Jared Takrouna Lane is a well known and highly respected New Zealand artist. He is most notable for his comic art (including his acclaimed serial Progress), but has also made a name for himself as an illustrator, storyboard artist and as an exhibiting fine artist.

Biography

Jared Lane was born on the 16th October 1972. After leaving school in Central Otago

Central Otago

Central Otago is the inland part of the New Zealand region of Otago in the South Island. The area commonly known as Central Otago includes both the Central Otago District and the Queenstown-Lakes District to the west....

, New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 he attended the School of Fine Arts, University of Canterbury

University of Canterbury

The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...

 where he studied painting and became actively involved in student media, including drawing regular cartoons for Canta

Canta (magazine)

Established in 1930, Canta is the official magazine of the University of Canterbury Students' Association of the University of Canterbury. It is freely available around campus every Wednesday during term time...

 and working for the student radio station 98RDU. It was while he was at university he met up with fellow New Zealand comic artists and enthusiasts (such as Darren Schroeder

Darren Schroeder

Darren Phillip Schroeder is a Small Press editor, critic, stand up comedian, and comics creator. He is best known for founding the , editing the Small press section of the Comics Bulletin website and as long-standing editor of the Funtime Comics anthology Funtime Comics Presents...

, Jason Brice

Comics Bulletin

Comics Bulletin is a website with an emphasis on the American comic book industry, updated daily with news, reviews, interviews, and editorial content. Coverage ranges from mainstream to independent/small press comic book and graphic novel publishers.-History:...

 and Ed Dewe) and became a founding member of Funtime Comics

Funtime Comics

Funtime Comics is a Christchurch, New Zealand based collective of comic artists and writers whose aim is to provide a forum for the promotion and discussion of the comic medium, promote New Zealand comics and encourage local writers and artists through the publishing of their own comics...

. He finished his university studies at the end of 1993, and during later travels met up with Australian award winning film maker Clint Cure and self-proclaimed underground comic art hustler Mike Fikaris. Jared Lane now lives in Christchurch

Christchurch

Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...

, New Zealand with his wife Rachael and son Otis James Lane.

Comic art

Jared's early comic art appeared in student newspapers Canta

Canta (magazine)

Established in 1930, Canta is the official magazine of the University of Canterbury Students' Association of the University of Canterbury. It is freely available around campus every Wednesday during term time...

 and Caclin. From 1991 he became a regular contributor to the Funtime Comics

Funtime Comics

Funtime Comics is a Christchurch, New Zealand based collective of comic artists and writers whose aim is to provide a forum for the promotion and discussion of the comic medium, promote New Zealand comics and encourage local writers and artists through the publishing of their own comics...

 anthology Funtime Comics Presents. Since then he has contributed to numerous comic anthologies including: Strip Art Vizura, Pure Evil, Tango Vol 3, Officer Pup 1 & 2. He has produced his own comics: Avatar (1993), Hub, Planet of Death, Slated, Progress 1 to 7. In a review of Progress #6 Steve Saville at Silver Bullet Comic Books wrote; Like Christmas a new edition of Jared Lane’s “Progress” only comes but once a year, and like Christmas it is always worth the wait.

His other significant contribution was to the New Zealand Cartoonists Collective's Millennium Project Nga Tupuna/Ancestors (an 80 page historical chronicle of 1000 years in the histories of two New Zealand families, one Maori, the other European) funded through a grant from the New Zealand Lotteries Commission's Millennium fund.

Jared Lane featured in the Shirley Horrocks documentary The Comics Show about the comics scene in New Zealand.

Awards

In 2006 Jared's serial Progress #5 was awarded an Eric Award (also known as the Black River Digital New Zealand Comics Awards) for Best Comic. The Erics are judged by an independent panel of comics experts and are the only awards for New Zealand comics. His 2006 award compounded the success he had achieved in 2002, when he received an Eric for Best Short Piece 'Te Kanawa and the Faeries' (tied with Toby Morris).

Illustrations

As well as drawing comics, Jared is an established illustrator. His illustrations of children's literature can be found in the New Zealand school children's magazine the School Journal. He has also drawn and designed for the gig guide The Package.

Other art

Jared Lane's other accomplishments include storyboarding for Glenn Standring's horror film, Perfect Creature

Perfect Creature

Perfect Creature is a New Zealand made horror/thriller film written and directed by Glenn Standring and starring Saffron Burrows and Dougray Scott, set in an alternate universe New Zealand. The New Zealand release date was 18 October 2007...

 He has also exhibited as an artist in numerous group exhibitions, and had solo exhibitions at the Centre of Contemporary Art

Centre of Contemporary Art

The Centre of Contemporary Art is an art gallery in the central city of Christchurch, New Zealand....

 and High Street Project, galleries in Christchurch

Christchurch

Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...

, New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

.

External links

• Jared Lane's Official Website
• Entry on the New Zealand Comics Register
• Archive where you can find reviews of Jared's serial Progress
• http://funtime.comics.org.nz/Home of Funtime Comics
  Funtime Comics
  Funtime Comics is a Christchurch, New Zealand based collective of comic artists and writers whose aim is to provide a forum for the promotion and discussion of the comic medium, promote New Zealand comics and encourage local writers and artists through the publishing of their own comics...
  
  on the web]