2014 in Review: Karen Beilharz

Toward the Waves - Words by Karen Beilharz. Art by Daniel Gilmore.

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2014?
That I actually produced things with my collaborators this year was something of a triumph--especially given that earlier in the year, I gave birth to my second child and have been grappling with sleep deprivation and limited free time ever since. Paul Wong-Pan and I finally put out Part 1 of our ongoing graphic novel, Eternal Life in time for Supanova Sydney in June: http://hivemindedness.com/eternallife. In addition, René Pfitzner and I collaborated on a six-page comic about cons and cosplayers called Coarse Play.

What are some of the comics you've enjoyed in 2014?
Unfortunately I haven't been able to read that much this year, but I have enjoyed

    Three (Kieron Gillen, Ryan Kelly, Jordie Bellaire)
    The Wicked and the Divine (Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie, Matt Wilson, Clayton Cowles)
    Young Avengers Vol 2 (Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie, Matt Wilson, Clayton Cowles) (You can see a pattern here!)
    Demeter, Wolves and The Mire (Becky Cloonan)
    Ellerbisms and Chloe Noonan: Monster Hunter (Marc Ellerby)
    Hildafolk, Hilda and the Midnight Giant, Hilda and the Bird Parade (Luke Pearson) (Still need to read the fourth Hilda book!)
    Sex Criminals Volume 1: One Weird Trick (Matt Fraction, Chip Zdarsky)

What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2014?
Is it too much of a cliché to say I've really enjoyed my baby? People say that when you have your first child, you're so taken up with getting used to being a parent, learning how to do new things, and understanding babies and how they develop, that it can be hard to take a step back and appreciate babydom. But when you have your second child, you're more experienced and therefore (usually) less stressed about all that stuff because you've done it all before. People are totally right: I've found 0-12 months way more interesting and enjoyable than my first time around. It certainly helps that she's ridiculously cute and very laidback!

What are you looking forward to in 2015?
Getting back some of my writing time while my kids are in preschool/childcare and being able to work on new projects! I'm also looking forward to collaborating with new artists too.

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Feeling - Words by Karen Beilharz. Art by Mike Barry.

2014 in Review: Lee Gracie

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2014?
Nothing really. I just being drawing my comics for my website. It help me with my mental illness, what I'm doing.

What are some of the comics you've enjoyed in 2014?
Saga and Sex Criminals and Judge Dredd.

What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2014?
Some TV shows that I have watched and meeting new friends.

What are you looking forward to in 2015?
I don't look forward at anything that is coming up really. I just wait until things happens. It's not like I'm not doing anything about it. It sometime you have to wait to hear back from some people. I can't say any more than that.

Doctor Duck Comics

2014 in Review: Tim Molloy

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2014?
I've spent the year writing and drawing my follow up to Mr Unpronounceable Adventures, Mr Unpronounceable And The Sect Of The Bleeding Eye. That's been a lot of fun and I'm very excited about launching it mid December. This year I got on the festival train and attended Adelaide Writers Week, and The Ubud Writers and Readers Festival in Bali as a guest. Too much fun.

What are some of the comics you've enjoyed in 2014?
Simon Hanselmann's Life Zone  was great. Haven't checked out Megahex yet... A friend gave me a big stack of old 2000AD's. Always good. I think this was the year I got into Thomas Ott. He's amazing. Finally checked out Woodring's Congress of the Animals. Jase Harper's Awkwood was bloody charming.

What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2014?
Seeing my little baby boy turn into a toddler before my eyes. I'm a stay at home dad half the week now and I'm loving it!

What are you looking forward to in 2015?
Hopefully releasing book three of Mr U's adventures. If all goes well,  more festival appearances. Whatever remains of summer after the new year, picnics and BBQs. My band releasing our long overdue first album. Just more of the same, life is pretty good right now.

Tim Molloy Illustration


2014 in Review: Matt Kelly

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2014?
In a word, failure. Perhaps that's ironic, but if so, it is not the funny ha ha kind. I have come to terms with my cartoonist failings more forthrightly this year than I have at any other time I can remember, in the sense of a soul searchingy type dealy. Failure is not such a bad thing. It depends what happens after the failures. I can see a way that the missteps of this year may lead to sure footed progress in the coming future. So, in lieu of a raft of genius achievements or fanboyish acquisitiveness, I'm going to stake a claim on my failures and see if anything comes from the ashes of bitter defeat.

What are some of the comics you've enjoyed in 2014?
I asked my local library to buy the Witzend slipcase (FANTAGRAPHICS) two volume collection which they did, and I think I'll pin that one with the blue ribbon. Somehow the wonderful library staff attributed central authorship to Steve Ditko and various of the other contributors to this seminal, nay, Ur-underground comics anthology, but I can easily forgive them such a petty mistake, because it is a really amazing reading experience. It is something that I would actually  be happy to call 'Timeless', it seems fresh and vital and messy and of the zeitgeist. I recommend it highly.

What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2014?
Many things: Skyrim, the excellent British TV show Utopia, the excellent TV show True Detective, the excellent Mukpuddy animated Internet/Mana Party political broadcast ad, Yoga, Life Drawing at the truly great Quarry Arts Centre here in sunny Whangarei, the sun, family and friends, Matakohe Limestone Island Kiwi sanctuary, nature in general.

What are you looking forward to in 2015?
Well, this brings me back to the first question, really. I'm not holding my breath for JJ Abrams Star Wars reboot, but I'll watch it when I get the chance. Basically I look forward to more risk of failure, more success and more drawing, painting and writing. More Pikitia Press products too, naturally. Oh and what the hell, why not World Peace and the restoration of the biosphere for future generations of all the species of life on Earth.

Kiwiman Comics