Comics in Australia

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[edit] History

At first Australian comics copied British comic papers until its first comic book The Kookaburra appeared in 1931.

Several early uniquely Australian comics had wide circulation and enjoyed long runs. Probably the most famous is the comic strip Ginger Meggs, created in 1921 by Jimmy Bancks which still runs in syndication to this day (with new artists, of course). Bancks published the first of the Ginger Meggs Annuals in 1924, and they were to continue for the next 35 years. For a more recent example, Dillon Naylor's Da 'n Dill has been running in one form or another since 1993.

Because of its contribution to winning the Second World War, Australia incurred a huge national debt: local publishers found they had a captive market as import restrictions were enforced, at the same time the modern American style comic book (mostly sans color) was adopted. In its Golden Age Australian talent produced exciting creations such as Captain Atom, The Panther, The Scorpion, The Raven, The Mask and many others. Later, in the Seventies, Vixen became Australia's first comic book super heroine. However, the longest best-selling and longest running comic book in Australia is a local fortnightly publication of The Phantom by Frew Publications. First published in 1948 more than 1500 issues have been released in the series. Although mostly reprints, the comic does occasionally include original work by local creators.

Since the 1940s, and particularly in the 1970s, many local reprints and translations of English, European and both North and South American comics were published in Australia. Since the 1980s there have been fewer local reprints and more direct importing of foreign comics.

Alongside the reprints and imports there has been a long tradition of Australian made comics, though many of these were clones of, or occasionally parodies of, foreign, mostly US, comic books. After the arrival of television in 1956 the market began to dry up causing many publishers to fold, by the early Sixties the comic industry faded. Gerald Carr revived the Australian adventure style comic book in 1974 with the best selling Vampire! during the horror comic boom, followed by Brainmaster and Vixen (1977} and Fire Fang {1982).

In the mid 1980s many anthology comics titles appeared, forming the basis for the modern Australian self-publishing community. Three notable ones were Fox Comics, which began in Melbourne in 1985 and lasted for 5 years and 26 issues. Phantastique from Sydney in 1986 lasted only 4 issues, as it was in the style of Underground comix but with mainstream distribution - it generated national publicity from opponents Fred Nile and John Laws. Cyclone! also from Sydney in 1985 was a more traditional superhero comic with an Australian flavour, it ran for 8 issues as an anthology and then another 8 as Southern Squadron focusing on its most popular feature (plus other spin offs and a 1990s revival - over 30 related comics were published in the series).

Other long running popular Australian comic books include Hairbutt the Hippo (1989) and Platinum Grit (1993), which are still being published by their creators today.

Since 2000, a significant market for Australian comic creators has been commercial Australian children's magazines. Dillon Naylor led the way with "Da 'N' Dill" and the popular Batrisha the Vampire Girl in K Zone. Other artists with regular work in these markets include Patrick Alexander, Jase Harper, Rich Warwick, Dean Rankine, Damien Woods and Ian C. Thomas.

Recently, independent comic creators have been banding together under new banners, such as Local Act Comics, which publishes a range of regular titles and has been running for a while now. In 2007 Tony Newton (Foolproof Comics) joined forces with Hayden Fryer (Siberian Productions), Tanya & Owen Nicholls (Storm Publishing), Steve Carter & Antoinette Rydyr (Scar/Pirana Quasar) and Shannon Browning (STaB Comics), producing the first Australian Independent Comic Crossover - OzSLAUGHT. The team plans to continue producing their own content and collaborative stories in the Tesseraction Comic (under the collective banner of GHOTI, Inc).

[edit] Australian comic book publishers

The current comic scene in Australia is driven by self publishers who create, print and distribute their own books, there are a few publishers who will publish the work of others

[edit] Australian editorial cartoonists

[edit] Awards

  • The OzCon Awards were also an important recognition of Australian comic creators from their inception in 1991, until the OzCons ceased.

[edit] 24 Hour Comics Challenge

Each year on the Queen's Birthday weekend, a 24 hour comics challenge [1] is held at Pulp Faction. The challenge moved there when OzComics closed shop in 2004. The event gathers some of the best Australian comic talent in a frenzy of art (past winners have included Nate Soehardi, Doug Holgate, Jase Harper, and Michael Li), and has categories for 8, 16 and 24 page comics, both general and mature.

[edit] Forums

With the advent of online forums, the Australian community has found the way to join its disparate areas. The OzComics forums started by Darren Close, creator of Killeroo was very popular in its day, along with the Comics Australia forums and site. After their closing, the Pulp Faction forums were created by Maggie McFee and have become the dominant online forum for Australian creators and fans. Recently, with the emerging popularity of the Manga genre of comics in Australia, OzTAKU created a forum for Australian artists and fans of the Manga genre, regardless of whether or not they are printed with OzTAKU in its publishing capacity.

[edit] Conventions

  • The first true Australian Comic Convention was Comicon I (1979) held at RMIT in Melbourne. Comicon II (1980) followed at the Sheraton Hotel in Melbourne and Comicon III (1981) was held in Sydney.
  • The much larger Australian Comic-Book Convention, was held on 16th-18th January 1986, at the Sydney Opera House, featuring international guests for the first time including Will Eisner and Jim Steranko. It was the forerunner of the many later OzCon conventions held from 1992 to 1998 in Sydney, with an additional event in Melbourne in 1997, and the comicfest! events, again in Sydney from 2000 to 2002, before the concept was expanded into...
  • Supanova, Australia's largest con. Held in Sydney and Brisbane each year since 2002 and 2003 respectively. It features a mix, in addition to Comic-Books, of current TV Pop Cultures, from Science Fiction & Fantasy to Anime & Manga. It features special guest comic-book writers and artists and actors from currently in vogue series, movies and anime as well as special effects workers.
  • DoujiCon (pronounced 'dodgy con') Self-publishing comic/art/manga/animation convention held in Melbourne. First held in 2006.

[edit] Creators

Australian comic book, strip and cartoon artists and writers:

  • Patrick Alexander - Pink Chickens, Raymondo Person
  • Liz Argall
  • Gerard Ashworth
  • Jason Badower - The Innocents
  • Marcelo Baez - Diabla
  • Benjamin Baker
  • Jimmy Bancks - creator of Ginger Meggs
  • Fil Barlow - Inkspots, Zooniverse
  • Matt Bayliss - Cosmic Corsairs
  • Doug Bayne - co-creator of Platinum Grit (plays Mephisto in Double the Fist)
  • Scott Beattie - The Seven Swords
  • Philip Bentley - Fox Comics, Inkspots, Passionate Nomads, Word Balloons
  • Avi Bernshaw - co-founder of OzTAKU
  • Thomas Bonin - Dicks
  • Lee Slattery - Bacchus, Dee Vee, Everybody Loves The Lizardman
  • Dan Best - The Escapist, Dee Vee
  • David Bird - Fox Comics editor, Strange Tableaux publisher
  • Neale Blanden
  • David Blumenstein - Nakedfella Comics and Herman, The Legal Labrador
  • Brendan Boyd - The False Impressionists, Tango
  • Maurice Bramley
  • Donald Brooker - Cesspool
  • Shannon Browning - Welcome to Woodville, Robotoon, Coalition of the Willing
  • Christopher Brunton - Dee Vee
  • Jason Buckley - The SuburbanKnights
  • Nick Bugeja
  • Aaron Burgess - The Ink
  • Christopher Burns - Eldritch Kid, Waldo's Hawaiian Holiday
  • Susan Butcher - Pox
  • Bernard Caleo - Tango, The False Impressionists
  • Eddie Campbell - Bacchus, From Hell
  • Stephen Campbell - Inkspots
  • Gerald Carr - Vampire!, Vixen (superheroine with fox inspired super powers), The Dirty Digger http://www.vixenmagazine.com
  • Thomas Carter
  • Ambar Carvan - Brick Dog
  • Adrian Ceroni
  • Gary Chaloner - Jackaroo, Red Kelso, Will Eisner's John Law
  • Queenie Chan - The Dreaming
  • Peter Chapman
  • Jason Chatfield - writer/artist of Ginger Meggs, 2007-
  • Keith Chatto
  • Darren Close - Killeroo
  • Lachlan Conn
  • Ben Constantine -Plump Oyster, Phatsville
  • Noel Cook - Kokey Koala
  • Trudy Cooper - artist, co-creator and co-writer of Platinum Grit
  • Stan Cross
  • Jeff Cruz
  • Dave Cunning - Penciller on Ma. B, Down Under and Billy Joe Tequila, Director of Local Act Comics
  • Clint Cure (AKA Q-Ray)
  • John L. Curtis - The Silver Jacket
  • Mike Delight
  • Solomon Dent
  • Guy Dernee - Nothing Serious
  • David de Vries - Cyclone!, Dark Horse Down Under, The Phantom
  • Graeme Dickenson - Closet Tales
  • Frank Dirscherl - The Wraith
  • Julie Ditrich - ElfQuest WaveDancers (Original Series), Dart. Director of Black Mermaid Productions creative team which is Australian based. [2]. ASA (Australian Society of Authors) Comics and Graphic Novel Portfolio Holder, Founder of the Comics and Graphic Novel Portfolio for the ASA.
  • John Dixon - Air Hawk
  • Daniel Douglas
  • Michal Dutkiewicz - Batman Forever, Lost in Space
  • Ian Eddy
  • Jeff Edis - The Ridiculous Bugman
  • Sarah Ellerton - Inverloch
  • Daniel Elliott
  • Anton Emdin - Cruel World
  • Michael Evans
  • Jules Faber - Sporadic, Golgotha
  • Miles Ferguson
  • Andy Finlayson
  • Roger Fletcher
  • Peter Foster
  • Jason Franks
  • Scott Fraser - Dollboy
  • Hayden Fryer - Billy: Demon Slayer, Full Moon, FORCES, Nothing Serious
  • Andrew Gallacher - Modern Gentlemen
  • Greg Gates - Inkspots, Strange Worlds
  • Dan Gibbs
  • May Gibbs
  • Simon J. Green - Modern Gentlemen
  • Nicki Greenberg
  • Edward J Grug III - The Bizarre Life of Charlie Red Eye, Crushes Forever, Henry & Gil vs the Infinity Engine
  • Stewart Hale - Issue One Comics-Zero Assassin, Cyber-Swine
  • George Hall - Reverie
  • Jase Harper - Sporadic, Big Fun Mega Happy Pet Land (Mania magazine) Guh! books 1-2
  • Paul Harris - Fox Comics, Reverie
  • Flint Fatih Hasbudak
  • Owen Heitmann - Basic Wage Kids
  • Peta Hewitt - Terinu
  • Doug Holgate - currently artist on Amazing Joy Buzzards and a Flight contributor, Tales from Under the Bed
  • Yaroslav Horak - The Mask, Jet Fury
  • Walt Howarth
  • Ben Hutchings - Dragon Hurtor, Northbourne & Glory Bound
  • Matt Huynh (aka STiKMAN) - Happy Birthday, Anyway
  • David Jackson - Modern Gentlemen
  • Peter Jetnikoff
  • Scott Johnson - Hip Pocket
  • Chris Johnston - Inkspots
  • Garth Jones
  • Tristan Jones - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Modern Gentlemen
  • Troy Kealley - Something Wicked, Owen, Badlands Taxi
  • James Kemsley - writer/artist of Ginger Meggs, 1948 - 2007
  • David Kerr - Worlds Away, Days of Asha in OzTAKU
  • Giles Kilham - Phatsville
  • Jared Lane
  • Gary Lau - Knight-Edge
  • Daniel Lawson - Azerath
  • Len Lawson - The Lone Avenger
  • Peter Ledger - Carlos McLlyr, Sisterhood of Steel
  • David Li - Magi in OzTAKU
  • Michael Li
  • Sal Lima - Zxenith
  • Dave Lovegrove - Erik Saga (1 - 9), Steak & Kidney Boy
  • Cassandra Lovell - The Toxic Avenger and Other Tromatic Tales
  • C.A. Luke
  • Mark Lulham
  • Glenn Lumsden - Cyclone!, The Phantom
  • Gregory Mackay
  • Angelo Madrid
  • Zeldz Magnoonis - Pepe's Quest
  • Alex Major - Naomi & Poggie, Goats on Ice
  • Glenn Manders - Phatsville, Bad Teeth
  • Josè Manfredini - The Yahl (Down Under Comics (DUC))
  • Kieran Mangan
  • Tim McBurnie - 7Pirates
  • David McDermott
  • Tim McEwen - Greener Pastures
  • Maggie McFee - Katie Galaxy (also runs Pulp faction )
  • Stewart McKenny - The Watch
  • Daniel McKeown
  • Jessica McLeod - Activities For Rainy Days
  • Jacob McNish
  • Jeremy MacPherson
  • Arthur Mather Captain Atom, Flynn of the FBI
  • Darrel Merritt - Dark Horse Down Under, Fox Comics, Passionate Nomads
  • Nicholas William Moll - The Masked Coyote
  • Marcus Moore - Bacchus, Spirit New Adventures, Heavy Metal, Dee Vee, Life Is Cheap
  • Alice Mrongovius
  • Danny Murphy - co-creator and co-writer of Platinum Grit
  • Bruce Mutard - The Bunker
  • Jan Napiorkowski
  • Michael Nason
  • Dillon Naylor - Da 'n Dill, Batrisha
  • Bobby Nenadovic - Withheld
  • Tony Newton - The SuburbanKnights, Foolproof comics, fictionym.comics
  • Owen Nicholls - Jaeger, Mission
  • Tanya Nicholls - Jaeger, Mission
  • Wayne Nichols
  • Syd Nicholls - Fatty Finn, Middy Malone
  • Linzee R. Nold - Fox Comics
  • Talitha Nonveiller - The Deerflame Legacy, Tale Trader
  • Mandy Ord - Brick Dog, Sensitive Creatures, Dirty Little Creep, Ordinary Eyeball
  • Jason Paulos - Hairbutt the Hippo, Eeek!
  • Maria Pena - Fox Comics, Passionate Nomads
  • John Petropoulos - Bug & Stump
  • Craig Phillips - Finch!
  • Tad Pietrzykowski - Dark Nebula
  • Stanley Pitt - Silver Starr
  • Henry Pop (aka HPoP) - Generation
  • Poshua (AKA Katie Huang) - Generation manga anthology
  • Steven Preston
  • Tom Priestley
  • Pamela Ramali - Generation
  • Jason Rand
  • Dean Rankine - Holy Cow! Christian Comics, Grossgirl and Boogerboy
  • Christian Read - The Watch, Eldritch Kid, Witch King
  • Daniel Reed - The Crumpeton Experiments
  • Mark Richards - Scott Willasee is the VOID!
  • Leigh Rigozzi - Flippin' Out, Tales of Hobartian Life, Vacant Lot
  • Leigh Rust - Zxenith
  • Dante Sapienza - Violin Girl
  • Kirrily Schell
  • Gerard Scifo - Street Knowledge, Smooth
  • J. Marc Schmidt - Egg Story
  • Nicola Scott - Birds of Prey (DC Comics),Star Wars titles (Dark Horse), Angel titles (IDW Publishing), Dead Year High (Penguin Books), Season of the Witch (Image Comics), Halloween Man
  • Mark Selan - Founder of the 24 Hours in Oz Comics Challenge/OzComics 24 Hr Challenge
  • Christopher Sequeira - Justice League Adventures (DC Comics), 9/11: Artists Respond Vol. II (DC Comics), Pulse of Darkness, Rattlebone: The Pulp-Faced Detective, Mister Blood, Deadlock & Doc Morton, Bold Action, The Borderlander, Jonny Flathead: Agent of MONSTA.
  • Mark Sexton - Bug & Stump
  • Colin Sharpe - Xuan Xuan manga anthology
  • Glen Shearer - editor of Operation Funnybone
  • Simon Sherry
  • Holly Shorland - Operation Funnybone
  • Komala Singh - Moshi Moshi
  • Lee Slattery - Bacchus, Dee Vee, Everybody Loves The Lizardman
  • Nathan Soehardi - The SuburbanKnights
  • Jon Sommariva - Go Boy 7
  • Sorayan - The Yahl (Down Under Comics (DUC))
  • Ive Sorocuk
  • Madonna Spelta - OzTAKU
  • Richard Stevens - PEB Casey
  • Emma-Jean Stewart
  • John Stewart - Phatsville
  • Jean-Luc Syndakis - Modern Gentlemen
  • Jozef Szekeres - Elfquest WaveDancers (original series), Safety-Belt Man, Dart, Dawn, Oblagon, Underwater Love. Director of Black Mermaid Productions creative team which is Australian based. [3].[4]. ASA (Australian Society of Authors) Comics and Graphic Novel Portfolio Holder. Co-Founder of the Comics and Graphic Novel Portfolio for the ASA.
  • Shaun Tan - The Lost Thing, The Arrival
  • David Tang - Knee Pockets
  • Ben Templesmith - 30 Days of Night, Star Wars
  • Ian C. Thomas - Moth & Tanuki (in OzTAKU and Mania), Ratty Things (Mania), The Ink, Xuan Xuan, Maelstrom (also in Reverie), Busker Jim (City Extra)
  • Gavin Thomson - Bob
  • Vivienne To
  • Brendan Tolley - The False Impressionists, Tango
  • Andie Tong
  • Melanie Tregonning
  • Marty Trengove - Fox Comics, Roscoe the Dawg
  • Stephen Turner
  • Cassandra Tytler
  • Gaston Vanzet - Reverie
  • Ryan Vella - He Died with a Felafel in His Hand graphic novel
  • Sheldon Vella
  • David Vodicka - Fox Comics
  • Chris Wahl - Mad Magazine, Platinum
  • Gavin Wainwright - Whitehawk (webcomic)
  • Jo Waite - Tango, Going Down Swinging
  • Tonia Walden - prolific mini-comic creator and publisher, Eat Comics, Pirates
  • Rich Warwick
  • Grant Watson - Aggressive Retail Therapy, The Angriest Video Store Clerk in the World, Henry & Gil vs the Infinity Engine
  • L.Frank Weber - Crab Allen
  • Monty Wedd
  • Frank Wessing
  • Paul Wheelahan - The Raven, The Panther [5]
  • Daren White - Dee Vee, Batman: Order of the Beasts, Legends of the Dark Knight
  • Joe Whyte
  • Colin Wilson - Strips, 2000AD, La Jeunesse de Blueberry, Dans L'Ombre du Soleil, Point Blank
  • Ryan Wilton - Azerath
  • Mark Withington - OzTAKU
  • Gary Wong
  • Ashley Wood - Cyclone Comics Quarterly, Dark Horse Down Under, Popbot
  • Carol Wood - Pox
  • Damien Woods - Monkeyboy and His Magical Underpants (DMAG)
  • Anthony Woodward - Scrambled
  • David Yardin - District X, Black Panther, Realm of the Claw, Storm
  • Sam Young - Issue One Comics-Zero Assassin, Cyber-Swine
  • Pablo Zubieta - The SuburbanKnights
  • Colin Wells - Vigil
  • David Heinrich - Champions, Mad Magazine, Earth, Zero Assassin

[edit] Collections

National Library of Australia

[edit] References

  • Patrick, Kevin. Heroes & villains: Australian comics and their creators. Melbourne: State Library of Victoria, 2006. ISBN 0-9775064-4-4
  • Ryan, John. Panel by panel: a history of Australian comics. Stanmore, N.S.W.: Cassell Australia, 1979. ISBN 0-7269-7376-9
  • Shiell, Annette (ed.). Bonzer: Australian comics 1900-1990s. Redhill South, Vic.: Elgua Media, 1998. ISBN 1-876677-00-7 / 1876677066

[edit] External links

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