Long List: 2023 Projects

Gary Chaloner, writer/artist. Graeme Jackson, colourist. Michael Michalandos, writer. Tim McEwen, artist.

Adventure Illustrated #2 is a 36 page comic featuring three ongoing series produced by Gary Chaloner and a few of his mates, all of whom are award-winning Aussie cartooning professionals at the top of their game: Michael Michalandos and Tim McEwen (Greener Pastures), with a little help from Darren Close and Graeme Jackson.

Cyclone Force (featuring Flash Damingo & Killeroo)
Greener Pastures
Red Kelso: 1931

Josh Head (under pen name - Raphael Iacocca) - All artwork, writing and production.

Lawless Misconduct #1 is a 68 page comic book; the first of 3 issues in a series. Influenced by the art of mid-century detective / romance comics, this is the stream of consciousness nightmare of its self-serving creator Raphael Iacocca.

Shaun Keenan - Editor/Creator
Dan Feuerriegel - Creator
COMICS2MOVIES - Publisher
Stephen Kok - Letter
Kieran Jack - Graphic Design Layout

In a dystopian future, the world is separated into the glittering paradise of the LIGHTS and the slums of the DISTRICT. Aquila (Annie) works as a low-level enforcer who is extremely ambitious. Follow Aquila as she rises up the ranks to become a councilor in the LIGHTS.

But be careful of what you wish for as once you are at the top, you become the MARK! Will Aquila survive or will her ambition for power be her undoing?

Martin Copping - Creator
Stephen Kok - Writer/Creator
Shaun Keenan - Editor/Creator
COMICS2MOVIES - Publisher

From the creative mind of Martin Copping an Australian film, television, theater, and video game actor best known for his role as the title character in the grindhouse film Zombie Hunter, the voice of Mozzie in Rainbow Six: Siege, and a starring role as 2Lt. Lucas Riggs of the Australian Army 20th Battalion in Call of Duty: Vanguard, comes an exciting new fantasy horror graphic novel KNIGHT!

In a world where there is more darkness than day, nocturnal creatures have become the apex predators and humans their prey. Humanity now relies on its knights for survival, but their numbers are few and the monsters in the night are increasing.

Dan Feuerriegel - Creator
Stephen Kok - Writer/Creator/Letter
Shaun Keenan - Editor/Creator
Kieran Jack - Graphic Designer/Layout
COMICS2MOVIES - Publisher

In a dystopian future, the world is separated into the glittering paradise of the LIGHTS and the slums of the DISTRICT. Detective Sebastian Vetro works on the most horrific of cases between both worlds as an enforcement officer. When a horrific crime occurs, sometimes that moment can fracture opening up glimpses into the event.

Follow troubled Detective Sebastian Vetro on this crazy cyberpunk ride as he uses these fractures that he experiences to solve crimes within the Lights and District.

Will he be able to control this power he seems to have obtained or will it destroy him?

Morgan Quiad - Writer/Creator/Letterer
Shaun Keenan - Editor
COMICS2MOVIES - Publisher

Sir Idris Harrow, Bloodsmith, the independently wealthy nobleman, is called to the home of Lord Montague to investigate the apparent possession of a young boy by a creature from the Abyss. Harrow soon learns that this child is not the only victim but hundreds of others throughout the city have been afflicted by supernatural tumors, their minds and bodies supplanted by a cruel, demonic intelligence.

Harrow and his team (a mysterious woman named Tilda Abigail who shares a deep connection with the spiritual realm and carries a puppet through which she communicates, and Dane Flint, a gunslinger and tinkerer with a gift for mechanical wizardry) must unravel the mystery and stand against the forces of darkness before London is overrun.

Jared Prestwidge, writer

Satan’s favorite pet, a Hellhound named Howie, escapes the pits of Hell and settles down with a human owner, Louise, in New York City. But when Hell's forces rise to take back what's theirs, the pair must find a way to come out the other side and earn the fresh start at life that they both crave.

Angie Spice, writer/artist

This collected edition includes single issues #1, #2 & #3 that complete the “Maydena Arc” in full colour!
An adventure, noir, historical, Australiana feature set in 1940’s Tasmania; Geraldine Barker diverges from a courier run in search of the elusive Tasmanian Tiger and finds herself stranded in the remote township of Maydena.

Karl Brandt, writer/colourist

'Fables of Fear' is a collection of seven terrifying tales by writer/colourist Karl Brandt and artist David Parsons, featuring lettering from FutureQuake’s own Bolt-01. From the ancient dunes of the outback to a frozen hunting planet, these short, sharp tales are as harsh and unforgiving as the landscapes themselves!

Just me!

"Marsha, Marsha, Marsha" (or Art School Blues) is an autobiographical memoir of Holly's art school experience in Byron Bay: art trends, favouritism and a super bitch called Marsha.
As an artist with a disability, participating and paying for private art school was no small feat, only to be met with teacher's pet behaviours and flat out sabotage.
In her signature style, Holly makes this year of hell funny, and finds out later this is a common occurrence in creative art schools, where you just have to ignore the bullshit and focus on your own practice.

Paul Mason - Writer/Artist/Story cover
Amanda Bacchi - Assistant Editor
Glenn Ford - Editor
Dudley Hogarth - Publisher

"CIA operative Harrison Gross continues his investigation into the "Mac-V Ghost", this time interviewing a former "student" of the infamous "Crime School", who found himself pulled into off-to-book activities in the Mekong Delta, 1968."

Part of an ongoing series of stories featuring Lee Falk's The Phantom in the Vietnam War.

The short story was published as a back up story in The Phantom #1940 (March 2023).
https://www.phantomcomic.com.au/collections/new/products/issue-1940-fortnightly-2023
​

Paul Mason - Writer/Artist/Story cover
Amanda Bacchi - Assistant Editor
Glenn Ford - Editor
Dudley Hogarth - Publisher

"The Phantom arrives in Saigon 1967 as Kit Walker; Reporter, looking for ways to travel across Vietnam to find the missing Wambesi Prince. Meeting Australian journalist Barry Mengel, he is taken to the local Black Markets where he discovers an old enemy of his ancestors..."

Part of an ongoing series of stories featuring Lee Falk's The Phantom in the Vietnam War.

The short story was published as a back up story in The Phantom #1942 (April 2023).

Paul Mason - Writer/Artist/Story cover
Amanda Bacchi - Assistant Editor
Glenn Ford - Editor
Dudley Hogarth - Publisher

"The Marshall Sisters find themselves on USO Tour entertaining the troops, and run into some trouble trying to reach Da Nang before the 1967 Christmas special..."

Part of an ongoing series of stories featuring Lee Falk's The Phantom (and other Phantom support characters) in the Vietnam War.

The short story was published as a back up story in The Phantom #1943 (April 2023).
https://www.phantomcomic.com.au/collections/this-years-comics-2023/products/issue-1943-fortnightly-2023

Paul Mason - Writer/Artist/Story cover
Amanda Bacchi - Assistant Editor
Glenn Ford - Editor
Dudley Hogarth - Publisher

"Saigon: The Tet Offensive in 1968 has thrown the city into chaos. Australian Journalist Barry Mengal is attempting to cross the city to get back to the Daily Press office to report on the new developments in the War, but finds himself face to face with the Ghost Who Walks, and a colleague with a secret agenda..."

Part of an ongoing series of stories featuring Lee Falk's The Phantom in the Vietnam War.

The short story was published as a story in The Phantom #1952 75th Anniversary of Frew Publications edition (September 2023).
https://www.phantomcomic.com.au/collections/this-years-comics-2023/products/issue-1952-fortnightly-2023

Amanda Bacchi - Story and Edits
Paul Mason -Story, Script and Art
Glenn Ford - Editor
Dudley Hogarth - Publisher

"1914. Singh pirates are on the run, hiding in outback Queensland with bushrangers and cutthroats. Little do they know they have been followed by the Phantom, but not the one they were expecting..."

Part of an ongoing series of stories featuring Lee Falk's The Phantom character Julie Walker, sister to the 17th Phantom; much older, but still fighting.

The short story was published as a back up story in The Phantom #1947 Colour special (June 2023).

Hayden Fryer, Art and Story.
Tinman Johnson, Song Lyrics.
Zack Castro, Variant Cover.
Merran Davies, Editor.

In this heart-warming supernatural tale set on the night before Christmas, an eldritch candle is lit and the dinner table lovingly set for the return of the most dearly departed.

David Hazan, writer
(Shane Connery Volk, artist
Luca Romano, colourist
Justin Birch, letterer)

Tales from Nottingham #1: Legend has it that in April 1192, Conrad of Montferrat, the King of Jerusalem was felled by two assassins. It was later learned that this was an attempt to sow discord amongst the crusading nations by blaming the killing on Richard the Lionheart. One assassin was captured and died in captivity…The other escaped the Crusaders’ grasp. This is the story of Aya’s first assignment. This is the story of the day she truly became…Hashashin.

David Hazan, writer
(Cecilia Lo Valvo, artist
Federico Bertoni, artist
Marissa Louise, colourist
Lucas Gattoni, letterer)

Magic is all but extinct. When the last ailing wizard casts a final desperate spell to summon the descendants of ancient bloodlines to a school for magic now in disrepair…those chosen ones find a horror of the likes they’ve never experienced. They will have to confront the deepest parts of themselves, their tragic pasts, and defeat each other to survive the ordeal.

David Hazan, writer
(Shane Connery Volk, artist
Luca Romano, colourist
Justin Birch, letterer)

When a spate of murders in Edwinstowe is blamed on witchcraft, Everard Blackthorne, the Sheriff of Nottingham, is sent to investigate. What he finds is far more twisted than he could have imagined (appeared in Tales from the Cave #1).

Louie Joyce, illustrator. Ryan K Lindsay, writer.

Xin and Sloane spent their childhood fighting over the family pet -- Gilgamesh, a four-ton, fire-breathing dragon. The family is torn apart when Sloane turns to a life of crime after stealing Gilgamesh, forever corrupting the creature’s heart. In their stark future, the estranged sisters reunite for a final knock-down-drag-out kung fu battle on an opulent yacht. This is a tale that’s about much more than violence and sororicide... prepare yourself for an emotional exploration of how nothing can hurt us worse than family.

First story: Creator, writer, artist - Dillon Naylor.
Second story: Creator, writer - Dillon Naylor. Artist - Ian C Thomas. Colourist - Tamara Wighton.
Design - Ryan McDonald-Smith with Dillon Naylor.
Project coordinator - Nat Karmichael.

When Penni follows the faint sound of music deep into the woods, she not only discovers fairies... but the world's smallest rock band! This hardback book collects each and every episode of "Rock 'n' Roll Fairies" from "Total Girl" magazine, published between 2003-2007. Beautifully coloured, these 118 pages are a fabulous way of introducing younger readers into the joys of graphic novel reading. But it's also one to be enjoyed by people of all ages!

Writer: Jason Franks
Artist: Kay (non Australian)
Letterer: Glenn Ford

A two part Phantom story set in the 1970s. The Phantom must foil a terrorist attach at a Pinstripe Wizards gig at the Mawitaan Concert Hall and come to terms with rock'n'roll music.
Published in The Phantom #1956 and #1957 (link in Project Website is for part 1 only)

David Hazan, writer
(Alex Moore, artist
Lucas Gattoni, letterer)

Death Drop, a hitman turned drag queen, enters a race against time to find her missing drag sister as a mysterious rash of killings and disappearances spreads across the city. With the specter of her former mentor haunting her every step, Death Drop must decide how far she is willing to be pulled back into a life of violence in order to protect her community in this supernatural queer noir.

Author and illustrator, Rachel Coad

A snake, an octopus and the near death of Johnny Ramone. The almost true account of the 1977 New York City blackout.

Set in the 1970s, the story’s capstone is the 1977 New York City blackout.

Ray the snake is a sad, lonely, middle aged insurance salesman from Midway Kentucky, looking for a better life. Strawberry is a Glow Octopus (Stauroteuthis syrtensis) with an inability to control her glow. Strawberry finds herself in constant trouble; she has a prison record and an FBI file to prove it.

The unlikely pair embark on a road trip to New York City, where they rub shoulders with rock royalty. Things get electric – in more ways than one.

A tribute to all kinds of music, from elevator to opera.

About the Author:
In a painting career spanning 20 years, Rachel Coad has exhibited in both Australia and the UK. In 2016 she was awarded Black Swan Prize for portraiture. A history in illustration and design. This is Rachel’s first graphic novel. Or as she likes to call it: ‘A long comic’.

Mitch Collins, artist. Gary Proudley, writer. Wolfgang Bylsma, editor/letters

Chapter 1 in the Mega Fauna series.

Writer: Christof Bogacs
Pencils/Inks/Colours/ lettering: Marie Enger

Ages: 8+ Genre: Fantasy, Comedy

After the sudden disappearance of his mum, high school freshman Shay is thrust into a secret world of monsters that exists underneath his small West-Virginian town of Humble Valley. With the help of his shapeshifting aunt Sa'Belle, he must search for his mother while doing what he can to safeguard the citizens of the Under Kingdom' and try to maintain his normal high school life.

Writer: Christof Bogacs
Art: Beck Kubrick
Back up stories by: Marie Enger, Axe Marnie and Ray Nadine

MEAT4BURGERS
Ages: 14+ Genre: Horror, Comedy

When Trace wakes up in VAL-U-BURGER™ they have no idea how they got there and no memory of who they are.

The rest of the employees seem pretty blasé about the whole thing. Turns out the same thing happened to them too…

Sandra Broman

Up All Night is a chronicle covering 7th March 2020 until 19th June 2023, a time which changed the world. Drawn and written as it happened, from the utterly bizarre to the terrifically dull, it allows us to look back with accuracy on the weird years we lived through. Was Kanye West really running for president? Did the army really patrol Melbourne's borders? Were we not allowed to speak on Paris metro lest we release the virus? Does 50ml of vodka daily help? All this AND MORE! I was up all night, drawing with frenzy so it could be documented for the future as it would not be believed otherwise.

Anthony Christou (writer and artist), Stephen Kwok (letterer and editor), Christy Butt (graphic design)

Kobaloi - Goblins are Greek is a single-issue spin-off from the main series, Luminous Ages. It focuses on fantasy goblins from the dream space that found their way to Ancient Greece and became the inspiration for the mythical creature, the Kobaloi. The story also includes many popular characters from Greek mythology such as Hercules and Dionisys.

Anthony Christou (Main editor, also contributed lettering, writing and art)
Stephen Kwok/ Es Kay (Contributed writing and lettering)
Christy Butt (Contributed graphic design and lettering)
Kate Mandalov (writer)

The Bai Ze and the Book of Monsters is an anthology of short comics with a focus on the myths of Asia, primarily China. It is set within the world and the main timeline of Luminous Ages but focuses primarily on characters and stories outside the main story. It is the first in a series of Luminous Ages anthologies, the Book of Monsters.

Anthony Christou (primary editor, also contributed writing, lettering and art)
Dana King (writing and art)
Stephen Kwok/Es Kay (lettering)

The Hakutaku is the second volume in the Book of Monsters anthology. This volume has a horror focus, unlike the first volume, with stories inspired by the creatures of Japan, China, and the Philippines mythology.

Anthony Christou (Primary editor, also contributed writing, art and lettering)
S.C.A.R/ Steve Carter and Antoinette Rydyr - contributed 2 illustrations
N.S Kane (story)
Chris Pitcairn (art)

9 Sexy Tails of the Kitsune - Book of Monsters Volume 3 continues the horror focus from volume 2 of the anthology series while also adding some NFSW elements. The stories focus on the foxes of Asian mythology, the Japanese Kitsune and her mainland cousins the Chinese Huli Jing and the Korean Kumiho.

Oli Ward (entirely self produced)

The fourth issue in a series of comic books about a killer robot with a strict moral code who falls in love with a cyber criminal. Each episode is presented in a cartoon style with an absurdist lighthearted tone and includes adult content. this issue involves the couple uploading their minds to "The Cyberverse" an online reality that exists parallel to the real world which was designed to satisfy every impulse, and desire that one may have on a whim. it explores themes of drug use, internet obsession, and pornography addiction.

Sarah Winifred Searle, layouts/pencils/colors/letters

Steamy Regency romance about an arranged marriage between two people who have been "ruined" in different ways.

Words, art, layout, design by Aśka

After many years of collaborations and illustration gigs I started to write my very own graphic novel. But it took me a while to get to this point, and it’s been a journey full of false starts, wrong turns and frustrating revelations.
"A Work in Progress" is comic about this journey, which playfully investigates the allusive process of creation and the mental state of the artist, who is always on the verge of ... something.

Caroline E. Schuster, writer; Enrique Bernardou, artist and letterer; David Bueno, artist and colourist

Based in the agrarian world of commercial sesame farming in northern Paraguay, Forecasts tells a story about what happens when global insurance companies promise financial safety nets to local farmers struggling with the effects of climate change. This striking graphic novel brings together original ethnographic research and Paraguayan gothic art to confront the limitations of finance to respond to a deteriorating environment.

Taking a human-centered approach to complex weather and financial models, Forecasts offers new ways of looking at overlapping speculative futures in a monstrous landscape. Based on more than a year of fieldwork in Paraguay, the book follows one man's possible journeys through a season of planting and harvesting, buffeted by losses and sustained by the hope that he can cultivate conditions that will help his family thrive. Forecasts makes a sweeping account of environmental and financial risk accessible through the intimate story of one family's triumphs, heartbreaks, and hopes for the future.

The graphic novel is followed by appendices that provide historical, anthropological, and methodological insights, as well as classroom guides, exercises, and questions that make this book ideal for teaching.

No Australian creators involved in the project.

Graphic novel created by Manisha Naskar (artist) and Himanshu Vora (writer and publisher), both based in India.

A nine year old Indian girl Pinky escapes the claws of child marriage by fleeing home through her window.

Oscar McKay, writer and illustrator
Douglas Dixon, editor

Chips is a short comic about time travel in outer space, doing things you're not supposed to do, and how good hot chips can sound when you haven't had them in a while.

Sarah Firth

A delicious mix of daily life, science, philosophy, pop culture, daydreams and irreverent humour, Eventually Everything Connects is a work of graphic non-fiction that is comforting, confronting and mind-expanding in equal measure.

WTF is going on? How can I find joy in these precarious times? Is my smartphone hijacking me? Why am I so horny? What do I do with this grief? What's it like being the slug that lives in my bathroom sink?

Eventually Everything Connects is Sarah Firth's debut graphic novel, a collection of interconnected visual essays created over eight years. Sarah invites you into her wild mind as she explores ways to see with fresh eyes, to face the inevitability of change, and to find freedom in sensuality.

With raw honesty and vulnerability, Firth reminds us that the profane and the sacred, the tender and the cruel, the rigorous and the silly, all coexist in dynamic tension. This book is a delicious mix of daily life, science, philosophy and irreverent humour that is comforting, confronting and mind-expanding in equal measure.

Jason Pamment

From Treasure in the Lake's Jason Pamment comes a graphic novel of friendship and self-discovery in a gorgeously illustrated world, perfect for fans of Amulet and Lightfall.

Fitting in can be hard, especially when you're as small as Ember. He's hoping his luck changes when Lua, a kindly sea turtle, escorts him across the ocean to a school for little creatures on a wondrous island. There, Ember learns that first days can also be hard – especially when they involve fantastical cave-dwellers, ferocious storms and classmates that aren't interested in making friends.

As he struggles to adapt to his school, Ember finds himself at the heart of an otherworldly mystery, facing a strange monster from the deep. And though Ember's classmates may seem of little help, any good student knows appearances can be deceiving – and friendship can come from the most unexpected of places.

Trace Balla

This beautiful graphic novel is a stand-alone companion to Landing with Wings by CBCA award-winning author Trace Balla. Join Miri on her quest to help a rescued baby emu find its feet in the world, and as she connects to her community in joyful and unexpected ways. From the multi-award-winning creator of Rivertime and Rockhopping comes a beautiful ode to working together to make the world a better place.

Join Miri in her special spot, high up among the dappled leaf-light, and below with her neighbour Wingo, two joeys, a wombat and a baby emu!

A story about friendship, taking down barriers and creating community, finding your own path in the world and inspiring others along the way - from one of Australia's most unique creative talents.

Steve Mushin

Mind-bendingly original and full of intricate illustrations, Ultrawild is totally unique, containing over one hundred outrageously funny, scientifically plausible inventions for rewilding cities and saving the planet.
Join maverick inventor Steve Mushin as he tackles climate change with an avalanche of mind-bending, scientifically plausible inventions to rewild cities and save the planet.

Jump into his brain as he designs habitat-printing robot birds and water-filtering sewer submarines, calculates how far compost cannons can blast seed bombs (over a kilometre), brainstorms biomaterials with scientists and engineers, studies ecosystems and develops a deadly serious plan to transform cities into jungles, rewilding them into carbon-sucking mega-habitats for all species, and as fast as possible.

Through marvellously designed and hilarious engineering ideas, Mushin shares his vision for super-high-tech urban rewilding, covering the science of climate change, futuristic materials and foods, bio reactors, soil, forest ecosystems, mechanical flight, solar thermal power and working out just how fast we could actually turn roads into jungles, absorb carbon and reverse climate change.

Developed over seven years, Ultrawild is an optimistic book about creative thinking, science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and the potential for massive change. Filled with laugh-out-loud design-ridiculousness, it aims to empower and excite a new generation of designers, scientists, engineers and ultra-wild thinkers.

Remy Lai

Winner of the Victorian Premier's Literary Awards, this thrilling contemporary fantasy graphic novel about a girl who befriends a boy ghost stuck between the worlds of the living and the dead is from the bestselling creator of Pawcasso.

Twelve years ago, the boy and the girl lived. But one was supposed to die ...

July Chen sees ghosts. But her dad insists ghosts aren't real. So she pretends they don't exist. Which is incredibly difficult now as it's Hungry Ghost month, when the Gates of the Underworld open and dangerous ghosts run amok in the living world. When July saves a boy ghost from being devoured by a Hungry Ghost, he becomes her first ever friend. Except William is not a ghost. He's a wandering soul wavering between life and death. As the new friends embark on an adventure to return William to his body, they unearth a ghastly truth – for William to live, July must die.

Inspired by Chinese mythology, this resoundingly hopeful tale about friendship, sacrifice and the unseen world of ghosts is a dazzling heir to beloved Studio Ghibli classics.

Brenton E. McKenna, writer and illustrator

Ever wonder about the shadows lurking in the bush at night?

Yawuru creator Brenton E McKenna brings you a superb storytelling experience of the outback supernatural, in his new black-and-white graphic novel, Hairy Holes.

Begley and Redley Hole are two hairy hole people living ordinary lives in the bush - that is until their world is lifted up and tossed on its rear when a lost tourist named Joplin stumbles upon them with promises of friendship and help to search for their parents.

Featuring some of Australia's toughest animals, suspiciously hairy holes in the desert and a crash course on the wonderful world of the internet, this hilarious graphic novel will crack you up and take you on a 'kray-zay' ride - one the whole family will enjoy, hairy or otherwise.

Kim Lam — writer, illustrator.

Commissioned for the 2023 Perth Comic Arts Festival ‘Tale Town’ exhibition at the State Library Western Australia and Tale Town community newspaper. ‘ Mẹ—Mình’ responds to the theme ‘Who Cares?'—in response to mainstream economics' undervaluing and erasure of feminised labour throughout history. I had my mum's blessing to tell my version of her story—a process which involved writing down some oral history for the first time.

Rob Lisle - Writer/Letterer
Leigh Chalker - Penciller/Inker
Ben Sullivan - Penciller/Inker
Ryan Vella - Penciller/Inker

When death comes to Rosie’s door she responds in kind. Rob Lisle, Leigh Chalker, and Ryan Vella weave a bloody tale of a woman who seeks to avenge the fall of hope.

Rob Lisle - writer/artist

Rob Lisle aka Spedsy. Who needs action, adventure, andthrilling heroics when you can havedepression, anxiety, and slugs!

Sluggish isn’t so much a story as it is a peak inside someone’s brain. His name is Herb, and he’s a weirdo… or is he just like the rest of us – barely hanging in there?

David Blumenstein, editor, writer/artist.
Ben Hutchings, writer/artist.
Sarah Howell, writer/artist.
Jo Waite, writer/artist.
Scarlette Baccini, writer/artist.
Briar Rolfe, writer/artist.
Alex e Clark, writer/artist.
Patrick Alexander, writer/artist.
Jin Hien Lau, writer/artist.
Ive Sorocuk, writer/artist.
Alex Pavlotski, writer/artist.
Nicholas J. Johnson, writer.
Warwick Holt, writer.

Squishface Studio is a shared workspace for comics makers in Melbourne. We got together a gang of local artists and writers, and made a "kids annual"-style collection of comics, activities and silliness! Our version of Cole's Funny Picture Book, or Knight Rider Annual '83. After a year of writing, drawing and workshops with the grade 2s at Kensington Primary School, we've rolled all our expertise into a book for 8-12 year olds -- Squishbook! It's a how-to-make-comics book, and a why-you-should-make-comics book, ideal for the shelf of every kid who can't stop drawing. Made by by 13 of Squishface Studio's favourite artists and writers, Squishbook is a silly, but truthful, guide to making your own comics and stories!

David Blumenstein, writer/artist.
Emilie Friedlander, editor.

Welcome to 2023! Companies like Stability AI, OpenAI and Midjourney are destabilising the arts community with machine learning tools that can draw.In a very short time they've flooded the world with awkward but acceptable imagery, replacing human artists making games, ads and TV shows. Cartoonist David Blumenstein speaks to his fellow illustrators about their views of the technology and the culture around it.

"Most nuanced take on the entire A.I. debate i've seen so far"
"Good Thinking about AI that legit calmed me down a little bit about the whole thing"
"Highly recommend giving it a read no matter which side of the fence you're on"

Octane Render was first published online by Friends With Benefits.

James Foley, writer, artist

Max is a mole on a mission.

With Helen Hippo and June Bug by his side, Max must stop the evil Goldfish-Finger from stealing a priceless, solid gold fish-finger. This dangerous, top-secret mission will involve explosions, a naked mole rat, and being flushed down a giant toilet. Will Max and the team defeat the fiendish fish?

Time to rock and mole!

James Foley, writer, artist

When Star Division discovers a magical meteorite with anti-gravity powers, Dr Nude will stop at nothing to get his naked little hands on it – including brainwashing a Star employee! This important mission features a secret mountain base, an exploding rocket and a flying pig with no clothes on. Can Max Mole, Helena Hippo and June Bug stop Dr Nude’s evil plans? I hope so, otherwise we’re all doomed! It’s time to Rock and Mole!

Alice Lam - writer and illustrator

A young girl consults a witch when she starts fearing that she might be turning into (not enough of) a monster.

Chris Pitcairn - Artist

Your Highness Your Highness, is the dark world of Anya and Eeskra, royal sisters of Valenya and cursed daughters of the lonely King. While one sister is desperately trying to cure the “gift”, the other has embraced her affliction threatening both citizens and enemies. At odds with each other, little do they know of the sinister manipulations of a rising new faith.​

This modern story is a Russian inspired re-telling of the French fairy tale by Charles Perraul, Diamonds and Toads. 

Jana Hoffmann

After years of uneasy truce, 
there has been an attack in the forest outside of Karratapa.

Now’s the chance for Amala, the new town mage, to prove she can make a difference in the world and protect the townsfolk from the dangerous Califex that lurks beyond the edge of the bush. Fortunately, she has the full support of the Mage Council and her Academy education to guide her.

But instead of helping her, Amala’s town aide Temon is full of old wives’ tales and dire warnings. Unfortunately, capturing the Califex is a 2-person-job, so she must find a way to get this frustrating man to see things her way or they might not escape the forest alive.

Danny Nolan Writer
Darren Close Letterer
Javier Sinver Art (Mexico)

Ric McClune continues his Western adventures in this one-shot story. Ric has been hired to work security on a paleontology dig in the Dakota Badlands. A mixture of angry Indians, a morally suspicious Cavalry Captain, and bad timing culminate in Ric taking drastic action and making things right.

Max Ferrada, writer
Es Kay, letterer

When hostile forces take over a remote moon in a distant star system, they discover a secret base that holds the key to a delicate intergalactic alliance. It is up to the heroes of Stellarlands to thwart the enemy’s plans and in the process maintain balance in the universe.

Nina Dakin, writer and illustrator

Bird Girl returns for a third time. Born with wings instead of arms, Bird Girl just wants to be a lawyer and is trying to convince other genetic variants to forgo the superhero path. But its harder than she thought, especially when superheros are so dang cool!
Nine page story published in Curtin Illustration Club's Anthology "Myth 8" and later reprinted for Perth Comic Arts Festival 2023 with added pages and sketches.

Nina Dakin, writer and illustrator

A short poem/riddle comic about how wonderfully simple life could be if you were a duck.

Nina Dakin, writer and illustrator

A short zine comic strip about all the secret things that women do in kitchens.

Owen Heitmann, writer, penciller, inker, colourist, letterer. Sarah Milne, writer.

This collection of six short comics (the first of which is written by Sarah Milne) explores the morbid and downbeat side of Owen Heitmann’s art and storytelling.

Owen Heitmann, writer, penciller, inker, colourist.

A poignant exploration of resilience and overcoming fear, doubling as a nostalgic paean to Australian childhoods.

Finn O’Sullivan, writer, artist.

Strange things are happening in Sarah’s small town in 1980s Ireland. Her classmate Oisín is behaving oddly, and an air of mystery shrouds his family’s farm, as people seem to keep inexplicably disappearing. And… does that cow look normal to you? Those black, unblinking eyes… look almost otherworldly, right?

Frankie Stevo - all writing and illustration

A nine-page comic, done in a DIY-fanzine inspired style, that details my discovery of the band Pavement at the same time I was diagnosed with ADHD. It recounts how I let myself hyperfixate on the band, embracing the quirks of my newly discovered ADHD.

Benji Bajorek is the writer, artist and letterer of this boob.

‘Deadsheet’ is a 120 page graphic novel successfully funded through Kickstarter in 2023. It is the story about an office worker Nina who stumbles upon a mysterious disk containing a spreadsheet with a list of every person on the planet. She discovers that when a name is deleted from the list... that person dies!
As Nina tries to unravel the mystery of the disk - where it came from and who created it - she soon finds herself wrestling with a crisis of conscience: should she destroy this dangerous weapon? Or should she use it?
Faced with an impossible decision, Nina must come to terms with the consequences of her actions and ask herself the ultimate question - Is she a good person?
From the creator of 'The History of Monsters' and 'The Flower', ‘Deadsheet’ is a suspenseful thriller and morality tale that explores the existential questions of life, death and justice.

Written and illustrated by Finn O'Sullivan.

The Vanishing Farm is about Sarah, a teenage girl with bovinophobia, involving herself with the disappearances of a local family, the Baird's. As the weeks pass their youngest son Oisín stops going to school, so Sarah has to pick up the courage to go the Baird's dairy farm herself.

Mike Greaney, Writer/ Artist

Originally serialised on cosmicdirtbag.com Mandatory Fun is the story of a down-on-his-luck graphic designer who takes a job at a hip new startup, with a dark side.

John Hanna - writer, illustrator, designer, typesetter, publisher

You Can't Kill Us is a cyberpunk adventure set in a vivid world where corporations rule over the last remnants of humanity, and where flesh is a commodity more valuable than gold. You Can't Kill Us is a self-published, ongoing series, sold as digital pdf online, and in physical copies at local and interstate conventions in NSW and QLD.

CEO Dyson Poole puts his plan into action to create chaos on Mars in order to generate profit, and keep his neck off the chopping block. Whereas Francis finds the first clues as to his missing sister's whereabouts, beginning his personal war against the world around him...

Page count 52

Art and Writing by Steve and Antoinette Rydyr

A collection of short surreal stories showcasing the art and writing of SCAR: Steve Carter and Antoinette Rydyr

Art and Writing by Antoinette Rydyr and Steve Carter.
Additional writing by Dave Dye.
Additional art by Mike Green, Queenie Chan, Dave Dye.
Additional colouring by Gary Scott Beatty.

Over the years SCAR have collaborated with various creatives and this comic is designed to showcase that work.

Art and Writing by Antoinette Rydyr and Steve Carter.
Additional writing by Pete Correy.
Additional art by Pete Correy, Ryan Vella, Dave Dye, Cristian Roux.

Over the years SCAR have collaborated with various creatives and this comic is designed to showcase that work.

Art and Writing by Steve Carter and Antoinette Rydyr.
Additional pencils and inks by Bambos Georgiou.
Additional pin-up art by Raúlo Cáceres, Bambos Georgiou, Steph Dumais

Review of Savage Worlds
by The Gore Maniac on Facebook - 24 May 2023

Savage Worlds by SCAR is unbelievably brutal, overflowing with nudity, gore, and situations that I can't describe in this post. There is a lot of nasty stuff in this one. If you enjoy intense art - you will totally dig Savage Worlds, I loved it. Contains the previously unpublished story Savage Woman Savage Beast, which was turned down by Eros Comix. I have no doubt that it was rejected due to the extreme content. It's actually my favorite story in the book. There's an art gallery featuring Raúlo Cáceres, Steph Dumais, Bambos Georgiou, and SCAR. Disgusting, controversial, and extremely challenging - I recommend it!

Art and Writing by Steve Carter and Antoinette Rydyr
Additional articles by Mannheim Jerkoff, Paul Elliott, Rod Williams, Antoinette Rydyr

Spore Whores was originally published by Eros Comix (Fantagraphics, USA): #1 (1994), #2 (1995) and #3 (1996).

The series was promptly banned in Australia.

Long out of print, Bloody Gore Comix, Canada, resurrected the notorious trilogy publishing #1 in 2016 and #2 & #3 in 2017.

For the first time Spore Whores has been collected into one volume and includes additional articles and historical documents about the censorship climate in Australia at the time.

Written and illustrated by John P. Attard. Layout and graphic design by Annie Huang. Editors: Meg O'Shea, Frances Norman, Michelle Lander and Annie Huang.

Our hero Ilma is on a journey to forget. She remembers everything, even when she doesn't want to.
Together with a flying camel named Whirlwind who can carry anything, a lonely Robot in search of friends and a Spaceman with the power to teleport, Ilma faces monsters and memories alike while searching the deep depths of space for a home that won't hurt her.

Kay Kudelka

Sarimest is a fantasy book series about a group of young teenagers in a magical multi-dimensional school. Book two was published in 2023, and is about a theme park at the school getting infected by a love spell.

Kay Kudelka

This is the second book in the graphic novel series ‘Sarimest”. It is a fantasy series about a magical school in another dimension.

Christof Bogacs - Writer

Exciting modern fantasy OGN with positive LGBTQ representation set in a colorful world full of mischievous sock-stealing imps, adorable dragons, rowdy orcs, and an endless variety of other strange creatures. Join Shay, Sa'belle, and friends in this heartwarming tale where kindness is proven more powerful than violence.

Christof Bogacs (Writer)

When TRACE wakes up in VAL-U-BURGER™ they have no idea how they got there and no memory of who they are. The rest of the store’s employees - the VAL-U-CREW - seem pretty blasé about the whole situation. Turns out the exact same thing happened to them too…

MEAT4BURGERS merges cosmic horror with the drudgery of minimum wage jobs. It’s workplace horror meets surreal horror; a dark comedy perfect for fans of Severance, The Good Place and Five Nights at Freddy’s.

David Hazan (co-writer), Christof Bogacs (co-writer)

Writers: David Hazan & Christof Bogacs - Art: Phil Appley - Colourist: Gonzalo Duarte (#1), Phil Appley (#2) - Lettering: Bram Meehan - Editor: Chris Sanchez
The breakout sci-fi horror mini-series from David Hazan (Nottingham, Monomyth), Christof Bogacs (Rick and Morty, Meat4Burgers) and Phil Appley (Robo, Stone Cop).

When the crew of the Genesis stumble upon their sister ship with everyone dead and data erased, they awaken a monster trapped in their own memories.

Christof Bogacs - Writer

After the sudden disappearance of his mom, high school freshman Shay is thrust into a secret world of monsters that exists underneath his small West-Virginian town of Humble Valley. With the help of his shapeshifting aunt Sa'Belle, he must search for his mother while doing what he can to safeguard the citizens of the Under Kingdom' and try to maintain his normal high school life. If that wasn't enough, Shay is a strict pacifist in a world that is demanding he go to war to protect it.

An epic adventure set in a colorful world full of mischievous sock-stealing imps, adorable dragons, rowdy orcs, and an endless variety of other strange creatures. Join Shay, Sa'belle, and friends in this heartwarming tale where kindness is proven more powerful than violence.

Sarah Firth author/writer
Sarah Firth comic artist/illustrator

A delicious mix of daily life, science, philosophy, pop culture, daydreams and irreverent humour, Eventually Everything Connects is a work of graphic non-fiction that is comforting, confronting and mind-expanding in equal measure.

Matt Rice

A short story inspired by the experience of an ordinary British soldier during one of the most brutal battles in the trenches of WW1.

Neale Blanden

A whiney autobiographical comic about my relationship with my Father.

Neale Blanden

An Underground comic about being a hippy....MAN!

Adam Gillespie- writer and artist

A brief look at the history of pineapple on pizza. Non-fiction.

Created by The Mak Bros. & Ana Hristenko
Story by Josh Mak
Script by Aaron Mak
Pencils & Inks by Ben Sullivan

ANA #0 is an ashcan origins story born from the idea of creating new innovative band merchandise for the Melbourne-based band, ANA. It fuses reality with fiction in creating a mythos and introduction to the band in the form of a goddess coming to our realm in search for the greatest champions this world has to offer.
We made 150 copies in Oct 2023, and sold out the entire run through live shows within 5 months. Through this endeavour, we have successfully broken new ground and put comics into the hands of fans who would not usually read comics. This was also a great indication to us that a large demographic exists in the cultural crossover between the world of comics & heavy metal.

Grace Craddock, writer and illustrator. Jaz Craddock, editor.

Ghost carriages haunt the highways after dark, and only the brave or the foolish dare accept a ride.

But when it’s dark, and a long walk home, sometimes that’s a tempting risk.

Getting in is easy, getting out is hard.

Alyce Sarich, creator/author/illustrator

Sassy cats, career blues and other adulty things - VENT is a series of comics , all set amognst the mundane every day...

And did we mention cats?

VENT is a webcomic and zine series that started in 2021. This book is the accumulation of the first five volumes.

Kieran Jack - Writer, Illustrator and Cover Artist (Standard Cover)
Matt Kyme - Creator, Editor and Cover Artist (Variant Cover)
Graeme Jackson - Letter
Camillo Di Pietrantonio & Rui V Macarico - Cover Artists (Dee's Comics Variant)

The Wrath of The Cursed - Legacy is a follow up to Matt Kyme's original series.
Kieran Jack takes over the creative duties to bring an all new story to the leagacy Matt first created.

Not all heroic legacies are born out of an altruistic need to do good, some are born out of bloodshed. Sometimes the path of redemption takes generations and atonement is a curse…

Published through Halftone Productions in 2023.

Logan French - Writer and Illustrator
Bradley Adan - Letter
Kieran Jack - Editor

Amphibia Noir Part 2 continues the is a gritty, violent, pulp psychedelic story from creator Logan French.

Published by Halftone Productions in 2023

Kieran Jack - Writer, Illustrator, Letter
Clare Jack - Editor

The hi-jinx continues as The Master Bakers Monsters have been unleashed to capture our carbohydrate heroes. Remastered issue 4,5 and 6 and collected in volume 2.

Publisher Halftone Productions in 2023

Lucy Adelaide, Icky Brothers, Dane Chisholm, Richie Cyngler, Jess Fodor, Andrew Harper, Timothy Hodge, Erin Linhart, Georgia Morgan, Tom O'Hern, Nadège Phillipe-Janon, Kate Rich, Leigh Rigozzi, Joshua Rowe, Joshua Santospirito, Shaleen Shajith, Tony Thorne, Bethany Van Rijswijk, Tricky Walsh

future lutruwita is a graphic anthology comprising the work of 19 diverse artists, speculating on the future from a distinctly Tasmanian perspective. This small island harbours extraordinary talent - artists asking dangerous, relevant questions of our time.

The book explores notions of utopia, anarchy, decay, play, emergence and possibility.

The result is a tender, provocative, sometimes disturbing collection by some of Tasmania's most exciting contemporary artists, both established and emerging. Ranging from painting to collage, illustration, sequential & digital art, the works are reflective, vibrant, sombre, pragmatic & bizarre.

288 pages of speculative art by creators from lutruwita/Tasmania. Offset printed hardcover book.

Edited by Richie Cyngler & Leigh Rigozzi

Andy Drws (pen name)

Friends and Benefits is told from the perspective of Hyacinth - a gay, second-generation immigrant raised in a small town in Australia. The story follows him moving to Melbourne, making queer friends, navigating his identity, and falling in love with two people at the same time.
The comic uses the Greek myth of Hyacinth as a jumping-off point, while presenting a different take on the 'love triangle'. Hyacinth starts out unsure of himself and conflict-avoidant. By the end of the story he learns the importance of understanding and communicating his needs to people close to him.

Greg Holfeld - artist
Ruth Starke - writer

The final Captain Congo story from Dr Ruth Starke before her passing in 2022, serialised in 10 chapters in the 2023 editions of Orbit and Touchdown magazines published be The School Magazine, NSW

Greg Holfeld - writer and artist

The collected adventures of Monkey, Bug, Rabbit and Goose! originally serialised 2014 - 2022 in Countdown and Blast-Off magazines published by the The School Magazine, NSW

Daniel A. Becker, artist and co-creator

1894. Most wolves have been exterminated from North America from the expansion of European settlers. In the northern New Mexico territory, a small pack survives, lead by a clever and cunning wolf known to the locals as “Lobo”. The local ranchers put a bounty on his head to anyone who could catch him.
Enter Ernest Thompson Seton, artist, writer, naturalist, and expert wolf hunter. But as Seton hunts Lobo, he sees a wild country rapidly disappearing, and its noble and precious animals with it.
This is the true story of an tenacious wolf, a tireless hunter, and his legacy of redemption.

Gnostick Comics Australia

Innocent Man is taken into the future by the mysterious time traveler Edward, to 1850s Australia!!! And there is serial killer on the loose! Edward leaves detective Innocent Man in the capable hands of his new side-kick, Jessica, who will introduce him to all the modern technology of 1850s Australia as well as to show him around the murder sites to collect evidence. Will Innocent Man be able to destroy this futuristic evil?

Gnostick Comics Australia

Innocent Man is in the future and there is a serial killer on the loose, or make that two serial killers! Innocent Man believes one of these serial killers is a kangaroo, is he just hopping mad? Will Innocent Man be able to find and destroy this evil? Will he be able to return back home? Follow our detective and his sidekick Jessica in this story to find out!

Gnostick Comics Australia

Innocent Man returns home from the future to a tragedy and must make the ultimate sacrifice to protect the future. Who is this Theseus character? What does he want with Innocent Man and why does he have a weird looking butt? A must read issue for all Innocent Man fans!

Story: Peter Lane and Manuel Bouw
Art: Manuel Bouw
Lettering: Rob Lisle
Cover Art: Jason Poulos

The worlds of Skye’s Cavern Library and Spell Kitty combine when the books of the library go awry, forcing the arctic fox Skye and the magical kitten Spell Kitty to team up in order to save the day.

Sorab Del Rio, Don Ticchio, Emerson Dimaya , Alzir Alves, Edwin Estrada , Adam Ramos

Oi! If you think crosses and garlic are going to protect you from Vampires down under, well you’re gonna be Fanged at First Sight if you don’t watch out! This book has the secret weapon against vampires straight from the heart of Australia.

Join Bazza the Bogan Barbarian, his wife Shazza, the Drop Bears Thriller and Killer, a Talking Torana and Bazza’s sentient cricket bat as they tackle the blood sucking undead when his daughter Michelle falls for a Vampire!

Niki Bañados, writing and illustration.

This comic is about bringing a baby, ‘The Perfect Human,’ into a world where civilisation is likely to change drastically over the next few decades. Environment and our place within it is explored by zooming right out to how fossil fuels were created back in geological time, zooming in on local examples such as the Cooks River, and grounded by images from day to day routine.

First published in Island Magazine #169 as part of The Nanna graphic narratives project.

Con Chrisoulis, researcher / writer / artist

REBEL REBEL is the the first in-depth ongoing graphic biography of David Bowie’s formative years, before he was famous, researched and created by Australian creator Con Chrisoulis in the UK where he now resides, as part of his research practice as a Senior Lecturer in Commercial Art and Illustration at Teesside University. For the needs of the ongoing series, Con Chrisoulis researches obscure mediated quotes by David Bowie, who in turn narrates his life story in first person, uncovering details from David Bowie's youth, revealing aspects from his personal life, but also making connections with artists and movements that inspired him, as well as noting the profound influence that he had on matters of diversity and creative pluralism in popular culture.
REBEL REBEL has been released weekly as a webcomic since 2016. As of 2024 more than 420 webcomic episodes have been released, whilst every three months the Patreon supporters of the project receive a self published printed comic book issue collecting several episodes. Issues are also available at major UK comics conventions, like Thought Bubble Comic Art Festival. In 2023 the webomic series released episode 366-400, whilst four self published printed issues were released: REBEL REBEL Chapter Eight (Jan 2023), REBEL REBEL Chapter Nine (March 2023), REBEL REBEL Chapter Ten (June 2023) and REBEL REBEL Chapter Eleven (Dec 2023), collecting episodes 218-309 of the webcomic.
The series has gathered a lot of press for the ways that the comics medium is used to reveal research outcomes, which were in the past relegated to prose text books.
The Patreon website is
https://www.patreon.com/rebelrebelcomics
but further info can also be found on my personal website:
https://www.conchrisoulis.com/comics

L.G. Veldenmire (Lola Baldsing), writer / artist
Scott Higginbotham, writer / artist

The year is 2121 and Concordia, once a haven for humanity, teeters on the brink of an autocratic takeover by ruthless corporations. While division rages between the Upper and Lower Cities, and sinister plots fester in the shadows, the connected stories of Concordians from every walk of life tell the tale of a city in a battle for its freedom... but is it too late to save society from itself?

Solid State is a cyberpunk webcomic saga set in a future Australia, co-created by L.G. Veldenmire and Scott Higginbotham.

L.G. Veldenmire, writer / artist
Scott Higginbotham, writer / artist

When the forest drank the oceans dry, the old world died, but in a mountain top village has been able to outlast the end. Now, an unlikely pair of travelers set out into the depths of the forest to complete a hopeful offering to the gods.

Published as a part of Koguchi Magazine Issue 1 : Arcana Dawn

Dean Rankine

It's Spring Break, for Rick's sake!

Slap on a Speedo and slather on that suntan lotion, because the omniverse's most dysfunctional grandpa/grandson combo is about to catch an unhealthy dose of extra-solar radiation in an absolutely gargantuan, absurdly overstuffed 64-PAGE GIANT!

Aw yeah, spring break! Rick, Summer, and Morty have ventured offworld to a planet where young, sexy vacationers from around the universe come to party, cut loose, and compete in the annual Spring Break contest! While Summer has just enough self-respect to avoid vying for Ms. Spring Break, Rick doesn’t! And he’s all in on winning Mr. Spring Break. But little do our heroes know that winning the Spring Break competition comes with a steep “reward,” and if the winner refuses the reward, well, it may just unleash a swift and vicious class war between the exploited and exasperated locals and the pampered and unprepared spring breakers.

Jorden Allen-Barr

Manta #1 – #10 is the second collection of the zine series “Manta”, spanning from the first issue to the tenth over the length of 74 pages. Begun in late 2021, Manta has been released in zine format – 6-8 pages each, usually with an extra page on the back of the paper when unfolded, and the front cover often counting as a page too. It follows the exploits of a diminutive thief and his mysterious pursuer. It is wordless – being without dialogue or narration – and rendered traditionally in black ink.

Georgina Chadderton, writer. Georgina Chadderton, artist.

A self-published mini-comic collection of short autobio comics about all manner of things, from the love of cheese to getting a fresh haircut to mental health trials.