Comics Biz, the ezine of the Comics/Graphic Novels Portfolio comes out on the last Thursday of the month. Go to the Comics Biz page to download it.

(NB - you must be logged in to the website for this link to work. To log in, click the "Member Log In" button in the left hand menu. Please contact the ASA on 02 9318 0877 or asa@asauthors.org if you do not have your password.)

Latest News:

27/01/10 -  Aussiecon 4, the 68th World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon), will place Australia at the centre of the science fiction and fantasy world in 2010. The convention will be held from Thursday 2 to Monday 6 September 2010 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Guests of Honour include award-winning Melbourne artist (and ASA Comics/Graphic Novels Portfolio member) Shaun Tan, award-winning author Kim Stanley Robinson, and dedicated fan Robin Johnson.

The convention is a five-day event bringing together a premium field of authors, illustrators, publishers, and other leading genre figures including comics creators. It has all the features of an international writers festival but celebrates a very specific genre: science fiction, fantasy, and horror. For further information go to the website, or email.

In response to publishing trends and the needs of our current members and of prospective members, the ASA recently formed the “Comics/Graphic Novels Portfolio”—a special interest group that aims to provide industry support to Australian artists and writers currently working in the comics medium and, in particular, the graphic novel format. The current portfolio holders are Jozef Szekeres and Julie Ditrich.

The major objectives of this new portfolio are to:
(1) Protect and promote the professional interests of comics creators (both writers and artists);
(2) Form a professional community of active members who operate in this specialist discipline; and
(3) Liaise and cross-pollinate ideas with like-minded Australian and overseas organisations whose focus is on the promotion of the comics art form.

The activities for this portfolio include: developing minimum page rates for comics artists and writers; preparing ‘how to’ papers; preparing minimum terms agreements for creator-owned properties, as well as work-for-hire properties; showcasing comic artists’ work on the SOBI Style File (www.thestylefile.com); preparing a contact list of ASA/SOBI members who are specialised comics professionals to be made available to mainstream publishers searching for talent; establishing a forum on comics industry matters to be run on the ASA website; establishing a printing cooperative for comics creators/self-publishers to secure economic printing deals; organising professional development opportunities such as a mentorship scheme and workshops on the business of comics/graphic novels; and other activities as they arise in response to the needs of our members.

Discussion Board: Read or join in the discussion, and get involved in the Australian online comics community at the Pulp Faction website by clicking here.

Comics / Graphic Novels News Archive - Click the link below to download the PDF. 

If you are currently a member of the ASA, and would like to have "Graphics Novels / Comics" added to your records as an area that you work in, please contact the ASA on 02 9318 0877, or email arian@asauthors.org