Local Act Comics is a fast growing Australian comic company. Since their beginning, they've brought out several excellent new series and one-shots including Ma. B (crime thriller), After Life (science fiction), Down Under (horror) that cross over in a variety of genres. I've sampled nearly every title from Local Act Comics so I have a pretty good idea of what their titles are like. I wondered what it was like running a comic company and how hard it would be to start one. I decided to interview Dave Cunning, the founder of Local Act Comics and gather some insight on the business side of the comic industry.

How was the Local Act Comics company formed?

DAVE: I guess it all started a couple of years back when I first took an interest in making comics via the pulpfaction.net forums. It was there that I met a number of creators who were looking to collaborate on projects. After months of work with the initial plan of approaching an existing comic publisher with a finished first issue of the series Ma.B, I looked into the option of printing the comics myself through a contact that I had from my 9-5 job. From there it went from 1 comic to 2 and onwards… I started LAC with the intention of promoting both myself and other comic creators who may not have the time, access or the knowledge to promote themselves.

From your perspective, how hard is it to run a comic publishing company?

DAVE: Organisation is essential in trying to run something like this. You need to know who is doing what and who is working with who and when it’ll all be ready. It's almost like a dating service matching writers with artists. One of the biggest obstacles that I’ve faced so far is breaking into the comic stores and having them stock your material. It was a hard slog but we have more stores coming on board as the months go by. It's difficult to break the store owners mindset of what to expect from an Aussie comic publisher but we’re getting there.

Is local talent sought out or do they approach the company with submissions?

DAVE: Both. I have a couple of people on constant lookout for potential creators, and as the company has increased we are getting more and more interested creators looking for a project to work on or submitting their own material for consideration.

Given your recent merger with Australian company RadioTAK, can you tell us the reasons for the merger?

DAVE: It was a win/win situation for myself and RadioTAK’s Troy Kealley. Basically it opened up the opportunity for me to represent some amazing talent from the other side of the country and removed a lot of the sales and distribution work from Troy allowing him to focus more on comic production.

Local Act Comics has some really outstanding talent at the moment, how much support are the creators given with their titles?

DAVE: For a start creators are never out of pocket. LAC covers the financial side of things. We also take care of marketing, distribution and sales and represent the creators at events all over the country. We have a group editor who can help with everything from page layouts to perspective shots and creators are able to purchase their own and any other LAC titles at a reduced rate.

What can we expect to see coming out of Local Act Comics and RadioTAK in the near future?

DAVE: We have an amazing range of titles coming out in the coming months including the continuation of the anthology Something Weird, and the series Ma.B and Vigil as well as our new series starting in October – Down Under. On top of that we have a number of stand alone issues and more LAC Presents anthologies and a new series starting in the new year which is under wraps at the moment…

Can you tell us a little about your background so readers have a better idea of who you are?

DAVE: I’m 24. Married. I work full time as the business manager of a technical writing / publishing company. I have a degree in Psychology. I’ve always had an interest in comics. From the time I was a little kid I wanted to be an artist and actually used to sell my artwork to other kids in the playground. I’m really just an average guy who doesn’t sleep enough and loves to write, draw and publish comics.

I've noticed you're also an illustrator. Does running a company interfere with your time for drawing?

DAVE: It’s all about balance for me. I have certain nights of the week dedicated to different projects or responsibilities. I love to draw and at the same time I love running LAC. For me it’s both or nothing.

What are your responsibilites as a director of a big Australian comic company?

DAVE: Keeping in touch with all of our creators. Keeping the accounts up to date and paying everybody each month. Keeping the website up to date. Keeping in touch with the stores and making sure they always have enough stock. Organsing files to go to the printer. Keeping a track of stock levels. Keeping an eye out for new talent and opportunities. Doing interviews like this one.

LAC has expanded into webcomics now. What prompted this move?

DAVE: It's another great way to reach people. The internet is such a fantastic way to display your artwork. In the case of our current webcomic - Strange Dreams – the aim is to introduce the main characters to readers before we release the 3 part miniseries ‘Bound’ written By Liz Argall and illustrated by myself.

Thank you Dave for participating in the interview. I'm sure readers by now have gathered a good idea of the work involved in managing a comic company. Feel free to check out the Local Act Comics website.