Podcasts, radio shows, writing and more by Alex Fitch
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Panel Borders: The art of The Losers
April 30, 2010 — 1 Comment
Panel Borders:
The art of The Losers
Edited version broadcast 29/04/10 as an episode of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM
- The Losers – in print by Jock and Andy Diggle and on film
Concluding our month long look at the crossover between comics and film, Alex Fitch interviews Jock, the main illustrator of The Losers, a 32 issue comic book series that has just been turned into an action film of the same name, based on the first half dozen issues of the comic. Alex also talks to Jock about his career so far, working on such characters as Lenny Zero and Green Arrow with writer Andy Diggle as well as illustrating the world of Judge Dredd, both in print and on the forthcoming movie written by Alex Garland.
For more info about this podcast and a variety of formats you can stream or download, please visit the home of this episode at www.archive.org
Links: Jock’s website
Info about The Losers on wikipedia and the IMDb
Official website
Today’s show: A lifetime of Cult films by Joe Dante
April 29, 2010
Today on Resonance FM:
I’m ready for my close-up: A lifetime of Cult films by Joe Dante
Director Joe Dante and his most famous creation
Coinciding with veteran genre film maker Joe Dante receiving a lifetime achievement award at the Cine-Excess Cult film festival in London, Alex Fitch talks to the director about his career so far, concentrating on his new / old film The Movie Orgy (1968) which premièred last night at the festival. The Movie Orgy was initially a 5 hour film made of found footage spliced together by the director in the 1960s as a calling card for editing work in the industry. It succeeded in this aim, leading to a job under Roger Corman and Dante has just finished a new 90 min cut of the film for 21st Century audiences. Alex and Joe also talk about his shift from ‘adult’ horror films such as The Howling and Piranha (screening May 1st at Cine-Excess) in the 1970s to subversive family fare such as Gremlins in the 80s and the possibility of that film receiving a belated second sequel.
5pm 30/04/10, Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com
Links: Cine Excess website
More info about the cult film archive and MA course at Brunel University
Wikipedia and IMDb pages on Joe Dante
Recommended events:
Sci-Fi London 9 – Life in 2050
Starting tonight at the Apollo Piccadilly on Lower Regent Street is Sci-Fi London, the twice yearly festival of Science Fiction and Fantastic film and there are a number of comics related events I’ve organised:
60 Years of Dan Dare
A panel on 60 years of the lantern jawed space pilot -Alex Fitch will be talking to:
Garry Leach, who drew Dan’s return to print in 2000AD, ten years after the end of the original Eagle, in the late 1970s and more recently covers for Virgin comics’ revival of the ‘Pilot of the future’ in 2008.
Rian Hughes who drew the Eagle inspired comic The Science Service in 1989 and then the Mekon’s final revenge in the Thatcherite satire Dare in the adult comics Revolver and Crisis a year later.
Gary Erskine who drew Dan Dare’s most recent official comic book adventures in the Virgin Comics periodical of the same name.
John Freeman, a comics historian and writer. He previous wrote The Science Service and now writes the strip Ex Astris in the 00s Dan Dare magazine Spaceship Away and
Rod Barzilay the editor and one of the writers of Spaceship Away,
10.30am Saturday 1st May
30 years of MARVEL UK
Alex Fitch hosts a panel on the British arm of the American Superhero publisher, featuring:
Dez Skinn, a pioneering Marvel UK editor who launched titles such as Hulk Comic and Doctor Who Magazine which featured early licensed work by Alan Moore, David Lloyd, Pat Mills and Dave Gibbons.
Dan Abnett, who gave Captain Britain a new, darker spin in the 1990s by adding him to an Arthurian team of heroes with
Gary Erskine, co-creator of the Knights of Pendragon
John Freeman, who designed many of Marvel UK’s early 90s titles such as Death’s Head II, Warheads, Killpower and Motormouth, contributing strips to several issues as well.
Simon Furman, primary writer for Marvel’s Transformers, and a dozen issues of Doctor Who magazine. He created some of Marvel UK’s most memorable SF titles including Dragon Claws and Death’s Head.
11.45 am, Saturday 1st May
Future Publishing?
A panel chaired by Tom Hunter, organiser of the Arthur C. Clarke Awards for SF literaure on the future of (SF) publishing:
featuring, Paul Rainey a cartoonist, illustrator and creator of diary-comic-strip-in-list-form Book of Lists. He is currently serialising his graphic novel, or ‘thick comic book’, There’s No Time Like The Present.
Gary Gibson; Nova War is his fourth novel and his second Dakota Merrick book, following 2007’s Stealing Light. The third in the series, Empire of Light, is to be published in July.
Dave Bradley, the editor of SFX magazine…
1.00 pm, Saturday 1st May
Live genre film redub
As part of the Mystery Science Theatre 3000 ‘allnighter’, some of London’s finest improv comedians, with guest star Dean Haglund (The X-Files) will be providing a new live soundtrack to a Rutger Hauer B movie. This is often considered the higlight of the Sci-Fi London Festival, so get a ticket while you can!
11.59 pm, Saturday 1st May
The Birth of the Modern Doctor Who
A special 2 hour event hosted by Alex Fitch, featuring a panel on directing Doctor Who, with Andrew Morgan who directed Sylvester McCoy’s first serial and returned to helm the 7th Doctor’s finest hour – Remembrance of the Daleks – which finally saw them conquer a flight of stairs.
Charles Palmer who directed four episodes of Doctor Who, including the first appearance of Martha Jones in the series and the two part story Human Nature / The Family of Blood.
Richard Martin who directed 22 episodes of Doctor Who in the 1960s, including most of the first three Dalek serials. Contrasting with the experiences of the more recent Who directors, Richard will give a valuable insight into the early years of the show and how much / how little aspects of filming have changed.
also: a panel on Doctor Who off screen; during periods when the programme was off-air, his adventures continued in books and audio plays. We are very excited to bring together some of the finest writers of these spin-off stories. This group were crucial in shaping the 21st Century Doctor.
Simon Guerrier is a writer of Doctor Who short stories, novels, comic strips and audio plays. He has also written and produced several installments of the audio adventures of the Doctor’s former companion Professor Bernice Summerfield.
Neil Gardner is a producer of several recent Doctor Who audio titles. Neil edited Tom Baker’s long-awaited return to the role after nearly 30 years. He has also directed many of the recent Tenth Doctor talking books.
Alan Stevens is the producer of Kaldor City, a sequel to both Doctor Who: The Robots of Death and Blake’s 7: Weapon.
The session will be followed by a live reading of a short Bernice Summerfield play “Closure” by Paul Cornell, performed by the original cast: Lisa Bowerman and Sarah Mowatt…
1.00 pm Sunday 1st May
Coffee with Gary Erskine
The Popular comics penciller and inker will be holding a signing and sketching session at Sci-Fi London, so if you don’t fancy the Doctor Who event, come along early to get in line!
1.00 pm Sunday 1st May
All the events take place at the Apollo Piccadilly Cinema, 19 Lower Regent Street, London, SW1Y 4LR
More info at www.sci-fi-london.com
(more…)
Today’s show: The art of The Losers
April 29, 2010
Today on Resonance FM:
Strip! – The art of The Losers
The Losers - in print by Jock and Andy Diggle and on film
Concluding our month long look at the crossover between comics and film, Alex Fitch interviews Jock, the main illustrator of The Losers, a 32 issue comic book series that has just been turned into an action film of the same name, based on the first half dozen issues of the comic. Alex also talks to Jock about his career so far, working on such characters as Lenny Zero and Green Arrow with writer Andy Diggle as well as illustrating the world of Judge Dredd, both in print and on the forthcoming movie written by Alex Garland.
5pm 29/04/10, Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com / podcast online tonight…
Links: to follow…
Recommended events:
Sci-Fi London 9 – Life in 2050
Starting tonight at the Apollo Piccadilly on Lower Regent Street is Sci-Fi London, the twice yearly festival of Science Fiction and Fantastic film and there are a number of comics related events I’ve organised:
The Hospital of Transfiguration screening
At 6.30 tonight there’s the start of our season on Stanislaw Lem films, a writer best known for penning Solaris, filmed twice by Andrej Tarkovski and Steven Soderberg, but whose other filmic adaptations are rarely seen in this country.
Accompanying the screening of Hospital of Transfiguration is an introduction by graphic novelist Andrzej Kilmowski and he’ll being doing a Q & A after the film with Alex Fitch looking at Polish film making in the 1970s and 80s, something he observed up close as a film poster designer at the time.
6.30pm Thursday 29th April
60 Years of Dan Dare
A panel on 60 years of the lantern jawed space pilot -Alex Fitch will be talking to:
Garry Leach, who drew Dan’s return to print in 2000AD, ten years after the end of the original Eagle, in the late 1970s and more recently covers for Virgin comics’ revival of the ‘Pilot of the future’ in 2008.
Rian Hughes who drew the Eagle inspired comic The Science Service in 1989 and then the Mekon’s final revenge in the Thatcherite satire Dare in the adult comics Revolver and Crisis a year later.
Gary Erskine who drew Dan Dare’s most recent official comic book adventures in the Virgin Comics periodical of the same name.
John Freeman, a comics historian and writer. He previous wrote The Science Service and now writes the strip Ex Astris in the 00s Dan Dare magazine Spaceship Away and
Rod Barzilay the editor and one of the writers of Spaceship Away,
10.30am Saturday 1st May
30 years of MARVEL UK
Alex Fitch hosts a panel on the British arm of the American Superhero publisher, featuring:
Dez Skinn, a pioneering Marvel UK editor who launched titles such as Hulk Comic and Doctor Who Magazine which featured early licensed work by Alan Moore, David Lloyd, Pat Mills and Dave Gibbons.
Dan Abnett, who gave Captain Britain a new, darker spin in the 1990s by adding him to an Arthurian team of heroes with
Gary Erskine, co-creator of the Knights of Pendragon
John Freeman, who designed many of Marvel UK’s early 90s titles such as Death’s Head II, Warheads, Killpower and Motormouth, contributing strips to several issues as well.
Simon Furman, primary writer for Marvel’s Transformers, and a dozen issues of Doctor Who magazine. He created some of Marvel UK’s most memorable SF titles including Dragon Claws and Death’s Head.
11.45 am, Saturday 1st May
Future Publishing?
A panel chaired by Tom Hunter, organiser of the Arthur C. Clarke Awards for SF literaure on the future of (SF) publishing:
featuring, Paul Rainey a cartoonist, illustrator and creator of diary-comic-strip-in-list-form Book of Lists. He is currently serialising his graphic novel, or ‘thick comic book’, There’s No Time Like The Present.
Gary Gibson; Nova War is his fourth novel and his second Dakota Merrick book, following 2007’s Stealing Light. The third in the series, Empire of Light, is to be published in July.
Dave Bradley, the editor of SFX magazine…
1.00 pm, Saturday 1st May
The Birth of the Modern Doctor Who
A special 2 hour event hosted by Alex Fitch, featuring a panel on directing Doctor Who, with Andrew Morgan who directed Sylvester McCoy’s first serial and returned to helm the 7th Doctor’s finest hour – Remembrance of the Daleks – which finally saw them conquer a flight of stairs.
Charles Palmer who directed four episodes of Doctor Who, including the first appearance of Martha Jones in the series and the two part story Human Nature / The Family of Blood.
Richard Martin who directed 22 episodes of Doctor Who in the 1960s, including most of the first three Dalek serials. Contrasting with the experiences of the more recent Who directors, Richard will give a valuable insight into the early years of the show and how much / how little aspects of filming have changed.
also: a panel on Doctor Who off screen; during periods when the programme was off-air, his adventures continued in books and audio plays. We are very excited to bring together some of the finest writers of these spin-off stories. This group were crucial in shaping the 21st Century Doctor.
Simon Guerrier is a writer of Doctor Who short stories, novels, comic strips and audio plays. He has also written and produced several installments of the audio adventures of the Doctor’s former companion Professor Bernice Summerfield.
Neil Gardner is a producer of several recent Doctor Who audio titles. Neil edited Tom Baker’s long-awaited return to the role after nearly 30 years. He has also directed many of the recent Tenth Doctor talking books.
Alan Stevens is the producer of Kaldor City, a sequel to both Doctor Who: The Robots of Death and Blake’s 7: Weapon.
The session will be followed by a live reading of a short Bernice Summerfield play “Closure” by Paul Cornell, performed by the original cast: Lisa Bowerman and Sarah Mowatt…
1.00 pm Sunday 1st May
Coffee with Gary Erskine
The Popular comics penciller and inker will be holding a signing and sketching session at Sci-Fi London, so if you don’t fancy the Doctor Who event, come along early to get in line!
1.00 pm Sunday 1st May
All the events take place at the Apollo Piccadilly Cinema, 19 Lower Regent Street, London, SW1Y 4LR
More info at www.sci-fi-london.com
(more…)
Today’s screening: Luc Besson’s Le dernier combat (1983)
April 24, 2010
Electric Sheep Subterranea – Le dernier combat (1983)
Electric Sheep presents subterranean screenings of minor masterpieces, oddball B-movies and genre classics in our new venue Notting Hill Arts Club.
Join us every three months on the third Saturday of the month for a feature film and a chat, preceded by short films, music and other attractions.
American poster for Le Dernier Combat
Electric Sheep hosts an afternoon of film, music and comics as part of Rough Trade Shops’ RoTa afternoons.
Electric Sheep Magazine hosts a Rough Trade Shops’ RoTa afternoon of film, music and discussion in the underbelly of Notting Hill.
Main feature: Luc Besson’s debut sci-fi movie The Last Battle, presented with a new live soundtrack by TIME and introduced by Marc Price, the director of the low budget British zombie movie Colin!
+ Apocalyptic garage punk from Speak and the Spells!
+ Apocalyptic shorts!
+ Resonance FM DJ Robin Warren spins soundtrack tunes!
We are very excited to present an apocalyptic afternoon in collaboration with Sci-Fi London. We will be showing Luc Besson’s stunning first feature The Last Battle, about one man trying to survive in a devastated future world. Starring Jean Reno, it has all of Besson’s stylistic flair but is unlike anything else he has made since. Surreal, blackly funny and visually striking, it is a fascinating addition to the post-apocalyptic sci-fi genre. The Last Battle will be shown with a live soundtrack by innovative string and synths duo TIME. Frances Morgan (former editor of Plan B Magazine) and Mark Dicker weave a web of sound where warm harmonies slowly mutate into saturated riffs while haunting vocals add a dimension of storytelling.
Every third Saturday of every third month, Notting Hill Arts Club.
ENTRY TO THIS SCREENING IS FREE!
SATURDAY 24th APRIL, Notting Hill Arts Club, 21 Notting Hill Gate
London W11 3JQ, 4pm
More info at Electric Sheep Magazine Online
Links: Info about our previous RoTa screening
IMDb page on Le Dernier Combat / Colin
Rough Trade Shops
Extract from Dr. Jeckyll and Sister Hyde review by Julia Scheele
For info on the latest online issue of Electric Sheep magazine, please click here including a comic strip review of Dr. Jeckyll and Sister Hyde by Julia Scheele
Sci-Fi London 9: Life in 2050, April 28th - May 3rd, 2010
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Reality Check: Cynical love songs and Tiny Daleks
April 23, 2010 — 3 Comments
Reality Check:
Cynical love songs and Tiny Daleks
Rob Shearman and his World Fantasy Award for Tiny Deaths
Alex Fitch discusses the cruelty of Daleks, short stories in the style of Roald Dahl and the disappearance of Luxembourg with Doctor Who writer and World Fantasy Award winner Rob Shearman! Alex and Rob talk about his various scripts such as Jubilee which was adapted for TV as ‘Dalek’ starring Christopher Eccleston, his short story collections ‘Tiny Deaths’ and ‘Love songs for the shy and cynical’, why there’s no such thing as ‘radical’ Doctor Who and his love of the series from the 1960s to the present day.
For more info about this podcast and a variety of other episodes you can download, please visit the home of this episode at www.sci-fi-london.com
Links: Rob’s website: www.robertshearman.net
Buy Love songs for the shy and cynical at www.bigfinish.com
Wikipedia page on Rob
Doctor Who audio trailer archive
Listen to Alex’s first interview with Rob, recorded shortly after the first broadcast of Dalek
(more…)
Alternative Press (half) Hour podcast
April 23, 2010 — 1 Comment
Alternative Press (half) Hour:
the Alternative Press Fair Spring 2010
Broadcast 20/04/10 on Resonance 104.4 FM
Alternative Press Fair, February 2010
The first of a six week run of 30 min regular instalments from the Alt. Press Scene: Gareth Brookes reports from the Alternative Press Fair, where he talks to Panel Borders’ Alex Fitch about covering comics on the radio and to comic artist Paul Ashley Brown about his work; Peter Lally talks to Brighton Zine Symposium organiser Emma Jane Falconer and there’s music from Shug and Trent Miller.
For more info and to stream / download a variety of formats, please visit the home of this podcast at www.archive.org
Links: Alternative Press homepage and podcast archive
Comics and zines blog
Recommended events:
Unicomics at the University of Hertfordshire, a 4 day event will be taking place from April 22nd to April 25th with film screenings, talks and panels by Pat Mills, Dave Gibbons , Kevin O’Neill, Gary Erskine, Ian Culbard, and Sarah McIntyre, more info at www.unicomics.co.uk
Solipsistic Pop 2 launch party
MUSIC FROM: SLEEPING STATES // TRISTRAM // DOGTANION
WE ARE WORDS + PICTURES DJ SET
COMEDY FROM ROBIN INCE // LIVE DRAWING
BUY THE BOOK AT A REDUCED PRICE
MEET THE ARTISTS // FREE SCREENPRINTS FOR THE FIRST 20 CUSTOMERS
7PM WEDNESDAY 28TH APRIL // £3
THE CROSS KINGS, KINGS CROSS, 126 YORK WAY
SOLIPSISTIC POP 2
Contains 64 pages of sequential art from some of the best comic artists, illustrators and designers working in the UK today. With a 12 page newspaper insert, gorgeous gatefold cover and specially designed tote bag, it’s a must have for any comic fan.
CONTRIBUTORS
Kristyna Baczynski, Becky Barnicoat, Adam Cadwell, Stephen Collins, Joe Decie, Marc Ellerby, Sally Hancox, Anne Holiday, Tom Humberstone, Philippa Johnson, Daniel Locke, Lizz Lunney, Jack Noel, Mark Oliver, Luke Pearson, Octavia Raitt, Anna Saunders, Julia Scheele, Matthew Sheret, and Matilda Tristram.
More info at www.solipsisticpop.com
Sci-Fi London 9: Life in 2050 from Wednesday 28th April – Monday 3rd May features a variety of comics panels, on topics such as 60 years of Dan Dare, British Female Manga creators, Comics and film and Marvel UK with guests including Kate Brown, Rian Hughes, Gary Erskine, Emma Viecelli, Dez Skinn, Woodrow Phoenix, Garry Leach, Karen Rubins, Dan Abnett, Cyriak Harris and many more. More info at www.sci-fi-london.com
Sci-Fi London 9: Life in 2050, April 28th - May 3rd, 2010
Panel Borders: Mister Green and The Incredible Hulk
April 15, 2010 — 2 Comments
Panel Borders:
Mister Green and The Incredible Hulk
Edited version broadcast 15/04/10 as an episode of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM
Clockwise from bottom left: still from Planet Hulk animated movie, cover of Incredible Hulk vol.3 no.98, stills from Mister Green and Robot Stories
Continuing our month of shows looking at the crossover between comics and film, Alex Fitch talks to comic book author and film-maker Greg Pak about his experiences in creating both media. Greg is the writer/director of a handful of short films including Mouse, Super Power Blues and the award winning Mister Green, the feature film Robot Stories and also the writer of a variety of Marvel comics. Alex and Greg talk about the similarities of both media, the freedom to develop characters over a fairly long stretch of time and seeing the first storyline of his run on the Incredible Hulk being adapted into the animated feature Planet Hulk.
For more info about this podcast and a variety of formats you can stream or download, please visit the home of this episode at www.archive.org
Links: Wikipedia pages on Greg Pak and Planet Hulk
Greg’s website: www.pakbuzz.com
Trailers for the Planet Hulk animated film / original comics
Planet Hulk / World War Hulk covers gallery at marvel.com
Info about screenings of Mister Green and other short films at this year’s Sci-Fi London festival
Follow Hercules‘ sidekick Amadeus Cho on twitter
Listen to Alex’s interview with Greg’s Incredible Hercules co-writer Fred Van Lente
Recommended events:
Whaam!: firstsite, Colchester’s 3 week festival of comics features a residency by artist David Baillie and a talk about subversive manga by Ilya and Chie Kutsuwada on Wednesday the 28th. More info about Whaam! can be found at www.firstsite.uk.net
Graphically Speaking: Rutu Modan, Amruta Patil and Jakob Strid, chaired by Paul Gravett – Three groundbreaking graphic novelists from Israel, India and Denmark sharpen their pencils to draw pictures and create stories beyond their countries and cultures that reach out to readers everywhere. 17 Apr, 4.30pm, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London
More info: www.internationalpen.org.uk
Alternative Press DIY workshop
Alternative Press and CreativeCapital present: A day of free zine making, comix and self publishing workshops for people aged 19 and over. Including mini comic fair, and local opportunities for self publishers.
If you’re an artist, small press comix creator or zinester, please come along and sell your work at our mini fair communal table. Also, the local comic book shop Calamity Comics are opening their doors for the first time to the small press, and will be dedicating some shelf space to underground comix, so go along and show them your work.
Saturday 17th April 2010. 1- 6pm, Trinity Bar 378-380 Station Road, Harrow, Middlesex HA1 2DL
More info at: www.alternativepress.org.uk
Comics and Graphic novels at London Book Fair
From 19th – 21st of April there are a series of workshops and seminars taking place at The London Book Fair in Earl’s Court and this year the event is looking at Comics and Graphic novels for the first time. Over the three days, speakers and panel chairs include: Jason Kingsley (Rebellion), Helen McCarthy, David Fickling, Emma Vieceli, Nana Li, Cory Doctorow, Ian Rankin and Paul Gravett.
More info at www.londonbookfair.co.uk
Unicomics at the University of Hertfordshire, a 4 day event will be taking place from April 22nd to April 25th with film screenings, talks and panels by Pat Mills, Dave Gibbons , Kevin O’Neill, Gary Erskine, Ian Culbard, and Sarah McIntyre, more info at www.unicomics.co.uk
Sci-Fi London 9: Life in 2050 from Wednesday 28th April – Monday 3rd May features a variety of comics panels, on topics such as 60 years of Dan Dare, British Female Manga creators, Comics and film and Marvel UK with guests including Kate Brown, Rian Hughes, Gary Erskine, Emma Viecelli, Dez Skinn, Woodrow Phoenix, Garry Leach, Karen Rubins, Dan Abnett, Cyriak Harris and many more. More info at www.sci-fi-london.com
Sci-Fi London 9: Life in 2050, April 28th - May 3rd, 2010
Today’s show: Mister Green and The Incredible Hulk
April 15, 2010
Today on Resonance FM:
Strip! – Mister Green and The Incredible Hulk
Clockwise from bottom left: still from Planet Hulk animated movie, cover of Incredible Hulk vol.3 no.98, stills from Mister Green and Robot Stories
Continuing our month of shows looking at the crossover between comics and film, Alex Fitch talks to comic book author and film-maker Greg Pak about his experiences in creating both media. Greg is the writer/director of a handful of short films including Mouse, Super Power Blues and the award winning Mister Green, the feature film Robot Stories and also the writer of a variety of Marvel comics. Alex and Greg talk about the similarities of both media, the freedom to develop characters over a fairly long stretch of time and seeing the first storyline of his run on the Incredible Hulk being adapted into the animated feature Planet Hulk.
5pm 15/04/10, Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com / podcast online tonight…
Links: Wikipedia pages on Greg Pak and Planet Hulk
Greg’s website: www.pakbuzz.com
Trailers for the Planet Hulk animated film / original comics
Planet Hulk / World War Hulk covers gallery at marvel.com
Info about screenings of Mister Green and other short films at this year’s Sci-Fi London festival
Follow Hercules‘ sidekick Amadeus Cho on twitter
Listen to Alex’s interview with Greg’s Incredible Hercules co-writer Fred Van Lente
Recommended events:
Whaam!: firstsite, Colchester’s 3 week festival of comics features a residency by artist David Baillie and a talk about subversive manga by Ilya and Chie Kutsuwada on Wednesday the 28th. More info about Whaam! can be found at www.firstsite.uk.net
Graphically Speaking: Rutu Modan, Amruta Patil and Jakob Strid, chaired by Paul Gravett – Three groundbreaking graphic novelists from Israel, India and Denmark sharpen their pencils to draw pictures and create stories beyond their countries and cultures that reach out to readers everywhere. 17 Apr, 4.30pm, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London
More info: www.internationalpen.org.uk
Alternative Press DIY workshop
Alternative Press and CreativeCapital present: A day of free zine making, comix and self publishing workshops for people aged 19 and over. Including mini comic fair, and local opportunities for self publishers.
If you’re an artist, small press comix creator or zinester, please come along and sell your work at our mini fair communal table. Also, the local comic book shop Calamity Comics are opening their doors for the first time to the small press, and will be dedicating some shelf space to underground comix, so go along and show them your work.
Saturday 17th April 2010. 1- 6pm, Trinity Bar 378-380 Station Road, Harrow, Middlesex HA1 2DL
More info at: www.alternativepress.org.uk
Comics and Graphic novels at London Book Fair
From 19th – 21st of April there are a series of workshops and seminars taking place at The London Book Fair in Earl’s Court and this year the event is looking at Comics and Graphic novels for the first time. Over the three days, speakers and panel chairs include: Jason Kingsley (Rebellion), Helen McCarthy, David Fickling, Emma Vieceli, Nana Li, Cory Doctorow, Ian Rankin and Paul Gravett.
More info at www.londonbookfair.co.uk
Unicomics at the University of Hertfordshire, a 4 day event will be taking place from April 22nd to April 25th with film screenings, talks and panels by Pat Mills, Dave Gibbons , Kevin O’Neill, Gary Erskine, Ian Culbard, and Sarah McIntyre, more info at www.unicomics.co.uk
Sci-Fi London 9: Life in 2050 from Wednesday 28th April – Monday 3rd May features a variety of comics panels, on topics such as 60 years of Dan Dare, British Female Manga creators, Comics and film and Marvel UK with guests including Kate Brown, Rian Hughes, Gary Erskine, Emma Viecelli, Dez Skinn, Woodrow Phoenix, Garry Leach, Karen Rubins, Dan Abnett, Cyriak Harris and many more. More info at www.sci-fi-london.com
Sci-Fi London 9: Life in 2050, April 28th - May 3rd, 2010
Today’s screening: Battle Royale (2001)
April 14, 2010
Electric Sheep Film Club: Battle Royale (2001)
In a futuristic Japan threatened by anarchy, the authorities try to maintain order by sending a group of randomly selected, unruly school children to an island where they are forced to fight each other until there is only one survivor left.
Japanese Battle Royale poster
This cruel annual game is led by Takeshi ‘Beat’ Kitano, perfectly cast as the sadistic schoolmaster. The vision of veteran director Kinji Fukasaku, inspired by his own trauma as a young man during Word War II, is stark and uncompromising, and his direction is as tight and efficient as in any of his celebrated yakuza movies. A striking film that works both as an exhilarating action movie and a passionate denunciation of the plight of young people forced to commit violent acts by tyrannical elders.
We are delighted to welcome anime expert Helen McCarthy, author of The Anime Encyclopedia, for a Q and A with Electric Sheep assistant editor Alex Fitch before the screening.
FILM WRITING COMPETITION:
Film students and aspiring film writers are invited to enter our film writing competition: write a 200-word review of Battle Royale and send it to ladyvengeance [at] electricsheepmagazine.com, marked ‘Film writing competition’ in the subject line. Editor of the Directory of World Cinema: Japan and Electric Sheep contributor John Berra will select the best review. Deadline: Thursday 29 April. The selected review will be published on the Electric Sheep website in May. This is a regular feature of the Electric Sheep Film Club.
WEDNESDAY 14 APRIL, Prince Charles Cinema 8pm : BATTLE ROYALE
Price: £6.50/£4.00 Prince Charles members
Certificate 18
Dir: Kinji Fukasaku, Japan 2001
Wednesday 14th April, 8pm, Prince Charles Cinema, 7 Leicester Place, WC2
More info at www.princecharlescinema.com
Links: Battle Royale pages on wikipedia and the IMDb
electricsheepmagazine.co.uk avoids industry chit-chat and cheap abuse. The writing is confident and well-informed and the scope encompasses everywhere from Spain to South Korea. It writes about film for people who like film: a classic approach.
New Statesman 01/03/10
Recommended events:
Sci-Fi London 9: Life in 2050 from Wednesday 28th April – Monday 3rd May features a variety of comics panels, on topics such as 60 years of Dan Dare, British Female Manga creators, Comics and film and Marvel UK with guests including Kate Brown, Rian Hughes, Gary Erskine, Emma Viecelli, Dez Skinn, Woodrow Phoenix, Garry Leach, Karen Rubins, Dan Abnett, Cyriak Harris and many more. More info at www.sci-fi-london.com
Sci-Fi London 9: Life in 2050, April 28th - May 3rd, 2010
Panel Borders: British Noir
April 8, 2010 — 1 Comment
Panel Borders:
British Noir
Edited version broadcast 08/04/10 as an episode of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM
Panels from the graphic novel Jack Said by Paul Tanter and Oscar Alvarado / the filming of that scene featuring Simon Phillips and Jimmy White
Continuing our month long look at the crossover between comics and film, Alex Fitch talks to Paul Tanter, the writer of the ‘Jack Says‘ trilogy of British films noir. To accompany the first film, Paul wrote a prequel graphic novel ‘Jack Said‘ which in turn was filmed after the success of the first movie. Paul then wrote a graphic novel sequel ‘Jack Falls‘, which like the first book is illustrated by Mexican cartoonist and animator Oscar Alvarado and now is also entering preproduction as a motion picture.
For more info about this podcast and a variety of formats you can stream or download, please visit the home of this episode at www.archive.org
Links: Official movie site www.jacksays.co.uk
Wikipedia pages on Jack Says, Jack Said and Oscar Alvarado
Buy Jack Falls from Soaring Penguin Press
Listen to Alex’s interview with Soaring Penguin’s John Anderson
Recommended events:
The International Graphic Novel and Comics Conference – Comics: Cultures and Genres is taking place at Manchester Metropolitan University from the 12-14 April 2010 featuring keynote lectures by some of the most prolific comics scholars in the UK including Paul Gravett, Roger Sabin, Mel Gibson and Martin Barker. For more info please visit www.mmu.ac.uk
Whaam!: firstsite, Colchester’s 3 week festival of comics features a residency by artist David Baillie, a talk on boys and girls comics by Pat Mills and Eric Fernie on the 12th of April, a talk about the crossover between contemporary art and comics by Richard Reynolds and Simon Grennan on Thursday the 15 of April and a talk about subversive manga by Ilya and Chie Kutsuwada on Wednesday the 28th. More info about Whaam! can be found at www.firstsite.uk.net
Graphically Speaking: Rutu Modan, Amruta Patil and Jakob Strid, chaired by Paul Gravett – Three groundbreaking graphic novelists from Israel, India and Denmark sharpen their pencils to draw pictures and create stories beyond their countries and cultures that reach out to readers everywhere. 17 Apr, 4.30pm, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London
More info: www.internationalpen.org.uk
Unicomics at the University of Hertfordshire, a 4 day event will be taking place from April 22nd to April 25th with film screenings, talks and panels by Pat Mills, Dave Gibbons , Kevin O’Neill, Gary Erskine, Ian Culbard, and Sarah McIntyre, more info at www.unicomics.co.uk
Sci-Fi London 9: Life in 2050 from Wednesday 28th April – Monday 3rd May features a variety of comics panels, on topics such as 60 years of Dan Dare, British Female Manga creators, Comics and film and Marvel UK with guests including Kate Brown, Rian Hughes, Gary Erskine, Emma Viecelli, Dez Skinn, Woodrow Phoenix, Garry Leach, Karen Rubins, Dan Abnett, Cyriak Harris and many more. More info at www.sci-fi-london.com
Sci-Fi London 9: Life in 2050, April 28th - May 3rd, 2010
Today’s show: British Noir
April 8, 2010
Today on Resonance FM:
Strip! – British Noir
Panels from the graphic novel Jack Said by Paul Tanter and Oscar Alvarado / the filming of that scene featuring Simon Phillips and Jimmy White
Continuing our month long look at the crossover between comics and film, Alex Fitch talks to Paul Tanter, the writer of the ‘Jack Says‘ trilogy of British films noir. To accompany the first film, Paul wrote a prequel graphic novel ‘Jack Said‘ which in turn was filmed after the success of the first movie. Paul then wrote a graphic novel sequel ‘Jack Falls‘, which like the first book is illustrated by Mexican cartoonist and animator Oscar Alvarado and now is also entering preproduction as a motion picture.
5pm 08/04/10, Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com / podcast online tonight…
Links: Official movie site www.jacksays.co.uk
Wikipedia pages on Jack Says, Jack Said and Oscar Alvarado
Buy Jack Falls from Soaring Penguin Press
Listen to Alex’s interview with Soaring Penguin’s John Anderson
Recommended events:
The International Graphic Novel and Comics Conference – Comics: Cultures and Genres is taking place at Manchester Metropolitan University from the 12-14 April 2010 featuring keynote lectures by some of the most prolific comics scholars in the UK including Paul Gravett, Roger Sabin, Mel Gibson and Martin Barker. For more info please visit www.mmu.ac.uk
Whaam!: firstsite, Colchester’s 3 week festival of comics features a residency by artist David Baillie, a talk on boys and girls comics by Pat Mills and Eric Fernie on the 12th of April, a talk about the crossover between contemporary art and comics by Richard Reynolds and Simon Grennan on Thursday the 15 of April and a talk about subversive manga by Ilya and Chie Kutsuwada on Wednesday the 28th. More info about Whaam! can be found at www.firstsite.uk.net
Graphically Speaking: Rutu Modan, Amruta Patil and Jakob Strid, chaired by Paul Gravett – Three groundbreaking graphic novelists from Israel, India and Denmark sharpen their pencils to draw pictures and create stories beyond their countries and cultures that reach out to readers everywhere. 17 Apr, 4.30pm, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London
More info: www.internationalpen.org.uk
Unicomics at the University of Hertfordshire, a 4 day event will be taking place from April 22nd to April 25th with film screenings, talks and panels by Pat Mills, Dave Gibbons , Kevin O’Neill, Gary Erskine, Ian Culbard, and Sarah McIntyre, more info at www.unicomics.co.uk
Sci-Fi London 9: Life in 2050 from Wednesday 28th April – Monday 3rd May features a variety of comics panels, on topics such as 60 years of Dan Dare, British Female Manga creators, Comics and film and Marvel UK with guests including Kate Brown, Rian Hughes, Gary Erskine, Emma Viecelli, Dez Skinn, Woodrow Phoenix, Garry Leach, Karen Rubins, Dan Abnett, Cyriak Harris and many more. More info at www.sci-fi-london.com
Sci-Fi London 9: Life in 2050, April 28th - May 3rd, 2010
Reality Check: The City of Lost Children
April 5, 2010
Reality Check:
The City of Lost Children
Clockwise from top left: Delicatessen and The City of Lost Children, co-directed by Marc Caro, Dante 01, directed by Caro, Vidocq, designed by Caro
In a Q and A recorded before and an interview recorded after a screening of The City of Lost Children at Sci-Fi London, Alex Fitch talks to Marc Caro about co-directing the film with Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the art of making children cry on screen and the risk of burning his actors with an over eager cinematographer!
Marc Caro, Virginie Sélavy and Alex Fitch at Sci-Fi London 8
For more info about this podcast and a variety of other episodes you can download, please visit the home of this episode at www.sci-fi-london.com
Links: Wikipedia and IMDb pages on Marc Caro
Buy Marc’s books from www.amazon.fr
French illustration and comics blog – Doury is dead
Listen to Alex’s panel discussion with Marc and four other directors about low budget SF filmmaking at Sci-Fi London
Sci-Fi London 9: Life in 2050, April 28th - May 3rd, 2010
Panel Borders: The art of Marc Caro
April 5, 2010 — 1 Comment
Panel Borders:
The art of Marc Caro
Alternate edit broadcast 01/04/10 as an episode of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM
The many of faces of Marc Caro - clockwise from top left: A12 C4 print, cover and interior page from Tot, covers of Contrapunktiques, In Vitro, The City of lost children DVD and Dante 01 storyboard collection
In the first of a month of shows looking at the crossover between comics and film, Alex Fitch talks to director Marc Caro about his experiences in both media, how working in bande dessinée led to animation, how animation led to live action film. Marc talks about his work appearing in Metal Hurlant with Enki Bilal and Moebius and how the work of Spiegelman and Satrapi made the form more respectable. Also, Alex and Marc talk about his work designing the comic book adaptation Blueberry, how his colleagues Jean Pierre Jeunet and Pitof fared in America making Alien Resurrection and Catwoman respectively and what it was like making his first film -Dante 01 - without his famous Delicatessen collaborator. The interview was recorded before and after a screening of The City of Lost Children at Sci-Fi London.
Marc Caro, Virginie Sélavy and Alex Fitch at Sci-Fi London 8
For more info about this podcast and a variety of formats you can stream or download, please visit the home of this episode at www.archive.org
Links: Wikipedia and IMDb pages on Marc Caro
Buy Marc’s books from www.amazon.fr
More examples of Marc’s comics at lambiek.net
French illustration and comics blog – Doury is dead
Listen to Alex’s panel discussion with Marc and four other directors about low budget SF filmmaking at Sci-Fi London
Sci-Fi London 9: Life in 2050, April 28th - May 3rd, 2010
Electric Sheep podcast: Body and souls
April 1, 2010 — 2 Comments
Electric Sheep podcast:
Body and souls
Top row: images from Megumi by Mirjam Van Veelan / bottom row: images from Cold Souls by Sophie Barthes
In the latest Electric Sheep podcast, we’re looking at two films by female directors that deal with issues of absence and loss. Alex Fitch talks to director Sophie Barthes about her film Cold Souls, a Kaufman-esque Science Fiction comedy about soul trafficking starring Paul Giamatti and to Mirjam Van Veelan about her documentary Megumi, about the kidnap of a Japanese girl – Megumi Yokota – in 1977 by North Korea (with thanks to The Barbican for arranging the interview with Mirjam).
More for more information and a variety of formats you can stream / download, please visit the home of this podcast at www.archive.org
Links: Mirjam’s website: www.mirjamvanveelen.com
View an animated version of Megumi’s story online at www.rachi.go.jp
Official Cold Souls website: www.coldsoulsthemovie.com
Read Phil (The adventures of Ninja Bunny) Spence’s comic strip review of Cold Souls at www.electricsheepmagazine.co.uk
Extract from the Cold Souls comic strip review by Philip Spence
Today’s show: The art of Marc Caro
April 1, 2010
Today on Resonance FM:
Strip! – The art of Marc Caro
The many of faces of Marc Caro - clockwise from top left: A12 C4 print, cover and interior page from Tot, covers of Contrapunktiques, In Vitro, The City of lost children DVD and Dante 01 storyboard collection
In the first of a month of shows looking at the crossover between comics and film, Alex Fitch talks to director Marc Caro about his experiences in both media, how working in bande dessinée led to animation, how animation led to live action film. Marc talks about his work appearing in Metal Hurlant with Enki Bilal and Moebius and how the work of Spiegelman and Satrapi made the form more respectable. Also, Alex and Marc talk about his work designing the comic book adaptation Blueberry, how his colleagues Jean Pierre Jeunet and Pitof fared in America making Alien Resurrection and Catwoman respectively and what it was like making his first film -Dante 01 - without his famous Delicatessen collaborator. The interview was recorded after a screening of The City of Lost Children at Sci-Fi London.
Marc Caro, Virginie Sélavy and Alex Fitch at Sci-Fi London 8
5pm 01/04/10, Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com / podcast online tonight…
Links: Wikipedia and IMDb pages on Marc Caro
Buy Marc’s books from www.amazon.fr
French illustration and comics blog – Doury is dead
Listen to Alex’s panel discussion with Marc and four other directors about low budget SF filmmaking at Sci-Fi London
Sci-Fi London 9: Life in 2050, April 28th - May 3rd, 2010
John Hicklenton
Another pioneer of dark SF comic art, John Hicklenton, sadly passed away last week and Alex, along with everyone at Electric Sheep and Resonance FM would like to pass on their condolences to his friends and family. John’s death is a huge loss to the world of comics and Alex personally regrets not having interviewed John about his work before he died, however Pat Mills will be appearing on a future episode of the show to talk about John’s art and career.
In the meantime you can read a moving elegy to John’s life by Pat on the Forbidden Planet International blog.
More info on the FPI blog, the Multiple Sclerosis Trust website and Steve Holland’s Bear Alley blog.
You can buy the film Here’s Johnny, about the artist’s life and work here…
