Terry Teo (finally) back on Television!

Above: The new Terry Teo series. Copyright Semi-Professional Pictures 2016.

Terry Teo is back on television! After much media discussion and controversy earlier this year when the show debuted on TVNZ's Ondemand, it has finally found a place on the network's schedule: debuting this Sunday at 7pm on TVNZ 2 with a 2 hour double episode update of the 'Terry Teo The Gunrunners' storyline.

To order the original graphic novel, with a background history of Terry Teo and the making of the new TV series, you can order it directly from us HERE. If you are a retailer and would like to stock the book, you can contact us at: earthsendpublishing@gmail.com.

Publishing Details:

Terry Teo and the Gunrunners TV Tie-in edition

Bob Kerr & Stephen Ballantyne
Paperback, 56 pages, full-colour
ISBN: 9780473330675
Suitable for All Ages
RRP: $24.99

Synopsis:

Terry Teo is not your average schoolboy - he's a skateboarding super-sleuth about to embark on his very first adventure!

When he stumbles headfirst into the criminal schemes of the villainous Ray Vegas, Terry finds himself embroiled in a dastardly gun smuggling operation. Along with his karate-chopping sister, Polly, and older brother Ted, Terry must use all his street smarts to avoid Vegas' henchmen, defeat the smugglers, and save the day!

Reviews:

"Great adventures. No iPhones, no internet. I think I even saw a red telephone box in there. Lots of car chases, bad accents, worse jokes...It's going to be popular with young boys." 

- John McIntyre, Children's Book Reviewer - Nine to Noon, National Radio

"It’s all jolly good nostalgic fun, with a distinctly kiwi flavour to the illustrations – including the charmingly-named small town Kaupati (say it aloud) with its tiny police station and A&P show. This is truly like travelling back into a time before cellphones, before the internet, into a world where kids get to have the adventures – because the adults are too oblivious or silly to solve the problems themselves. With its fast pace and humour, this graphic novel can now be enjoyed by a new generation, and may especially be embraced by the more reluctant reader."

- Angela Oliver, Booksellers New Zealand Blog

"Bob Kerr’s cartoons are terrific as always and there are lots of little in-house jokes and Kiwi things going on that are smilers when you see one. Stephen Ballantyne’s written text is to the point and captures the whole Kiwi attitude. This book has high appeal for reluctant readers and is certain to win fans at primary and intermediate schools all over again." 

- Bob Doherty, Bobs Book Blog

Earth's End at NZ Book Festival 2016!

This Saturday the Earth's End Publishing team will be selling at the NZ Book Festival 2016, a great community event designed to promote and celebrate independent writers and publishers. The event will be taking place at the Mt Eden War Memorial Hall, 487 Dominion Road, Mt Eden, Auckland, from 10am - 4.30pm. Entry is FREE!

For Readers - Here's an opportunity to meet the writers behind the books. Chat with passionate Kiwi authors who’ve come from all over New Zealand. Browse through books that you may not find on mainstream bookstore shelves, and discover gems from a diverse range of genres – and authors! All books are available for purchase.

For Writers - Got a manuscript sitting in a drawer and don't know what to do next? Your next step is to come to the NZ Book Festival. You’ll get the opportunity to ask questions and get answers on how to publish your own e-book or print book. Let private New Zealand publishers share their knowledge with you. They’ll help you bring your dream of publishing to life.

We'll be there with great deals on all our books: Terry Teo and the Gunrunners, The Dharma Punks, From Earth's End, and other great NZ graphic novel titles like Mansfield and Me and The Heading Dog Who Split in Half. Fellow cartoonists at the event include: Sam Orchard of Rooster Tails, and Paul Martin, author of The Adventures of Kory: Flight of the Kiwi.

This is a great opportunity to meet indie publishers and writers and pick up some great reads for the summer holidays! For more information on the event and guests, visit the NZ Book Festival website HERE.

- AK!

Earth's End at Armageddon Expo Auckland 2016!

Above: Cartoonists Mat Tait (The Heading Dog Who Split in Half) and Ant Sang (The Dharma Punks) at Armageddon Expo.

This Labour Weekend Earth's End Publishing will be appearing at Armageddon Expo Auckland, the biggest pop culture event of the year! Taking place at the ASB Showgrounds over four days - October 21-24th, we'll be representing and selling graphic novels from New Zealand's finest cartoonists!

Above: Mansfield and Me by Sarah Laing.

Fresh off the press, we'll have copies of Sarah Laing's new graphic novel, Mansfield and Me. Presented in stunning watercolour, Mansfield and Me charts Sarah's journey towards becoming a writer and parent against her literary hero Katherine Mansfield's own dramatic life story, set in London, Paris, New York and New Zealand. Part memoir, part biography, part fantasy, it examines how our lives connect to those of our personal heroes.

Above: Terry Teo and the Gunrunners by Bob Kerr & Stephen Ballantyne.

We'll also have copies of Terry Teo and the Gunrunners by Bob Kerr & Stephen Ballantyne. This remastered edition of the original graphic novel that started it all comes with an exclusive 'History of Terry Teo' section: detailing the making of the comics, behind the scenes of the classic 1985 TV series, and the latest TV adaptation Terry Teo - currently streaming on TVNZ Ondemand HERE!

Above: The Heading Dog Who Split in Half: Legends and Tall Tales From New Zealand by Michael Brown and Mat Tait.

A great kiwiana read, The Heading Dog Who Split in Half: Legends and Tall Tales From New Zealand by Michael Brown and Mat Tait will also be available. This gorgeous over-sized paperback collection adapts some of New Zealand's rich folklore and weirdest tall tales into comics form. A place of phantom waka, ruined castles, romantic escapades in the early whaling days, magical sheepdogs, gargantuan crayfish and more are all captured in Tait's densely detailed and atmospheric artwork.

Above: The Dharma Punks by Ant Sang.

Above: From Earth's End: The Best of New Zealand Comics by Adrian Kinnaird

And if you haven't got a copy of Ant Sang's landmark graphic novel The Dharma Punks or the jam-packed collection From Earth's End: The Best of New Zealand Comics by Adrian Kinnaird, your bookshelf is not complete! Look out for a special prices and the opportunity to get your hands on a signed copy!

We'll have authors available to sign copies all weekend, so stop by booth #80 to pick up a copy and have a chat:

Author Signing schedule:

Ant Sang - The Dharma Punks, Shaolin Burning, Bro' Town: Saturday only.

Mat Tait - The Heading Dog Who Split in Half, The Flying Dutchman: Saturday and Sunday.

Adrian Kinnaird - From Earth's End: The Best of New Zealand Comics: Friday, Saturday, Monday.

Kelly Sheehan - The Inhabitants, Into the Dark Woods: Saturday, Sunday, Monday.

So if you love local comics, be sure to stop by, pick some up and have a chat. We look forward to seeing you there!

For more information on Armageddon Expo, visit the official website HERE.

Earth's End at Auckland Zinefest 2016!

Auckland Zinefest is back for 2016, and we'll be there! With over 50 exhibitors, covering everything from zines to comics, journals, independent media and much more, the event will be taking place this Sunday 24th of July, at the Auckland Art Gallery from 11am-4pm.

We'll have exclusive special prices on the day for our graphic novels, The Dharma Punks by Ant Sang, and the new edition of Terry Teo and the Gunrunners by Bob Kerr & Stephen Ballantyne. If you're a fan of the new TV show, this is a great opportunity to discover the original comic book and also get a look behind the scenes of the TV series with our exclusive interview with the producers.

We'll be there for the full event, so stop by, pick up some great books, and have a chat! For more event information, visit the Auckland Zinefest website HERE.

Event Details: 
Auckland Zinefest 2016

Date: Sunday 24th of July

Time: 11am-4pm
Location: Auckland Art Gallery, North Atrium
Corner of Kitchener and Wellesley Streets, Auckland CBD

- AK!

What's the Deal, TVNZ? Terry Teo Could be a Hit

Above: Kahn West as Terry Teo.

In today's NZ Herald, entertainment columnist Karl Puschmann reviews the new Terry Teo TV series - streaming now on TVNZ Ondemand - and found a lot to like, "Terry Teo is an effortless reboot that's perfectly pitched for its modern audience and the old-school fans. It pulls off the neat trick of managing to be both familiar and new. It's a winner."

He continues, "Terry Teo is snappy, lively and filled with good-natured humour and zing that only occasionally rubs up awkwardly against the seriousness of its premise. The script's great, it's superbly cast and, best of all, it has proper car chases. Despite its modernity it retains that real 80s kidult action feel."

But he also poses the question, if the show's this good, why isn't TVNZ airing it? "...if I had a locally produced show of this calibre, with a positive and charismatic young Polynesian hero in the lead and a great multi-ethnic cast, I'd change whatever plans I had and get this thing on air sharpish." 

TVNZ has publicly stated that they plan to air the TV series at a later date, at an appropriate time slot to better accommodate the PG rating of some of the episodes.

You can check out the full review HERE.

- AK!

Terry Teo screening now at TVNZ Ondemand!

The new Terry Teo is here! Catch the first two episodes: Terry and the Gunrunners Parts 1 & 2 available to stream now on TVNZ Ondemand HERE.

And check back here later in the week as we break down the episodes for a full review!

- AK!

12 Questions with Terry Teo Co-Creator Bob Kerr

Above: Terry Teo Artist and Co-Creator, Bob Kerr. Photo by Nick Reed.

In today's NZ Herald, Terry Teo Artist and Co-Creator Bob Kerr answers 12 questions on the creation of the original Terry Teo graphic novel, his paintings, and more. Discussing his early career as an author/illustrator, he told the NZ Herald, "We live in a culturally rich country. I was part of a new wave of people who wanted to produce New Zealand books. Most of us came through Writers in Schools. Joy Cowley organised a very lively meeting at her place in the Sounds in the late 80s. We all got together - Lynley Dodd, Gavin Bishop, Tessa Duder - and had a rip-roaring weekend. It was an exciting time. Kids now are growing up with a Disney-fied universal culture driven by mass market economics. I want our kids to know about where they live."

As for being approached to turn Terry Teo into a TV series in the mid-1980s, Bob recalls, "there was a knock on the door and a film producer wearing a safari suit said, "Hello, I'm Logan Brewer. I'd like to make a TV series." Steve and I thought this must be what happens. We were just naive goofs along for the ride. Steve wrote nine episodes of TV script but only six were made because skateboarding went out of fashion, according to the funders".

You can read the full interview HERE.

- AK!

Meet the New Terry Teo: Kahn West

Above: Kahn West as Terry Teo.

Ahead of tomorrow's premiere of the brand new Terry Teo TV series on TVNZ Ondemand, learn more about the actor who's picking up the trademark skateboard to become the new Terry: Kahn West. 

After a minor role in the 2012 horror film Fresh Meat, playing Terry Teo is his first major role as a lead actor. While he wasn't aware of the original character's cult status, his family certainly was. As West told the NZ Herald Weekend Magazine, "I came home and told my family I'd auditioned for it and they started jumping up and down. They knew who Terry Teo was. They even started singing the theme tune. I was like, 'What the hell?". You can read the full interview with Kahn West HERE.

Above: Josh Thomson as Detective McMurray.

Josh Thompson plays Detective McMurray, who reluctantly teams up with the young sleuth over the coarse of his adventures. Thompson recalled the original show and graphic novel series from his childhood. He told The Waikato Times, "I remember seeing it a couple of times when I was little, I remember being quite a fan of the comics. I do remember them having massive shoes and quite sort of cartoony clothes." You can read the full interview with Thompson HERE.

Terry Teo premieres July 12th on TVNZ Ondemand.

- AK!

The Terry Teo Trailer is Here!

Here's your first look at the brand new television adaptation of Terry Teo, due to air on TVNZ OnDemand from July 12th!

Written and directed by Gerard Johnstone and produced by Luke Sharpe, the team behind the acclaimed film, Housebound (2014), this new take on this classic kiwi character is updating Terry's adventure for a modern audience.

When it was recent announced that episodes of this new series would be rated PG instead of the expected family friendly G, producer Luke Sharpe was quick to defend their new take on Terry's adventures in a quote to the NZ Herald: "Yes, some head-butting went on with TVNZ when we delivered the show, but you have to fight for something you believe is great. It is a super-fun action romp and you can't cut the action from an action series. In the end, TVNZ could see it for what it is and we hope New Zealand is really going to dig it."

From our exclusive interview with Gerard Johnstone and Sharpe published in the new edition of Terry Teo and the Gunrunners, Johnstone discussed their approach to the material, and maintaining the balance of adventure and humour that made the original show so appealing. "Between now and [the previous] Terry Teo, I can't think of the last kids' show that had this much action - we've got shootouts, car chases, kung-fu fights, it's very full on", Johnstone explained.

"And you don't want to talk down to kids. My favourite shows from when I was a kid were The A-Team and MacGyver, which weren't made for children. So the idea was to do something that had that same kind of broad appeal. I really don't think of this as a kids' show - it should have something for everyone".

From what we've seen so far, it looks like it's going to be a blast! You can add it to your viewing list at TVNZ OnDemand right now HERE. The new edition of Terry Teo and the Gunrunners is in bookstores now, or can be purchased from our online bookstore HERE.

- AK!

Terry Teo and the Gunrunners TV Tie-in edition

Bob Kerr & Stephen Ballantyne
Paperback, 56 pages, full-colour
ISBN: 9780473330675
Suitable for All Ages
RRP: $24.99

Synopsis:

Terry Teo is not your average schoolboy - he's a skateboarding super-sleuth about to embark on his very first adventure!

When he stumbles headfirst into the criminal schemes of the villainous Ray Vegas, Terry finds himself embroiled in a dastardly gun smuggling operation. Along with his karate-chopping sister, Polly, and older brother Ted, Terry must use all his street smarts to avoid Vegas' henchmen, defeat the smugglers, and save the day!

Reviews:

"Great adventures. No iPhones, no internet. I think I even saw a red telephone box in there. Lots of car chases, bad accents, worse jokes...It's going to be popular with young boys."

- John McIntyre, Children's Book Reviewer - Nine to Noon, National Radio

"It’s all jolly good nostalgic fun, with a distinctly kiwi flavour to the illustrations – including the charmingly-named small town Kaupati (say it aloud) with its tiny police station and A&P show. This is truly like travelling back into a time before cellphones, before the internet, into a world where kids get to have the adventures – because the adults are too oblivious or silly to solve the problems themselves. With its fast pace and humour, this graphic novel can now be enjoyed by a new generation, and may especially be embraced by the more reluctant reader."

- Angela Oliver, Booksellers New Zealand Blog

"Bob Kerr’s cartoons are terrific as always and there are lots of little in-house jokes and Kiwi things going on that are smilers when you see one. Stephen Ballantyne’s written text is to the point and captures the whole Kiwi attitude. This book has high appeal for reluctant readers and is certain to win fans at primary and intermediate schools all over again."

- Bob Doherty, Bobs Book Blog