ComicFest 2022: Comics in NZ with Dylan Horrocks

Now the dust has settled on Comic Fest 2022 we can settle  back to reflect on what was  a fabulous, immersive, and truly memorable online celebration of all things comics in New Zealand – what a blast the day was.

If you missed any of the day, or 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.

We have a very special session  from New Zealand comics legend Dylan Horrocks. In the resulting far-reaching conversation, which we loosely called “Comics in New Zealand and Memoir”, Dylan discusses a wide variety of comic-related subjects.  A fabulous and fascinating insight into both Dylan’s own creative works and worlds, and also that of the wider comic and graphic community in New Zealand.

Dylan Horrocks is a cartoonist best known for his graphic novel Hicksville and his scripts for the Batgirl comic book series. His works are published by the University of Auckland student magazine Craccum, Australia’s Fox Comics, the current affairs magazine New Zealand Listener from 1995 to 1997, the Canadian publishers Black Eye Comics and Drawn and Quarterly, and the American publishers Vertigo and Fantagraphics Books. He currently serialises new work online at Hicksville Comics.

To watch, visit our Comic Fest 2022 channel here.

ComicFest 2022: Sarah Laing Comics & Memoir

Now the dust has settled on Comic Fest 2022 we can settle  back to reflect on what was  a fabulous, immersive, and truly memorable online celebration of all things comics in New Zealand – what a blast the day was.

If you missed any of the day, or 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.

One of our many highlights was the wonderful  Sarah Laing in conversation, during which Sarah  talked about comics in Aotearoa New Zealand, as well as giving a fabulous overview of her work so far in the comics world, not to mention giving us a few sneak peeks into what she is currently working on and planning for the future. It is a fascinating insight into one of our most accomplished artists and unmissable for anyone who is interested in  graphic novels, writing or indeed any of the  associated disciplines and genres linked to these in New Zealand or beyond.

Sarah is a Wellington-based writer and illustrator who has had novels, short stories, and the graphic memoir Mansfield and Me published. Her collection of comics from the past ten years, Let Me Be Frank, was published by VUP in late 2019. She also the co-editor of Three Words: An Anthology of Aotearoa/NZ Women’s Comics and has illustrated a number of children’s books.

View Sarah’s  conversation below, or find it on our Comic Fest playlist.

ComicFest 2022: New Voices, New Perspectives

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.

One of our many highlights was our New Voices, New Perspectives  Panel Discussion featuring some of the New Zealand artists at the vanguard of these changes – Mary Guo, Tara Black, Jem Yoshioka, and Sam Orchard.

The world of graphic art is changing at an amazingly rapid pace — a veritable revolution has been happening in recent years. Developments have included: new definitions of what comprises a graphic work, new platforms with global reach for people to view your work and new high-tech tools to create your works. Our fabulous panel discuss the new opportunities for artists, the challenges inherent in these changes, and — finally — how artists go about taking full advantage of these new frontiers.

You can watch this panel by clicking into the link below.

ComicFest 2022: How to draw heroes with Michel Mulipola

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 we have How to draw hero’s masterclass with Michel Mulipola, a masterclass on comic hero creation from one of the most accomplished figures in the New Zealand / Aotearoa scene. In short, gold dust for anyone interested in creating their own heroes from one of the acknowledged experts.

A comic book illustrator and professional wrestler, Auckland-based Mulipola is a self-taught award-winning artist who has produced illustrations for Learning Media, Lift Education, Reading Warrior and independent US graphic novel series Headlocked. An advocate for comic drawing and creative expression, Mulipola is keen to inspire young talent through regularly visiting schools and running workshops. In 2020 Mulipola published O Le Aiga Samoa with Nafanuatele Lafitaga Mafaufau, the first-ever Samoan language comic book.

Website: http://www.bloodysamoan.com/

Twitter: @bloodysamoan

Instagram: @bloodysamoanart

To watch just click on the link below or visit our Comic Fest 2022 channel by clicking HERE.

ComicFest 2022: Storytelling with Jonathan King


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.

Website: jking.nz

Twitter: @MrJonathanKing

 

Comicify Your Life: ComicFest Art Competition Results

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

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!