Uncanny "Political" Lookalikes

And the Totally Looks Like pièce de résistance ... Australia's new Prime Minister, Julia Gillard. That's ma'am to you.

Uncanny "Animation" Lookalikes

Here are some more – this time from animated films and real life people, objects and forces of nature ...

Uncanny "Comics" Lookalikes

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Totally Looks Like website and I receive daily emails with some of these wonderful pics. These are some of my favourites from comics properties over the last few months ....

More Peg Maltby

Couldn't resist ... this piece is from the short story "The Gown of Cobweb Lace" from Peg Maltby's Peg's Fairy Book. Yes, we know it's fairy rather than mermaid artwork but it's too delightful for words and we thought you wouldn't mind us getting off theme once in a while.

Mermaid Artists 2 – Peg Maltby

... well to be honest, Peg Maltby is strictly speaking, more of a fairy artist than a mermaid artist but she did create this wonderful baby mermaid and water fairies piece for her short story "Fun Under the Sea" in her gorgeous book Peg's Fairy Book, which was published in Australia in 1946. I have a copy and I used to look at these pictures over and over again when I was a little girl. I showed Jozef the other day and he was captivated by them, especially this lovely illustration. What I didn't know was that this book sold over 100,000 copies in its time. It was reprinted again in the mid 1970s but it's difficult to get copies of either version now (although it is showing up by some resellers on Amazon, which will cost you a pretty penny).

You can read all about Peg and see more of her work on the Australian Fairy Artists Society website. You can also take a look at the first edition cover at the State Library of Victoria's Your Treasures site.

CAL Cultural Fund Proposed Increase for Australian Cultural Activities

The Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) is a not-for-profit, membership-based Australian copyright management company whose role is to bridge between creators and users of copyright material. CAL represents authors, journalists, visual artists, photographers and newspaper, magazine and book publishers as their non-exclusive agent to license the copying of their works to the general community. CAL has distributed over $650 million since 1989 and has over 16,000 members.

Part of CAL's charter is to run the Cultural Fund, which up to 2010 allocated 1% of its earnings to support a wide range of projects that aim to encourage and provide practical assistance to CAL's members and the Australian cultural community. There is now a proposal on the table to increase this funding to 1.5% per annum.

We strongly recommend that Australian comics creators (writers and artists) become members of CAL to protect their respective IP interests, but also to register their votes at the upcoming CAL AGM in November in favour of increasing the Cultural Fund Allocation to 1.5% per annum. This can be done in person or by proxy. Both of us are members and will be attending in support of the initiative so if any Australian comics creators are current members or are intending to become members during the next three to four weeks and can't make the AGM then one option before you is to nominate either of us – Julie Ditrich or Jozef Szekeres – as your proxies.

CLICK HERE if you want to access the CAL online membership application, and hope to see you at the AGM!

Graphic Novels on Aussie TV!

Journalist and publisher, Jennifer Byrne, host of the "First Tuesday Book Club" on ABC TV (Australia) is talking comics! Her program "Jennifer Byrne Presents: Graphic Novels" has been scheduled for Tuesday 9th November 2010, at 10:05pm on ABC1. It will be repeated the following Sunday 14th November at 6:30pm on ABC2. The episode will feature Bruce Mutard, Eddie Campbell, Sophie Cunningham and Nikki Greenberg.

First Sydney Sketchmeet

Sydney artist, P J Magalhaes has organised the first "official" Sydney Sketchmeet, which is happening TODAY!!!

The idea is to get out of the house, mix with other artists, get to know each other and at the same time sketch. Artists all need some fresh air from time to time. Come, say hi to everyone, introduce yourself, and start chatting and sketching away. Feel free to start a conversation. Better yet, ask to see people's sketchbooks and share yours.

There are plenty of cafés around and other interesting places to explore. There are also lots of people to draw and always plenty of interesting characters.

Here are the details:

Date: Saturday 2 October 2010

Time: 10am to 4pm

Location: Hyde Park Sydney CBD at the Archibald Fountain (see picture above)

What to Bring: A sketchbook and something to doodle with

Goal: To sketch!!!

For further information ring PJ on 0404 353 589. You can also check out his blog here.