Yep, I won my first ebay auction yesterday. A successful bid for books 1-5 of Footrot Flats. Now you wonder how a sweet( do i hear giggling?) Woman from the Western US knows about Footrot Flats?
It’s easy. I have male cousins or more specifically ONE male cousin who went to Australia in the early 80s on a mission for the local insanity… I mean LDS Church. He acquired several books of Footrot Flats that he promptly loaned to me. I was hooked.
But being as neither of us have been back to Australia more recent releases have not been ours to see.
Two years ago for Christmas a friend of mine in NZ sent me a video of the movie. I was estatic… even though I had to have it recopied in a format my VCR could read.
Then day before yesterday I was digging through the humor section in our local used bookstore, The Bookshelf, and there were two in GREAT condition Footrot Flats books! I snapped those up and RAN to the checkout! From there I called my cousin Joe who hyperventilated on the phone for several minutes. It was Joe who went to ebay looking for more issues. So if he won his auction we will now have a run from 1 to 13 plus the first Weekender. And the video. Not a bad start for a pair of 'Mericans!
Footrot Flats
Here’s another site with details on where to find some more Footrot Flats books: Blacksheep.net. The total number of comic books is 28, with the text heavy “Ballad of Footrot Flats” the final in the series. The premier NZ comicstrip series, heaps of nice local touches.
Bit of a shame that the writer, Murry Ball, has stopped writing them, but at least he ended on a high and didn’t drag the comic to its demise.
Don’t think much of the Footrot Flats movie (although I did see it in the theater, yay!), but it was pretty good for the first major NZ animated feature. Also features the voice of NZ’s great comedian, the late Billy T James.
I’m going to name my first dog ‘Dog’. 
Kewl!
Color me jealous!! I only got one book, but I think I’ll go check out ebay, at least I know one person won’t be bidding against me. A friend of mine was going to Australia & I was to get more books, but his trip fell through & another friend that went only brought me money & a kangaroo scrotum coinpurse…
off to ebay!
Happy for you!
Wow! I didn’t know that anybody outside of NZ had ever head of Footrot Flats. They were a staple birthday/Christmas presant for my dad until they stoped being printed…
…I might just have to go back home and read some now.
Krisifer - glad you have discovered this great comic.
Growing up in the bush as a kid and working on a farm, I could really relate (although not quite as wet as NZ). My family used to give them to each other as christmas presents. I was thrilled when it was made into a movie.
[blatant yet harmless hijak]
So what theory do you have on Dogs real name?
you know Mr Ball stopped the series cos the dog that he based the character of ‘Dog’ on died? Sad, but touching and rather in keeping with the respect a working dog is often accorded by his boss! (Although I’m pretty sure Murray Ball’s dog wasn’t a working dog, more of a dog-dog).
I know our house was sad the day they announced the dogs death on the evening news.
So, don’t leave us in the dark!
Tell us about how you’re “no virgin anymore”! Details! :-9