ALIA Graphic Podcast

In this month's roundup Iurgi and James take us through the latest news and new titles.

02:10 September news in brief

04:08 Recent reads: Luke (Slam Dunk Vols 1,2,3 by Takehiko Inoue, The Library of Memories by Barbara Perez Marques and Lissy Marlin, Batman and Robin: Year One by Mark Waid and Chris Samnee), Iurgi (Starship Godzilla: First Wars by Chris Gooch, Oliver Ono, Neverlanders: Get Lost by Tom Taylor and Jon Sommariva, Fullmetal Alchemist Volumes 10, 11, 12 by Hiramu Arakawa)

13:01 News:

• The Many Deaths of Laila Starr is adapted into an opera
• Reimena Yee blog post discussing the Australian comic book community and making the case for more institutional support
• Things they are a changin' and the print edition of Weekly Shōnen Jump has declined dramatically
• Marvel's Mignight Universe is coming
• Hometown a new graphic novel by Shaun Tan is out now!
• The American Manga Awards

36:16 New Titles:

• The Long-Lived King: An Original The Owl House Graphic Novel by by: Dana Terrace, Daun Han
• W0RLDTR33 Deluxe Hardcover Volume 1 by James Tynion IV, Fernando Blanco, Jordie Bellaire
• Earth to Chris Cleevy by Christof Bogacs, Hannah Krieger, Sammy Savos
• Journey to the West: The Beginning by Cheng’en Wu, CharA, Jim Zub, Julien Choy
• Hometown by Shaun Tan (Levine Querido)
• The Dissidents: Autocrats! Vigilantes! Communists! … And Cartoonists! by Derf Backderf

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/

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In this special podcast Iurgi sits down for a chat with Aaron Billings and Bruce Mutard two of the organisers of MAKE, the Melbourne Alternative Comics Expo, a new independent comics festival coming to Melbourne from October 9 to 11.

The festival is free for the Community Day and Market Day and a very affordable $15 for the opening gala Speaking to Pictures event.

01:29 Aaron Billings and Bruce Mutard join the podcast

03:52 What’s MAKE and what prompted the creation of MAKE

06:49 Who's in the MAKE organising committee

08:44 What’s the vision for MAKE this year and into the future

12:53 Opening Gala: Speaking to Pictures

15:54 Community Day: A wide range of panel talks

22:27 Market Day: workshops and an exhibition

27:25 Shout out to allies and sponsors

For more information visit the festival's website: https://makecomics.com.au/

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.

In this month's roundup Iurgi and Gabby discuss the latest.

02:06 Some of the news in brief including the CBCA winners including a graphic novel as the Best Book of the Year for Younger Readers, John Carpenter's horror graphic novel Cathedral and more.

05:22 Recent Reads:

• Ivy and Bearlock Holmes by Kristyna Litten
• Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
• Absolute Batman Vol 1 & 2 Scott Snyder (a bunch of artists)
• Anders and the Mountain by Gregory Mackay (Allen & Unwin)

09:59 News:

• Publisher’s Weekly highlights upcoming early reader and elementary graphic novels, showcasing diverse stories and creators for young comics fans and emerging readers.
• Creators Tasia M.S. and Barbara Perez Marquez discuss their romantasy graphic novel To Dance the Moon and Stars, exploring collaboration, fairy-tale influences, and world-building
• A The Conversation essay examines whether Australia has a defining graphic novel, highlighting Lee Lai’s Cannon and the growing literary recognition of comics.
• Australian cartoonists warn AI-generated newspaper illustrations threaten creative jobs, highlighting transparency, ethics, and the future of editorial art.
• Melbourne Alternative Comics Expo (MAKE) is a new festival celebrating comics, graphic novels and storytelling through workshops, panels, performances and creator markets
• Comic street is Brisbane’s annual indie comics festival, connecting creators and readers through markets, workshops and events celebrating independent comics and graphic storytelling.
• A graphic biography reexamines Eileen Blair Orwell’s life, highlighting her intellectual influence on George Orwell while exploring history, creativity and political upheaval.
• In a wide-ranging interview, Maus creator Art Spiegelman reflects on his career, American politics, censorship, and concerns about rising authoritarianism 

24:19 New Releases:

Pickle on Wheels by Sylvie Kantorovitz 

Ember and the Grand Metamorphosis by Jason Pamment

Middle School Monsters by Robin Easter 

Home Time: Twelve Days (Collecting Books 1 and 2) by Campbell Whyte

The Nightingales by Emil Wilson

Look out for our next podcast episode coming soon with two of the committee members of MAKE, the Melbourne Alternative Comics Expo coming up in October. More info here: https://makecomics.com.au/

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 are proud to present a special recording of an event from Melbourne Rare Book Week.

Georgina Chadderton is an Australian cartoonist. Her work has been featured in outlets including The Nib and Voiceworks magazine. They are a cofounder of Papercuts Comics Festival, an independent annual celebration of graphic novels held in Adelaide. When they’re not drawing, Georgina enjoys eating pizza and playing roller derby. 

In this event recorded at Melbourne City Libraries, part of Melbourne Rare Book Week, Georgina talks in depth about Oh Brother and the ten year process of making her first graphic novel.

00:00 James Baker’s intro for the episode

01:14 Georgina introduction and talks about Oh Brother

09:14 Georgina discusses the process of making Oh Brother

32:45 Questions and answers

For more from Georgina check out her website: https://www.georgerexcomics.com

To stay up to date with Melbourne Rare Book Week: https://rarebooksmelbourne.com/ 

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 are proud to present a special recording of an event from Melbourne Rare Book Week.

The comic book form is used as a narrative medium by creators to tackle social, historical and personal histories: protesting about the Vietnam War in Mirranda Burton’s Underground; Napoleon Bonaparte’s Tasmanian imprisonment in Jamie Clennett’s The Diemenois; and growing up with an autistic sibling in Gina Chadderton’s Oh Brother. These creators present illustrated readings from their work, then engage in a discussion about comics and the real world, and how their books have enabled the two to converge and converse.

Chaired by Bernard Caleo, this is a recording of a Melbourne Rare Book Week presented in partnership with the Melbourne Athenaeum Library and ALIA Graphic Novels and Comics on Thursday July 30, 2026.

00:20 Welcome and acknowledgement of country

01:20 Bernard Caleo introduces the night and discusses comics and the real world

13:11 Mirranda Burton reads from Underground

18:49 Mirranda in conversation with Bernard

22:59 Jamie Clennett reads from The Diemenois

30:17 Jamie Clennett in conversation with Bernard

33:51 Georgina introduces Oh Brother

38:50 Georgina reads from Oh Brother

43:34 Georgina in conversation with Bernard

47:44 Mirranda, Jamie and Georgina in conversation with Bernard

To stay up to date with Melbourne Rare Book Week: https://rarebooksmelbourne.com/

To stay up to date with the Melbourne Athenaeum Library: https://melbourneathenaeum.org.au/library/

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.

In this month’s roundup podcast Iurgi and Luke discuss the latest news, their recent reads and their picks from the new titles out this month.

We start with the intro and some news in brief then:

08:31 Recent reads

18:14 News

40:44 New titles

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.

The ALIA Graphic group with the support of library staff from all over Australia, who volunteered for the judging panel, recently announced the Notable Australian Graphic Novels of 2025. Three titles for each category (Junior, Young Adult and Adult) that represent the best of the best. Being already halfway through the year, we thought it was worth looking at what’s been published in 2026 so far. Again, all these graphic novels have been created by, at least one key Australian creator (writer or artist), they’re published in a library friendly format (they’re either graphic novels or perfect bound trade paperbacks) and they are widely available through library suppliers.

In this episode Iurgi, James and Marissa discuss the titles published in the first half of the year. You can find the full list of titles with the publisher blurbs, ISBN number and more information here: https://graphic.alia.org.au/new-graphic-novels-by-australian-creators-in-2026-first-half/

You can listen to creator chats with some of the creators mentioned in this episode in our archive.

Episode 139 Aśka and the Frienship Paradox here.

Episode 136 Gregory Mackay and Anders' Adventures here.

Episode 135 Wendy Tyrer and The Curator here.

Episode 134 Campbell Whyte and Luna Express here.

Episode 131 Andrea Innocent and Lamington Left Behind here.

Episode 128 Georgina Chadderton and Oh Brother here.

Episode 82 Chris Gooch and In Utero here.

Episode 76 Mat Groom and Inferno Girl Red here.

Episode 58 Jon Sommariva and Neverlanders here.

Episode 51 Jessica Walton and Aśka and Stars in Their Eyes here.

Episode 40 Alyssa Bermudez and Big Apple Diaries here.

You can also find the ALIA Graphic Notable Australian Graphic Novels of 2025 list here: https://graphic.alia.org.au/notables-lists/

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.

In this creator chat James sits down for a conversation with Aśka, the creator behind The Friendship Paradox, out now through Allen & Unwin. 

The Friendship Paradox is a young adult graphic novel where high school is over and Dash is excited to spend their gap year working for the local science museum, travelling and teaching kids about physics. Maybe they'll even make a friend. People are part of the universe, so the laws of physics should also apply to them, right?

Except Dash discovers the workplace is just as challenging as school - relationships are confusing, students don't follow the rules and co-workers aren't what they expect. Then Dash meets Kay. Can opposites really attract? Or will Dash's attempts to use physics to understand their world repel a potential friend?

The conversation focuses on science communication, balancing communicating the science with telling the story of Dash, Kay, their adventures and their developing friendship and more.

Aśka also gives us a quick update on PCAF and recommends three titles to read:

Wake Up Pixoto by Weng Pixin

Speaking in Pictures by Neil Cohn

Manta by Jorden Allen-Barr

For more from Aśka check out their website: https://askastorytelling.com

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.

In this month’s roundup Marissa and Iurgi go through some of the latest news, their recent reads and their favourite picks from this month’s crop of new titles.

01:04 News in brief

04:22 Recent reads:

• Ranma ½ by Rumiko Takahashi
• Who Made Me a Princess? by Spoon, Plutus
• The Top Dungeon Farmer by Lim Hyeong, Lee Ha-kyung, sdcknight
• I Killed the Main Player by Greenkirin, HELP.ME
• The Extra’s Academy Survival Guide by Greenkirin, Korita
• The Royal Tea by Captain Juuter
• Duchess’s Lo-Fi Coffeehouse by Nuova, Nyangmi.Page.IIAKI, Kimdimsum
• Night Shift in Another World by Cooljamon, Sadsnake
• Criminal Volume 5 The Sinners and Volume 6 The Last of the Innocent by Ed Brubaker and Sean Philips 
• Frieren Beyond Journey’s End Vol 14 by Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe
• Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa
• The Friendship Paradox by Aśka. 
• 
  

14:07 News:

A debut manga about a second-hand bookshop owner has won the top prize at Japan’s prestigious Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prizes, highlighting new talent and stories centred on book culture.

Rainbow reads - since June is Pride Month, several organisations have put together lists of not-to-miss LGBTQ+ titles. School Library Journal, NY Public Library, Global Comix; NYPL’s list of suggested reads for adults included Australian author Campbell Whyte’s recent release Luna Express, set in Perth and featuring magical girls kicking butt in the moonlight

A panel explores graphic medicine, showing how comics communicate health experiences, combining storytelling, art, and science to humanise illness, support education, and connect audiences.

Lee Lai’s graphic novel Cannon continues to win. Taking the top prize at the 2026 Doug Wright Awards, highlighting excellence in Canadian comics and celebrating emerging and established creators.

For people living in Melbourne, there’s a new indie comics festival in town. MAKE, the Melbourne Alternative Comics Expo will be taking place in October. The full program is not out yet, but the festival has announced it will go for three days. 

ALIA Graphic’s Notable Australian Graphic Novels of 2025 list is out now. This year, for a second time the notables were judged by a judging panel from all across Australia. Library staff who put their hand up to help us judge and decide the most outstanding graphic novels by Australian creators from last year. The ALIA Graphic committee wants to sincerely thank everyone who volunteered, read the graphic novels and gave us their thoughts and reviews. We really appreciate it and congratulations to all the Notables and to all Australian creators. Check out the notables list here: https://graphic.alia.org.au/notables-lists/ 

28:30 New titles:

Billie B Brown’s Secret Mystery Club Book 1: Spooky House by Sally Rippin, Aki Fukuoka (Figment Books)

Lore Olympus: Volume Ten by Rachel Smythe (Inklore)

Encore! by Miles Toriko Burks (HarperCollins)

Unordinary Vol. 4 by uru-chan (Harper Collins)

Ichi the Witch Vol. 2 by: Osamu Nishi, Shiro Usazaki (VIZ Media)

Fish and Water by Gengoroh Tagame (Pantheon Graphic Library)

Charity and Sylvia by Tillie Walden (Drawn & Quarterly)

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.

In this creator chat Mia sits down for a conversation with Li Chen the creator of the delightful Detective Beans series. Li Chen, from New Zealand, always loved drawing and has been working as a full-time comic artist since 2012. Detective Beans and the Case of the Missing Hat was her first graphic novel and she's just published the third book in the series: Detective Beans and the Map of Mystery.

In this conversation they talk about:

• The origin and influences of Detective Beans
• How Li Chen started making webcomics
• How well Detective Beans has been received
• Li Chen coming to Australia
• and more!

For more on Detective Beans visit: https://detectivebeans.com/

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.