Wednesday, 21 August 2024

Announcing Episodes by Alex Scott!

Earth’s End is pleased to announce the release of our next book, Episodes by Alex Scott.

 Episodes traverses the rocky landscape of on and offline social interactions, advertising and media in a way that is both darkly humorous and emotionally engaging. Set in a metropolitan city, spanning the mid-90s to early 2020, Episodes follows a diverse group of characters as they struggle to reconcile their messy day-to-day reality with the aspirational fiction of their ever-present screens.

 “This is an epic tale told on a personal level,” says writer and artist Alex Scott.Episodes is for an audience who grew up on a diet of scheduled TV programming and now feeds off a 24-hour cycle of social-media updates and sponsored content.”

 Episodes arrived in our inbox fully formed,” says Earth’s End Publisher Adrian Kinnaird. “It was obvious Alex had a clear personal vision and the execution of the book was very unique and innovative.” For Co-Publisher Damon Keen, a key feature of the book is its use of TV-style subtitles. “Some people find comics difficult to read; not everyone is familiar with the medium's conventions. Episodes solves this problem by presenting itself in a format we are all familiar with from film and television.”

A multidisciplinary artist from Auckland, Alex describes her first graphic novel as the culmination of a childhood spent in thrall of the TV, a degree in scriptwriting, 15 years as a sub-editor, an illustration and painting practice, and nine years as a cartoonist for the New Zealand Listener. “My trajectory hasn’t felt entirely logical, but it’s all fed into the making of Episodes,” she says. “This is an incredibly personal book to me because all the stories developed out of experiences or feelings I’ve had and finally felt ready to share.”

Episodes will be available nationwide from all good bookstores, comic shops and online retail outlets from October 2024.

Ordering Information:

Retailers can order Episodes from our distributor David Bateman Ltd, info@batemanbooks.co.nz
Earth's End Publishing can be contacted at earthsendpublishing@gmail.com

Publishing Details:

Episodes
Alex Scott
Synopsis: A smart-mouthed kid provokes the wrong flatmate, a misguided teen gets schooled by her crush and a former child star struggles to escape his past.
Seductive advertising fantasies collide headfirst with everyday life in this delicately interwoven tale of identity, desire and coming of age − even in adulthood. A thrillingly observed critique of our media-obsessed society.
RRP: $39.99
ISBN: 9780473699406
Format: 240 x 180mm, portrait, 200 pages, full colour, hardback PLC
Publishing date: October 2024

Sunday, 18 August 2024

Tsunami wins at the 2024 NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults!

Our latest publication, Tsunami by Ned Wenlock was nominated for two awards at this year’s New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults – and we were ecstatic to see Ned come away with a win for the NZSA Best First Book Award!

The award was presented by Mat Tait, last year’s Margaret Mahy Book of the Year winner for Te Wehenga: The Separation of Ranginui and Papatūānuku. Here is his speech on the category:

The Best First Book category is a measure of the creative health of children's literature in Aotearoa. The quality of this year's 25 eligible books, and the diverse range of voices, subjects, and approaches coming through, point to not only robustness, but vigour and growth. While doing the difficult job of deciding the shortlist of five, judges looked for work of a high technical quality that used that facility to bring something new, exciting, and vital to the form. The title of the category might misleadingly suggest that this is an award for potential, for showcasing talent in its raw, early stages. But while the names may be new, every one of the works gifted to us by our finalists is the result of a lifetime spent finding their voice and honing the skills needed to express it.

And his brief thoughts on Tsunami:

Tsunami displays a sophisticated understanding of the comics form, telling an often-disturbing story of a troubled and bullied boy with skill and a complexity that trusts readers to meet the book's challenges.

Here is the citation for Tsunami’s win:

As a graphic novel Tsunami is exemplary, with the language of comics intrinsic to its understanding and impact. The toy-like characters with their clean simple lines invite readers to identify with them, even as their diagrammatic performance of the story's central tragedy distances readers from them – thus seamlessly reflecting the book's themes of alienation and the need for connection. Tsunami respects the ability of its audience to handle ambiguity, to rise to meet its challenges and to find its rewards, however unsettling the journey may be. This is a book that lingers after the reading, and seems destined to be studied and discussed for a long time to come.

Congratulations again to Ned for the win, and you can find it now at all good bookstores!

Event photographs by Vijay Paul via the NZ Book Awards Trust.


Wednesday, 19 June 2024

Tsunami nominated for two awards at the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults!

 


We are thrilled that our latest publication Tsunami by Ned Wenlock has been nominated for two awards at the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults 2024! It is nominated for the Young Adult Fiction Award and Best First Book.

You can see the full shortlist of nominated titles HERE

The winners will be announced on Wednesday 14th of August at a ceremony at Pipitea Marae in Wellington. Congratulations to Ned and all the nominated authors!




Tuesday, 29 August 2023

Reviews are in for Tsunami!

It’s been a whirlwind of activity since Tsunami was sent to bookstores at the start of August, and the feedback has been fantastic! Here’s a quick sample:

'A powerfully human coming-of-age story, and one of the best representations of New Zealand life I’ve seen in comics. Highly recommended.'

- EDDIE MONOTOME, Review for The Sapling

'An important book. It is both brutal and beautiful. An examination of bullying, a bullseye description of the New Zealand that never quite makes it to the brochure, but is far more indicative of the country we are than any of the marketing would ever allow to slip out.'

- SIMON SWEETMAN, Sounds Good! Substack

Tsunami is a cautionary tale that reminded me, chillingly, of the song Jeremy by Pearl Jam: cyclical abuse and misconstruction of actions and intentions that lead to dark, sad consequences. There is so much more going on than I’ve mentioned – it’s a psychological portrait of human behaviour condensed into an intense read. It was absolutely compelling.

- LOUISE WARD, Wardini Books review for Hawkes Bay Today/NZ Herald

You can read the full reviews here:

The Sapling, August 10, 2023. Reviewed by Eddie Monotone

Review by Simon Sweetman from his Sounds Good! Substack

Review by Louise Ward from Wardini Books for Hawkes Bay Today/NZ Herald

Aotearoa New Zealand Review of Books,review by Ant Sang

We’ve also got some interviews with author Ned Wenlock that you can check out:

The Spinoff, Interview with Toby Morris

Ratworld online magazine, interview with Jennifer Cheuk

Author interviewed on bFM’s art show

Author interview on Paekākāriki 88.2FM (with extract on website)

Thursday, 20 July 2023

Announcing Tsunami

 


Earth’s End Publishing is pleased to announce the release of our first book since 2019, Tsunami by Ned Wenlock.

Tsunami is a 278-page graphic novel about Peter, a self-righteous 12-year-old boy, and his fraught last six weeks at primary school.

Told in Ned’s unique and beautifully pared down style, Tsunami is a taunt page turner, a coming-of-age story, and nuanced examination of teenage alienation and the unpredictable consequences of our actions. 

Tsunami will be available August 2023 at all good bookshops, comics shops, online retailers, or direct from Earth’s End Publishing HERE

Stay tuned for preview images, review links and media interviews.

Ordering Information:

Retailers can order Tsunami from David Bateman Ltd, info@batemanbooks.co.nz, (09)4157664

Earth's End Publishing can be contacted at earthsendpublishing@gmail.com

Publishing Details:

Tsunami 

Ned Wenlock

Synopsis: At school, being right isn’t always the right answer. Peter’s bull-headed commitment to the truth has already picked him out as a target for the school bullies. The misfit new girl is a complete badass, but seems as interested in his nemesis, Gus, as she is in Peter, and his parents are too busy bickering to care about any of it.

It all feels overwhelming to Peter ─ like a tsunami is coming and he isn’t sure he can stop it.

Tsunami is a coming-of-age story, a nuanced examination of teenage alienation and the unpredictable consequences of our actions.

RRP: $34.99

ISBN: 9780473655679

Format: 216x170mm portrait, paperback, 276 pages, black & white illustrations

Ages: 15+ mild violence, offensive language

Publishing date: August 2023

Monday, 13 May 2019

Ross Murray brings Rufus Marigold to ComicFest!

Above: Ross Murray.
Photo by David Thomsen. Copyright David Thomsen 2019. 

Recently Rufus Marigold creator Ross Murray was a guest at ComicFest, a comics festival held in Wellington on May 2nd – 4th, at the National Library. 

Held to coincide with Free Comic Book Day, a host of local comic guests descended on Wellington for the event including:  Katie O'Neill, Roger Langridge, Dylan Horrocks, Ant Sang, Sarah Laing, Jesse Barrett, Giselle Clarkson, Michel Mulipola, Jem Yoshioka, Paul Diamond, Alex Cara, and Sharon Murdoch! Free comics and a stall of local graphic novels were provided by Wellington's long-time premiere comic shop, GRAPHIC.

From left: Ross Murray, Jem Yoshioka, Alex Cara and Hannah Benbow.
Photo by David Thomsen. Copyright David Thomsen 2019. 
 
Murray took part in a panel discussion 'Stories from Aotearoa/New Zealand' with Jem Yoshioka, Paul Diamond (not pictured), Alex Cara and discussion chair Hannah Benbow. "I had so much fun at ComicFest in Wellington this past weekend," said Murray. 

"There were so many great workshops, presentations and panels which over 2,300 people attended in total. Well done to Monty Masseurs from Wellington City Libraries, Hannah Benbow from the National Library and everyone else who helped organise it. And thanks to GRAPHIC for feeding so many comics to the hungry masses and for hosting me at their store on Friday. Finally, a huge thank you to the National Library for inviting me to speak. You might not be able to tell from this photo but I even came close to enjoying myself."  

Above: The GRAPHIC store at ComicFest.
Photo by David Thomsen. Copyright David Thomsen 2019. 

Rufus Marigold by Ross Murray is available at all good bookstores and comic shops now.

Sunday, 5 May 2019

Listen up: Ross Murray talks to RNZ Nine to Noon!


Mount Maunganui based illustrator Ross Murray has produced a graphic novel broaching the subject of social anxiety, a story he tells from his own tough experience. Rufus Marigold is Ross' first book, featuring a self-loathing nervous wreck of a man-monkey chimpanzee, who works in an office brimming with apparently socially competent people.  In comic form we see the eponymous hero of the book, Rufus Marigold continuously facing awkward social situations, enduring sleepless nights, battling with his negative interior voice and struggling with small talk.
As Ross tells Kathryn Ryan, Rufus Marigold is both funny and dark. You can listen to the Nine to Noon show HERE.