When you get right down to it, comic books are all about fantasy. Only in comics do superhuman beings exist who possess almost mystical powers, able to hurl cars through the air and defeat entire armies single-handed.
Yet when we use the word 'fantasy' these days, we think of JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings saga, or role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons. 'Fantasy' no longer means anything that is 'fantastic' or 'beyond belief' - it refers to a specific genre in popular entertainment, where stories are set in vaguely medieval lands, ruled by sorcery and filled with magical creatures. |
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Australian comics have only ever briefly flirted with what we would call 'fantasy' themes. The earliest fantasy comics from the 1940s and 1950s, such as Sir Falcon and The Red Archer, borrowed heavily from the English Arthurian legend, or tales of folk heroes such as Robin Hood. |
Arguably the greatest influence on Australian fantasy comics in the last 30 years has been Conan the Barbarian. Once Marvel Comics launched its adaptation of Robert E Howard's brawling swordsman in 1970, Conan single-handedly spawned the 'sword and sorcery' comic-book genre worldwide. Conan's influence can be traced in Australian comics such as Judika, Wart's Epic and the light-hearted Dragon Hurtor.
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Another important American fantasy comic was Elfquest, created by the husband-and-wife team of Richard and Wendy Pini in 1978. Its clever use of seemingly childlike characters in adult storylines pointed to new creative possibilities in fantasy comics, which can be seen in Australian comics such as The Deerflame Legacy and Maelstrom the Green Dwarf. |
Illustrations
Top Gary LAU (cover artist, born 1975), Knight-Edge No 3, Glen Waverley VIC, Paragon Comics, 2004
Middle Peter CHAPMAN (writer and artist, born 1925), Gem Comics No 30, Sydney, Frank Johnson Publications, 1949
Bottom Leigh RUST (cover artist, born 1977), Zxenith No 1 (1st Series), Bunyip VIC, Rusty Nail Creations, 1995
Right Carlos MOTA (cover artist), Judika No 1, Kangaroo Point QLD, Pendlespear Comics, 2001 (detail)
