Hamilton's paradise lost

 Saturday was a sunny day for Hamilton Zinefest 2015.

 Brent Willis was among the first to get his stall set up. The early bird catches the worm, as they say.

 Tim Danko and Three Words co-editor Indira Neville were fine company and at 12.30, we channelled the spirit of Sarah Laing as we talked about Three Words.

 There was live comic drawing in the afternoon.

 And table holders were often absent from their seats, mingling and chatting to other comic folk.

 The crowds ebbed and flowed as the day progressed.

 And more comic drawing and reading.

 Four o'clock was "Swap o'clock", when zine-makers exchanged their remaining fare for their neighbours'.

 Then it was time to go home (after "Fearless" played out on vinyl), via a little detour: Hamilton Gardens, with Taylor Swift fanziner Erin Fae.

All in all, a lovely way to lose a Saturday.

Wellington books

I'm delighted to be taking part in Wellington City Libraries Comicfest 2015 along with Indira Neville and Sarah Laing, to discuss Three Words; an anthology of Aotearoa Women's Comics and Cartoons we are co-editing.

We'll be taking part in a panel discussion, from 1-2pm on Saturday 2 May, to talk about women's comics and the genesis of the Three Words book, moderated by Pikitia Press' Matt Emery.

Great fuel

The New Zealand Book Council have included my recommendations for NZ's next Great Kiwi Classic on their Booknotes Unbound site.

And my list gets another favourable mention on Wellington City Libraries' News Blog.

I hope there's something in this little lot to fire up your interest in graphic fiction!

Boy comics

Many thanks to Matt Emery, founder of Pikitia Press, for interviewing Sarah Laing, Indira Neville and me, about "competent boy comics", "community" and, ahem, rabble rousing, but mostly about Three Words.

Three words

I'm co-editing an anthology of New Zealand women's cartoons and comic art, Three Words, along with NZ comics scene stalwart Indira Neville and novelist and cartoonist Sarah Laing. 

We’re open to submissions now. If you identify as a woman and make comics or cartoons in NZ, Three Words wants you!

Interested parties can find the submissions guidelines and read all about the anthology and the editors at the Three Words blog. I’ll be posting art and links to some of New Zealand’s amazing women comics creators in the coming weeks – if you’d like to be profiled or know of anyone you think should be, tweet us @threeword3, or join the Facebook group here, or simply tag along for the ride - we'd love to have your support!

In complete

1. Incomplete Works is published by Victoria University Press.

2. Dylan Horrocks was half my prize for winning the Auckland University Graphic Fiction Competition.

3. Sarah Laing adopted my rabbits. 

4. I have reviewed Sarah's novel but have yet to find a home for my review.

5. Sarah may have phrased it differently.
6. Dylan may not have said this.

7. Usurper, doppelganger, pretender!
8. "Nathan Jones" was a hit for 80s Brit-band Bananarama.

 

All text and images ©RaeJoyce 2014

Fall alright

Had a few bits of good fortune befall me this winter. Firstly: connecting with Jamez Chang, hip-hop (hurray) performer, artist and writer, and editor of flash fiction at Counterexample Poetics. Here's a piece of his bio:

"Jamez Chang is a poet, writer, lawyer, and former hip-hop artist living in Englewood Cliffs, NJ. After graduating from Bard College, Jamez went on to become the first Korean-American to release a hip-hop album, Z-Bonics (F.O.B. Productions, 1998), in the United States. He also composed the soundtrack to the documentary The #7 Train: An Immigrant Journey."

I'm delighted to be collaborating with Jamez on a project this month - watch this space.


Second bit of good news: I made the shortlist (second year running) of the University of Plymouth Short Fiction Competiton. I'm completely stoked about this as it's a tough comp from a brilliant journal - the shortlist always contains the very best of contemporary fiction - and I'm proud to have my name on the list again. Fingers crossed - winner announced in August.

Finally: last night I went to the launch of Sarah Laing's latest novel, The Fall of Light. I'm only a couple of chapters in (and enjoying muchly), but I recommend reading her work (she does awesome comics, too), and hopefully I can tempt you to buy her book with a comic scene from her launch.

  All text and images ©RaeJoyce 2013

Update: Sarah Laing gave my comics a lovely mention on her blog - along with some great pics from her launch - here.