Scott VanderPloeg recently reviewed The Complete Air Hawk Dailies in a positive way on his website (click here), and so I thought I may as well share his video of the book for prospective readers here! Thanks, Scott!

People interested in learning more about Comicstreet, Brisbane's premiere independent comics festival: Here's a great link to the upcoming events, with an official media release! Click here. And, how nice: my quote is mentioned...right at the bottom of the page!

Here's the official wording (with some emphasis added by me!):

​Brisbane’s longest-running independent comics festival finds new home in South Brisbane.​

• Comicstreet returns in 2026 for it’s 10th anniversary in a brand new location after a decade of successful shows on the Queen Street Mall
• The festival is bigger than ever, running over two days and featuring 60 local and interstate comic creators
• Organised by original co-founder and comics artist, Samantha Calcraft, and a newly assembled committee dedicated to bringing to life a variety of new local art events

Comicstreet, Brisbane city’s longest-running independent comics market turned festival, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year by taking over The Edge at State Library Queensland for two days over August 22 – 23rd. After a decade of successful shows on the Queen Street Mall, the event is making a bold move to host its biggest and best event yet.
“Comicstreet has been a passion project for me since 2016. It’s really exciting to be able to have a team that’s just as dedicated as I am for this huge milestone for what started as a small event,” states Comicstreet co-founder, Sam “Mamath” Calcraft. “We’ve had applications from devoted local artists who have been featuring at Comicstreet since the beginning, as well as from new and up-and-coming talent. It’s great to see the local comics and art community grow with us.”
Returning artist, Carlo Angelo is excited for the 10th anniversary of an event that spurred on their artist career, “As someone who has done artist alleys at conventions and local art markets, Comicstreet started it all for me. I enjoy the eager creativity this community encourages.”
In addition to the long-running comics market, the festival will now also include workshops and other activities to encourage creativity amongst practicing artists, hobbyists and newcomers alike. Artists enjoy coming together and celebrating each other, with the creator of Black Crown, James Patterson, stating, “Being amongst these wonderful people is beyond joyful. It is such a privilege to continue to bear witness to the growth of this amazing artform in Brisbane.”
Nick Rees of Club agrees, adding, “Over the past decade it has continuously prioritised new artists and has been such an important part of the art and comics community here. Comicstreet is easily my favourite art event in Brisbane.”
For the festival’s 10th Anniversary, the decision was made to incorporate Comicstreet into a not-for-profit organization, allowing the event to feature more local artists and exhibitions, and better spotlight Brisbane’s local independent comic creators. With personnel ranging from comics artists to experienced convention staff, Comicstreet Committee Inc is ready to take the Brisbane comics and art scene to another level.
The event has played a pivotal role in many artists’ careers, including Tea “Cutiesaurus” Coe’s who has participated at every Comicstreet market and grown as an artist alongside the event, “Watching Comicstreet evolve every year is heartwarming. It’s one of the best events to get a variety of different approaches to local art and comics, and there’s something for everyone to enjoy.”
Nat Karmichael—principal of Comicoz, a publisher of Australian comics, and recipient of the 2024 Jim Russell (Silver Stanley) Award for his contribution to Australian cartooning—praises the longevity and dedication of Comicstreet, “I congratulate the organisers on the occasion of Comicstreet’s tenth anniversary. For me, Comicstreet remains the standout of all Australian comic festivals.”

​ENDS

Dear Reader... yes YOU!

I'd really appreciate you contacting me, either by using the "Contact" tab on this site (which you can access by clicking here) or by sending me an email to [email protected]

The reason I'm asking, is because I want to assess whether my swapping my "Comic Related News" tab with my "Store! Order Here!" tab on this site - as I did recently - is going to result in more or less hits on this Comicoz website. Of course, in an ideal world, I'd be flushed with funds, allowing me to update and improve this website, having it designed so anyone who hit "Australian Comics" or "Australian comic publisher" in Google would automatically find me on the top of the search engine's pile! Maybe one day!

Many thanks if you can do this for me. Of course, if you've come seeking my latest news (and thank you if that's the reason you're here), I can do that as well...!

The Kickstarter campaign for Dillon Naylor's new 44-page comic Preston Peace/Battlers Inc was successful, recently reaching its goal just before the cut-off deadline, and causing a few anxious moments along the way. Although the goal was what I thought was a modest one (designed merely to cover printing costs), it was a difficult campaign. Many people now using crowd-funded platforms, and many people finding times tough financially. The main two reasons it's getting harder to raise those funds -- as I have frequently mentioned here over the past few years. Thank you, if you supported it (and no shame if you didn't: not everyone likes everything I publish).

In other news, the proof copy of The Collected Cloak by Mike Higgs (with an introduction by Alan Moore) arrived yesterday. I am really happy with it. This is my first foray into international comic publishing*, as Diamond UK are going to be soliciting this book next month. I'm going to be working on a Media Release soon, and the Store page on this website is now open to take pre-orders from Australian readers. (Click here for details.) *Of course, Graeme Cliffe's book on Australian comics From 'Sunbeams' to Sunset...(available by clicking here)... was my first book that sold overseas, but Mike's will be the first one designed for the overseas market.

Other books still in the pipeline: a four-volume set on Australian artist/creative Moira Bertram, another Air Hawk volume (Don Ticchio has begun scanning the artwork for this one), and there's a book featuring Australian comic strip cartoonists (called Comic Strip Gallery) that is starting to take shape. There are a couple of others in the pipeline too, but let's talk about those another day...!

In the meantime, I'm not sure what's happening with the Comic Arts Awards of Australia. I've sent a quick message to the organiser, and hope I can provide a date and location for you in my next post...