2014 in Review: Michael Fikaris

Highlights for me have been international exchanges as an illustrator/cartoonist - finishing a new graphic novel 'Art As Life' about the question of a working class artist putting comics into the streets again as murals and posters.
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Writing from Indonesia where I am in the progress of doing a large colaborative comic strip
here in Yogyakarta where the culture is MASSIVE and where I just finished a project in Duri Sumatra consisting of 100+ cartoon portraits I put onto kites and installed across a village.

Looking forward to a few exciting projects like one with old mate Sam Wallman 'Where Do I Belong?' which will involve getting stories from people in detention centres and turning them into comics.

Fikaris Art

Silent Army

2014 in Review: Andrez Bergen

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2014?
Yikes... good question. I guess, like last year, working with Matt Kyme at IF? Commix. The guy seriously inspires and motivates me, plus he's my foil. Otherwise? Publishing my first graphic novel ('Tobacco-Stained Mountain Goat') and creating monthly series 'Bullet Gal', along with pushing through two issues of the collaborative series I do with Matt, 'Tales to Admonish'.

What are some of the comics you've enjoyed in 2014?
Highlights have been Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips' 'The Fade Out', Brubaker (again) with Steve Epting on 'Velvet', Matt Fraction and Christian Ward's 'ODY-C', and Fraction's work with David Aja on the sadly inconsistent 'Hawkeye'. Also Gail Simone’s output with artist Walter Geovani on ‘Red Sonya’, and I loved Mike Deodato's art in 'Original Sin'. From Australia? Craig Bruyn's series 'From Above', Matt's 'That Bulletproof Kid', and the ongoing 'Kranburn' yarn by Ben Michael Byrne. And old skool? Getting to properly read the 'Miss Fury' series by the great Tarpé Mills.

What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2014?  
Re-reading the literary back catalogue of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, getting to catch a very good cinematic take of a comic book ('Captain America: Winter Soldier'), whizzing back to Melbourne in August to properly launch IF? Commix, meeting some like-minded sods, eating sushi as often as I can, working on novels, and seeing my daughter Cocoa — she's nine now — grow and shine while we watch.

What are you looking forward to in 2015?
 We're publishing the full 12 issues of 'Bullet Gal' as a trade paperback through Under Belly Comics in North America, which is a real buzz. But otherwise I'm seriously excited about working with Matt again in an adaptation of my novel 'Who is Killing the Great Capes of Heropa?', plus plans for 'Tales to Admonish' that include stories by fellow Aussie artists Dan Watts, Asela De Silva, Gareth Colliton and Adam Rose.

Andrez Bergen.

If? Commix

2014 in Review: Tara Black

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2014?
I've loved moving I Fight Crime to the real world and the strip above is one I'm really proud of. Richard is so funny, as usual, but I think that my illustrations are bringing a lot of the humour. I'm also really proud of the colouring I did for Issue 11 of Blastosaurus.

What are some of the comics you've enjoyed in 2014?
I've loved Saga and Dan Slott's Silver Sufer. I've been reading them on comixology because I can't wait for them to come out. Dan Slott's unashamed homage to Doctor Who involves stunning art and engaging relationships.

What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2014?  
I enjoyed The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt - I love her use of language even if the plot doesn't quite hold together at the end. Korra is stunning. Honestly, that show gets better and better. I'm particularly impressed by the complex politics and the world building. Podcasts. I've gotten into Harmontown, The JV Club and This Feels Terrible as well as getting my weekly fix of Saturday Morning with Kim Hill.

What are you looking forward to in 2015?
I'm really looking forward to Gorillas in Our Midst coming out, which will be our first picture book to get World-wide release. I'm looking forward to being involved with publishing more of Ralphi's work because it is fantastic and, of course, the Three Words project. I'm also excited about The Sculptor by Scott McCloud.

I Fight Crime

Square Planet Comics

2014 in Review: Tom Garden

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2014?
Bringing out issue #5 of my comic series called System Earth: Deathbattle of Woodhill mall. Oh and attending the Armageddon convention. That was a whole bunch of fun.

What are some of the comics you've enjoyed in 2014?
I dunno, I find that hard to answer. There's a lot of great stuff out there and I enjoy checking out different artist's style and the style of the comics in general. I also like sniffing new comics. The comics with the most 'new smell' smell are probably my favourites.

What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2014?
Hmmmm. Um. Stuff? Heaps of stuff. Having a perfectly fried piece of Hoki fish at a chip shop would be up there. Heaps of stuff. Living in Melbourne throws a lot of stuff at ya and you can't help but appreciate the experience.

What are you looking forward to in 2015?
I'm looking forward to seeing another year of the Melbourne comic scene grow. I loved experiencing the comraderie from all the local creators and the support that they share with anyone who wants in. And I'm also looking forward to writing more comics! Hopefully I can get the System Earth series finished. Nay, I WILL get the System Earth series finished. You can bet your bottom dollar on that one.

System Earth