Graphic! Novel! And operatic!

Hey there team, very excited to be going up to this: GRAPHIC, at the Sydney Opera House, next weekend August 7 and 8. An incredible lineup of speakers and presenters and events - have a look at the program. Congratulations to Jordan Verzar, who has organised it all! Take a bow, Jordan...

On the Saturday I am joining an all-star lineup of cartoonists (Pat Grant, Matt Huynh, Leigh Rigozzi and Andrew Weldon) to present a comics workshop, and on the Sunday I am being the anchorman for a panel,'The Evolution of an Idea', featuring the speakers Shaun Tan, Eddie Campbell and Neil Gaiman. What, as Susan would say, a hoot.

Folks, Gary Groth is going to be there. Gary. Groth. Who made it possible to use the words 'comics' and 'art' in the same sentence? Gary Groth did. He did for comics what Gary Gygax did for dice, and I say that without being facetious or didactic in any way.

Caleo comics media empire expands!

Tonight on TheComicSpot we had a special mystery guest, Joseph Ross Bamford Caleo, in his comics review radio debut - he talked about the Captain Congo series (he's a fan) and even suggested a Kid's Tango -hey lad, not a bad idea at all...

John, Jo and I then talked to Anna Brown about her very interesting 'photographing Australian comics artists' project.

And we spoke with 'El Presidente' of the Australian Cartoonist's Association Jules Faber, who announced the new 'comics' category of their annual Stanley Awards - very exciting! You need to be a member to be eligible, so join up. I am! I think this is a pretty exciting moment - 'single-panel and strip' (ie newspaper) cartoonists are extending a warm hand to 'comic book' cartoonists - let's take it and shake enthusiastically! Also, the next Stanley Awards ceremony is in Melbourne in early November, and those parties are the stuff of legend.

So join the ACA and let's get some great comics mixing it up with some great cartoons.