2014 in Review: Matthew Nicholls

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2014?
My biggest highlight would be releasing issue zero and touring all around Australia with illustrator Chris McQuinlan. It was awesome and so much fun. It would be great if I could do that every year.

What are some of the comics you've enjoyed in 2014?
I always enjoy releases from my fellow indie's, there's too many to mention here. I was also happy that Sandman started up again, even though it's as consistent as my comic Collateral.

What is something non-comics that you have enjoyed in 2014?
I released my first book. It's a limited edition hard cover book of illustrated gothic poems. I'm so proud of this book, it came out exactly how I envisaged.

What are you looking forward to in 2015?
A better year than 2014. I had a lot of medical issues this year, so I'm looking forward to that being over and moving on next year. I'll be releasing a lot more through Boy In A Box Productions and I'm also hoping for a US released book.

Matthew Nicholls Writer

The Legend of Rock

 

Collateral

 

2014 in Review: Katie Parrish

 

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2014?

I guess the coolest part of 2014 has been being booked up with art jobs and projects solidly since the start of the year, I’m really starting to feel like I’m going to make the final transition into young professional very soon. I can now walk to the super market in the afternoon, my pyjamas covered in paint and announce to anyone who looks, with a knowing nod and finger guns, that i ‘work from home’ it feels fucking great. also i got my first book published and started working as the art edit at the lifted brow.  

What are some of the comics you've enjoyed in 2014?

Arsene Schrauwen and grey by Olivier Schrauwen, new comics 3 by Pat Kyle, Mould Map 3 anthology (pretty much everything in it), Daryl Seitchik’s missy series, also oily comics is printing heaps of really great stuff. they're the main ones i think. but mostly Olivier Schrauwen <I LOVE THAT GUY>  

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

Trimming away the things I don't want/need in my life and making it into a metaphorical minimalist painting. I’ve spent all year making stuff in my shed and hanging out with people I like. its been sick. 

What are you looking forward to in 2015?

So far next year I’m collaborating with a magical writer to make a children’s book. I’m going to cCnada with my advice comics buddies for TCAF to sell some books and meet some publishers, then maybe releasing a book with some nice American people late next year, but I’m not totally sure that's a thing just yet. OH, and i’ll maybe start getting back into having shows. But mostly just drawing things. Its gonna be a good year.

Katie Parrish Time

2014 in Review: David Blumenstein

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2014?

I got to be a political cartoonist for a few months at Crikey before they moved to a "phunny Photoshops" format. That was brilliant and I wish I could've continued because I would've gotten better.

Did lots of long comics, either pretending to be my little brother or just being angry about politicians and stuff.

Put together a really good anthology called Squishzine Brunstown which has been given away to 2000 people in the City of Moreland and gotten really great feedback from the general public, cartoonists, girls dressed as toast and Adalita.

Did more scribing/graphic facilitation/illustration jobs. Continued to make a living from drawing.

Was in exhibitions curated by Glenn Smith, Ben Hutchings and Tim McEwen.

Got comics into Australian MAD Magazine!

What are some of the comics you've enjoyed in 2014?

Stuff by Andrew Fulton. Chris Gooch. Sam Wallman. Ive Sorocuk. Jess Parker. Ele Jenkins. Jase Harper. Scott Reid. Patrick Alexander. OK, clearly I don't read enough comics outside of Squishface.

I just looked at a website called whatthingsdo.com which is really good. The Nib has had really good stuff on it, like that one by James Sturm recently. I read good minis by Joseph Remnant and Noah Van Sciver.

I read a comics bio of Brian Epstein which was written by a Broadway producer and sucks terribly. The likenesses are good, but Sarah ruined even that for me by pointing out the artist made Brian look less chubby and less Jewish. Feh.

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

I intended to watch True Detective and House of Cards and I haven't but I bet I'll like them when I do.

When I asked Matt Emery how he would cut down the page count of Squishzine Brunstown and he advised me to "take out some straight white males".

What are you looking forward to in 2015?

Minicomic of the Month Club. Maybe putting out another issue of Scare Campaign. Making more cop show cartoons. Homecooked Comics Festival.

Naked Fella

2014 in Review: Aaron Christiansen

What have been your personal cartooning/comics highlights of 2014?

pffffttt I`ve been rottingly slow and only got a quarter of what I wanted to get done this year in terms of comic art but Beats the Kangaroo Comics and Stories #6 is almost complete and I managed to get some strips published in Bristle Anthology #2 and Funtime Comics #27.

Other highlights have included working on the first Zinefest in Hamilton earlier this year, and well finally getting some recognition for my comic work


What are some of the comics you've enjoyed in 2014?

The Zinefest introduced me to and in some cases re-introduced me to Bristle and Wark by Brent Willis, Incredibly hot sex with hideous people by Bryce Galloway, Ant Sang's The Dharma Punks Barry Linton's Lucky Aki, Karl Wills' Princess Seppuku, Dean Ballingers Storys from Browsers, Czepta's The Prophet Rides Again, and your own The Guzumo Show and Adversaries.

For international comics I've been getting through a fat stack of Creepy`s, Eeries, and Vampirellas and Everyone is Stupid Except for Me... by Pete Bagge.


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

Has been a very family orientated year working from home and bringing up three boys

Watching our home business grow has been a fascinating experience this year just the fact that when you put your mind to getting something done and getting it out there the rewards can be incredible.

Love being independent and working for myself meaning I can take on a variety of projects during the year such as the Zinefest and tutoring music video theory and production with the music students at Tauranga Wintec


What are you looking forward to in 2015?

uh getting through a mountain of 100 or so comic pages that are roughed out and need to be inked up, a couple of kids books that have been sitting for a year or two 90% finished.

Plan on attending more of the Zinefests around New Zealand and getting a few more comics out there.

Beats The Kangaroo Comics and Stories