ROK Drops Crumb Into China

ROK Comics, a subsidiary of the ROK Entertainment Group Inc., the global mobile entertainment company, is pleased to announce that several top comic creators are having their work translated for distribution in China as part of the company’s ongoing development with over 30,000 downloads delivered in one weekend!

Crumb, created by top cartoonist David Fletcher whose cartoons are published in over 30 newspapers worldwide including New Zealand’s top-selling TV Guide (which has some 800,000 readers a week), the New Zealand Herald and the Australian Daily. The strip is now available in Chinese and through the whole ROK Comics mobile and online distribution network.

As previously mentioned here, David has developed his new strip, Crumb especially for mobile, which centres on the antics of an ever-hungry blackbird.

“Comics for mobiles seems to me to be the future for cartoon strips and comics,” David says of ROK Comics. “Readers can now choose which comics they want to read and not be told by an editor which comics they can read.

“I love the fact that the mobile cartoon strip is no longer restricted to the usual number of three or four panel, which allows the cartoonist far more freedom to express his idea. Comics for mobiles has come as a breath of fresh air for the comics industry.”

“Several comics artists have started to create comics for mobile format and David’s at the forefront of a whole new way of reaching his audience,” says John Freeman, Managing Editor of ROK Comics. “We think mobile comics have huge potential to reach a worldwide audience who may never see the print editions of some of the comics we’re publishing, which offers creators huge potential in promoting their work.

David’s commitment to Crumb, updated regularly, meant the title was an ideal choice for translation and re-publication in China and initial reaction has been excellent.

Other strips ROK Comics are offering to partners in China include Michael Colbert's Crazy Mary, Look and Learn's Robin Hood, Anomaly by Kennedy Rose and Team Sputnik's Fret for the Day.

David Fletcher in Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury will be invaded by all manner of cartoonists this coming weekend (18th - 20th April), intent on enjoying themselves to the maximum at the Shrewsbury International Cartoon Festival. Guests include David Fletcher (creator of ROK Comics "Crumb", all the way from New Zealand), Guardian cartoonist Steve Bell, Steve Bright, Ian Baker, Bill Stott, John Roberts, Roger Penwill and Andy Davey, with support from The Cartoon Club of Great Britain, the Professional Cartoonists Organisation and more.

"It's the fifth of these annual events, and very popular among locals and visitors alike," says Steve Bright. "The sun has never failed to shine (that's the kiss of death now), and there are loads of events and exhibitions planned throughout the weekend."

Steve will be found in the town square (weather permitting), drawing gigantic cartoons. There will also be cartoon workshops and clinics for the public to participate in, and a plethora of caricaturists drawing all-comers - absolutely free.

• More information at: www.shrewsburycartoonfestival.com

ROK Comics Creators: David Fletcher

David Fletcher was bom in England in 1952. At school, he excelled at drawing cartoons in the margins of his maths book and falling asleep. On leaving school he studied production engineering for five years, then jumped on a aircraft bound for New Zealand where he's lived ever since.

He was employed as an illustrator and cartoonist by New Zealand's largest daily newspaper, The New Zealand Herald for three years. But for the last twenty years he's been pretending to work from home as a comic strip, drawing a daily strip called The Politician and several weekly strips including The TV Kids which appears in the TV Guide. His cartoons are syndicated to Europe, Britain, Africa, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand.

David lives in Auckland with his wife and two children. People still keep asking him when is he going to get a proper job...

Questions compiled by David Hailwood

How did you discover Rok Comics?

I was surfing the net one day and came across the ROK comics site, it sounded interesting so I sent in a new strip I happened to be working on. Does this mean I’m the only creator not to be personally invited to join ROK comics by John Freeman? [Probably! - Ed]

How do you feel about Digital comics over Print based comics?

Ninety five percent of my income comes from print but most of the comics I read these days I read on the net, so both forms are pretty important to me.

What's your greatest achievement in the comics field?

My greatest achievement would be winning a Blue Peter badge when I was fourteen in a drawing competition they were running. It gave a spotty kid a heap of confidence, although it’s been all down hill since then. I suppose making a comfortable living out of drawing cartoon strips for the past thirty years is some kind of achievement!

What projects (both Rok Comics and non Rok Comics related) are you working on at the moment? �

I produce a daily syndicated strip, five weekly strips and when I have time some Crumb strips for ROK.

What advice would you offer to new cartoonists?

Produce stuff that appeals to you, not what you think will appeal to other people. Keep pestering editors, they’ll give in eventually.

What's your favourite comics related website?

No one favourite site, I like to find new comics by surfing around.

Where else has your work appeared?

My syndicated strip appears in newspapers in New Zealand, Australia, Africa, Malaysia, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden and Denmark.

Where and when did you get your first comics break?

I was working on the staff of New Zealand’s biggest newspaper, The Herald, as an illustrator producing maps, graphs and diagrams when I was allowed to write and draw a weekly strip cartoon for the kids page. They liked it and before I knew it I was drawing four different weekly strips for various pages.

What comics are you reading at the moment (both web and print based)?

I like to get a daily dose of Zits (I’ve got a teenage son, so it’s very poignant.)

Whose work do you most admire in the comics field and why?

Anything in the Beano, and the Wizard of Id strip had a big effect on my style so Parker and Hart would be up there... and I love John Maybury’s sexy linework!

Introducing Crumb...

ROK Comics is delighted to announce its latest addition: a great new humour strip from New Zealand-based creator David Fletcher.

Crumb is the tale of the eternal struggle for survival right under our noses - at the bird table - featuring a cast that includes a very fat bird whose motto is survival of the fattest, a rat and a hungry cat.

David Fletcher tells us he was bom in England in 1952 and excelled at drawing cartoons in the margins of his maths book at school (and falling asleep).

On leaving school he studied production engineering for five years then jumped on a aircraft bound for New Zealand, where he's lived ever since.

He was employed as an illustrator and cartoonist by New Zealand's largest daily newspaper the New Zealand Herald for three years. But for the last twenty years he's been pretending to work from home as a comic strip artist. He draws a daily strip called The Politician and several weekly strips including The TV Kids which appears in the TV Guide there. His cartoons are syndicated to Europe, Britain, Africa, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand (you can see more of them on www.nzcartoons.co.nz).

David lives in Auckland with his wife and two children. "People still keep asking me when I'm going to get a proper job," he says.

A big warm welcome to David and enjoy Crumb - we think it's great!