:''This article refers to the comic strip. For the novel, see

Beyond the Black Stump ''Beyond the Black Stump'' is a novel by British author Nevil Shute. It was first published in the UK by Heinemann (book publisher), William Heinemann Ltd, in 1956. Plot summary The story concerns a young American geologist, Stanton Laird, wor ...

'' ''Beyond the Black Stump'' is an Australian comic strip written by

Sean Leahy Sean Leahy (born 1958) is an Australian cartoonist working for the '' Courier Mail'' in Brisbane, Australia. He draws political cartoons for the paper, and also his own comic strip, ''Beyond the Black Stump'', which is distributed in Australia. ...

. It debuted in 1988 and won the "Best Comic Strip" at the 2003

National Coffs Harbour Cartoon Awards National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

and the "Comic Strip Cartoonist of the Year" at the

Australian Cartoonist's Association The Australian Cartoonists' Association is the Australian professional cartoonists' organisation and was established on 17 July 1924 as the Society of Australian Black and White Artists. It soon became The Black and White Artists Society; and, ...

's Stanley Award the same year. The strip follows a cast of Australian wildlife who deal with the day-to-day stresses of marriage, parenting and friendship.

Characters

*Floyd - Floyd is a wannabe rock 'n' roller

echidna Echidnas (), sometimes known as spiny anteaters, are quill-covered monotremes (egg-laying mammals) belonging to the family Tachyglossidae . The four extant species of echidnas and the platypus are the only living mammals that lay eggs and the ...

. He spends a lot of his time, and a lot of his out of tune music, to protest against whatever comes up, whether it be saving the environment, or saving the echidnas. *Dave - Dave the

kangaroo Kangaroos are four marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern gre ...

is an original larrikin and party animal. He's always a jump ahead of the rest ... but with his feet that's easy. *Benny - Benny is a

kookaburra Kookaburras are terrestrial tree kingfishers of the genus ''Dacelo'' native to Australia and New Guinea, which grow to between in length and weigh around . The name is a loanword from Wiradjuri ''guuguubarra'', onomatopoeic of its call. The ...

and a single parent to Spud. He devotes a lot of time to raising Spud properly, but with limited success. Being a solo parent is never an easy job. *Spud - Spud, a bird, is a smart and quick-witted boy, but his grades do not show this trait. It sometimes seems that he ''tries'' to make his father's life a misery. *Sinker - Sinker is a

pelican Pelicans (genus ''Pelecanus'') are a genus of large water birds that make up the family Pelecanidae. They are characterized by a long beak and a large throat pouch used for catching prey and draining water from the scooped-up contents before s ...

of many hats...barman, shop-keeper, waiter...he's in any opportunity that pays. *Boss - Boss the

galah The galah (; ''Eolophus roseicapilla''), also known as the pink and grey cockatoo or rose-breasted cockatoo, is the only species within genus ''Eolophus'' of the cockatoo family. Found throughout Australia, it is among the most common of the co ...

is every employee's nightmare– Mr Hyde one minute and Mr Hyde the next! *Frank - Frank is a clumsy

emu The emu () (''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is the second-tallest living bird after its ratite relative the ostrich. It is endemic to Australia where it is the largest native bird and the only extant member of the genus ''Dromaius''. The emu' ...

, both muddled and befuddled. He can't fly, but is always trying. *Fish - Fish, the mixed up marsupial, is a

platypus The platypus (''Ornithorhynchus anatinus''), sometimes referred to as the duck-billed platypus, is a semiaquatic, egg-laying mammal Endemic (ecology), endemic to Eastern states of Australia, eastern Australia, including Tasmania. The platypu ...

who enjoys the odd drink... the odder the better. *Bruce - Bruce is a lazy

koala The koala or, inaccurately, koala bear (''Phascolarctos cinereus''), is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae and its closest living relatives are the womb ...

and the only married male in the strip. Despite this fact, he also seems to be the least committed of the cast. *Katy - Katy, a koala, is the dynamic and independent career woman; her sole handicap is her husband. *Clive- A

Wombat Wombats are short-legged, muscular quadrupedal marsupials that are native to Australia. They are about in length with small, stubby tails and weigh between . All three of the extant species are members of the family Vombatidae. They are adap ...

who thinks a T–shirt is a fashion statement no matter what's printed on it. A fellow who is obviously a few sheep short in the top paddock.

External links

* https://web.archive.org/web/20060714115316/http://www.beyondtheblackstump.com.au/ * https://web.archive.org/web/20060812031746/http://www.leahy.com.au/ Australian comic strips

Comics about married people Comics about animals Comics set in Australia Gag-a-day comics {{Comic-strip-stub