2014 in Review: Matt Huynh

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2014?
I had my first NYC launch for my comic 'Magpie, Magpie'. It came with a collaboration with Paul Pope, who is a formative influence on my work, particularly early on, and has since become a guide and a friend so it's a kick to see our lines and signatures next to one another. I warmed up with a preview exhibition in Sydney and the comic release came with a conscientious foray into webcomics that I'm rather proud of.

What are some of the comics you've enjoyed in 2014?
Aidan Koch's Impressions was the last comic I read that I delighted in, she's such a great talent. I love seeing what Connor Willumsen is up to. Ben Juers and Bailey Sharp's Psychotherapy anthology. Dick's Inferno by Ricky Carroll. Previewing Pat Grant's Ambient Yeast. Sam Wallman's doing great work, between his SERCO piece and the Fluid Prejudice anthology. I liked Danica Novgorodoff's Undertaking of Lily Chen, and there was Paul Pope's Battling Boy. I was a part of the Little Nemo anthology from Locust Moon. I am reading Michael Fiffe's Zega and Copra at the moment. I like Rebekka Dunlap's work too. I'm glad to see Akino Kondoh's gorgeous work getting a new English release.

What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2014?  
Lila by Marilynne Robinson - her books are a rare event and something to celebrate. She's a great influence and inspiration.

What are you looking forward to in 2015?
I have some surprises up my sleeve, so the release of some larger projects.

Matthuynh.com

2014 in Review: Toby Morris

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2014?
I've been flirting with it on and off for years but with the start of my Pencilsword series for the website The Wireless this year it's been cool to have an outlet for some non-fiction comics opinion pieces for a wider audience than just comics fans. That's been fun, using comics to make some serious points. And because it's online I've been playing around with colour and some little animated elements too which is new for me.

What are some of the comics you've enjoyed in 2014?
What a good year for NZ comics! I've pretty much only read NZ comics I think. I really liked Nothing Fits by Mary Tamblyn and Alex McCrone, that came out of nowhere for me and that was a cool surprise. Was awesome to see the collected Dharma Punks, and Sam Orchard's stuff collected too, enjoyed that. Sarah Laing's stuff too, more local non-fiction. She is awesome. American Captain. Dylan making two books in a year. Karl Wills and Tim Kidd's new project. I liked the little Radio As Paper books Jerome Bihan is making - the Ralphi one was great but I loved unpicking the french ones too. And Squires was another new one for me, that stuff is great!

What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2014?  
Swimming.

What are you looking forward to in 2015?
Keeping on going with the Pencilsword, see where that takes me. More NZ comics surprises. Star Worlds 7.

xtotlworldwide

pencilsword

2014 in Review: David C Mahler

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2014?
I put out an envelope of mini’s for Fulton’s Mini Comic of the Month Club, ‘Parcel of Spells’, which was a big struggle while trying to balance uni. It wiped me out for a few months but it was very rewarding, the most developed thing I’d made up til then I reckon. Since then I put out a cathartic mini, about seven months in the works, called ‘NY, NY’, which was a failure in my opinion as a comic but a big learning experience and overcome hurdle. So rewarding in the end.

What are some of the comics you've enjoyed in 2014?
I’ve only just gotten onto Chris Gooch’s stuff thanks to fantastic Optic Pop released ‘Very Quiet, Very Still’. Gone back and grabbed his catalogue, everything is rewarding. ‘Moonbeard’ was actually one of my favourite books of the year, it made me smile when I really needed it. Thinking back I haven’t bought many new books this year, I’m still working through my CAB 2013 pile…

What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2014?
Growing up

What are you looking forward to in 2015?
Four month manga research trip in Japan, trying to scrape money together for TCAF ’15, plan on releasing two chunky books. 2014 will hopefully be the last experimental year.

David Mahler Comics

2014 in Review: Anton Emdin

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2014?
Drawing a proper big league superhero comic cover (The Flash #30, DC Comics). Well, ok, it was a MAD Magazine Variant, but still… something I wouldn’t have envisaged a few years ago.

What are some of the comics you've enjoyed in 2014?
Besides Aussie Anthologies like Phatsville, Blackguard, OI OI OI, Squishface stuff, I really haven’t read many comics at all.  Shame on me.  I’ve been dining out on a lot of cool illustration stuff that’s been popping up on my screen.  So much talent out there it makes the head swim.  I’m loving the character designers, especially - in particular seeing what the Dreamworks, Pixar etc. guys and girls get up to in their spare time.

What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2014?  
Family is what I’ve enjoyed the most this year.  My kids are finally growing into normal humans, and it’s nice to hang out with them.

What are you looking forward to in 2015?
Starting something new.

antonemdin.com

2014 in Review: Rae Joyce

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2014?
~ Being selected to participate in the NZ Book Council in association with PANZ graphic novelist exchange with Taiwan - #NZatTIBE - is certainly a personal highlight of 2014.

~ Forging a niche as the first graphic poet to have work published in the literary journals Two Thirds North (Uni of Stockholm), Thrush Poetry Journal, Poetry Bus (Money Issue), and Hermeneutic Chaos Literary Journal.

~ Taking a photo of the cartoon illustrated street sign for Bash Street in Dundee, when I was over as a finalist in the Dundee International Book Prize in October.

~ Co-editing the anthology of New Zealand women's comics and cartoons Three Words, with Indira Neville and Sarah Laing.

What are some of the comics you've enjoyed in 2014?
~ Co-editing Three Words has introduced me to some amazing and new-to-me work by New Zealand cartoonists, including the surreal mini-comics of Margaret Silverwood: "Utopia Now" "Waldoland" and "Paradise Lost"; and the pieces created for the anthology are outstanding, a particular favourite being Adele Jackson's personal family history comic.

What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2014?
~ I enjoyed having my unpublished novel highly praised by last year's Booker Prize judge Stuart Kelly. Woop woop - sucking in all the self-esteem boosts I can get!

~My kids are generally awesome - 13 y/o daughter started her rookie lifeguard training this year and 6 y/o son learnt to read fluently - and they give the best hugs (which are in demand for a woman working in the NZ comics scene).

What are you looking forward to in 2015?
~ Exhibiting work in the Taipei International Book Fair, taking part in workshops there and finishing the rest of the graphic novelists exchange residency.

~ Getting better aquainted with Tim Gibson and Ant Sang and out Taiwanese colleagues, Ahn Zhe, 61Chi, and Chuang Yung-shin.

~ Launching Three Words!

Snow Like Thought