These days I don't get to conventions very often, but on Saturday I decided to check out Doujicon 4. One reason I like this trader and artist based comics convention is that it combines the local Western comics and manga/anime scenes better than any other. Also, it's small :).

 Best of all, the good people at OzTAKU have just released the OzTAKU Subsequence anthology, a compilation of manga tales from local (and some overseas artists), including the complete 16 page Moth & Tanuki story, Night of the Mothbots. I think it's one of my better efforts, and tells a substantial story that works as a standalone (so a good place to start).

The anthology itself is fantastic. Edited by Robet Eiva, it is in a digest-sized format familiar to manga readers (and pleasantly reminiscent of the underrated Xuan Xuan). With a catchy cover from Hollow Fields star Madeleine Rosca, it's full of fascinating stories in a wide variety of manga-related styles, along with short interviews. I really like this book - hope it gets the wide circulation it deserves!
Otherwise, I greatly enjoyed catching up with so many local comickers, new and old - talking to all these artists and writers, and picking up a stack of new books, is what I really enjoy at conventions. What really amazes (and pleases) me is just how many local female comics artists and writers were there - it's a good sign about the nature of our comics/manga scene here in Australia! I was knocked out by quite a few people's art, including getting to see some original pages (always a treat).

I'm feeling enthusiastic about the future of comic-making in Australia - it's never been more exciting!

Labels: Comic anthologies, Doujicon, Moth and Tanuki, OzTAKU, OzTAKU Subsequence

One of the ironies about Blogging is that the more that is happening in life, the less likely you are to blog about it. Personally, I try to maintain this blog with the full knowledge of it being public (particularly as some people I don't like read it), primarily as a place to log artwork progress. As there hasn't been any this year - I haven't drawn a scratch so far - I haven't wanted to. It's been a crap year so far in so many ways, but I don't plan to blog about it. One thing I have learnt is that going near doctors can really make you ill, both in the short and long-term.

Something else... Last night, as I was walking out from the railway station, I spotted headlights heading straight towards me, and stepped forward just in time to avoid a car, which smashed into a sign right behind me. It had swerved completely off the road, over the footpath and up an embankment, and run through the midst of a group of pedestrians (another guy was also just missed). Immediately it crashed, a girl jumped out - evidently drunk and still with a glass in her hand - and hastily swapped seats with the young guy in the passenger seat, before roaring off round the corner dragging the bumper. They stopped in a carpark to throw the bumper into the car and took off again. It was really close - I felt shocked afterwards, but it all happened very suddenly. I'm not sure why I'm blogging this - maybe I should draw a "comics journal" of this kind of stuff :).

Now, even though Moth & Tanuki ostensibly took early retirement at the end of last year, they're happily putting in an appearance as part of the cycle of characters on the front page of OzTaku ("Refresh" will find them). While OzTaku magazine has ceased (with the second half of a 16 page M&T adventure still unpublished) there is a chance M&T might be anthologised, though I'm not promising.

As far as drawing goes I feel slightly motivated again, so if anyone wants to hire me to draw some comics or illustrate something, now might be a good time to enquire, before I start something else. Lately I feel more drawn towards the purity of straight prose. It's always been a battle between writing and drawing for me, so maybe that's where I'm heading. I have one project I'd thought would be an episodic graphic novel, but maybe it should be a short book.

Labels: Moth and Tanuki, OzTAKU

The Mania Summer Special is out now. This one contains Moth & Tanuki's final colour adventure.

I really liked this episode until I discovered a really stupid typo in it (why are these things only visible in print?). This Christmas story is a nice place to leave the series (if there can be such a thing - it wasn't my decision). The cheapskates out there can read this one in the shop, as it's not sealed in a plastic bag :) .

I don't know if I'll anthologise the M&T stories. I haven't ever done that with anything else (Maelstrom, Busker Jim, Riffin' to Oblivion, Children of the Moon, etc.) and don't really see a reason to start now, particularly as colour printing is expensive and I'm not familiar with any layout programs.

There's the second part of a black-and-white M&T story still to come in OzTaku, but nothing more after that. Actually, I haven't drawn anything since I finished Moth & Tanuki and I don't know if I'm missing it that much.

Labels: Mania, Moth and Tanuki, OzTAKU

On Monday I picked up a couple of copies of OzTaku #1.3 from Borders. It features the longest Moth & Tanuki story so far - an 8 pager, the first of two parts. Jill says it's the best thing I've ever done, which is possibly right. The story almost wrote itself and does manage to be a bit textured and nuanced, while still being funny (important!). It fills in some backstory, but also moves the whole series forward, with the emphasis more on Moth (so, a nice counterpoint to the Mania series).

From an art point of view I worked as starkly black-and-white as possible, using contrasting lines (particularly horizontals and verticals). The moires on the scan are where I've used screentones, again limiting myself to broad textures (as far as I'm concerned, screentones count as dotty b&w textures, not as muddy greys).

Available soon from the usual Oztaku distributors.

Labels: Moth and Tanuki, OzTAKU

The local edition! Now available in the comics and magazines section of most Australian Borders bookshops and many other fine book and comic stores - fairly complete list!

Recent back issues appear to have sold out with OzTaku themselves. For new readers, I recommend trying to find the new series so far, #1.0 - #1.2. Copies of #1.1 are still available at Phase Two Comics.

Labels: Moth and Tanuki, OzTAKU

My contributor copy of the latest OzTAKU - issue 1.1 - arrived today! It's not generally released just yet, but look out for it soon in your local Borders, etc. The cover features Mark Withington's Rocksalt.

This issue reprints the second Moth & Tanuki episode ("Trouble in the Pizza Shop"), which originally appeared in OzTAKU #3 (first series).

While it's only a short 4 pager, this episode fills in a lot of what I wanted to say about Moth & Tanuki at this stage - the way they relate to each other, and the way their stories work. Although the M&Ts are basically standalone stories, there is an overall narrative underpinning the episodes, so they need to be read in order.

That said, I thought I'd put up a page from the current episode. It's probably a bit darker in tone than some of the M&T material, but the baddies (in all the episodes I've written and drawn thus far) are non-superheroey - just average small-time criminals. The crime-fighting is only ever intended to be one level of the story, but it's important to this particular episode. I doubt Mothy's up to fighting superbaddies in any case.

By the way, the word "superhero" may no longer be public domain or freely available for use in our language, with Marvel and DC comics having trademarked it! Oh well, I'm not planning to use it in any case :).

Labels: Moth and Tanuki, OzTAKU