Inkspot 65 by Australian Cartoonists' Association

INSIDE:

2011 Stanleys Special Guest RON COBB

Number 65, Autumn 2011

ANTON EMDIN makes Australian Cartooning History at the 2011 NCS REUBEN AWARDS Are You Sick of Your Artwork Being Squashed? LINDSAY FOYLE on Your Rights

BOOK NOW!

2011 STANLEY AWARDS 11& 12 NOVEMBER www.cartoonists.org.au

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PR E SI DE N T ’ S PA R L AY Issue #65, Winter 2011 www.cartoonists.org.au 1300 658 581

ACA Board Patron Vane Lindesay (03) 9523 8635 President president@cartoonists.org.au Deputy President deputy@cartoonists.org.au Secretary secretary@cartoonists.org.au Treasurer Grant Brown treasurer@cartoonists.org.au Membership Secretary Dee Texidor VICE PRESIDENTS: Lindsay Foyle (NSW/ACT) nsw@cartoonists.org.au Luke Watson(Vic/Tas) vic@cartoonists.org.au Gary Clark (Qld) Simon Kneebone (SA/NT) sa@cartoonists.org.au Mick Horne (WA) wa@cartoonists.org.au ABN 19 140 290 841 Inkspot

National Cartoonists Society

President: Terry Christien

President: Andy Davey www.procartoonists.org

PP 533798/0015

Editor: Steve Panozzo The “i” Team:

Cover: Anton Emdin by Luke Watson

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T’S BACK! The 2011 Stanley Awards weekend is creeping up steadily, and that means two things: 1.) It’s time to send in your entries and 2.) it’s time to lock in 11th and 12 thNovember for the biggest weekend of the cartooning calendar. If you haven’t sent your entries in yet, you have until midnight on 19th August to do so. Any entries sent after this date cannot be accepted. Just a reminder: You must be a financial member to be eligible to enter the Stanley Awards. As I mentioned in the last issue, this year’s Stanleys conference and Awards evening will be taking place in the heart of the Sydney CBD, at the Mercure Sydney. Details of this year’s conference line-up and venue have been enclosed with this copy of Inkspot. If you haven’t received one, or it’s disappeared behind the couch, don’t panic- check the ACA website, blog and Twitter feed for details. We’ll also be posting out a fully-detailed colour brochure of the weekend along with a booking form. It’s very clear that in an age where most cartoonists are working from a home studio and showcasing their work online, a web presence is of paramount importance. That’s why we have completely overhauled the official website for the ACA with a brand new set of modern features. These features are essential to staying up-to-date with the requirements of a professional cartooning association in 2011. With the help of the very tech-savvy Lee Sheppard, we are due to launch in the coming months. Stay tuned to your email updates for more details. The ACA has been extensively looking into insurance and has extended public liability cover for members doing ACA-related activities. This includes any task in the ACA’s control such as workshops, public gigs, school visits, appointments, meetings and even commissioned work organised by the ACA. So if you’re doing ACA stuff we’ve got you covered! We also investigated professional liability for members but unfortunately cartoons are not produced in

an advisory capacity (such as architecture, construction, legal advice) so we would be wasting members money in having a policy that would never be used. Additionally we looked at individual public liability for all members however the premiums went through the roof and the paperwork associated with each member was quite onerous. Instead, we advise that members seek their own public liability insurance for public engagements. Check out the ACA’s insurance broker, Vaughan and Monaghan at www.rjvm.com.au or www. duckforcover.com.au for public liability for public performers. GRAPHIC, the pop culture expo at the Sydney Opera House is on August 1921. Our own Andrew Weldon will be there conducting a comic workshop, MAD magazine artist Peter Kuper, living legend Robert Crumb and a host of other artists will attend. The ACA will also be there promoting The Stanley Awards. Thanks as always to our Inkspot team, and in particular to editor Steve Panozzo for his tireless efforts to put it all together voluntarily on top of an already mammoth workload. It’s a great read - enjoy, and see you at the Stanleys!

PARZ!

Me Quantm Big Award!

Anton Emdin, Chris Wahl and Frantz Kantor have been nominated in the Illustration category for the The 2011 Qantm Create Design Awards. Wahl is also nominated for the Brand Identity Award for his creation of the logo for The Drawing Book Studios. Kantor has been nominated for his set design work for the Australian stage production of Hairspray, Wahl for his illustrations of Australian Rugby Union players for a television commercial and Emdin for two illustrations, one of which, a portrait of playwright David Williamson (pictured below), appeared on the cover of The Spectator Australia.

The Create Design Awards, now in their 7th year, “celebrates Australia’s world-class creative industry, awarding exceptional talent over a vast array of creative fields”. The presentations will be held at the Forum Theatre in Melbourne on 22 September.

Kerry Thompson and her latest venture

Kerry’s a Big Girl Now... Those of you familiar with the work of Kerry Thompson (formerly Kerry Millard) will know she’s a brilliant cartoonist. So it’s wonderful to see her creativity blossoming on canvas as well. Over the last several months, Kerry has been taking part in a series of group exhibitions and in June she launched a solo exhibition, “It’s a Jungle Out There”, at the Xavier Exhibition Space at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney. Using acrylics and canvas, Kerry created a “garden path” leading to “habitats, inhabitants, paddocks and an halibut”. A portion of the proceeds from sales went to the hospital. To see what Kerry’s been up to, visit www.kerrythompsongallery. com

ABOVE: Anton Emdin’s take on David Williamson celebrating “Don Parties On”, the sequel to his celebrated 1971 play “Don’s Party” BELOW: Stan Goldberg and Sy Barry collaborated to produce this one-of-a-kind sketch to raise funds for Westmead Children’s Hospital.

extraordinaire from Baltimore. Each gathering also features a charity auction, and this time around the LFMBEC raised $7,500 for Westmead Hospital. Among the various Phantom-related items on offer was a stunning pencil sketch drawn by our good friends, legendary Phantom artist Sy Barry and Archie’s “dad”, Stan Goldberg, which sold for a quite respectable $1,200.

Dietmar the Poster Boy

Daze’s last Mercury cartoon

Another Good Mark for The Phantom... On 4 June, members of the Lee Falk Memorial Bengali Explorer’s Club met in Sydney for one of their regular dinners, this time at Doltone House at Pyrmont. Each dinner features a guest speaker, many of which have been ACA members and other well-known closet Phantom “Phans”. The guest this time around was Pete Klaus, a Phantom collector

While we’re on the subject of all things purple, it might be worth mentioning the Masterworks series of Phantom prints. In 1997, Dietmar Lederwasch began production of a series of limited-edition prints depicting the history of The Phantom. Produced on archival museum-quality paper, each 900mm x 600mm print depicts one generation of our hero (the current Phantom is the 21st) painted by an artist of significance. www.cartoonists.org.au

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PARZ!

ing. He’s certainly seeing things amongst the pot plants. His latest show at NG Art Gallery in Chippendale, “Conversations With Nature”, featured his latest oils on canvas which were completely devoted to... well, hybridised plant and human life.

So far, Sy Barry, Frantz Kantor, Fred Fredericks, former Disney animator Barry Dean, our own, much missed Richard Jones, and frequent Achibald Prize finalist Paul Newton have created their own unique takes on The Phantom. The latest print (pictured) has just been released, created by Archibald Prize winner Euan MacLeod. Those interested can get in touch with Dietmar through his shop, Hunters For Collectors, on (02) 4969 6990 or 0414 243 851.

The End of Daze

Never one to shy away from the esoteric, Eric’s paintings include Rose (a woman with a flowering rose for a head) and Green Deity (a sensually-shaped leafy plant exhibiting some womanly curves). Coupled with the show was an Artist Workshop and Dinner, an innovative idea and something we’d like to see more of.

Saturday Evening Mercury columnist Ray Jeffrey who asked him to do his first cartoon. Daze has knocked out 9,642 cartoons since 1982 when he started at The Examiner, followed by a spell with The Australian. For the past 11 years he has provided weekly cartoons for The Mercury.

It Had to Appen

Having never known what to do with his originals, Daze donated many of them to the Rotary Club of Hobart’s 22nd Annual Charity Art Show which was held in July.

Bald Archy Winner Meanwhile down in Hobart, The Mercury’s editorial cartoonist Graeme Dazeley packed away his inkwell and trademark fly on the wall in June after 50 years of giving the news a humorous edge .

A portrait of Julian Assange has won the 2011 Bald Archy Prize.The caricature by Xavier Ghazi portrays the WikiLeaks founder with his trousers around his ankles, urinating into Uncle Sam’s top hat.

“I grew up in Queenstown where they have a couple of wet days each year and as kids we couldn’t go outside and play so we’d just sit at the table and draw,” he said.

This was Ghazi’s fourth Bald Archy win, taking home a cheque for $5,000. He was one of 46 finalists, with portraits of Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Assange dominating the field. Now in it’s 18th year, the competition regularly boasts entries by ACA members. Judy Nadin took out the prize last year with her portrait of Bert Newton.

In 1961, the young cadet engineer met

With Fronds Like These... Perhaps indicative of reaching his twilight years, News Limited’s Eric Löbbecke has seemingly taken a liking to garden4

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The ever-inventive Mark Lynch now has his own Apple “app”, running through iTunes. Simply called LOL, it features 80 colourful single-gag cartoons. “They advertise it as a free download, but in fact when you download it to your iPad it asks you to pay $9.99 to proceed,” says Lynch, “Crafty buggers these new-age publishers.” One in every five cartoons is animated and the app is only suitable for iPad at this time, not iPhones. “It’s early days for this technology and the use of cartoons on it’s platform but it’s a case of, ‘be there or be square!’ - and no one is sure where it will end up,” he enthuses. Perth’s Sunday Times has started an app service, using Mark’s comic strip, Clancy. It’s his guess that many others will follow suit. In the meantime, look out for his new book, Rugby Shorts, which will be released in time for the 2011 Rugby World Cup in September.

www.cartoonists.org.au

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Kems’ Collection Finds a New Home Many fellow ACA members will know of James Kemsley’s love of all things Norman Lindsay. Over many years, Kems had managed to curate a unique collection of Lindsay memorabilia, amassing the most comprehensive collection of Norman Lindsay printed matter to ever exist. As bookseller Paul Feain put it, Kemsley’s collection contained “every Norman Lindsay title, every publication to ever reference Lindsay, every illustration ever printed, every single piece of paper to ever whisper his name”. Kems wanted this collection to be his legacy, to provide some form of financial security for his family. So, in April, just over three years after his death in 2007, his wife Helen made the emotional decision to auction the collection. Released from the confines of the Kemsley library room in Welby, the true size of James’ passion became all too evident. Filling a multitude of presentation cases in the auction room, the stockpile of books and ephemera was an impressive sight. The catalogue for the Kemsley assortment alone ran to 81 pages. To give some sense of the sheer size of the collection, consider this: Kemsley somehow managed to procure every

More Awards in a Rowe David Rowe is the overall winner of the 7th edition of the World Press Cartoon competition with his work “Wikileaks and Uncle Sam”, published last December in The Sun-Herald.

single edition of every book Norman Lindsay ever wrote and/or illustrated. There were dozens of editions of both A Curate in Bohemia and The Magic Pudding (even in Japanese). Amongst the treasures were signed limited editions, dolls and figurines based on Lindsay’s characters, magazines, brochures, exhibition catalogues, leaflets and programmes and, best of all, an unpublished, undated 131-page original novel by Norman Lindsay. Lindsay wrote and illustrated this manuscript, entitled A Misfit in Souls. The catalogue entry reads: An unpublished Norman Lindsay novel. Typed manuscript. Inscribed “To Keith (Wingrove), Possibly you will remain as the only reader of this cheerful and irresponsible little fantasy. Yours ever. Norman Lindsay”. Page 27 is in NL hand. Bound in are a partially completed title page illustration and a full page signed pen and ink illustrating a scene from the story. Pages 32, 35 & 54 have light pencil illustrations on the back of the typed page. Possibly NL working sketches.

On hand to witness the sale (in a packed room) were Lindsay Foyle and Steve Panozzo. “The Norman Lindsay Collection” went under the hammer for a considerable sum and has found a new home at the University of Technology, Sydney.

The awards ceremony took place in April at the Centro Cultural Olga Cadaval in Sintra, Portugal. This year’s edition received 822 drawings by 462 cartoonists. The finalists came from Albania, Australia, Brazil, Spain, Mexico, Poland and Portugal. The jury was composed a distinguished selection of cartooning luminaries António Antunes, Director of the World

Press Cartoon competition and cartoonist for Expresso (Portugal’s leading weekly newspaper), British legend Ralph Steadman, Canadian illustrator Anita Kunz, Italian all-rounder Alessandro Gatto and Belgian cartoonist, illustrator and plasticine modeller, Cecile Bertrand. David will be buying beers at a pub near you.

As well as winning the Grand Prix (and a prize of €20,000), Rowe was also awarded first prize in the Editorial Cartoon category.

RIGHT: David Rowe’s international award-winning cartoon, “Wikileaks and Uncle Sam” FAR RIGHT: David and Annie next to their personalised Smart Car!

www.cartoonists.org.au

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Meggs on the Money

The Perth Mint have released a commemorative 1oz Silver Australian $1 coin to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Australia’s favourite boy, Ginger Meggs. It’s not everyday an Australian comic strip character is featured on a coin. Ginger Meggs, created by James C Bancks, first appeared in 1921 and remains the longest-running and most popular Australian comic strip, currently appearing in newspapers in 34 countries. The coin features an homage to Bancks’ 1945 Sunbeams Annual (Series 22) cover, which featured the famous redhead on the back of a kangaroo, accompanied by his dog, Mike, and his pet monkey, Tony.

II, the 2011 year-date and is issued as legal tender under the Australian Currency Act 1965.

The obverse portrays the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth

Check out the Ginger Meggs coin at www.perthmint.com.au

Exhibition Crowds Hooked on Jeff Geoff Hook, although long “retired”, continues to be an inspiration. His recent exhibition in the prestigious Queen’s Hall of Melbourne’s Parliament building (since 27 June 27) was raising funds for the Dunlop Medical Research Foundation, with all 75 exhibits, nicely framed, prized at a reasonable $350. The exhibition has now moved to the Old Treasury Building. The first venue proved to have advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand there were airport-like security procedures that made a visit less casual than a normal walk-in/walk-out gallery, but on the other hand Queen’s Hall is exposed to the stream of regular frequent school

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Tassie Seduces Reg

excursions, which helped to introduce Geoff’s work to many of the younger generation. As such it also proved again the educational value of cartooning by raising the historical interest of visitors.

The ever-unpredictable, yet always inspiring, Reg Lynch has forsaken the joys of the NSW Central Coast and moved house, stopping just short of the Antarctic to settle in Tasmania.

“What was the meaning of a bearded man trying in vain to light his cigar with a Soviet lighter?”, asked a young student, referring to Geoff’s brilliant comment on Soviet aid being withdrawn from Fidel Castro. This particular cartoon was given the red dot by Geoff’s number one fan, Rolf Heimann. Mark Knight was another cartoonist proud to own an original of the master. To see a whole bunch of Geoff’s best work makes one wish for a nice collection in book-form. It would be a heavy book indeed.

“Great moving here,” he writes. “Best thing I’ve done on purpose for a long time”.

Holy Open Wallets! Online auction house, Heritage Auctions, presided over the sale of a world record price for comic book art in May. The original art from Page 10, Issue 3 of Frank Miller and Klaus Janson’s Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (DC Comics, 1986) became the single most valuable piece of American comic art to ever sell when it brought US$448,125, against a US$125,000+ pre-auction estimate.

www.cartoonists.org.au

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Barking Mad? You Bet.

It started with a phone call. It

was a marketing company, asking if I could organise groups of cartoonists in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide to draw “live” caricatures of dogs and their owners as part of a national pet food promotion called Bark in the Park. Naturally, I said “yes”. It ended up being a juggling act, albeit a fun one! The gigs, for Purina’s Beneful range of dog food, saw each locale host a dog-and-owner day out, featuring a dog grooming spa, behavioural specialists, nutrition advice and... us! Six cartoonists were needed for Brisbane, ten in Sydney, eight in Melbourne and four in Adelaide. While there are quite a few cartoonists in Australia, not all of us like to draw in public, let alone draw animals in the dead of winter!

So I got got in touch with fellow ACA members in each State. While it was easy finding ten on-the-spotters to Sydney and eight for Melbourne, Brisbane was a little more difficult and Adelaide moreso, but eventually things fell into place. Peter Broelman and I ended up attending each venue, so after 5 weeks I’m sure he was sick of the sight of me. Feeling a little like four mid-year Stanleys weekends, each of the gigs left indelible impressions; some insane dog names, Peter Byrne being overwhelmed by a Great Dane, David Schaefer drawing with lipstick, being almost snap-frozen in Melbourne, most of us looking like barbershop choirs in our promotional aprons and being able to meet up with a few other ACA colleagues along the way. The client is already talking about next year’s event, so stay tuned!

Steve Panozzo DOG DAY AFTERNOONS (clockwise from top): Peter Lewis and young muse in Sydney; Judy Nadin getting to grips with a pink pooch power couple; Barbers or butchers? David Shaefer, Ray Hirst, Peter Broelman and Steve Panozzo braving a crisp Adelaide morning; Post-canine recovery for Craig Mann, Wayne Fleming, Jules Faber, Nigel Bell and Gary Clark chewing the chips; Tony Kentuck and a subject that won’t sit still; Stanley Toohey and his unique take on reality; Peter Byrne and giant friend; Peter Broelman and yet another Staffordshire Terrier called Coco...

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Rotary Cartoon Awards Go Off-Road and Rally International Support I was just lucky enough to be able to

stop the presses to get the news in of this year’s Rotary Cartoon Awards. The presentation was held at the Bunker Cartoon Gallery in Coffs Harbour on Saturday evening, 23 July. And - despite other local events, the rugby and freezing weather - a big crowd, including a solid contingent of cartoonists, turned up on the night to see the works and find out who the winners were. This year, we received 731 entries - a result well up on last year. It was particularly pleasing for our team to see that we are reaching new artists and that our website is working for us. This year the entries included works from 80 artists new to the Awards. Another very good result was achieved in the international section. We received entries from 24 countries, including Australia. Last year, artists from twelve countries participated so the increase was excellent. Amongst the international entries, we received works from twelve countries new to the Rotarys: Thailand, Spain, Republic of Korea, Peru, Malta, India, Georgia, El Salvador, Ecuador, Colombia, Burina Paso and Africa. A big “thanks” goes to Rolf Heimann who has given the Bunker a lot of help and

support over the past twelve months. In particular, with getting the word out to the international cartooning organisations; the results speak for themselves. It was also great to see Rolf’s work up on the wall again this year. Thanks also to all cartoonists who have entered this year. You have contributed to the ongoing success of the competition and the continuation of the Rotary Awards tradition. It is very pleasing that the legacy of founder John Champion carries on. We all feel that John is always there in spirit at the Bunker and particularly there with us on Awards night. The first showing of entries is currently on display at the Bunker up until September when our city hosts the Australian leg of the World Rally Championships. During the Rally, the Bunker will be exhibiting appropriate works from this year’s Rotary Awards and the Rotary Collection, along with additional works from Lindsay Foyle. In other news... we were proud to recently host two high-profile cartoonists, who collectively boast 50 years of cartooning, within one week of each other at the Bunker. The Insanity Streak exhibition was held during April/May. Both Tony Lopes and his brother, Steve Lopes, were at the

POLITICAL THEME

Winner - Mark Rhodes Merit - Peter Byrne

SPORTS THEME

Winner - Ron Atkinson Merit - Gary Clark

COMIC STRIP

Winner & Merit -Tony Lopes

CARICATURE

Winner - Judy Nadin Merit - Grant Brown

OPEN

Winner & Merit - Mark Lynch

SPECIAL NATIONAL CATEGORY: “Tying the Knot” Winner - David Rowe Merit - Phil Judd

SPECIAL INTERNATIONAL CATEGORIES: “Freedom of Information” & “World Rally Championships” Winner - Mark Lynch Merit - Lindsay Foyle

CARTOON OF THE YEAR Winner - David Rowe

ABOVE: Perennial winner David Rowe’s Cartoon of the Year 8

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ABOVE: The now “International Award-Winning” Lindsay Foyle

opening function and spent an enjoyable weekend with us in Coffs. Steve, who is also an artist, will be exhibiting at our Regional Art Gallery next year. The following weekend, it was party time again with a Rotary Cartoon Awards fund-raising event at a local ‘caff’. This Wine, Coffee & Cartoon Appreciation evening is in its third year and is now considered an annual event. Peter Lewis travelled up from Newcastle and generously gave his time over that weekend to be the guest speaker. He was an excellent drawcard and his presence made it a fun and successful evening. Thanks again to Peter and his family for helping us with our fund-raising. Peter’s exhibition , 25 Years: But is it Art?, recently on display at the Newcastle Art Gallery, was featured in our main gallery during June/July.

We had the Bald Archy Prize on exhibition at the Bunker during May/June. This year’s winner, Xavier Ghazi, opened the exhibition with about 100 people in attendance on the night. The Archys are always a popular exhibition for the Bunker and we are proud to be one of a few regional galleries privileged to have this fun exhibition each year. Don’t forget - if you are planning a visit to Coffs Harbour or just passing through, please drop in and see us. We are always keen to welcome visiting cartoonists and discuss an exhibition of your work. Our gallery co-ordinator is Lisa Magri. Please give her a call on (02) 66 517343 or email: bunkergallery@bigpond.com

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Grant Brown and best mate Hef, who helped him earn a Merit Award in Caricature; What would the Rotary Cartoon Awards be if Mark Lynch DIDN’T take home at least three awards?; Judy Nadin, Dee Texidor, Chris Barr and Coffs Harbour’s own human gorilla suit, Jules Faber; David Rowe setting a fine example for the next generation of Rowes; Judy Nadin smiles winningly - Geoffrey Rush is not amused.

Thanks again to all cartoonists who entered the 23rd Rotary Cartoon Awards this year – it was a great success!

Fran Stephenson www.cartoonists.org.au

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ANTON EMDIN: HE Reuben Awards. ‘The Academy Awards of cartooning’ attract some of the biggest names in the industry. But it’s not just one night – it’s a whole long weekend of eating, meeting, singing, dancing, drawing and learning. Breakfasts and dinners are included, as are the amazing seminars. I went with fellow Aussies Jason Chatfield and Luke Watson and we did our damndest to uphold the precedent set by Australian cartoonists like James Kemsley and Jim Russell who blazed the Reubens trail before us; drinking like fish and drawing like demons.

JASON CHATFIELD: hen making the journey to the Reuben Awards weekend, I’ve always been encouraged to arrive at least a few days early to acclimatise to the antipodean weather, the ridiculous time-

zone shift and the American accent. It was unfortunate then, that due to a longstanding travel curse, my 22-hour flight to Boston turned into a 55-hour endurance mission that saw me traverse three continents in as many days to arrive at my final destination with the constitution of a septuagenarian insomniac with tourette’s. It was Thursday. I checked in to the brilliantly ornate Fairmont Copley Plaza and fell into the room to find Mr Emdin perched on edge of the bed having had a refreshing afternoon nap. We immediately took the elevator (which was older than Rafty) down to the lobby to be greeted by some of the most friendly and welcoming faces, who just happened to be recent Stanleys guests, such as Stan Goldberg (Archie), Michael Jantze (The Norm) and the incoming NCS President, Tom Richmond.

The evening inevitably descended into an early morning pre-weekend tipple in the Presidential suite hosted by the outgoing president of four years, Jeff Keane. LUKE WATSON: took the train into Boston from NYC on Friday morning to meet up with Anton and a very jet-lagged Chatfield. We registered for the conference, and somehow I got sidetracked as my Aussie compadrés managed to casually bump into MAD royalty, Sergio Aragonés and Sam Viviano. We then met Chad Carpenter (Tundra), who later in the weekend ran to the aid of a woman being assaulted outside the hotel. He fought off her attacker and held him until the police came. Meanwhile, oblivious to the whole situation, the very muscular Tom Richmond sat in the restaurant in a full Batman costume,

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nibbling on some poached chicken. In the afternoon, I managed to fit in a conference session, learning about the growth of web comics from Randall Munroe (xkcd), Kate Beaton (Hark! A Vagrant) and the very nice Dave Kellett (Sheldon) and the revenue streams to be had... and how hard they are to come by. Friday night is traditionally the meetand-greet cocktail evening. I strolled in a fashionable 20 minutes late to see Jason and Anton propping up a table with some of the Reuben regulars, Sean Parkes, John Kovaleski and Jenny Robb (curator of the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum facility. Anton Emdin and Google it!) Introductions were done and a quick bonding session between Sean and myself was had as we managed to carry four beers each to the table as the free bar closed. We were thick as thieves from then on. Not long after, a bearded gentleman sauntered over to our table and was introduced to us as David Silverman. As Chatfield wet himself I had a little mental blank until my brain put into context who I was meeting. David Silverman: architect of The Simpsons, Monsters Inc., Robots, etc.

EMDIN: aturday’s seminars were fantastic, featuring New Yorker legend R.O. Blechman and illustrator extraordinaire Roy Doty. There was also Zippy the Pinhead’s Bill Griffith. There are less speakers than we have at the Stanleys but are of a very high calibre.

ruin a perfectly good photo of MAD’s

WATSON: hastily borrowed Jason’s spare bow tie and headed to my room to attempt to iron my shirt, ready for the Reuben Awards. Several hours later I was looking sharp enough to head down to the ballroom for the night’s festivities. Before the night even kicked off, Rob Harrell (Big Top) snapped his leg on a chair and collapsed, leaving his foot limply dangling until the paramedics arrived. But that wasn’t going to stop us! The National Cartoonists Society

win it, but my fear of public speaking often affects rational thought! More categories were announced, and when it came to the Magazine Feature/Magazine Illustration division, I was sure that Tom Richmond or Lou Brooks would get it. Quite seriously, I wasn’t even nervous. In fact, I was looking over

and Sam Viviano.

A classic

photobomb.

at the other tables waiting for the spotlight to land on one of them. As my name was called out I felt my whole body melt. All I can remember is my head falling into my hands. As I forced myself to look up, I saw Jason, Luke, and the rest of the table leaning towards me, cheering. The spotlight found me and I was floating towards the stage where I was handed my plaque by Patrick O’Donnell (Mutts). When I turned around, I realised I had a speech to make, and after I uttered

“The National Cartoonists Society sure knows how to throw a party.” He couldn’t have been nicer and would become a staunch supporter of late night debauchery for the remainder of the weekend. CHATFIELD: fter I wet myself, we moved to a purpose-built karaoke bar and lounge in the hotel. I succumbed to warbling out a Sinatra classic before being forced into some Mustang Sally with a slew of cartoonists’ wives as back-up singers. I’ve had worse nights. One particular facial expression from the weekend I will never forget is that of Luke being refused alcohol because he couldn’t prove he was at least 21. (God bless America.)He had just celebrated his 30th birthday, (which means they must have thought I looked like a ten year-old.)

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sure knows how to throw a party. The Doozies creator and Simpsons/SNL writer Tom Gammill was the MC last year, and returned again to put on a brilliant show for the Awards Banquet. Along with the hilarious videos shown throughout the evening, there were songs, streamers, dancers, baton twirlers, and flag wavers. As the meal ended, the booze dried up and the awards started to be given out. Anton discussed whether it was better to know you’re nominated like at the Reubens or be surprised on the night like at the Stanleys. I spat in his dessert.

something into the microphone, I’m sure I heard crickets chirp. After a few official photos I found myself floating back to my seat. I couldn’t believe it had happened. CHATFIELD: he night rang on til a groggy 6am. The Sunday exhibition and farewell party was equally as eventful, making for an unforgettable end to an historic Reuben Awards weekend.

Anton Emdin is a freelance illustrator based

EMDIN: y heart raced as the Advertising Illustration nominees were announced, and to my relief the brilliant Dave Whamond took the honour. Don’t get me wrong – I would have loved to

awards. is a freelance caricaturist/ illustrator and the VIC/TAS VP of the ACA based in Warragul, VIC. is the current President of the ACA and cartoonist for Ginger Meggs.

This year’s Honoured Guest at the Stanley Awards, RON COBB, has been an animator, mail carrier, assembler in a door factory, sign painter’s assistant, soldier and cartoonist. But it’s his concept art for films such as Total Recall, Back to the Future, Aliens, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Star Wars for which he has achieved world wide recognition. JULES FABER met with Ron in Sydney... and tried to keep up. he bulging architectural drawers Toverflow with work on great sheets

of graph paper. Some are card, some are paper and some defy explanation a little. “Here’s one of the tunnel digging machines from Total Recall. They changed it and I didn’t think it worked as well but, as usual, they were cutting corners to save money.” I’m in the studio of Ron Cobb, seminal political cartoonist of the 60s and 70s and Hollywood concept artist for the last thirty years. I’m staring into this flat file, not more than a little gobsmacked, possibly drooling. It is overflowing with original works of significant moments in film. “Here’s a design from Aliens,” he says, showing me a large illustration of the well-known dropship and assault vehicle, “This is pretty much how it looked on screen too.” “Oh, here’s another cartoon. I thought I’d lost all these.” “This is a poster I did. They were all around

Watts for a while. You know, in South Central LA, where the riots occurred. The posters were very popular.” It shows Uncle Tom with a garden hoe pointing at the viewer like Kitchener (or in this case, Smokey the Bear trying to prevent forest fires) saying: ‘Only YOU can prevent ghetto fires’. Soon after, many people in the black community felt the poster proved Ron was a black person. Ron likes to talk and he talks well, managing to slip comfortably from one tale to the next and somehow not veering into it before the current story is complete. It may be several moments before you realise he has answered your initial question and has gone on to dispense some further thought or recollection that has occurred to him through that one original answer. In talking about his life and his memories, he uncorks some inner humour that engulfs all he speaks about and he chuckles throughout. It puts the listener in his world in a way no written article can

truly convey. Once we sat down to begin our discussion I decided to start with the obvious, little knowing where it would take us. I asked him about Australia. “I got a call in LA out of the blue, from Robin in Australia representing the cultural branch of the Australian Union of Students (this was before she was my wife) saying, ‘Mr. Cobb, your cartoons are very well known here in Australia. They’ve been reprinted in student newspapers all over Australia for quite some time’. I said, ‘Well this is news to me’, but by now, I knew it could happen. All over Europe they were reprinting my work in small ‘underground’ publications, without mutual agreements, most of all in Holland.

“I imitated Wallace Wood and Jack Davis. Jack Davis most of all. It probably shows a bit. I was always intrigued by his depiction of hands” 12

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“Years later, we both travelled throughout Europe by just turning up unannounced at assorted newspaper or publishing offices just to say ‘hello!’ Everyone instantly and politely gave us money (US$500 to $800). We were able to finance our whole trip with guilt royalties. This worked best when confronting people who had published whole books of my cartoons. “Anyway, Robin’s original call went on: ‘We would like to pay your way to Australia to tour our universities, meet and speak to the students and do the same in New Zealand’. I said, ‘That would be fabulous’. Then I had a thought. ‘I have a friend. His name is Phil Ochs. Could you bring him out as well to tour with me? He could do concerts and raise money. He’s well known here in the States and you’ll probably find he’s also known in Australia. “So it all started that way. When I got here I soon discovered what I liked most about Australia: it was a very secular, sceptical and social country. I loved the pubs, the long lunches and the vibrant politics. When the tour was over I decided I could live in Australia but most of all I liked Robin very much. With Robin’s help I managed to extend my visa and stayed on. Robin and I were married and Phil went on to Vietnam with Jane Fonda.” “Slowly but surely I was approached and asked to do a series of cartoons on Australia for a new weekly paper out of Melbourne called The Digger. I drew for The Digger for quite a while and then stopped, due to an odd pivotal moment in my life. Just before I left for Australia I had helped out on a USC student film by designing the exterior of the central space craft. It was John Carpenter and Dan O’Bannon’s satirical epic Dark Star. Dan designed and starred in it and John was the director. It was the beginning of John’s directorial career, starting with Assault on Precinct 13 and Halloween. Dan, of course, went on to write Alien with Ron Shusett.

“When I went out to the San Fernando Valley to meet Lucas at Industrial Light and Magic, I saw many of the models, props and paintings for Star Wars and realised just how huge a production it was going to be. George liked my designs. I came up with six aliens by speculating about evolution and using my sense of humour. I was particularly taken by the idea of weird creatures in a bar. To me it was like the DTs, you know, alcoholics seeing pink elephants. I was paid 100 dollars each for my renderings. “Then Dan O’Bannon and Ron sold their script for Alien to Twentieth Century Fox. Dan insisted that I be a part of the design team along with the Swiss surrealist H. R. Giger. Ridley Scott agreed and I was flown to London where, in the course of the production, I went from Illustrator to Concept Artist. “After Alien, jobs kept coming. I’d always liked the idea of working in film. When I escaped Burbank High in 1955, I went straight across town to Disney and worked on Sleeping Beauty as an in-betweener. Two years later I decided that animation was tedious and slow. I joked when I was laid off that I’d consider coming back when animation became automated. Which is exactly what happened!” The seamless navigation from an original answer through to other hidden facets in this diamond career has left my raft of

carefully prepared questions altogether lacklustre in this light, not to mention fairly pointless. I decide to abandon most of them and use the remainder as triggers to what Robin laughingly calls his ‘Ronologues’. “One of the influences on me at Disney were the artists I worked with that did single panel, humorous or editorial cartoons in their spare time. This interested me. I started drawing and submitting my own panels as well. In my teens I was hugely inspired by Bill Gaines and EC Comics. I imitated Wallace Wood and Jack Davis. Jack Davis most of all. It probably shows a bit. I was always intrigued by his depiction of hands. Later I liked the darker cartoons of George Grosz, Charles Addams and Gahan Wilson. I also discovered satire. Taking the mickey out of things appealed to me. It was empowering. “During the late 50s I was regularly drawing and submitting cartoons. I knew Ray

An example of Ron’s art for Famous Monsters

“The point of Dark Star was that while I was touring Australia, Dan and John got a theatrical release for their extended student feature and all three of us were launched into a professional film career as Dark Star became a cult classic. This facilitated my return to California with Robin. O’Bannon, at that time was working with George Lucas as a special effects supervisor on some secret project called Star Wars. He talked Lucas into hiring me to help add more elaborate aliens to the movie’s cantina scene. Lucas had never met me but knew my work as a cartoonist and was willing to look at my designs. www.cartoonists.org.au

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Ron Cobb and the spooky H.R. Giger

“In my satirical drawings I always sided with the soldier against the powers that be” me a token payment but by that time I was doing Famous Monsters of Filmland covers for Warren Publishing.

Bradbury, the science fiction writer. He was very enthusiastic about cartoons, which I often did as full colour, full page illustrations for Playboy magazine, a great place to showcase cartoons. Bradbury wrote to Playboy asking them to consider my work. It still didn’t work. I started coming up with a lot a lot of dark and absurd images both provocative and confrontational. They were a pin-prick to the dull middle class culture I grew up in. I found a need to attack and expose the volatile, violent forces in the world. “A friend took me into a coffee house one night in the middle 1960s. Arthur Kunkin’s underground newspaper, The LA Free Press, was there in the basement, just getting started. It suddenly occurred to me that Kunkin was quite willing to print one of my rejected cartoons so long as he didn’t have to pay me anything. A few days later and there it was, my first cartoon printed in a newspaper! It depicted a fiendish little guy selling salted peanuts and crisps from a stand in the desert under a merciless sun. He is smiling as he waits for a customer to crawl by. With that I said, ‘I’ll do something more political next week’. So I did my first environmental cartoon in 1965, Man Demonstrating His Superiority Over Animals. Then it occurred to me that if I’m not getting paid, I’m going to take more chances, go out on a limb as much as I dared. Eventually they gave 14

“I looked on the 60s and the rise of the counterculture as the emergence of a whole new audience. My main take on the decade was that there was a new willingness to consider and discuss forbidden things like religion, homosexuality and racism. Things you

ecology, anthropology and evolution. From this clearer perception I began to see human politics and history in an entirely new way. I became interested in evolution as the basis of human behaviour. I soon began to feel like I was trying to sound an alarm about giant problems such as the collapse of the biosphere, the scarcity of water and the death of the oceans. That’s why I designed the Ecology Symbol as a tool of protest and a call for collective action. I was becoming strangely relieved by the way I could make things I worried about into things other people worried about. “I always liked it when we had an earthquake in California because I could walk around to the neighbours and say, ‘Do you know just what an earthquake is?’ They would listen to me because they were scared and wanted to know. “I felt I could bring clarity to people through an appreciation of the natural world (read: real world). I always felt better when I was surrounded by people who were less certain and more curious. In a sense, I planted a seed and soon you could talk about overpopulation, racism and even religion!

“Religion irritated and disappointed me enormously. As did the military and the threat of conscription. But deep down I was sceptical about my Ron’s concept sketch for Momaw Nadon (or “Hammerhead”) critiques of the warrior from Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) tradition. I wasn’t sure I could fully justify them from comfortable, middle could never talk about before. My childclass Burbank. And here’s where I did an hood fascination with astronomy, space odd thing; contrary to most of my male flight and science fiction led me to a deep friends, who had doctors write letters to connection with science itself. the draft board saying they were too ill or gay or asthmatic for the army, I allowed “Concerns with the earth’s environment flowed, initially, from reading Rachel Car- myself to be drafted. I couldn’t deal with son’s The Silent Spring, then on to general my hatred of the military unless I conreading in the studies of natural science, fronted it.

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“For me, luckily, it was a good decision. I had a most illuminating time in the army. I was in for two years as a courier for army intelligence in San Francisco and one year in Vietnam. I took photos and drew cartoons all during that time, just for myself. As for my confrontation with the history and reality of the military, it oscillated between anger and grudging admiration. However, I thought my luck had run out when I got sent to Vietnam. But once there I went from personnel clerk to a draftsman in the Signal Corps and, after all, we made movies.” The rich tapestry of Ron’s life spills out unchecked. I needn’t do much to coax the conversation, Ron effortlessly weaves story into story, fact into fact. The timeline bucks and sways but it somehow holds itself together. The fact that one thread ties to another in these loops through time actually contributes to the overall weave. It’s hypnotic in a sense. Ron shows no sign of stopping. I ask him if the experience in Vietnam improved his cartoons. “Oh yes, definitely. I found I could actually criticise our collective political reflex to hurt people and break things far more effectively because I began to understand the military mindset both in history and inside the human brain. “In my satirical drawings I always sided with the soldier against the powers that be. I pointed fingers at powerful individuals if I had to, but more often at the ridiculous, general plight of a country fighting

Ron’s 1986 MTV Award, which he received for his art direction of ZZ Top’s Rough Boy video. In his acceptance speech, he’s quoted as saying, “I’m hip! I’m hip! Thank God, I’m hip at last!”

wars to upright some dominos or something. That year in Vietnam (1963) was personally illuminating. It was the first time I had ever lived with black people. There were a lot of African Americans in the military. It was great for me. We talked endlessly about, you know, the plight of black people in and out of the army and the future of race relations. For black people stints in the military are often the only way they get proper training to elevate their status. “I had fascinating talks with chaplains as well, officers that walked around with little crosses on their collars. And of course the Vietnamese people. I met a lot of Vietnamese people and even Viet Cong. There were these two architecture students and they were Viet Cong. They spoke English and I could talk to them from time to time. You have to understand we weren’t at war yet. I was there under Kennedy in 1963. “My two prior years in Army Intelligence gave me real insights into how the CIA and the FBI worked. The central job of Army Intelligence was to clear people, give them security clearances. And one of the major things they wanted to find out was if you were gay or not. So if you had a job somewhere in the army we’d go out and talk to your teachers, your family and anyone who knew you. I was a courier, so I didn’t do that part, but our agents also did a lot of local snooping. I knew a lot of the students at Berkeley so I’d leak things to them! We had this old Buick, you know, it had little decorative portholes along the side so they rigged cameras behind them with rotating prismatic shutters. As they drove alongside a ‘Cuba Si, Yankee No’ student demonstration they would be able to take everyone’s picture. This

Concep t

art for B

ck to th e Future re(1985) sulted in strip photos of great clarity, six to eight feet long. While transporting some of these documents and photos I’d often park at this restaurant at the Golden Gate Bridge and read them. I wasn’t supposed to because I didn’t have a ‘need to know’ but on the back of these strip photos, everyone in the demo would be identified along with their address and phone number.”

The afternoon is growing dark and I’ve barely touched on Ron’s film career. Films I grew up loving. Raiders of the Lost Ark and Conan the Barbarian, Alien and Star Wars. Total Recall. I file through my increasingly weak list of questions, picking a last one to discuss. Ron laughs affably throughout his response. I ask if he ever met Giger. “Oh yes, of course, on Alien. I should say I was on Alien a long time, long before we had Ridley Scott as our director. However, for months and months before that, Dan, myself and Chris Foss, the English science fiction illustrator, worked at the Fox www.cartoonists.org.au

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also began to understand Giger’s theatrical shtick, if there were more than three people in the room he went into his act. I should probably show you something...” Ron shows me a photo in his book Colorvision. In it, he and Giger sit at an outdoor table of a pub. Giger is dressed all in black with a black coffee. A slant of shadow crosses him whilst next to him, amazingly, Ron sits in sunlight, with a white coffee and a smile. Giger just stares at the camera from the gloom. I look up and realise it is late. The afternoon has gone somewhere else while I listened to Ron talk. My sheet of questions hangs limply in my hand, barely touched but for some scrawled notes. I glance through them, slowly realising Ron has unknowingly covered a lot of things I was interested in asking. I understand that each of these questions was fairly inept on its own but when woven into the tapestry they make sense as smaller parts of a much larger whole.

studio in LA just designing and conceptualising Dan’s script with no director or production designer in sight. We all knew, even then, that Dan was insisting to the producers that they add Giger to the design team. “As the design work ground on month after month, the producers were steadily parading potential directors through the Alien art department. That’s how I met Steven Spielberg for the first time. Spielberg was very interested in directing Alien. But he couldn’t fit it in because of prior obligations. With Ridley at the helm we all went to London. Dan and Ridley hit it off right from the start and Giger was instantly hired. As serious work began at Shepparton Studios we all nervously awaited the arrival of Giger. By now we were quite familiar with his published artworks depicting women erotically ensnared in motorcycle parts and phallic 16

symbols. But the limbless, blistered babies standing in lakes of entrails made us a bit apprehensive about meeting him. Dan, of course, was ecstatic. “Eventually he arrived with his beautiful Italian girlfriend. He was all dressed in black looking quite demonic. Very quickly Ridley called for an art department meeting. We went through Giger’s books as Ridley pointed at this and that saying he wanted a big long skull and transparent skin, more of this and less of that. Giger ate it up, he loved it and began painting and sculpting right away. “We found a very tall thin actor to play the alien. He had the perfect anatomy. He was so thin, it didn’t look like there was enough room in there for an arm or leg even with the added layers of latex. He worked very hard, was very talented and ultimately very approachable, a bloke. We

We go downstairs into the gloom of a late Friday afternoon. He shows me one of the swords that he designed for Arnie in the first Conan movie. I pick it up and realise why Arnie has such huge biceps. It’s heavy. Very heavy. We chat a little more and Conan leads us back to film and then back to Spielberg in the way Ron has of doing so, without trying. He mentions how he had conceived and pitched a story idea to Spielberg for a sequel to Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Believe it or not, this was in response to his enquiry that Ron might consider directing it. After the shock wore off, Ron picked John Sayles to write the script, which was now entitled Night Skies. Later, after problems with the effects budget that required a massive rewrite - and while Ron was in Spain finishing Conan and proving unavailable - Spielberg (who was producing) had to shelve Night Skies and rewrite the project into E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, which Spielberg then directed. But there was more. He asks if I need to go right away or if I have a moment. I tell him with wide eyes that I have plenty of time and I get comfortable. This is going to be good.

Jules Faber Ron Cobb will be the ACA’s Special Guest at the 2011 Stanley Awards and Conference, 11& 12 November. Mark it in your diary NOW!

www.cartoonists.org.au

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Reviews In Your Face

Art Gallery of Ballarat $35

In 2005, when the Stanleys were held in Ballarat, the Fine Arts Gallery there cooperated in providing two highlights of the weekend. It also gave many visitors the opportunity of getting to know one of the best regional art galleries in Victoria, and we, the cartoonists, may in turn have helped to convince the gallery of the great public interest in cartoons. Their exhibition In your Face, held in 2010, was the result of monumental planning, involving loans from neighbouring galleries and not least of all, the production of a magnificent catalogue that surpassed that description; more an anthology than a catalogue, it not only provides 140 pages of high quality reproductions, but a plethora of useful information and it is a valuable book irrespective of the exhibition it originally represented. To those who feel that cartoonists from outside Victoria were somewhat neglected, it should be pointed out that the book draws from Ballarat’s collection, where Victorian talent was of course most strongly represented.

pages. If one wants to nit pick, one could criticize the over-enthusiastic designer who put aesthetics before practicability, with reversed type, coloured text, and open-handed use of space. Happily, the editors did not shrink away from including some “unpleasant” cartoons, racist and hate-mongering ones that are nevertheless part of Australia’s artistic heritage. Not long ago “Orientals” were seen as opium-addicted brutes, blacks, at best, figures of fun and the only good German was a dead one. The fact that women cartoonists are under-represented is not the editors’ fault either. If women could be persuaded to donate work to the gallery, they surely would be included. To purchase a copy of In Your Face, contact the Art Gallery of Ballarat on (03) 5320 5791

Rolf Heimann

Elf-Fin: Hyfus & Tilaweed

by Julie Ditrich and Josef Szekeres Published by Black Mermaid Productions April 2011 - LIMITED EDITION PREVIEW $10 + Postage and Handling

Also included are English cartoons, by Gilray, Hogarth, et al, and examples from the era when one spoke of the “antipodes” and the “colonies”; an era before the umbilical cord to the Old Country had not yet withered away.

Being initially unfamiliar with the world of Elf-Threaal created by Ditrich and Szekeres, I was immediately taken with how easy it was to enter in this preview to the upcoming Elf-Fin: Hyfus & Tilaweed.

It is gratifying to see reproductions of generous size, often spread over double-

Unreserved fans of mermaids, the two have created an entire universe of Mer-culture here which they employ to maximum effect, slowly immersing us in the shallows of the story and the characters before wading us out into deeper waters by preview’s end. We are (re)introduced to the world of ElfThreaal firstly with a bonding (wedding) celebration which then quickly moves into a political debate regarding the titular character of Hyfus and his ‘seer-seaing’ abilities. His ongoing warnings about the

approaching threat of some unknown horror are going widely unheeded and this is clearly setting the scene for an upcoming rumble under the sea in future issues. Beautifully weighing the charming earlier scenes of the cheerful Mers with the encroaching darkness at book’s end, the story brings to life a rich and complex universe with an entire culture just waiting to be explored. This teaser, created for an August launch at the World Mermaid Awards in Las Vegas, features the first 24 pages of the initial 48 page issue and is described beautifully in Szekeres dynamic and broadly colourful palette. This is truly exquisite comic book artwork of an underwater world in which viewers won’t have trouble seeing Szekeres’ Disney history, with extraordinary character movement and expression exploding richly from every page. Use of computers appears limited with Szekeres instead employing traditional methods much of the time to create the artwork. This lends the work an honesty not apparent in many of today’s over-saturated superhero comics and better places us in the depths of the underwater world. No doubt the temptation to utilise technology to over-paint the world existed, and Szekeres’ work is commendable in its restraint. It’s a major flaw in comics when the artwork doesn’t suit the story or vice versa, but here the two are in perfect harmony, Ditrich’s writing bringing us gently into the world (though not spoon-feeding us) and Szekeres making sure we stay there when we arrive. Packed to the gills (ha ha) with extras like sketchbook roughs in the back pages, this is an unique comic exploration of a subject rarely engaged and certainly never crafted in such a magnificent fashion. Four and a half stars. To purchase your copy of Elf-Fin: Hyfus & Tilaweed, visit http://elf-fin.com

Jules Faber www.cartoonists.org.au

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Depressed and It is not uncommon to hear cartoon-

ists and comic strip artists complaining about the rotten deal they have been getting from newspaper editors over the past few decades. The way they carry on would be pathetic if it were not true. It’s bad enough to have editors expecting artwork to be almost donated, only to have underpaid artists being confronted with work they have spent hours on creating being reproduced in miniature as well as being so distorted (morphed) so much, that it’s hard to relate it to the image originally presented. It is the advent of the computer that has given designers the capacity to do this. Comics are distorted so they can fit into areas more suited to postage stamps than a feature most readers will look at and read. It is more than just a little silly, as one of the reasons people read comics is to look at the drawings, which is often more than half the story. It’s a very odd way to treat comics. Stories are not printed in type that has been reduced to 5 or 6 point, nor has it been squashed or stretched so much it is hard to read. Photographs are reproduced so that they closely resemble what the photographer presented to the editor. Artists fear complaining. The response can be even worse than the problem: being dropped. However, the smaller and more distorted the comics are reproduced the less value they have for the newspaper. Readers do not enjoy looking at little squashed images. Printing distorted comics is not a problem restricted to Australia. It has been happening in newspapers all over the world and gives readers another reason not to buy newspapers. It might be a coincidence, but cartoonists point out that the ever-increasing practice of distorting comics tends to run parallel with the decline in newspaper sales over the past 25 years. Whatever the truth is about declining newspaper sales, there is one truth that should not be forgotten. Newspaper editors, designers or anyone else do not have a right to treat comics with disrespect. 18

Yes, newspapers do acquire the legal right to reproduce the comics. But that is not a right to morph, distort of reduce beyond what was originally intended. According to the Arts Law centre of Australia (in a verbal briefing), two separate rights are involved when freelance contributors sell artwork to newspapers for reproduction, copyright and moral rights. The copyright usage does not come uninhibited; it comes with an obligation for the newspaper to treat the work with respect. Respect is not just using the artist’s name; it also includes the unwritten expectation (and legal right) that the artwork will be used as it was intended to be used. Not morphed and not reduced or enlarged beyond what was intended by the artist who created the work. The same points are reflected in moral rights too. Moral rights are often neglected, but the advice given was these rights are not something that under the law can be negotiated away or sold. However editors do get miffed when being told they do not understand what they are talking about. Especially as none of these points have been tested in court. The best approach for freelance contributors would be to negotiate how the artwork is to be used when being offered to a newspaper.

“Copyright usage does not come uninhibited; it comes with an obligation for the newspaper to treat the work with respect. Respect is not just using the artist’s name; it also includes the unwritten expectation (and legal right) that the artwork will be used as it was intended to be used”

It might also help during negotiations to point out that back in the days when The Sun-Herald was the largest selling newspaper in the country it had the best comics section in Australia. Comics sections have played a large part in building the circulation of newspapers in Australia for around 90 years. The Sunday Sun added comics in 1921 and, soon after, all the other Sunday newspapers added comics sections of their own. By far the most successful comic strip was Us Fellers (better known now as Ginger Meggs) and it filled an entire broadsheet page. Originally printed in The Sunday Sun on 13 November, 1921, Ginger Meggs was soon syndicated to newspapers all over Australia and to many others around the world. Jimmy Bancks drew Ginger Meggs and from the early 1930s he was the highest paid person in Australian media. On 3 June, 1951, Ginger Meggs moved from the The Sunday Sun to The Sunday Telegraph and 80,000 readers moved too - Bancks doubled his salary. Associated Newspapers and the Sunday Sun never recovered from the loss and was soon taken over by Fairfax. In 1949 the Sunday Sun had a circulation of 507,418 but by the time of the takeover it had dropped to 442,339. The Sunday Sun was merged with the Sunday Herald and the comic sections of the two newspapers were combined. The new comic section contained many Australian comics including Bib and Bub, Fatty Finn, The Potts, Uncle Joe’s Horse Radish, Wally and the Major, Snowy McGann, Billy Koala and Sandy Blight and The Sun-Herald quickly established itself as Australia’s biggest selling newspaper. In his book about the history of Australian comic strips, Panel by Panel, John Ryan (when writing about The Sun-Herald) wrote that “some of its success can be attributed to its comic section which contained a reasonable percentage of Australian strips”. He also pointed out that Brian White, in his book White on the Media, claimed, “Most newspaper men would be surprised how many readers buy the Sunday papers simply to read such features as comics”.

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Compressed

It should not be forgotten those people buying the paper are not children and comics are not in newspapers for children. Comics are written for and enjoyed by adults. Children may read them too. Children also read the sports and television sections and nobody ever suggests those sections are there for children. Take away comics and you add another reason for adults not to buy the paper. Comic books and video games are often slanted towards the juvenile market too, however they are watched, played or read by adults as well. Nothing last forever and over the 50 years following the merger of The Sunday Sun and The Sunday Herald most of the original Australian comics disappeared as the artists who drew them retired or died. As a consequence, The Sun-Herald comics section has been downgraded numerous times. A fall in circulation has followed every time. Is it coincidental or related? Given that it has happened every time there is more than enough evidence to claim there is some correlation. As that was happening at The Sun-Herald, The Sunday Telegraph’s comics section was being improved. The paper overtook The Sun-Herald and now way outsells it. It should also not be forgotten that once

upon a time, all the papers ran a frontpage strap along the lines of: “Australia’s Only Full-Colour Comics Lift-Out” and “8 Pages of Comics!”. They somehow vanished a few years ago as newspapers downgraded their sales. Many newspapers have used the introduction of Sudoku as another reason to reduce the space given to comics. There is absolutely no logic to this as the game and the comics have nothing in common. More recently in some newspapers the word “comics” has mysteriously disappeared from the index, “crosswords”, “stars”, etc are all still there. Why the comics were singled out to be removed is anyone’s guess, but perhaps it is an agenda-driven decision made by people not interested in newspapers being read, or perhaps by someone who has the mistaken belief that comic strips should be phased out. While it is hard to believe, there are some misguided individuals working in the industry who don’t understand that newspapers are for readers. Comics are not just a collection of little drawings with words. They are individual continuity features that give readers a reason to buy the paper regardless of the quality of news of the day. They also entertain and extend the imagination and people of all ages enjoy them, which is

something the film industry has capitalised on by turning many comic heroes into blockbuster films. Comics are big business! Interestingly, the biggest attraction in the days of silent films was the series of animated Felix the Cat films, created by the Sydney cartoonist Pat Sullivan. It can be argued Walt Disney would never have succeeded had he not had Sullivan to imitate. Animation has also played a big role in television too. The Flintstones was the first prime-time animated TV series and was followed by The Jetsons. More recently, The Simpsons has come along. There have been a number of prime-time animated shows since then and some late night ones too. All have been situation comedies, written for adults that children - when up late - enjoy too. The first married couple ever seen in bed together on American TV was Fred and Wilma Flintstone! Felix the Cat, The Flintstones and The Simpsons have all become comic strips too. None really worked in print. Comics may be funny, but they should not be treated as a joke.

Lindsay Foyle www.cartoonists.org.au

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Christophe’s Sautée - Sylvain Runberg Christophe Granet surges onward with his cracking series of fascinating interviews, examining the wizards behind Bandes Dessinés and the wonderful world of European comic books and graphic novels. This time on the griddle is script writer Sylvain Runberg.

I’m talking to Sylvain Runberg, a French script writer who has 28 “Bande Dessinees” (BDs) published already. Not a bad feat, when you realize that Sylvain only began his career in 2004!

Q: Sylvain, can you tell Inkspot readers a bit about yourself? I was born in 1971 in France, of a Belgian mother and a French father. I’ve lived in France most of my life but the past several years, I have split my time between France and Sweden for personal reasons. Q: Like you, I grew up in France surrounded by BDs. Can you tell us who your first five favourite characters or series were? What a tough question - there were so many! As I was reading as many FrancoBelge BDs as US Comics, I would say the X-Men, Asterix, Daredevil, The Blue Buttons (Les Tuniques Bleues) and Batman. Q: I believe you studied graphic art in college but studied history and politics at university, finishing with a Masters in Contemporary History. Have politics and history always been a passion of yours? I have a Bac D’art Plastiques (equivalent to an HSC specialising in Fine Arts), majoring in drawing and art history. I was, however, more interested in the latter than in drawing. I drew a lot as a kid and as a teenager, but I have stopped altogether now. I just don’t have that passion.

However, since my childhood, I have been fascinated by history, as I believe that understanding the past is the way to understand the present. My keen interest in political studies started when I became a teenager. Therefore, at university, I studied Political Science and Political History and ended up with a Masters’ Degree. Q: You became a writer, in the true sense of word, “by accident”. Indeed by accident! After my Masters’ Degree, I worked in a bookshop specialising in BDs, then I joined the commercial team of a publishing house, Les Humanoides Associes, the publisher of the Metal Hurlant magazine. At the end of 2001, a nasty accident left me bedridden for several months. As I had to while the time away, I started to write, and I loved it ! Once I had fully recovered, I started working again but kept on writing in my spare time, without any real goal in mind. Then, in 2004, I found myself with four different projects signed to different publishers. I had to make a choice, and I then left my day-job to concentrate on my writing. Since then, I have basically published about 30 BDs that have been translated into, so far, eight languages.

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Q: Is writing for a BD a skill that you can learn from books or courses or is it a trialand-error skill? Is it very different from writing a novel for example?

ing Orbital in English and soon will release Darwin’s Diaries. Can you summarize the premises for Orbital and Darwin’s Diaries for the benefit of Inkspot’s readers?

I am actually entirely self-taught. So, of course, when I started, I made all the beginner’s mistakes, but I’ve learned from these mistakes and honed my skills. I was lucky enough to have good editors with good advice. When I started out, Luc Brunschwig, an author I appreciate a lot, was a script editor at Dupuis (a BD publisher) and then later on became editor at Futuropolis (another BD publisher). He is one of the many people who have taught me on the job, project after project.

Orbital is a science-fiction series taking place in the 23rd Century. Humankind has just recently joined a millenium-old Confederation made up of numerous alien species. But humans are not well accepted, as is often the case with the latest recruits in any movement, and are considered dangerous, primitive and unworthy of being elevated as equal to the other Confederation species.

As for the technique of script writing for BDs, the story is destined to be told in images, so it is closer to script writing for the cinema or TV than a classical novel, even though, in essence it is an idea that has to be developed and can be potentially adapted to different media. As for my way of working, I first write a synopsis, then the full story, before I start reworking the story sequence-by-sequence, then pageby-page, describing each panel and the dialogue that needs to be fitted into it. All this is written in an elliptical-construction writing style which is specific to the graphic novel medium. Q: Looking at your list of books, you seem to tackle a vast array of different genres, from comedy, to science-fiction, to heroic fantasy, to historical and social thrillers. Is the writing process very different and how do you juggle all these projects at the same time? As a reader or spectator, I love a vast array of different genres and I imagine that it is reflected in the way I approach a new script. Having the ability to tackle very different themes or universes is therefore a real pleasure for me. Further, I always start with defining the characters, irrespective of the type of story I want to convey.

Caleb Swany, a human, will however be the first of his race to obtain a posting as a diplomatic agent, entrusted to prevent conflicts between humans and the other alien nations of the Confederation. An agent for peace who will be at the forefront of the most difficult situations, accompanied by an alien from the Sandjaar species, of unknown gender, Mezoke Izzua, whose people were brutally slaughtered by the human forces 15 years earlier. This duo is therefore also a symbol for the Confederation, representing forgiveness and unity despite the previous conflicts. But of course, it will not be that easy and these two characters will encounter many obstacles in trying to fulfill their missions. In this series, contrary to many other science-fiction stories, humans do not necessarily have the answers nor are portrayed in a good light. As for the Darwin Diaries, the action takes

place in the middle of the 19th Century in Great Britain. Charles Darwin has just published his book, The Origin of the Species and it has been embroiled in a massive controversy. In connection with this, he is summoned to meet with the current Prime Minister in order to investigate a series of murders perpetrated in Yorkshire. The local population is terrorised and suspects legendary beings, the Griffus, local versions of Werewolves, to be the culprits. Darwin will then travel to Yorkshire to try to unravel the truth : unknown beast, human killer, or something else? This thriller has for background the industrial revolution and the beginning of the feminist movement in Great Britain, two subjects that will be woven into the storyline. Q: I have not had the chance to read the Darwin Diaries as yet, but have read the first two Orbital books. Political intrigue is a strong part of the storyline. Does your formal training in political science come in handy when weaving the story? Yes, definitely. Geo-political science is a fundamental source of inspiration for Orbital. For example, in the first book, humanity will vote through a planetary referendum to decide whether or not to join the Galactic Confederation. This situation is a source of strong conflict between pro- and anti-confederation groups. I was inspired by the 1992 referendum of Maastrich regarding the creation of the European Union. The situation faced by the human race, latest race to join the Confederation and faced by the rejection from the other races, is of course

To me, the characters lead the story, and it is to the characters that the readers will connect, even if this connection is sometimes a negative one. A rich universe does not necessarily make a good story. It works for video or role-playing games, not for fiction. Q: Your Bande Dessinees are mostly published in French, but CineBook is now releaswww.cartoonists.org.au

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inspired by the racism seen towards the latest wave of migrants to a given country. There are numerous such examples in the Orbital storyline. And this notion of “otherness” is really one of the central ideas of Orbital. Q: Orbital was picked up by Dupuis, a Belgian publisher. Cartoonists are renowned for collecting rejection letters. Did you send the script to many publishers before Dupuis made you an offer? In fact, I first sent the Orbital script to Dupuis and it was picked up straight away. I did not therefore get the chance to be rejected by other publishers … Q: Orbital is drawn by Serge Pelle. The publisher, Dupuis, suggested you work with him. What is your working relationship with Pelle? Do you have a lot of influence on the look of the drawings or do you leave him free rein in how the characters, the different races and planets’ flora and fauna look? I provide Serge with sequential storyline and the page-by-page descriptions and dialogue, but in general, I leave him free to design the look of the characters, humans and aliens (I do however specify their age, gender and functions). I tend to focus on the flow of the story, the psychology of the characters, their motivations, and who they really are, while Serge acts as the equivalent of a film director, in charge of the visual storytelling, the costumes and the background sets. I find it fair, in such a rich medium as sciencefiction, to leave maximum freedom to the illustrator. It is very exciting for me to discover Serge’s illustrations bit by bit. We can then discuss different illustration options, which can influence the story as well of course. Q: As mentioned before, you have 28 published books, meaning you are actually working with 13 different illustrators! Do you tailor the writing, keeping in mind the style of the illustrator? Is it hard working with so many collaborators? You have to be very organised in how you manage your time and your thought process. I work weekdays from 8am to 6pm, and I keep noting my ideas as they surface, which means it could be at any time. As I usually present my projects to editors on my own, without a given illustrator in mind, I am not influenced by a given style of illustration at the start of a project. Later on, of course, as the collaboration matures, we collaboratively tailor the visual storytelling of the story, although the story itself as a whole is usually unchanged. I’ve been lucky so far to have had no difficulty in running several 22

projects in parallel. I can even say I find it a real pleasure. Q: Have you ever refused to work with an illustrator because you felt his or her artwork did not fit the storyline? No, not really. When a script is picked up by an editor, we look for a suitable illustrator together and his or her availability and willingness to take on the project. The illustrator is then asked to produce a couple of pages as a proof to allow all parties to have an impression of what the finished product will look like, and if all parties agree, a contract is signed. Q: What projects are you currently working on? The next release will be Face Cachee (T2), a psychological thriller taking place in today’s Tokyo, illustrated by Olivier Martin for the publisher Futuropolis. Then, Konungar (T1), a fantasy project, illustrated by Juhzen for the publisher Glenat. I am also planning to release the third Darwin’s Diaries book at the end of the year. 2012 will see the release of Konungar (T2), Reconquetes (T2), a story taking place in the 8th Century BC, featuring a young woman (a Babylonian scribe) who recounts the conflict between a Scythe alliance and the Hittite kingdom. This story is drawn by Francois Miville-Deschenes for Le Lombard. Jack (T2), is a historical series taking place in the 18th century drawn by Thibaud de Rochebrune for Dupuis and also for Dupuis, Orbital (T5) with Serge Pelle, of course. As for brand-new projects, there is a full story for the Interpol collection, for Dupuis, drawn by Peter Bergting, about a French policeman who needs to go to Stockholm to find two missing children kidnapped by their father. There is also a project close to the hearts of Pelle and myself that should please many of our readers, as it came both from a wish of the authors and the constant requests from the readers that have been requesting it since the series started. It is an Orbital spin-off, where each book will be focused on a given theme and featuring five different full stories by five different illustrators. Pelle will however make the artwork for the front cover of each book. It will mainly involve prequels to the first Orbital book and will deal with new or unexpected aspects of this universe and its main characters. Basically, elements of the overall background story that I had in

mind but that have not been woven into the original script, due to lack of space. That was of course, very frustrating to me. The first spin-off book is entitled First Encounters (Premieres Rencontres), and I can already say that some top illustrators have given us the honour of agreeing to participate. Next to be released will be the first book of an anticipation dyptic, Renegades (Renegats), with Andrea Mutti. The story takes place in a devastated Paris, where we follow the members of an non-government organisation there to help the local population. It will be published by Ankama. I also have a project with one of the stars of the Swedish crime-novel genre to adapt one of his novels for the publisher Dargaud. There are several other projects in the pipeline, which, if accepted, could be published in 2012. We’ll see… Q: If you have these statistics, can you tell us how many Orbital books were actually bought in French language and through Cinebook (I have two myself)... Sales of the first Orbital book in French language has now reached over 30,000. I believe that the English edition has sold about 3,000 units so far. Q: Can you tell readers why the ship in Orbital is named after a member of a famous Australian hard rock band? The sentient ship in Orbital, a Neuronome, is called Angus simply because I am a big fan of AC/DC! It is a direct homage to Angus Young, one of my favourite rock’n’roll musicians! Q: Have you ever been to Australia? Unfortunately no, but it would be a great pleasure to do so! If you happen to know of a Bande Dessinee festival or a sciencefiction festival in Australia that would be interested in French authors, I would be 200% keen to go ! Q: Sylvain, it has been an honour talking to you. I wish you well in your career and if you ever come to Australia, do not hesitate to contact the members of the ACA who will no doubt wish to meet you! My pleasure ! Many thanks, and maybe - just maybe - we’ll meet soon in Australia!

Sylvain Runberg is on Facebook, check him out there to read the latest news of his numerous projects.

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Pictorial Purloiners: Jason Chatfield, Gary Clark, Lindsay Foyle, Melbourne Press Club, Geoff Richardson, Duncan Wilcox

LEFT: Ron Tandberg with his Quill Award for Best Cartoon 2010, which criticised Australia’s subservience to US foreign policy, particularly in relation to supportiing US action in Afghanistan. He also won an award for Best Tie RIGHT: Taking time out from his US trip, Jason Chatfield personally thanks Wall Street for the GFC BELOW LEFT: Bill Leak holds the floor, but Alan Moir isn’t a fan of his neon exit-sign hat at Eric Löbbecke clenches his buttocks at Eric’s exhibition opening at NG Gallery in Sydney BELOW RIGHT: Geoff Richardson and Mariangela Parisi finally tied the knot, celebrating in style with a competition to see who could last longest without their walking frame...

ABOVE LEFT: Peter Lewis dropped in on Monty Wedd, bringing along his new book, But is it Art?: 25 Years of Lewis - however, Monty wanted to have a good flick through before answering the question; ABOVE RIGHT: After a long day drawing dogs, George Haddon, Steve Panozzo, Peter Broelman and Chris Kelly joined up with Alex Hallatt and Rolf Heimann for a few refreshing ales... and chips... and deep-fried calamari... LEFT: A bunch of Queensland ACA members (left) headed out to Griffith University in Brisbane’s Southbank in May for a “free animation day”. They got to play with the latest animation equipment under the direction of animation lecturer, John Eyley - lucky buggers. Lunch followed at the Ship Inn Hotel.

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Your View On...

Roy Bisson

Peter Byrne

Phil Judd

Christophe Granet

Mark McHugh

Lindsay Foyle

Alex Hallatt

Your View On... 'LFKD 'OBBK

Many thanks to everyone who contributed cartoons. The next issueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s topic is...

4EB #>O?LK 4>U 24

Please send your cartoons to:

inkspot@cartoonists.org.au

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