​It's been almost two months since I updated this website-blog, and less that two weeks to go before the Comic Arts Awards of Australia/Australian Cartoonists Association's Stanley Awards-Conference take place. So much seems to be happening, I can't keep up with myself!! (The easiest way for me to keep up with what's going on in my life? Facebook! Here's the link. )

The main news to share with you is that the CAAA and ACA have managed to talk, and that both events are now happening on the same weekend in Canberra. I'm not trying to blow my own horn here, but I do believe I had some influence in this decision. Getting the organisers of both groups talking about the possibility of working together for their own mutual benefit was the first thing that had to happen. So, I put them in touch; common sense did the rest. 

I must confess, though, I did have doubts at some stage that the CAAA was even going ahead. I'm pleased it's still an on-going event, as I believe it's important for the local medium. Not the Awards aspect of it so much, more the fact that its recording of both longlist and shortlist comics will be a valuable resource for future Australian comic historians. Speaking of which, Dillon Naylor's book that I published last year (Rock n Roll Fairies) didn't make the shortlist cut. And while I'm not overly worried about awards, I was disappointed for him that he wasn't listed.

Contrasting viewpoints. In early November (8th to the 10th) it was time for Supanova Comic Con & Gaming. We had Darren (Retro Sci-Fi Tales) Koziol and Sorab (Silver Fox Comics) Del Rio stay at our home. (Darren arriving on the 6th, Sorab the day following.) Interesting to hear their opinions on the CAAA. Darren's not a fan, and Sorab is a newly converted fan. (Sorab scored a nomination on the shortlist for the first time with Bazza the Bogan Barbarian: Vampires and Vegemite. Available here.) 

Here, for posterity's sake, are some of the photos of some of the people I met at Supanova.    

In the meantime, for those interested in going to the Comic Arts Awards of Australia, here's a link. It's a free event. 
And for the Australian Cartoonists Association's Stanley Awards and Conference details can be found on the link here. It's not a free event.
There's also an event called Read to Me (A Live Visual Storytelling Event) which, unfortunately, I know nothing about. But it's part of the same evening (November 29th) and venue (Old Parliament House) as the Comic Arts Awards, so I imagine I'll be there for that one too. Maybe I'll see you there?  ​

Out of the blue, on October 28th (at the awful hour of 3 in the morning!) I was asked by ABC Radio National Overnight if I'd be interested in speaking about Australian comics. How could I say 'No'?! Presenter Michael Pavlich and a wide variety of listeners joined me in a surprisingly fun conversation link here You can hear us talking about two hours and fifteen minutes in. I'm not sure how long this link will last, so it's there for the time being. It was fun, and some friends (comic colleagues and non-comic people) actually listened in!

Other events in the past two months:
The Comic Book Cafe (a coffee shop come comic retail outlet) opened on November 2nd. It can be found at 2 Bimbil Street, Albion. A little out of the way if you rely on public transport (surely a future problem for it) but a rewarding experience. Here are some of the visual highlights from the Opening Day. 

Each month lately I try to catch up with Australian comic historians Graeme Cliffe and Neville Bain. We missed seeing each other in September as Graeme was still recovering from a serious motor vehicle accident requiring hospitalisation, sadly. No photos this time of our October 22 get together. Still, Graeme was doing well enough to decide to visit India in early November -- checking out Australian comic research leads??! -- and we hope to resume our monthly 'meetings' in December. Strangely and eerily enough, Graeme and I had discussed not a month before (while Graeme was driving us to Neville's) about what we planned to do with our comic collections when we eventually pass. Graeme's accident made me stop and realise (and not for the first time) the frailty of human life, and how everything can all change in an instance...

Finally, comic-wise, Jackie Burger Force Ryan put on an exhibition of her work on the 13th of November at the Onespace Gallery in South Brisbane. Mate Barney and I went along to the opening, despite the wild and stormy weather outside. About 30 or so people attended. (No comic people from my social set, sadly, despite my promotion of it on Facebook. But that's the way it goes sometimes.) 

Besides all these comic happenings, there's also the underlying dramas of real life. Carlene, the children and grandchildren. (Wow! One of my girls turned 40! It's a month to my 67th birthday!) The Melbourne Cup. Concerts that Barney and I attend. Too much to share here! There are comic happenings too: The Iron Outlaw book is almost ready to get a proof copy made. Air Hawk 3 is ready for an American printer and distributor. Fridge Boy From Space's Kickstarter is being fulfilled. I can't keep up with myself! I'll share the next big event here a little later: my time in Canberra for the Stanley's...and the Comic Arts Awards of Australia....

Yesterday I publicly released the very first look at the cover to the third issue of our comic John Dixon's Air Hawk that is presently being expertly designed by Don Ticchio. (The cover was illustrated in 2010 by Gary Chaloner.) This third issue (the "First Internationally Released Issue"!) is due to be carried by Diamond Distribution, and is planned to be released in May 2025. Our second issue? It is due to be picked up from the printer in mere days.

In the meantime, Rob Feldman's Fridge Boy From Space comic has completed its Kickstarter campaign, and I am happy to report that we were able to clearly make our target, with thanks to all the people who kindly backed the project. Rob himself was most enthusiastic in getting involved with the campaign, posting video after video that was used to promote the comic at various stages of the Kickstarter campaign. Indeed, I was so taken by his contributions, that I felt it would be remiss of me not to record each and every video here for posterity! So, please enjoy (and see if there were any you missed on seeing the first time around)!

The Kickstarter announcement!

The genesis of the idea; how it was formed and came to be...

Rob reading part of the comic...!

What is a Splash Page, and how do you share your knowledge in polite circles?!

Reviewing "Fridge Boy From Space"...

A REAL review of the comic! Two days until the Campaign ends...!

Finishing the campaign! Thanks EVERYONE!!

Getting the Rewards out there (well, the first of them)!

Were some videos missed? YES! There was one that announced the halfway mark of the campaign (and it was really funny! I can't seem to find it as I type this, so maybe it's one to share for another day!

Each month Australian comic historian Graeme Cliffe and I make it our business to catch up with fellow comic enthusiast Neville Bain. I received a phone call from Graeme last night indicating that this month's meet-up (scheduled for next week) might be in doubt, after he shared that on Monday that he had been involved in a road accident and was presently recuperating in the Princess Alexandria Hospital. Details are sketchy (Graeme was not 100% lucid), so I shall bring more details when I have them at hand.    

In an ironic twist to this tale, Graeme and I were musing on life and death as we drove to meet Neville last month. What plans did we each have for our comic collections should we - "perish the thought" we added! - pass away? These were questions foremost in my mind this month, as Carlene and I sought to put pen to paper in formulating a new Will and completing Enduring Powers of Attorney forms. It's always a sobering process, as most of us live from day to day without contemplating even the possibility that our time on this planet is finite.

IN any case: Get well soon, Graeme!

Two weeks out from our Kickstarter end date, and yes ... we have reached our goal! I just could not help but share Rob Feldman's official thanks to our supporters in allowing us to reach this milestone! Enjoy!!

I honestly can't believe how quick the past two weeks have gone! From preparing to launch Rob Feldman's Fridge Boy in Space to yesterday, when we hit our total, the whole two weeks have been a crazy whirl of excitement, tension, and trying to coordinate life at Comicoz HQ. Adding to the drama - as usual! - are all the things life throws at you that don't make it into the Facebook posts, ...and the comic book pages! From birthdays, to football matches (and finals), to a car needing a new radiator ... it's all been non-stop action all the way!! 

Carlene and I have also had to suddenly house (and dog)-sit after a dear friend's mother passed away. It's meant moving in between our usual place of residence to another home. And all the things that go with that. So, preparing poor old Air Hawk #3 (not to mention Iron Outlaw and The Cloak) has had to be somewhat delayed - yet again. But, I'm hopeful things will work out really soon.

Today I am putting up a post on Facebook (and, should I have time, on other socials) to try to raise some more of the old dollars for Iron Outlaw. You see, I don't think this book will able to reach the Kickstarter goals we need to produce it, so I am going to have to raise some money the good old fashioned way: by selling some of the Comicoz volumes stacked in our double garage, as well as some of my personal comic collection. If you can, please support this worthy (?) cause, by checking out my Facebook page regularly for some bargains. The prices are so low you will feel you are stealing from me, but I'll be happy to raise the necessary cash to get this project further ahead!

Meantime, our Kickstarter campaign for Rob hasn't finished, so don't fear you will miss out! Here's where you can still make a pledge and score yourself a few nice rewards: kck.st/3MqQjZi
Here's where you can find the initial bargain I wrote about earlier. Click here: TWO TRUNDLE books by Neil Matterson for the price of one! 
Want to keep right up to date with what's going on in the madness that is the Comicoz publishing world? Click here: www.facebook.com/nat.karmichael/

Now you are really up to speed!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/comicoz/rob-feldmans-fridge-boy-in-space 

After sharing my attempt at a video (that was more fun than serious), Rob Feldman and I have, over the past few days, been preparing a Kickstarter campaign for his Fridge Boy in Space comic. Including this visual masterpiece (above) by Rob (that we shall use)! Seeing Diamond are not interested and Luna have not responded to my emails about Rob (and Dillon)'s comics and books, we needed some way of getting the word out there into the world! I know! I'm a bit of a hypocrite: I have been vocal about my 'criticism' about Kickstarter. Well, perhaps 'criticism' isn't the right word: I'm concerned about the limitations and the saturation of that particular crowd-funding site, and my concerns that it doesn't take the comic medium further. Still, it's going to be useful to us for the present point in time, so maybe I'll just suck up my reservations and get on with it!

We're tweaking the Rewards today (and hope that it will be finished later this morning) before we are able to submit the project. Launch (at this time) is scheduled for August 23rd, although there is every likelihood that we may go earlier. Stay tuned!

Everything seems to be happening at once around here (comic-wise). John Dixon's son (Andrew) and Don Ticchio are getting together this Wednesday to check on the availability of material for Air Hawk #3, which is destined to be the first overseas issue of the current series. Andrew and John will no doubt also be discussing the layout dilemma that I posted about earlier (in relation to the back cover to #2). With all this activity going on, it means I have not been keeping Ryan McDonald-Smith up to speed with the needs for Iron Outlaw. And what is The Cloak up to? When I was working, it's my belief that I was able to work on many comic projects simultaneously. These days, I feel I am so flat out with other things (house maintenance, Netflix with Carlene, visiting friends) that I'm nowhere near as organised, comic-wise, as I once was. (Said with a wry smile?)

The proof to Air Hawk #2 has arrived from the printer, and the readers of this website are seeing it here first! There is a dilemma, however: which back cover should be used? Which do you think is the better one...and why??! Let's hear your thoughts! 

There's no doubting that Rob Feldman and I became friends from our very first meeting at an Australian Cartoonists Association's conference (over ten years ago now). I've made a short video based on a recent get-together, which I plan to use as a promotional tool for Rob's comic. Sadly, as I have documented elsewhere, Diamond Distribution have declined to carry Rob's Fridge Boy From Space, so I soon plan to run a Kickstarter campaign to allow comic fans an opportunity to purchase a copy (and bonus material). (Yes, I know I have been critical of Kickstarter more recently, and still believe it has limitations, but I am at a loss at how to get the Fridge Boy message out there otherwise!) Here (above) is the early rough of that video...

​Let me know what you think!!