Well, there seems little likelihood I shall be able to attend the Ashcan Issue 3 Launch, as I am presently in the grip of a rather severe Cold/Flu.   Whatever its name, it is a nuisance; I was due to work tonight but this is going to be my second night calling in Sick.    Still, it may been a chance to catch up of reading the Weekend newspapers (a luxury I rarely enjoy).   For those of you who work Monday to Friday, you cannot begin to understand how I often wish I could savour the pleasure of sleeping in on a Saturday morning (after spending a late night Friday having listened to a band) and spending all Saturday morning (and part of the afternoon) reading the newspaper from cover to cover....  Ahh, yes, I am a shift worker, and this is just but a simple day dream... 

Another Dream remains.   That every Australian reads and knows the adventures of John Dixon's Air Hawk.   I find that every bit of publicity helps in getting that message out there.   A few months ago The Weekend Australian (in the August 6-7 2011 Edition) published a review of Floyd Gottfredson's Mickey Mouse presently being reprinted by Fantagraphics Books.   It somewhat peeved me at the time that they could choose to review this book and not the Air Hawk that I has sent Cefn Ridout, their comic reviewer, some weeks earlier.   I think I was annoyed, and wrote a Letter to the Editor expressing this annoyance, that they saw fit to review an American Book over a local product that I saw as being - modesty aside! - of equal if not greater merit.   (Needless to say, the letter was not published.)
However, I felt less aggrieved when I saw Cefn's assessment of Mandy Ord's Book Sensitive Creatures  in this weekend's Weekend Australian.   It was a well-written and favourable review, and I shall most likely pick up a copy when I see it in the bookstore; not because of Cefn's review, mind you, but because it is an Australian product and I am a sucker for supporting our local comics product.    The benefit of the review is merely that it has alerted me to the fact that the book is out there.   Otherwise, I would have been totally oblivious to it!
I suppose this is the thing: for Air Hawk to be read and known by every Australian - as I feel it deserves to be - I have to get the message out there.    Obviously, having a review in The Weekend Australian is no guarantee of sales: people are going to have to want to buy it before that happens... 

So, it was a nice surprise to see a positive book review of John Dixon, Air Hawk and the Flying Doctor appearing in this quarter's Aero Australia magazine (Number 32, October - December 2011 Edition).   Again, I am uncertain at this stage whether a positive book review translates into sales (the magazine, after all, has only been on the news-stands for a short while, so it is too early to tell); but at least it is alerting some Aussies that the book is out there!   So, to all at Aero Australia, many Thanks for your kind words.   Aother reason I was pleased with the contents of the review, was because of the accuracy of the content.   Despite sending out Media Releases to Media Outlets, I have always been surprised at the number of factual errors that tend to creep into reporting.   Case in point: the Redcliffe and Bayside Herald article reported that "Mr Dixon....[moved] to California where he eventually got married and had three children".    I tend to let things like that ride these days; no point in perhaps biting the hand that feeds you, et cetera.   Or should I?    (John has two children: Andrew and Jaydi.)

Do I need to say more for everyone who lives in the Brisbane region?!   I hope I am not working....!!   For more infomation, click here...

I bought my first Fred Negro comic in the late 1970s or early 1980s (Trash Can Comix) and I can't say that much has changed over the years.   Fred has a writing and artistic style that is all his own, and that you either like or do not.   (I don't think there is much in between.)   Week in and week out for over 1,000 episodes now, Fred's PUB comic strip has appeared in Melbourne's weekly Inpress street press, as well as (more recently) another strip in Brisbane's Time Off (another free music-based weekly).  
Recently Fred released 'The Best of Fred Negro's Pub, Volume One', a 32-page (one page in colour, all the rest in Black and White), A4 sized tome that is coil-wire bound.   I had planned on purchasing my copy at the book's launch at Brisbane's Beetle Bar.   When I arrived at the Bar sometime after 2300hrs (following an afternoon shift at work), I was told that Fred's band wouldn't arrive until 12 midnight - far too late for my 0645hr start at work the following day.   So I ended up purchasing my copy via the internet.   To be honest, I really can't recall which site I used to buy it from now!  
The copy I received had its Introduction Page (by Tim Rogers) printed upsidedown.   I'm not sure if all copies had a similar fault, and I don't think it was intentional.   It certainly didn't detract from the end product; if anything it added to its DIY charm.   Do I recommend you buy a copy?   I bought a copy, but I suggest you consider the facts.   FIrst: cost.   The book says copies are available for $15 plus $5 postage from [email protected] or [email protected] .   Second: is this the type of comic you like?   If you are not familiar with Fred's work, I would suggest you look at some of the recent strips by clicking here  first.    Then, finally, it's really up to you!     

And from a totally different end of the publishing spectrum....the second book I'm reviewing today...

Brendan Boughen (going by the name Jim in this volume) was an Air Hawk subscriber from the late 1980s when Comicoz was publishing the strip in comic book form as 'John Dixon's Air Hawk Magazine'.   For those who were not around in those days, Issue Six was labelled as 'Issue Sex' and had a front cover that featured a fabulous model called Michelle on the front....    Oh, look, I know you want to see it again, so I shall enclose it (below).    The comic found its way into the hands of comic readers for the first time, and sold in good quantities...
However, there were some readers who didn't like the photographic cover, and most vocal were many Air Hawk subscribers!    One of those was a young Brendan Boughen!

Reading the Introduction to Jim's book (Gone Astray), I suppose I can now understand where he (as Brendan) came from all those years ago.   Brendan/Jim spent "the first 30 years of [his] life" dedicated to the Church, and it was only when he finished university that he began to "question everything".   This paperback book is a record of a guy called Jeff's spiritual journey that Brendan says parallel's his own path over the past ten years.
Brendan believes that "both (cartoons and religion) are paths to uncovering truth and revealing the meaning of life.   But while religion is about finding order and solace in the face of the apparent random swirling chaos of the universe, cartoons are about laughing in the face of that terrifying reality."
Mrs Karmichael (who is not overly religous) laughed out loud at some of the cartoons in this 96 page paperback.   Although I found the style of the cartoons a little simple, the ideas and messages behind them make the reading experience worthwhile.   The book's size is 21.5 x 15 cms, and it is available for A$30 from Brendan/Jim's website here.     Price includes postage and packing all the way from New Zealand.    Check out the website to see some of Jim's work before you buy, and while you are there send him a message that you learnt of his work through Comicoz!
Finally, warm Congratulations! to Jim from all at Comicoz for winning the Bronze Award in the Humour Category at the  Australasian Religious Press Association’s 2011 awards (see the cartoon in Jim's Blog dated September 12th 2011).