Oz Comics Newsletter#57

Hmm, wonder if there's anything good on TV? Hey wait it's the Oz Comics Newsletter for February 17th, 2000!

GOING APE: Alternative Press Expo happened in San Jose on the weekend of Feb 5th and it was a rousing success. Plastic Planeteer CHE GILSON sold over $100 of mostly Oz comics, even while shoved in the back of the hall. And that's pretty good for a one-day show. "Tango was 'the hook'!" enthuses Che - while it only sold two copies, its size and format drew lots of people to graze the table. Also doing well were some assembled 'starter kits' of Oz comics. Pretty much every title sold at least one copy.

The distro dynamo is also working on some pitches to various comics companies, though hobbled by carpal tunnel syndrome. She's got plenty of comics left over, and is planning to spruik them at San Diego Con in July. APE: www.comic-con.org/Pages3/apef.html

Plastic Planet: http://www.qdcomic.com/distro/plasticplanet.htm

San Diego Con: www.comic-con.org/

POLYESTER is planning a fundraising gig to raise money for a possible legal defense. The t-shirt contest is continuing, so far Ben Hutchings is the winner, unless someone else submits a design. More on the raid and response at http://www.qdcomic.com/polyester/page.htm

MONASH MAGS: there's an exhibition of old pulps going on at Monash University.
http://www.lib.monash.edu.au/hss/rare/xscificat.htm

ZINE FAIR FRENZY: There's not one but THREE of 'em in the works. Hobart Fringe(Feb 18- March 5), Mardi Gras in Sydney (Feb 20), and a traveling show leaving April 14.

HOBART FRINGE FEST will be on from Feb 18 to March 5th. A zine table is being organized for the festival club, and there's a special media day on the 29th.
Five or more copies of your zine should do. Contact Lachlan Conn, GPO Box 2118, Hobart 7001 Australia. Email:lach@kyd.net

MARDI GRAS FAIR DAY will be at Victoria Park in Sydney on Sunday Feb 20th. Scooter Collective will have a stall, and welcome zines. For inquiries, try catpounce@start.com.au or http://www.emucafe.com.au/scooter

THE ABOMINABLE KNOWLEDGE EMPORIUM:
Kath Williamson of National Young Writers' Festival fame is organizing a portable zine stall for a rave convoy...well, I'll let her describe it:

* * *

"EARTHDREAM 2000 was conceived by Mutoid Waste Co in London in 1988 and since then has been carried by word of mouth and occasional back-up press globally. EARTHDREAM 2000 is planned as a journey departing Port Augusta South Australia on 1 May 2000, travelling north to Darwin, then South, then west to Stradbroke Island (Brisbane) by September/October the same year. This is an attempt to find a balance between full on rave, workshops addressing land rights, water and uranium issues, and finally corroboree sharing with local and aboriginal groups."

I've been planning for a few years to join this convoy. It's going to be a very big learning experience for me, but I'm determined to bring some of the ideas, talents and experience of the urban DIY publishing community with me to
share with people on the trek, as well as local people met along the way. This will hopefully heighten the awareness of underground publications, as well as highlight the solidarity of thought against stupidity and tyranny, amongst many young Australian writers and self-publishers.

To this end, I'm going to organize a mobile zine/comic library of sorts called:

*** THE ABOMINABLE KNOWLEDGE EMPORIUM ***

This will be set up under a tarp (tastefully decorated, of course) wherever the convoy rests its weary head, and the publications will be available for people to borrow to read.

Now, I have a reasonable collection of underground publications, but I know that I'll inevitably lose a number of these as the journey unfolds. If you're interested in your publication being available at THE ABOMINABLE KNOWLEDGE EMPORIUM, please forward me a copy. (If you need money for said publication and postage, please let me know, however, donations of single issues of zines/comics for the library gratefully accepted).

If you're interested in the EMPORIUM holding multiple copies of your publications to sell, then please foward me copies and invoice. I am leaving the big smoke around 14 APRIL so send stuff well before then.

* * *
http://www.lockon.org/archives/updates/ed2000.htm

Co-opt the doof scene to comics! Send your stuff to:
Kath Williamson
PO Box 13 St Lucia Queensland 4067Australia.
bigk@csee.uq.edu.au

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS:

The folks behind WEED WITCHES and MEDICAL CANNABIS QUARTERLY are looking for art and submissions, by the end of February. Can someone page Michael Fikaris? Snail: Lucy Charlesworth 8 Summerland place, Wingham 2429 NSW
Email: jackal@jackal.inta.net.au
Profile: http://www.cutnpaste.va.com.au/exhibition/113.html

Site: http://jackal.inta.net.au/

NOTABLES IN THE NEWS:

TIM DANKO has left his job for school. He's thinkin' about getting a computer.

STEFAN NEVILLE is in Edinburgh, but writes that Oats comics is being handled in his absence by Clayton Noone. www.freeyellow.com/members3/oatz/

Sydney's STRATU along with ANTON EMEDIN is planning a late October exhibition of comics art called SPLAT! More info soon!

LARK PIEN is somewhere in Cairns.

Dates to Remember:

Events

Hobart Fringe Festival - Feb 18-March 5
Mardi Gras - Feb 20
Melbourne Bar & Bistro comics meeting - Feb. 26, 8pm
Armageddon Convention - March 18 & 19
COMIC FEST 2000-25th March
San Diego Comic-Con - July 20-23
Small Press Expo - Sept 15-17
National Young Writers' Festival - October 6-8
SPLAT! Sydney Comix Exhibition - Late October

Submission Deadlines:

Alchemy Application - Feb 18
Weed Witches - Feb 29
Satan Lives with Me - March 24
Small Press Expo Book - April 1
Milk Bar - April 1
Abominable Knowledge Emporium - April 14
ISEA submissions - April 15
Untold.net - Ongoing