Geek of Oz

You miss us? Yep. I'll be the first to admit it's been far too long since we put out an instalment of the stitched-together pop culture ramblings we generously call a podcast. Unfortunately 'real life' (otherwise known as the collection of tasks we perform in order to fool others into believing that we are actually adults)  gets busy and as much as we try and make getting the podcast out in a timely fashion a priority, occasionally our other responsibilities get the better of us. The last month and a half has been one such time. ... But fear not. We are back with what I can proudly boast is a 100% organic, grass fed, preservative free episode of Read, Watch, Play! coming to you live (at the time) from Oz Comic-Con Sydney. As well as chatting about or thoughts on the con we managed to score some interviews with some of the con's guests: Sam Lloyd (Ted from Scrubs) and Robert Maschio (The Todd from Scrubs)- Interview at the 3 minute mark  ...

Aussies do many things well but subtle isn't always one of them. Far too often stories taking place 'down under' can descend into a torrent of clichés complimented by the obligatory tracking shot of bounding kangaroos. Australia as a setting has a lot more to offer the world than what Crocodile Dundee or Baz Lurhman's 'Australia' showcased. My point being, the Australian setting is one all too easy to get wrong. And then there's Broken Line from Gestalt Comics which seems to effortlessly embrace this setting without resorting to any of the aforementioned 'Ozploitation' tactics.  Written by Andrew Constant with art by Emily Smith, Broken Line #1 bears the high production values and top notch story telling we have come to expect from Gestalt. Issue one opens with a stunning full page spread of a mushroom cloud, establishing a sort of post-apocalyptic setting, followed up by a close up of a rotting corpse almost zombie-like in appearance. A...

Australia's own Gestalt Comics have never failed to satisfy. Not many publishers, big or small, can boast a stable of creators and releases of as high a quality as our Aussie comrades. Whether you're after fantastic horror in Torn, Changing Ways and The Eldritch Kid, a brilliant all-ages romp in The Deep or the quirky Vowels and Waldo's Hawaiian Holiday - Gestalt have got you covered. It looks as though Gestalt will continue to please with the impending release of Stalag-X by artist Mike Ratera and fan-favourite sci-fi legend Kevin J Anderson. Follow on after the jump for full details!

If you're a fan of Aussie comics (that's probably why you're here), a fan of animation or just a fan of AWESOME things you should head to All Star Comics this Saturday for the official book launch of Tom Taylor and James Brouwer's THE DEEP: THE VANISHING ISLAND . Not only will you be able to get your hands on the books and meet the creators but you'll also be able to check out an exclusive preview screening of the upcoming animated series. Follow on after the jump for more details.

If you're a longtime reader of Geek Of Oz, you'll know that we love The Deep . The all ages wonderment created by Tom Taylor and James Brouwer has taken to comic world by storm and now they're moving into the third dimension!  After just watching the newest incarnation of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, it's instantly apparent that The Deep will be in good hands with animators Technicolor. Be assured that we will keep you informed of any news that comes to hand on this very exciting property. Follow on after the jump for more details!

Beardy and the Geek is back and to break in the new year we speak with Tristan Jones, writer, artist, deceased mariner and all around nice guy. We talk to T-Rex about his career, experiences in crowd funding and one of my most anticipated projects of the year, Sebastian Hawks.

You will have already heard me bang on about how much I loved The Eldritch Kid: Whisky & Hate , but if you didn't, go read an come straight back. Luckily for Emmet O'Cuana and I, Eldritch Kid writer Christian Read spared some time to have a chat about The Eldritch Kid, Unmasked, his work on the MMO game The Secret World and eventually Young Guns and Penrith Panthers - World of Entertainment. Grab the audio after the jump!

The second part to Madman's Supanova Sydney panel covered comic books and manga! While there weren't a great deal of acquisition or release announcements, Madman brought along a bunch of special guests to sweeten the deal. Check out more details after the jump!

Today I have the pleasure of speaking to writer Tom Taylor and artist James Brouwer, creators of my favourite book of recent time , The Deep: Here be Dragons.  In case you haven't heard, The Deep: Here be Dragons is the Aurealis award winning graphic novel from Aussie duo, Tom Taylor and James Brouwer, and the patriotic streak doesn't end there. This book is beautifully presented by the good folks at the independent Aussie comics company, Gestalt. Follow on after the jump and not only will you get an interview with some of Australia's best and brightest but you will get a look at some interior art and an EXCLUSIVE look at an all new piece of art from the forthcoming VOLUME 2, The Vanishing Island. Intriguing?

Curiouser and curiouser. The Eldritch Kid by Christian Read and Michael Maier started off like Robert Rodriguez' From Dusk Til Dawn , at first I thought that it would be a straight laced Western adventure but within a few short pages, zombies attack. I instantly knew that this was going to be a crazy ride. "An old West where every myth and monster and magic is real. Ten Shoes Dancing is a shaman of the Lakota people and an Oxford scholar. Riding shotgun on a group of pilgrims heading West, he encounters the dime novel hero known only as the Eldritch Kid. Famed as a hero and champion, sadly, the Kid isn’t all he seems. But there’s bad times coming for the convoy, sour ground to cross, and the price Ten Shoes will pay for the Kid’s help might be too damn high."

Not long ago, on this very site, we were positively GUSHING about how wonderful The Deep: Here be Dragons was. Well, it looks as though we have pretty good taste because overnight, Tom Taylor and James Brouwer were awarded with an Aurealis Award for the best Graphic Novel of 2012. We, the Geek of Oz, would like to congratulate Mr Taylor, Mr Brouwer, Gestalt Publishing and everyone else involved not only for the big win, but also for creating such a fantastic and beautiful story. Bravo and as always, have faith in the fish.

Long time followers of The Geek of Oz will know that I have a massive soft spot for all ages comics. If you're not familiar with this fact, go read my rant  on the subject and then come straight back... I'll wait here while you do... Aussie independent publishers, Gestalt , bring us The Deep: Here be Dragons, an original graphic novel which is like a crazy mix of SeaQuest DSV and Man of Action's Ben 10. Being written and illustrated by fellow Aussies (Tom Taylor & James Brouwer) is just another bonus and a source of immense pride. "My family are explorers. We have been for generations. Some argue that there is nowhere left to explore, that everything on Earth that can be discovered has already been found. They say that to truly explore we need to leave our planet. While others look up to the starts, my family know that there are also an infinite number of things that shine brightly in the darkness blow. Most of our world lies unexplored, unexplained. T...