Recommended Books for Comics Creators

We have it on good authority – Australian comics creator Marcelo Baez's authority – that these two how-to books on comics and graphic novels are brilliant. We've put them on our Amazon wishlist and will buy them once we pay off our Mastercard for the month, but we thought you might want the heads up on them too. Let us know what you think.

Shaun Tan Wins Oscar for Best Animated Short

Congratulations to Australian illustrator / animator Shaun Tan who won an Academy Award today for his 15-minute animated film The Lost Thing. To read more about Shaun, his original book the film was based on, as well as the film please read our previous post or check out The Lost Thing website.

The World Mermaid Awards and MerCon

Mermaid lovers rejoice! For the first time ever, the world's "mers" are getting their own mermaid convention in the form of the World Mermaid Awards. This inaugural annual event hosted by Sita Lange of Maui Mermaids, is being held in Las Vegas on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 August 2011 at the Mirage Hotel and will feature the largest Pool Party ever! Guests include the amazing writer Doreen Virtue (whose books and cards sets we collect – in fact, see our previous post on the Magical Mermaids and Dolphins Oracle Cards), Hannah Fraser and Marina, the Fire eating Mermaid – MeduSirena. The event will also feature live mermaids in the water fountain, vintage and new mermaid movie theatre, exhibitions and various other activities. Check out the World Mermaid Awards website for more information, and CONGRATULATIONS to the organisers for such a great idea. We're going to be working hard to get at least one of us to the event.

Kate and Wills Wedding Comic Book

Just in time for the upcoming Royal Wedding, Prince William and Kate Middleton now have their love story and courtship immortalised in a comic book. The title is Kate and William: A Very Public Love Story. The writer is Rich Johnston and the artists are Mike Collins (who has drawn Kate's story) and Gary Erskine (who has drawn William's story). The comic book goes on sale on 2 April 2011. You can watch a trailer of the artwork on the Sky News website.

More Cloud 9 Comix Commentary

John Retallick from Melbourne's "The Comic Spot" radio show on 3CR, interviews Praz Hari about Cloud 9 who are digitally publishing comic books. The first titles are coming out via iPad now.

Check out Part 1 and 2 below ...

Cloud 9 Comix – Australian Digital Comics Publishing

Spectrum Pacific Publishing has just announced the launch of Australia's first digital comic book publisher – Cloud 9 Comix – which will be bringing out the best comics from around the world via iPads and then following up with Android and other platforms.

Spectrum Pacific Publishing – founded by Benjamin Slabak in 1996 in Sydney – has developed and published over 30 computer games and is now venturing into publishing for digital handheld devices under the Cloud 9 umbrella. Mr Slabak says:

"... we will work with and support independent comic book authors and small publishers in making their titles available to an audience that’s wider than ever before. A myriad of digital tablets and e-reader devices are slated for release during 2011 and we expect the digital comic book scene to experience a boom in 2011."

The ever-growing Cloud 9 Comix family, which now features over 150 unique titles from all six continents, makes Cloud 9 Comix the only truly global digital comic book publisher. Additionally, comics will be available in a variety of languages including Italian, Spanish, German, Croatian, and others.

Cloud 9 Comix has currently collected the best of Australian comic book titles under its brand and titles such as Dark Detective: Sherlock Holmes, Vienna, Dark Nebula, Southern Squadron, The Wraith, and others, which are already available for purchase in the Cloud 9 Comix iPad store. Most comics are priced between USD$0.99 and $1.99.

The full catalogue of comics is available on the official Cloud 9 website where you can also download a free iPad app and sample some of the comic book titles.

BMP Website Reconstruction – Notice to Readers

We're hard at work on designing our new website but it ain't easy. We've just purchased a new web hosting package and will be using WordPress to build it but there are a few technicalities that we have to iron out – we don't want the current site to disappear until the new one is ready to upload but in the meantime all those redirections and DNS's are driving us a bit nuts. We've also been wrangling all our dispersed domain names under one provider so it will be easier in the future to manage our nest of domain name babies (some of whom are yet to be born into adulthood as websites). Anyway, in case there are any drop outs then just pop by here for updates ... we're aiming to get the site up by the end of February.

ACA Cartoon Fundraiser for Queensland Flood Victims

While the government mucks around with levies and compulsory donation legislation, the Australian Cartoonists’ Association (ACA) is raising funds to help put flood-affected Queenslanders back on their feet in the only way we know how - drawing!

With over 75% of Queensland now flood affected, there has already been massive destruction of property, loss of homes and loss of life. The Queensland flooding is the worst on record, and is set to worsen over the coming weeks. Flood victims and rescue workers need our help and we must support them.

To raise money, the ACA is asking its members to donate an original cartoon (or signed print) preferably on the theme of Weather, but general themed cartoons will also be accepted. If you've already got some cartoons on the topic from this month send them on through!

Please note that since the floods, Cyclone Yasi has smashed into Queensland while most of us sat behind our desks. Now there's even more reason to participate in Floodlines with all money raised going to the Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal. Just a couple of years ago many ACA members helped out in the Victorian bushfire appeal which raised thousands of dollars. Now it's Queensland's turn. So please take a look at the website and send something through. There's only SEVEN days to go. Then the ACA will announce it publicly and it'll be all systems go for a great cause.

The pieces will be auctioned and sold on the floodlines.com.au website, with all proceeds going to the Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal.

Donated cartoons to be posted to:

"Floodlines QLD Fundraiser"

"The Victoria Building"

204v/162 Albert Street

East Melbourne, VIC 3002

Entries should include:

1. Brief artist bio (50 words max) - include website.

2. Where the cartoon was originally published (if published)

3. A recommended reserve price for the piece.

4. Maximum size of A3 (Black & White or Colour.)

5. If cartoon is drawn digitally, please also email a JPG file to president@cartoonists.org.au for use on the website.

DEADLINE: Friday, 11th February.

That gives you all two weeks to get your donated cartoons in. Get scribbling!