Welcome to the website of Australian graphic novelist, screenwriter, artist and editor Shane Walsh-Smith!
Media-friendly bio
Shane Walsh-Smith is an award-winning Australian graphic novelist and screenwriter who works across a broad spectrum of genre fiction. In addition to a lifetime of writing, he has also worked as an artist, editor, publisher, project leader, mentor, beta reader, ghost-writer, proof-reader and continuity consultant in a variety of creative fields.
His books (written under his pen name Shane W Smith) have been shortlisted for awards a total of seven times, including twice for the fan-favourite Undad. His epic fantasy graphic novel, Triumviratus was the first graphic novel ever to win the Best Fiction award in the ACT Writing and Publishing Awards. His TV scripts placed in more than fifty contests in 2020-2021, including nine wins.
Shane has a Bachelor degree in Creative Writing, and might be the only person in the world to get a comic published in a refereed academic journal. He lives in Australia with his wife and four children.
Publications and Creative works
Long books
Academaesthetics
The Lesser Evil
Peaceful Tomorrows
The Game
James Flamestar and the Stargazers
Undad – Volume One
Undad – Volume Two
All The King’s Men
Triumviratus
Undad – Volume Three
How to obtain one of Shane’s graphic novels
Scripts
Surface Tension TV pilot – Let Them Eat Cake
Matchsticks 2.0 TV pilot – Perfect is the Enemy of Special
Fifteen Minutes – a BoJack Horseman spec script
Legacy – a Farscape spec script
Emergency Exit – a Utopia spec script
Runaway Train – a Bluey spec script
Cut to Care – A Safe Place (w/ Joshua Koske)
The Grief Hole (w/ Joshua Koske, Kaaron Warren)
Request to read one of Shane’s scripts
OTHER WORKS
Line in the Sand – video game demo (2015)
Lone Wolf Definitive Editions (as proof-reader)
Short pieces
Custard (2006 FIRST – Vertebrae)
Parlour Tricks (2012)
Pestilence (2012) (with Gavin Thomson)
I Am Become Death (2013)
Killeroo: Gangwar (with Darren Close and Dan Gibbs) (2012-2017)
Exposure (2014)
A Moment In Time – Tango With Orangos (2015)
The Cold Light of Day: Australia Burns (2020)
Awards
Scripts
SURFACE TENSION (pilot)
Portland Comedy Film Festival Summer 2020 – Winner
Hollywood Just4Shorts Film and Screenplay Competition – Winner
Georgia Short Film Festival – Winner
Monochrome Film Festival – Winner
WILDsound FEEDBACK Film and Screenplay Festival – Winner
Imaginarium Convention Screenplay Awards 2020 – Second runner-up
Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest – Quarter-finalist
Screencraft Virtual Pitch 2021 – Semi-finalist
ScreenCraft TV Pilot Script Competition – Semi-finalist
LA International Screenplay Awards Winter 2020 – Semi-finalist
Big Apple Film Festival Fall 2020 – Finalist
Screenplay Festival 2020 – Finalist
Houston Comedy Film Festival 2020 – Finalist
NYC International Screenplay Awards – Finalist
New York International Screenplay Awards 2020 – Semi-Finalist
Austin Comedy Short Film Festival 2020 – Finalist
Page Turner Screenplay Awards 2021 – Finalist
Etowah Film Festival – Official selection
Atlanta Comedy Film Festival – Official selection
Filmmatic TV Pilot Awards – Semi-finalist
Scriptation Showcase 2020 – Semi-finalist
Filmmatic Comedy Screenplay Awards – Semi-finalist
Inroads Fellowship 2020 – Finalist
ISA Pitch Challenge 2020 – Finalist
AFIN International Film Festival 2020 – Finalist
Coverfly Pitch Week Spring 2021 – Official selection
MATCHSTICKS 2.0
WildSound Fantasy/Sci-Fi Screenplay Contest 2020 – Winner
Changing Face International Film Festival – Monthly winner
Changing Face International Film Festival – Annual nominee
Scriptapalooza Television Writing Competition 2020 – Finalist
TSL Free Screenplay Contest (2021) – Quarter-finalist
ISA Virtual Pitch Challenge 2021 – Finalist
Coverfly Pitch Week Spring 2022 – Finalist
AFIN International Film Festival 2020 – Semi-finalist
Top Indie Film Awards 2020 – Nominee
Underground Indie Film Festival 2020 – Official Selection
Indie Suspense Horror Sci-Fi Film Festival – Official Selection
Table Read My Screenplay 2021 – Top 100
Filmmatic Drama Screenplay Awards – Semi-finalist
Creative Screenwriting Unique Voices – Quarter-finalist
Emerging Screenwriters Genre Competition – Quarter-finalist
Outstanding Screenplays TV Pilot Competition – Quarter-finalist
Filmmatic Pitch Now Screenplay Competition – Semi-finalist
The Southern California Screenplay Competition – Semi-finalist
FIFTEEN MINUTES (BoJack Horseman spec)
Feedback Fan Fiction Festival 2020 – Winner
Houston Comedy Film Festival 2020 – Finalist
Portland Comedy Film Festival Summer 2020 – Finalist
Austin Comedy Short Film Festival 2020 – Finalist
Atlanta Comedy Film Festival – Official selection
LEGACY (Farscape spec)
Feedback Fan Fiction Festival 2020 – Winner
Barnstorm Fest 2020 – Honorable mention
EMERGENCY EXIT (Utopia spec)
Portland Comedy Film Festival 2021 – Finalist
Austin Comedy Film Festival 2021 – Official selection
Houston Comedy Film Festival 2021 – Official selection
GRAPHIC NOVELS
TRIUMVIRATUS
ACT Writing and Publishing Awards for 2018 – Winner (Best Fiction)
ALL THE KING’S MEN
ACT Writing and Publishing Award for 2016 – Highly commended
UNDAD VOLUME ONE
ACT Writing and Publishing Award for 2015 – Highly commended
Australian Shadows Award for best graphic novel in 2015 – Finalist
UNDAD VOLUME THREE
Australian Shadows Award for best graphic novel in 2020 – Finalist
THE GAME
Aurealis Award for best illustrated work/graphic novel in 2014 – Finalist
PEACEFUL TOMORROWS
Aurealis Award for best illustrated work/graphic novel in 2013 – Finalist
Selected interviews and guest spots
“The Evolving Zombie Metaphor” at HorrorDNA (May 2015)
Interview with QRD (June 2015)
Interview for Comic Con-Versation (June 2016)
Podcast interview for So You Want To Be A Writer (June 2016)
“Writing for kids: How to write comics” (August 2017)
ComixLaunch #156: Adapting Your Comic as a TV Pitch (July 2018)
ComixLaunch podcast #239: Australia Burns (Feb 2020)
WildSound Sci-Fi and Fantasy Film Festival interview (March 2020)
#sparkchamber interview (June 2020)
Scriptapalooza finalist interview (August 2020)
Read Local author conversation with Libraries ACT (September 2020)
Etowah Film Festival interview (September 2020)
WildSound podcast interview (November 2020)
Follow Shane
on Facebook
on Twitter
via his mailing list