Gestalt Publishing

Gestalt Publishing
Founded	2005
Founder	Wolfgang Bylsma; Skye Ogden
Country of origin	Australia
Headquarters location	Perth, Western Australia
Publication types	Comics
Official website	Official website

Gestalt Publishing is an Australian independent graphic novel publishing house. They primarily publish Australian graphic novelists, and have an ethos of supporting and developing emerging talent.

History

The company was officially founded in Applecross, Western Australia, in 2005 by Wolfgang Bylsma and Skye Ogden, although they had previously been involved in creating, editing and publishing underground and editorial comics since the early-1990s.^{[citation needed]}

Gestalt operates out of Perth, Western Australia. However, the company routinely travels to other parts of Australia for conventions and festivals.^{[citation needed]}

To date, Gestalt Publishing have published such notable books as The Deep: Here Be Dragons, Changing Ways, Eldritch Kid, Unmasked, and Flinch.^[1]

Gestalt have published the work of many well-known creators, including Shaun Tan, Tom Taylor, Justin Randall, Colin Wilson, and Terry Dowling.^{[citation needed]}

In 2013, a documentary called Comic Book Heroes was made about the company’s founders and core talent, and their efforts to establish a following in the US market.^[2]

In 2018 and 2019, Gestalt's editor-in-chief, Wolfgang Bylsma, worked with the Indigenous Literacy Foundation to mentor and support a group of young Indigenous comic writers and artists based in Mparntwe (Alice Springs) called "Stick Mob Studios". Gestalt published three of Stick Mob Studios' comics – Storm Warning, Exo Dimensions, and Mixed Feelings.^{[citation needed]}

Gestalt also collaborated with Big hART to produce and print physical editions of the comic series Neomad. The comic was originally produced as part of their Yijala Yala project, which worked with the Roebourne community to create videos, games, performances, and interactive comics. The graphic novel went on to receive the Gold Ledger Award in 2016.^[3]

In 2022, one of the owners of Gestalt, Wolfgang Bylsma, established Comics On Country as a not-for-profit platform to help support First Nations creators in telling their stories through comics.^{[citation needed]}

Indigiverse

In 2022, Gestalt announced that it would be partnering with Comics On Country and Ice Cream Productions to create an Aboriginal superhero universe under the "Indigiverse" banner. This will consist of multiple comic book series, all of which will feature Aboriginal Australian characters and Lore.^{[citation needed]}

The first comic series under the Indigiverse imprint is Dark Heart, written by Gooniyandi-Miriuwung Gajerrong man Scott Wilson, with art by Katie Houghton-Ward and Justin Randall. The first issue was released in July 2022.^{[citation needed]} The comic features an "Elder Protector" who guards the world against beings of darkness. The second issue was scheduled for release in November 2022, with production underway on another two comic series to see publication in 2023.^{[citation needed]}

Books

His Dream of the Skyland
Changing Ways: Book 1
Changing Ways: Book 2
Changing Ways: Book 3, Chapter 1
The Deep Vol. 1: Here Be Dragons
The Deep Vol. 2: The Vanishing Island
Torn
Lark Case Files: Black City
Lark Case Files: Devil City
Neomad
Exo Dimensions Vol. 1
Mixed Feelings Vol. 1
Storm Warning Vol. 1
Vowels
Eldritch Kid: Bone War
Eldritch Kid: Whisky and Hate
Karnak
Plato's Allegory of the Cave
Rombies
The Example
The More Things Change
Proud Heart
Believe
MIDAS
Fly
Sebastian Hawks
Waldo's Hawaiian Holiday
Unmasked Vol.1: Going Straight Is No Way To Die
Unmasked: Caddy Full of Blood
Wastelander Panda Vol. 1: Exile
Walled City Book 1: His Dream of the Skyland
Walled City Book 2: Nocturne
Flinch
Lustration Vol. 1
Character Sketches
Khulan
Talgard: Tome One
Talgard: Tome Two
Flock Book One: Warbird
Cleverman Vol. 1
Cleverman Vol. 2
Dark Heart Vol. 1

References

^ Gruber, Fiona. "In a superhero-free world," Archived 25 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine The Australian (5 May 2009).
^ "Comic Book Heroes". ABC iview. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
^ "2016 Award Recipients | Comic Arts Awards of Australia". Retrieved 7 October 2022.

External links

[1] Gruber, Fiona. "In a superhero-free world," Archived 25 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine The Australian (5 May 2009).

[2] "Comic Book Heroes". ABC iview. Retrieved 7 October 2022.

[3] "2016 Award Recipients | Comic Arts Awards of Australia". Retrieved 7 October 2022.

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