer can provide work for. These two provisions could reduce ongoing potential income from royalties, and restrict income streams from alternative clients, and as such are entirely untenable for many of our members who work in a freelance capacity.

The ACA believes that imposing the intellectual property principles of permanent Fairfax employees upon freelancers with none of the benefits of permanent employment is unfair.

The ACA believes these conditions will have an adverse effect on the cartoon and illustration industry, and as such the ACA urges Fairfax to remove clauses 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 2 and 6 from the latest editorial copyright agreement.”

Fairfax has been a great supporter of Australia’s cartoonists and I hope that sanity prevails enabling Australia’s rich cartooning talent to continue to thrive.

The ACA website is currently being overhauled. The focus will be that of an online portfolio of members’ work. Over the years the website has been focussed on the ACA rather than members. This change is long overdue. The best part is that members will be able to update their portfolios as often as they like. With a password and a few clicks of the mouse you can upload multiple images. Details will be made available as soon as possible.

Work is progressing well for the Stanley Awards Conference to be held in Wollongong the first weekend of November. The hard work being put in by Peter McAdam and Warren Steel is invaluable. Thanks guys. We desperately need more help in making the 23rd Stanleys a success. If you would like to chip in please contact me on president@ abwac.org.au.

Cheers,

Inkspot #53 Winter 2007

~ If you live in South Australia or just happen to be visiting, there’s an exhibition of the work of SA cartoonists in Aldgate August 3 -19th 2007. The Friday morning coffee group of cartoonists, who meet in Stirling, has been approached by a local Aldgate trader, Andrew Thomas, to see if enough SA cartoonists would be interested in an exhibition of their work as part of the SALA (South Australian Living Artists) Festival.

This is a state-wide, two week event celebrating the talent and imagination of visual artists living and working in South Australia.

Knowing that there is a group of us that meets in Stirling on Fridays Thomas thought that it would be something different to exhibit work

by SA cartoonists and illustrators this year.

Thomas spoke to ACA’s members last month and there was a lot of support Inkspot #53 Winter 2007

for the proposal. There was a feeling that this would be a great project for the SA cartoonists to throw themselves into for 2007.

A number of events are planned for the SALA weeks in Aldgate: 1) Cartoonists painting a cartoon mural in one of the Walk throughs in Aldgate.

2) Drink coasters. The printing shop in Aldgate is interested in printing sets of coasters with cartoons on them.

3) Master Classes: Two classes each at 1:00pm and 3:00pm, hour and a half long with John Martin and Simon Kneebone.

4) Opening event, hopefully local ABC host Peter Goers to do the launch.

5) Film Night. A local film collector has a number of old cartoons to show, also two films about animation called Animated and Drawings that walk and talk.

All ACAers are welcome to join the locals for coffee any Friday from 10:30am on, at Bistro 49, in the main street of Stirling. ~

Victorians had a chance to see more of Murat Top’s work at his exhibition in the Anatolian Club in Brunswick. Murat has exhibited his work before, mainly in Shepparton where he once worked.

His work reflects his background, it is of the style often labelled “sort of East-European” which is generally understood to mean no words and heavy with symbolism. Murat Top is a first-class practitioner of this school.

Cartoons are often called ‘mirrors to society’, reflecting conditions or events in simplified images. Yet as we progress along the display of Murat’s cartoons we come across works that could also be described as doors: entry points into another culture.

There is no doubt that Turkey possesses one of the richest and oldest cultures, receiving as well as influencing Asian and European art.

Combine this with a restless political life and you have an ideal soil for cartooning. Murat Top is leaving for his homeland, apparently in response

Dave Follett

Alex Hallatt

ave Follett, yes the same Dave who designed the excellent cover of the 2006 Year Book, has been a busy little cartoonist over the past couple of months. With three strips on the go who wouldn’t be?

In the recent redesign of The Sunday Telegraph’s comic pages Follett’s strip Kookabarry (right) was picked up by the paper and at the same time he was asked to revive the comic featuring the figurehead of the Sunday comics Harry the Dog - News Hound (right and below). If that’s not enough his People strip Vicki is one of the highlights of the tabloid magazine. ~ With her strip, Arctic Circle, now in the capable hands of King Features Syndicate, Alex Hallatt has redesigned her web-site to feature her penquins and polar bears. It’s worth a visit - http://www.moontoon.com. Word from the States is that initial sales are “doing rather well.”

Dave Follett

D

www.cartoonists.org.au

www.cartoonists.org.au

Geoff Hook

case as well, and he did not disappoint, apart from being a cartoonist and scientist, he is also a talented musician and singer. Our new projector did splendid service as Levent showed us part of his collection of Turkish cartoons and his talk gave us an insight into the rich tradition of Turkish cartooning. ~ Unfortunately Mr. Squiggle, or rather Norman Hetherington, has been in the wars of late. He had an accident last month and is now in hospital again this time a broken hip and arm.

Thankfully he is doing well though and hopes be home in a couple of weeks or less after a stint in a rehab hospital.

Norm, all your ACA colleagues wish all the best... get well quick! ~

~

Daniel Zachariou is once again presenting a smorgasbord of popular culture in Sydney, October 12th 14th at The Dome at Sydney Olympic Park. With more of everything at Supanova 2007. In addition to the opportunities available during the weekend, Zachariou is producing a pre-event freebie magazine (minimum 80,000 copies) distributed from early September. ~ An Aussie has finally taken control on the USA’s National Cartoonists Society.

Well to be technically correct, halfan-Aussie! Jeff Keane was recently elected president of the biggest cartoonists’ club in the world. Keane’s mother Thelma, a true-blue girl from Gympie, Queensland, met her husband Bil during World War II, they married and settled in the United States. Jeff and his father produce the iconic daily panel Family Circus, which Bil, a former Reuben winner, started in 1960. Keane will hold the position until 2009. ~ While on the subject of the NCS, this year’s 61st Reuben Awards, in Orlando, Florida, saw the creator of Foxtrot’s Bill Amend take out Cartoonist of the Year. Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Ramirez was editorial cartoonist of the year, Tom Richmond picked up the Illustration award. ~ Have you heard of RedBubble?

RedBubble is an online community for creative people. You can post your work on the website and you can chat with other creative people, make comments about their work and you can also track any of the artists that take your interest. Launched in March 2007, Redbubble claims 2 million hits a month! If you want to check ’em out, the address is www.redbubble.com.au.

Inkspot #53 Winter 2007

Norman Hetherington

to an offer he could not refuse (he is by profession a scientist), but he assures us that he will be back and in the meantime he will keep up his connection with Australia. He can be assured of a warm welcome when he returns. ~ Former Cartoonist of the Year, Joanne Brooker is back among the gongs once again! Brooker recently was awarded the Queensland Cartoonist of the Year Media Awards 2006. The award was for Best Cartoon (she was nominated twice out of three nominations, Sean Leahy was the other nomination). That’s makes three times she has snared the prestigious award, two while working for News Ltd. Brooker said “I’m especially pleased with this award as I won it as a freelance cartoonist.” ~ Victorian VP, Rolf Heimann asked Earthstone Chu how cartoonists should address him, and he confirmed that he expected to be called Earthstone. Considering his nature, the name is not appropriate, his work is neither earth-bound nor stone-hard, quite the opposite. An exhibition of his work in Northcote, Victoria, did not include any of his cartoons, but consisted of sculptures with cartoony elements, swirling concoctions made from found objects, sometimes revealing hidden faces. Earthstone comes from Taiwan, and as he recited Chinese poetry and danced at the opening, his creations seemed to reflect his energy.

His piece de resistance was a miniature Hall of Mirrors, more a Cubicle of Mirrors. A sign warned female visitors (and kilted Scots) that the floor consisted of a mirror as well. What happens if a person is surrounded on all six sides by mirrors? Reflections of reflections of reflections as far as they eye can see, your image being accompanied by the tortured blinking silver that surrounds you. That a grown man with adult children would go to the trouble of constructing such a playful structure is a matter of sheer delight. ~ Turkey was the flavour of the month in Victoria, and literally so, as Turkishborn members Levent Efe and Murat Top brought in platters of Turkish food to our regular meeting in June. Everybody was delighted to see Murat turn up with an instrument

I

have never been to a cartoon festival before - as a matter of fact, it had never occurred to me to go to one, that is until the Stanleys Weekend last year when, Kems and Steve Panozzo began to reminisce about their visit to the 2006 Shrewsbury International Cartoon Festival.

I have great admiration for British cartoonists and thought maybe if I went over and met a few, something (of their talent) might rub off on me - and also, a mate of mine in London had very generously bought me a copy of Gerald Scarfe’s book Drawing Blood and had managed to get Scarfe to sign it, when he found it would cost 50 pounds to post it - it weighed over 2.5kg - he told me if I wanted it, I should come and bloody well get it!

Shrewsbury’s in Shropshire, (try saying that after a few pints of Guinness) and is an enchanting medieval town in the North West of England, not far from the border with Wales. There are black and white Tudor buildings, ghosts and intriguing street names such as Mardol Head, Wyle Cop, Dogpole and Grope Lane (we won’t go there!). A perfect place to hold an international cartoon festival if ever there was one! This was the fourth time the cartoonists have come to town and it looks Inkspot #53 Winter 2007

Georges-Pierre Seurat

The fourth Shrewsbury was the biggest and best yet.

George & Maxine Haddon, along with anglophile Dean Alston, made sure the Aussie flag was waving in Shropshire.

For those weren’t there GEORGE HADDON shares his trip

like being a regular event on the town’s calendar.

Most, if not all the cartoonists stay at the Lion Hotel for the weekend, it’s a 17th century coach inn and comes with a ghost at no extra charge - the ghost of a soldier is said to have been seen by staff and guests in the Tudor bar. To add to the mystique of the hotel, it has the squeakiest, most undulating floors and easiest-to-getlost-in narrow passageways I have ever encountered - and very comfortable beds.

Maxine and I arrived late on Thursday afternoon after driving up from London, and found a lonely Noel Ford in the bar looking for someone to join him for dinner. I knew Noel’s work from his Punch days and remembered that he had come second in the Lindsay’s Cartoon Awards in 2005, and so it was great to meet him and chat over dinner. After dinner Pete Dredge (Punch, Private Eye) joined us in the bar, and it was later that night, that I experienced trouble saying “Shrewsbury in Shropshire” and finding my way back to my room through those passageways!

More cartoonists had arrived for the briefing by Alison Patrick (Destination Shrewsbury) at the Hotel on Friday morning, including Festival Chairman Roger Penwill, and a big bloke in the

corner who kept making jokes. It was (of course) Bill Stott. After a handing out of pens and pads it was off to the square to draw, meet the local folk and get to know my pommy colleagues.

Friday was spent doing drawings and caricatures and chatting to kids and their parents about cartooning, Australia, and how to pronounce Shrewsbury, (is it

www.cartoonists.org.au

Shrewsbury or Shrowsbury?) the answer, I was assured, is Yes! I was also watching Bill Stott, Roger Penwill, Noel Ford, Dave Gaskill, Pete Dredge and others create some giant cartoons on the big 8ft by 6ft boards. Anglophile Dean Alston arrived for his umpteenth visit and it was great to catch up with him again.

Friday evening we gathered at the wonderful Bear Steps Gallery - it’s opposite Grope Lane and just across the church yard from Dogpole, you can’t miss it! for the opening of the Festival Weekend,

a welcome by the Mayor of Shrewsbury and a private viewing of two of the three exhibitions scheduled for the weekend. A collection of very funny and beautifully drawn cartoons by ALBERT - Albert Rusling (Punch, Private Eye etc) - was downstairs. And Mind your own Business, an exhibition of cartoons by the festival participants based on this year’s theme, ‘Trade - buying and selling, wheeling and dealing’ was upstairs. Dinner at the Cornhouse, Wyle Cop wrapped up the day.

Saturday was busy with workshops, clinics and talks for the public, and a private viewing of drawings by Dave Follows whose Creature Feature comic strip was syndicated worldwide, and also more drawing in the square. In between caricaturing, Dean and I managed to get a “humural” done at the Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery (draw a festival theme cartoon plus a frame, on one of the large sheets of paper lining the gallery walls). Saturday night was party night back at the Lion Hotel (ghosts invited). A buffet dinner was followed by Beard, a rock band composed of Roger Penwill, Noel Ford and John Roberts as well as Tim Harries on keyboard. They also performed last year, and Roger said they reformed this year “despite public demand!” A feature of the night was a moving rendition of Goodnight Irene by the Skifflin’ Shrewsburys

and lead vocalist Bill Stott, accompanied by the whole room which brought tears to the eyes of Dave Gaskill’s wife (who just happens to be called Irene), but on reflection, maybe it was Dave’s singing that affected her!

Sunday morning it was back to Bear Steps Gallery for a final get together, more caricaturing, a buffet lunch... and goodbye.

A memorable weekend thanks to Roger and his Festival committee.

Back to London to visit the Cartoon Museum, the Feliks Topolski Gallery and William Hogarth exhibition at the Tate ... and to collect my very heavy Gerald Scarfe book! Then Rome and Hong Kong, where I did a bit of sketching, and home.

We had a great time, met some really nice, talented folk and saw some great art.

Did anything rub off on me? Well, too soon to tell, but I have developed an itch - to go back and have a go at a big board!

Photos by George Haddon (Clockwise): Dave Gaskill, Beard rocks the festival with vocals by Rumblin’ Bill Stott, WA’s Dean Alston with the CCGB’s Pete Dredge, Shrewsbury Market Place, cartoon festival centre, with the sun shinning!

www.cartoonists.org.au

Inkspot #53 Winter 2007

A word from the Chairman

T

o the astonishment of the organisers, once again the sun shone on Shrewsbury for it’s Cartoon Festival, its fourth. As it happened, April turned out to be England’s summer this year.

Held on the 20th to 22nd April, there was a busy programme of live cartooning, caricaturing, exhibitions, workshops, talks and clinics. Around forty invited cartoonists were there, from the UK, Australia and the US. It was great to welcome George Haddon and his wife, Maxine, as first-timers and to welcome back Dean Alston, who seems to be an annual fixture.

The Festival theme this time around was Business and Trade. The main effort was the live drawing of over 20 cartoons on 8ft x 6ft wooden boards. These make an obvious focus for the festival in the Market Square with cartoons so large the public can’t possibly miss them. They are a stimulating challenge to the cartoonists, taking most of them way outside their normal comfort zones.

Last year we introduced “humurals” into the festival. These are 30 inch square cartoons drawn on the wall (with a frame drawn by the cartoonist) to create an instant exhibition. Thirty were produced on the Saturday this year, all to an excellent standard.

New this time was “reverse caricaturing”.

This is based on the old traditional seaside attraction of sticking your head through a hole in a board on which has been painted a generously buxom girl in a bikini or a Inkspot #53 Winter 2007

skinny guy in striped Victorian bathing suit. The Shrewsbury version has the victim putting his/her head through a board on which is clipped a full height blank sheet of paper (also with a head hole). A new body is drawn on the spot and afterwards the victim can take away his new body. As expected, it was a popular attraction and will certainly be back next year.

The many cartooning workshops and clinics were very busy, often with queues of the public wanting to take part, several being keen attendees from previous years.

The main exhibitions showed collections of the work of Albert Rusling (Albert), Dave Follows and the Festival participants (Mind Your Own Business) and all were very popular with the public and cartoonists. All three ran for sometime either side of the festival weekend.

The weekend was also the occasion when FECO UK formally became a new organisation - the Professional Cartoonists Organisation (FECO UK). The PCO has also combined with and replaced the Cartoonists Guild to form this association to represent UK cartoons and cartoonists in the UK and worldwide. The PCO website is www.procartoonists.org.

Check out the Shrewsbury Festival website www.shrewsburycartoonfestival.com from time to time for news upates and photos. You can also see there an on-line catalogue of a selection of the Mind Your Own Business exhibition.

With another successful Shrewsbury Festival over, plans are underway for 2008.

Once again, any visiting ACA member will be made very welcome.

Roger Penwill - Festival Chairman

www.cartoonists.org.au

Mort Drucker

At the 2006 Stanleys one of the prized auction items was a caricature of Norman Lindsay by the MAD master of caricatures MORT DRUCKER. It was commissioned by local New York Irishman ADRIAN SINNOTT, who just happens to be a good friend of the world famous scribbler and who lives in the same neighbourhood. Not content with just organising the superb illustration, Adrian followed up with a 1 ON ONE interview, exclusively for INKSPOT, with the master craftsman.

Adrian: Had you ever heard of Norman Lindsay prior to doing his caricature?

Mort: Yes! A wonderful artist.

Adrian: Norman Lindsay was also known for his oil paintings, watercolours, sculpture and writing.

Everyone know your MAD and advertising work but they may not be familiar with your children’s book illustrations. Is there anything in particular you would like to do?

Mort: I very pleased with what I have been doing up until now. Just want to continue.

Adrian: Speaking of different types of work, do you have a favourite?

Mort: Advertising. Each assignment is different and usually exciting. As a commercial artist, the important thing to satisfy the client and yourself as well. www.cartoonists.org.au

Adrian: You did the Norman Lindsay caricature in shades of grays. Do you have a preference for any particular medium or do you like to experiment?

Mort: I like to experiment. My favourite medium is pencil. I enjoy using colour very much.

Adrian: You work from reference material, have you always done so?

Mort: Only when I have to do famous people.

When I was doing comic book art, I used reference for tanks, planes and guns when doing war stories.

Mostly I rely on myself.

Adrian: Do you have a set way to work? Do you just sit and start sketching or do you have an idea worked out in your mind before you start?

Mort: Mostly I work from scripts as guidelines.

I work out everything in my mind. The best way to illustrate a story or a line of copy is paramount.

Inkspot #53 Winter 2007

Adrian: Who were your influences?

Mort: So many... I try to learn from the masters, the illustrators from the 1930s on and many cartoonists that appeal to me.

Adrian: If you hadn’t gone into illustration, what would you have done?

Mort: I would have considered political cartooning.

It is a wonderful way to comment on our society in a humorous or biting way.

Adrian: If you don’t mind me asking, how long have you been working professionally?

Mort: As long as I can remember. I keep learning and experimenting. That keeps the adrenaline pumping. I hope each new assignment will be my best achievement, my greatest joy.

Adrian: Is it still fun and a challenge?

Adrian: Is it all done on one board or do you preliminary sketches of parts of the image and then combine the elements for the final?

Mort: I work directly on the board and make adjustments on the board. Time is always a factors.

Adrian: Do you try and keep office hours? Start and end at a particular time each day? Or do you work as long as you feel you’re making progress.

Mort: It is what I love to do, and always a challenge to keep doing my very best work. I think artists are the luckiest people, to earn a living doing what you love, although sometimes it can be frustrating!

Adrian: Finally, happy birthday from your Australian colleagues and fans.

Mort: Thank you all. You are all beautiful people!

(Above left): Mort’s Aussie connection at the Kansas City Reubens.

Centre Mort and wife Barbara. (Clockwise) James Kemsley, Sean Leahy, Peter Broelman and Gary Clark.

Adrian: These days clients think all we do is push a few buttons and the art is finished. This leads them to believe we don’t really need much time to actually create the work. Lately, deadlines seem shorter than ever. You don’t use e-mail, do you think it helps make your clients allocate more time for a certain job?

Mort: I try to deliver my assignments on the due date. If I feel the client has not given me the time needed to do the work, I would decline the assignment, Don’t be late!

Mort Drucker

Mort: I usually start a nine in the morning and stop at six. Of course on tight deadlines I would work more hours to get the assignment done.

Adrian: You have a few website, one of your own and one through your rep. I am sure your Australian colleagues would like to hear your views on the computer and the industry.

Mort: The computer is a wonderful tool. It does the bidding of the artist. It is the knowledge of the artists that creates. Observation, thought and experiment is the soul of the artist.

Inkspot #53 Winter 2007

www.cartoonists.org.au

The Australian Cartoonists’ Association wishes to acknowledge and thank the following sponsors for their support of

10

November 2, 3 & 4 Rydges Wollongong NSW Be There!

www.cartoonists.org.au

Inkspot #53 Winter 2007

DEAR DOCTOR, I am currently working on a new Swamp book However the colour strips I’m using from existing files are smaller than the required print size of the new book I have increased the size of the existing colour files ( tif 600dpi ) by about 15 %.

When these files are enlarged the sharp black line of the original colour file becomes blurred by extra pixels

Is there a way to upsize a colour file without getting the blur ?

:

1 2

Two questions:

If I can’t avoid this blur will it matter in the final print ?

Many thanks, Gary Clark

or … IF YOU CAN’T SEE A PROBLEM YOU PROBABLY DON’T HAVE A PROBLEM If, like Gary, you’re involved in the production side of things, these are typical questions that frequently crop up The first thing to do in all cases is to do a trial print at the resolution and on the paper stock you plan to use There are two reasons for this: 1) Your screen monitor lies. The print out proof will tell you what your final product will really look like. Expecially text.

2) You may also find that even though you feel like you might have pushed a few things too far with scaling or changing the resoluion of your files, that in fact there is no noticeable loss of quality This should be one of your first steps and one worth repeating as often as required

~

BECAUSE IF YOU CAN’T SEE A PROBLEM, THEN YOU DON’T HAVE A PROBLEM and you’ve just saved yourself the trouble of going ahead to do a whole lot of corrections on a whole lot of files for no good reason at all But do the trial first and you and the editor or art director will soon know whether it’s fine or whether you need to do all that extra work B) If it is a problem that requires fixing, try using Filter>Sharpen>Sharpen Edges. This filter essentially looks for adjacent pixels where there is a significant rapid changes in colour or greyscale tones to identify edges and focusses it’s sharpening activities on those pixels and leaves the other areas alone The example at left shows the effect of applying the filter once and then twice to an original.

For more details from the Photoshop Help screen, … > Type “Changing Image Size and Resolution” into the Search field Inkspot #53 Winter 2007

Q

DEAR DOCTOR, I have been following your suggestion about cutting out the resample button in the image window and resizing.

:

Q

But I am finding the image I am resizing has it’s dpi amount dropping with the resampling? At present I am pushing a Sunday cartoon from 17cm wide to 24cm wide.

Why would the dpi sizing be changing with it?

This almost make the resizing pointless as the size doesn’t seem to change drastically.

Regards Phil Judd Swamp Apprentice Hi Phil, The problem is Photoshop will only resample UNIFORMLY, ie both ways or not at all .... so that when you turn resample OFF, Photoshop automatically turns CONSTRAIN PROPORTIONS on.

You may have to try it in two steps.

A) Open the image size dialog box, make sure only the resample box is ticked and increase the resolution bearing in mind you are adding only computer invented pixels to the originals. Close and Save B) Then either scale using Transform OR open the dialog box again, and again with only the resample box ticked, change the width and height to the desired measurements. You’ll find that the ppi resolution now stays at the figure you set it at in step A Just one thing about scaling something 140% in one direction … it not only looks gross (Or the artist would have draiwn it like that in fhe first place as seen at left … ) but you are probably asking the Sharpening filter to work magic beyond it’s ordinary capacity and asking it to move into the realm of miracle worker.

Till the next Inkspot then! info@chriskelly.net.au www.cartoonists.org.au

11

Twenty-two years ago the ACA was known as the Sydney Black & White Artists’ Club.

There was a desire amongst its members to spread the Club nationally.

As the Fates would have it Wayne Baldwin and Michael Atchison organized a weekend in South Australia for cartoonists from around the country.

It proved to be catalyst that saw the Sydney club evolved into what is now the Australian Cartoonists’ Association.

After twenty-years Michael Atchison, from his private collection, has kindly let INKSPOT reproduce some of the doodles done by the attendees over the weekend. LINDSAY FOYLE reports.

C

12

artooning is many things to many people and it can be likened to seeking happiness at the end of a pen.

That one perfect cartoon that makes everyone laugh. There is another pursuit shared by many cartoonists, finding happiness at the bottom of glass. That one perfect drink that completly satisfies.

It was in part in pursuit of these twin goals that Wayne Baldwin along with Michael Atchison enticed cartoonists to a conference and cartoon exhibition in South Australia in 1985. It was a wellorganised event and The Advertiser had been in turn enticed to be involved to give the activities a sense of grandeur that only a major newspaper can impart on such a gathering.

A bus picked the thirty delegates up from airport and to make sure everyone fully understood why they

www.cartoonists.org.au

were there drinks were supplied.

Then there was the exhibition in Adelaide accompanied by a few drinks that established a pattern for the weekend. The bus ride that followed was comparatively dry and passengers were encouraged to avoid arriving in the Barossa in less than perfect condition. Social drinking was encouraged. The ride was reasonably short which lessened the chances of arriving legless.

Unfortunately before dropping everyone off at the hotel there was the all but compulsory wine tasting stop and everyone was forced to be on their best behaviour and have a few drinks just to look interested. The things we do to avoid offending. Dinner at the hotel did not involve going without and it was lucky nobody had to drive to their rooms.

The following day started with a champagne tasting and tour of

the Wolf Blass premises. It was a massive establishment and all efforts to drink it dry failed. Then there was another bus ride to the Adelaide Hills and a barbeque at Michael Atchison’s. Everyone had spent the past two days talking the perfect cartoon and seeking the ultimate drink and it was during that afternoon they did their best to display the expertise they had been perfecting.

It was with great sadness that the cartoonists who gathered there had to admit that despite all their hard work and continuing endeavours they left defeated. The perfect cartoon and the perfect drink had eluded them. However they were more than willing to meet again under similar circumstance to continue their quest for perfection.

As soon as they could after recovery drinks that is.

Inkspot #53 Winter 2007

13

(Clockwise): Allan Langoulant, John Stoneham, Neil Matterson, Michael Atchison, Stephen Stanley, Mark Lynch, Dave Emerson, George Haddon, Geoff Hook.

Inkspot #53 Winter 2007

www.cartoonists.org.au

ASK LINDSAY! ASK LINDSAY! ASK LINDSAY! Every Everyweek weekthe theACA ACAreceives receivesnumerous numerousenquiries enquires about about cartooning. cartooning.

It generally falls to cartoon aficionado and ACA historian It generally falls to cartoon aficionado and comic ACA comic LINDSAY FOYLE to supply the answers. historian LINDSAY FOYLE to supply the answers Our family has an original Reg Russom ink work. Possible from the late 1940s early 1950s ... it is in immaculate condition and is framed. Where would we be able to have a valuation done of this work?

There are many valuers who give valuations of artwork for insurance. Most private art galleries either have someone there or are in contact with a valuer. As far as I know there are only three who are registered to give valuations of cartoons for tax reasons. Vane Lindesay is one. David Swain is another, but I don’t know the name of the third. As for Reg he was born 1887. He worked in the United States contributing to Life and spent some years on the staff of New York Times.

He returned to Australia and concentrated on painting. He died in Newcastle, New South Wales 1952.

G’day, I am an amateur cartoonist, looking to help revive the Bluey and Curly cartoons. I am currently a member of the Army Reserve, with many contacts in the defence world, so material shouldn’t be a problem for me. All I need is to know whether anyone has the rights to the cartoon, and their contact details if possible. I would love the opportunity to get the cartoon back in circulation throughout the defence periodicals and the papers. If you have any information, please contact me at blueydpg@yahoo. com.au or on +61 410 107 510.

Thanks, mate Dan My understanding is the rights the Bluey and Curley would have been held by Les Dixon.

Originally Alex Gurney drew the comic strip when he worked for the Herald and Weekly Times. They would have held control of the rights. When the comic stopped being published Les revived it. Anyone wanting the revive it again would need to contact Les’ family.

Hi everyone I am searching for any information on an artist who drew a picture of my Great Grandfather in World War 1. It was in France in 1917. On the picture someone has written ‘some sketch by Vasto, the late Bulletin Melbourne artist’. My Great Grandfather must have treasured this and carried it folded up throughout the remainder of the war until he returned home in 1919. The artist may have been a friend and could have passed away during the war. I would really like to find out more about him. Can anyone help me track him down? I can’t find any reference to him on the web when I did a Google search. Thank you so much, Tamara.

I can’t find any reference to a cartoonist called Vasto. There were a number of cartoonists who contributed to The Bulletin from Melbourne, Afl Vincent, Tom Durkin, David Lowe, Norman Lindsay and Ambrose Dyson.

All of them were drawing what was called the Melbourne page. Who ever Vasto was he must have been a freelance artist who got the odd cartoon published.

I wish I could be of more help.

Got a question? Drop an email to Lindsay at inkspot@abwac.org.au or snail mail to PO Box 318 Strawberry Hills NSW 2012.

Les Dixon

14

I have a well-preserved copy of a collection of Phil May’s cartoons entitled Phil May in Australia. It was printed in 1904; it is large (45cmsx39cms) circa 100 pages. It was printed by The Bulletin and contains a wonderful selection of Mr May’s drawings, caricatures and cartoons. These are reproduced in lithographic form. I love it and would like to know if its value for insurance purposes. Think it’s important to tell you the book was published 18th January 1904 and there were only 975 copies printed for sale to subscribers....

10s 6d per copy!

Please can you help?

Kind regards, Alan Hales

I’m told there was more than one edition of the book Phil May in Australia book and the value runs for $50 to $250 depending on which edition and what condition the book is in. It was put out soon after his death in England.

At the same time, The Bulletin also printed a book called On the Hop, featuring cartoons

by Livingston Hopkins. He worked with May on The Bulletin from 1885 to 1888..

www.cartoonists.org.au

Inkspot #53 Winter 2007

Federation of Cartoonists Organisations

E

www.fecoweb.org

FECO

very other month, when our bulletin is published, I try to supply you with new information, which is, as we all know, abundant. This time, I shall deal with four items that concern all of us.

First, I would like to introduce our new bulletin editor, Mark Baars, who has succeeded Tim Harries; he will take care of this part of our FECO information in the future. We also thank Tim very much for his punctual and excellent work over all these years.

Second, I invite you to make use of our website, which runs under its new address: www.feco.info/ There, FECO members have access to any competition worldwide and may also run in works of their own, texts or information. According to our

webmaster Alexis, the membersonly public area is protected by the following password: Login: fecocontests Password: andyslist The password does not allow, however, access to the private area of the website.

In order to get through to that part and to the intranet, you will have to ask Alexis for your personal password; his address is: webmaster@feconet.net I have also asked every FECOpresident to send me a list of their members so as to get a better survey. Thank you for your cooperation.

Third, after two years in office, I am not going to demand something from you again but simply to thank you. To thank all friends, who cooperate within and around FECO, my colleagues I know and those whom I do not know yet, and the cartoon organizations and supporters, who pour information and offers over us. Not only does

our FECO family keep growing and becoming more important – there is also a good deal of soul in it. Wherever we meet we feel that we all belong to that strange clan which is able to laugh at themselves uninhibited.

Our next great appointment is the St.Just-le-Martel Festival – for which you are reminded to send cartoons!

Fourth, the organiser of the Portocartoon and one of our FECO Group members, Luis Humberto Marcos, writes that we are invited to vote – by e-mail - for the “people’s prize”. The selected artist will be invited for an individual exhibition during 2008.

You can find all the details searching in our FECO website under the link: Website promoting the art of cartoon.

Marlene Pohle FECO President General (translation: Frank Hoffmann)

TIME CAPSULE... 1978 15

In 1978, Jim Russell, Patron of the Black and White Artists’ Club at the time, was honoured on This Is Your Life.

Jim is centre wearing a traditional artist’s smock presented by the B&WAC members. Next to him is his wife Billie.

Among the Club members present were (left to right) Les Dixon, Bill WEP Pigeon, Max Foley, Eric Jolliffe, Doug Albion, Ron Melville, Tony Ladd-Hudson, Arthur Hudson, Dan Russell, John Beverley, Ian Cox, Norm Mitchell, John North, George Sprod and Tony Rafty. Among others present were Roger Climpson and Dawn Fraser.

Inkspot #53 Winter 2007

www.cartoonists.org.au

9OUR 6IEW /N

The Beach Rolf Heimann, Vic

Tony Lopes, NSW

16 Christophe Granet, NSW

www.cartoonists.org.au

George Haddon, Vic

Inkspot #53 Winter 2007

Jason Chatfield, WA Phil Judd, Qld

Dave Follett, NSW John Martin, SA

Richard Jones, NSW

Inkspot #53 Winter 2007

www.cartoonists.org.au

17

Laurent Titane, WA

18

Mark McHugh, NSW

Stephen Gunnell, NSW

Broelman, SA & Kemsley, NSW

Craig Hilton, Vic

www.cartoonists.org.au

Inkspot #53 Winter 2007

Luke Watson, WA

19

Sinann Cheah, Singapore

Thank you to everyone who contributed to Your View On. We hope you enjoy the cartoons and comics which did find space.

The subject for issue #54 will be

“Family�

Please email your submissions to inkspot@abwac.org.au Louis Postruzin, NSW

Inkspot #53 Winter 2007

www.cartoonists.org.au

The Dreaming

20

by Queenie Chan TokyoPop, Los Angeles, LA. Dec. 2005, Nov. 2006 ISBN 1598163825 & 1598163833 192 pp. / $17.95 (each) Reviewed by Ian C.Thomas A first-rate, superb piece of literature in every sense, Queenie Chan’s The Dreaming is World-class graphic storytelling! Australian Manga has been developing for some time – Queenie Chan made her debut in the fine anthology Generation 2004 (see Inkspot #46). When TokyoPop opened its submissions to overseas artists a few years ago, it provided the opportunity for Chan to tell a trilogy length tale in an ideal form, and to a broad audience.

This story of twin sisters arriving at an isolated school unfolds as a horror story of real substance, subtlety and depth. My initial expectation of Amber, the quieter twin, becoming the main heroine is turned on its head. Amber becomes sleepier and more withdrawn as the story unfolds, while Jeanie finds it harder to sleep, but both are drawn into The Dreaming.

While many (including Chan herself) have pointed to Picnic at Hanging Rock as an obvious touchpoint, “The Dreaming,” with its boarding school isolated in the dark forest, hidden teachers and constant rain, has some of the thematic sensibilities of other cinema (such as the Gothic shocker Suspiria). Chan also pays tribute to literature such as Ruth Park’s Playing Beattie Bow (in the name Beatrice Bow Spector) - without knowing the

www.cartoonists.org.au

conclusion, I theorise that this particular reference may be a substantial clue to the conclusion.

Chan points to her real inspiration coming from the disturbing unsolved disappearance of a school friend who was camping in Tasmania, perhaps one reason the work comes across as so deeply felt and moving.

There are echoes everywhere in the narrative - echoes of themes and textures – even to the geometry of a window matched with a clothing pattern in the same panel. The twins theme is central to the narrative arc, with Jeanie and Amber walking in the footsteps of an earlier, extremely macabre, twin incident at the school.

If there is some conscious anachronism at work in the choice of Victorian clothing in the paintings and visions, I think this is tied to the nature of the ghosts themselves, apparitions from beyond the borders of time and death.

Without gore, it manages to be very creepy indeed.

With such a fascinating plot, the detailed characterisation may, at times, get in the way of the following up of clues (such as the album of paintings), but there are clues revealed in unexpected places throughout. The artwork is glorious in its sumptuous detail and assurance in all areas – character, setting and mood.

This series of classy graphic novels should appeal to manga and non-manga readers alike (it’s told right to left for Western audiences). Further, I found that it addressed what I consider to be some of the shortcomings of much traditional manga. The backgrounds are lushly detailed, but the detailed artwork is at once highly imaginative, as well as transparently clear and readable.

The characterisation is consistent in words and images. It ranges from comedy to tragedy, but steers close enough to a highly stylised realism to convince the reader to care.

I give these books my highest recommendation and keenly await the conclusion in Volume 3 (published in November)!

See: http://www.queeniechan.com/thedreaming/ -ICT

Guh! Book Two

by Jase Harper A5 B&W 36 pages $6 (including postage) April 2007 Reviewed by Ian C.Thomas One of the finest local comic contributors of the past few years, writer/artist Jase Harper has featured in anthologies such as The Ink, Eat Comics and Pirates (including the cover). Harper works with a stable of appealing characters and a relentlessly funny outlook, typically telling short comic stories in a cartoony style.

Previously, he was also co-editor and publisher (as well as a main writer and artist) of the five issues of Queensland anthology comic, Sporadic (reviewed in Inkspot #41). His best known creation is Big Fun Mega Happy Petland starring Dice ‘N’ Stu, two zany rabbits, which appeared in Mania childrens’ magazine during 2006.

The first issue of Guh was essentially a compilation of all Harper’s anthology contributions to that point. While Book Two continues that approach, most of the material here is seeing print for the first time. Harper’s skills in his other life as an animator are visible in his lively, assured comic storytelling.

Inkspot #53 Winter 2007

Huynh’s editing has also lent cohesion to this collection of disparate narratives, with the stories flowing naturally alongside each other - the book opens with Glenn Lieu’s tale of Street Fighter machines, which drifts nicely into Tak Tran’s “Poker Machines.” Differing aspects of the supermarkets, streets, shops, arcades and alleys spring to life with each new narrative voice.

Matt Huynh’s lively brushwork, featuring sketchy landscapes, powerful use of spot blacks, unruled borders and hand-lettering, work in an impressionistic manner to create the spaces in which sensitively rendered people come to life – in his own words, “the cracks and corners where miracles and tragedies are hidden.”

Produced with the assistance of a grant from the Foundation for Young Australians, CAB well reflects youth experiences in general – in particular capturing a sense of looking back to a watershed period of life. Attractively presented as a large paperback book, this collection of honest, direct personal histories covers neglected subject matter in a truly appropriate, enjoyable form, and would make a great addition to any library or graphic novel collection.

The bulk of the strips are hilarious vignettes from Jase’s Live Journal comic, drawing on his own day-to-day experiences in broad brushstrokes – visiting the artstore, waiting for the train, being stalked by cats, imagining ways he might be going to die.

Among the other strips is an unseen one page Adventure of Biffo, the iconoclastic punk clown guitarist (formerly featured in The Ink). The rest of the set is filled out with funny Harper eccentrics – a Furry, a Pirate, some Mind Fidgets and Angry Toast. The only caution might be a language warning.

Overall, this is an essential collection from one to watch!

Available from: http://stikman.netica.com.au/store.htm -ICT

21

Available from: http://www.jaseharper.com/news.htm -ICT

CAB: Collaborative Auto-Biography

by Matt Huynh A4 B&W 72 pages $15 (including postage) March 2007

Reviewed by Ian C.Thomas As always, Matt Huynh continues to surprise and impress with his exploration of new graphic novel material in the Australian context. One of my favourite forms of Australian comics is the regional anthology, but there’s never been one like this before – one that redefines what’s possible in this form of media.

CAB: Collaborative Auto-Biography is a substantial and revealing collection of short autobiographical comics set in the ‘80s/’90s, in the suburbs of Cabramatta and Canley Vale in Sydney’s South-West. The main unifying thread is Matt Huynh’s art (he draws all the stories), but the setting, the first-person narrations, and the largely South-east Asian makeup of the region, help to lend it a particular sense of time and place. The stories themselves draw from the various experiences and memories of a dozen young residents and visitors to the area.

Inkspot #53 Winter 2007

Ian C. Thomas is a regular reviewer for Inkspot.

He currently draws Moth & Tanuki for Mania magazine and OzTaku.

Read a good book, comic, cartoon collection lately?

Watched a bad DVD or TV show to with cartooning?

Let your colleagues know about it!

Send your review to inkspot@abwac.org.au www.cartoonists.org.au

22

www.cartoonists.org.au

Inkspot #53 Winter 2007

23

Inkspot #53 Winter 2007

www.cartoonists.org.au

The Insanity Streak empire continues to expand.

Card & Paper House have published three Insanity Streak Christmas cards to be released in October. The cards are available in Myer, David Jones and large newsagencies.

This follows on from the Insanity Streak humour range that is currently available at David Jones. Tony Lopes, the creator of the award-winning strip, said “I’m excited by the prospect of the cards.” And so he should be with an extra mouth to feed due in November... at Stanleys’ time...

Relative to the size of its population, Australia has made a disproportionately-large contribution to the world of comic art…” says Professor John Lent in the latest International Journal of Comic Art published in Philadelphia. Over a hundred pages in this issue are dedicated to Australian cartooning, with the main article by Vane Lindesay, followed by contributions from Michael Hill, Vicky Karaminas, Lindsay Foyle, Roman Rosenbaum and Rolf Heimann. The International Journal of Comic Art, published twice yearly, is an invaluable help to researchers, as it covers not only main stream topics, but activities in the smallest Third World countries as well. Back issues are held in trust by Rolf Heimann, ready to be transferred to an ACA cartooning archive and library, if such a thing will ever be created.

You can check out details of the publication at www.ijoca. com... The doyen of American cartooning, R.C. “Bob” Harvey has published a 952 page definitive biography of the influential master of the adventure strip Milton Caniff.

Twenty-five years in the making, the book traces Caniff’s life from the cradle to the grave, marking along the way the milestones in the development of comic strip artistry that Caniff established. His innovations and techniques are thoroughly analysed. From Fantagraphics Books, copiously if not exactly profusely illustrated. Like all great books it’s available from online at Amazon.com, a steal for $23US

Multi-Stanley recipient Gary Glark is about to publish his 15th collection of Swamp, aptly titled Full Power Ding Duck. Done as a limited edition it is only available by contacting Clark by phone on 07 3353 0422, fax 07 3353 0466 or you can email gary@swamp.com.au. The collection can also be bought online through the Swamp website shop www.swamp.com.au. At $19.50 including GST, if you’re slow off the mark you’ll miss out. plus about $12US shipping! Check Bob’s website out for more details www.RCHarvey.com... New Zealand- based cartoonist Brendan Boughen has been receiving positive reviews for his first solo book, Gone Astray: A Collection of (Sac)Religious Cartoons

by Jim. Described as “recommended pew-side reading for all”, it’s a tongue-incheek look at church life, the book was released in Auckland in 2006, with launch honours done by fellow ex-pat Aussie, Rod Emmerson, Boughen been published in the US, the UK, Australia and New Zealand. Check out his web-site at www.cartoonsbyjim.com... Who is the most travelled cartoonist in the ACA? Joanne Brooker might get the nod with jaunts to Europe, South America and the Middle East, seems like she never unpacks her bags these days, but Brooker has serious competition in the form of Pran Kumar, the ACA’s only Indian member, based in New Delhi. The last couple of years have seen Kumar head off to the UK, come down for a quick Aussie visit and head to the States for the Reubens.

This year he has just returned from a leisurely tour of Austria, Switzerland and Italy and before the dust has settled he’s winging his way to China, to fulfil an invitation from the Chinese Government to attend an Asian Comics Convention. Only one question needs to be asked, when does Kumar find time to draw Chacha Chaudhary?