Possum, part 3
I showed this comic to my dad and he told me that he got a big glove to take the possum out of the fire. He didn’t remember the fire being alight, but I distinctly remembered the disgusting, sweet smell of burning possum flesh. So who is right? Memory is very unreliable, particularly the memories of a writer/cartoonist.
Oh, and I’m spamming you with comics because I want to remind you that I will be at Chromacon tomorrow, from 9am at the Aotea Centre, with Matt from Pikitia Press. I will be selling my comics and some original artwork. Come along!
Possum, part 2
When I started writing this comic I realised that I had a lot of memories about this house, and I wanted to write more about it – possibly something in prose. I haven’t written any prose lately, not since finishing off my novel. I think I’m definitely going to write some short stories next, and this farm house might be a potential setting.
Anyway, can I mention again: Chromacon! Come and buy some comics! Come and see an amazing range of NZ illustrators and cartoonists!
Possum
This is part one of an epic story about possums. I have lots of possum stories. Just in case you are reading from overseas, in New Zealand possums are considered a pest as they eat all the native trees and destroy the habitat for the birds, geckos and snails, so when you go on a bush walk, you’ll often find traps and poison laid out for them. Possums are also very cute, and treasured in Australia.
Hey, and this weekend is Chromacon! Sunday, from 9-5 at the Air NZ Foyer in the Aotea Centre, Auckland. I’m going to be on a panel between 10 and 11 am, and I’m also going to be selling issue one and two of my comics:
Please come along and help me convince my publisher that it was a good idea to print them!
New Metro comic and my comic book launch
The latest Metro is out! Here’s one from a few months ago. It’s in the same surrealist bent as this month’s one, but my next comic that I just finished colouring is 100% social realism.
And, in exciting news, I’m heading over to Chromacon this weekend where I will be sitting on a stall with Matt Emery and James Davidson, flogging issue 1 and 2 of my Let Me Be Frank comics. Please come along and buy some! I think they are going to be $7 an issue.
The fear of second hand bookshops
Here is a link to the podcast Ramblings. Here is a link to David Sedaris sounding like Billie Holiday. And here is a link to James Brown’s poem, which is very funny and a little bit tragic.
Oh, and my apologies for all the paraphrasing – my children were hogging the computer so I had to remember everything! My brain is so reliant on google these days, it barely functions without a device on hand.
Princess dress
Strawberry Shortcake is truly vile. Violet is watching it so I can post this comic and it’s outrageously saccharine, over-feminised and filled with nauseating moralising. I have to quickly finish this blog entry so I can drag her away from it and deprogram her with a trip to the library!
Oh, and I have to say that my mother went to playcentre with an awesome group of women, some of whom who went on to be major figures in New Zealand’s arts and writing scene. See, hanging out on the steps watching kids hammer each other can lead to great things!
Horse drawn deliberately badly
I’m conscious of the fact that I haven’t been posting many comics here lately. I’ve just been posting news, which can get kind of boring, I know. Sorry. Here is a hastily-drawn comic – a kind of rally cry to myself, to remind myself that I need to draw more and not worry about them so much. Really I should have finished a few of my thoughts. But had I done that it would have taken me too long and I would have got myself tied up in knots.
Comics panel!
I am going to be on a panel tomorrow night! With Dylan Horrocks, Adrian Kinnaird and Sam Orchard. If you live in Auckland you should come along – it’s free and you can check out all the comics in the exhibition too. It’s at 6pm at the St Paul St Gallery at 40 St Paul St in Auckland. If you do come along because you’ve read this (I know I’m probably dreaming) come up and say hi!
Here is a comic about a panel I was on a few years back but I’m not nearly so nervy now – I have been coerced into way more public speaking since then.
The comic books and a comic!
I sent my comic books off to print with their titles. They are in the classic American comic book format of 6.625 inches (16.83 cm) × 10.25 inches (26.0 cm) and 32 pages long:
These are being published by Pikitia Press, a small comics publishing operation in Melbourne. Matt Emery, the publisher, is going to launch the first two issues at the Chromacon festival in May.
This weekend, like every holiday weekend, I was working – this time on my latest Metro comic about the forthcoming Writers and Readers festival. I also went to my Dad’s 65th birthday, made a scarecrow for Violet that Gus promptly took down for fear that it might come alive and haunt him, and catered a teddy bear’s picnic. We ate some hot crossed buns and the kids gorged on chocolate. Anyway, here is a comic from the January issue of Metro. Click on it for a larger size:
Let me be Frank – the comic books
Today I’ve been making covers for 28-page editions of my comics, which will hopefully soon be printed, details soon to be revealed. Here’s a sneak preview of them before they have type on – naked pictures!
They’re kind of a best-of. Or perhaps a random selection that’s thematically-linked. The above image is for my ‘Writing’ issue. You might recognize this little beastie from this comic.
Here is my cover image for my ‘Parenting’ issue. I’ve made it look all idyllic, little betraying all the tears and puke and frustration the comics inside. But that is where our cat sleeps – in the middle of the road. We live in a cul de sac. He is remarkably reluctant to move, and the cars drive round him. I’ve also drawn the boys without helmets – we have a new helmets and scooters policy ever since Gus came off his, knocked himself out and ended up having a cat scan at Starship hospital. Always wear your helmets, kids.
I have a couple of options for my ‘Consuming’ issue. The Crown Lynn china comic….
…and the Bras and Loathing in Newmarket version.
And then, because I’m so famous-people-obsessed, I’ve got a celebrity issue. Ok, so my definition of celebrities is not the same as Woman’s Day‘s, and of course I had to include Katherine Mansfield and Morrissey. I’ve got myself looking all creepy and stalker-ish in these pictures:
All things going well, these comics will be printed in time for the Chromacon festival in May. I also compiled my Clueless story but it came to 54 pages and needed substantial editing!
In the meantime, the latest Metro is out with my comic, and on Sunday I will be down at Aotea Square looking after the comics tent between 2 and 4pm, as part of the Arts Festival family day.
LET ME BE FRANK 