Last year's Comic Arts Awards of Australia's Annual has just recently been released. I'm very proud to have supported the project, despite the 'handicap' of COVID. Not only did I chair the Ledger of Honour Award - okay, bragging time, for the seventh year in a row! - I also placed sponsorship dollars into the venture. I really believe in supporting the  creatives, past and present, of the local Australian comic "industry".

Meantime, in order to boost my own revenue to allow me to both publish more Australian comics and comic books (with the emphasis on books) and support local Australian creatives, I am now going to start selling some books and magazines that are more commercially available. The time is coming where I won't be working and drawing a wage, so I need to prepare for the day where my publishing ventures have to be somewhat more independent (or less dependent, if you will) of other means. SO, if you have a particular DC title that you would like to order on a regular basis, please get in touch! I'm going to initially offer a pull list of some of the more popular monthly titles from only $7.50 an issue. (What does your comic book shop charge?) First person to do so will score a free copy of the CAAA's Annual! What are you waiting for?!

And, speaking of more Australian comics and comic books ... time won't be far away before I make an announcement about a book I have been working on for the past few months ... and how you can obtain your copy of the book!

Earlier this year I wrote a review for INKSPOT, the journal of the Australian Cartoonists Association. The issue it appears in has just been published, so thought I would share the review in full here now. (The journal is not available except through membership of the ACA.)

​Still Alive: Notes from Australia’s Immigration Detention System
 by Safdar Ahmed
Twelve Panels Press
234 pages, soft cover; 17 cm x 23.5 cm
$30 (plus $10 for posting within Australia) from the publisher or from most good bookstores
Here's a link to the publisher: Click here!

The Comics Arts Award of Australia (formerly known as the Ledger Awards) was recently held in Perth, with two books chosen as Gold Award recipients: Stone Fruit by Lee Lai (published by American boutique publisher Fantagraphic Books) and Still Alive by Safdar Ahmed (the second graphic novel produced by local publishing group, Twelve Panel Press). I’ve chosen to review the latter book for this issue of Inkspot.
Still Alive has received many accolades already. From winning both the Multicultural NSW Award and the Book of the Year at the 2022 NSW Premier’s Literary Award, more recently it has also won the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Eve Pownall Award. The first time a graphic novel for older readers has won such acclaim.
Which begs the question: Is this a book for children? With the Children’s Book Council of Australia sticker placed on the book, the inference comes across that this is a book for children. It’s also a graphic novel. The writer/artist of the book, Safdar Ahmed, compounds the problem that the comic book medium has within Australia – that comics are for kids – when being interviewed by stating that “the younger generation genuinely care about human rights issues” and that he wants to see his book in all high schools.

​This is unfortunate. Very early in the story, in the third chapter, there’s a masturbatory scene that conservative parents might object to, clearly indicating that this is a story that is really for an open-mined readership, one that needs to be read by a much wider audience. Because there are older Australian who care about human rights too.
Still Alive is a factual account of Safdar’s first visit to Sydney’s Villawood Immigration Detention Centre in 2011, where he came armed with pencils and sketchbooks, and set up a small art workshop for the detainees. The book follows subsequent visits, and documents both his growing friendships with those detained and his learning of the personal circumstances that some of them endured to arrive there. The book makes for grim reading, with few light moments within the tale, clearly reflecting the dire circumstances the people who become his friends must endure while living there.
Interspersed with Safdar’s tale, he allows some of the refugees to tell their stories, most particularly Haider*. (*Not his real name.) Both narratives intermingled with each other, and both used first person pronouns, with the same lettering font and illustrating style, making the first-time reading of these different chapters initially confusing.
Safdar’s illustrations are pleasing to the eye, although he seems to lack a certain sequential storytelling that would allow the work to flow more consistently throughout the book. Part of that is no doubt due to the mountain of factual information that he seeks to impart to the reader about the detention system and its clear failings to those detained. Periodically, he allows some of those who have joined his art workshops a space on the pages to demonstrate their experiences through their drawings. I would have liked to have seen some of those highlighted a little more: perhaps a page to each of their works would have been better, rather than squeezing two illustrations to a page.

​Still Alive touches only briefly on the women detainees and their lived experiences, and I imagine that their access to Safdar’s art classes may have been limited by the authorities that ran the Centre. Similarly, no effort has been made to humanise any of the Serco workers or the administrators of the Detention Centre. While I can see that the intent of the book is to tell the tales of the people detained, there must have been some latitude given to Safdar to allow him to enter the Centre in the first place or, as detailed half-way through the book, when an attempt was made to deny him access to the refugees.
Nonetheless, there were certainly some powerful and moving parts in the book. The fate of one detainee, Ahmad, hits the reader with a sledgehammer. Not surprisingly, Safdar Ahmed has dedicated his book to him.
This book is hardly entertaining. There are many readers who will not be interested in reading it. It’s grim. It’s bleak. There seems no respite or anything that is remotely uplifting in Still Alive. Does it deserve its accolades? Should it have be awarded the Gold at this year’s Comics Arts Awards of Australia? Yes. On both counts.
This graphic novel will in the future prove to be a unique sequential narrative reflecting just some of the darker political stories of this country’s history. That there are many Australians who have welcomed the return of the Murugappan family to Biloela, gives hope that perhaps Australians are beginning to see the human side of the people behind the walls of places like the Villawood Immigration Detention Centre. It’s no small measure that Still Alive will be one of the means of moving us forward to that better place. We can only hope.   

Just have to share the news that Dillon Naylor's book, Batrisha and the Creepy Caretaker (published by Comicoz) has today been nominated for an Australian Shadow Award, run by the Australasian Horror Writers Association (AHWA). The Association, founded in 2003, is a non-profit organisation that provides a community and unified voice for Australasian writers of dark fiction, attempting to foster the evolution of the genre within Australia. Dillon's book has been entered in the Graphic Novel-Comic section. Interested in reading the group's blog page? Click here! Or if you're interested in knowing more about the Association, please click here. Dillon and I would like to sincerely thank Jason Franks for letting us know about this Award...

There's too much going on in our household during the school holidays (with wonderful grandchildren visiting) to try to work out how to remove the middle border in this illustration. But there was enough time yesterday morning (while everyone else slept) to pick up a copy of Frew's first comic release of the year. I wasn't fussed about the internal pages (although they looked pretty, all in colour).... it was the wraparound cover that caught my eye. The editorial credits as by being drawn by an Australian artist that I don't know and am not familiar with: Daniel Picciotto. I'm going to have to question my comic mate Jeremy Macpherson to tell me what he knows about Daniel! It's such a cracking cover, I just had to buy a copy to share the illustration with you here.  

The reason I publicly make my selections on 5th January, is because it is the birth date of Australian comic book creative Monty Wedd. It's a nice way of remembering a wonderfully warm human being (whom I first met in 1988). He was born on this day in 1921 ... 102 years ago. Sadly, during 2022, his wife Dorothy passed away. Dorothy and Monty's son Justin kindly supplied some photographs of the couple in earlier years for the Australian Cartoonists Association's Stanley Awards held recently. They didn't use all the photos, but this seems an opportune moment to share just one of them (right).

Last year, on this date for the first time, I put in place the Comicoz-Wedd Mentored Australian Graphic Storytelling Project allowing Australian comic creatives to share with me, along with fellow-judges Dr Bruce Mutard and Dean Rankine, a yet-to-be published 100-page comic project that creatives would allow my publishing imprint Comicoz to publish. I had planned to announce the recipient at the Comic Arts Awards of Australia, but instead chose to delay that announcement until today. So, drum-roll please! Runner-up in the project was Ken Best. Ken wrote, drew and coloured a fast-paced action comic tale that I hope he someday puts to print. Sadly, though, there can only be one winner. And so (bigger drum-roll please) the winner is ...

The other volume, Still Truly Confused: Excerpts from a Perplexing Life, is much more autobiographical in tone, and for the average reader much more accessible than Anyhowtown. These strips first appeared in another anthology, Melbourne's Fox Comics (in the 1980s between issues #14 to #27) under the title True Confusions. A volume with the same name was co-published by Fox and Fantagraphic Books in 1991, and this volume is said to carry the extra twenty pages of all-new work that was slated to appear in the second issue (that failed to see print). The wait has been worth it! These mostly single-page stories are simply drawn, but give a broader sense of David Hodson's overall personality. His ability to laugh at his life, and be able to share those moments in a manner that most can relate to, are both charming aspects of this 60-page softcover book. Which do I like more? I couldn't split them! Both are the best reprinted comics of 2022, and both are available by contacting publisher David Bird by emailing him at tableaux2@bigpond.com  Better tell him that you're over 18 years of age, too, as Anyhowtown "is not intended for persons under 18 years of age" so the cover says.

*If I have not included you, and you are one of the Australian artists featured within the book, please forgive me! There were just too many names to mention! Tim McEwen, Samuel McEwen, Stelios Papadakis, Joan Ross, Abdul-Rahman Abdullah ... see? I could go on....

Of course, it's not always possible to catch up with all crowd-funded campaigns. Sometimes budgetary considerations come into play, sometimes I'm simply too busy at work to be searching, sometimes poor marketing, or marketing in areas I don't see come into play. (I've spent less time on social media this year than in previous years (although I fear Mrs Karmichael might disagree). Hard Struck, a graphic novel by Codey Anderson, is one such publication. Cody discloses having worked in the Australian Army as a soldier before turning to civilian life as a full-time illustrator. This book seeks to "consolidate [Codey's] passion for veterans [sic] mental health ... to produce something that can really help people". As a mental health professional, I often encounter soldiers who come to our service suffering PTSD, anger-management issues, anxiety, depression and other ailments. Codey has managed to share his inside knowledge of the army to produce a the most powerful of all stories that I am recommending this year. Although he maintains the work is one of fiction, I feel that there are some close home truths to this tale. The book's hardcover binding is impeccable. Here's a link to purchase your own copy.  

The following softcover anthology was a Kickstarter campaign that ran from Newcastle, New South Wales, that I am pleased succeeded. (Although I initially thought the campaign was on shaky grounds, for reasons I need not go into here.) Producing the End of the World is a 72-page full-colour softcover anthology, with all stories "curated and edited by Anthony Pollock". Gary Proudley is listed as the Assistant Editor. There are various stories inside that mainly cover science fiction, dystopian and apocalyptic themes. There seems to be some confusion in attending to the published website, so I've asked Anthony to please clarify. (It appears a webstore is coming...)

The colours are bright and colourful, and the stories are a lot of fun. My only criticism of the book is that the spine's gutters are too close together, so if you want to open the book to read it, you risk creasing the cover (and it then no longer looks like a brand-new book). Yeah, I know, first world problem.) Fortunately for me, I obtained a PDF copy of the book, so that is not likely to happen, but it's a production flaw that a lot of people seem to overlook when publishing. (Heck, I was almost guilty of the very  same thing when producing the Emile Mercier book...)

In order to further engage the younger set (and clearly that is where Darren seems to be aiming this comic), he's included a sticker and a black and white colouring book with a great number of illustrations by many Australian creatives. There's nothing like giving something for free as a little bonus extra to ensure younger readers become enamoured with your character! Younger readers become older readers... Want to find a copy for someone you care about? Or want to explore the series?  Darren has supplied this link (click here)! 

Toby and the Magic Pencil is another comic book aimed for the younger reader, and is so much fun that it's no wonder it's Reverie Publication's best-selling title. Written by publisher Gary Dellar and illustrated by Ben Sullivan (although I notice the copyright is owned by Gary), this comic is just filled with so much class and joy. I've suggested to Gary that he market it to a wider (overseas) audience and I'm really hoping he takes up the suggestion. Not unlike Darren's comic, the comic I have selected as one of my picks for the year gives the reader a bonus - in this case, some 3-D glasses! I'm assuming (correctly?) that the 3-D special effects were by Frantz Kantor; I couldn't see a credit. The comic is American comic book size, 26 pages of story (making it eminently suitable for the foreign market), and in full colour. Copies of this issue (and all previous issues) are available from the Reverie webpage by clicking here. (There are other Australian comics there too: why not check them all out while you are there?!)

I probably harp on about this yearly, but I'll do it again. Anyone interested in Australian comics and cartoons can't do much better than to consider becoming an Associate Member of the Australian Cartoonists Association. For your $66 Membership, you receive four copies of their journal (Inkspot) each year, and the opportunity to mix and mingle with some of this country's best comic book illustrators (and other cartooning professionals) at their annual conference and Stanley Awards night. 

I no longer edit Inkspot but I still try to contribute a story here or there. Steve Panozzo is the current editor and is doing a mighty fine job. The current issue (seen left) is filled with so many articles of interest.

For starters. There's a wonderful history of the Australian comic book artist John Richard Flanagan written by comic book historian Daniel Best. Who is John Flanagan? Never heard of him? That's why this magazine is just so essential to anyone interested in the local comic medium! Other articles within: a profile on Brisbane-based cartoonist Rev. Ian Jones, an article on Damian Castellini's graphic novel Pip! (which, I confess, I have not yet read), an article on Emile Mercier by famed Australian cartoonist/author Vane Lindesay, a moving tribute to the late Max Foley, some tips on animation by animator Peter Viska, a professional who runs a Melbourne-based studio, and so much more. The current issue is chock-block with 40 pages of information!

The downside? The magazine is not available in stores: you can only get a copy by becoming an Associate Member (or Full Member, if you're a professional cartoonist). Feel free to message me if you need more details. Disclaimer note: I am no longer on the Committee, so no-one has paid me to say these words!

Another publication not available more widely, is Tale Town ("Tales from the Hermit Kingdom"!) This sixteen-page newspaper was, I understand, released at Perth's Comic Arts Festival that, unfortunately, I was unable to attend. (Dr Bruce Mutard kindly sent me a copy, so I shall publicly thank him here for his continued generosity.) This was a joy to read. Comics abound in the whole sixteen pages from Australian creatives like the aforesaid Dr Bruce Mutard, Stuart Medley, Campbell Whyte, and (once again) too many more to mention!

But I will mention some of my favourite pieces (besides the aforesaid creatives): March 13 by Elizabeth Marruffo, a wonderful piece by Sarah Winifred Searle about the Pandemic, This Life That I Choose, and Soolagna Majumdar's busy but engaging piece, Live Laugh Love. This comic newspaper was one of the highlights of my comic-reading year, showing - once again - what creative talents there are around the country that so many of us are simply not aware of. Oh! For a national comic publication that could share some of this talent more widely (if it could only be financially viable)...

And, so, now we come to the Award. Which piece was THE highlight of my comic-reading experience? Thank you, dear Reader, for coming and I trust, reading this far. Drum-roll, please. The Comicoz Best Australian Original Comic for 2022 is ....

Flock, Chapter #1 written and illustrated by (Doctor) Paul Mason.

Created, written and illustrated by Paul Mason, Edited by Amanda Bacchi, Lettered and designed by Wolfgang Bylsma; published by Gestalt Publishing Pty Ltd. Buy your copy by clicking here.

As with other properties, this large 48-page, full-colour comic was first made available via Kickstarter. There is nothing like getting something like a bonus extra. And what a bonus! Dr Paul offered a 36-page "Process Zine" sharing rough pages, concept art, ...the works. Thirty-six pages! What a joy to see the way the project came to life from conception to completion! Thirty-six pages! I was blown away when the package arrived.

So, what's the story about? "Part action/adventure, part war story, part comedy, part pigeon ...? Add a smdgen of science-fiction and a dash of history and one thing's for certain: This is a story you'll not soon forget! Join The Flock now!" Well, so the back cover blurb says. But they always wax lyrical, don't they?

Look, in my opinion, (Doctor) Paul Mason's comic art, for too long, has been seriously underrated in this country. He brings a dynamic feel to his characters, he can visually convey a story (even without words): he work as an artist is as a storyteller. And usually telling other people's stories. Here he gets to tell his story. It's the best Australian comic book story I've read all year. No. Cancel that. This is the best comic book I've read all year. The Flock is hereby awarded the Comicoz Best Australian Original Comic for 2022. Do yourself a favour (as someone once said!) and check it out for yourself. Tell me if you've read better. As always, dissent and discussion most welcome....

I have written a review of one of the Gold Award recipients, Still Alive, for the Australian Cartoonists Association's journal Inkspot. (Let me know if you'd like a copy when it is published, and I'll see if I can obtain one for you. I'll place the full review here on this site when it is published, but in the meantime, here's an excerpt of my thoughts:
Interspersed with Safdar’s tale, he allows some of the refugees to tell their stories, most particularly Haider*. (*Not his real name.) Both narratives intermingled with each other, and both used first person pronouns, with the same lettering font and illustrating style, making the first-time reading of these different chapters initially confusing.
Safdar’s illustrations are pleasing to the eye, although he seems to lack a certain sequential storytelling that would allow the work to flow more consistently throughout the book. Part of that is no doubt due to the mountain of factual information that he seeks to impart to the reader about the detention system and its clear failings to those detained. Periodically, he allows some of those who have joined his art workshops a space on the pages to demonstrate their experiences through their drawings. I would have liked to have seen some of those highlighted a little more: perhaps a page to each of their works would have been better, rather than squeezing two illustrations to a page.

The decision to quit the Ledger of Honour Awards was one that filled me with more guilt than the position on the ACA Committee. Since informing the coordinator of the group that I needed to resign my post, I've been told that the Comic Arts Awards of Australia (Ledger)'s 2021 Annual may have to be placed on the backburner and that the very future of the Awards are now looking problematic. This is no-one's fault: it's an extremely time-consuming venture (for no financial reward), and Gary Chaloner, Tim McEwen, and Dr Bruce Mutard need to be congratulated for continuing it for the past nine consecutive years. Perhaps because the Awards have been running for so long, and because I can recognise that the Awards will be a future historical record of the local comic medium, I really hope that they can continue. If not for my present commitment to my workplace, or rather the need to earn a living, I would have volunteered to take up the challenge!

In the meantime, some will be asking, what became of the Comicoz-Wedd Mentored Australian Graphic Storytelling Project? I had planned to announce the winner at Perth's CAAA ceremony. I have now decided to announce it on the 5th January 2023, when I make my annual announcement of my thoughts on the year's best Australian comics.

Work has overwhelmed my life over the past few months. Since COVID, I have worked full-time again. And there have been extra double shifts and overtime shifts. Especially over the past three months or more. From a comic-publishing perspective, I have been fortunate in not having had too many comic projects to work on. I've been able to work on our garden, read some comics, and 'tidy-up' my music-come-comic room (with Carlene's 'supervision') in some of my spare time....when spare time has been available.  ​

So without any pressing comic projects, and with work so hectic, the spare time that I have had, I have begun to enjoy life away from work. Given my age -- I'm 65 in 2022 -- I have started contemplating my life without any of the pressures of employment and a regular salary. For a while there, I thought it might be endless days of reading comics, visiting grandchildren, gardening, walking (my main passions), but just lately that fire in my belly for the comics medium has returned, as people have again approached me about publishing works that interest me. Resorting to Kickstarter for each individual project seems so time-consuming. I'm contemplating commencing a Patreon page. You heard it here first. I'll explore more and share with you later ...