Tuesday, September 26, 2017

EVENT: Overload: NZ Comic and Manga Convention 2017

This weekend sees the return of Overload: the NZ Comic & Manga Convention, an annual community-focused event where local indie comic and manga artists can exhibit and sell their artwork.

Overload 2017 will host more than 200 indie artists from all over New Zealand. They are running loads of fun events for attendees to join in, such as: a Cosplay Competition, an Illustration Competition, and for the first time this year, an anime song Karaoke Competition. They will also have international guests in attendance:  anime singer Kawano Marina (‘Morning Arch’, ‘Takaramono’), anime director Takuya Sato (WIXOSS series, Steins; Gate) and cosplay artist Ying Tze.

Above: Cosplay artist Ying Tze.

If Comics and Manga are your thing, this is a great convention to pick up some amazing original artwork direct from the artists themselves, as well as manga, anime DVDs, and plenty of other genuine collectible goodies!

Overload 2017 will be taking place this Saturday, September 30th, from 10am – 6pm at The Cloud Convention Center, 89 Quay Street, Auckland. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for under 13s and Free for under 5s! Tickets can be purchased at the door, or from Eventfinda HERE. From more information, visit the Overload website HERE.

- AK!

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Recommended Reading: The Pencilsword: Follow The Leader

Above: The Pencilsword: Follow the Leader: Bill English - National, by Toby Morris.

With the New Zealand election looming at the end of this month, cartoonist Toby Morris is on the campaign trail - capturing his impressions of our political party leaders out there meeting the public and pushing their respective views. Toby's Pencilsword series, created for The Wireless website, has covered all four of the major party leaders, starting with James Shaw of The Greens Party, which you can read HERE.

Above: The Pencilsword: Follow the Leader: James Shaw - The Greens Party, by Toby Morris.

Followed by part 2: Jacinda Ardurn - The Labour Party, which you can read HERE, and Part 3: Bill English - The National Party, which you can read HERE.

Above: The Pencilsword: Follow the Leader: Jacinda Ardurn - The Labour Party, by Toby Morris.

UPDATE: And finally, Part 4: Winston Peters - NZ First, which you can read HERE.


Above: The Pencilsword: Follow the Leader: Winston Peters - NZ First, by Toby Morris.

It should go without saying, but remember to get out there and vote on September 23rd. As we've seen in recent overseas elections, EVERY VOTE can make a difference - and this is gearing up to be a close one, so make sure you have your say on Election Day!

- AK!

Wednesday, September 6, 2017

EVENT: So You Finished Your Comic, Now What?


Above: From left, self-portraits by cartoonists: Michel Mulipola, Li Chen, Sam Orchard and Zak Waipara.

Creating and completing a comic book, graphic novel or comic strip is a huge accomplishment...but what comes next? How do you go about getting it printed or published? How do you find an audience for your comic book?

The panel event, 'So You Finished Your Comic, Now What?', happening at the Auckland Central Library Whare Wananga on Thursday 14th of September at 6pm will attempt to answer these questions and more.

Moderated by cartoonist and educator Zak Waipara (Otea),  the panel will include experienced cartoonists Sam Orchard (Rooster Tails), Li Chen (Extra Ordinary Comics) and Michel Mulipola (Headlocked: The Last Territory), discussing the realities of getting your finished comic in front of an audience.

Here's some background on the participating cartoonists:

Panelists:

Li Chen is the creator of the webcomic Extra Ordinary. She likes drawing and petting cats. You can visit the Extra Ordinary website HERE.

Michel Mulipola is a self-taught comic book artist from Auckland. He has been immersed in the world of comic books from the tender age of five when he first decided he wanted to draw them. He has contributed to various anthologies and is currently working on the U.S comic book, Headlocked: The Last Territory. You can visit his website HERE.

Sam Orchard has been drawing comics since he was a little girl. He is passionate about telling stories that celebrate the rich depth and diversity of our communities. He draws an autobio webcomic about his life as a queer trans man at Rooster Tails, which you can visit HERE.

Moderator:

Zak Waipara (Rongowhakaata, Ngati Ruapani, Ngati Porou, Ngati Kahungunu). Zak has worked in animation, written and illustrated books and comics, including the recently released Otea. He has lectured in Digital Media and Animation at AUT and Animation College. You can visit his Otea website HERE.

The event is FREE, with refreshments from 6:00pm, with the event starting at 6:30pm. For more information and updates, visit the Facebook event page HERE or the Auckland Libraries event page HERE.

- AK!