Comic Book Funny

An occasional podcast about the Australian comics scene and more, with Ben Hutchings and David Blumenstein. Ben and David have been writing and drawing funny comics for many a year. On Comic Book Funny, they discuss the local and international comics "scene", funny indie comics they've read and terrible ones they laughed at. They also divert into talk about making a living from drawing. Then they chuck in some weird comedy. It's a piquant mix, but luckily you only get a bit of it. Check out www.hutcho.net and www.nakedfella.com for their comix goodness. Oh, and they founded Squishface Studio, Australia's first open comics studio, with four other cartoonists. Go to www.squishfacestudio.com.

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Episode 13: This Fart Gas Is Illegal Now

From Squishface Studio, it’s episode 13 of Comic Book Funny!

LISTEN HERE (.mp3)

In this episode, we’ve got a bug up our arses about clients who expect work for nothing. Featuring some truly awful tales from listeners from the Comic Book Funny Mail Bag®© and stories of bad client behaviour from Ben, David and Special Guests Marta Tesoro and Rebecca Clements! A highly useful, and occasionally vom-inducing listen for both creatives and clients!

PLUS:

Pirate ducks! Pork people! Darth Vader! Lazer Tag!

Bullshit online “talent contests”

Is it ever okay to ask us to work for free? (Yes.)

Comedians -- are they the worst clients ever?

What bartered food and drink will our panelists work for?

Fabulous acoustic guitar music from Ben and Dave

The dork upstairs playing shitty acoustic guitar music under some of our conversation

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Episode 12: Tintin Vs. Asterix

Not a proper episode (though one's coming), instead a recording of the Tintin Vs. Asterix debate held at the Homecooked Comics Festival in Melbourne this past April!

The venue: Northcote Town Hall!

Your speakers for Tintin: Jo Waite, Anthony Mitchell, Tom Doig!

Your speakers for Asterix: Ive Sorocuk, Laura Renfrew, Emmet O'Cuana!

Your host: Bernard Caleo!

LISTEN CLOSELY

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Episode 11: Black Jimmy Olsen

From Squishface Studio, it's episode 11 of Comic Book Funny!

HOW LISTEN IS NOW

Let's not beat around the bush: this is a devastating dissection of why the '90s TV series Smallville is so shit, with occasional diversions.

Featuring:

Meet Laura Renfrew

The Squishface Entry Questionaire

The Never-Ending Smallville Discussion

We Switch To Buffy For A Bit

A Song of Rice and Beans, The New Fantasy Novel By Patrick Alexander, Read In Its Entirety By Patrick Alexander

Enjoy the work of Ben Hutchings, David Blumenstein, Laura Renfrew, Ive Sorocuk and Patrick Alexander right now.

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Episode 10: Fuck You, Sam Wallman

From Squishface Studio, it's episode 10 of Comic Book Funny!

LISTEN NOW.

On this episode, we find out our panelists' claims to mainstream fame! "BIOSHOCK" MOTION CAPTURE CLEANUP ARTIST Ben Hutchings and "THE PANEL" OPENING TITLES ANIMATOR David Blumenstein are joined by: MARVEL MASTERWORKS CHASE CARD ARTIST Ive Sorocuk! MILK SHADOW BOOKS INTERN & SQUISHFACE STUDIO RESIDENT Laura Renfrew! FRACTION-OF-AN-EISNER AWARD WINNING Patrick Alexander! In this bumper episode, we answer questions from listeners! We discuss why Ben and Patrick have BOTH done Google Images searches on Patch Adams, wonder what a "Facebook only" comic might be, consider unionising cartoonists and ponder how to run while you're having sex. Ive is challenged to a Quiz Of A Century(tm) by cartoonist Indira Neville and we crack open Scott Pollard's amazing '90s comics collection, featuring work by Tim McEwen, Tim Danko, Anton Emdin and Mandy Ord. Also: Patrick gives us a theatrical reading of a Hutcho comic. Ben gives us a theatrical reading of Jim Steranko's Twitter feed. Ben and David give us their Bernard Caleo impressions! There's a lot of singing! And Patrick gets angry at ace cartoonist Sam Wallman, whom he's never met! Plus: - A loving farewell to Patrick from one of our special friends. - What's coming up at Squishface. - Be part of Ive's Halloween comic launch! LINKS - Jim'll Paint It - Cyanide And Happiness - Australian Cartoonists Association - Australian Society of Authors rates - Funyuns - Tim McEwen - Tim Danko - Tim Danko's Once launch in Auckland - Sam Wallman - Anton Emdin - Mandy Ord - Matt Taylor - Jim Steranko's Twitter - Patrick's Charlie comic - Bernard Caleo NOTES

Scott's amazing '90s comics collection contained no copies of Cyberswine.

We all love Sam Wallman's comics and personality.

"The guy who does Ginger Meggs" is Jason Chatfield.

TOOTLEG BOY SONGS IN THIS EPISODE

Make A Woman Out Of Me

Traffic

Regrets

David's Jeans

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Episode 9: Fat Stacks

Recorded live at Squishface Studio, it's episode 9 of Comic Book Funny! LISTEN? NOW.

You won't BELIEVE what we have to say in this episode! That's because Ben, Dave and Ive talk for forty minutes about sport. We are sport experts. If you can find a single falsehood or inaccuracy in our chat, e-mail info {at} squishfacestudio.com. There is no comics talk in this episode, but we did find a way to make our opening theme even more annoying. FEATURING

Futsal vs Futbol

AFL/NRL/LRB

"Green Little Men"

Sad Duck

"Shane Warne Has White Lips"

WAFL

"A Strange Man's Head In His Pocket"

American Football Top 5

"They Only Had Tassie Dollars"

Little Penguin

"Shaq Was A Person Who Lived In The '90s"

Air Bud: Footy Fever Dog

"Englandinian Times"

Bouncy Balls

"And You Shoved Your Thumb Up Them"

Commander Damage

Brisbane Hugglebears

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Episode 8: Just The Tip

From the exciting new Squishface Studio in Brunswick, Victoria, it's episode 8 of Comic Book Funny!

LISTEN. NOW.

This overstuffed couch of an episode is hosted by four whole people: Ben, Dave, Arran McKenna and Ive Sorocuk!

We talk about the comics we're making at Squishface ("Australia's First Open Comics Studio"), and the fun stuff we'd like to do there in the future, diverting into reminiscences of cartoon workshops we did as kids.

Ben and Dave are two of the 12 or so cartoonists touring America in April/May as part of the Caravan of Comics! We chat a bit about the places we're going, and David explains everything you need to know about Toronto. Two words: Ed Mirvish!

Most excitingly, we premiere our explosive new segment, #acic (Australian Comics Industry Controversy!), in which we publicly slag all the Aussie comics people we hate! If YOU know about any good local comics controversy, make sure you tweet it with the hashtag #acic!

PLUS

we plug (and annoyingly, eat on-air) Snyder's of Hanover Pretzel Pieces

invite you to sign up for Bernard Caleo's new comics series MONGREL

dissect the rules of selling fan art at anime conventions

mash up entertainment brands for theoretical profit

turn the spotlight on Male Comics Creators

and learn what's wrong with Benno's shower!

TOOTLEG BOY TRACKS

Sometimes

They're Not On Drugs

CNN

OTHER LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE

Ed Mirvish's autobiography, How to Build an Empire on an Orange Crate, or 121 Lessons I Never Learned at School

NonCanonical comics podcast!

The Comic Spot, Aussie comics podcast which has just finished up.

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Kane and Larry of the Aussie comics podcast NonCanonical had Benno as their guest in episode 93, and recorded the ep at Squishface Studio! We had a great time. The whole podcast is worth a listen (go to noncanonical.com), but this is a 5 minute clip where Ben talks about how Squishface started and who’s in there. I put this bit up so NonCanonical listeners can check out some of the artwork by Marta and Sacha that the guys are mentioning. Whee! I also enjoy Marta’s frightened expression when Ben says her book will be out soon.

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Episode 7: Doodle Island!

From the rarefied air of Melbourne's Wheeler Centre, it's episode 7 of Comic Book Funny!

LISTEN NOW

In this episode we welcome a special guest: David's 8-year-old self, brought here from the past in a DeLorean.

We also talk frankly about how we hope to bend corporations and TV networks to our will. Ben's pitching graphic novels to book publishers! Will they let him create great kids entertainment? David's being offered animation gigs. Will he torpedo these opportunities with his insistence on double entendre and John Farnham appearances?

Then, learn which pop starlet Ben has a crush on and hear from Brisbane's Phatsville Comix bosses, Giles Kilham and John Stewart, holding forth on their trip to the San Diego Comic Con. And which cartoonists got kicked out of the Napier Hotel?

Plus, Ben invites Melbourne cartoonists to form a new comics retail shop/studio with him and David sings the hits of Hall & Oates.

HUTCHO! by Kasper Voogt

Episode 7 links:

Mini Mel and Timid Tom

Dave's Farnsy drawings

Milk Shadow Books

Ben's launch

Inherent Vice

Graphic

Phatsville on Facebook

Jo Waite

The Napier Hotel

The Rose Hotel

"Showman!" The Bret Braddock Adventures

All Star Comics

The Wheeler Centre

Music by Tootleg Boy!

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Episode #6: Lost Oil

In the sixth episode of Comic Book Funny, we welcome our friend and (only?) listener, Arran McKenna, to the microphone! We chat about going to comics camp and suggest that certain Australian comics people might be wearing human skins. David goes through some of the swag he picked up at NYC's MoCCA Fest, Ben goes on Sale of the Century and we learn about the future of pop-up books: Picklets! Plus, which of our hosts shat his pants?

Listen to Episode #6

Episode 6 links:

Bernard Caleo's kamishibai

Chugnut comics camp blog

Michael Hill, comics doctor

Pat Grant, the future Michael Hill

Sam Wallman

Commando's ANZACS At War: The 12 Best ANZAC Comic Books Ever! by George Low

I Carried My Sketchbook by Ken Lovell

Try Sticky Institute for Goblin Magazine #3, and perhaps for Michael W. Hawkins' Corey: the Dweller in the Hollow (PS: I talked to Jo Waite and she said actually Michael's comic was not digital, but rather printed at The Rizzeria.)

Dark Horse Presents #1 (w/Patrick Alexander pages)

Sarah Howell, the artist David went on his honeymoon with

Josh Shalek's Foldy Comics and Scenic Byways

Chuck Forsman, of Snake Oil

JP Coovert, of Simple Routines

Andrew Fulton, who "gets all the cool stuff"

Royal Flush Magazine

Daniel Spottswood, of Disquietville

Casey Bohn, of Come, Let Us Adore Him

Bill Volk, of The Dewey Decimal System Is Decadent and Depraved

Coffee Spoons Comics is edited by Stephanie Mannheim

Yes, Let's was drawn by Maris Wicks

John Martz, of Heaven All Day

Flu Hartberg, of English Conversation

Martin Ernstsen's Hva tenker du på? (What are you thinking?)

Robot, the nice bok-shop in Bergen

Pood

Newspaper Club

Nemi

Kollektivet

Picklets

All-Star Comics

Evil Empire Comics

mycomicshop.com

Tootleg Boy tracks in this episode:

Time For Thunder Storms

Do A Little Fart

Cop A Squizz At My Nuts

Let Us Chase A Rainbow

Check out Ben's comix at hutcho.net, Dave's at docklandsentertainment.com, and Azza's at happydancecomics.tumblr.com/!

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Ben's Julia Gillard interview, from CBF #6.

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Episode #5: Rude On A Boob

We check back in with Ben and David! David's new weekly comic begins a discussion about bad workplaces which is equal parts depressing and hilarious. We learn how to play the exciting games "Tit Minge Clunge" and "Fuck The Queen", making this probably our sweariest podcast.

We also enjoy the brand new "Comic Book Funny" theme song and close with a "Back to the Future 2" injoke writ large. This podcast contains almost no comics talk!

Listen to Episode #5

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Episode #4: Everybody Loves Ashworth

The Comic Book Funny podcast returns after two years away. Sort of. This is a full, unedited recording of a live Comic Book Funny session at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

An audience gathered at the Bella Union bar in Trades Hall on April 11, 2009 to hear a very special Intimate Conversation between long-awaited interstate guest Gerard Ashworth and local comics broadcaster John Retallick. It's an hour's worth of Ashworth, which may be too much for some. You've been warned.

If you're unfamiliar with Gerard's work, try Googling, or here: http://tinyurl.com/2dgb6fh

Listen to Episode #4

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David made this cutup because he loves Jason Scott Lee's "POWAAAA" line from Back to the Future II! The audio version is in CBF #5.

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David got Ben behind a microphone and set him loose on a comic-con audience. This happened! It was an ad for the Comic Book Funny events during Melb Comedy Festival in 2009.

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Episode #3: Look At What You See

In this hour-long slice of cartoonist overkill, we report on how the Comic Book Funny events at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival went, and present chunky excerpts of Week 2's discussion, featuring Benno, Glenn Smith and Ross Tesoriero (sorry about the audio quality). Also, we finally talk a bit about local comics we like rather than bagging out crap ones.

Listen to Episode #3

Beyond this...

we chat about our recent visits to Sticky, Gallery 696 and the Melbourne Bar & Bistro (”Melbourne’s Cumhole”)

Ben updates us on his drawing board situation

we try out some product placement

Ben’s Tootleg Boy music gets some well-deserved media love

David honks the horn for “Comics In A Day” at Melbourne's Emerging Writers Festival

Ben tells of his encounters with FAMOUS PEOPLE!

and we end on a song!

Links: Ben Hutchings – http://www.effect.net/geeen/ Glenn Smith – http://glennoart.com/ Ross Tesoriero – http://www.weirdgalaxy.com/ Trumpet ice cream – http://www.tiptop.co.nz/our_brands.asp?category_id=6 Sticky zine shop – http://www.stickyinstitute.com/ Gallery 696 – http://www.696.com.au/ Brunswick Bound – http://artabase.net/gallery/24-brunswick-bound Patrick Alexander – http://chickennation.com/ David Tang – http://www.eclectical.org/davidtang/ stikman – http://www.stikmancomics.com/ Paul Elliott from Polyester Books asked the question about how some comix have good art but bad stories and vice versa – http://www.polyester.com.au/ Supanova Pop Culture Expo – http://www.supanova.com.au/ Armageddon Expo – http://www.armageddonexpo.com/ Melbourne Bar & Bistro – http://www.melbournepubs.com/v/465/ Any comics we mentioned without their own website can probably be found at Tabula Rasa Australian comics gallery – http://www.tabula-rasa.info/AusComics/ Try a Google search for Gerard Ashworth. I did, and found full copies of some of his comics online, in PDF format!

Tootleg Boy tracks in this podcast:

Little Bit Of Jesus

“The Never Ending Story” was written by Giorgio Moroder and Keith Forsey. We adapted our arrangement from a MIDI file, author unknown.

Special thanks to our new robot announcers. And thanks to Alicia Sometimes and Stella Glorie for saying “Sing A Song Of Bum Sex” and “Shlong Surgery” live on 3RRR!

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David mixed Benno's classic cover of the theme from The Never Ending Story! It's in CBF #3.

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Episode #2: Don’t Be Shame, Be Game

In this episode, we are sex-obsessed. We talk about the comics in free youth magazine STREETWIZE and how its spin-off, GAOLWIZE, helped inmates get laid safely, we discuss the least erotic comic book ever made in Australia and even many of Ben’s Tootleg Boy music tracks are about sex. Sexy!

Listen to Episode #2

Also, we plug our own stuff again, touch on the giant “Life: Be In It!” ball, there’s plenty of swearing and David impugns the reputation of a dead cartoonist. Plus an exclusive interview with William Shatner!

You can download Ben’s music at his website. Here are the tracks used in this podcast, so you know which ones to get:

Sing A Song Of Bum Sex

I Am Saucy

Pop Punk Is So Exciting

Shlong Surgery

I Rode To Woden

There Is Nothing Like A Sex