• -

I had my Godson's birthday party the Melbourne Zoo in the morning (Happy B-Day Athan!), which wound up just in time to make me fashionably late to Melbourne's Monthly Comicbook Meetup at 2.30pm. I was greeted at our usual corner table by the regulars..

In the corner of the bar, there was Trev Woods filming Jason Franks for a group of online interviews that should be online at Oz Comics soon. Keep an eye out.


Here's Jason Franks being interviewed

I was interviewed also, but don't let my ugly mug put you off... the other interviews should be good. Some interesting questions and insights of local comicbook authors were asked and answered. Great stuff Trev!

I was only away from the main area for 15-20 minutes, and upon my return the place was packed! I understood what Trev meant when he said, "I got here first and had the best seat at the window and now someone's taken it!"

But who cares!?... this month's meet was packed full of like-minded comic nuts. I'll gladly trade my seat for that.












Yes, you're not seeing things... even the Bernard Caleo attended!


Lots of discussion on comics were had, as well as people's new projects shown...


Bernard looking gobsmacked over some amazing work by Renan Le Bolloc' h. Really great stuff!

MEMORABLE MOMENTS THIS MONTH:

• The chats with various people
• Bernard's preview copy of the upcoming 'best of' TANGO' anthology.
• Trev's filming/interviews... & his funny convention story.
• The amazing artwork many people brought along. Some wonderful stuff.

Geez, what a fantastic meetup we had this month. For no special reason, the turn out was huge. Next month's meet will be a week-or-so before the Armageddon expo. Make sure you get along.. as I'll be releasing the next issue of DIGESTED. It'll be 60 pages packed full of Bobby.N goodness. I'll be sharing a table with Jason Franks & J. Marc. Schmidt. Along with our own books, we'll be selling books by Trev Woods & Tom Bonin also. Come by and say hello and even a sketch in any book you buy!

-Bobby.N


.

• -

Ok. just finished the 4-pager for TANGO-9 (Love & War), and will be burning it to CD & sending to Mr Caleo during the week (4 pages shown below):

Every so often while doing a story I discover new tricks & techniques that I think worked really well for me. So too was the case with this story. I got the hang of a certain construction & execution that I'm really pleased with & that I'll carry forward into my other work if it continues to work well and add to the look of the page.

I also did some work on my bigger secret project. Ah well... its my Moby Dick.

I've come full circle to the realisation that I really enjoy cross-hatching and adding 'volume' with it in my work. It always use to grate at me when I'd try to do a 'clean-line' style (like Tintin or Charles Burnes) and fall short in my goals. (I guess its the artist in me thats always trying extend and cover new ground)... but it just doesn't look right in my style. I always feel like I'm paying most of the attention to the drawing (and I think it shows)... rather than just drawing a well-read comic in my natural style. Thats one of the things I learnt in doing the previously mentioned short TANGO piece... that of just sitting down and doing a natural story in (as Crumb puts it) my lite"E-Z duz-it" style... my "get-it-done-already" style... and I had a wonderful time at it when I approached it this way. It just flowed.

Anyway.. spoke to Jason Franks this morning, and we're all set for Armaggeddon this October-17th in Melbourne. We'll be sharing a table (Possibly with J. Marc Schmidt)... so put it in yer diaries.

Later.

-Bobby.

• -

Here's the first page of my submission to Bernard Caleo's upcoming TANGO-9 anthology. I hope Bernard doesn't mind me showing a preview (consider this post free publicity Bernard!)... come to think of it... geez, I hope i get into TANGO-9!.. otherwise won't I look stupid?



So as not to spoil the final story (and the wonderful 'printed' experience you'll get when you read it on paper), this is all you're getting of this. Remember paper everyone?... well.. I personally think comics are best experienced that way. No offense to the handful of excellent web-comics out there, but I think online comics resemble something akin to 'advertisements'. They're far too disposable when viewed on screen (in my opinion). To me, comics attain their 'fetish' aspect (as Wolfgang puts it) when you can hold them in your hand and 'touch' them. Read them alone & 'covet' them.

Anyway... the above image is part of a 4-page story. I only have 2 pages left to ink and then I'll send it off to Mr Caleo. I really had a ball doing this, and even if this piece doesn't make it into TANGO-09... I'll probably release it in a mini book of my own.

Later.

-Bobby.N

• -

A
A nice cold & drizzly day greeted this month's local Melbourne comicbook meetup. I got there about 2.30pm and was greeted by the regulars...




Colin Wilson had just come back from the San Diego Comicon where he & Tom Taylor had spent a week signing behind tables for their new DC comic Star Wars Invasion. This was one of the rediculously massive bags at the convention for patrons to put their 'stuff' in. Geez, and I thought we were a consumer culture here in oz?





Ant playing charades with Henry...

HIGHLIGHTS THIS MONTH...

• The meetup itself. It really was that good.
• Brendan Halyday's little comic
• Colin Wilson's stories from the San Diego ComicCon
• Greg Gates' & Colins' books that they brought along. The Moebius comics were just amazing.
• Greg Gates' sample inked pages done on the back of magazine pages.
• Talking Bukowski with James Andre.

It was a nice big turnout this month. Lots of people, hot wedges, and drinks. For the absentees... you sure missed out.

-Bobby.N

• -

James Andre is a talented writer who's part of the local Melbourne comics scene. The other day he asked me to produce an illustration to accompany a short piece of writing on his new blog so I had some fun drawing the above piece today.

James' imprint 'Milk Shadow Press' has already produced some very nice material. Have a read of his work, and if its your cup of tea, email him for some more.

-Bobby.N

• -

Ok, Im in the homestretch, & I know i winged about this a while ago, but im struggling with the colour scheme for the cover just a little. I've redrawn & inked the original because, well, I didn't like the inking in certain parts.


Anyway... these 2 covers are the final contenders.

-Bobby.N

• -

Just so you all know... to now get to my site, redirect your browsers and emails to my new domain.

www.bobbyn.com

I've decided to ditch the 'bluetoaster' moniker because, while I liked the quirky name, I think its better to associate my work with my name rather than an obscure moniker that i continually have to explain to people. It's just been a drag over the last few years as people have gotten to know me and my work, and bluetoaster has just become counter-productive. I'll be re-jigging the site over the coming weeks to be in line with the 'bobbyn' idea, so stay tuned for a slightly new look.

Anyway, for now... my previous emails are the same but you need to replace the word 'bluetoaster' for 'bobbyn'.

So bobbyn@bluetoaster.com is now bobbyn@bobbyn.com

Got it? Good.
Later.

-Bobby.N

.

• -

A cold wintery-day... but this month's meet was great. I arrived at about 2.25pm, and was greeted by Greg, Colin & Jason sitting around chatting...


"You're late!" Greg teased - as I'm usually one of the first 'seat-warmers' there. Jason was on anti-biotics nursing a bad cold, but impressively made it down to the meet... or perhaps he just wanted to spread the pig-flu around... dunno. Anyway, soon Paul Bedford mosied on in lookin all 'chirpy'...


How Paul manages to sell books with THIS attitude I'll never know.





Greg was lucky enough to have a pre-release copy on show of Bruce Mutard's upcoming book THE SILENCE. Wonderful stuff. Definitely on my 'to buy' list.

Colin also brought in a signed & sketched copy of a massive hard-cover book of his (for one of Greg's friends). All black & white and simply beautiful. Can't for the life of me remember the title.



John Retallick was like a finch... too fast for my camera to capture. Stand still man!


The the old faces like John, Jen & Avi graced us with their presence. John 'hoofed' into some delicious looking hot soup and bread, while others drank beer while dipping hot pototoe wedges in sour cream. Ooh yeah.

The afternoon was a great light-hearted romp in the warm confines of the Prince Alfred Hotel as the overcast cold blew outside. Funny enough, we discussed 'movies' more than 'comics' this time. We reminisced and laughed out loud about the fantastic old 'dont-make-em-like-they-used-to' Warner Bros cartoons like Daffy Duck in ROBIN HOOD, and Buggs in THE BARBER OF SAVILLE, and WILE-E COYOTE, etc, etc.... it was great.

For those of you that missed out... suffa.
You missed a good one.

See you all next month.

-Bobby.N

• -

I've always got a pad or sketchbook with me soemwhere. In my sketchbooks (the cheap A4 ones with black covers you buy in artshops) I tend to always use blue pencil... I just like the look & feel of it & my brain-to-hand really gets firing with this colour pencil on this textured paper. Can't explain it. Don't ask. I also carry around basic lined notebooks (again standard from most newsagents of stores) and always write/sketch in a black BIC finepoint pen (one of those 'el-cheap-o' type pens... but man they're nice on notepad paper.

Anyhow... here is a page from one of my sketchbooks.


Later.

-Bobby.N

• -

Well the next issue of DIGESTED is coming along very nicely indeed. It's about 4 times the page count of issue-1 already, so Im polishing all the corners, and tying up all the loose ends, and making sure it makes a nice splash this year in our humble Melbourne scene.

So while you continue to be so patient, I thought I'd post the lineart for part of the continuing OXYGEN story that you'll see in the upcoming issue. Enjoy.

DIGESTED.02: (Sample page from 'Oxygen')

-Bobby.N

.

• -

I was looking forward to the coming long weekend. Feels like we haven't had a meetup in ages. Must be the cold weather. Anyhow... noon arrived, and i left my girlfriend Zora to her escapades at Highpoint Shopping centre, while I made off to this month's meetup. First, was a short pitstop at my favourite artshop ('WestArt' on 46 Buckley St, Footscray), where I picked up a few things. Then it was onto Cartlton & the meet.

I get there early at around 1.30, and was the only one there for a while until Mr Greg Gates turned up. Her ordered a beer, and people slowly dripped in like a tap. It wasn't too long before the place was jumping with comicbook enthusiasts.


The regulars were all there...

Chatting away about comics, movies, and everything else.


An absent regular, Dave Cunning, showed up. It was good to see him again, but it may be a while before we see him at another meetup, as he's moving to Bendigo for good. A damn shame, as Dave's one of the very few local creators that I feel simpatico with when it comes to his views and approaches to producing comics. Lets hope we still see him contributing to comics in the future.

It was a great gathering this month. Many, many new faces who looked to have enjoyed themselves. Now it's the long wait until the next one.

Keep those fists scribbling.

-Bobby.N

.