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 novelist, 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, graphic designer, 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)
Eat Your Heart Out (w/ Laurie Stiller)
Day Boy (w/ Laurie Stiller)
The Pineapple Heist
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)
Screen project pitch decks
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
WINS
Portland Comedy Film Festival Summer 2020 – Surface Tension
Hollywood Just4Shorts Film and Screenplay Comp – Surface Tension
Georgia Short Film Festival – Surface Tension
Monochrome Film Festival – Surface Tension
WILDsound FEEDBACK Film & Screenplay Festival – Surface Tension
WildSound Fantasy/Sci-Fi Screenplay Contest 2020 – Matchsticks 2.0
Changing Face International Film Festival – Matchsticks 2.0
Feedback Fan Fiction Festival 2020 – Fifteen Minutes
Feedback Fan Fiction Festival 2020 – Legacy
FINALIST PLACEMENTS
Scriptapalooza Television Writing Competition 2020 – Matchsticks 2.0
Imaginarium Convention Screenplay Awards 2020 – Surface Tension
Barnstorm Fest 2020 – Legacy
Big Apple Film Festival Fall 2020 – Surface Tension
ISA Virtual Pitch Challenge 2021 – Matchsticks 2.0
Inroads Fellowship 2020 – Surface Tension
ISA Pitch Challenge 2020 – Surface Tension
Coverfly Pitch Week Spring 2022 – Matchsticks 2.0
Houston Comedy Film Festival 2020 – Fifteen Minutes
Houston Comedy Film Festival 2020 – Surface Tension
Portland Comedy Film Festival Summer 2020 – Fifteen Minutes
Portland Comedy Film Festival 2021 – Emergency Exit
Austin Comedy Short Film Festival 2020 – Fifteen Minutes
Austin Comedy Short Film Festival 2020 – Surface Tension
Page Turner Screenplay Awards 2021 – Surface Tension
AFIN International Film Festival 2020 – Surface Tension
Screenplay Festival 2020 – Surface Tension
NYC International Screenplay Awards – Surface Tension
OTHER PLACEMENTS
Austin Film Festival 2022 – Surface Tension
Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest – Surface Tension
TSL Free Screenplay Contest (2021) – Matchsticks 2.0
Screencraft Virtual Pitch 2021 – Surface Tension
ScreenCraft TV Pilot Script Competition – Surface Tension
LA International Screenplay Awards Winter 2020 – Surface Tension
New York International Screenplay Awards 2020 – Surface Tension
Etowah Film Festival – Surface Tension
Atlanta Comedy Film Festival – Surface Tension
Filmmatic TV Pilot Awards – Surface Tension
Scriptation Showcase 2020 – Surface Tension
Atlanta Comedy Film Festival – Fifteen Minutes
Austin Comedy Film Festival 2021 – Emergency Exit
Houston Comedy Film Festival 2021 – Emergency Exit
Filmmatic Comedy Screenplay Awards – Surface Tension
Coverfly Pitch Week Spring 2021 – Surface Tension
Changing Face International Film Festival – Matchsticks 2.0
AFIN International Film Festival 2020 – Matchsticks 2.0
Top Indie Film Awards 2020 – Matchsticks 2.0
Underground Indie Film Festival 2020 – Matchsticks 2.0
Indie Suspense Horror Sci-Fi Film Festival – Matchsticks 2.0
Table Read My Screenplay 2021 – Matchsticks 2.0
Filmmatic Drama Screenplay Awards – Matchsticks 2.0
Creative Screenwriting Unique Voices – Matchsticks 2.0
Emerging Screenwriters Genre Competition – Matchsticks 2.0
Outstanding Screenplays TV Pilot Competition – Matchsticks 2.0
Filmmatic Pitch Now Screenplay Competition – Matchsticks 2.0
The Southern California Screenplay Competition – Matchsticks 2.0
GRAPHIC NOVELS
WINS
Best Fiction – ACT Writing and Publishing Awards 2018 – Triumviratus
FINALIST PLACEMENTS
Aurealis Awards 2014 – The Game
Aurealis Awards 2013 – Peaceful Tomorrows
Australian Shadows Awards 2020 – Undad Vol Three
Australian Shadows Awards 2015 – Undad Vol One
ACT Writing and Publishing Awards 2016 – All The King’s Men
ACT Writing and Publishing Awards 2015 – Undad Vol One
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