THE OFFICIAL ACA MEMBERS MAGAZINE |
www.cartoonists.org.au
ink spot WINTER 2016
THE CAT’S WHISKERS?
CONGRATULATIONS LEIGH HOBBS, AUSTRALIAN CHILDREN’S LAUREATE 2016 – 17
A WORD FROM THE PREZ
PRESIDENT’S PARLAY CONTENTS PAGE
NEWS IN THE NEWS
ALL THE GUFF FROM AROUND THE TRAPS
ANIMATION NEWS
ANIMATED COMEDY SKETCH SHOW
SPOTLIGHT ON:
INSIGHTS FROM ANDREW WELDON
the bunker cartoon gallery needs you for... • Exhibitions • Workshops • Merchandise
contact the manager, margaret cameron today! John Champion Way. Coffs Harbour PO Box 1483, Coffs Harbour, NSW 2450 P: 02 6651 7343 E: manager@bunkercartoongallery.com.au W: bunkercartoongallery.com.au
WINTER 2016 CONTENTS Cover Story: Leigh Hobbs
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News In The News
P3-6
Animation News
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News From Underground
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Inkspotlight
P9-11
Your View: Winter
P12-15
Hatch, Match & Despatch
P16-18
International Report
P19-20
The Process: David Rowe
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ACA AGM
P26
Comic Reviews
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The Last Word
Inside Back
ACA BOARD PATRON VANE LINDESAY PRESIDENT JULES FABER president@cartoonists.org.au DEPUTY PRESIDENT JASON CHATFIELD deputy@cartoonists.org.au SECRETARY PETER BROELMAN secretary@cartoonists.org.au TREASURER KERRY-ANNE BROWN treasurer@cartoonists.org.au MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY GRANT BROWN membership@cartoonists.org.au COMMITTEE CATHY WILCOX cwilcox@fairfaxmedia.com.au MARK KNIGHT mark.knight@news.com.au IAN McCALL mccallart@bigpond.com.au MIKE NICHOLAS contact@mikenicholas.com.au NAT KARMICHAEL comicoz@live.com.au
ACA AFFILIATED ORGS NATIONAL CARTOONISTS SOCIETY President: Tom Richmond www.reuben.org CARTOONISTS’ CLUB OF GREAT BRITAIN President: Terry Christien www.ccgb.org.uk FECO President General: Peter Nieuwendijk www.fecoweb.org INKSPOT TEAM EDITOR: Nat Karmichael SUB-EDITORS/WRITERS: Jules Faber, Lily, Steve Panozzo, Levent Efe, Peter Viska, Andrew Weldon, Lindsay Foyle, Eric Lobbecke, Jock Brodie, David Rowe, Tim McEwen, Phil Judd and Nat Karmichael LAYOUT ARTIST: Chris Barr COVER: Hobbs Leigh at drawing board (photo courtesy of Robert Littlewood)
INKSPOT is produced four times a year (or try to) by the Australian Cartoonists Association PO Box 318 Strawberry Hills NSW 2012 inkspot@cartoonists.org.au www.cartoonists.org.au Phone: 1300 658 581 ABN 19 140 290 841 Australia Post Registration PP 533798/0015
Hey gang! WELL, here we are again with another edition of Inkspot! A big thanks has to go to the creative powerhouse of Nat Karmichael, Phil Judd and Chris Barr who are doing everything they possibly can (and a little bit more) to ensure we get a copy of INKSPOT every three months. It’s been a long time coming, unfortunately, but these three have really risen to the challenge. Well done, fellas! We have now set a date for this year’s Stanleys Weekend - keep the weekend of November 11-12 free as we’ll be partying down at the Novotel in Parramatta, Sydney. As part of the weekend, we’ll be welcoming to our shores an American cartoonist to be announced at a later time. Our Stanleys auction this year will feature original art from Emile Mercier, Peter Foster, Lindsay Foyle, John Shakespeare and many others so that’s not to be missed by avid collectors. Not to mention the usual high-level content of the Conference and a few fun surprises thrown in for good measure! So save the date now – you won’t want to miss it!
Caricature by Paul Harvey
calling all cartoonists!
ink spot
PRESIDENT’SPARLAY PARLAY
On a more serious note now, the business that we call home is changing. Dramatically. And it’s up to the ACA to continue to be at the forefront of where cartooning is headed. Newspapers are changing and cartoonists are finding themselves looking toward new revenue streams. We need our organisation to stay relevant and up to date and this can only be achieved with member participation. With an election coming up in November this year, why not consider standing for the Committee? It is always refreshing to have new blood and new ideas on the Committee, so if you have a little free time and opinions on what we should be doing, give it some thought. That’s about it from me for now. But we’ll be back in three months in the lead up to the Stanleys in November. In the meantime, enjoy this awesome edition. I think you’ll agree, the team is doing a stellar job! Cartooning forever!
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A SEE YOU
COVERSTORY: STORY: LEIGH LEIGHHOBBS
THE CAT’S WHISKERS? By Nat Karmichael ONE of the Australian Cartoonists’ Association’s favourite cartoonists, Leigh Hobbs, was awarded the Australian Children’s Laureate for 2016 and 2017 in February this year. INKSPOT spoke to Leigh about the award earlier this year. INKSPOT: Has the Award sunk in yet? Leigh: Yes, the Laureate has certainly had time to sink in. I was offered the role back in April last year. I had to keep it secret for over eight months. INKSPOT: That’s a really long time to keep a secret! What are the requirement of the role? Leigh: The role is an honorary one. I am the national and international ambassador for Australian children’s literature for two years. During that time I visit each state at least once, speaking and running related workshops at festivals, conferences, state libraries and schools. I’ll also be spending time in indigenous
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communities, and at international conferences in New Zealand and Bologna in Italy. INKSPOT: Although we understand you were born in the Melbourne suburb of Williamstown, you grew up in country Victoria in Bairnsdale. What were the country influences that may have encouraged your artistic growth? Were your parents or siblings in any way artistic? Leigh: I don’t think there was much difference between me growing up in Williamstown or Bairnsdale as far as my influences go. I’ve always lived a lot in my head so to speak, imagination wise. I read mainly reference books when I was a kid and that was the big influence as I’ve always been fascinated by art, history and architecture, even as a seven year old. I had great parents too. They didn’t quite understand the weird things I drew but always fostered and supported my love of drawing. Dad made me a drawing board which I still use though now it’s covered with over 55 years of pen and ink and paint marks.
INKSPOT: We understand you moved from Melbourne (where you graduated from the Caulfield Institute of Technology’s art school) and travelled to Sydney, where you were employed for the first time. What prompted the move? Leigh: I left Melbourne after art school at the invitation of a woman called Margaret Fink who had spotted what I suppose she thought was a germ of talent in an animated film I made when I was nineteen. Margaret produced the film My Brilliant Career. [The film won the 1979 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award for Best Film.] So I went to Sydney and lived with the family for a while. Margaret’s husband Leon owned Sydney’s Luna Park and so in 1974, at twenty one, I started work there in charge of the restoration of an antique carousel. Later I lived at artist Margaret Olley’s house in Paddington while I created the big characters Larry and Lizzy Luna now at The Powerhouse Museum. INKSPOT: So, when did you first travel to London?
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Leigh: I first went to London in 1976. I’ve been back twenty nine times since. INKSPOT: I noticed in an article in The Guardian recently [Tuesday 9 February], when you were invited to take the reader on a ‘tour’ of Australian Illustration, that you were really well-versed in what other Australian illustrators are doing. Is this because you are all on close terms with most of them, or is it an interest that you harbour with the craft of illustrators? Leigh: Well, the crew involved in children’s books in Australia, that is illustrators, writers, editors and publishers tend to be on very good … close terms with each other. Writers and illustrators especially get to know each other via attendance at festivals. There is a spirit of camaraderie and of course you are exposed to other creators’ work. I must admit that in fact I don’t look at many other children’s books. I’m flat out with my own work and kids books aren’t on my list when it comes to reading. I’d rather read about the opening times of an unbombed German schloss.
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INKSPOT: Have you any personal unfulfilled artistic goals that you would yet like to strive towards (that you are willing to share, of course)? Leigh: Workwise - my only goals at this stage are to keep doing it and to hopefully get better at it. I’ve always been extremely self-critical but
while the ideas keep coming I’ll keep endeavouring to put them on paper. INKSPOT: Leigh, it has been an absolute pleasure talking to you today. Many thanks for sharing your time with us for this interview.
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NEWSINTHENEWS
TALIKING ABOUT WHAT THEY KNOW BEST: (L-R) David Pope, David Rowe, Cathy Wilcox, Fiona Katauskas and Mike Bowers.
HOW PAZAR: Cartoonist Paul Harvey (R) with one happy “victim”. George Haddon (below) drawing up a storm.
TALKING PICTURES, LIVE by Steve Panozzo
TURKISH PAZAR FESTIVAL by Levent Efe
TAKING centre stage at Redfern’s Giant Dwarf Theatre, Mike Bowers’ Talking Pictures Live proved to be the perfect event to bookend the Stanley Awards, conveniently staged on the Monday following cartooning’s Big Weekend. Bowers, the effervescent host of the popular Insiders segment, was just as entertaining as his cartooning guests (David Pope, David Rowe, Cathy Wilcox and segment producer Fiona Katauskas, all looking spookily comfortable on stage, perched on gilded Rococo chairs), even going so far as to demonstrate how much his knee resembled former Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Downer. He took the audience through a hilarious slide show of unfortunate political faux pas, verbally parried with the best of them and even took a pre-recorded “Back to you, Mike” from Insiders compere, Barrie Cassidy. With three of the four cartoonists having just returned from Melbourne
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brandishing freshly-minted Stanleys, and with several Walkley Award nominations amongst them, Bowers couldn’t have had a more highly qualified panel to chat about everything from recent events in Europe to their approach to analysing the events of the day. The night ended up with each cartoonist drawing their takes on recently-deposed PM, Tony Abbott, as the captivated audience sat transfixed. While Wilcox and Rowe drew their speedo-clad idol on paper, Pope chose to demonstrate the use of stylus-on-tablet. Lucky audience members got to take home originals, while others were left to console themselves with the range of books, t-shirts, tea towels and postcards on sale. It was a fun night and one we hope will be both soon-repeated and better-marketed. Sadly, there were plenty of empty seats and the exercise deserved sell-out status.
PHOTO: The Stanley Steamers in action
ROD EMMERSON ESCAPES FROM AUCKLAND by Steve Panozzo LAST October, resident New Zealand Herald cartoonist, escaped from Auckland for a short time and paid a quick visit to Sydney. Here is evidence. He is pictured with ACA Members Steve Panozzo and Lindsay Foyle, taken on 29th October. Please do not tell his employer that he escaped, and do not mention this on Facebook. He has since returned and is still drawing fabulous cartoons. New Zealanders were not aware of this breach in national security.
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THE LATEST live caricaturing gig by the ACA took place at the intersection of Melbourne’s culinary and ethnic heartlands. The 13 March Turkish Pazar Festival at the deliciously famous Victoria Market was the perfect stage for making an impact on a community that hardly ever posed for cartoonists before. A young at heart team of George Haddon, Paul Harvey, Danny Zemp and Levent Efe rolled out the ACA banner for the good cause of the Royal Children’s Hospital. The beautiful Moomba Sunday was full of thick kebab smoke, colourful dances and constant music. The menacing Ottoman Military Band sounded like conquering parts of North Melbourne; as the organizer of the event, Mr Cemal Akdeniz, posed for Harv, proving yet again he is every cartoonists’ dream. Pen strokes for over 5 hours may have exhausted us, but surely lots of kids left the VicMarket happy that
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afternoon. The long day, depicting more bumpy noses, single eyebrows and cheeky kids than we bargained for, eventually fetched $570 for the Hospital.
NEWS Former ACA President, and now New York resident, Jason Chatfield was in Sydney recently and, just by chance, so too was Mick Horne. They met up in the Glenmore Hotel in the Rocks for a catch-up drink.
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NEWSINTHENEWS LILY’S WORK EXPERIENCE by Christohpe Granet and Lily herself IN LATE 2015, the ACA hosted Lily, a year 10 student who wanted to learn about freelance cartooning during a week’s work experience. Lily is a friend’s daughter, so she contacted me to see if she could work with me. I thought it might be more valuable for her to meet other artists as well. Many thanks to those who helped out. Lily appears to be a promising artist. What follows is her report that she gave to her school at the end of the week, in her words. – Christophe Granet Work experience with the Australian Cartoonists’ Association was eye opening. I was lucky enough to meet freelancers and learn from them. The tips they gave me regarding the business was applicable to my future and I’ll make use of the advice I received. I spent Monday in a café with members of the Sydney Comics Guild, who gave me insight into the reality of comic creation. They were kind in answering the questions I had and I ended up with much helpful information. The afternoon was spent with Glen Le Lievre to discuss his line of
work cartooning for newspapers, the economic structure of freelancing, and as other possible jobs for people who can draw. Again, more helpful information was given. I saw him again on Friday and got a second look at his studio and how he actually makes his art. (I saw the cartoon he was making for the Saturday paper!) Glen also has a crazy awesome dog that I love. On Tuesday I made a Claymation animation with a starfish at ToonWorld studios with Mike Wheeler. He explained the process of marketing their business and how ToonWorld manages to get kids involved in their program, which was interesting. Mum and I got lost on the way to see Jules Faber. Jules was informative and friendly. His daughter gave me a picture of a unicorn which I have stuck to my wall alongside an illustration that Jules gave to me. Jules’ work in book illustration was really awesome. I was excited to learn about more jobs that cartoonists can have. You never really think about these things until you talk to people who know what they’re saying. Hanging out with Dani Vittz on Wednesday was a blast. We sat in a café – it seems cafes are where cartoonists feel most at home – and got to draw caricatures! At first I was hesitant to draw the people around me, but I was gaining confidence near the end. This was more
practical than anything, but I had a great time chatting about the work and trying to get people’s faces right (still haven’t quite got it). I spent the afternoon with Graeme Biddle. Graeme ran me through the many different kinds of work he does. It was fantastic to see the huge range of jobs he has: children’s art classes, caricaturing, and work for charities. It was fun bribing children into using colour in their pictures. If I drew Batman, they’d use colour. (I duped them, I would have drawn Batman anyway.) Finally, on Thursday I got to work with Christophe Granet. I received some more information on cartoon production and sale, got to see a bunch of his gadgets like the light box and the perspective board (super cool). After going home, I finished and presented my presentation on my Big Picture comic project. All in all, it was a wonderful week – I learned a lot, I had tons of fun and received this pearl of wisdom: ‘Draw everyone around you all the time, but don’t be creepy… sunglasses might be a good idea’. A big thank you to everyone who helped make the week possible – Lily
AND FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT Swamp by Gary Clark
JUST SUPA: Cartoonist Gary Clark with Phil Judd (far right) looking philosophical.
SUPANOVA POP CULTURE EXPO, BRISBANE Supanova Pop Culture Expo supports the Australian Cartoonist Association by sponsoring the Association with a table at each of Supanova’s capital city shows. It’s a great way to meet your fellow Members! It’s also an opportunity to share with the general public the
THE LEDGER AWARDS THE LEDGER Awards are designed to promote excellence in Australian comic art and publishing, and have been held annually since 2014. They are a fully independent non-profit organisation that have no affiliation with any business or publishing house (apart from sponsorship). They are named after the late Australian comic artist Peter Ledger (1945 – 1994). This year’s 2016 Awards were for works published between January 1st to December 31st 2015, and the winners were announced in Melbourne in midApril.
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PHOTO: The Stanley Steamers in action
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wide variety of talents we have within our organisation, telling people about our cartooning history and our latest functions, as well as trying to source potential new members. Sydney’s Supanova isn’t too far away. If you would like an opportunity to take part and learn how you can help your Association, please contact President Jules Faber. Here are some photographs of a recent Brisbane Supanova
THE WINNERS WERE: GOLD LEDGER - Neomad: The Complete Collection. Sutu, the Love Punks, Satellite Sisters (Gestalt) SILVER LEDGER - Anders and the Comet; Gregory Mackay (Allen & Unwin); Black Magick #1 – 3; Nicola Scott, artist; Chiara Arena, colour assists (with Greg Rucka, Jodi Wynne, Image Comics); The Diemenois, Jamie Clennett [Hunter Publishers]; Fly the Colour Fantastica, Vikki Ong, Eri Kashima, Nadia Attlee, Alicia Braumberger, Viet-My Bui, Sheree Chuang, Rebecca Hayes, Sam Jacobin, Alisha Jade, Sai Nitivoranant, Natasha Sim, Eevien Tan. (Veriko Operative); Oglaf,Trudy Cooper & Doug Bayne
QUEEN MARY: But who’s that drawing her? Needs a haircut.
(Topatoco [US], Lapin Editions [France] and online). BRONZE LEDGER Art Is A Lie, Carol Wood, Susan Butcher (Fabliaux); Cartoonist, Neale Blanden (self-published); Evermore, Isobelle Carmody, writer. Daniel Reed, artist (Windy Hollow Books); Maralinga, Book One, Jen Breach, Douglas Holgate (The House of Skullduggery). PLATINUM LEDGER - Bernard Caleo. LEDGER OF HONOUR (HALL OF FAME) - Peter Chapman and Syd Nicholls.
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ANIMATIONNEWS
NEWSFROMUNDERGROUND
BY PETER VISKA
THE BUNKER CARTOON GALLERY
FLOCK OF CARTOONISTS: (L-R) Rotary Award winners Alan Rose, Xavier Ghazi, David Rowe, Christopher Downes, Chris Roy Taylor, Gary Clark, Tony Lopes and Lindsay Foyle.
AMIMATED COMEDY SKETCH SHOW
HERE’S a new genre for you - Animated Comedy Sketch Show. There have been a few examples from America and the UK on our screens such as the MAD TV series, Adult Swim, Robot Chicken and the Mr Hal Show but the time had come for an Australian version. Being brave as they are, SBS set up a program last year called Comedy Runway. It was a mix of live action shows and one animated episode. One of the voted favourites was five animated minutes of funny different stuff titled Suspect Moustache. The pilot introduced great new characters created and written by Fabian Lapham. Many had been trialled in his stand-up comedy shows.
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To get them to the screen, these characters needed to be visualised and designed for animation so Sacha Bryning was commissioned. Fabian supplied roughs and character descriptions. After a couple of exercise books two six B pencils and thousands of carefully placed pixels Hovercraft Joe came to life as did a cloned Jesus, Helen and her gifted child, Sherlock and his suspects, laid back Tattooed Hipster, the overzealous Phil Philson and a whole range of Hollywood celebrities. The success of the pilot led to a series of 5 more being commissioned. With funding help from Screen Australia, Film Victoria and SBS the production started with more scripts from Lapham and more designs for scores of new characters including a Jesus clone for everyday of the year. The team at Viskatoons in Melbourne used their very effective production pipeline and completed the work in April. ToonBoom Harmony (software) suited the animation style and made life easier for the fifteen animators and interns. Lapham took the reins as Director along with Mark Sheard to see how many gags per minute could be stuffed into the timeline. Ashleigh Beevers
tackled the innovative background style in readiness for the animation team to work their magic after the voices were recorded by Brendan Croxon at Music & Effects. Music was crafted by Asher Pope to lift the humour to a higher plane. A part of the new paradigm to gain millennial viewers Suspect Moustache has utilised YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and SBS On-Demand. The beauty of sketch comedy is the stand alone skits are ideal to view and share online. If you missed it on SBS as a compilation, Suspect Moustache can be seen on YouTube through the Suspect Moustache channel.
INTRODUCING MARGARET CAMERON
THIS MONTH the Bunker welcomes Margaret Cameron who takes over the reins from Chris Barr as Bunker Manager, who has now moved across to take up a position on the Bunker’s Board of Management. Margaret relocated to Coffs Harbour from Sydney a year ago and already is connected well with the local business community through attending various business events and joining networks and business organisations. Margaret has a diverse and extensive professional background which includes new business development and planning, education and training and notfor-profit management. Margaret
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has also been involved in tourism and regional development, online training, grant and submission writing and is experienced in working with volunteers - all good skills that will benefit the Bunker’s future development. Margaret says the challenge is made much easier by the great contribution of all the volunteers who really are the heart and soul of the gallery. “I love what I’ve seen so far, I’ve enjoyed meeting the volunteers, lots of locals and even some cartoonists, and am looking forward to the next 12 months in this role.” She said “I plan to be out and about on a regular basis, promoting the gallery, engaging the locals, and seeing what else we can do to make the gallery the ‘must see destination’ for visitors to the Coffs Harbour Region”. “And of course, a big thanks to the Board for giving me this opportunity!” Margaret’s contact details are: (02) 6651 7343 or manager@ bunkercartoongallery.com.au
THE 28TH ROTARY CARTOON AWARDS CARTOONISTS from all over Australia gathered at the Bunker Cartoon Gallery for the announcement of the
annual Rotary Cartoon Awards on Saturday July 16. Over 500 entries were received and trophies and cash prizes awarded totalled $11,000. A winner and merit award was decided in each of the six categories and one cartoon awarded the Rotary Cartoon of the Year. This year that prestigious award was won by Melbourne Sun-Herald artist, Chris Roy Taylor for his cartoon highlighting today’s gender diversity. Being a national competition, each year the organisers move the final judging to a different city to ensure a new input and to further promote the competition. A team compiling media, cartoon industry and Rotary members carried out this year’s final judging which was conducted at Brisbane City Hall. The 2016 special topic of Social Media attracted the attention of Twitter Australia. An online poll was won by Swamp artist, Gary Clark who received a $500 cash prize donated by Twitter for his strip cartoon depicting the origins of social media. The exhibition of this year’s entries is currently on display in the Bunker until August 28. Check out all this year’s winners and runners-up by going to rotarycartoonawards.com.au
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SPOTLIGHTON: ANDREWWELDON
INKSPOT: When did you first start drawing/cartooning? Do you have a first memory? Andrew: I liked cartoons and cartooning as a kid, but probably not more than most kids. I rediscovered cartooning while studying architecture at Melbourne University in the early ‘90s. I got very involved in the ‘Archi Revue’ - an annual sketch comedy show - as a writer, performer, and at one point codirector. I loved performing, and for a while thought that’s what I wanted to do, but eventually my introverted side won out and I shifted my joke writing efforts to cartooning - which I found I loved in a different way. INKSPOT: What was your first break in the business? Andrew: I began submitting cartoons to ‘Farrago’ - the Melbourne University student newspaper, and seeing my work in print was fantastic! Soon after starting I was very encouraged by winning prizes in a student cartooning
competition judged by Peter Nicholson. He offered some great advice, as well as a few names to contact at ‘The Age’. While this didn’t lead to work at the time, my cartoon was published in ‘The Age’, which was thrilling, and I went into the paper’s office and nervously showed a folio, introducing me to the freelancing life. INKSPOT: What category of cartooning does your work cover? What formats do you use? Andrew: I mainly do gag and political cartoons In recent years my main regular gigs have been for ‘The Age’ newspaper in Melbourne and ‘The Big Issue Australia’. I’ve been ‘The Big Issue’ ‘s cartoonist since its inception in 1996. For a long time, I did a regular weekly magazine illustration, for ‘Medical Observer’, responding to an article. I’ve also done illustration for kids’ books, and have written and illustrated my own kids’ books. My work uses a mix of single panel and longer comic formats, as
BY PHIL JUDD
well as various others. Single panel gags are probably my first love, but in my regular cartoon for ‘The Sunday Age’, ‘The Strip’ - a larger news-based cartoon – I’ve enjoyed using different formats, and shifting from week to week. Formats I’ve used include: single panel editorial cartoons, narrative comics with ongoing regular characters, a group of thematically linked jokes exploring an issue, and others. Being able to play with format is one of things I’ve liked most about this regular spot... INKSPOT: How do you create your ideas? Andrew: A small number of ideas arrive spontaneously fully formed, which is a gift when it happens, and they must be scribbled down immediately because they tend to disappear as quickly as they appear. The majority though come through conscious brainstorming - doodling while ruminating on a potential cartoon topic - in a freeform, day-dreamy way when coming up with gags, and in a more focused way when trying to say something specific with a political cartoon. There’s a lot of staring into space basically.
INKSPOT: What materials, technology and methods do you use currently to create your work? Any favourites? Andrew: Fineliner on unglamorous photocopy paper, then scanned into Photoshop on my iMac, cleaned up, and any alterations made or errors corrected. If a colour cartoon I digitally colour. I use a small, bottom of the range Wacom tablet - I’ve never felt the need to trade up, maybe because I’ve never tried anything better! I do also occasionally colour by hand with gouache on better quality paper, and love working like this too.
INKSPOT: What’s the best thing that has happened so far in your cartooning career? Andrew: Getting a gag published in The New Yorker in 2011 was really exciting for me. I had long admired their cartoons and cartoonists and had submitted regularly (but with diminishing hope) for years. I’ve also loved getting books published. Being raised as a book-lover, I think of books as sort of holy objects, and getting to make them has amazed me every time.
INKSPOT: What is first the drawing or writing? Andrew: They usually develop simultaneously with me, hence the doodling being an important part of the process.
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INKSPOT: Have you ever won any awards for your work? Andrew: I won the 2011 Stanley for Gag Cartooning, of which I am very proud. I was co-winner (with Bruno Herfst - the books’ fantastic designer) of a 2014 ABDA Award (Australian Book Designers’ Award) for ‘Don’t Look Now’ - a four-book series of kids’ books I created with author Paul Jennings. The picture storybook I made with my partner - Mary Ellen Jordan, ‘Lazy Daisy, Busy Lizzie’ won the 2014 Read Aloud Book Award from CELI - the Centre for Excellence in Literary Instruction, at the University of Mississippi!
INKSPOT: Any advice, tips or insights you could offer your fellow cartoonists or those aspiring to be? Andrew: I always try to, above all,
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amuse myself with any work I do. In the end it’s what makes it most worthwhile and fun, and if I’m enjoying it, I figure some others will too. In my cartoons I always value a good idea over a good drawing. If the idea is communicated clearly in my work, I figure the drawing is doing its main job. (But this could be a self-justification for my drawing not being better…) Someone once told me a big part of drawing is skill not talent – and I’ve found I have gotten better and more confident the more I’ve practiced. A favourite quote from Maurice Sendak sums up the pleasure of drawing for me. This makes me feel good about how I’m spending my time every time I read it – hopefully it does the same for fellow cartoonists –: “It’s sublime to just go into another room and make pictures. It’s magic time where all your weaknesses of character, and all blemishes of personality, and whatever else torments you fade away, just doesn’t matter. You’re doing the one thing you want to do and you do it well, and you’re happy. The whole promise is to do the work, sitting down at a drawing table, turning on the radio. And I think, “What a transcendent life this is that I’m doing everything I want to do”.’
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SPOTLIGHTON: ANDREWWELDON
BY PHIL JUDD
INKSPOT: Who would you say are your five favourite cartoonists that inspire you? Andrew: B.Kliban, Roz Chast, Michael Leunig, Tim Kreider, David Shrigley (Although somehow he’s 100% classified into the art world, he is actually a brilliant cartoonist). INKSPOT: Are there any obscure cartoonists you can suggest checking out? Andrew: Tim Krieder is an American writer and cartoonist, who now devotes himself entirely to writing. Through the Bush years especially he was the most incisive, unrestrained, hilarious critical voice I knew. Not quite obscure (his drawings were published by Fantagraphics), but never a mainstream political cartoonist, despite, in my opinion, being one of the best. I miss his regular cartooning work, but his writing is brilliant too - his 2014 collection of essays, ‘We Learn Nothing’, is great. His back catalogue of cartoons is online at www.thepaincomics. com.
YOURVIEW: WINTER
COMPILED BY PHIL JUDD
JASON CHATFIELD (USA)
GARY CLARK (QUEENSLAND)
INKSPOT: Where can we find out more about your business and your work? andrewweldon.com www.facebook.com/andrewweldoncartoons Twitter @ aweldoncartoons INKSPOT: What are you currently reading, cartooning or general wise? Andrew: Reading has always been one of my main joys, and I think it ties into my cartooning quite strongly . It is part of the ‘input’ that swills around and leads to the ‘output’. Other input - news and newspapers, films, art, the internet, conversation, just being in the world - is important, but books particularly for me have always been important for inspiration and fuelling my mental activity. I try to read widely, but mainly read fiction. I just finished Miranda July’s brilliant novel ‘The First Bad Man’, which I found hilarious, insightful and moving.
IAN JONES (QUEENSLAND)
ALEX HALLAT (SPAIN)
INKSPOT: What music do you enjoy? Do you listen to anything while working? Andrew: Music is also important ‘input’ for me, although not as directly tied up in with the cartoons that they help inspire. I have music playing much of the time while I work. I think I listen fairly broadly - a staple diet of rock, but I listen to pretty much everything and anything. I’m always curious to listen to new music.
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The Inkspotlight is a feature for members to get to know other members. If you wish to be featured in it let us know! Don’t be shy. Or if you have another member you’d love to find out more about let us know! Simply drop us an email at Inkspot@comic-express.com INKSPOT #75
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YOURVIEW: WINTER
COMPILED BY PHIL JUDD
DAVE ‘EMO’ EMERSON (NSW)
TERRY MOSHER (CANADA) MARIA SCRIVAN (USA)
DANNY ZEMP (VICTORIA)
DR CRAIG HILTON ‘JENNER’ (VICTORIA)
TIM MELLISH (QUEENSLAND)
PHIL DAY(QUEENSLAND)
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HATCHMATCH&DISPATCH
COMPILED BY PHIL JUDD
MATCH
YOURVIEW: WINTER ERIC LOBBECKE(NSW)
MICHELLE COMMANDEUR (VICTORIA)
ROY BISSON (NSW)
LOVE IS IN THE AIR
DISPATCH
MEMBER Ken Dove is very happy to report that that two lonely
DISPATCHED AWARD THAT IS...
JOCK Macneish earlier in the year was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for his contributions to his community and to the visual arts. Jock has illustrated for the Wanondyte Diary since its first edition, contributes to the Wanondyte Festival and is the main figure behind the Wanondyte Youth Arts Festival. Previously, Jock worked as a cartoonist for The Age and was a set designer for the ABC in Melbourne and Sydney.
JOHN ALLISON (VICTORIA)
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people have found love and (by the time you read this) have married! Ken and Barbara Maller of Caloundra are both members
of the Maroochydore Seventh Day Adventist Music Ensemble and have been acquainted for two years. Barb teaches Music (keyboard) part-time and is a developing artist in Pastel and Pencil. She has three adult children and three grand-children. The couple have many common interests, including travel in Australia. A relatively fit 70 yearold, Barb likes a surf at Kings Beach with her Boogie Board. She enticed Ken into the surf recently and has re-awakened another old love of Ken’s. Look out, Mooloolaba! Ken and Barbara were married on Sunday the 20th March, 2016 at Maroochydore Seventh Day Adventist Church. They left on a honeymoon cruise to Caledonia and Vanuatu in April. Congratulations Ken and Barbie!
“It’s a new experience for me. You’re never quite sure how to feel about these things; you’re delighted to be acknowledged and appreciated, but a bit guilty for being awarded for something you love doing. In a way, you are being rewarded for something you are already rewarded for,” Jock said. Hearty congratulations to you, Jock, from all of us at the Australian Cartoonists’ Association!
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DISPATCH
HATCHMATCH&DISPATCH
REFLECTIONS ON TONY RAFTY by Eric Löbbecke WHEN I was ten years old, I drew pictures of everything and everyone; and I showed my drawings to my Dad at every opportunity. After Cubs on a school night, he arranged for this great cartoonist to draw my brother and me. To prime me up, Dad took me to the foyer of a highrise in Melbourne, where this wellknown artist had an exhibition of his caricatures. Wide eyed, I walked around surrounded by famous signatures on drawings of famous golfers and other sportsmen. Tony Rafty was the first person I met that drew on the spot for a living. I had seen people do that at Luna Park and I knew that newspapers had artists employed to scribble faces for their pages, but this man was going to do it in front of me – and for me! In 1976 my father ran food and beverages at the Melbourne Hilton, in fact he was there to open both the Sydney and the Melbourne Hiltons. That is the reason we lived in Australia, a long way away from Austria and France where my parents came from three years earlier. It was the year before the Centenary Cricket
Test, and cricket before Kerry Packer. The hotel was placed just across the park from the MCG, so it attracted all the international teams and also our cricketers. Blokes like Lillee, the Chappells, Walters, Boycott, Viv Richards and Rod Marsh…. Tony Rafty was known to find a way to be in this company to get a signature and to upsize his drawings. I guess that is why I found myself in front of Tony whipping out his magic with a felt tip pen, a keen eye and lots of slag to create that unique shadow wash. I watched my bored brother Chris, after been dragged in with me, be immortalised in less time than it took for dad to order Tony a beverage from room service. I was completely awestruck. I saw my Don Bradman create a century with a slash here and never taking a backward step. With so much confidence he filled an A3 page with a likeness and outstanding clean lines. An inscription added, then he had me in front of him with barely enough time to look up, he had me scribbled in and left me with a parting message. “To Eric, must make the Aussie XI in the year 1986. Very Best Wishes” Inspiration comes in many forms, but to me his message came to light in 1988 when I did make The Australian, put on the team by the Coach at the time, Art Director John Thorby. I came
in as the 12th man and now I regard myself as the same as the bloke with the gloves at the back of the wickets catching opinions. I felt my dream for playing for our number one cricket team had come through. I met Tony Rafty again in 1989 at my first ever Stanleys, and of course he did not remember me; but let me tell you I made sure every time I saw him I recounted this story to him. We did come together once again when we talked about our caricature approaches at the ACA conference in Wollongong. I stood proudly with him and discussed our love of this wonderful craft. This business creates great artists that scribble down history. This is a unique gift. If we can embrace it like Tony and give back so much to people we target by showing aspects of their character that is not evident until the drawing is finished and do it without malice, and see it has an important historical document with a unique view point that can’t be captured by the photographic medium, we will be following the great legacy “RAFTY” left us with. PS: Scientists, if you need some of Tony’s DNA, when we can replicate him, I have a scribble with his Dribble. A fan, ERIC LÖBBECKE
OUR APOLOGIES In our last edition of INKSPOT, there was a production error. Tony Rafty was incorrectly named as “Tony Rafferty”, both on the cover and on the title of the Despatch/Obituary Page. The person responsible has been obliterated.
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INTERNATIONALREPORT
MUCH APPRECIATED: Martin Robinson with his Certificate of Participation.
REPORT ON THE 34E FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL DE LA CARICATURE, DU DESSIN DE PRESSE ET D’HUMOUR, ST JUST LE MARTEL As reported by our international correspondent, Jock Brodie AT a pre-Stanley workshop [in 2014], I heard glowing reports from those who had attended the St Just le Martel Caricature and Cartoon Festival. My wife Cathy and I decided that the 2015 festival needed our presence. We started planning our trip, and I started boning up on my French. Cathy’s was already pretty good. The usual route to the Festival is to arrive in Paris and meet one of the
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volunteers there, before catching the TGV (Very Fast Train) to Limoges and a festival bus to St Just le Martel. At Limoges we were given a formal welcome by the Mayor and the President of the Festival Committee. My first impression, even with my limited French, was that Charlie Hebdo was to be a feature of the festival. On arrival at St Just we attended the official opening, with Wolinski’s widow among the speakers. Her courage was inspirational. The festival is housed in the town’s Cultural Centre which has two large exhibition halls, a large entrance foyer and another large area which has a motorised, telescopic tiered seating arrangement to make it into a large theatre. There were also a number of smaller conference rooms and a large marquee set up for dining. One of the large exhibition areas was devoted entirely to freedom of speech as it relates to cartooning and the Charlie Hebdo attack. The other large exhibition area contained the main displays of other French and
International cartoons and caricatures. Of course, because of Charlie Hebdo security was high but it was not oppressive. In the transformable exhibition area there were plenty of tables and chairs for caricaturists and cartoonists to work, under the watchful eyes of the many visitors to the Festival. There were other tables scattered throughout for cartoonists and caricaturists to perform and these were a feature of the festival. Many visitors went away with more than one caricature of themselves. From my point of view caricaturing on the floor was an opportunity to repay some of the wonderful hospitality shown to all the participants and to help add to the festival occasion. There was the added bonus of allowing me to see other caricaturists at work, to observe the great variety of styles and speeds of caricaturing – ranging from detailed and careful caricatures using pastels or paints through to black and white sketches done in a few seconds. At one stage I joined a small group
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having races with their caricaturing. They beat me every time, although I was not far behind! Cartooning seems to be taken seriously in France and has a prominent place in education, particularly political education. Groups of school children were brought to the festival by bus. All had projects to be completed, including finding and analysing specific cartoons. Some of the older groups were required to interview an English speaking cartoonist, with two groups specifically required to find an Australian cartoonist and interview him. Yes, there was only one! An important part of the festival is the billeting of visiting cartoonists and caricaturists by host families of St Just le Martel. We were privileged to be hosted by the Headmaster of the local school and his wife; we were made to feel most welcome. Cathy and I spent over an hour with his two classes, answering their prepared questions about Australia and about cartooning. We came away with caricatures by every one of the pupils we were talking to! Was my lack of French a problem? It would have been better to have been able to speak and understand more. Cathy stayed with me for the first few caricatures to help translate where required; but I soon found that my limited French was not really a problem, as there was usually someone nearby who could help me out. However, one of our frustrations was that we generally understood people when they spoke to us and we were able to ask them to slow down, repeat, or explain; but we were unable to pick up what was being said in general conversation (say, at the dinner table). The year we attended they had a new item on the agenda, called “The Ring”. A mock boxing ring was place on stage and two cartoonists battle to draw a quick cartoon on a given subject, with points gained according
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to the applause. I enjoyed watching these performances. The ringmaster was a real character. He spoke quickly in colloquial French and I could not understand a word he said. I just had to imagine. From the laughter and applause of the French speaking audience he was obviously quite a comedian. All very well until there were two words I did understand: “Brodie” and “Australie”. I found out that the ringmaster had decided it would be a good idea if “The Ring” included some international competition. He thought Brodie from Australia should play (or
“Was my lack of French a problem?...” fight – I am not sure of the appropriate word to use here) Jean Gouders from Holland. A significant part of the spectacle involved the cartoonists reacting to the ringmaster’s banter and specifically drawing subjects he specified. I negotiated with the organisers to appoint a translator. My translator said she did not understand all that was said but admirably made sure I was aware of everything that mattered. For my bout I was “Jock the Boxing Kangaroo” (representing Australia) and Jean was “Gouders the Batavian Tulip” (representing Holland). I wore red silk boxing shorts, my big black boots and socks, a rope tail, my bush hat and a money pouch with a cardboard cut-out joey. Although I pointed out that a male kangaroo does not have a pouch, they were adamant that I must include one in my costume. Jean wore the black silk boxing shorts and a Dutch cap made of drawing paper (which we both later autographed for the archives).
I won the first round with the subject “That cartooning is not dead”. But not the second. Surely, I could not call the ringmaster biased when he feigned upset that I had caricatured him as a cow. As the scoring was (theoretically) based on audience applause, I thought finishing first was probably worth points. Seeing some of my opponent’s cartoons I thought I had a chance, as he drew careful, detailed cartoons. I also ensured I had the first line on the page, right across the middle and could claim loudly “Le premier coup, the first blow”. I finished both cartoons first, and one so far ahead of Jean that I was asked to explain it. Which I did, in French – well, I thought it was French. The whole thing was a lot of nonsense and tremendous fun. My performance and the show for the audience would have been nothing without the contribution of Marie Lemarié, my translator, who was good and added to the fun. The festival is run by a committee. A large part of the work for the St Just le Martel Festival is contributed by community volunteers. Their efforts were evident in all areas of organization through the week and all were friendly and helpful. They always had enough English to mix with my limited French to solve just about any problem. Another special mention needs to be made: Christophe Granet organised the Australian Cartoonists’ Association’s display at the Festival, contributed to the planning of our trip, and our involvement in the Festival. Thank you Christophe. I would highly recommend attending future Festivals. This year’s St Just le Martel Caricature and Cartoon Festival runs from Friday 30th September (opening night) to the 9th October (Sunday afternoon) 2016. If you are interested in attending this year, or need help in organizing your trip, please contact Christophe Granet.
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THEPROCESS: DAVIDROWE Welcome to a new feature we will be running regularly called ‘The Process’. We will have a guest cartoonist showing their creation process step by step in their own words. Cartoonists use a wide
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range of methods to create their work so we will endevour to cover a wide range of different media, styles and processes. Now let’s check out multi-award winning cartoonist David Rowe’s process!
STEP ONE
STEP TWO
STEP THREE
STEP FOUR
I use a Staedtler 2B for drafting and a Post Office nib and Rotring ink for drawing.
Generally my sketches are pretty rough, although I have an image in my head as to what the finished illustration will look like.
Rotring inks are my preferred medium as they don’t bleed when hit with water. Ward O’Neill always had a pilferable stash.
A. Once I’ve inked the main figures I’ll fill in with some colour, starting with the basest. I’m not particularly fussy and it saves time. Picking a light source helps, obviously, but I’m not a stickler as long as it works.
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THEPROCESS: DAVIDROWE
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STEP FOUR (cont’d)
STEP FIVE
STEP SIX
STEP SEVEN
B. I use Dr Marten’s Radiant Watercolours which are fantastic. They have great saturation, good mixing qualities and you can erase.
I add faces, with clues to what I’m thinking as I go. The cartoons are pretty organic as I build them, but I try to have a solid core to work from. It looks like a messy palette. Clean water is most essential!
Once I’ve blocked in main colours, it’s a judgement call as to the background colour. I love tobacco brown, as it really warms up the drawing.
Sigh...Once all that’s done, I scan and bake at 300 dpi. I use Photoshop to do the speech bubbles, erase or pick out highlights etc. All pretty basic Photoshop stuff, really.
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TURN TO NEXT PAGE TO VIEW FINISHED ILLUSTRATION... INKSPOT #75
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STEP EIGHT
And now for some official stuff...
And then send it off... that’s about two hours drawing. Plus whatever time it took to come up with the idea!
NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Notice is hereby given to the Members of the Australian Cartoonists Association Incorporated that the Annual General Meeting will be held at the Novotel Sydney Parramatta, 350 Church Street, Parramatta NSW, on Saturday 12th November 2016 commencing from 9.00am and concluding at 10.00am. AGENDA 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Present Apologies Confirmation of previous minutes November 2015 Business arising from previous minutes Correspondence Financial Statements and Reports Appointment of Auditors Business - Consideration of any other business for which proper notice has been given in writing prior to the Meeting. 9. Other Business Declaration of elected committee members 10. Next Meeting The Next Meeting will be held in November 2017 at a destination to be announced. Jules Faber PRESIDENT AUSTRALIAN CARTOONISTS ASSOCIATION
ACA COMMITTEE NOMINATION FORM I hereby nominate the following person(s) for the office of:
First nominator (must be a financial full member)
PRESIDENT
_____________________________
DEPUTY PRESIDENT
_____________________________
SECRETARY
_____________________________
TREASURER
_____________________________
MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY
_____________________________
ORDINARY COMMITTEE MEMBER
_____________________________
ORDINARY COMMITTEE MEMBER
_____________________________
Second nominator (must be a financial full member)
ORDINARY COMMITTEE MEMBER
_____________________________
NAME:
__________________
ORDINARY COMMITTEE MEMBER
_____________________________
Signature:
__________________
ORDINARY COMMITTEE MEMBER
_____________________________
Date:
__________________
NAME:
__________________
Signature:
__________________
Date:
__________________
for the next 2-year term of office at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting of the Australian Cartoonists Association to be held on 9am Saturday, November 12, 2016 at The Novotel Sydney Parramatta, 350 Church Street, Parramatta NSW. Nominations close October 20, 2016. All nominees will be advised of their nomination in writing via email by the Secretary. Nominees must confirm or decline their acceptance in writing within seven days of said advice. Extra nomination forms can be requested from the ACA Secretary. Nomination forms are to be sent to: ACA Secretary, PO Box 580, Elizabeth, SA 5112 or by email to secretary@cartoonists.org.au Please note that only Full members and Full Life members who are financial can be nominated for any position on the Committee.
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COMICREVIEWS FILOSOPHICS Fil Barlow. Zoonitoons. $6. Available from the publisher: info@zoonitoons.com This awesome reprinting of Fil’s (mostly) early 1980s work is just incredible. From the hands of an artist doing his first published comics at the ages of 18 to 22 these are totally brilliant. Interesting philosophical and new-age-ish storylines, full of slightly inscrutable
Alisha Jade. Petrie Press. $6. 16pp. http://www.petriepress.com/ store/?product=dopplerganger THE LOVELY illustrations in this watercoloured mini-comic are worth the price of admission alone. This is a short, succinct sci-fi tale with the “hard” sci-fi softened by the brushy line work, cartoonish characters and vibrant colours. It’s not an easy feat to outline
Edited by Alisha Jade and Samantha Calcraft. $14. 96pp. http://shop. mamath.net/products/16252059starrytellers-comics-anthology THIS is a gorgeous looking anthology of full colour short stories with the theme of “stars”. It’s a rare anthology that’s “all killer and no filler”, but this is one. Even the stories that weren’t quite
characters, motivations, relationships, and a setting with its particular sci-fi rules in such a short time, and all the harder when there’s no narration, only pictures and dialogue to get it done with. Alisha achieves it here though, concisely, entertainingly and even with some backstory. The panel to panel storytelling confused me in a few places, but nothing that was a deal breaker. Highly recommended!
to my taste are not bad stories. With an all-female, all-Australian line-up of creators, the stories range from three pages to 18. They’re all beautifully illustrated in brilliant colour, and the styles are wonderfully varied, as are the approaches to the theme. The production values are very high, with vibrant printing, square binding, and even silver embossing on the cover logo. A must buy!
THE UNDERTAKER MORTON STONE Gary Chaloner, Ben Templesmith, Ashley Wood, et al. $14.95. 56pp. http:// www.gestaltcomics.com/all-products/ A WORTHY reprinting (and to a certain extent remastering) of these stories originally from the early 1990s, this volume tells the darkly humorous and sometimes plain grotesque tale of the unhinged Morton Stone’s grisly
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LETTER TO ... ERR ... FROM THE EDITOR
metaphors (both visual and in plot) make this more than the run of the mill collection of euro-inspired sci-fi shorts that they could have otherwise been. There’s plenty to ponder in these pages. Fil is already setting up his signature style of drawing and storytelling here, including what could easily be seen as proto-Zooniverse characters and situations. Such a top, fun read!
DOPPLERGANGER
STARRYTELLERS
THELASTWORD
BY TIM McEWEN
revenge quest. The added interest to this volume, beyond the compelling story and interesting characters, is that it presents some very early work of current super stars Ben Templesmith and Ashley Wood. Both of these guys were utterly suited to the job at hand, even if there were riffing off the thenin-vogue art styles being presented by DC’s Vertigo comics imprint. Great and hideous fun, though it seems that the hard copy may be out of print. Digital copies are still available though.
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IT GETS lonely here in the INKSPOT editorial office, so please drop us a line and tell us how you think we are going. INKSPOT is important to all Australian Cartoonists’ Association members. It keeps everyone linked together with news, views and information of what we all love – cartooning! For some time there, the appearance of INKSPOT was published sporadically. We’ve now overcome that problem: Editor Nat Karmichael is now chained to his desk (much to the chagrin of his wife!) and is not allowed to leave until the next Edition is ready. As a result, the magazine is (just about) back to its regular schedule of being published quarterly. It is mailed by an advanced mailing system that involves slave labour, and finally it is uploaded to the Association’s website. But the magazine is only as good as its Members. If you can spend a little time supplying content, everyone will be happy. The postings on the Australian Cartoonists’ Association’s Facebook page is good, but not everyone gets to see it. Here’s how you can help: Send some articles to Editor Nat at: inkspot@cartoonists.org.au or comicoz@live.com.au THESE ARE THE ARTICLES WE WANT TO READ: 1. ACA News Article: Reporting on events or projects by ACA members. This includes reporting on something you are doing yourself. 2. News Article: General cartooning information about a product or famous cartoonists. This doesn’t have to be Australian based.
3. Book or Comic Review: What’s a comic you read recently and liked (or didn’t)? 4. Interview with Creators: Australian and international artists and writers. 5. Information Articles: On a cartooning related event, product or topic/theme IMAGES OR ILLUSTRATIONS 1. Must be no less than 300 dpi (DON’T steal it from the interweb!) and about the width of an A4 portrait page. 2. CMYK is preferred. RGB is okay if you must. 3. In JPG format please. WORD COUNT 1. Half-page story of review: 200 to 400 words, depending on the number and size of illustrations or photos. 2. One-page story: 480 to 520 words, with 1 to 3 photos taking up approximately the top third of the page. 3. Two-page story: 1200 words, with 1 to 3 photos taking up approximately the top third of the page. 4. All text to be supplied in Word documents with NO formatting. And if you can’t do that, at least give some feedback in the form of a Letter to the Editor. Here’s something to get you putting pen to paper: Would you like to see pages devoted to comics in these pages? What do you want to see MORE of? What do you want to see LESS of? Please let us know! Editor NAT