Publishing Dilemma

UA-139927741-1

Publishing Dilemma

1/10/2013

Here's a quandary that I don't come across too often. I am reprinting classic Australian comic strips (as most of the Readership will know). In the last few days I have been working on a Second Volume of John Dixon's Air Hawk. What do I do when there is a spelling mistake in the original artwork's text? See the illustration to the left below. John has clearly written "WAGGON" in the text prior to the strip heading to the newspapers, and just as clearly a line has been placed through it. (I am not sure what was actually reprinted in the newspapers, as I am working from proofs from the artwork as the newspaper editors would have received them.) Do I correct the spelling of the word (and thus in effect censor the original)? Or should I clean up the copy (as you can see on the right) and leave it as John intended, irrespective that there is still a spelling error contained therein? Or should I clean it up and spell it correctly?

I am already presently editing out the dates and office records on the margins of the strips, which is I suppose in essence a form of censorship. Or is it? It is material that wasn't seen on the original reproduction in the newspapers. I clearly know I have an opinion (which I shall follow in the publication), but I am still interested in your thoughts....

4 Comments

Dave

2/10/2013 11:55:53

Nat, I checked the Oxford Dictionary, and it has both spellings ie wagon and waggon. So both are correct. It looks odd with two "g's" but maybe it is a modern age perception of the word. We've forgotten over time that it had two "g's". Remember how we use to call the thing that rubs out pencil marks a "rubber"? Nowadays everybody calls it an "eraser" for some reason. When old fogey's like us "go west" no one will remember that there was a "rubber" on the end of a pencil (unless they check the dictionary) :)

Nat Karmichael

2/10/2013 22:19:47

Hullo Dave! Thanks for your thoughts. It wasn't the SPELLING of the word, as such, that I was concerned about. I am happy with the spelling of either version. With the stroke through the word, I believe someone (and I am NOT convinced it was John, more likely someone from Auspac Media who distributed the strip) was unhappy with the spelling, and sought to remove the extra 'G'.

My concern centres around my editing out of material that John was comfortable with, and in essence censoring his work. Because I am working from proofs, I do not - at this stage - have access to the final newspaper version. I would be interested in seeing how the eventual published version ran.

Incidentally, this topic drew great discussion on The Australian Cartoonists' Association's Facebook page, if you have opportunity to read it!

Dave

3/10/2013 09:35:45

Oh, I see.
In my opinion, for what it's worth, the cross-out line should be removed and the word be read as Mr Dixon wrote it originally - "WAGGON". I'd reckon that if he'd have wanted it with one "G" that's how he would have written it. However, it's your choice now, I guess, as you are the editor of the new publication :)
Keep up the good work, Nat.

Nat Karmichael

3/10/2013 15:17:56

Ah, Dave, you shall now have to wait and see what choice I DID make, won't you??! Thanks for your input!

Archives

December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009

Quick Links

RSS Feed

Comicoz...

...acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to elders past, present, and emerging, and extend that respect to all First Australian peoples.

Photo by Charlotte

Nat Karmichael

Over the past decade (2011 - 2020) Nat has self-published ten comic-related books and was Publisher-Editor of Oi Oi Oi! - the last nationally-distributed comic book of original comics stories to appear on Australian newsstands. He edited Inkspot, the journal of the Australian Cartoonists Association for 14 issues from late 2015 to 2019 and is a current member of the ACA's Committee. In his spare time, he is a husband, a father (to six) and grandfather (to fourteen), and works in the Psychiatric Emergency Centre in Queensland's largest public hospital.

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.