The Potter's Point

‘The Potter’s Point’ is an online comic strip produced for Melbourne City of Literature as part of their ‘Reading Victoria’ project. This comic strip is about the real-life artist and potter Eric Juckert and his life at Grossard Point on Phillip Island. The story was researched by interviewing islanders who had known Eric, and discovering a story from their anecdotes.

The Future is Flamingoes

‘The Future is Flamingoes’ is a 12-page comic booklet produced for the City of Darebin as part of their ‘Writing this Place’ project. The story is set in the Darebin Parklands, and stars a talking duck (of course). The storyline arose from a walk along the Darebin Creek with the parklands Ranger of 30 years, Peter Wiltshire.

The Case that Made Australia

Here’s a movie comic made by Bruce Woolley and Bernard for the The Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House in Canberra. It’s about a ground-breaking moment in Australian history, the granting of property rights to convicts in Sydney Cove in 1788, and it stars stately Governor Arthur Phillip, a couple of conniving convicts, and a nefarious sea captain. The story arose from conversations with historian Alex McDermott, images by Bernard and the music was composed and performed by Bruce Woolley.

Bernard Caleo has worked as writer, artist, collaborator, editor, and publisher on many comic book titles including Tango (with many others), Mongrel, Yell Olé! (with Tolley), The False Impressionists (with Tolley), Flâneur, Café Ghetto (with John Murphy), I Knew Him, The Element of Surprise, and ‘Graphic Shakespeare’ (with Rob Conkie).

For Bernard the experience of holding a comic and breathing in its world as you read it, the feel of the pages and the smell of the ink, is wonderful. Humans are animals: we like physical things.

Bernard is currently working with historian Alex McDermott on a visual story examining the decline and fall of Marvellous Melbourne in the 1880s. The Devil Collects stars real historical figures, including the later-to-be Prime Minister Alfred Deakin, newspaper owner Maurice Brodzky, and entrepreneur businesswoman Madame Brussels.