The Australian comics folio website has just been launched and it’s a treasure trove of stories, information, interviews, essays, and so much more on Australian comics, Australian comics creators and the Australian comics community at large.

In this episode we have a chat with two of the key researchers involved in the project.

The Lead Investigator for the project was Elizabeth MacFarlane, who is a writer and Associate Professor in Creative Writing at the University of Melbourne where she teaches Graphic Narratives and Critical-Creative Writing Practices.

Gabriel Clark is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Design at the University of Technology Sydney and a creative producer. He was one of the chief investigators in the project.

This conversation is not directly about libraries and comics librarianship, but I think it’s a very valuable conversation about the Australian comics community. We’ve got enormous talent in Australia and I feel like comics by Australian creators often go under the radar. I encourage everyone to visit the Folio website and explore its vast contents.

02:48 The Folio comics project is launched!

08:00 Elizabeth and Gabe’s relationship with comics

18:01 What Elizabeth and Gabe learned about the Australian comics community

27:11 How the Folio: Stories of Australian Comics project came about

33:40 Gabe and Elizabeth discuss the Folio project, how it developed and what it looks like

40:51 The future of the Folio project

44:17 Elizabeth and Gabe talk about their highlights in the making of the Folio

50:49 The relationship of universities and academia with comics

57:09 Elizabeth and Gabe recommend some Australian comics

Folio: Stories of Australian Comics project website here: https://foliocomics.com/

The Librarians Roundtable Interview is here: https://foliocomics.com/interviews/librarians-roundtable-interview

To stay up to date, for the full roundup of news, resources and new titles and our social media links visit our website: https://graphic.alia.org.au/

The ALIA Graphic Groove Theme 2025 courtesy of Clint Owen Ellis https://www.clintowenellis.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We start the year with Jurgi and James trying to catch up with everything that's happened during the summer holidays.

01:42 Jurgi and James breeze through some of the latest news from the world of comics

06:29 James and Jurgi discuss the news that have piqued their interest:

• the recently announced animated series of Lore Olympus
• graphic novel sales were up in 2025 (in the U.S. book market)
• the UK's National Literacy Trust's excellent article about comics and literacy
• the 10 most valuable comics ever sold
• lots of best of 2025 comics lists

17:12 The Comics Arts Awards of Australia shorlist and some of our personal favourites

24:43 James and Jurgi discuss their picks from the new titles out in December and January:

• Labyrinth: Beyond the Goblin City by Delilah S. Dawson, Sas Milledge, Gustavo, Duarte (Boom! Studios)
• Free Planet by Aubrey Sitterson, Jed Dougherty (Image Comics)
• Queen Kodiak by Christopher Greenslate, Riccardo Faccini (Maverick)
• Total THB Vol 1 (of 3) by Paul Pope (Roaring Books Press)
• A Quick and Easy Guide to Healthy Relationships by Mariah-Rose Marie (Oni Press)
• I Am Their Silence by Jordi Lafebre, Montana Kane (Random House)

39:36 James and Jurgi go through some of their recent reads

42:50 Freedom to read, the ALIA Graphic Committee and an expression of interest is out to join the judging panel for the Notable Australian Graphic Novels of 2025 - join us!

47:57 ...and ALIA Graphic was formed six years ago

To stay up to date, for the full roundup of news, resources and new titles and our social media links visit our website: https://graphic.alia.org.au/

The ALIA Graphic Groove Theme 2025 courtesy of Clint Owen Ellis https://www.clintowenellis.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the final episode of 2025 the ALIA Graphic committee gathers to discuss our favourite comics of the year.

Luke talks about Ginseng Roots by Craig Thompson, Gachiakuta by Kei Urana and The Strange Tales of Oscar Zahn by Tri Vuong.

Sabina talks about Hairy Holes Book 2 by Brenton E McKenna, BS #1 Short Stuff 2020-2025 by Bruce Mutard and Kusama Polka Dot Queen, by Simon Elliot

James talks about I Ate the Whole World to Find You by Rachel Ang, “Dr. Werthless” by Harold Schechter and Eric Powell and The Library Mule of Cordoba by Wilfrid Lupano and Leonard Chemineau

Iurgi talks about Making Nonfiction Comics: A Guide to Graphic Narratives by Eleri Harris and Shay Mirk, The Once and Future Riot by Joe Sacco with special mentions for Chickenpox by Remy Lai and Cannon by Lee Lai (regrettably he forgot to mention Creature Clinic by Gavin Aung Than but he insists he should have mentioned it and was definitely a highlight of his reading for the year)

Mia talks about My Brother's Husband by Gengoroh Tagame and Kickflip by L.D. Lapinski

Gabby talks about Inked by Karen Wasson, Jake A. Minton

There will not be a roundup episode for December. This is it, we're done for the year, but we will be back at the end of January. In the meantime, read comics!

If you like what we’re doing, or if there’s something we could do better, or something we missed, please let us know. We always love feedback. Also, please subscribe and give us a review or five star rating so other people can find us.

To stay up to date and for the full roundup of news, resources and new titles visit our website: https://graphic.alia.org.au/

The ALIA Graphic Groove Theme 2025 courtesy of Clint Owen Ellis https://www.clintowenellis.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.