Without Fear

I love going to conventions. I sell comics, sure, we all participate in capitalism, but I also buy comics, which is me participating in creative salves for mental health benefits.

The other weekend I went to the Oz Comic Con Pop Up weekend in Sydney. It was a success, both because it was very Covid responsible, but also because I came home with a stack of comics.

This picture above is my con haul, and just looking at it again here gets me all excited. I finally managed to get my hands on a full run of GREENER PASTURES, one of the foundation blocks of modern creator owned Aussie comics, and I’m a third of the way through and it’s exceptionally good. Some of the little beats Tim McEwen puts into his art is genuinely exciting!

HONOUR BOUND is Oli Ward’s first comic, and it’s a great bloody entry. He’s doing some really awesome things with his panel work and I cannot wait to see what’s up next for him.

THE STRAITS is a great 80s horror love letter, mixed in with EC and Lovecraft, and I’ve cracked through about half of it and it’s a banger of a read. The two fine gentlemen involved in its creatyion are obviously keen to take this gig seriously, and I’m also keen to see what comes from them next.

I got to land hands on STEADY DIET, and MEET ME IN THE PIT #4, and both Aussie anthology comics are superb material that need to be sitting on all coffee tables.

And the final comic was my favourite find of the con – THE SAGA OF THE SHIELDBREAKER. This Viking prelude issue is absolutely gorgeous, it’s got some nice swerves, and I’m dying to read more of this world from Mickey Scott. I also wrote a Viking comic, so every time I sold a copy of ETERNAL, I sent them over to see Mickey, and I was glad to see people walking around with his eye-catching cover.

I’m back from the con, back to the grind, and ready to write more comics so I have an excuse to go to the next con where I hope to buy more awesome new Aussie comics to feed my soul.