The Australian Society of Authors is inviting all Australian comics creators to participate in a survey that will help us profile the community as well as help us determine minimum freelance page rates.

AN OPEN LETTER TO AUSTRALIAN COMICS CREATORS

You can help the ASA to help you by clicking onto this link and completing the
survey.

The survey deadline is: Friday 31 July 2009

Debuting in Australian Newsagents June 2009

Black House Comics has announced the debut this June of The Dark Detective: Sherlock Holmes, a new ongoing series.

The book is written by Christopher Sequeira (Iron Man in Astonishing Tales, Justice League Adventures, 9-11 Volume 2, Rattlebone) with art by Phil Cornell (Curious Incidents, Gaslight Grimoire) and covers, story and design elements by Academy Award TM Nominee Dave Elsey (Star Wars Episode III, The Wolfman, Farscape, Where the Wild Things Are). Layouts in the preview were by Tim McEwen (Greener Pastures) and Issue One by J. Scherpenhuizen (The Twilight Age).

The Dark Detective: Sherlock Holmes is a ‘modern gothic’ take on the world’s most famous detective.

“It’s like Hammer Horror meets Holmes, with an extra jolt of electricity to amp us up to what current suspense and mystery fans might like,” series writer Christopher Sequeira said. “Our preview featured the Marquis of Frankenstein so you can see it’s going to be a more fantastic take. And Moriarty will be a player, although not in the way you might think.”

COMIC BOOK FUNNY at the MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL

For the second year, we are proud to present COMIC BOOK FUNNY, a weekly celebration of funny comics (the drawn kind) at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival!

Expect the same as last time: interstate guests, exhibition, casual comix chat. This time, however, we are launching a very special item:

THE SEXY MEN OF AUSTRALIAN COMICS 2009-2010 FINANCIAL YEAR CALENDAR!

Twelve steamy months of hot cartoonist man-meat, as depicted by women who share their comics passion. Men include Pat Grant, Greg Gates, Bernard Caleo. Women include Nicola Hardy, Jo Waite, Nicki Greenberg.

Schedule of events:

Week one (APRIL 4)
Genteel exhibition launch & salon, directed by Mme. Jo Waite. We expect also that lady comic artists will be on hand to sketch attractive male comic artists for the calendar. Watch the ladies draw, or do some drawing yourself.

The Son continues his modern day holy quest desperately seeking to regain favour in the eyes of The Enlightened One (his father) and The Angel after his deviation from The List in Vol 1.

The List
Volume II.
An Honouring of the
3rd Commandment
72 pages,
Perfect Bound,
250gsm Colour Cover,
Digital Printed 100gsm pages
Website:$16.50 + Postage and Handling.
Stores: $18.00

Author: Paul Bedford
Pencils: Henry Pop
Inks: Tom Bonin
Cover: Wayne Nichols.

Content Warning: Frequent Strong Violence, Frequent High Level Coarse Language, Horror, Gore, Torture, Supernatural and Religious Themes. Cannot be sold to persons under 15 years of age.

Available:
The List website: Available now.
Melbourne: Minotaur & Classic Comics: Available now.

The Ghost of the Murderers Hut

A Stockman drives his horse too hard causing the animal to go lame in the foot. Now stranded in the dark and spooky ghost gum forest, forced to camp in a clearing near an old bark hut. Which also happens to be the scene of a recent murder! A storm forces the young stockman inside. Faced with the gruesome scene and the sounds of the violent storm his imagination gets the better him. It’s then “The Ghost” appears at the window...

Writer(s): James Harris
Artist(s): Kerryn Milkins
Number of Pages: 16
Format: Standard US size, Full colour hand painted artwork.
Available from: Celtic Bard - www.celticbardcomic.com.au

The Southern Squadron - Doublecrossover

'Treachery, my friends is where it's at'- the credo of the lovable but villainous Grandstander, squaring off against the Squadron for a second time. The Southern Squadron face doublecross & treachery aplenty against The Dark Nebula's arch-villain. Also, in time for the Squadron's 25th Anniversary, we enjoy more of their greatest missions, including a decades-spanning crossover with The Golden Age Southern Cross!

Writer(s): David de Vries
Artist(s): David de Vries, Glenn Lumsden, Paul Gulacy
Pages: 64 pages
Format: perfect bound, full colour, glossy cover.
Available from Indy Planet

The Southern Squadron - Hold On To Your Braincells!

This full color trade edition - just in time for The Squadron's 25th Anniversary - features some of their greatest missions, introduces some of their deadliest adversaries & is guaranteed cram-packed full of great Aussie action!

Writer(s): David de Vries
Artist(s): Gary Chaloner, David de Vries, Glenn Lumsden
Pages: 64 pages
Format: perfect bound, full colour, glossy cover.
Available fromIndy Planet

The Crumpleton Experiments - Issue 8

The mind-blowing finale of "The Dorborough Incident" sees the Professor and Wendy frantically trying to save the life of a dear friend amidst psychoplasmic vortexes and a coal-fired, fiend driven automatic man.

Writer/Artist: Daniel Reed
Format: A5, colour cover, Black & White interior
Pages: 30
Available in various stores as well as by sending $6 to:
Daniel Reed, 5 Dorrington Ave, Reservoir VIC 3073.
Email dan_nautilus at yahoo dot com for online payment details.

The Trial of the Dark Nebula

In 'Origins' Australian Astronaut Mark Medula overcame the alien Cerellus from the planet Caileu to become The Dark Nebula. Now, in the fourth Dark Nebula collection, Cerellus' people have come for him, only to find a human in his place & Cerellus a disembodied force within Mark's mind. For this affront Medula is taken to Caileu to be placed on trial. With The Dark Nebula out of the way, Earth is ripe for the Caileuans plans of colonisation. It's a no-win situation....but if The Dark Nebula falls, Earth won't be too far behind!

Writer(s): Tad Pietrzykowski
Artist(s): Glenn Lumsden, Jason Paulos
Pages: 48 pages
Format: perfect bound, full colour, glossy cover.

Available fromIndy Planet

The Dark Nebula - The Chaos War

'Spawn of Order, Pawn of Death.. it is time you were taught a lesson in the true use of Power'. In this, the Dark Nebula's third collected volume Australia's super-sensation encounters the living embodiment of Chaos, a force so powerful that The Dark Nebula's mind is torn asunder to reveal his component psyches of Astronaut Mark Medula & the alien warlord, Cerellus of Caileu! Stripped of his powers & stranded in the past how can Mark possibly survive & return to the world he knows? What fate awaits Cerellus as he's flung into the far future? & What is Chaos' true agenda? The answers will astound you in 'The Chaos War'.

Writer(s): Tad Pietrzykowski
Artist(s): Glenn Lumsden
Pages: 48 pages
Format: perfect bound, full colour, glossy cover.
Available fromIndy Planet