COMICOZ! Sharing Australian Comics with the World.

Back in the swing of things again ...

10/6/2021

I've been on a forced hiatus from comic-publishing work lately as there has been a family matter needing attention up in North Queensland. But now I have managed to do all I can do there (for now), I can return to my comic activities. Today I have spent a small part of the day working on a Comicoz advertisement for the Comic Arts Awards of Australia (formerly known as the Ledger Awards) in exchange for my sponsorship of the event. I was concerned that the Australian Cartoonists Association was not going to do the same thing, but was pleasantly surprised when the Committee agreed to do so at our last meeting. (I'm not speaking out of line here, as all the sponsors have now been named to the public.)

The advertisement was due to be inhouse some time ago, but today's been the first time I've really been able to get in front of my computer to work on any projects. (Many thanks to Dr Bruce Mutard, the new director of the Comic Arts Awards of Australia, for allowing me the latitude to be a little late in sending the finished work.) I can't show you the completed advertisement as it's a PDF file (and this website only allows me to upload jpg files), so instead I'll share with you the photograph I didn't use in the ad. Within the page, I decided to list each and every person who has written and/or drawn (or helped produce) a comic story or book I have published since I first began publishing under the Comicoz banner in 1987 ... a total of 93 people to date!

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Margaret Cameron's Announcement...

13/5/2021

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Margaret at the 2018 Stanley Awards, when she accepted the Jim Russell Award on behalf of the National Cartoon Gallery. Photo: Nat Karmichael.

I often use this website (and the Comicoz Facebook page) to highlight some of the comic-related books I am working on or events I am taking part in, occasionally I review some of the other cartoon or comic events taking place or books being published. But I rarely talk of someone who is not a cartoonist or who does not draw comics. Today, I'll make an exception.

I've been working on the Emile Mercier book for the National Cartoon Gallery for some time now (and presently have the pages in the hands of the two designers working with me on the project), and part of this has involved contacting Margaret Cameron, the manager of the National Cartoon Gallery. Margaret and I spoke about the project last week, and she told me her of news. Today she has made it official, with her announcement "that the time has come for [her] to move on and let new blood take the Gallery forward from here".

Margaret has been an amazing powerhouse behind the Gallery's recent refurbishment and extensions. She has ensured that it will be the most significate bricks and mortar structure dedicated to cartoons and associated (comic) arts into the future. She says she has moved from "knowing little about cartooning apart from [her] childhood Sunday newspaper readings" to being aware of just how important cartoonists (and, thus, comic creatives) are "in recording and reflecting contemporary life".

I don't think I have known anyone (perhaps with the exception of Jim Bridges) who has been such a passionate supporter of the medium. Certainly no-one has been able to bring this cartooning vision into such a tangible reality. So while Margaret plans to still be involved at "this year’s Rotary Cartoon Awards and Stanley Awards and also the November exhibition to celebrate 100 years of Ginger Meggs" her greater input is going to be greatly missed in cartooning circles. All the very best to you, Margaret!

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Working on the Emile Mercier book....

24/4/2021

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Yesterday, I gave an undertaking to Margaret Cameron, Manager of the National Cartoon Gallery in Coffs Harbour, that I would present her with the layout plan for the Emile Mercier book I am working on for them. I've decided on the cartoon to appear on the front of the book, and (as depicted here) the cartoon for the back. Just thought I would share here....

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Ginger Meggs competition.

18/4/2021

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Is there anyone who doesn't like entering competitions? When Jimmy Bancks died before finishing his last Ginger Meggs comic strip (back in 1952), he left behind this incomplete gag. The Ginger Meggs website is seeking creative people to complete the strip, as part of the early celebrations when the feature turns 100 later this year. Here's where you can find the details, by clicking here: Competitions — (gingermeggs.com)

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Easter thoughts.

3/4/2021

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I'm hoping Jeff Keane will allow me the liberty of sharing this cartoon from his calendar.

The older I get the more I tend to reflect on things past and society's current directions. I remain concerned that as a society we are not kind enough to one another, and I'm not really sure why that is. There is certainly a loss of the sense of community in areas where we now live, and if communities are not connected, then the country as a whole is not. And as a result, further from there, countries are not: already we see countries becoming more suspicious of each other. Discord is sown, sometimes to the point of not being able to go back. As I reflect on recent past history, we know where that leads to, and I remain concerned that people (well, especially those in the West) have forgotten the horrors of war. It remains something foreign to us, but unless we start working on first improving relations between our neighbours I (sadly) fear that that may be the direction more communities may experience. I hope not, and I remain committed to ensuring as best I can that it does not happen.

It was World War II that brought American cartoonist Bil Keane to Australia. He was a serviceman, stationed in Scarborough, Queensland (not far from where I now live). He met his sweetheart while here, and they married and settled in the United States. Eventually, Bil created the comic strip The Family Circus, which detailed his family life. In the late 1980s I communicated with Bil, and spoke of commonalities: living nearby where he had served, and having a family. One of my daughters was called Penelope Joy, but she asked to be called "PJ" (perhaps because it was easier to 'spell' at school!) -- and she still is called that name today.

I met Bil's son Jeff, who now carries on his Dad's newspaper strip, just a few years ago now when he came to Queensland to meet his Mother's side of the family. What a wonderfully generous man he is: in January a calendar arrived in the mail, sent by Jeff. The calendar details some of the exploits of his Family Circus, still with his Dad's gentle humour. Some find it a little too sentimental, but perhaps I see it as a reflection of where I'd sometimes like to see where we, as a society, could be. In a kinder, gentler place. Writing to Bil, having a loving daughter PJ, meeting Jeff: these are just some of the highlights of my life. Today, I have reproduced this month's cartoon that appears on Jeff's calendar. I hope you like it. Be kind to each other.

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Facebook's limitations

27/3/2021

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I've been recording on Comicoz' Facebook page this year, a near-daily record of my life in the Australian comic community. (Feel free to check it out! You don't need to be a 'Friend' to do so!) I had hoped to be able to share the fact that the half-page scans of the original Iron Outlaw artwork pages have now been been made into complete, full pages. But the size of the files were and are too big for Facebook, so I shall now share one page here instead.... and the poor Facebook Friends will just have to miss out. For a change.

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Sometimes you win, sometimes...

20/3/2021

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Sad to relate, but Syd Miller's family have decided to pull the pin on publishing some of their Grandfather's Us Girls works. It's not my call, after all, and I shall respect the decision. I spent one on my days off duty heading to Graeme's place and photographed some of his Syd Miller originals.

"Archbishop Kelly. Head of the Church in Australia on his 60th Anniversary of joining the Priesthood. Nov. 12. 1932."

"The Jersey Jacket. 1885"

Joseph Lyons caricature by Syd Miller. (Former Prime Minister of Australia.)

Syd Miller Caricature of William Lister Lister, President of the Royal Arts Society, 1932.

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Sexist Syd (Miller)?

13/3/2021

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I am going to be the first to say it. By today's standards, this cartoon (above) is clearly sexist. I'm keen on publishing a book that is going to cover material that (again, by 2021 community norms) is going to upset people due to the racist (and sexist, and other) comments within. Is it a reason not to publish? I think not. Comics and comic strips reflect the times that they were created in. More of what I am working on, as the project begins to take shape.... (No clues here, right? If you really need to know, please check out the Comicoz Facebook page...)

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A pause in the life of a comic/comic-book publisher....

5/2/2021

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Just to update you, my loyal reader. I am presently working on a book on Emile Mercier's cartoons for the National Cartoon Gallery, Coffs Harbour. However, from 26 January to mid-February, I shall be enjoying an impromptu, unplanned holiday with Carlene. I won't be doing any comic-related work, answering emails, and I won't be able to fulfill any orders from this web-site until my return. My apologies for this inconvenience. Carlene says it's the first 'real' holiday she has had where life does not revolve around comics. I'm not quite sure this is true, but I shall be quiet and take her word for it.

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Comicoz Award for 2020's Best Australian Original Comic: And the Winner is....

5/1/2021

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Today (5th January) would have been Australian comic book writer-artist Monty Wedd's one hundredth birthday. (He passed away in 2012.) Each year on this date, besides remembering him and his contribution to the local comic scene, I announce what I consider to be the best Australian original comic to have appeared in the preceding twelve months. This is the tenth year I have made this 'award' that carries no financial reward. The award is carefully considered and serious, and also totally subjective. (That is, feel free to disagree!) There are clear limitations on my selection, and this year has shown that to be the case. I usually obtain locally produced comics at comic conventions or get-togethers, and there have been too few of those this year (everyone knows why). As a result, most of the comics I have acquired this year have been from crowd-funding platforms (an increasingly popular method for Australian creatives to get their wares out there). I do not choose books or comics that I have published myself, but there's no problem there in 2020: apart from a small mini-comic I published just before Christmas (for the next copy of Inkspot), I published nothing in 2020. It was a year I spent successfully and quietly rearranging my music-comic room, and reading comics from my own collection for a change. (My favourite ongoing series remains Marvel's Daredevil, but I also delved into the past by reading and completing my collection of the volumes of The Spirit by Will Eisner (published by DC Comics). In fact, this year I have spent more time reading more overseas comics. And enjoying the experience. Visually, the collection of The Trigan Empire (Don Lawrence the artist) took me back to my eight-year-old self, and I have also enjoyed reading the newly-collected manic works of Leo Baxendale and Ken Reid (all from Rebellion). Corto Maltese by Italian Hugo Pratt is, once again, published in English (by IDW): fabulous work. Anyway, what's caught my eye locally in 2020....?

Frew Publications continue to mine their rich history of characters being reprinted in their Giant-Size Phantom. The series' covers -- all fifteen of them so far -- have been lovingly illustrated by Glenn Lumsden, which I am sure has been the main reason for most picking up on the series. With assistance from some Australian comic fans (peek inside the credits of this issue to see who they are) publishers Rene White and Glenn Ford have been in touch with some of Australia's Golden Age publishers and artists' families to allow Frew to obtain permission to publish other works not originally owned by them. This has led to a series that delights me even more than their regularly-published Phantom comic.

Adding to the delight, is the fact that the publisher has been willing to allow some local creatives an opportunity to write and illustrate brand-new stories based on these characters, bringing them into the modern era. So, reading new stories by Jeremy Macpherson and Shane Foley has added to the charm of the series. And Glenn Lumsden! How great is it to see Glenn writing, lettering and illustrating again! Here's the first page of part three of his Phantom-Shadow team-up. The magazine should still be on sale in newsagents around the country.

Daniel Reed has seemed to be 'missing' from the local comic scene of late. Well-known for his nine-issue comic series The Crumpleton Experiments, and his brilliant Grubby Little Smudges of Filth (both Ledger Award recipients), I was an enthusiastic backer when I heard he was planning on running a Kickstarter campaign for his latest project. I was a little disappointed with his communication (sparse and thin) as a creative, although I suspect this might reflect his personality, which might be indicative of someone shy and reserved. (I don't know: I don't really know the guy, although we have once met.) The first issue of The Mycelium Complex arrived in due course and the final product did not disappoint. I found the colour palette a little dark, although that reflected the story being told. The tale was well-written and powered on at a cracking pace. It was well illustrated and had me interested throughout. I'm looking forward to the series continuing, and trust it's not too long until that takes place. I'm not sure how you can obtain a copy if you didn't join the Kickstarter project, but a start might be by emailing Daniel. Those details (and some illustrations from his books) are available by clicking this link.

Darren Close has won a Comicoz Award before (for Struggle in 2015). And I was going to feature the anthology he edited, designed and published earlier in 2020, Australia Burns as a finalist. But then, this came out. I have always felt that his character, Killeroo, has had much untapped potential. Couple the character with The 4Horsemen, created by artist Stuart Black, and you end up with over seventy coloured pages of comic book team-up heaven. At times the artwork looks a little rushed - I personally would have liked to have seen more artwork from Darren - but the colour hides some of the artistic shortfallings. Such a collaborative approach to characters from different publishers is difficult in the first place: the creatives are both striving to highlight their own characters, and as a reader you don't want to feel one is dominating the other in the storyline. All in all, it was a great read (the story was written and illustrated by Stuart), and I do hope it leads to more future team ups. For more Killeroo stories, click here. For more of the Stuart Black's work click here.

Rene Pfitzner's works are colourful and dynamic. There is nothing I don't like about them. When Rene announced he was launching a Kickstarter campaign, I didn't hesitate to commit my money to the project, Mythic Creature Trainer. I was not disappointed. Well, only in one regard: it was Issue One (of Four) and I must try to be patient waiting for the successive episodes. Or do I? Rene prints his comics after their run on his website, so I really don't have to wait. And neither should you. Click here immediately to be taken to his website, where you can download for free the book I paid money for. And look at the extra episodes too. This is fine quality writing and drawing that all ages will enjoy. Highly recommended.

The genesis for this Cyclone Force tale, I like to think, came about when I was 'encouraging' Gary Chaloner to contribute to my Oi Oi Oi! anthology, a few years ago now. The story in question was first published (in black and white) during my editorial tenue at Inkspot (in Issue #80, Summer 2018), when the Australian Cartoonists Association lauded Gary with the 1917 Jim Russell Award for 'significant contribution to Australian cartooning'. The colour in this edition's version (only recently released following a successful Kickstarter campaign) by Graeme Jackson is absolutely brilliant. The best comic-colouring work I have seen in a long time. The other stories in this anthology (Greener Pastures, written by Michael Michalandos with some of Tim McEwen's finest illustrating in years, and Red Kelso, written and illustrated by Gary) are of similar high quality. One of the finest anthologies of the year! The second issue is reportedly slated for a release this month (January), and should be one of the most highly-anticipated releases of the year. Click here for more Greener Pastures magic, and click here for more comics from Gary Chaloner.

So, who is going to be my tenth selection and join the list of previous winners? To save you having to trawl through older blogs, here are those who came before....

2011: Insanity Streak - Striving for Quantity by Tony Lopes
2012: Kinds of Blue (anthology) Karen Beilharz (Editor, Contributor)
2013: The Long Weekend in Alice Springs by Josh Santospirito
2014: The Anzac Legend by Dave Dye
2015: Struggle by Darren Close
2016: These Memories Won't Last (interactive comic) by Stuart (Sutu) Campbell
2017: Post Traumatic (anthology) by Bruce Mutard
2018: A Week in Warrigilla (web comic) by Teloka Berry and Pricilla (Pi) Wu
2019: The Phantom (Issue #1850) by Matt Kyme (writer/artist), Graeme Jackson ('digital special effects') and Roger Stitson (editor)

My selection for the Best Australian Original Comic for 2020 is a web comic. Australian Jason Chatfield was born in Australia in 1984. He won the Bill Mitchell Award for Best Young Australian Cartoonist in 2005 at the Australian Cartoonists Association's Stanley Awards. In 2007 he commenced writing and drawing the Australian comic strip Ginger Meggs. He subsequently went on to become President of the ACA (2010-2012) before moving to New York and becoming the President of the (American) National Cartoonists Society, a position he's held since 2019. With the Ginger Meggs comic strip due to celebrate its centenary in 2021, we're likely to hear/see a lot more of Jason Chatfield in the coming twelve months.

However, it's a non-Ginger Meggs cartoon that I have selected as this year's best. Living in New York, Jason experienced first-hand the ravages of the virus that has swept the world throughout 2020. His COVID-19 Diary is the winner of the 2020 Comicoz Award for Best Original Comic. Here's the link where you can read it in full.

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Comicoz...

...acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to elders past, present, and emerging, and extend that respect to all First Australian peoples.

Photo by Charlotte

Nat Karmichael

Over the past decade (2011 - 2020) Nat has self-published ten comic-related books and was Publisher-Editor of Oi Oi Oi! - the last nationally-distributed comic book of original comics stories to appear on Australian newsstands. He edited Inkspot, the journal of the Australian Cartoonists Association for 14 issues from late 2015 to 2019 and is a current member of the ACA's Committee. In his spare time, he is a husband, a father (to six) and grandfather (to fourteen), and works in the Psychiatric Emergency Centre in Queensland's largest public hospital.

Comicoz is Nat Karmichael's publishing imprint. Nat is committed to preserving a permanent collection of Australian comic and comic strips. He feels that there is a need to recognise comics' contribution to and depiction of Australian culture.

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