 As seems to be my wont from 21 December to the end of the calendar year, I tend to be a little reflective of the time that has passed since we circled the sun yet another time. The one pleasing thing from a creative point of view, has been steering the Editorship of the Australian Cartoonists' Association's journal Inkspot to a fourth issue for the year. (Above is the latest Summer issue with cover art by Judy Nadin and design by Chris Barr.) Without meaning to brag, it is the first time this decade that four issues of the magazine have seen print, so I am pretty chuffed to have been able to pull that off (with help from the contributors, artists and cartoonists, our printer, and the assistance of co-editors Phil Judd and Chris Barr). While I take the lead and all the glory in the role, it really is a team effort. I am really looking forward to keeping to this schedule in 2017, to maintain the progress made. As my last Blog stated, copies of the next issue will be available to Australian comic shops and Libraries around the country, and already much interest has already been shown. (If YOUR comic shop or local library is interested in carrying a copy, get them to drop me a quick email [email protected]) My work on the Monty Wedd book Bold Ben Hall and the publishing frequency of Oi Oi Oi! has taken a bit of a hit, partially due to my work on Inkspot, but also due to some of the financial issues surrounding the magazine (Oi Oi Oi! has been running at a loss), as well as the state of my distress at some of the people that I care about being struck ill since August. From Andrew Bergen (Magpie writer), my son-in-law, to my wife. And now being added to this list is my Mother, who only learnt about a week before Christmas that she has bowel cancer and had to undergo major bowel surgery last Tueday (yes, just a couple of days after Christmas). This latest turn of events has subdued my seasonal celebrations somewhat. (Having to work on Christmas day, and having just completed night duty hasn't helped too much either!) Anyway, I DO plan on releasing more issues of Oi Oi Oi! although planning may not take place until about March into the new year....  Cover Rough Illustration Copyright Thomas Campi There are also a lot of exciting publishing plans I have for Comicoz in the new year. Mostly involved in helping see in print books that will add to the collection of Australian comics and comic-related books in this country. The major problem is (as in most years) finding the time to work on them, so my poor wife does not feel neglected!
So, let me share just some of them here! I am more committed than ever in getting Bold Ben Hall in print. Sadly, the movie based on this Australian bushranger seems to have sunk without even much of a ripple (it was in so few cinemas locally, I didn't even have time or opportunity to see it myself). I am sure the book by Monty Wedd will do well. The only thing that might cause some to baulk may be the cover price. While the Ned Kelly story was 145 pages long, and the book retailed for about $50 (or $40 from our web-site), Bold Ben Hall is going to be over 400 pages in length! Other books that are in various stages of preparation include a third volume of Air Hawk, and collection of Gary Chaloner's past Flash Damingo and the Jackaroo works. I am most excited about a book called From Sunbeams to Sunset that Graeme Cliffe has spent the past eight years (plus) researching. We have (just about) managed to secure copyright clearances for this one, that recounts the history of the Australian comic book. You thought John Ryan's Panel by Panel was extensive? Wait until you see what Graeme has detailled! I am also waiting to hear back from Sydney-based artist Thomas Campi to see how advanced his illustrations for Joe Shuster are progressing. I believe this book shows enough promise to break Thomas in the American market. I am also trying to begin work on retrospective volumes of both Alex Gurney and Phil Belbin's works as well as the collected comic works of Emile Mercier. But maybe one year is too ambitious, and I may have to delay planning of those little beauties until a little later.... Ahh, the New Year is around the corner. It shows promise of better days! May your New Year be a Happy one, whatever YOU have planned, and I shall look forward to talking to you more about Australian comics when next you venture onto this Blog - Web-site! I am uncomfortable watching myself nervously talking about my passion for Australian comics, so I enter this more for the information shared and for future posterity, rather than with any sense of personal ego. The talk was arranged by Consultant Ellen Forsyth for the State Library of New South Wales and was recorded live last week on the 7th December. If you have any questions (or comments), please leave them in the Comments section (below), and I'll be happy to answer them. (If I know the answer!)
 Comicstreet took place in the Queen Street Mall last Saturday. Although the number of stallholders were slightly down on the last event, I still thought it was a worthwhile visit, just before my afternoon shift. Pleasing to see comic creators Karen Beilharz and Queenie Chan had come from Sydney to make it more than just a Brisbane gig. There were some 'old' artists displaying new works and also 'new' ones sharing their art for the first time. Here are some of the stallholders I bought comics from: This is a short small message that I am not going to shout from the mountains for another year yet. But for those of you who read my Blog, I can tell you that last night the Committee of the Australian Cartoonists Association approved the 2018 Stanley Awards to be held in Brisbane. The official announcement will be made next November (in 2017), when the event is being staged in Canberra. In order not to take away the shine of the 2017 Stanleys being held there, I have been asked NOT to spread this news. So, this message will not be read on Facebook, and not shared on Twitter. I have been given the okay to begin making arrangements for Guests, and for getting a little committee together to work on the event behind the scenes. So if you are in south-east Queensland and want to join in the organising committee, please email me. From here on, on this Blog, I shall say no more about this event now until next November. So it is now our little secret, that you too must now keep secret.
Written and directed by Australian filmmaker Matthew Holmes, 'The Legend of Ben Hall' tells the incredible true story of the New South Wales bushranger, boasting an ensemble of remarkable new talent in a gritty action-drama with an adherence to historical detail rarely seen in movies today. 'The Legend of Ben Hall' is a Two Tone Pictures, RLC Motion Picture Entertainment, Running Panda Films production in association with Odin's Eye Entertainment, Emu Creek Pictures, SunJive Studios, Film Victoria with Soundfirm and Palmarium LLC.Trailer vocals performed by Visnja Prtenjaca. Music produced by Ronnie Minder.
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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.
Nat Karmichael.
In 2024, the Australian Cartoonists Association bestowed Nat the honour of The Jim Russell Award for his "outstanding contribution to Australian cartooning". He is available for public speaking. Since 2011, Nat has self-published over twelve comic-related books and many more comics. He is presently the Membership Secretary of the Australian Cartoonists Association. He is the Lead Judge in the Ledger of Honour Awards for the Comic Arts Awards of Australia (formerly the Ledgers). Nat has now retired and spends most of his time with his long-suffering wife, occasionally seeing their six children and fourteen grandchildren. He still plans to publish more comics and comic-related books, the details of which you should see here on this website in the coming months... 
Nat by Charlotte
Comicoz acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay respects to elders, past, present, and emerging, and extend that respect to all First Nations peoples.
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