• -

Gestalt Publishing is having a launch party (Facebook details here).

Anyway, I just finished illustrating a poster last Sunday for the DIGESTED series that Gestalt will use for their promotions. Whala...

There'll be a whole lot of other authors, illustrators and writers being showcased at the event. Check out the Gestalt Publishing website for their latest releases.

-Bobby.N

• -

I made my way into the city just after 12.30pm with my woman Zora on a perfect Saturday afternoon. I left her to shop & walk around the city as I quickly ducked into Minotaur to see if there was anything new (Picked up Zack Sally's RECIDIVIST), and then dashed to the meet-up

It was already buzzing by the time I got there. People must have been eager to catch up in this new year.




Jason was trying contain the tears of joy and excitement as Bruce Mutard showed him the pencil layouts to Jason's upcoming short auto-bio story 'At own risk'. Judging by the pencils I saw, it will be awesome when published.


The writers.


Jen had just had written a piece in today's Melbourne AGE newspaper (Saturday, 6-Feb-2010) about the TANGO Collection... and she has another piece on 'The best of comics' in the next BIG ISSUE magazine. Well done Breachy!



Paul calling his broker to buy some stock after studying the financial section of the paper. Don't buy the whole 'angst-riden' rebellious/brooding thing he portrays in his writing. (Even his Hunter. S. Thompson outfit above doesn't fool me)... but no, seriously, he is a nice guy. After the meet-up he gave me a lift home in his BMW convertible.



I know I often say that the Melbourne meet-ups are good, but damn, this month's was the best this year! (Ok, so it's only Feb)... but just click on the panorama below to see...

And yes, ALL of the people in the photo above were there for this month's comics meet-up! I was straddling the window sill when I took this panorama shot, just so I could show the 'chunkiness' of the turnout.

MEMORABLE MOMENTS:

• Seeing Bruce's fully pencilled pages to Jason's story.
• Reading Jen's AGE review.
• Talking comics with the gang.
• Paul's headlock.

Being summer here in Melbourne now, the sun sets late. Jen commented on how she was surprised that it was already nearly 7pm... time flies when your having fun.

-Bobby.N

• -

I'm psyched. Having almost gotten rid of this damn headcold that ruined my long-weekend, I still managed to keep working on DIGESTED.03 and stay on a roll.

In only 3 days I've thumbed, pencilled, layed out, and inked two pages on my lunch breaks and spare hour-or-two after work. Telling you this on my blog isn't me bignoting myself, but rather me telling the devil on my shoulder to get lost. I figure if I say & show it here, and don't follow through, I'll embarass myself.

Again, every little mind game I play that serves in getting the work done is absolutely worth it.


I've started to try and keep the finished pages in some sort of file system by using a simple 'avery' sticker, so that I can archive them after the chapter is done. Right now the pages of previous issues are all over the place and in pieces.


While I try and ink the page to the best of my abilities, I don't care about it being a perfect 'work of art' that I'll sell some day. Who cares. I always say that 'the page you read in the book is the final page'.

Anyway, I don't worry about imperfections during inking. I fix all the 'daggy bits' on the computer after I've scanned it in.


... and here's a low-resolution of the finished page before i polish all the rough edges off on the computer. Now, now this is all you're getting for now... I still want you to buy the actual book you know. - :)


Oh, and I finally got to try out my new refillable brush pen. I can't really ink with a brush well. I'm a nib man myself, but I do use one (ever so carefully) when I need a really thick line. But the baby in the photo above (although crappy for proper detailed work) is perfect for filling in all the black areas. It was only $10 and even came with 2 spare brush heads! It's a no-name asian brand... but it's the tits!

-Bobby.N

• -

And the final page - though I'm tussling between two mindsets...

In the page above, I like how the text boxes stand out slightly with the grey around them (better reading), but the artwork tends to suffer as a result.

... whereas limiting the greys makes the readability suffer.

But I'll leave this problem for now... as I've found it's best to get straight onto the next page (not waste time) and come back at a later date with fresh eyes.

-Bobby.N

• -

The inked page.

-Bobby.N

• -

Next I scan in the sketches that I think worked (from the previous 'free sketching' phase), and lay them out (in low resolution) on the computer scaled up to as big as I can go on an A4 sheet of paper. I use this same template for all pages done to this particular four-panel 'grid' layout. This way, the final pages (in the book format) have the same line weight throughout.

I use this basic page as the underlay... which means I tape this under my final drawing card and begind lightly tracing it in blue pencil on my lightbox. After this I switch off the lightbox and tighten up the pencil more. Note that I pay attention to not only the images, but also the words. That's actually the thing that your pictures should work around.... so the final page sits comfortably together and reads easily. It is a story, remember.

Now the page is ready for inking.

-Bobby.N

• -

Then when I've figured out which thumbnailed panels work best, I begin sketching them in more detail with blue pencil in my sketchbook. Just creative free sketching. No pressure... just fun.


-Bobby.N

• -

I wasn't sure I was even up to going into the 9-5 day job today as I have a sandpaper sore throat, an aweful headcold and my voice sounds like Barry White's (which isn't a bad thing).

As Kris Kristofferson so eloquently put it in the movie BLADE-2... I feel "like hammered shit."

But I've gotten into a routine lately where I start feeling 'antsy' if I don't work on my books each day. Even if it's for half an hour. So, at lunchtime I went down to the local library and thumbnailed some sequences for the next issue with a blue pencil in one hand and a tissue in the other. I figure if I can kick my ass into getting work done in this condition, then I have no excuse when I'm feeling 100%... Oh, the mindgames of a delusional comic book author. They'll be fitting me for a white straight-jacket any day now.

I really enjoy thumbnailing. Throwing up different camera angles in my head and seeing what kinds of interesting framed shots I can get to communicate what's going on.

I tend to outline the best ones in black marker (as you can see above).

-Bobby.N

• -

Review 1.
From the West Australian newspaper:

"A beautiful example of the cartoonist’s art where a picture really does speak a thousand words."

Read the whole review here.

Review 2.
From Tom Spugeon's The Comics Reporter:

"Bobby.N draws like several recognizable alternative cartoonists: his house would not out look out of place on a street where Richard Tommaso, Mike Dawson, Dave Sim, Joe Sacco and especially Dave Cooper had their homes. Like some of the best second generation alt-comics work in the U.S., the serial "Oxygen" processes its science fiction through an autobiographical comics template: spying on the neighbors, remembering strange moments from the past, dreamscapes. A lot will depend on the reveal, if the story holds our interest when more of its cards are on the table."

Read the whole review here.

Review 3.
From Kris Bather's Comic Book Jesus:

"...His work as a graphic designer shines through every page, making the most of the limited page space with superb pacing, great characterisation with few lines and a mastery of black and white art."

Read the whole review here.


-Bobby.N

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• -

Brendan Halyday organised a mini-meet just before the first regular one (06-Feb-2010) for all the comic nuts that just couldn't wait that long. It was a small cosy gathering of about 8-10 people.



Colin Wilson giving some drawing tips. People would pay big bucks for what i witnessed.


Brendan (in the middle) brought along a big (heavy) box of graphic novels to sell. Some very nice pick ups. I picked up 2 Jason books ('Why are you doing this' and 'The left bank gang') for $13 bucks a pop.

I thought it was a novel idea. Brendan needed to make some room at home, and we got to pick up some mint condition books. A win-win. So I thought I'd bring a few books along to the next meet too. In fact, I invite others to come and sell the books they don't have room for also.

Great idea Brendan. A good time was had by all.

Come along to the next meetup:

[06.02.10]
Prince Alfred Hotel
191 Grattan St, Carlton, VIC
2pm - 6pm

... have a drink, and rummage through the books that will be on offer.

-Bobby.N

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• -

I've been meaning to give my website some botox for a while, and during the holidays I finally got it done. All updated with a new book, and a few new illustrations.

Visit the new site by clicking here.

Whew... that's one thing off the checklist. Now onto others which involve pen-to-paper. Happy new year, and let's get onto making more good comics in 2010!

-Bobby.N

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• -

Cardigan comics' book launches are THE book launches of the year. If you're a comic publisher, and you're thinking about launching your title... make sure it's as FAR away from the date of a TANGO launch as possible, because these shin-digs are jaw dropping. You don't stand a chance.


Two massive anthologies were launched on the night. THE TANGO COLLECTION published by Allen & Unwin, and TANGO-9 (Love & War) published by Cardigan Comics.

The night was fantastic. Good friends, and great books. The new TANGO-9 was the standout for me. Perfect dimensions & 300+ pages. It was nice and chunky. All the organisers/publishers outdid themselves. Guests couldn't praise the night and books enough... just take a look at some of the pics I took on the night.


Where ever I pointed my camera... it was packed.


Very swish.


In the main gallery area, groups were congregating.


It did heat up, but we were all having too much fun to care.


I see you Jen.


The only creator taller than Bruce & myself... the talented Mr Scmidt.




Mr Caleo giving his eloquent and charged speeches to launch the books.


Just take a look at that crowd!!
Click on the image above to see a larger panorama shot.


A parting gift from the mysterious publisher. A magazine to be launched in the near future. What will be inside... who knows? But I'm waiting with baited breath.

-Bobby.N

• -

What a great day.

I slept until 10.30am. Everything was in relaxed slow-motion. I leisurely made my way out of the house, drove onto the freeway, and headed towards Footscray to visit my favorite art shop (on Buckley St). After picking up a few supplies, I drove toward the city with all the car windows down as the sun warmed my right forearm.

After dicking around some stores, I headed to Minotaur bookshop to see what was new on the comic book shelves. I bought two books. One let down, and one absolute GEM.


The gem was Dave McKean's re-release of PICTURES THAT TICK (book-1). Dave's at the top of my tree as a comic creator and illustrator. The book is wonderful. Even though Dave experiments with different styles... he's always trying to express ideas. That's why he's one of the standouts to me. Skillful and courageous enough to put down on paper exactly what he intends... in a marvelous style. Get it.


The 'dud' book (in my opinion) was Tom Gould's THE GIGANTIC ROBOT. To be fair to Tom though, I wouldn't have felt so duped (let alone bought the book at all), if Minotaur didn't have the rediculous policy of plastic-sealing every book on the shelves. Unless you already know what's inside, it really does become a crap-shoot that ends up killing that childhood joy of discovery. I realize that I can bring books to the counter and have the clerk open them for me to peruse, but when the store is busy, and there's a long queue... you just don't bother.

But from now on, I will. Sorry to all the people I'll be holding up in the line, but that's the last time I waste my money on comics.

On a brighter note... in the store I bumped into comics creators Bruce Mutard, Jason Franks, and Nicholas Hunter (who came down from Sydney). Like me, others tend to duck into the store just before the meetup.

And eventually we made our way down to the last meetup of 2009. It was, again, an awesome turnout.





Jason with his mate... a drink... (of Coke he tells me.)


The writers were on one side of the table, and the illustrators on the other. We threw wads of screwed up paper, and they hurled words of abuse.


Panorama shot courtesy of THE Colin Wilson. See if you can spot 'Waldo'.

Next meetup is on the first Saturday of FEB-2010.
See you all then.

-Bobby.N

• -

Following the labotomy of Armageddon... I scraped myself up from the floor, and have spent the last month chipping away at the next issue (DIGESTED.03)...

... and have just finished the first short story.

Here's one of the inked panels.

-Bobby.N

• -

Another meetup was flagged on the calendar, and so I eagerly weathered the stinkin' heat to be there with my fellow comicbook fetishists on a Saturday afternoon at 2pm.

The friendly regulars were there.


Then I spotted something strange looking from outside ('The Ring' style)...


He was even in the framed wall picture reflection.


It was PAul Bedford, and after sitting down, it became apparent he was peeved we weren't sitting outside in the sweltering heat.. because (get this) he brought along some sunscreen.





As gay as two straight guys can be.


A very 'chunky' turnout.



Philip Bently brought along his new issue of Word Balloons featuring Doug Holgate. A good read. Pick it up!


Daniel Reed looking sheepish as Greg Gates rifles through a new story he's working on. Very nice looking pages Daniel.


Colin Wilson got me onto this nifty idea... so here's the obligatory Monthly Meetup panorama shot from my camera. (Click on the image above).


... and here's one from Colin Wilson's iPhone.

There were a whole bunch of new faces this month. The most ever! Some even finding their way down due to this very blog.

One more comics meetup left for the year, so don't miss out y'all.

THE PRINCE ALFRED HOTEL
191 Grattan St, Carlton (opposite Melbourne Uni)
Sat - 5th December - 2009
2-6pm


-Bobby.N

• -

As mentioned in the previous post, the 'official' launch of a number of new local books took place just a little while ago. New books from Jason Franks, Matt Emery, Brendn Hallyday, and James Andre. It was a great night.

Most of us local creators came along to show our support.


The renaissance man Avi, with THE LIST artist Henry.




TANGO publisher Bernard Caleo dropped by with great Melbourne cartoonist, Jo Waite.




Paul Bedford did a wonderful job MC'ing the launch.


LOOK!... a photo of Jason Franks NOT drinking. Oh wait, Paul's holding Jason's beer while he speaks.



The Loop Bar was decently packed...


...with comic people everywhere you looked.


Matt was impeccably dressed as he foisted his books into the crowd.


Awwww.


The talented Brendan Hallyday has a great affection for indie comics... and is a maestro with the brush.


Aside from launching his books on the night, James Andre dished out kung-fu lessons.


Jason drinking. Again.




Congratulations to all the authors on the birth of their new books. A great time was had by all.

See the rest of you at this weekend's November comics meetup.

MELBOURNE 'COMICS' MEETUP:
Prince Alfred Hotel
Grattan St, Carlton
Sat-November-7th
2pm - 6pm


-Bobby.N

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• -

Armageddon. It's over. It was great... and I feel like hammered shit.

You see, I've averaged about 5 hours of sleep in the weeks leading up to this convention as my new book (DIGESTED.02) had to be completed in time for it. Late nights were standard. With black swollen eyes, I'd go to work looking like an addict. In many respects I was. Finishing this book on time was a must. No two ways about it. Quit whining and just get it done.


As for my new book DIGESTED.02, it arrived from the printers the day before the convention. I had no idea what I was going to do if the book didn't get to me before Saturday morning, but thankfully Gestalt (the publisher) did their best to make sure it did. It's always the way just before these conventions. Stress and anxiety.

This year, I split the cost of a table with my fellow author friend Jason Franks. Similarly, he also couldn't remember what 'sleep' was leading up to this event. I was in good company. We both had a brand new book to sell, as well as a slew of our other previous creations to foist onto the public.

I arrived slightly late on the Saturday morning due to roadwork delays on the Westgate freeway. Jason had already set up and was waiting for me to arrive. It took me 20 minutes to lay out my stand, and I was ready to rock 'n' roll.

Sitting there in exhausted anticipation, I was suddenly hit with the dreaded feeling of 'Will my hard work mean anything to these people?" It's a bitter pill to force down, but you just have to remind yourself of why you do it. It's always for yourself... Always.


Matt & Brendan selling their books.


My main man Paul always sells a truckload of books. This is a guy that's doing it right.


Of the independent stalls, the pinups and sketches of fairy-looking manga characters seemed to do really well. The very talented girl to our right was selling sketches for $25 a pop, and did very well.


The dynamic duo working their 'Star Wars' crowd.


Colin Wilson... one of the most humble and gracious professional illustrators there is.


A few locals dropped by our table to chew the fat...




.. including Brendan, Trev...


... and even 3CR's THE COMIC SPOT radio host John Retallick bought a copy of my new book.


Jason's not only a great writer (check out his latest offering KAGEMONO - Tooth & Claw), but he's an amiable guy as well. It sure takes the sting out a grueling day to share it with your comic-buddies.


Sprung hoofing down some grainwaves chips.

As I talked to other exhibitors, it seemed that they were finding the Saturday utterly tiring (as I was). It was very hard to stay energised (let alone awake). Don't know why, but most felt that way... and considering the event went from 9am-8pm that evening, it just compounded the heavy feeling. I think we did well not to fall over. With a good night's sleep, and a conscious effort to 'have fun' (damn it!), I was determined that the Sunday was going to be better.

The final day of a convention is always enjoyable for me. The jitters are gone. I've given a solid effort on the previous day, and now I just want to make the most of what's left. I walked around, chatted to a few people, and bought some books.

MEMORABLE MOMENTS:

• DIGESTED.02 arriving in my hands.
• Sharing a table with Jason Franks.
• Zora's food. Thanks babe - x.
• The peculiar mindset of cosplayers.
• Bill Sienkiewicz's sketches for fans.... amazing.
• Exposing my work to new people.
• Chatting to buyers and my comic buddies.
• Sunday.
• The ridiculous safety rules at the convention (don't ask).
• Sleeping afterwards.

Despite my nervous apprehensions before the event, it actually turned out to be extremely rewarding for me. I'll definitely aim to do it again next year. But next up is Supanova (which I'm not sold on just yet), as well as the upcoming Doujicon (which I'm definitely attending.)

Also...
This Thursday (well, tomorrow actually) is the book launch of a few local authors and their great books. Namely... Jason Franks, Matt Emery, Brendan Hallyday, & James Andre.

BOOK LAUNCH (3 Books released!)
Loop Bar
Meyers Place, Melbourne 3000
Victoria, Australia.
Thursday the 22nd of October 2009
7.30pm

... be there!

And the next event after that is the always popular....

MELBOURNE 'COMICS' MEETUP:
Prince Alfred Hotel
Grattan St, Carlton
Sat-November-7th
2pm - 6pm

Come along, and enjoy a casual drink with folks that read, talk, and make comics.

-Bobby.N

• -

These coming weeks are ramping up for me. Not long now before Armageddon (a week and a bit to go). And while the book has been sent off to be printed, I still have to prepare for the convention, as well as start stories for the next issue. I'm excited, as well as a little nervous. Some momentum has kicked in, and I just want to keep it steam rolling ahead.

Anyway, after waking early to see about some cheap black work shirts (nice), I spent a lazy morning strolling around the Werribee mall eating my pizza roll and sipping a BigM. The meet was a few hours away as I stopped in the sunshine and enjoyed the relaxed pace. Haven't felt this in months. Usually Im racing somewhere trying to be on time. Now that DIGESTED.02 is finished, I can really breathed some fresh air. Have to do this more often.

Well, after driving down into town to check out some comic book shops (Alternate Worlds (Chapel St), and then to Minotaur (City))... I slowly made my way down to the monthly comics meet. I agot there about 2.30pm to see (as usual) the regulars. They teased me again for being late. Usually I was always the 'seat warmer' as everyone rolled in. Now I've lost my title.



An intense debate. Who says comics is kids stuff?



Jason Franks was looking at Jason Franks being interviewed. This video interview (along with other local creators like myself and Paul Bedford) will soon be up at OzComics. Stay tuned.


While Greg Gates was looking over the new Robert Crumb 'GENESIS' comic that I brought in (hot off the shelves of Minotaur)...


...I was flicking through Greg's beautifully inked/sketch book. Done on various stocks of paper, it really was a joy to drool over his artwork.



Paul NOT drinking alcohol as this glass of Coke can prove. Paul is doing it sober for 'Oc-Sober' this month. Basically, you're suppose to sponsor him to lay off the booze for 30 days... yeah, right... nice try.




This may be the only photo of Jen reading a 'Superhero' comic.


Click on this great panorama provided to me by Colin Wilson (yes, THE Colin Wilson)... to see a bunch of us fanned around the table.

HIGHLIGHTS THIS MONTH:

• Picking up Crumb's new book GENESIS. (His first graphic novel!)
• Looking over Greg Gates' inks.
• Chatting to various people.
• Paul's joke.

See you all at Armageddon on the weekend of the 17th-8th October in a week-or-so. I'll be sharing a table with the prolific Jason Franks. Come past, say hello, and get a sketch when you buy any of our books.

DIGESTED.02 will (finally) be on sale there too!

See you there.

-Bobby.N

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• -

Exciting news! The second issue of the DIGESTED series is complete. The book is assembled and about to go out to the printers. It will be available at the upcoming Armageddon Expo here in Melbourne, so drop by, get a sketch, and buy it!

It will then be available online (as well as through stores, and other places... more news to follow)... but rest assured, its very exciting, trust me. People will be able to get it at a lot more places than just my website from now on. And I've already started on the next issue.

Watch this space.

DIGESTED.02
Size: 6.625"x7"
Cover: Colour
Inside: B&W pages
Pages: 64. (square bound).

-Bobby.N

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• -

For those who aren't locals... Saturday-26th-September was the AFL Grand Final for football in Australia. (The equivalent to NFL or NBA to people in America). It was a windy, rainy & COLD day. The upside was the roads were relatively clear of traffic as the 'Paper Lifeboat' exhibition was at 2pm (just on the start of the football grand final) and so it was a good run on the roads. Virtually everyone was either at the MCG stadium or glued to a television set indoors somewhere watching the event. Anyway... after stopping by a shopping centre with my woman for some errands, we made our way down in quick time to walk into the exhibition just as Bernard Caleo was in the middle of his theatrics playing the parts of Charles Darwin & Germain Greer...


I know its hard, but try to guess which was which.

Following Bernards performance of how comics changed the lives of these people... it was time to take a closer look at the fine artwork hanging on the walls and talk to some of the folks.

Jo Waite



Pat Grant



Bernard Caleo


M.P. Fikaris


Mandy Ord
(My personal pick of the exhibition. Great story and, as usual, beautiful artwork). I should have taken a closer photo.


My contribution...


..and a detail of the artwork.


The crowd was nice in size. It was obvious that comics were more important than beer and football to these people today. Godbless'em.


We all sat down and doodled a few drawings relating to the event. A lot of fun chatting and scribbling. Zora & I left early, and I forgot to take a detailed photo of the drawing that people were doing on the large green 'Wattle' horse (oh you noticed it in the photos?). Sorry Jen.

See you comic nuts at the next weeks monthly meetup:

WHERE: Prince Alfred Hotel on Grattan St, Carlton (across the road from Melbourne Uni.)
DATE: Saturday 3rd October '09
TIME: 2-6pm

-Bobby.N

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