June - August '23 NEWSLETTER masoncomics.com.au |
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#21. Keeping Up Appearances. Welcome those interested in my comic book work and stuff. Hope you're well. A bit to catch up on some news a mix of comics, prints a short interview, thank you for following along. |
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JULY: New Phantom Story: Fury pt 1: The Phantom #1947 was recently released in stores, and is now available online. A 68 page colour special, it includes this cover by the illustrative great Antonio Lemos. It also has part 1 of a story by Amanda Bacchi and I entitled "Fury': set in outback Queensland 1914. A full colour story, I am currently working on part 2 of 3 chapters, with possibly more to come if you readers dig it!
It was a pleasure working on this story a number of years ago with Amanda, and we're enjoying the process of engaging with edits and dialogue. More soon! Part 2 is with Frew to publish in the future, and I'm beginning the final chapter this month.
Check out link below to order a copy direct, a look at a colour cover below, a panel at the top of this newsletter, and the 1st page in colour: | | |
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AUGUST: FREW PUBLICATIONS 75th ANNIVERSARY ISSUE OUT NOW! 2023 marks 75 years of one of the longest running publishers of print material in Australia, and the longest by far in Australian comics. What a history. I have just received my comp copy of the comic and Amanda and I are pleased to be a part of this issue. The next chapter of my Phantom: Vietnam series is in colour and included in this book, along with friends and peers listed below. I was also chuffed to see some of my Kid Phantom illustrations make the Frew history article by Dr. Kevin Patrick, and see Jason Paulos's interpretation of characters and events that took place in Kid Phantom #3 that I illustrated with writer Andrew Constant back in 2017.
The book will be 180 pages, full colour with a Glenn Lumsden cover. The stories featured in the book are: "The Slavers, The Women and the Bogey Man" written & drawn by Shane Foley and coloured by Ivan Pedersen. This is a sequel to the very first Frew published story "The Slave Traders". "The Singh Raiders" written by Andreas Eriksson, drawn by Ivan Rodriguez and coloured by Daniel Jnr. Preview double page spread is included below. "Ghost of Ships Past, pt 1" written by Andrew Constant and drawn/coloured by Jason Paulos. "Undergrowth" written by Dean Rankine, drawn by Ivan Rodriguez and coloured by Tarella Pablo. Preview page is included below. "The Kiss of the Devil, pt 1" written by Pidde Andersson, drawn by Giancarlo Caracuzzo and coloured by Flavia Caracuzzo. "And our Friends are all Aboard" written, drawn and coloured by Paul Mason. (preview below) "To Wrack and Ruin at Gravelines" written by Tony DePaul and drawn by Mike Manley. This is the 258th Daily newspaper story. "The Box" written by by Dean Rankine, drawn by Jeremy MacPherson and coloured by Tom Mason.
In newsagents August 31st, stay tuned for Frew online store link soon.
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Above: Page 4 of the story, plus a panel later in story. I encourage you to read The Phantom #1886 (2021) and #1942 (2023) to get a bit more context to this chapter, but hopefully people will dig it for the mini adventure. https://www.masoncomics.com.au/phantomvietnam |
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June: Phantom Print Pholio #9 available NOW! The 2023 Phantom limited A3 signature Print Collection is now available to order via Frew Publications: Featuring my Masked Marvel tribute image (left), highlighting some of the "Roughnecks" the Phantom encounters in the 1948 story. There's 13 in the set, and all feature official Frew Phantom cover artists. Check out the link below. For $95, that's less than $10 per print.
Only 100 sets available: | | |
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June: Phantom Print Pholio #9 available NOW! The 2023 Phantom limited A3 signature Print Collection is now available to order via Frew Publications: Featuring my Masked Marvel tribute image (left), highlighting some of the "Roughnecks" the Phantom encounters in the 1948 story. There's 13 in the set, and all feature official Frew Phantom cover artists. Check out the link below. For $95, that's less than $10 per print.
Only 100 sets available: | | |
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August: FLOCK and PHANTOM Shortlisted for Comics Award: Honoured and pleased to have two of my stories from last year be shortlisted by this year's judges for the CAAA awards (formerly 'The Ledger Awards'): FLOCK #1 for Gestate Comics, and The Phantom: Until the Final Bell for Frew Publications.
Thank you to Amanda Bacchi for her fantastic editing efforts on both, Wolfgang Bylsma of Gestalt and Glenn Ford of Frew,( & Dudley Hogarth and Rene White at Frew) for your respective efforts, editorial, design etc.
I was fortunate enough to have a few stories nominated in the last couple of years (2020, 2022), and win a Bronze ledger in 2020 for my first Phantom: Vietnam story "It Tolls for Thee'.
Congratulations to friends and peers for their nominations, includingI also want to congratulate my friends and peers Gary Proudley for his comic shortlistings (and inviting me to draw a story in TALGARD: TOME TWO), Scott, KT Hollywood and co. for DARK HEART #1 from The Indigiverse, Jon and Tom Taylor's NEVERLANDERS, Nicola Scott's amazing Wonder Woman: Historia, as well as FRACTURED SHARDS by Shaun Keenan's Comics2movies, Dillon Naylor's BATRICIA & THE CREEPY CARETAKER published by Nat Karmichael's Comicoz, and Rob Lisle's SLUGGISH #1.
Full list: https://comicartsaust.com.au/2023-shortlist-announced/
More via below: | | |
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July interview: SYN 90.7 @ Metro Comic-Con Melbourne 2023 Thank you to the Phantom and Flock readers original and new, who came by to either pick up a comic or print/poster, or attended the panels. Was nice to see friends and peers and readers in Melbourne. I had the opportunity to chat with Art Smitten for Melbourne Radio a little about my Phantom comics, here's the short interview:
"Ben was joined by Dr. Paul Mason to talk about the Australian comics industry and his work on The Phantom. Paul talks about his history in the industry and what it's like working on such a popular character." | | |
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Recent Fund Raiser for Cancer Hospital: Many thanks to legendary Phantom cartoonist Sy Barry and his son David for inviting me and a number of artists to be a small part of this great initiative: A bunch of great comic and comic strip cartoonists have donated comic art to raise funds for the Dana-Faber Cancer Institute/ Jimmy Fund. The auction helps support art programs and "supports art as an important tool to help hospitalized children and adults cope with difficult circumstances." Check out the website for their efforts : www.drawforlife.org
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Next month: OZ Comic-Con Brisbane 2023 Thanks OCC, I will be there at Brisbane Convention Centre Sept 16 - 17, with former Kid Phantom collaborator Andrew Constant, and a small handful of as many of my latest Phantom comic books (and FLOCK #1) as I can carry, plus a couple of Phantom : Masked Marvel A2 fight posters from Frew if anyone is keen too. I hope to see you readers there. | | |
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For October: Drawing for Adventure comics workshop for Brisbane Children's Writers Festival Thursday 5th October from 3:30pm - 5pm at Caboolutre Library, as part of The Brisbane Children's Writers Festival. I'm be holding a panel thanks to the Queensland Writers Centre and Moreton Bay Regional Council about Drawing for Adventure Comics! The workshop will be FREE for ages 10 - 16 year olds. Bookings essential! https://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/libraries/Events/Drawing-For-Adventure-Comics-CAB | | |
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Final words, thought-streams and jibber jabber: Hello to the O.G subscribers, and hello to the new subscribers, and welcome too if you got here from the masoncomics website direct, or any friends and family still hanging with me here, following my stuff.
A special and heartfelt acknowledgement of the passing of Amanda's Dad, and my father-in-law Jeff Bacchi at the end of July. We love and miss him very much, and though the last month + have been difficult, we will persevere knowing it is what he would want. As well as many outdoor adventures he took us on, from a comics perspective, like my own parents, he and Robyn were encouraging of this stuff I did for a living. I took many reference photos taken for Phantom comics on those trips, he bought every Phantom comic we were in that dropped in the newsagent, (plus copies of Soldier Legacy, Flock, Kid Phantom etc.) bragging to the shop owners who would listen, and quietly showed them off in his 'man cave'. We went to War museums and exhibitions, GOMA's motorcycle show and many other trips that are cherished memories. He even appeared in a Phantom comic, see below. I have a pile of old Australian comic strip stories he had picked up in his travels over the years, and loved the outback. Much of the environment reference material for Amanda and my Old Julie Walker 'Fury" story came from exploring bush tracks and caves with Amanda and Jeff.
Though a small tribute message was intended for 'The Phantom #1952: 75th Anniversary edition", disappointingly it seems to have been cropped from the last page of our story. We will endeavour to have something for Jeff in our upcoming comic stories.
I hope you and your family are safe and well wherever you are and whatever you're doing. Thanks for your ongoing support, and appreciation for the comics and drawings. Share the website address for newsletter sign ons if you think you might know someone who would be keen to see this stuff or catch some news and comic info.
Maybe I'll see you at an event in September or October. Warm regards, Paul.
pmason83@gmail.com P.S: Jeff's pages from The Phantom #1925 (2022). He's the police officer on the right, arresting the gangster. Jeff's Dad (and Amanda's Grandfather) was a police detective in the QLD Police Service, retiring in '80's. |
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To Jeff. We love you, Dad. Rest In Peace. |
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