Comics, the picture books of our childhood are not left behind by everyone, they are taken up, loved and cherished and the traditions carried on across the world in a massive underground movement of busy artists and authors. (There is also the more lucrative money making side of comic book making but our attention lies elsewhere.......)
One artist nourishing the real tradition of comic books with a uniquely New Zealand twist is Dylan Horrocks, who was featured in the Dominion Post last week. His graphic novel 'Hicksville' was written back in the late 1990's and is being republished in a new edition by Victoria University Press. As V.P. do not enter into these ventures lightly this major kudos for comics, I think.
Our interest was piqued, so Paul and I managed to track Dylan down at Armageddon (long story - to long for this post) and he signed our copy of 'Hicksville', and one for Corinna (a.k.a. TheFrogBag a fellow Etsy seller). Corinna is a graphic novel author herself with Heathentown so knows that comics have never died, or faded away but are a living breathing, thriving thing, unlike me whose knowledge stopped with Whizzer and Chips .....
Apparently, I learned, there are comic conventions in the USA the size of which beggar belief they are so huge. I can't begin to imagine. It was bad enough avoiding light sabres and lolligoths at the local Armageddon - imagine hundreds and hundreds of people all wandering around dressed as manga characters and storm troopers.......
I can't take a picture of his autograph but Dylan signs his books with the most amazing self-portrait cartoons - ours is now safely on Paul's bookshelf where I can't spill paint, ink, glue, and metal filings on it and Dylan's blog is here and is worth adding to your RSS feed.Apparently, I learned, there are comic conventions in the USA the size of which beggar belief they are so huge. I can't begin to imagine. It was bad enough avoiding light sabres and lolligoths at the local Armageddon - imagine hundreds and hundreds of people all wandering around dressed as manga characters and storm troopers.......
Finally, If you are keen on keeping track with New Zealand's branch of the seriously good (and sometimes edgy or plain weird) comic scene then Adrian Kinnaird has a comics and pop culture blog called From Earth's End here another one for your comic RSS feed.
