Now that the dust has settled on ComicFest 2022, we can settle back and reflect on what was a fabulous, immersive and truly memorable online celebration of all thing’s comics in New Zealand. What a blast the day was!
If you missed any of the day, or indeed just want to enjoy watching something again, have no fear! We have seven of the segments from the day available to re-watch at any time you wish, simply follow this link to our YouTube playlist.
Here is a webcomics masterclass from the awesome Jem Yoshioka. It is a fabulous talk, covering everything you need to know about webcomic creation from one giants of the scene. A delightful, easy to understand and in-depth presentation.
Jem’s current webcomic, Folk Remedy, is a queer fantasy inspired by Taisho era Japan, folktales and monsters called Yokai. Jem’s previous webcomic, a sci-fi romance called Circuits and Veins, was completed in 2020, reaching 92,000 subscribers and still attracts tens of thousands of readers a month.
Now that the dust has settled on ComicFest 2022, we can settle back and reflect on what was a fabulous, immersive and truly memorable online celebration of all thing’s comics in New Zealand. What a blast the day was!
If you missed any of the day, or indeed just want to enjoy watching something again, have no fear! We have seven of the segments from the day available to re-watch at any time you wish, simply follow this link to our YouTube playlist.
And now, we have a masterclass in storytelling from an artist and director who knows a thing or two about the art of storytelling, Jonathan King. In short, this session was gold dust for anyone interested in creating immersive and engaging stories from this award-winning graphic artist and internationally renowned film director unmissable. Jonathan King, until very recently, was best known as the acclaimed film director of films such as the hugely successful dark horror comedy Black Sheep and the remake of the NZ classic film Under the Mountain. He went on to release his first ever graphic novel in 2020 – The Inkberg Enigma. Aimed at children eight and up, it’s hugely enjoyable for adults too.
The big day is finally here, and the ComicFest 2022 livestream is in full swing as we write these words! In the lead-up to the launch of this programme, aspiring comic artists and illustrators from across Wellington submitted their finest and most creative works to our Comicify Your Life drawing competition. Artists submitted autobiographical works across four age categories (5-8, 9-12, 13-17, and 18+), and were vying for a range of thematic category awards, as well as the coveted Grand Prizes, generously supported by Unity Books and Gecko Press.
During the ComicFest 2022 livestream, following a fantastic illustration workshop from the incomparable Kay O’Neill, we announced the category awards and the Grand Prize winners for each age group for the Comicify Your Life competition. You can see a gallery of the winning images below (click or tap on each image to view the full-size scan). Congratulations to all our winners — we will be contacting you all over the coming days to organise the delivery of your prizes.
Themed Spot Prizes
Best Linework: Lex
Best Narrative Experience: Holly
Most Uplifting: Isla
Ready to Publish Award: Sonoma
Best Hands: Keya
Best Dressed: Kōwhai
Best Family Effort: Isabella, Felix, and Noah
Most Relatable: Frida
Climate Warrior Award: Tristan
Best Lore: Bill
Happiest Cat: Ella
Best Ex-Librarian: Alex
Best Sibling Duo: Darcy
Best Sibling Duo: Posy
Brightest Vibes Award: Tilly
Grand Prize: Ages 5-8
5-8 category winner: Ehan
Grand Prize: Ages 9-12
9-12 category winner: Sophia
Grand Prize: Ages 13-17
13-17 category winner: Jaime
Grand Prize: Ages 18+
18+ category winner: Kiri
Congratulations to all of our prize-winners, and a massive thank you to everyone who submitted a piece of work to this competition!
It’s the eve of ComicFest! Join us online all day tomorrow (Saturday 6 May) from 9am for this fantastic – and totally free – national celebration of all things comics-related in New Zealand!
ComicFest artists include Dylan Horrocks, Giselle Clarkson, Jem Yoshioka, Jonathan King, Kay O’Neill, Mary Guo, Michel Mulipola, Sarah Laing and Tara Black.
Although we won’t be together in person, we still want to give you the opportunity to ask our amazing artists questions!
Q&A: Handing you the (proverbial) mic!
This year, our Q&A sessions will be hosted via a moderating platform called Slido. To submit your questions on the day, go to slido.com and enter our participant code ComicFestNZ.
With ComicFest 2022 hitting the screens on Saturday 7 May, the capital’s comic book fans will be looking for ways to get hyped in advance of joining the veritable galaxy of comic creators we have lined up for the big day. You’re in luck — through our Beanstack platform, we have devised the perfect tool for anyone seeking entry to the ComicFest multiverse.
Beanstack is a digital platform and app that adds a bit of spice to our reading lives by allowing you to earn virtual badges and achievements (and sometimes real-world goodies too!) by reading and participating in activities and challenges. You can sign up for Beanstack at any time in order to:
Log reading books and minutes spent reading;
Earn reading streaks for reading on consecutive days;
Write, draw, or film book reviews;
Receive recommendations of books in our catalogue from our librarians and from other readers;
Engage in fun reading-related challenges and activities throughout the year to earn achievements and prizes!
While you have access to all of the above features at any time, our creative librarians are always dreaming up ideas for special Challenges to add even more flavour to your reading experience — many of the kids of the city will have experienced this with the Summer Reading Adventure or View Finders challenges already — now it’s the turn of the adults and teens as well!
What is the ComicFest 2022 Beanstack Challenge?
The ComicFest 2022 Beanstack Challenge is our latest offering, designed to get you immersed in the ComicFest 2022 multiverse ahead of the big day. When you sign up, you’ll be challenged to:
Track down and read all of the books, webcomics, zines, and anthologies our ComicFest artists have created — be warned, this task could keep you occupied for a very long time!
Get geared up to submit your finest cartoonish creations for the Comicify Your Life art competition — entries are closed as of 1 May 2022 — but by all means keep on creating! We love to see your work!
Each digital badge you earn puts you in the running to win some awesome ComicFest spot prizes, all while immersing you in the amazing world of New Zealand comics and their creators. The challenge runs until Saturday 21 May, so you can keep exploring even after ComicFest 2022 is done and dusted.
How do I sign up?
Comic fans of any age can register for the ComicFest 2022 Beanstack Challenge by visiting our Beanstack site and hitting the “Register an Individual or Family” button. After that, you’ll be asked if you would like to register for the ComicFest 2022 challenge!
It’s also super easy to use Beanstack on your phone or mobile device. You just need to:
Free comics available from all our Branches. ( From Tuesday 3rd of May onwards)
ComicFest 2022 is just around the corner, which means it’s time for this year’s Free Comic Book Day! To celebrate, we have close to two thousand free comics to give away. All titles are clearly marked as being appropriate for either children or teenagers, and feature some of most popular characters in the comic world universe such as Sonic, Batman and Star Wars. Get a sneak peak via YouTube here!
To claim your free comic, simply pop into one of our branches from Tuesday the 3rd of May and ask. Supplies are limited and only available on a first come first basis, so best be quick!
ComicFest will be hosted online on May 7th from 9am-5pm, livestreamed via our YouTube channel. You can bookmark the livestream here. Our dedicated staff are working flat out to bring you an exciting programme, featuring some of Aotearoa’s finest graphic artists and comic creators. If you would like an email reminder about ComicFest 2022, sign-up for our mailing list here.
