The Australian Comics Journal

Australian comics creators need to be aware of a great newish Oz website – The Australian Comics Journal: Australian Sequential Art Review – which features an intelligent, knowledgeable and trusted group of contributors. They are: Philip Bentley, Gary Chaloner, Matt Emery, Dann Lennard, Tim McEwen, Bruce Mutard, Bobby N, Kevin Patrick and Cefn Ridout who are talented creators in their own right but also pivotal in the local comics art scene. Reviews have been posted for the last three months. Australian comics are coming of age and turning into an industry, and this review site will be a pivotal presence in that journey. You can check it out the website here: Australian Comics Journal.

INKSPOT ELF~FIN Review

We haven't sent any of the Elf~Fin: Hyfus & Tilaweed Previews away for review simply because we believe it's too early. As mentioned previously on our website, the Preview is the first Act and the first half of the first issue of the first series. Page 24 which is the last page in the issue isn't even a conventional cliff-hanger, as we are actually just entering Act 2 of the story. Therefore, to critique it at this point would be like the Masterchef judges critiquing one element of a dish rather than the complete plated dish – sort of like reviewing the jelly (jello) in an unassembled trifle or the mornay sauce but not the lobster in a lobster mornay.

Having said that, we were delighted that Jules Faber, Deputy President of the Australian Cartoonists' Association (ACA) took interest in the opening of our story and published a review in the latest edition of the Inkspot magazine (No. 65, Autumn 2011). Here's a taste:

Beautifully weighing the charming earlier scenes of the cheerful Mers with the encroaching darkness at book's end, the story brings to life a rich and complex universe with an entire culture just waiting to be explored... and is described beautifully in Szekeres' dynamic and broadly colourful palette.

This is truly exquisite comic book artwork of an underwater world in which viewers won't have trouble seeing Szekeres' Disney history, with extraordinary character movement and expression exploding richly from every page...

It's a major flaw in comics when the artwork doesn't suit the story or vice versa, but here the two are in perfect harmony, Ditrich's writing bring us gently into the world (thought not spoon-feeding us) and Szekeres making sure we stay there when we arrive.

Jules gave us four and a half stars, and we are very appreciative and humbled at his faith in us.

We can't wait to bring you the last 24 pages in the full edition of the first issue. Bring on 2012!