2017 BUSHY TALES Calendar

2017 BUSHY TALES Calendar

"LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL", the limited edition 2017 BUSHY TALES calendar, is now available for you to order!

This popular calendar includes..... 

• 12 BT Sunday strips
  

• A bonus BT daily strip on the Back Cover

• 74 other pieces of BT art

• Many Australian and Internationally significant dates highlighted

• 12 "Wombat Words of Wisdom" quotable quotes

• A 2018 calendar page

• A special "Notes" page 

And the already-low price even includes the cost of postage (please note there are different prices for Australian orders and International orders).

The cost of the calendar (inclusive of postage to Australian addresses) is just $16.50!

And for overseas addresses, the cost (inclusive of postage) of the calendar is just $22.00!

This is incredible value!

The BUSHY TALES calendars make excellent gifts for Christmas, or birthdays, or just for the joy of giving!...and at this price, you can buy and give several for a relatively small outlay.

Ordering your calendar(s) is very simple....

Go to the BUSHY TALES website and follow the links from the homepage...

www.bushytales.com

Or go directly to the Calendar page and click on the desired Shopping Cart button...

www.bushytales.com/2017calendar.html

Within a couple of weeks of receiving your order, we will then send your calendar(s) off. (Don't forget to include your mailing address on the order form.)

And please let your families and friends know about this great value offer to get a limited edition BUSHY TALES calendar for 2017.

Thanks heaps!

Until next time....

Joyfully yours,

Ian 

2016 ROTARY CARTOON AWARDS

A couple of weeks ago I enjoyed travelling down to Coffs Harbour (in northern New South Wales) for the annual Rotary Cartoon Awards presentation.

This was the 28th edition of the awards and it is one of the only two truly national events held each year for Australian cartoonists. The other one is, of course, the annual Stanley Awards, the major event of the Australian Cartoonist's Association.

As the name indicates, the Rotary Club (of Coffs Harbour) is the major sponsor of the awards each year, and the event has also had wonderful sponsorship and support from the local City Council and numerous other sponsors.
It really is a significant event in the calendar of cartoonists and cartoon lovers.

The Awards presentation and subsequent exhibition is held at The Bunker Cartoon Gallery, Australia's only dedicated cartoon gallery. It is an iconic building and environment, being centred in a refurbished World War 2 military bunker (hence the name). The Bunker gallery has a truly wonderful staff of volunteers who do an amazing job, not just with the Awards night, but throughout the whole year, showcasing the incredible heritage and quality of Australian cartoons/cartoonists, running workshops and many other associated activities.
If every you find yourself in Coffs Harbour, do yourself a favour and visit The Bunker Cartoon Gallery, John Champion Way. Coffs Harbour. You can also check out the website: www.bunkercartoongallery.com.au.

Personally, I love going to Coffs Harbour for a number of reasons....It is a beautifully scenic spot on the northern NSW coast....it is great to catch up with other cartooning mates...and it is where Robyn, my wife, and I honeymooned many years ago (40 in January to be exact!).

As usual, the standard of work on display was of exceptional quality across the range of the various cartooning "disciplines".....caricature, political, comic strip, sports, etc. 
I had entered some of my BUSHY TALES strips in the event and, whilst I did not win a prize, it was a great honour just to have my work hung on the walls alongside some true cartooning legends. And it is always a rare treat to spend time with such talented colleagues. 

The first photo shows the group of cartoonists who assembled on the night of the presentation. The second photo is of yours truly with one of the hung BUSHY TALES strips.

It was a great night....the winners were all very deserving of their awards, the opportunity to catch up with old (and newer) friends was terrific, and the chance to visit Coffs again was an additional bonus.
I am already looking forward to the 2017 Rotary Cartoon Awards in Coffs harbour! 

The World of BUSHY TALES

Where in the World Can a Wombat Go?

In recent times I have enjoyed taking Doug the Wombat out of the Aussie bush and into some other, more exotic, locations. It is not an easy thing to do and usually requires the "mechanism" of a dream sequence, or something similar.

The most recent example of this was drawn as a Sunday strip a couple of weeks ago.....

I had a lot of fun drawing this particular strip....I have been fortunate to have travelled extensively throughout the world, including many times in Turkey (it is one of my favourite countries) and I revelled in the opportunity of this idea coming together in the way it did.

And, whilst I was drawing this strip the thought occurred to me that some of the fans and followers of BUSHY TALES might have some ideas of places, or situations, that might possibly be suitable for a similar departure from the norm for Doug and his furry friends from BUSHY TALES.

So, here is my little challenge/request for you all......

If you can think of a place, or a situation, that you would like to see incorporated somehow into a BUSHY TALES strip, let me know your idea in the comments section of this blog below (or on the BT Facebook page....www.facebook.com/BushyTalesComicStrip). 

I cannot guarantee that I will be able to use your idea, but I can guarantee that I will read and consider all of your suggestions.
(If I do happen to use an idea suggested in this way, I will also credit that person in the strip. Woohoo!) 

So put your thinking caps on and let me know what you come up with. 

I look forward to seeing your ideas.

Until next time....

Joyfully yours,

Ian 

OFF ON THE CONVICT TRAIL.....

A Short Holiday in Tasmania

Well, I've just returned from a couple of weeks away from the drawing board. 

I love travelling and visiting places I've not seen before and, so, I was very pleased to set off for my first visit to Tasmania, one of the few parts of Australia that I have not previously been to. I have often heard about this island state's natural beauty and I was looking forward to having plenty of opportunity to exercise one of my other creative passions, photography.

Firstly, though, it was a short stopover in Melbourne to visit with a couple of our kids who live down that way. It was great to catch up with them and share some good times together. Part of the stopover was then spent tripping along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria.
The iconic Twelve Apostles is a unique part of the ruggedly beautiful coastline and, consequently, a very popular spot for tourists and photographers alike. 

I always love the challenge of trying to get a shot that is a bit different to the one everyone else is taking and, thanks to a little bird that landed on a branch right in front of me at just the right time (late afternoon sunlight), I think I managed to!
Well, I think it's a pretty good shot, at least!

From Melbourne, Robyn and I flew down to Launceston. 

Unfortunately for us (but thankfully for the unusually drought-stricken island) it was raining. 

Not just a little bit, but a lot. 

And not just for a short period, but constantly. 

And the forecast projected rain for the next week, as well!
So much for seeing the natural beauty of Tasmania in good weather!

The plan was to pick up a car in Launceston and drive throughout the state, visiting many of the most scenic natural wonders as well as following along some of the historical trails and landmarks associated with the convict history of Tasmania.
The plan was a good one....but the wet weather seriously impeded the enjoyment and photographic exploits for the first few days.

As if to prove the point, when we arrived in the Cradle Mountain National Park we were met by sleet!
And that night, the first snow of the winter season fell.

It was bitterly cold with gale force winds blowing....but in my opinion snow is far more preferable to rain for photography so that was some considerable compensation.

Throughout the first half of the trip it was a case of trying to take photos that creatively showed the subject matter in an appealing way, even if that was not how we were actually experiencing it. A creative challenge to be sure! 

The second half of the trip picked up weather-wise and we actually had some good days when the sun broke through to see many of the significant parts of the state that harked back to the dark days of the convict settlements.

A highlight for us, as it is for many people, was the Port Arthur convict settlement. Sadly, this already sombre place of history has a more recent connection with tragedy. In 1996, it was the scene of Australia's worst mass-shooting when a lone killer (Martin Bryant) shot dead 36 people and left another 20+ injured.
This, then, became the catalyst for the government to introduce strict gun control legislation that has prevented similar such massacres in the 20 years since.
The memorial for those lost is a poignant reminder of the tragedy.

The coastline from Port Arthur down to Tasman Island is one of rugged beauty and extreme weather conditions. Beyond Tasman Island lies the Great Southern Ocean and Antarctica, and the wind was blowing directly from that direction, too! 

But, even though it was bitingly cold out on the water off this incredible coastline, the frosty temperature was nothing compared to the freezing and furious winds that we later met up on top of Mount Wellington, the peak that rises majestically behind Hobart, the state's

capital. The wind was one of the strongest I have experienced anywhere. And the coldest! But the views from the peak were well worth the frostbite!

All in all, it was a great trip in spite of the weather with many wonderful sights and experiences.
I will look forward to returning to Tassie sometime (in better weather, hopefully).

Here are a few more of the shots taken over the past couple of weeks.

However, whilst the trip is over, it did give me opportunity to think about a number of ideas that I am looking forward to introducing into the BUSHY TALES strip. 

In fact, next Sunday's strip, in particular, breaks some new ground for BUSHY TALES...so stay tuned!!!

Doug the Wombat Goes to Childcare!

The YOUNG DISCOVERER'S Child Care Centres adopt BUSHY TALES.

 You may have noticed that it is quite a while since the last BUSH WEEK blog was sent out. There have been a number of things keeping us somewhat busy since then. And one of these exciting new developments has been the partnership with the Young Discoverers group of child care and pre-school centres in the Gold Coast hinterland.

A little while ago I was approached by the good people at Crosslife Church ( a progressive, community-centred Baptist church) with an interest in using the BUSHY TALES characters in their child care centres, and even in using Doug as their "mascot".
After some initial discussions I was thrilled to agree to be associated with these great community centres for young children and their families. 

The use of the BT characters can help to highlight the positive values of the centres and, at the same time, add a little bit of humour and cartoon "flair" to their rooms.

(www.youngdiscoverers.org.au; www.crosslife.org.au)

Here are the first cartoons that illustrate some of the YD values.....

So, whilst you haven't heard from us for a while, we have been busy!
Hopefully, we will be back on track with regular blogs over the coming weeks.

Until next time.....

Joyfully yours,

Ian 

2016 BUSHY TALES Calendar

A special Limited Edition A4 Wall Calendar for 2016 is now available for purchase.

This great gift idea is packed with the following features....

• A4 size - with hole punched for wall hanging
• 12 BT Sunday strips
• 6 BT daily strips
• 43 other pieces of BT art
• Many Australian and Internationally significant dates highlighted
• 12 "Wombat Words of Wisdom" quotable quotes
• A 2017 calendar page
• A special "Notes" page 

Here is a sample/typical month.....

AND THE COST?.....

For Australian orders, the calendar costs just $16.50 (postage included).

For international orders, the calendar costs just $22.00 (postage included).

This is great value!

HOW DO YOU ORDER?
The 2016 BUSHY TALES calendar is not available in any retail outlets....it can only be ordered from the BUSHY TALES website.

Go to www.bushytales.com/2016Calendar.html to place your order.

As soon as we receive confirmation of your order we will mail you your calendar(s). Simple as that!

We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Till next time.....

Joyfully yours,

Ian 

Well, it has been such a crazy-busy month that we have got way behind in getting the BUSH WEEK blog out there for you. Sorry about that.
Here are a few things that have been happening.....

"BUSHY TALES" ART PRINTS 

...now available!

Now you can get your very own print of your favourite BUSHY TALES strip.

All you have to do is to go to the BUSHY TALES website homepage, click on the links to the Art Prints page and order your favourite Sunday, or daily, strip.
It's that simple!

The prices are really quite reasonable (ie low!), especially when you consider that the price includes the packing and postage. Obviously, because of this, the prices for Australian and International orders are slightly different. 

You can check out all the details on the website (www.bushytales.com) but just to give you an idea.....

These prints are high-quality and in full colour, printed on good 300gsm A3 size card. Ideal for framing and hanging in that special spot in your home or office.

You can choose any of the BUSHY TALES strips published on the BT website, on the Facebook page, on GoComics, or any that you have seen elsewhere.

The important thing when ordering is to make sure you include a description (or number) of the particular strip you wish to purchase.

You will be able to add this description in the Note To Seller section of the checkout/payment details page.

PRICING DETAILS.....

DAILY STRIP PRINT - AUSTRALIA

PRICE: Just $35 AUD
(postage within Australia included)

DAILY STRIP PRINT - INT'L

PRICE: Just $45 AUD (International postage included)

SUNDAY STRIP - AUSTRALIA

PRICE: Just $45 AUD 

(postage within Australia included)

SUNDAY STRIP - INT'L

PRICE: Just $55 AUD 

(International postage included)

Check it all out, and place your order, on the BUSHY TALES website....

www.bushytales.com 

"BUSHY TALES" on GoComics

It is now about 6 weeks since BUSHY TALES commenced publication on Universal Uclick syndicate's GoComics website (www.gocomics.com). In these weeks, BT has been steadily building a solid readership base which has been very encouraging. However, it is still only early days and there is a looooooong way to go before it could really be called a "success" in this latest stage of development. 

In this world of digital/online publishing, the way a comic strip is shown to be "popular" is through the number of subscribers/clicks/readers etc.

So, if you haven't already done so, we'd be really grateful if you could take out a FREE membership account with GoComics and add BUSHY TALES to your list of comics. Doing so will allow you to see BT every day (as well as lots of other great comic strips). 

Go on....do your bit for the WOMBATIFICATION OF THE WORLD!!!!

Thanks heaps!

And, finally.....

Coming up....

USA TRIP....
I (Ian) will be travelling to the US in October/November for a few weeks...a great opportunity of catching up with some of the best cartoonists in the business, as well as some strategic meetings with syndicate executives and newspaper editors. More on this in later editions of the BUSH WEEK blog.

"STANLEY AWARDS" - 2015
The Australian Cartoonist's Association (ACA), of which I am a member, will be holding its annual awards night in Melbourne a few days after I return from overseas. This will be the first time for many years that I have been able to attend the awards and I am looking forward to catching up with many of the great cartoonists we have in this country.

Well, that's it for this week.

Until next week!

Joyfully yours,

Ian

E: ian@bushytales.com

W: www.bushytales.com

SUNDAY STRIP TITLE FRAME ART

When I started drawing BUSHY TALES it was initially in the Sunday strip format. It wasn't long before the daily strip was introduced, but right from the start the Sunday strip has always had a special focus for me.
There are many reasons for this....the extra space to develop a gag, the enhanced opportunity to create something aesthetically pleasing....and the BT title frame!

Different cartoonists have different approaches to their Sunday strip title frame. Some have a set panel/frame in which nothing ever changes, whilst others play around with their title and its placement quite a bit.

With BUSHY TALES, I have kept the frame size and the hand-drawn title lettering the same, but every week the background image is different.

From the very beginning I have loved having the opportunity to create a title frame that is eye-catching and artistically pleasing. Often, it takes me as long to draw (and colour) the title frame as it does the rest of the strip. 

The title frame sometimes alludes to the content of the strip, or sets the scene for it, but not always. Sometimes the title frame works just as a beautiful background scene before the story/gag starts in the next panel.
I also put a lot of time into working on the colours in the title frame so that they complement the colours of the rest of the strip. Usually, I colour the title frame last of all so that I can best achieve this effect.

Overall, I am very proud of the BT title frames. In fact, I have used them as page headers on the BUSHY TALES website to good effect, changing them every now and again for variety.
You can check out the BUSHY TALES website at www.bushytales.com

Here are some of my personal favourite BT title frames from the last few years. I hope you like them, too.

Until next week......

Joyfully yours!

Ian

ian@bushytales.com

www.bushytales.com

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES...

Doug. Jack and Sugar have been lost in the strange city as they try and find their way to Doug's old home (previously destroyed in a huge bushfire).

With a little bit of help (or not) from some more "borrowed" characters from other strips, our travellers finally seem to be getting back on track.

The visiting characters in this fun little "crossover" series-within-a-series are.......

SNOOPY from the PEANUTS comic strip by Charles Schulz.

LARSEN E. PETTIFOGGER the lawyer from the WIZARD OF ID strip by Brant Parker and Johnny Hart.

And, JOE and CRUNCHY, police partners from the JUMP START strip by Robb Armstrong.

Once delivered beyond the city limits, our trio of travellers will wend their way on to more adventures as they get closer to their destination. Stay tuned for the coming strips! 

For the record, it has been great fun for me drawing this series of strips so far....it has given me the opportunity of placing the characters into unfamiliar surroundings and meeting some interesting characters along the way. (And some of the other cartoonists whose characters I have "borrowed" have been very positive and affirming in their response!)

MEDICAL TIME-OUT

It might be a couple of weeks before the next BUSH WEEK blog comes out.....I will be going in to hospital for double knee replacement surgery.
The time in hospital and the subsequent recovery time from this surgery will mean a bit of a break in the publishing of the blog.

I'll be back with the next blog, or at least an update on things, as soon as I can comfortably do so.
Here's to successful surgery and swift recovery!

HELP US PROMOTE BUSHY TALES

Here are a couple of ideas on how you might be able to assist us….

•If your local, or favourite, newspaper does not run BUSHY TALES as one of its comic strips, why not drop the editor a friendly note (mail or email) requesting it?
Editors are interested in what their readership wants, so it might help to get their attention.

You could suggest the editor contacts me at ian@bushytales.com for further information.

•Share the BUSHY TALES strip with others on Facebook and ask your friends and family to “Like” the BT Facebook page (www.facebook.com/BushyTalesComicStrip). 

This will enhance the profile of the strip and spread the word about it.
We would love to have a growing online readership…and it will further increase the opportunities of print publication, too.

•Subscribe to BUSHY TALES at the GoComics website (it is entirely free) and receive BT daily online and in your inbox. Your support in this way will further advance the chances of broader syndication.
Go to www.gocomics.com/bushytales 

Of course, if your newspaper does take the strip on, don’t forget to drop the editor a line and thank him/her! Positive comments are few and far between…but very much appreciated!

And thank you for your continued readership and enjoyment of the BUSHY TALES comic strip. Long may you enjoy it!