Join us for the 100th anniversary of the Australian Cartoonists Association and the 40th annual Stanley Awards!

The Australian Cartoonists Association is pleased to invite cartoonists, comics artists, caricaturists, illustrators and every kind of brush and pen jockey to join us for the 40th Annual Stanleys Conference and Awards, taking place at the Museum of Australian Democracy, Old Parliament House, in Canberra on Nov 29-30, 2024.

This year the ACA celebrated its past with an exhibition at the State Library of NSW, a piece of cake and a nice lie-down. At this year’s conference we’ll review Canberra cartoon history and examine the last 40 years of Australian comics. We’ll also turn to the present and future, and discuss making a living with comic strips and artist censorship over Palestine. Finally, we’ll learn new ways to workshop cartoons and enjoy comics performed live on stage!

This year our special guests include two of Australia’s funniest and most successful comic strip creators, and self-described “hermits”, Trudy Cooper and Doug Bayne (Platinum Grit, Oglaf), award-winning graphic novelist Safdar Ahmed (Still Alive: Graphic Reportage from Australia’s Immigration Detention System), award-winning comics maker and educator Meg O’Shea, independent scholar on graphic satire and judge for the Museum of Australian Democracy’s Political Cartoonist of the Year Lucien Leon, and the hosts of long-running comics performance event Read To Me Gabe Clark, Fionn McCabe & Evie Hilliar.

You’ll also hear from ACA stalwarts including Cathy Wilcox, Fiona Katauskas, Eleri Harris, Stuart McMillen, Steve Keast and David Blumenstein.

And it’s all capped off by the 40th Stanley Awards, featuring Peter Berner!

Events at the 40th Annual Stanley Conference and Awards

Folio: a new way of looking at Australian comics history, 1980-2020

We kick off the conference with a spotlight on an academic project which is cataloguing and connecting the stories of Australia’s comics scene. With Gabe Clark, Meg O’Shea and moderator Fiona Katauskas.

Read To Me: Intimate stories told with big pictures

The creators of Read To Me bring their cartoony performance event to the Stanleys. Expect to hear (and see) tales from artists you know and artists you don’t. With Gabe Clark, Fionn McCabe, Evie Hilliar and many more.

Cartoon walking tour around the Parliamentary circle

Following the Saturday morning AGM, we’re going out and about to see the sights of the parliamentary circle. You’ll hear stories of Canberra history and see never-before exhibited Canberra cartoons, thanks to your guide, Eleri Harris of She Shapes History.

Keep the money flowing: innovative side gigs and alternative routes for cartoonists

After lunch, our first big discussion will be about finding new ways to ply our trade. What are cartoonists doing with their weird blend of skills? Do we need to get our clothes off? With Trudy Cooper, Doug Bayne, Steve Keast and moderator Stuart McMillen.

“Bit too hot”: Genocides artists shouldn’t mention in 2024

In this lighthearted chat, we’ll look at the ways artists, including cartoonists, have dealt with the issue of Palestine over the last year, and what happened to them as a result. Will the media and arts organisations always spank artists for having politics? With Safdar Ahmed, Lucien Leon and moderator David Blumenstein.

Workshop: A bit of perspective

As we end our conference it’s time for you to pick up the pen. Whether we are writing fiction or trying to understand a world event, putting yourself in someone else’s shoes is crucial. In this workshop we’ll try collaborative comics and dig into the voice and perspective of different characters on current events, both real and imagined. With Fionn McCabe and Evie Hilliar.

The 40th annual Stanley Awards dinner

We end our Saturday, and our conference, with a meal, the awarding of honours to the year’s best cartooning and illustration, and entertainment from our host, gallery artist, comedian, TV presenter and cartoonist Peter Berner.

For the regularly updated weekend program, go here.

Tickets go on sale October 14 at Conference bookings.

Members and non-members welcome!

For more information, contact:

ACA deputy president David Blumenstein: david@experienceillustration.com
ACA president Cathy Wilcox: president@cartoonists.org.au