Crime Scene Australia

Crime Scene Australia edition 2 'Hell's Gate'

CSA edition 2 - Hell's Gate - is the second in an eight-part graphic novel series, that covers Australian history from 1770 to 2025. 

CSA is co-created by indigenous activist/artist/broadcaster, Robbie Thorpe (Krautungalung nation) and documentary film maker/artist, Charlie Hill-Smith.

CSA2 Hell's Gate, follows our flawed hero, Ernie Grant, as he recovers from drug addiction and waking nightmares, to shoot episode two of his hit tv show, Crime Scene Australia. As the crew unravels the bloody history of Tasmania, reality itself frays, tearing the sanity of our hapless heroes.

The blinding heat, biblical flies, and rancid politics of white Australia add to disturbing true stories of slavery, rape and mass murder; eventually taking their toll on this naive tv crew of city slickers. Sanity and reality dissolve as another ‘fast-cash for cheap tv job’ - descends into the confronting half light of the spirit world, where the ghosts of the past seek supernatural revenge on the living.

CSA2 Hell's Gate, will be a 40-50 page graphic novel, written by artistic director Charlie Hill-Smith and co-creator, Robbie Thorpe, and our small and wily team of incredible artsists. Pencils by Charlie Hill-Smith & Michael Kumnick, inkwork by Heydi Ibrahim and colouring by Michael Gumlar.

Once written, pencilled, inked and coloured; we will publish CSA2 Hell's Gate, with a limited first print run of 500 comics, and a poster run of 1000 posters.

CSA Budget Breakdown - Total Budget $12,000

Michael Kumnick – storyboard pencil art - $3500

Heydi Ibrahim - ink work - $2000

Michael Gumlar - colouring - $800

Indigenous protocols and liaison - $1000

Historical research and writing - $500

Script development and layout - $500

Producer expenses / office / misc - $500

Printing comics and posters - $3200