I thought today would be a great day to highlight some Australian comic creators and artists. Some you’ll likely know, some you might not. It’s by no means an extensive list, but rather a list of people who’ve stood out to me.
Tom Taylor – writer
Website: http://www.tomtaylormade.com/
Book you should all read: The Example (with Colin Wilson on art) and Rombies (with Skye Ogden on art)
Tom is quite simply a brilliant writer. His book the Example shows just that. A tense, dialogue rich story that never feels heavy or overdone. Colin Wilson’s black and white art is stark and a helps to increase the tension of the book. It’s a short book, but doesn’t feel it, the story crafted near-perfectly. It’s also something I think anyone who truly loves comics should pick up.
Beyond that, Tom is the man who made me read (and appreciate) a Star Wars comic. I have no idea how, as I’m not a massive Star Wars fan, but his recent Blood Ties series featuring Jango and Boba Fett kept me engaged and damn him, wanting more each month. I don’t even know how that’s possible. But I think I love Tom most for his recent work on the Authority, a book that’s finishing this week. :(
Ben Templesmith – artist and sometimes writer
Website: http://www.templesmith.com/faze3/
Book you should all read: Fell (with Warren Ellis) and Choker (with Ben McCool)
Ben’s art ranges from the extremely creepy to…Well, to the much less creepy. He draws characters that are strong and intriguing, and his style changes in a way that suits each of the books he works on. His work and colouring always amazes me, from the contrasting pencils of Fell to the beautifully painted Choker, I am a fan. Plus, he loves squid.
Wayne Nichols – artist
Website: http://www.wnichols.com/
Book you should all read: Ryder on the Storm (with David Hine)
I honestly hadn’t realised that Wayne was Australian until Ryder on the Storm (which is yet another solidly written book from Radical, and one you should definitely be buying). But he has an art style that’s rich and beautiful, and I really think that he’s going to be one of those artists everyone will be seeing a lot more from soon.
Nicola Scott – artist
Website: http://www.comicartshop.com/ComicArtShopsByCat.asp?GCat=111
Books you should read: Secret Six (with Gail Simone), Teen Titans (with JT Krul)
There are so many things that Nicola does well. From perspective, to expressions, to musculature, she’s an artist I fell in love with early on. She’s great with characters, and great at individualising the people in her books. Plus, she’s brilliant at conveying emotion from humour to barely surpressed anger.
Gestalt Comics – publisher
Website: http://www.gestaltcomics.com/
Check them out. There are some great books under that label, honestly
That’s it for my Australian wrap up. It’s short and I know I’ve left off other people I love (like the very talented Stewart McKenny) but it’s a crazy day for me and I have a citizenship ceremony to go to!
~Dee
Girls Read Comics Too 
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When I went to see Hairspray for my birthday, I saw a familiar name in the programme – Franz Kantor who did the set design for the Australian production of the show, was a guest star at the very first comic convention I went to , OzCon at Sydney Opera House in 1986 (I think that’s the right year, anyway)!
Wonder if he still has anything to do with comics these days?
Oh wow, I looked at that first cover and thought Flinders. I’m not used to recognising my own home in the media (aside from the news, really) – it’s a nice feeling. Will definitely be checking it out.
Flinders Street Station, that is.
Tom is a Melbourne boy, and the book is set there. It’s pretty great.
G’day Dee and Chantaal,
I found my way here by following a link from the “Ten Things to Know About the Future of Comics” post over at ComiXology. It’s great to see a female perspective on the comics medium and industry, I’ve read several of your entries here and enjoyed them all. I know several women who read comics – a few because I introduced them to the medium ^_^ – but it’s great to see those female fans being represented on-line.
Awesome blog, I’ll added it to my RSS feeds. Keep up the good work!
Cheers.
Thanks for that, it’s really appreciated!
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