Asked to comment on yesterday's terrorist attack on French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in which 12 people were killed, including two police officers and the editor, Stephane Charbonnier, Mr Tremain, a cartoonist for more than 25 years, described the shootings as ''horrific''.
''This is appalling, really,'' he said.
''Perhaps we can't stop it, but I don't think we can allow ourselves to be cowered by it.
''To shut up shop ... would be a real tragedy.''
In New Zealand, cartoonists, and others, had the ''luxury'' of living in a country where they could be provocative. However, there were many countries where that was not the case, Mr Tremain said.
Cartoons from France tended to be ''satirical and biting and I see nothing wrong with that''.
''But it takes a lot more common sense and knowledge than these particular guys have to accept that.
''Nobody likes to have the mickey taken out of them ... but they are certainly grown up enough [in New Zealand] to accept it's part of being high-profile and pushing the limits they push.''
He had never suffered any retribution for cartoons, although once, following a cartoon about skinheads, he had been threatened by a skinhead serving time in prison.
Mr Tremain, along with Pierre Wiazemsky (Wiaz), were in Dunedin in 2008, for a Cartooning for Peace demonstration.
The movement was started in 2006 by Parisian cartoonist Plantu to support colleagues in countries such as Libya, Syria and Tunisia who had been jailed for their cartoons.
In a statement on its website yesterday, Cartooning for Peace editorial chief Laure Simoes said the organisation expressed its pain and sympathy to the victims' families, close ones and their ''anger against this crime''.
The ''targeted assassinations'' had been staged to ''establish terror and muzzle journalists, cartoonists [and] every citizen''.
In Queenstown yesterday, about 30 French nationals had gathered by 5pm, sitting in a circle, holding ''Je suis Charlie [I am Charlie]'' placards.
Camille Guichard, who had been in the resort about two months, said the memorial was organised on Facebook that morning..
Some French nationals in Wanaka arrived to show support.
In the middle of their ever-increasing circle was a box on which sat 12 candles and a French flag.
Barbara Quilichini said Charlie Hebdo was a symbol of freedom of expression in France, where no subject was taboo, including religion, politics and sexual expression.
Ms Guichard said it was an attack against ''everything we are''.
''We try and fight for freedom of expression.
''We try and let everyone think what you want and say what you want. It's very, very important.''
Helen Phalip said the attack was incomprehensible.
''It's quite hard to be away from France right now. We tried to meet with all of the French who are here to say that we are here and we are still thinking of France.''
