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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

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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