State Library of Victoria > Programs & Events > Exhibitions > Keith Murdoch Gallery > Heroes & Villains
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Read the transcripts

Click on a 'Read the transcript of...' link to display the transcript and the audio file link for that section of the audio tour.


Part 1: Introduction

Welcome to Heroes & Villains: Australian Comics and their Creators. You’re probably wondering why this kind of exhibition is at the State Library of Victoria.

Audio Listen to Part 1: Introduction [1:31,  630Kb]
Read the transcript of Part 1: Introduction



Part 2: Larrikins, Tearaways and Dags

What’s more Australian than a larrikin? Early Aussie comic strips were all about irreverent humour and fun - if nothing else, we’re always ready to have a laugh at our own expense.

Audio Listen to Part 2: Larrikins, Tearaways and Dags [2:41,  1.1Mb]
Read the transcript of Part 2: Larrikins, Tearaways and Dags



Part 3: Scourge of the Seven Seas

Tales of pirates and tall ships have thrilled readers for generations, but for some reason they never really ‘clicked’ with comic readers anywhere in the world – anywhere, that is, except Australia…

Audio Listen to Part 3: Scourge of the Seven Seas [2:24,  992Kb]
Read the transcript of Part 3: Scourge of the Seven Seas



Part 4: Caped Crusaders

The superhero is America’s gift to comic books and a really good example of how Australian comics have been influenced by the giant American comic industry.

Audio Listen to Part 4: Caped Crusaders [2:30,  1.1Mb]
Read the transcript of Part 4: Caped Crusaders



Part 5: I Hate Crime

Australia gave the world its first modern detective novel in 1886 - The Mystery of the Hansom Cab by Fergus Hume. Set in gas-lit ‘Marvellous Melbourne’, the story became an unexpected world-wide success.

Audio Listen to Part 5: I Hate Crime [2:50,  1.2Mb]
Read the transcript of Part 5: I Hate Crime



Part 6: Talking Animals to the Rescue

Talking animals have long been a popular theme in Australian comics, from cuties like Kokey Koala and his Magic Button, to tough guys like the more recent Hairbutt the Hippo.

Audio Listen to Part 6: Talking Animals to the Rescue [1:42,  700Kb]
Read the transcript of Part 6: Talking Animals to the Rescue



Part 7: To the Stars and Beyond

Science fiction comics were never so much about the world of tomorrow as they were about escape from the troubles of today.

Audio Listen to Part 7: To the Stars and Beyond [2:10,  897Kb]
Read the transcript of Part 7: To the Stars and Beyond



Part 8: Cowboys and Indians - and Bushrangers Too!

Cowboys and Indians, like superheroes, were a hugely popular American innovation and were embraced by Australian comic creators and readers alike.

Audio Listen to Part 8: Cowboys and Indians - and Bushrangers Too! [2:01,  834Kb]
Read the transcript of Part 8: Cowboys and Indians - and Bushrangers Too!



Part 9: Lords of the Jungle

There have been plenty of primitive wild men and jungle women who have swung their way through the pages of Australian comics.

Audio Listen to Part 9: Lords of the Jungle [1:25,  587Kb]
Read the transcript of Part 9: Lords of the Jungle



Part 10: The Horror! The Horror!

Australian comic creators are often at their best working on the fringes of popular culture. Horror comics are no exception to this rule.

Audio Listen to Part 10: The Horror! The Horror! [1:52,  768Kb]
Read the transcript of Part 10: The Horror! The Horror!



Part 11: Of Swords and Sorcery

When compared with cowboys and superheroes, you’d think that ‘sword and sorcery’ comics play a minor role in the history of Australian comics - and you’d be right.

Audio Listen to Part 11: Of Swords and Sorcery [1:36,  659Kb]
Read the transcript of Part 11: Of Swords and Sorcery



Part 12: War is Hell

Although it may be hard to believe, there never would have been an Australian comic industry without World War II.

Audio Listen to Part 12: War is Hell [2:22,  976Kb]
Read the transcript of Part 12: War is Hell



Part 13: Who Were Those Masked Men?

Long before superheroes took to the skies; there was another kind of crime fighter – just as brave, but with nothing more than a mask to protect them from the powers of evil!

Audio Listen to Part 13: Who Were Those Masked Men? [1:28,  606Kb]
Read the transcript of Part 13: Who Were Those Masked Men?



Part 14: Comix Go Underground

By the 1970s, every household had a television and comics were much less popular than they were in the boom years after the Second World War.

Audio Listen to Part 14: Comix Go Underground [1:39,  681Kb]
Read the transcript of Part 14: Comix Go Underground



Part 15: Kids' Stuff

Before we had comic books like the ones we see today, kids in the 1920s could read comic strips along with stories, puzzles and games in magazines like The Boys Weekly.

Audio Listen to Part 15: Kids' Stuff [1:42,  699Kb]
Read the transcript of Part 15: Kids' Stuff



 

This page was found at: http://learning.slv.vic.gov.au/heroes/audiotour/audio_transcripts.html
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