Comic-related events soon taking place in Brisbane...

There are so many things going on in the Brisbane comics community in the next two months, that it is about time I started to scream and shout about them here on my Blog. The first to tell you about is an exhibition of original Brisbane comic book art work, curated by Will Kelly. Will shared that news with me when we shared a community talk about comics at the Garden City Library with Tom Kafa on the last day of last month. Our thanks to Kay Leanne for organising the Library event. Although I will be working on the night of the exhibition's launch (July 21 at Jugglers Art Space in the Valley), I do hope to get around to the exhibition during its run....and if you are in Brisbane, I really urge you to do so too! 

I'm also hoping to get along to the Indie Comic Market in the Queen Street Mall at the end of this month (see above). I was too late to book a table, but I am not worried -- I don't have any new comics published recently to sell in any case. There is always a wide selection of new comics available and a great showcase of the increasing comic talent in our city, so I am really looking forward to it. (Actually, it was good to see some talents from other parts of the country appearing at the last event. I'm not sure who is going to be there this time....)
Someone asked on Facebook the other week: How does a creator learn how to say (politely and kindly) "No Thanks" to another, when others seek to sell their wares to you? I suppose I have never had that problem....I usually go with a limited budget, and then blow it anyway! How can one say "No" to good comics?!!

And how can one say "No" to this beautiful poster (see below) by Benjamin Constantine? This is to advertise and promote the fifth annual Zine and Indie Comic Symposium (ZICS) to be held in Brisbane at The Edge, South Brisbane, from 18th to 20th of August. Fundraising for the event is raised through the crowd-funding site Pozible. The team behind this mega-event is still behind in seeking to reach their target, so I do urge you to chip in...even if it is to obtain a copy of Benjamin's poster. There are only 20 copies of the poster that will be available, all signed and printed on heavy card stock. WHAT are you waiting for??! Here is the link: https://pozible.com/project/zine-indie-comic-symposium-1  

This is just a small message to those who read every word I write. Although I have continued to be involved in some comic-related activities, I have had to cut back said involvement and activities over the past month or two. This has meant that I was unable to assist The Bunker Cartoon Gallery in preparing to judge their Rotary Cartoon Awards, and I was unable to attend 2017's Comic Con-versations in Sydney. And while I have continued to sporadically work on the Monty Wedd book Bold Ben Hall (nearing completion), the volume of Australian Comic History for Graeme Cliffe, and Inkspot for the Australian Cartoonists' Association, much of my work and enthusiasm on these projects has had to take a back seat for a while. At the present time, some family tragedies (plural) have struck, and without going into the details of them all, let me just say that I have been kept somewhat preoccupied with and prioritising these other matters. Last week, for example, my Mother learnt that she has only a few months to live. And while this may be a sad state of affairs, she has had a good innings. She is 86 years of age, and her needs (and other loved ones) are where I am presently devoting most of my time and attention. Thanks for your understanding. As I said on my Facebook page: "Normal Service will resume as soon as possible"....