Meanwhile, late last month, I was fortunate enough to attend a Queensland Writer's Centre's event: GenreCon, with the specialty this year being ... just up my alley ... Graphic Novels!! Attending were some welcome comic guests known to me: (Doctor) Queenie Chan, Nick Rees, and Scott Wilson. I also caught up with creative Ken Best, who was there to pitch a graphic novel. In a special section of the weekend, writers were given the opportunity to share the precis of a novel to a commercial publisher (Hardie Grant) to see if any budding authors were likely to be picked up by a publisher. And, you know what? I had the same idea! So, just after Ken, I pitched a book about Australian comic book artist Moira Bertram to Marisa Pintado from Hardie Grant.

I had spent two whole days (Thursday and Friday) writing out and rehearsing my planned speech! And then, when the Saturday appointment came, I was told I didn't need a speech: just an ability to share the book proposal! Was I nervous!! The project is one that Neville Bain, Graeme Cliffe, and Jeremy Macpherson and I have been working on this year, so I had enough material to share with Marisa. Fortunately for me, she overlooked my nerves and appeared really interested in the idea. I was so nervous, I honestly forgot all the tips and suggestions she made!! In any case, since then, we have been further invited to submit a proposal and share more samples of the proposed book to Marisa (for the Hatchette publishing company) ... which we plan to carry out next week ...! More to come!  (That is... To Be Continued...)

In the meantime, I'm assuming my role as Lead Judge in the Ledger of Honour for the Comic Arts Awards of Australia later in the year. It's been a much more difficult task than in previous years, and the search for this year's recipients (Living Ledger of Honour, "Dead-Set" Ledger of Honour) is continuing... even to the point of keeping myself off Facebook for a period of time!

...the recipients for the 2024 Comic Arts Awards of Australia held last Saturday night in Sydney were...

GOLD! "In Utero" written and illustrated by Chris Gooch; Published by IDW Publishing.

SILVER! 
"Deer Editor" Written by Ryan K. Lindsay. (Art by Sam Kivela, Colours by Lauren Affe, Letters by Jim Campbell). Published by Mad Cave Studios.
"Godzilla: Skate or Die!" Written and Illustrated by Louie Joyce. (Letters by Russ Wooton.) Published by IDW Publishing.
"Kobi Dog" Written and Illustrated by Fionn McCabe. Self-published (although, sadly, out of print).

Bronze!
"Adelaide and the Shooting Star" Written and Illustrated by Alice Lam. (Self-Published). Link to a personal LinkedIn page only, sorry.
"The Girl I Left Behind" Written and Illustrated by Katie Zhang (Self-Published). I couldn't find a link to Katie or to the book, I'm sorry. (I'll update this if it comes to hand subsequently.)
"Dream Walker" #1 Written by Molly Hunt and Scott Wilson. Illustrated by Christopher Wood. Letters by Wolfgang Bylsma. (Published by Gestalt.)
"The Last Light of the Dark Sky" Written and Illustrated by L. G. Veldenmire. (Self Published.)
"The Sweetness Between Us" Written and Illustrated by Sarah Winifred Searle. (Allen & Unwin.)
"Follow Your Gut: A Story from the Microbes That Make You" Illustrated by Ben Hutchings (Written by Ailsa Wild & Lisa Stinson, Science Director Gregory Crocetti and Art Director Briony Barr). (Published by Scribe Publications.) 

There was no booklet to accompany the ceremony and no Platinum Award; both for the second year running....

The Deceased ("Dead-Set") Ledger of Honour for Australian comic creatives who have passed -- the Awards that I oversee as Lead Judge -- was awarded to Arthur Mather. (Here's a link to learn more about him.)

The Living Ledger of Honour for Australian comic creatives who have established at least 25 years in the medium and are still alive was awarded to Michal Dutkiewicz. (A link to learn more about Michal here.) Michal was going to have some of his work published by Comicoz. Sadly failing eyesight has now prevented him from continuing his drawing of what would have been his swansong... Verity Aloha. Here are some of the unfinished pages...

And some of the completed pages....

Since my return, I have been getting excited about the upcoming Comic Arts Awards of Australia, being held this Saturday in the State Library of New South Wales in the Mitchell Crouch Room from about 6.30 in the evening (New South Wales time). Tickets are still available and can be found by clicking here. You don't have to be in Sydney to be at the event, either, as for the first time there is also the option of attending the event remotely (which I what I have chosen to do). 

Now there is a lot more I can say about the event, but won't! I am going to leave that until after the event! (Nothing negative! I promise!) In the meantime, I should explain that the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Awards are for Australian comics published in the 2024 calendar year. (2025 comics will, I understand, be announced later this year.) Part of my role in the ceremony was as Lead Judge in the selection of the Ledger of Honour (essentially a Hall of Fame) recipients. The teams I oversaw actually made our selection over a year ago (in January 2025), and while I know whom we have chosen, I am going to keep that secret! You just have to attend the ceremony (as I said, in person, or remotely) to find out!

One thing I can share, though, is the list of the comics that have made the shortlist (from which the award-winners will be announced). First and foremost (and without seeking to brag too much*) is:

*Well, maybe a little bragging! It is, of course, a comic I published in the year in question! Good Luck, Rob!!

My next post -- whenever that might be! -- will no doubt list the winners. Congratulation to all comic creators who have made the shortlist: I know it is such a great honour to be included in the list, as comics are (generally speaking) an entertainment medium that doesn't get its fair share of accolades...

First of all, I feel I ought to get my most controversial selection out of the way. I'm going to 'award' the best reprinted comic to a limited-edition mini-comic that was sold in only small quantities at SCAMP (the recent Sydney Comic Arts Market Place). Now, confession: creator Rob Feldman and I shared a table at SCAMP, and I have recently published Rob's comic Fridge Boy From Space. I have also previously published works by Rob (the black and white hardcover and now-out-of-print Cartoons, Comics, and Cows in Cars way back in 2014). Within those madcap pages, you would have come across an eight-page feature called Elvis Shintaro - Samurai Detective. So, while I have published Rob's work previously, I had no hand in the printing of this publication. This is the best reprinted comic over the past year in my opinion...and sporting a brand new colour cover too to boot. (Please note: you do not need to have any working knowledge of Japanese to enjoy this comic!) Available via Rob on Instagram at @comic_Rob_art or via email at rfcreations@gmail.com

My favourite overseas comic in 2025 was the first story in Issue #1100 of DC's Detective Comics, "Lost and Found". Written by Aussie Tom Taylor (and illustrated by Mikel Janin), this wordless tale was the first comic I have been able to get Mrs K -- who is not a comic reader -- to read in years. And we both agreed it was an entertaining 'read'. Highly recommended. Copies should be available (if not sold out) at your local comic shop.

There's also another comic that was originally published overseas that came to my attention in the collected trade paperback version. Godzilla: Skate or Die was published by IDW Publishing over five issues. Four best friends (and mad skaters) find a great spot to build their own skatepark. Then!... Who should make a bee-line for their park? Action aplenty in Central Australia in a fun series written and drawn by Louie Joyce. I found in this book a wonderful way to introduce young people to the joys of comics and graphic novels. I shared the collected volume as a birthday present to one of my granddaughters (age 13) later in the year. Available via all bookstores that sell Penguin Books.   

It's pleasing to see many more publishers willing to publish longer graphic novels, and I hope the practice continues. I was late in learning about Allen & Unwin's 2024 release The Sweetness Between Us, but I could have missed it altogether. Despite the market clout that some of these big publishers have, why are so few graphic novels not publicised more widely? Or am I simply not party to the mediums that do promote this type of book? Sarah Winifred Searle has created a large (over 230 pages) story that will no doubt appeal to the teen plus audience, but one that I found appealing too. The story revolves around Perley (a recently diagnosed diabetic) and Amandine (part of a "respected vampire family"!) and the implications therein. I enjoyed this book more than I expected to. Which just goes to show, you can't judge a book by its cover (or the blurb on the back)....! Available from most book stores or from the publisher here, this book has already won some awards (none of which influenced my selection when I added it to my list of favourite books I read in the past year).

An example of how not to judge a comic by its cover!
Language Warning!

Here's a comic by "a Brisbane cartoonist and 2D animator" who always seems to find interesting things to share stories about! Matt Rice has produced a small (20-page) comic called "In Defence of a Decent 'Fuck'. I must confess that the fact it's a local product and talks about locations familiar to me and recollection of younger days (Rocking Horse Records and 1989 Brisbane), ensured that I had a bias towards this comic. Comics are, after all, a personal thing. What I find relatable, someone else may find bizarre. Still Matt, who I would imagine was not born at the time of this true story's telling, does know how to tell an engaging tale; the subtitle to the comic (A Brisbane History Comic) sums the comic up succinctly. I'm filing my copy along side the trilogy of Fitzgerald-era books by Matthew Condon, as it's an essential read for people who are concerned about the present-day increasing encroaching censorship in our lives. I'm not sure where you can pick up copies of this, and when Matt tells me I shall let you know here!   

I want to acknowledge Frew Publications here. Rene White, Glenn Ford, and Dudley Hogarth continue to publish and have comics distributed on the Australian newsstands. While I am not a great fan of their main comic character, The Phantom (*gasp*, it's true), I do like the fact that the 'Frew crew' are supporting Aussie talent, and I often succumb to the temptation to purchase the comics when I know it contains works by Jason Paulos (whose artwork has reached another level this year), Shane Foley, Glenn Lumsden, and all. I was going to nominate a story written by Matt Kyme in this year's listing, but by the time I got around to the local newsagent the copy had already sold out. (I read it in the store and should have bought it straightaway!) I must do myself a favour in the new year and look for a copy in Frew's back issues department...

And so, here we are at the end of the day (for me), and the end of the blog (almost, for you, dear reader). As I mentioned earlier, comics are at times a very personal thing. Mrs K and I have spent more time away from home this year than in any other in recent memory. Most of the time we have been looking after other people's homes. And their dogs. It was probably made a little easier after we had 'gotten over' the loss of our little dogs, Max and Moo. Anyway, for your edification, here are all the dogs we have looked after this year:

There's something about dogs. I won't list the cats we looked after! They are not as interesting. (Cat lovers, don't be upset!) During the course of the year, I learnt of a comic that somehow allowed me to feel an emotional response to the artist's work. The comic was published in 2024. I only read it this year. It was such an emotional read, and conveyed the emotion in the illustrations within. I thought it a brilliant piece of comic writing, that all other comics I read didn't come close to hitting me with the same impact. Without further ado, the Best Original Australian Comic that I read in 2025 was....

Fanfare...

Fanfare...

Fanfare...


Kobi Dog by Fionn McCabe.

I was drawn to Fionn's work at SCAMP, where I purchased a copy of his comic "Leathery Little Saints". Unfortunately, he was having a quick break at the time, so I didn't have the opportunity to chat with him. Sadly, I didn't pick up (or read) Kobi Dog on the day either, and his website indicates the comic has now sold out (sadly). Perhaps if there is enough interest in the work, he will consider re-printing it! Of course it's a personal choice: the comic resonated with me!

Kobi Dog is a short, 20-page mini comic which tells the tale (no pun intended) of his dog Kobi, or more specifically, Fionn's reactions and thoughts at the loss of Kobi. The emotional weight of the story rests with deft brush strokes that convey the emotion (and that only a comic could convey). Does it sounds lightweight? It's not! It's one of the most powerful comics I've read in a long time. By the end of the comic, the reader almost feels as if he has known Kobi. Fionn adding an actual photo of his dog towards the end of the narrative adds further impact to the narrative. And the ending on the back cover: "He was a bit of a dingaling, but he was my dingaling." added an extra sense of poignancy to the works. 

​In short, Fionn teaches Animation and Visual Communication schools at the University of Technology in Sydney. He is a co-founder and co-producer of Read To Me (a live visual storytelling event that has now showcased the works of hundreds of local Australian artists). Details about all of Fionn's comics (and about Fionn himself) can be found on his webpage which you can access here. 

Feel free to discuss and debate or offer alternative suggestions (it's still a free country!). My Comicoz Best Original Australian Comic for 2025 is Kobi Dog by Fionn McCabe.

​Of course, it's not the first time I have had my hopes dashed! There are so many comics that are deserving of publishing...and only limited time to do it! Others that I have attempted to publish in the past included biographies on the Ginger Meggs' cartoonists by former Bulletin editor Lindsay Foyle, Stanley and Reg Pitt's Silver Starr and other works, Coogan by Peter Player, and the two that I most regret: Syd Miller's Us Girls and Verity Aloha by Michal Dutkiewicz. Of course, there were various and individual reasons why these didn't go ahead (which I need not get into here). Sometimes there hasn't been an official "no" and more "not at this time" which has me ever hopeful...that...one day....! (Jackaroo and Flash Damingo by Gary Chaloner comes to mind!)

Still, ever forward is the way to go! There are still books to publish and discoveries to find! I'm ever grateful for the opportunity to have published some works that I didn't expect to publish. Pop Culture & 2 Minute Noodles is one: Dillon Naylor's co-creation (with James Paisley) of five characters within a share house in the inner Melbourne 'suburb' of FitzKilda! The book has only just been released and collects - for the very first time - all the stories from the 1990s Drivel comic before it branched into its own comic of the same name (Pop Culture & 2 Minute Noodles). What I like about the book is that not only does it collect all the obscure comics the characters appeared in during its run, but that there are new stories that may have been written in the era (but never published) and illustrated by a wide array of cartoonists. The book is a reflection of those times. I'll be placing it on my Store site as soon as I have enough copies to sell. (And, for a limited time, I'll be offering - free! - a 32-page "Supplemental Issue" to go with it!  (*See below.) In the meantime, I'm desperately trying to get copies out to meet the needs of all the people that supported the project in my recent Kickstarter.

Speaking of Kickstarters, Iron Outlaw is now in the hands of everyone who supported its Kickstarter run. I was a little concerned that the feature (that only ran for a year in 1970-1) would be too obscure and that I would not reach the target. How foolish am I! There were two videos made during the campaign: one by Rob Feldman and one by Ryan McDonald-Smith. Well, between them both, the goal was reached, the books have been sent out to all the supporters, and I couldn't be happier! I'm extremely proud of this book...

And, speaking of Rob, he came with his family up to Brisbane a little while ago, and I returned the favour by coming down to Sydney (for the comic festival SCAMP) and caught up with quite a few people. (And not everyone could be caught up with: Tony Lopes, Andrew Dixon...)

Of course, not everything is fun and games. Rob Feldman kindly accommodated and chauffeured me around Sydney. We caught up with Air Hawk designer Don Ticchio soon after he had his heart surgery. And since my Sydney visit, I ended up with some heart issues of my own (none that required surgery, thankfully). As a result of Don's surgery, the Air Hawk book has been delayed (although now back on track): Health before Comics. Always. I really am fortunate to have lived a relatively healthy life...

On return from Sydney, things have not really slowed down any (hence, my delay in posting on this blog)! Graeme Cliffe and I were invited by Drew Roller to speak on comics/Ned Kelly/Monty Wedd/Iron Outlaw on a documentary he's producing (and planning to have completed in 2025). And did you think Graeme and I would not take up the opportunity?! We were invited to speak at Lawrence Daniels' Comic Book Cafe for the recording session that took place earlier this month (on 5th December). The theme of the documentary is - as I understand it - to talk of Ned Kelly's impact on Australia's culture, in film, comics, music, books...

And the day after...it was time to welcome Dillon Naylor to Brisbane for his Pop Culture 2 Minute Noodles book launch. A (very) small crowd. Well, I was disappointed (and perhaps a little embarrassed): plugging it frequently - almost daily in fact - on Facebook and getting only ten people show up. At least his Melbourne show, a week later, was well-attended and Dillon sold out of all the books he brought along!

So, where does that leave us? Time for some scoops? (This will see who reads all the posts!) I've been invited to judge the Comic Arts Awards of Australia for the 2024 year. Much more daunting that I thought! I spent a good amount of time considering my verdicts (which I shall refrain from disclosing here). I'm not sure who the other good judges were/are, and nothing has been discussed collectively just yet. The event is going ahead (despite my earlier concern that it was going by the wayside), and I am fully supportive of it. So, keep January 31st free! Tickets are available ($25 each, to attend in person, or $25 to join the live stream (which is what I opted for). There's also an option to donate something extra (which is what I also opted for).

Want to join the event? Click here. It's being held at the New South Wales State Library from 6.30pm. There are a lot of things I don't know about it (so don't ask me!): Will there be a Platinum Award? Will there be a comic or magazine to record the event for posterity? Will it prove a success? I hope the answer to all these questions is a resounding YES!!!

Speaking of Awards: the Comicoz Award for Best Original Australian Comic for 2025 will, as before, be announced on this Blog on January 5th 2026. Between now and then, I have a birthday, and then Mrs K and I are again house-sitting for (just under) a week and, yes, it's going to be over Christmas. Time for me to gather my thoughts and consider which comic I decided this year to be the most worthy... Also between now and then, I am also preparing to get more work completed on another Air Hawk volume. And because you have read this far, it's only fitting that you are given another scoop! Here's the cover to the next Air Hawk volume Don and I will start working on in the New Year...

In the meantime, there's a little time to tell you about the next book I am going to start working on...but why not let the picture do the talking...??!