Freedom

I love the words "free" and "comic books" but as anyone with two eyes in their head will tell you there is so much in comic-books-world that is distastefully flavoured by everyone's least favourite method of oppression: patriarchy. So in the spirit of freedom this Free Comic Book Day I am revisiting this awesome speech by Karen Healey and this project by US artist Alexandria Law.

Praise the Lord

Praise the Lord for Easter long weekends! I've spent a fair chunk of it unshackled from my new life of full-time workin' and put pen to paper on a comic book I have been meaning to ink for basically ever. Most exciting. Its a sad kind of story about half-sisters and imaginary friends and I'm holding out for Anzac day to get the next instalment done!

history lessons

Being a pathetic lady-fan of period dramas I was so tremendously excited to hear about Sam Wallman's Australian History Comics Anthology. Being a Bellarine Peninsula native, I thought I'd have a go at smashing out a part of the William Buckley story, with requisite silly-BBC-period-drama-style ship captain dialogue and a speedy montage to end this rather complicated and lengthy story! Submissions are due at the end of September.

***UPDATE*** Submissions are now due at the end of the year!! ***

wound up

I gotta new wind-up radio last week (yes, it has a little handle!) So, I've been tuning into 3CR, which is Melbourne's coolest radio station in case you didn't know, and getting an education (it has a comics show, need I say any more?) I was lucky enough to catch a broadcast earlier in the week by Karen Healey, speaking at the Tights & Tiaras conference at Monash Uni this month. You should definately listen to it, even if you hate super hero comics (like me!) And if that gets you going you could read Karen's now defunct (but archived none the less) blog: Girls Read Comics & They're Pissed.
Who knows... maybe I'll even try reading Wonder Woman?

Beach babes

This is the gorgeous view from my desk at the Queenscliff Neighbourhood House, where I have been hanging out the last little while, drawing pictures and drinking copious amounts of peppermint tea (I have a cold).
The 'Cliff is my hometown, and I've been invited back as a part of the local council's Sea of Words. Being invited back home, and also, Queenscliff being a nautical town (as you might have guessed from its appropriately themed writers fest), I brought my copy of Dylan Horrocks' awesome Hicksville along for a read today... and simply couldn't help myself! There is a lighthouse outside my window!! If it wasn't located within the grounds of the local naval base I would be scrounging about there right now in search of some hidden treasures.

(apologies to Dylan Horrocks and people who like nicely photoshopped pictures)