Bauple, 1981.

Some marriages make it, others don't. We sold up and split up - amicably- in December, 1980 and went our own ways. It became convenient for me to move to be near the Morrows, now re-located in Queensland, where Bob and I could continue our joint effort without relying on the postal service to relay ideas and progress drawings. Emails were not even thought of in those days. I left Brisbane for a tiny town called, Bauple, midway between Gympie and Maryborough, Qld. where Bob and Anne and their two boys, Simon and Marc had landed. I found a small allotment there as a home where I continued the panels for "Slattery Creek", dashed off a few postcards (each an original in guache) and fine art pieces in pen and ink for the local market and exhibitions. None worthy survive.

While we waited for Sol Shifrin to market our strip, Bob and I developed a series of black and white Greeting Cards featuring slightly caricatured Australian wildlife. Illustrations for the cards were in pen and ink.

I have to tell you that this little place was a blessed relief from city life for the next five months! It also proved to be providential when loneliness eventually caught up. That story will follow later.

 

Slattery Creek, 1980.

When my full-time cartooning job with Nationwide Souvenirs evaporated, It was not so much, "Back to the drawing board" for me, but "keep on with the drawing board" where, meanwhile, the first story in the planned "Slattery Creek" series was nearing completion. Here are some of the panels:

Things were taking an interesting turn in that area as my writer collaborator, Bob Morrow, decided to move his wife and two boys from Adelaide to Queensland!

Nationwide Souvenirs -1980

Still in my "wilderness years," part-time freelancing in Brisbane, I was commissioned by Nationwide Souvenirs in late 1978 to do several T-shirts designs. They featured drawings of Australian Pub buildings from photos, to be screen printed. All orders were solicited for the business by a travelling salesman engaged by NS. The sales were successful enough to warrant employing me as a full-time artist.

As summer drew to a close, demand for T-shirts diminished. Unfortunately, not a single drawing has been preserved. It is a bit late now to try visiting the pubs (if I could remember them) to see if any prints remain! We switched to producing screen prints of military insignia and naval vessels and a few cartoons onto inexpensive mirrors as our winter line. The mirrors were a bit dark as they consisted of  glass tinting sheets adhered to one side of the glass, overlaying the screen printed reversed image. Sales were not bad but  not enough to keep the flow. The business capital evaporated before the proceeds materialised. 'No time to solicit lots of orders before it went under.

 

Punters Glossary - 1979

One of the writers who responded to my advert in the Australian Journalists magazine was John Duthie from Lake Macquarie. He had devised a funny commentary on horse and dog racing terms. I enjoyed illustrating them as a series called, "Punters Glossary."

Here are some of them:

The Magic Flute - 1980

In 1979 or early '80, still in my "wilderness" years, An author in Victoria, Australia, using the pen name, "Anne Peters" contacted me and sent me the script for her children's book, "The Magic Flute." I must have done a character sketch or two as samples, because she followed up with a publisher's contract for me to co-sign. I assumed the publisher was experienced and gave no thought to possible challenges he may face. We were to share 50/50 the amount the publisher deemed he could afford. It was my first book job, it looked like fun and seemed a fair deal.
When all was agreed, I got the word that the publisher needed the drawings urgently to suit his schedule, so I knocked off the 30 colourful drawings in quick time, using felt pens, mailing them directly to the publisher. They were received enthusiastically although Anne would have preferred to have seen them first.
In due course, in 1980, Anne phoned with the bad news that the Hong Kong printer had made an error with the printing, so that all the text was printed in upper case, considered quite unsuitable to be read by children who were being taught to read in upper and lower cases. Methinks the error was on the part of the publisher rather than the printer, because it was not corrected and the publisher was not about to print it again. Shortly after, the publisher pulled up sticks and discontinued business, at least in that business name.

We were offered the print run of 4,000 @ $1.00 per book. Our option was to buy and distribute them ourselves. I told Anne I was not interested and was prepared to put the exercise down to experience. I advised her to do the same but she finished up buying them herself and sending me a few hundred as payment for my drawings.
Over the following few years I managed to man Sunday market stalls and sold them all for low prices but that involved outlaying more project time. 'Just as well I drew the pages quickly in the first place,hey?!

They were very well received and there were few parents concerned about the CAPITAL letters throughout. Future book illustrations were invoiced to authors @ "per drawing" rates, avoiding contracting risks, regardless of "potential royalties" carrots.

JOHN RYAN and Panel By Panel. 1978

In 1977 or '78, working towards a full-time career in cartooning, I placed an ad looking for a gag writer in the Australian Journalists' magazine ("of all places," Someone quipped). Ideas were my great challenge at that point. 

As a result of that press ad, a couple of contacts with writers were made. Although not resulting in publication of any joint efforts, both of them provided development of my drawing skills!  

Sol Shifrin, syndicate owner, was engaged by us, the writers and me, in 1979 to interest some Australian newspapers in a series of single panel gags, "The Punter's Glossary" and, in 1980, a daily and weekly strip, "Slattery Creek," both to no avail. Forthcoming posts will provide samples and background on both of those projects and their fate.

Another person who responded to that ad was John Ryan, author of  "Panel by Panel - an illustrated history of Australian comics."  John was not offering to provide ideas but offered encouragement to a newcomer to the pro comics field. His book was with the publisher and had not yet been distributed for sale. I also accepted John's invitation to see his comics collection - very impressive and inspiring. 

He thought enough of my work to commission a caricature of himself in the act of typing, for the intro and flyleaf of his book. I treasure my copy of his book, complete with my sketch. It was a sad day when I learned of John's death only days after his book was published. 

Have you noticed in your own life how your own career's development has been influenced by people drawn into your life? John Ryan was another significant one of those in my case.

Part-Time Freelance 1976 - 1979

 

      Stumbling around in various full-time employment -clerking, admin and even security patrolling, I recognised, at last, that my first love was cartooning and I needed to develop that, my strongest talent, instead of repressing it.  So in 1976, (age 41) I set myself  five (5) years to get a full time job in the business.

Within 3 years the goal was achieved, albeit temporarily (again!!). Those  3 years  I label my "wilderness" years - my Part-time Freelance/Training years, up-skilling in cartoon illustrating without knowing where it would lead in the end (does anybody?), following whatever leads presented themselves, applying for a few positions advertised locally, which offered related work. 

It mainly involved creating as many single-panel gags as I could for submission to magazines that seemed suited to the topics: Australasian Post, People, Racing Car News and Motor Manual. They also included three series: On Course (golfing), Biased (Bowls) and Dizzy Daisies.

Many were published at that time. The Dizzy Daisies was expanded a few years later and published a second time, in the Townsville Bulletin. More on that in a later post.