Panel Borders: Small Press Sci-Fi and Fantasy

Panel Borders:

Small Press Sci-Fi and Fantasy

Originally broadcast 09/07/09 as an episode of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM

Panel from Untranslated by David Lander

Continuing Sci-Fi comics month on the show, we have a couple of interviews recorded at comic book conventions with small press creators who are working in the SF and Fantasy genres. In an interview recorded at this year’s Bristol Comics Expo, Dickon Harris talks to comic book creator and musician Dave Lander who contributes to the anthology comic Decadence which in the last couple of instalments has been heavily SF themed and influenced by the style of Moebius and other contributors to the classic French anthology Métal Hurlant. Also, as Dave produced a CD soundtrack to go with recent issues, the show includes extracts from a couple of tracks.

Plus: Alex Fitch talks to Rob Jackson about his fantasy comics Random Journeys and Bog Wizards which combine unreliable narrators, humour and magical landscapes, in an interview recorded at “Schmurgencon” in a pub in the East End after the UK Web and Mini Comix Thing.

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: David’s myspace Decadence and music pages

Rob’s blog, website and page at secretacres.com

Wikipedia pages on Métal Hurlant, Mobius and Bristol Comics Expo

Web and Mini Comix Thing website

Review of “Schmurgencon” at fabtoons’ blog

Join our facebook group / follow Panel Borders on twitter

Related news:

The London Japanese Art Festival

is on the weekend of the 11th / 12th of July at Richmond Adult Community College and includes:

Manga and Anime Art Exhibition, craft and sales tables from Manga shops, toys and dolls and all sorts of Japanese art and culture related goods.

Talks by Helen McCarthy and Paul Gravett

Martial Arts

Kimono dressing (kitsuke) and kimono fashion show

Cosplay Masquerade and presentations

Manga drawing workshops

J-Pop Party

Set photo shoots and roving photographers

Origami and other paper art

Calligraphy

Koto music

Japanese Dancing

Taiko Drumming

Japanese food and drink, including Pocky, obento and sake, as well as the open cafe area

Three Yatai – Takoyaki, Okonomi-yaki, Yakisoba, Donbri

UK PREMIERE : OCEAN WAVES

The Japanese Art Festival is proud to announce that the event will be hosting the premiere of the Studio Ghibli anime Ocean Waves. Studio Ghibli is better known as the Oscar-winning animation studio who brought us Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle.

Never before released in the UK, Ocean Waves centres around the life of Taku, an average high school student. But soon his quiet life will be turned upside down with the arrival of Rikako: a beautiful exchange student from Tokyo. By the end of term Taku will have learnt a valuable lesson in love and friendship.

The Ocean Waves screening is courtesy of Optimum Releasing.

More info at www.japaneseartfestival.com

also:

Kevin O’Neill at the Illustration Cupboard

14 July – 08 August 2009

The first British exhibition of his original artwork from.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

Marshall Law

Nemesis the Warlock

Judge Dredd

The Illustration Cupboardis pleased to present the first British exhibition of the world-famous graphic-novel artist Kevin O’Neill.

As one of the most respected and highly regarded names in this field Kevin O’Neill’s illustrative work has led him to rub shoulders with distinguished writers, directors and film stars. Most widely known for his collaborations with writer Pat Mills on Marshal Law (see over) and Nemesis the Warlock in 2000AD Kevin has also worked with Alan Moore on The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, which was recently turned into a blockbuster Hollywood film starring Sean Connery.

An exciting and sometimes controversial artist this unique event offers fans and collectors an opportunity to view thirty pieces of Kevin’s original drawings and paintings never seen before, and provides visitors to London during the summer season a chance to visit a truly special event.

All artwork is available for purchase, and signed books will also be for sale.

The exhibition will continue on our first floor gallery throughout the remainder of August.

Artwork can be viewed and purchased off our website from 8th July.

Prices range from £500 – £7500

Monday – Friday 10am to 6pm

Saturday 12pm – 5pm

More info at www.illustrationcupboard.com

Reality Check: Female action heroes

Reality Check:

Female action heroes

Gianna Jun as Blood the last vampire and Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor in Terminator 2

With new versions of the Terminator and Blood: The Last Vampire franchises currently in UK cinemas, Alex Fitch talks to experts on the previous instalments.
In an extract from a press conference at the ‘MCM Expo’, Alex talks to Linda Hamilton about playing Sarah Connor in The Terminator / Terminator 2: Judgment Day and becoming a feminist icon. Alex also talks to anime and manga expert Helen McCarthy about Blood+ and the various other incarnations of Blood: TLV, that lead to the current live action film.

For more info, please visit the home of this podcast at Sci-Fi London

Links: More info about the London MCM Expo
Blood: The Last Vampire (2009), official movie site
Wikipedia pages on Blood: The Last Vampire and ‘Sarah Connor’ in the Terminator saga

Related news:

The London Japanese Art Festival
is on the weekend of the 11th / 12th of July at Richmond Adult Community College and includes:
Manga and Anime Art Exhibition, craft and sales tables from Manga shops, toys and dolls and all sorts of Japanese art and culture related goods.
Talks by Helen McCarthy and Paul Gravett
Martial Arts
Kimono dressing (kitsuke) and kimono fashion show
Cosplay Masquerade and presentations
Manga drawing workshops
J-Pop Party
Set photo shoots and roving photographers
Origami and other paper art
Calligraphy
Koto music
Japanese Dancing
Taiko Drumming
Japanese food and drink, including Pocky, obento and sake, as well as the open cafe area
Three Yatai – Takoyaki, Okonomi-yaki, Yakisoba, Donbri

UK PREMIERE : OCEAN WAVES

The Japanese Art Festival is proud to announce that the event will be hosting the premiere of the Studio Ghibli anime Ocean Waves. Studio Ghibli is better known as the Oscar-winning animation studio who brought us Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle.

Never before released in the UK, Ocean Waves centres around the life of Taku, an average high school student. But soon his quiet life will be turned upside down with the arrival of Rikako: a beautiful exchange student from Tokyo. By the end of term Taku will have learnt a valuable lesson in love and friendship.

The Ocean Waves screening is courtesy of Optimum Releasing.

More info at www.japaneseartfestival.com

also:

Kevin O’Neill at the Illustration Cupboard

14 July – 08 August 2009

The first British exhibition of his original artwork from.
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Marshall Law
Nemesis the Warlock
Judge Dredd

The Illustration Cupboardis pleased to present the first British exhibition of the world-famous graphic-novel artist Kevin O’Neill.

As one of the most respected and highly regarded names in this field Kevin O’Neill’s illustrative work has led him to rub shoulders with distinguished writers, directors and film stars. Most widely known for his collaborations with writer Pat Mills on Marshal Law (see over) and Nemesis the Warlock in 2000AD Kevin has also worked with Alan Moore on The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, which was recently turned into a blockbuster Hollywood film starring Sean Connery.

An exciting and sometimes controversial artist this unique event offers fans and collectors an opportunity to view thirty pieces of Kevin’s original drawings and paintings never seen before, and provides visitors to London during the summer season a chance to visit a truly special event.

All artwork is available for purchase, and signed books will also be for sale.
The exhibition will continue on our first floor gallery throughout the remainder of August.
Artwork can be viewed and purchased off our website from 8th July.
Prices range from £500 – £7500

Monday – Friday 10am to 6pm
Saturday 12pm – 5pm

More info at www.illustrationcupboard.com

Panel Borders: There’s no time like the present

Panel Borders:

There’s no time like the present

Originally broadcast 02/07/09 as an episode of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM

Excerpt from TNTLTP by Paul Rainey

Starting Sci-Fi comics month on the show, Alex Fitch talks to small press creator Paul Rainey about his serialised graphic novel There’s no time like the present which he has been self publishing as
individual comic books over the past five years. TNTLTP tells the story of a group of friends from Milton Keynes who suffer from the usual concerns of our generation – niche interests, unfulfilling jobs, difficulties with dating etc. – but in a world where time travel exists and the UK in the present day is a holiday vacation for patronising visitors from the future. Alex and Paul talk about the latter’s influences from Alan Bleasdale to Doctor Who, Kurt Vonnegut to Coronation Street, how the opening of a new memorial in Milton Keynes is best attended by a Dalek and the process of telling a long form narrative with an unusual structure.
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: Paul’s website – www.pbrainey.com
There’s no time like the present website – www.tntltp.com – where you can read issue one online
Paul’s 2000AD prog slog blog!
TNTLTP review at the Forbidden Planet International blog
Join our facebook group

Related news:

The London Japanese Art Festival
is on the weekend of the 11th / 12th of July at Richmond Adult Community College and includes:
Manga and Anime Art Exhibition, craft and sales tables from Manga shops, toys and dolls and all sorts of Japanese art and culture related goods.
Talks by Helen McCarthy and Paul Gravett
Martial Arts
Kimono dressing (kitsuke) and kimono fashion show
Cosplay Masquerade and presentations
Manga drawing workshops
J-Pop Party
Set photo shoots and roving photographers
Origami and other paper art
Calligraphy
Koto music
Japanese Dancing
Taiko Drumming
Japanese food and drink, including Pocky, obento and sake, as well as the open cafe area
Three Yatai – Takoyaki, Okonomi-yaki, Yakisoba, Donbri

UK PREMIERE : OCEAN WAVES

The Japanese Art Festival is proud to announce that the event will be hosting the premiere of the Studio Ghibli anime Ocean Waves. Studio Ghibli is better known as the Oscar-winning animation studio who brought us Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle.

Never before released in the UK, Ocean Waves centres around the life of Taku, an average high school student. But soon his quiet life will be turned upside down with the arrival of Rikako: a beautiful exchange student from Tokyo. By the end of term Taku will have learnt a valuable lesson in love and friendship.

The Ocean Waves screening is courtesy of Optimum Releasing.

also:

Kevin O’Neill at the Illustration Cupboard

14 July – 08 August 2009

The first British exhibition of his original artwork from.
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Marshall Law
Nemesis the Warlock
Judge Dredd

The Illustration Cupboardis pleased to present the first British exhibition of the world-famous graphic-novel artist Kevin O’Neill.

As one of the most respected and highly regarded names in this field Kevin O’Neill’s illustrative work has led him to rub shoulders with distinguished writers, directors and film stars. Most widely known for his collaborations with writer Pat Mills on Marshal Law (see over) and Nemesis the Warlock in 2000AD Kevin has also worked with Alan Moore on The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, which was recently turned into a blockbuster Hollywood film starring Sean Connery.

An exciting and sometimes controversial artist this unique event offers fans and collectors an opportunity to view thirty pieces of Kevin’s original drawings and paintings never seen before, and provides visitors to London during the summer season a chance to visit a truly special event.

All artwork is available for purchase, and signed books will also be for sale.
The exhibition will continue on our first floor gallery throughout the remainder of August.
Artwork can be viewed and purchased off our website from 8th July.
Prices range from £500 – £7500

Monday – Friday 10am to 6pm
Saturday 12pm – 5pm

More info at www.illustrationcupboard.com

Panel Borders: The art of Rutu Modan part two

Panel Borders:

The art of Rutu Modan part two

Originally broadcast 25/06/09 in an edited version as part of an episode of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM

Panel from Exit Wounds by Rutu Modan

Concluding cross cultural comics month on the show: In an interview conducted live at the Jewish Community Centre in North London, Roehampton University Illustration lecturer Ariel Kahn interviews award-winning graphic novelist Rutu Modan about her work from the acclaimed Exit Wounds to her new collection Jamilti and Other Stories. Rutu and Ariel talk about the use of computers in her work, being inspired by life and family and doing an illustrated blog for The New York Times. (part two of two)
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

Listen to part one of this interview

Links: Rutu’s wikipedia page
Review of Jamilti and other stories in The Times
Rutu’s webcomic blog in New York Times
Article on Jewish Graphic Novels by Ariel Kahn in Jewish Quarterly
Info about Ariel winning the Bloomsbury New Voices writing competition
Info on Ariel’s courses at Roehampton University
Article on Jewish Graphic Novels in The Reporter
London Jewish Community Centre website
Join our facebook group

Comics news:

LUC @ 176

The 48 hour countdown starts now!

London Underground Comics’ latest event takes place at the 176 Project Space in Chalk Farm, London and features over 40 of the UK and beyond’s finest small press creators selling their wares in one of north London’s most beautiful gallery spaces.
Free tea and coffee, live DJs, animation projected on the 40 foot wall of the gallery and much more.

Exhibitors include: .
Oli Smith, Oliver Lambden, Sean Azzopardi, Daniel Merlin Goodbrey, Melody Lee, David Baillie, Douglas Noble, Marc Ellerby, Jamie McKelvie, Kieron Gillen, Jake Harold, Dan Lester, Francesca Cassavetti, Sally-Anne Hickman, Richy K Chandler, Josceline Fenton, Phil Spence, Paul Rainey, Howard Hardiman and many more…

27th June, 176 Prince of Wales Road, London, NW5 3PT
More info: londonundergroundcomics.com / www.projectspace176.com

plus:

Orbital Manga is hosting a rare and exclusive signing with Manga Artist BENJAMIN (writer and artist for the stunning manga book “Orange” by Tokyopop)

Benjamin is a phenomenal mainland China artist, whose stunning digital art adorns in his Art Book Xiao Pan’s, “FLASH”. His artistic style really catches the eye, and every panel in “Orange” is painted, brush style in colour with great detail.

He’ll be demonstrating his remarkable technique and signing copies of his books including the limited edition landscape-format hardback of “Orange”, his latest lavish art book “Flash”, Chinese Youth, Remember, One Day (in French) and Images and Prints on the day of the signing.

Friday 26th June 5pm – 7pm

Orbital Manga
4c Orion House
Upper St Martins Lane
London WC2H 9NY

Panel Borders: The art of Rutu Modan part one

Panel Borders:

The art of Rutu Modan part one

To be broadcast 25/06/09 in an edited version as an episode of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM

Extract from Your number one fan by Rutu Modan, featured in Jamilti and other stories

Continuing cross cultural comics month on the show: In an interview conducted live at the Jewish Community Centre in North London, Roehampton University Illustration lecturer Ariel Kahn interviews award-winning graphic novelist Rutu Modan about her work from the acclaimed Exit Wounds to her new collection Jamilti and Other Stories. Rutu and Ariel talk about her influences, the difficulties in depicting a city as rich and diverse as Tel Aviv in print and adjusting to life in England.
(part one of two)

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
Listen to part two of this interview

Links: Rutu’s wikipedia page
Review of Jamilti and other stories in The Times
Rutu’s webcomic blog in New York Times
Article on Jewish Graphic Novels by Ariel Kahn in Jewish Quarterly
Info about Ariel winning the Bloomsbury New Voices writing competition
Info on Ariel’s courses at Roehampton University
Article on Jewish Graphic Novels in The Reporter
London Jewish Community Centre website
Join our facebook group

Comics news:

LUC @ 176

The one month countdown starts now!

London Underground Comics’ latest event takes place at the 176 Project Space in Chalk Farm, London and features over 40 of the UK and beyond’s finest small press creators selling their wares in one of north London’s most beautiful gallery spaces.
Free tea and coffee, live DJs, animation projected on the 40 foot wall of the gallery and much more.

Exhibitors include: .
Oli Smith, Oliver Lambden, Sean Azzopardi, Daniel Merlin Goodbrey, Melody Lee, David Baillie, Douglas Noble, Marc Ellerby, Jamie McKelvie, Kieron Gillen, Jake Harold, Dan Lester, Francesca Cassavetti, Sally-Anne Hickman, Richy K Chandler, Josceline Fenton, Phil Spence, Paul Rainey, Howard Hardiman and many more…

27th June, 176 Prince of Wales Road, London, NW5 3PT
More info: londonundergroundcomics.com / www.projectspace176.com

also:

An exhibition of Shaun (The Arrival) Tan’s prints, and 4 original pastels, is on at
The Illustration Cupboard at 22 Bury Street, SW1Y 6AL until 22nd June
More info at www.illustrationcupboard.com

plus:

Orbital Manga is hosting a rare and exclusive signing with Manga Artist BENJAMIN (writer and artist for the stunning manga book “Orange” by Tokyopop)

Benjamin is a phenomenal mainland China artist, whose stunning digital art adorns in his Art Book Xiao Pan’s, “FLASH”. His artistic style really catches the eye, and every panel in “Orange” is painted, brush style in colour with great detail.

He’ll be demonstrating his remarkable technique and signing copies of his books including the limited edition landscape-format hardback of “Orange”, his latest lavish art book “Flash”, Chinese Youth, Remember, One Day (in French) and Images and Prints on the day of the signing.

Friday 26th June 5pm – 7pm

Orbital Manga
4c Orion House
Upper St Martins Lane
London WC2H 9NY

and:

LA NOUVELLE BANDE DESSINÉE: ÉMILE BRAVO & EMMANUEL GUIBERT

A new movement, La Nouvelle Bande Dessinée, has swept through French comics – the equivalent of La Nouvelle Vague in cinema – expanding their styles and subjects exponentially. Now two of its most dynamic members, both winners of Angoulême Essentials Awards, have their acclaimed graphic novels in English.

Émile Bravo draws My Mommy about a young son’s yearning for his vanished mother and brings historical relevance and pathos to Belgian classic Spirou.

Biographer Emmanuel Guibert chronicles one American G.I.‘s experiences in Alan’s War. In The Photographer he collaborates with photographer Didier Lefèvre to record his mission in Afghanistan with Doctors without Borders.

In conversation with Comica Festival director Paul Gravett. Followed by book signings.

Where: Nash Room, ICA, The Mall, London
When: Saturday, June 20, 2009 – 6.30pm to 8pm
More info at www.comicafestival.com

Reality Check: For all mankind – Sir Patrick Moore and Dr. Kevin Fong

Reality Check:

For all mankind

Sir Patrick Moore and Apollo 11, photo by Paul Grover / Dr. Kevin Fong and Colonial Viper from Battlestar Galactica, photo by Graeme Robertson

To coincide with the 40th anniversary of the Moon landing, we’re looking at space exploration in fact and fiction. Alex Fitch talks to Sir Patrick Moore about the Apollo 11 mission in July 1969, which saw man first take a small step onto another world, and about entering his sixth decade as presenter of The Sky at Night. Also, Chris Patmore talks to NASA advisor Dr. Kevin Fong about current research into keeping men and women alive on future space missions and how this is reflected in the depiction of such science in Battlestar Galactica.

For more info, please visit the home of this podcast at Sci-Fi London

Links: Sir Patrick’s website
Info about Dr. Fong at www.britishscienceassociation.org
Buy the final season of Battlestar Galactica / The Sky at Night: Apollo 11 at play.com
Article about lunar conservation at boingboing.net
Articles on The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and Lunar Crater Observation Satellite at www.spaceflightnow.com
The Sky at Night page at www.bbc.co.uk
Battlestar Galactica page at www.skyone.co.uk
Wikipedia pages on Sir Patrick Moore and Dr. Kevin Fong

Photo attributes:
Sir Patrick, interviewed by The Telegraph about The Sky at night’s 650th edition
Dr. Fong, interviewed by The Guardian about his hopes to be an astronaut

Comics / Sci-Fi news:

Ichi screening at Sci-Fi London

Info about the 18th June Sci-Fi London Ichi screening

A special screening of the female reimagining of ‘Zatoichi – the blind swordsman’ as part of Sci-Fi London
18th June, 8.15 pm Apollo Piccadilly Cinema, 19 Regent Street, London, SW1Y 4LR

also:

LUC @ 176

London Underground Comics’ latest event takes place at the 176 Project Space in Chalk Farm, London and features over 40 of the UK and beyond’s finest small press creators selling their wares in one of north London’s most beautiful gallery spaces.
Free tea and coffee, live DJs, animation projected on the 40 foot wall of the gallery and much more.

Exhibitors include: .
Oli Smith, Oliver Lambden, Sean Azzopardi, Daniel Merlin Goodbrey, Melody Lee, David Baillie, Douglas Noble, Marc Ellerby, Jamie McKelvie, Kieron Gillen, Jake Harold, Dan Lester, Francesca Cassavetti, Sally-Anne Hickman, Richy K Chandler, Josceline Fenton, Phil Spence, Paul Rainey, Howard Hardiman and many more…

27th June, 176 Prince of Wales Road, London, NW5 3PT
More info: londonundergroundcomics.com / www.projectspace176.com

and:

An exhibition of Shaun (The Arrival) Tan’s prints, and 4 original pastels, is on at
The Illustration Cupboard at 22 Bury Street, SW1Y 6AL until 22nd June
More info at www.illustrationcupboard.com

plus:

Orbital Manga is hosting a rare and exclusive signing with Manga Artist BENJAMIN (writer and artist for the stunning manga book “Orange” by Tokyopop)

Benjamin is a phenomenal mainland China artist, whose stunning digital art adorns in his Art Book Xiao Pan’s, “FLASH”. His artistic style really catches the eye, and every panel in “Orange” is painted, brush style in colour with great detail.

He’ll be demonstrating his remarkable technique and signing copies of his books including the limited edition landscape-format hardback of “Orange”, his latest lavish art book “Flash”, Chinese Youth, Remember, One Day (in French) and Images and Prints on the day of the signing.

Friday 26th June 5pm – 7pm

Orbital Manga
4c Orion House
Upper St Martins Lane
London WC2H 9NY

and:

LA NOUVELLE BANDE DESSINÉE: ÉMILE BRAVO and EMMANUEL GUIBERT

A new movement, La Nouvelle Bande Dessinée, has swept through French comics – the equivalent of La Nouvelle Vague in cinema – expanding their styles and subjects exponentially. Now two of its most dynamic members, both winners of Angoulême Essentials Awards, have their acclaimed graphic novels in English.

Émile Bravo draws My Mommy about a young son’s yearning for his vanished mother and brings historical relevance and pathos to Belgian classic Spirou.

Biographer Emmanuel Guibert chronicles one American G.I.‘s experiences in Alan’s War. In The Photographer he collaborates with photographer Didier Lefèvre to record his mission in Afghanistan with Doctors without Borders.

In conversation with Comica Festival director Paul Gravett. Followed by book signings.

Where: Nash Room, ICA, The Mall, London
When: Saturday, June 20, 2009 – 6.30pm to 8pm
More info at www.comicafestival.com

Reality Check: Phoenix Gamers

Reality Check:

Phoenix Gamers

Descent board game laid out for a session at The Phoenix Games Club

Alex Fitch talks to Hugh and Matt, members of The Phoenix Games Club, a group who meet at least once every week at the Black Lion pub in Plaistow to play board games, strategy games and RPGs together. The Phoenix Club is one of many up and down the country who also play games together at regional meets and national ones, so Alex asks the guys about the type of games they play, the demographic of their membership and the social and intellectual aspects of gaming.

For more info, please visit the home of this podcast at Sci-Fi London

Links: Phoenix games club website
Info about the Dragonmeet role playing games convention
The West London board games club
UK Role Players website

Comics / Sci-Fi news:

Ichi screening at Sci-Fi London

Info about the 18th June Sci-Fi London Ichi screening

A special screening of the female reimagining of ‘Zatoichi – the blind swordsman’ as part of Sci-Fi London
18th June, 8.15 pm Apollo Piccadilly Cinema, 19 Regent Street, London, SW1Y 4LR

also:

LUC @ 176

London Underground Comics’ latest event takes place at the 176 Project Space in Chalk Farm, London and features over 40 of the UK and beyond’s finest small press creators selling their wares in one of north London’s most beautiful gallery spaces.
Free tea and coffee, live DJs, animation projected on the 40 foot wall of the gallery and much more.

Exhibitors include: .
Oli Smith, Oliver Lambden, Sean Azzopardi, Daniel Merlin Goodbrey, Melody Lee, David Baillie, Douglas Noble, Marc Ellerby, Jamie McKelvie, Kieron Gillen, Jake Harold, Dan Lester, Francesca Cassavetti, Sally-Anne Hickman, Richy K Chandler, Josceline Fenton, Phil Spence, Paul Rainey, Howard Hardiman and many more…

27th June, 176 Prince of Wales Road, London, NW5 3PT
More info: londonundergroundcomics.com / www.projectspace176.com

and:

An exhibition of Shaun (The Arrival) Tan’s prints, and 4 original pastels, is on at
The Illustration Cupboard at 22 Bury Street, SW1Y 6AL until 22nd June
More info at www.illustrationcupboard.com

plus:

Orbital Manga is hosting a rare and exclusive signing with Manga Artist BENJAMIN (writer and artist for the stunning manga book “Orange” by Tokyopop)

Benjamin is a phenomenal mainland China artist, whose stunning digital art adorns in his Art Book Xiao Pan’s, “FLASH”. His artistic style really catches the eye, and every panel in “Orange” is painted, brush style in colour with great detail.

He’ll be demonstrating his remarkable technique and signing copies of his books including the limited edition landscape-format hardback of “Orange”, his latest lavish art book “Flash”, Chinese Youth, Remember, One Day (in French) and Images and Prints on the day of the signing.

Friday 26th June 5pm – 7pm

Orbital Manga
4c Orion House
Upper St Martins Lane
London WC2H 9NY

and:

LA NOUVELLE BANDE DESSINÉE: ÉMILE BRAVO & EMMANUEL GUIBERT

A new movement, La Nouvelle Bande Dessinée, has swept through French comics – the equivalent of La Nouvelle Vague in cinema – expanding their styles and subjects exponentially. Now two of its most dynamic members, both winners of Angoulême Essentials Awards, have their acclaimed graphic novels in English.

Émile Bravo draws My Mommy about a young son’s yearning for his vanished mother and brings historical relevance and pathos to Belgian classic Spirou.

Biographer Emmanuel Guibert chronicles one American G.I.‘s experiences in Alan’s War. In The Photographer he collaborates with photographer Didier Lefèvre to record his mission in Afghanistan with Doctors without Borders.

In conversation with Comica Festival director Paul Gravett. Followed by book signings.

Where: Nash Room, ICA, The Mall, London
When: Saturday, June 20, 2009 – 6.30pm to 8pm
More info at www.comicafestival.com

Panel Borders: The art of Shaun Tan

Panel Borders:

The art of Shaun Tan

Broadcast 11/06/09 in an edited version as an episode of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM

Illustration from Tales of Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan

Continuing cross cultural comics month on the show: Alex Fitch talks to Australian artist Shaun Tan about his work, including his award winning graphic novel The Arrival which tells tales of immigrants arriving in fantastical worlds and was loosely based on his Malaysian family’s history and his new book Tales from Outer Suburbia, which superbly mixes a whole variety of story telling techniques from comic strips, to poetry and collage. Alex and Shaun talk about breaking into the illustration business, the art of designing books and the influence of Raymond Briggs on Shaun’s work.

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: Shaun’s website and wikipedia entry
Interview with Shaun at The Comics Journal about The Arrival and his earlier picture books
Article about Shaun in The Australian online newspaper
Info about Tales of Outer Suburbia at the publisher’s website
Buy Shaun’s books from Forbidden Planet International

Join our facebook group

Comics news:

LUC @ 176

The one month countdown starts now!

London Underground Comics’ latest event takes place at the 176 Project Space in Chalk Farm, London and features over 40 of the UK and beyond’s finest small press creators selling their wares in one of north London’s most beautiful gallery spaces.
Free tea and coffee, live DJs, animation projected on the 40 foot wall of the gallery and much more.

Exhibitors include: .
Oli Smith, Oliver Lambden, Sean Azzopardi, Daniel Merlin Goodbrey, Melody Lee, David Baillie, Douglas Noble, Marc Ellerby, Jamie McKelvie, Kieron Gillen, Jake Harold, Dan Lester, Francesca Cassavetti, Sally-Anne Hickman, Richy K Chandler, Josceline Fenton, Phil Spence, Paul Rainey, Howard Hardiman and many more…

27th June, 176 Prince of Wales Road, London, NW5 3PT
More info: londonundergroundcomics.com / www.projectspace176.com

also:

An exhibition of Shaun (The Arrival) Tan’s prints, and 4 original pastels, is on at
The Illustration Cupboard at 22 Bury Street, SW1Y 6AL until 22nd June
More info at www.illustrationcupboard.com

plus:

Orbital Manga is hosting a rare and exclusive signing with Manga Artist BENJAMIN (writer and artist for the stunning manga book “Orange” by Tokyopop)

Benjamin is a phenomenal mainland China artist, whose stunning digital art adorns in his Art Book Xiao Pan’s, “FLASH”. His artistic style really catches the eye, and every panel in “Orange” is painted, brush style in colour with great detail.

He’ll be demonstrating his remarkable technique and signing copies of his books including the limited edition landscape-format hardback of “Orange”, his latest lavish art book “Flash”, Chinese Youth, Remember, One Day (in French) and Images and Prints on the day of the signing.

Friday 26th June 5pm – 7pm

Orbital Manga
4c Orion House
Upper St Martins Lane
London WC2H 9NY

and:

LA NOUVELLE BANDE DESSINÉE: ÉMILE BRAVO & EMMANUEL GUIBERT

A new movement, La Nouvelle Bande Dessinée, has swept through French comics – the equivalent of La Nouvelle Vague in cinema – expanding their styles and subjects exponentially. Now two of its most dynamic members, both winners of Angoulême Essentials Awards, have their acclaimed graphic novels in English.

Émile Bravo draws My Mommy about a young son’s yearning for his vanished mother and brings historical relevance and pathos to Belgian classic Spirou.

Biographer Emmanuel Guibert chronicles one American G.I.‘s experiences in Alan’s War. In The Photographer he collaborates with photographer Didier Lefèvre to record his mission in Afghanistan with Doctors without Borders.

In conversation with Comica Festival director Paul Gravett. Followed by book signings.

Where: Nash Room, ICA, The Mall, London
When: Saturday, June 20, 2009 – 6.30pm to 8pm
More info at www.comicafestival.com

Panel Borders: Manhwa Galleries, Mixed media Graduates and Manga Girls…

Panel Borders:

Manhwa Galleries, Mixed media Graduates and Manga Girls…

Broadcast 04/06/09 in an edited version as an episode of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM

Extract from Prick by Melody Lee

Starting cross cultural comics month on the show: Dickon Harris introduces the 100 years of Manhwa exhibition at the London Korean Cultural Centre and talks to Alex Wilmore and Lauren Ann Sharp, a couple of recent illustration graduates.
Alex Fitch interviews a couple of female indie manga creators – Sally Jane Thompson and Kate Holden – at the Docklands Manga Expo and discusses the brutality of nature with Melody Lee, whose comics depict woodland animals in the style of Beatrix Potter but who also shoot, shag and swear like troopers!

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: NWSAD graduates -
Alex Wilmore’s blog
Lauren Ann Sharp’s blog
Alex and Lauren’s joint website
Info about Insomnia Publications
Listen to Alex’s interview with Dan Berry about lecturing at NWSAD
North Wales School of Art and Design – N.B./ there are still spaces available for entry on Autumn ‘09 courses

Indie Manga -
Sally Jane Thompson and Kate Holden’s pages at www.indiemanga.com
Sally Jane’s website
Kate’s webcomic FanDanGo
Willie Hewes’ publishing company www.itchpublishing.com

Melody Lee -
Website and Swatchbook page
Howard Hardiman’s favourite animal comics (including Melody’s Prick)
Info about ‘176′, where Melody will be selling her comics on 27th June
Info about the Movies, Comics and Manga Expo

100 years of Manhwa -
Korean Cultural Centre website
Info about the exhibtion at londonkoreanlinks.net
Review of the exhibition in The Korean Times
Wikipedia page on Manhwa

Join our facebook group

Comics / sci-fi news:

LUC @ 176

The one month countdown starts now!

London Underground Comics’ latest event takes place at the 176 Project Space in Chalk Farm, London and features over 40 of the UK and beyond’s finest small press creators selling their wares in one of north London’s most beautiful gallery spaces.
Free tea and coffee, live DJs, animation projected on the 40 foot wall of the gallery and much more.

Exhibitors include: .
Oli Smith, Oliver Lambden, Sean Azzopardi, Daniel Merlin Goodbrey, Melody Lee, David Baillie, Douglas Noble, Marc Ellerby, Jamie McKelvie, Kieron Gillen, Jake Harold, Dan Lester, Francesca Cassavetti, Sally-Anne Hickman, Richy K Chandler, Josceline Fenton, Phil Spence, Paul Rainey, Howard Hardiman and many more…

27th June, 176 Prince of Wales Road, London, NW5 3PT
More info: londonundergroundcomics.com / www.projectspace176.com

also:

An exhibition of Shaun (The Arrival) Tan’s prints, and 4 original pastels, is on at
The Illustration Cupboard at 22 Bury Street, SW1Y 6AL until 22nd June
More info at www.illustrationcupboard.com

Panel Borders: Adapting prose for manga, games and genre comics

Panel Borders:

Adapting prose for manga, games and genre comics

Broadcast 28/05/09 in an edited version as an episode of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM

Covers to Dead Space, the comic - issues 1 to 3 by Antony Johnston and Ben Templesmith

Concluding adaptation and inspiration month on the show, Alex Fitch talks to writer and graphic designer Antony Johnston about combining text and image in comics and other media from his illustrated novella Frightening Curves to enriching the computer game he scripted – Dead Space – with a comic book prequel and interactive websites. Alex and Antony also talk about the latter’s influences, writing the new Wolverine Manga and adapting the prose work of Alan Moore and Anthony Horowitz into comic book format.

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
Read a partial transcript of this interview at www.sci-fi-london.com

Links: Antony’s website – www.antonyjohnston.com and pages on wikipedia and google books
Interview about, interactive website and review of Dead Space
Oni Press’ official Wasteland website
Avatar Press microsite about Antony’s first collaboration with Alan Moore – The Courtyard
Extracts from Antony’s Alex Rider adaptations at lovereading4kids.co.uk
Review of Wolverine manga
Join our facebook group

Comics / sci-fi news:
Kamishibai.org is now live, being a resource for Japan’s performance art of telling stories with sequential images, including info on the next London performance of the form on May 31st…

plus:
LUC @ 176

The one month countdown starts now!

London Underground Comics’ latest event takes place at the 176 Project Space in Chalk Farm, London and features over 40 of the UK and beyond’s finest small press creators selling their wares in one of north London’s most beautiful gallery spaces.
Free tea and coffee, live DJs, animation projected on the 40 foot wall of the gallery and much more.

Exhibitors include: .
Oli Smith, Oliver Lambden, Sean Azzopardi, Daniel Merlin Goodbrey, David Baillie, Douglas Noble, Marc Ellerby, Jamie McKelvie, Kieron Gillen,Jake Harold, Dan Lester, Francesca Cassavetti, Sally-Anne Hickman, Richy K Chandler, Josceline Fenton, Phil Spence, Paul Rainey, Howard Hardiman and many more…

27th June, 176 Prince of Wales Road, London, NW5 3PT
More info: londonundergroundcomics.com / www.projectspace176.com

Panel Borders: Sherlock Holmes and Dorian Grey by Ian Culbard

Panel Borders:

Sherlock Holmes and Dorian Grey by Ian Culbard

Edited broadcast 21/05/09 as the second half of an episode of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM

Extract from The Picture of Dorian Grey by Ian Culbard and Ian Edginton

Continuing adaptation and inspiration month on the show, Alex Fitch talks to the illustrators of some new and recent literary adaptations in comic book format. Self Made Hero is a relatively new publishing company who have made a name for themselves with their range of Manga Shakespeare adaptations and are now doing European style graphic novels of literary classics. Alex talks to Ian Culbard, their illustrator of Ian Edginton’s adaptations of The Picture of Dorian Grey and The Hound of the Baskervilles…

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: Publisher – www.selfmadehero.com
Ian’s blog
Ian’s other collaboration with Ian Edginton, Retro Rockets, Go!
Ian’s “Round Robin” comics with various other creators: Huzzah and Huzzah Noir
Join our facebook group

Comics / sci-fi news:

Kamishibai.org is now live, being a resource for Japan’s performance art of telling stories with sequential images, including info on the next London performance of the form on May 31st…

plus:

The animated trailer for Bryan Talbot’s new graphic novel Grandville, a new Steampunk tale about murder and intrigue in Fin de siècle Paris, is online now

More info at www.bryan-talbot.com

and:

The MCM Expo is on this weekend at the Excel Centre in London’s Docklands and features guests from film, TV and comics including Warren Ellis, Tony Curtis, Linda Hamilton and many more.

More info at www.londonexpo.com

also:

If you’re in South London:

Charley’s War and Manga Shakespeare at Streatham Library

Pat Mills and Ilya will be talking about their work at Streatham Library as part of Lambeth Readers and Writers festival. Pat will be discussing Charley’s War, Slaine, ABC Warriors, Marshall Law, Judge Dredd, Nemesis The Warlock and many other strips and Ilya will be talking about his roots in the small press, editing the Mammoth Best New Manga anthologies and adapting King Lear into Manga format…

7.30pm Streatham Library, 63 Streatham High Road, SW16 1PL. Saturday 23rd May 2009
More info at: www.lambeth.gov.uk

If you’re in North London:

ARGH! The Ups & Downs of Life as a Comic Book Creator – I was Spider-Man’s Editor
Saturday 23rd May 2009 8.00PM
Stories told in pictures have been around for a long time .. from prehistoric cave drawings through the Bayeaux Tapestry, illustrator and editor, Tim Quinn takes you on a highly nostalgic trip down memory lane to meet some of the great and not-so-great comic characters of the last 150 years.
Tim also takes you behind-the-scenes from his days working for The Beano, Sparky, Bunty, Playhour, Jack & Jill, Buster, The Topper, the Daily Mirror’s Jane and Garth and America’s finest Marvel Comics. He will guide you through the creation of a brand new comic book charcter and reveal his own secret identity as Supreme Speedster, Jet Lagg.
The audience is invited to attend wearing capes and masks. Suitable for boys (of all ages and sexes). Ages 9+
Arts Depot, 5 Nether Street, North Finchley, London N12 0GA
More info at www.artsdepot.co.uk

100 Years of Korean Manwha is now on at the Korean Cultural Centre
Manhwa celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2009. This popular art form holds a long and cherished history that began with the first publication of Doyoung Lee’s political cartoons in “Daehanminbo.”, a print newspaper was founded on June 2, 1909, and manhwa was born along with it. Following its birth, manhwa had to endure Korea’s tumultuous history under Japanese colonial rule. Manhwa survived the time periods of national liberation, the dark years of the Korean War, and through the dismal military dictatorship. The 80’s and 90’s of the 20th century marked the renaissance of manhwa. Manhwa published during these bygone eras help us reflect on our nation’s past.
1 May – 24 June 2009. 13 Strand, London WC2N 5BW. Tel. 020 7004 2600
More info at londonkoreanlinks.net

Panel Borders: Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula

Panel Borders:

Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula

Originally broadcast 14/05/09 as an episode of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM

Dracula by Leah Moore and John Reppion

Continuing adaptation and inspiration month on the show, Alex Fitch talks to writers Leah Moore and John Reppion about their two current comic book projects, adapting Bram Stoker’s Dracula for sequential art and continuing the adventures of Sherlock Holmes in a new comic for Dynamite Entertainment. Leah and John talk about the process of condensing Dracula into five 32 page comics, while including Stoker’s often neglected prologue Dracula’s guest plus adding to the saga of Sherlock Holmes by putting the Master Detective on trial for murder and terrorist activities…

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: John and Leah’s website
Dynamite Entertainment’s website
Interview with Leah and John at newsarama.com: part 1 / part 2
Read 4 pages of The Trial of Sherlock Holmes and 5 pages of Draculaonline

Join our facebook group

Comics / sci-fi news:

Kamishibai.org is now live, being a resource for Japan’s performance art of telling stories with sequential images, including info on the next London performance of the form on May 31st…

plus:

The animated trailer for Bryan Talbot’s new graphic novel Grandville, a new Steampunk tale about murder and intrigue in Fin de siècle Paris, is online now:

More info at www.bryan-talbot.com

and:

This Saturday at 2.30pm at Minet Library in Camberwell, comic book artist Brendan McCarthy is talking about his work as part of the Lambeth Literary festival and will be discussing his graphic novels Skin, Rogan Josh and Bad Company, his forthcoming work on Spiderman / Doctor Strange, his work on the TV show Reboot and the as yet unfilmed movie Mad Max IV.

More info at www.lambeth.gov.uk

Reality Check: The Arthur C. Clarke awards 2009

Reality Check:

The Arthur C. Clarke awards 2009

Arthur C. Clarke awards 2009 longlist

Tom Hunter presents the Arthur C. Clarke awards

In the first of our podcasts recorded at this year’s Sci-Fi London Festival, guest presenter Graham Sleight talks to a nominee and two former judges of the Arthur C. Clarke awards. In case you don’t know who won, why not listen to the podcast and hear the opening of the envelope and the winner’s reaction! Authors interviewed include Niall Harrison, Tanya Brown and Ian R. Macleod, with the award ceremony presented by Dr. Marek Kukula (Royal Greenwich Observatory) and Tom Hunter. Edited and recorded by Alex Fitch.

For more info, please visit the home of this podcast at Sci-Fi London

Links: For more info about the Clarke Awards, please visit www.clarkeaward.com
For more info on Dr. Kukula, please visit www.nmm.ac.uk
Ian R Macleod’s website
Graham Sleight’s website
Info on Tanya Brown and Niall Harrison’s contibutions to Vector

Comics / sci-fi news:
Kamishibai.org is now live, being a resource for Japan’s performance art of telling stories with sequential images, including info on the next London performance of the form on May 31st…

Electric Sheep podcast: Figures in a landscape

Electric Sheep podcast: Figures in a landscape

Interviews originally broadcast 01/05/09 in an edited version on www.resonancefm.com

Still from Helen by Desperate Optimists

Alex Fitch talks to the directors of two new films which take the starting point of a character walking through a landscape and twist it into unexpected directions. Alex talks to Bent Hamer, the director of the gentle new Norwegian comedy O’Horten which depicts the tale of a recently retired train driver who gets embroiled in a series of misadventures of the kind Victor Meldrew would be proud of from losing his shoes in a locker room and ending up with red stilettos to ending up in a car driven by a blind man. Alex also talks to Christine Molloy, one half of the film making duo Desperate Optimists, about their new film Helen, which concerns a young woman who takes part in a police reconstruction of a girl going missing and starts to take over her life from dating her boyfriend to getting maths advice from her parents.
Helen is released in selected UK cinemas on May 1st /
O’Horten is released in selected UK cinemas on May 8th

For more info about the variety of formats you can download this podcast in / stream, please visit www.archive.org

Links: Desperate Optimists‘ official website for info on Helen
Artificial Eye’s official website for info about O’Horten
Listen to Alex’s interview with Joe Lawlor, the other half of Desperate Optimists about their series of short films – Civic Life

For info on the latest issue of Electric Sheep magazine, please click here
Electric Sheep Events:

Alex Fitch and Electric sheep magazine editor Virginie Selavy will be interviewing Marc Caro co-director of The City of Lost Children about his work on stage after a screening of the film at the Apollo Piccadilly on Lower Regent Street at 9pm tonight, 01/05/09

and tomorrow, 02/05/09, at the same location at 4.15 Alex is chairing a panel with Marc Caro, Richard Jobson, director of A woman in winter, Cory McAbee (The American Astronaut) and Gerald McMorrow (Franklyn) called The problem of Sci-Fi and Fantasy Film-making and you can find more details about both at www.sci-fi-london.com

In association with:

Panel Borders: Daredevil by Maleev & Irvine

Panel Borders:

Daredevil by Maleev and Irvine

Originally broadcast 26/03/09 as an episode of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM

Daredevil by Alex Maleev

Classic heroes month continues on Panel Borders with a look at the red-suited vigilante Daredevil – blind lawyer by day and superhero by night. Trying to break the record for the largest number of people called Alex in any one episode of the show, Alex Fitch talks to the Bulgarian artist Alex Maleev who with writer Brian Bendis brought the periodical back to the forefront of Marvel Comics’ line in an award winning four year run on the title in the mid 2000s. Alex also talks to novelist Alex Irvine whose anachronistic reimagining of the comic – Dardevil Noir – starts next month and combines the Chandleresque storytelling of Frank Miller’s iconic run on the title with the look and feel of classic Film Noir, relocating the adventures of Matt Murdock to Hell’s Kitchen in the 1930s…

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 Daredevil, Alex Maleev and Alex Irvine
Daredevil and Alex Maleev fansites
Alex Irvine’s blog and website
Read the first five pages of Daredevil Noir at www.comicbookresources.com
Buy Alex Irvine’s graphic novel: Hellstorm, Son of Satan – Equinox

Comics / Sci-Fi News:

At the Memorabilia cult TV weekend, you can meet stars of classic television such as Robert Vaughn (Hustle, The Man from UNCLE), Craig Charles and Robert Llewllyn (Red Dwarf), Richard Briars (The Good Life), Linda Blair (The Exorcist) and Colin Baker (Doctor Who).

9am – 5pm, 28th & 29th March, The NEC, Birmingham
More info at www.memorabilia.co.uk

also:

This Saturday 28th March sees rival small press comics events in Mile End, London

The U.K. Web and Mini Comix Thing happens in Queen Mary University’s Great Hall on Mile End Road. Guests include Sarah McIntyre and Roger Langridge… Admission is £4 at the door
www.ukwebcomixthing.co.uk

Schmurgen Con takes place at the New Globe on Mile End Road, around 1PM, provided that they can get the pub open in time. Guests include Dan Lester and David Baillie… Admission is free.
www.schmurgenjonerhaffs.blogspot.com

and…

Strength from Adversity: A Contemporary Japanese Cinema and Art Festival – 15-17 April 2009

The National Gallery is pleased to be hosting this celebration of contemporary Japanese cinema. Includes screenings of Hadashi no Gen (Barefoot Gen), Fudeko: Sono Ai – Tenshi no Piano (Fudeko and the Angel’s Piano), Takeshi Kitano’s Kikujiro and Okuribito (Departures)

National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London

Panel Borders: The Mighty Thor by Walt Simonson

Panel Borders:

The Mighty Thor by Walt Simonson

Originally broadcast 12/03/09 as an episode of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM

Beta Ray Bill, the alien Thor by Walter Simonson (The Mighty Thor #337)

Continuing ‘classic heroes’ month on Panel Borders, Alex Fitch talks to artist and writer Walter Simonson, whose exceptional 4 year run on the Marvel comic The Mighty Thor in the early 80s remains the most appreciated version of the character since Stan Lee and Jack Kirby brought the Viking hero to Marvel comics a generation before. Alex and Walt talk about combining European mythology and space opera, esoteric character design (why does Beta Ray Bill have a face like a horse’s skull?), turning the Norse god of war into a talking frog and the joy of revisiting classic heroes.

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 Walter Simonson and The Mighty Thor
lambiek.net entry on Walt
Extract from The Mighty Thor #361, in which our hero is turned into a frog!

Comics / Sci-Fi News:

At the Memorabilia cult TV weekend, you can meet stars of classic television such as Robert Vaughn (Hustle, The Man from UNCLE), Craig Charles and Robert Llewllyn (Red Dwarf), Richard Briars (The Good Life), Linda Blair (The Exorcist) and Colin Baker (Doctor Who).

9am – 5pm, 28th & 29th March, The NEC, Birmingham
More info at www.memorabilia.co.uk

Panel Borders: The art of Philip Spence

Panel Borders:

The art of Philip Spence

Originally broadcast 26/02/09 as an episode of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM

Ninja Bunnies by Philip Spence

Concluding Indie comics month (a little bit late due to technical issues) on Panel Borders, Alex Fitch talks to artist Philip Spence about his self published mini-comics / web comic The Adventures of Ninja Bunny. Mini-comics are an offshoot of the zine and small press comics scene, measuring approx 9cm square and have a more collectible appearance for causal comics browsers who may pick up the titles in art fairs and markets. Philip has recently branched out from his minis into regular sized autobiographical titles and talks about his interest in fine art prints and the production process.

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: Phil’s website
Interview with Phil at Forbidden Planet International’s blog
Info about the UK Web and Mini Comix Thing where Phil will next be selling his wares on 28th March

Reality Check: The Invisible art of acting for radio

Reality Check:

The Invisible art of acting for radio

Rupert Degas at the recording of Cry Babies by Kim Newman, photo by Moira Degas (c) 2009

Alex Fitch talks to actor Rupert Degas about his various roles in genre radio and audio dramas such as playing David Warner’s sidekick “Rizla” in the BBC7 adaptation of Robert Rankin’s The Brightonomicon and playing the father of a cyrogenically preserved child in Kim Newman’s Cry-Babies which was recently broadcast on Radio 4. Alex and Rupert also talk about his roles in Dan Dare, Dirk Gently and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy plus his uncredited role voicing the devil in Exorcist: The Beginning…

For more info, please visit the home of this podcast at Sci-Fi London

Links: For more info about BBC radio’s SF season, please click here
bbc.co.uk pages on Kim Newman’s Cry Babies (including “listen again” until 15/03/09) and
Robert Rankin’s The Brightonomicon (including “listen again” until a week after broadcast)
Rupert’s wikipedia and IMDb pages
Buy audio books (including Dan Dare) read by Rupert from orionbooks.co.uk
Buy The Brightonomicon and The Long dark tea-time of the soul from bbcshop.com
The Brightonomicon podcast blog

For more podcasts about radio and audio dramas, please click here

In association with:

Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons on Panel Borders

Panel Borders:

Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons and his other collaborators

Doctor Manhattan by Dave Gibbons

If you’ve just watched the Watchmen in the cinema and would like to hear interviews with the creators, here’s a list of my interviews with Alan Moore and various artists who have illustrated his scripts including Dave Gibbons and David Lloyd…

Alan Moore

… talks about The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, the highs (Kev O’Neill) and lows (Rob Liefeld) of collaborating with comic book artists, his notions of magic and ideaspace and just what giant bald men in nappies had to do with American paranoia in 1950s movies! (Originally broadcast Jan 25th 2007 on Resonance FM)

… talks about magic, Swamp Thing, movies and saving the comics industry.

(Originally broadcast 7pm, Jan 30th 2007 on Resonance FM)

 

… talks about animation, history and DNA….

(Originally broadcast 7.30pm, Jan 30th 2007 on Resonance FM)

Click on the image to watch the video, which was filmed by Oli Smith

… talks about his epic graphic novel Lost Girls, from its beginnings – serialised in the horror anthology Taboo – to its final printing 16 years later as a beautiful three volume slipcased hardback published by Top Shelf.

(Originally broadcast 5pm, Feb 14th 2008 on Resonance FM)

… talks about The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier and depictions of procreation in Swamp Thing and Miracleman.

(Originally broadcast 5.30pm, Feb 14th 2008 on Resonance FM)

… talks about collaborating with Eddie Campbell on his masterpiece From Hell and the two comic book adaptations of his performances Snakes and Ladders and The Birth Caul..

(Originally broadcast Oct 23rd 2008 on Resonance FM)

Alan Moore and Pat Mills talk about their favourite cartoonist, the late Ken Reid who drew Roger the Dodger in the 1950s Beano and a variety of underrated strips in children’s comics such as Wham! and Whoopee! including the creepy classics Faceache and Frankie Stein, up to the 1980s…..

(Originally broadcast Jan 29th 2009 on Resonance FM)

Click on the image to watch a video of the interview, which was filmed by Oli Smith

Dave Gibbons talks about his career so far, working on more personal projects such as The Originals and his thoughts on the current Hollywood adaptation of Watchmen…

(Originally broadcast at 5pm, June 10th 2008 on Resonance FM)

Read an abridged transcript of the interview in Wheel Me Out magazine

Alex Fitch talks to David Lloyd

David Lloyd talks about working on V for Vendetta and about the challenges of illustrating graphic novels such as The Horrorist and Kickback….

(Originally broadcast at 5.30pm, June 10th 2008 on Resonance FM)

Captain Britain by Alan Davis and Alan Moore

Alan Davis and Paul Cornell talk about writing and in Alan’s case, also drawing Captain Britain, a character whose appearance in comics in the early 1980s by Alans Davis and Moore gave the strip a lasting appeal that endures to the current day. Paul Cornell talks about his recent revamp of the character in the new comic Captain Britain and MI:13 which sees the Captain get a 21st Century make-over while encountering such nefarious characters as Count Dracula and Gordon Brown!

(Originally broadcast March 5th 2009 on Resonance FM)

Panel Borders: Captain Britain

Panel Borders:

Captain Britain by Alan Davis and Paul Cornell

Originally broadcast 05/03/09 as an episode of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM

Excalibur by Alan Davis featuring Captain Britain and X-Men

It’s the start of ‘classic heroes’ month on Panel Borders and to kick off, Alex Fitch is talking to two of the creators of the UK’s very own superhero – Captain Britain. Alex talks to Alan Davis, the artist and writer of the strip in the early 80s, who together with help from writers Alan Moore and Jamie Delano rescued the character from oblivion with esoteric storylines, a great supporting cast and a terrific new costume. Alex also talks to author Paul Cornell about his recent revamp of the character in the new comic Captain Britain and MI:13 which sees the Captain get a 21st Century make-over while encountering such nefarious characters as Count Dracula and Gordon Brown!

For mopre 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 Captain Britain, Alan Davis and Paul Cornell
For Paul’s blog, please click here
Buy Captain Britain and MI:13 from Forbidden Planet International
More info about The Bristol International Comics Expo (May 9th / 10th 2009) and D.R. and Quinch
Alan Davis’ website
Star Wars: the comic book by Alan Davis and Alan Moore

Reality Check: State of the Art adaptation

Reality Check:

State of the Art adaptation

Originally broadcast 03/03/09 on Resonance FM as a “Micro Clear Spot”

Iain Banks and Paul Cornell at Newcon 4

Alex Fitch talks to writer Paul Cornell about dramatising Iain M Banks’ novella “The State of the Art” for the afternoon play on Radio 4 (to be broadcast 2.15pm 05/03/09) with a cast including such luminaries as Anthony Sher and Patterson Joseph… Alex and Paul also discuss the author’s adaptations of his own work – novelising the internet cartoon Doctor Who: Scream of the Shalka and conversely dramatising his novel Doctor Who: Human Nature for TV.

For more info, please visit the home of this podcast at Sci-Fi London

Links: For more info about BBC radio’s SF season, please click here
For Paul’s blog, please click here
Wikipedia pages on Paul Cornell, Iain Banks and The Culture

For more podcasts with Paul Cornell, as guest and interviewer, please click here

In association with:

I’m ready for my close-up: The films of Rex Bloomstein

I’m ready for my close-up: The films of Rex Bloomstein

Rex Bloomstein filming An Independent Mind

A special episode of Resonance FM’s film show I’m ready for my close-up. Alex Fitch talks to director Rex Bloomstein about his films Traitors to Hitler (1979), KZ (2006) and An Independent Mind (2008) in advance of a screening of Traitors… at the Imperial War Museum as part of a weekend of films (28/02/02+01/03/09) and talks about the 1944 Bomb plot to kill Hitler (including a screening of Valkyrie starring Tom Cruise); Alex and Rex talk about documenting persecution and freedom of speech on film and notions of psychogeography in the documentary process.For more info about this podcast and a variety of different formats you can download or stream, please visit the home of this podcast at www.archive.org

Links: Rex’s website
Interview with Rex following a screening of KZ at the Sundance Film Festival
Rex’s page at the “British Documentary Website” dfgdocs.com
Rex’s filmography at the University of Leicester website
Imperial War Museum website

Panel Borders: The work of David Baillie

Panel Borders:

The work of David Baillie

Originally broadcast 19/02/09 as an episode of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM

Extract from A Dogs Tale by David Baillie

Continuing Indie comics month on Panel Borders: Alex Fitch talks to writer and artist David Baillie about his experiences in the comics industry. David has been self publishing comics since the beginning of the 2000s and has recently produced his first graphic novel – Tongue of the dead – a pastiche and welcome update of 1970s and 80s Sword and Sorcery comics such as Conan the Barbarian. David also has worked as a comics commentator for various publications, is working on a 3D site specific graphic novel with Daniel Merlin Goodbrey displayed on the walls of a children’s hospital in France and has just seen his first “Future Shock” published in the venerable British periodical 2000AD.

To download or stream the show in a variety of different formats, please visit the home of this episode at www.archive.org

Links: David’s website and blog
The first page of David’s Future Shock at the Forbidden Planet International blog
David’s 24 minute comic on flickr
Short fiction by David at the daily writing blog “Elephant Words”

Join the Panel Borders group on facebook

Comics news:

Brighton ‘zine fest February 2008

…will be taking place over the weekend of 21st/22nd February. Workshops, talks and bands will be on the Saturday (@ The Cowley Club) and zine stalls, acoustic acts and a few other mystery things will be on the Sunday (@ West Hill Hall).

More info at www.brightonzinefest.co.uk

Reality Check: Being Bruce Campbell

Reality Check:

Being Bruce Campbell

Originally broadcast 19/02/09 on Resonance FM as an episode of I’m ready for my close-up

Bruce Campbell in My name is Bruce

Alex Fitch talks to legendary ‘B’-movie actor Bruce Campbell about his new film My name is Bruce which sees the actor directing, producing and playing a fictionalised version of himself on screen. My name is Bruce sees Campbell kidnapped by a fan and taken to the small town of Gold Lick, Oregon (pop. 333) to save the locals from an ancient Chinese demon prefaced by his own country and western musical numbers… Alex and Bruce also talk about the actor’s career so far, appearing in memorable films by Sam Raimi such as the Evil Dead and Spider-Man trilogies, and his experience of dealing with fandom over the years…

For more info, please visit the home of this podcast at Sci-Fi London

Links: Watch the trailer for My Name is Bruce
Bruce’s website
More info on the My name is Bruce DVD

In association with:

Electric Sheep podcast: Experimental film as performance art

Electric Sheep podcast: Experimental film as performance art

Interviews originally broadcast 30/10/08 and 12/02/09 on www.resonancefm.com

 

A Home Movie by Jeff Keen

In this episode we’re looking at how experimental cinema and experimental approaches to cinema recycle and reuse intriguing images from the past. Later in the podcast Alex Fitch talks to Wajid Yaseen, the artistic director of Ear Cinema about their touring project Late Noon Sun which uses silent movie tropes and iconography in a haunting theatrical installation about murder and magic that combines projection and performance in an immersive 360 degree experience.

Late Noon Sun is next on at The Colchester Arts Centre on the 18th of February 2009 and for future performances please visit www.earcinema.co.uk for more info.

Also, we’ve reunited the presenters of Resonance FM’s long missed radio show Midnight Sex Talk for a preview of the short films of experimental filmmaker Jeff Keen which are about to be shown at the BFI southbank and elsewhere and released in a new definitive box set.,
MST co-presenter Kim Morgan joins us later in the show and for the rest of the time we’re talking to presenter Tania Glyde who also worked as the agony aunt for Time Out magazine and has recently written the book “Cleaning up, how I gave up drinking and lived”, which has just been published in paperback.

Jeff Keen’s films mix found footage of pop culture items and iconography combined with experimental scenes of domesticity, landscapes and violence. There are four compilations of Jeff’s work being shown at the BFI Southbank over the next two weeks and in March at various cinemas in Bristol, Hastings and Belfast, more info about which you can find at bfi.org.uk and also in March a definitive 4 DVD box set is being released on their label. For this podcast’s review of his work,Alex Fitch sat down with Tania and we watched 7 of Keen’s films in a row with Kim joining us for the 8th and stopped after each one to record our immediate thoughts on what we’d just watched.

Screenings of Keen’s work are on at the BFI Southbank on the 17th, 19th, 25th and 27th of this month February 2009, and you can find more info at www.bfi.org.uk

For more info, please visit the home of this podcast at www.archive.org
To find out more about Electric Sheep Screenings, please click here and for the magazine, please visit www.electricsheepmagazine.com

Links: Jeff Keen- More info on the BFI’s Jeff Keen season and DVD box set
Listen to Kim’s previous film reviews
Tania’s blog and info about her book Cleaning up, how I gave up drinking and lived
Alex’s early radio appearances on episodes of Midnight Sex Talk concerning “Movies”, “Censorship”, “Death” and “Psychos”!
Visit the archive of Tania and Kim’s previous shows at www.midnightsextalk.com
Wajid Yaseen - His cinema / theatre group’s website www.earcinema.co.uk including info on Late Noon Sun
Wikipedia page on “3D Sound”
Listen to Alex’s interview with Peter Greenaway

In association with:

Electric Sheep news:

Tom Humberstone exhibition at Orbital

The comic shop Orbital which Marc Ellerby waxed lyrical about in a recent Panel Borders, have relocated to 8 Great Newport Street, WC2H 7JF (previously the Photographer’s Gallery).
Orbital appropriately now also have an exhibition space, which opened with a selection of new art pages by Tom Humberstone from the latest issue of his Eagle award winning title: How to date a girl in ten days.

More info at www.orbitalcomics.com / www.ventedspleen.com

and…

Here’s Johnny Screening on More4

The excellent documentary Here’s Johnny about artist John (Nemesis the Warlock, Judge Dredd) Hicklenton’s battle with multiple sclerosis is being shown tonight (17/02/09) at 10pm on More4. The film includes great examples of his work and interviews with the likes of Pat Mills and Glenn Fabry…
More info about the film on its official site.

I’m ready for my close-up: Julien Temple’s Eternity Man

I’m ready for my close-up: Julien Temple’s Eternity Man

“The Eternity Man” presentation at the Locarno film festival – Julien Temple, Director; Christa Hughes, actress; Rosemary Blight, producer

In an interview recorded just before a theatrical screening of The Eternity Man at the Barbican, Alex Fitch talks to director Julien Temple about his film of the modern opera by Dorothy Porter and Jonathan Mills. The Eternity Man tells the true story of Arthur Stace who wandered the streets of Sydney for two generations, writing the word “Eternity” in chalk on a myriad of surfaces and Temple’s film vividly brings to life this modern avatar of the Wandering Jew. Alex and Julien also talk about the director’s other work from Absolute Beginners to Pandaemonium and notions of combining fact and fiction on screen.

For more info about this podcast and a variety of different formats you can download or stream, please visit the home of this podcast at www.archive.org

Links: Info about forthcoming screenings (next: on sunday night / monday morning on S4C)
Watch clips from The Eternity Man on youtube
Wikipedia pages on Julien Temple, Dorothy Porter and The Eternity Man

Comics news:

Tom Humberstone exhibition at Orbital

The comic shop Orbital which Marc Ellerby waxed lyrical about in last week’s Panel Borders, have relocated to 8 Great Newport Street, WC2H 7JF (previously the Photographer’s Gallery).
Orbital appropriately now also have an exhibition space, which opened with a selection of new art pages by Tom Humberstone from the latest issue of his Eagle award winning title: How to date a girl in ten days.

More info at www.orbitalcomics.com / www.ventedspleen.com

and…

Brighton ‘zine fest February 2008

…will be taking place over the weekend of 21st/22nd February. Workshops, talks and bands will be on the Saturday (@ The Cowley Club) and zine stalls, acoustic acts and a few other mystery things will be on the Sunday (@ West Hill Hall).

More info at www.brightonzinefest.co.uk

Panel Borders: the work of Peter Doherty

Panel Borders:

The work of Peter Doherty

Originally broadcast 22/01/09 as an episode of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM

Art from Grendel Tales by Peter Doherty

In the third of this month’s shows about four generations of British cartoonists, Alex Fitch is talking to an artist who started work in the early 90s on Judge Dredd megazine, illustrating the acclaimed serial Young Death – Boyhood of a superfiend, has worked on a variety of titles in America such as Batman / Superman, The Dreaming and Grendel Tales, before returning to the world of Dredd again more recently. Peter Doherty has worked as a penciller, a fully rendered artist and as a colourist on off beat titles such as Shaolin Cowboy and Grant Morrison’s absurdist Sea Guy. This interview was recorded last November at the Leeds sequential art festival, Thought Bubble…

To download or stream the show in a variety of different formats, please visit the home of this episode at www.archive.org

Links: Buy Peter’s original artwork from The Book Palace
Interview with Peter at 2000ADreview.co.uk
Wikipedia pages on Peter Doherty, Grendel Tales, Young Death, The Dreaming and Shaolin Cowboy

Comics / Sci-Fi news:

Tom Humberstone exhibition at Orbital

Should you find yourself in Central London this weekend, there’s the re-opening of the comic shop Orbital which Marc Ellerby waxed lyrical about in last week’s show, who have relocated to 8 Great Newport Street, WC2H 7JF next to the Photographer’s Gallery.

Orbital appropriately now also have an exhibition space, which opens with a selection of new art pages by Tom Humberstone from the latest issue of his Eagle award winning title: How to date a girl in ten days, and that’s from this Saturday the 24^th Jan, at 10am

More info at www.orbitalcomics.com

and…

After Tezuka at The Barbican

Next week from Wednesday 28th January there’s another multimedia celebration of the art of classic manga artist Osamu Tezaka, starting with a screening of Dororo, introduced by Helen McCarthy and followed by screenings of Black Jack and Phoenix: Immutable Conclusion the following weekend.

More info at www.barbican.org.uk/film/

plus…

Love Bites

Drawn from Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets, Love Bites uses the Bard’s words in a modern performance, with music by Duke Ellington.

An invitation to a party attracts a vibrant collection of characters, with one uniting factor – love. Tender, dangerous, passionate, comic and sweet – will they find, reject, destroy or embrace it?

Love bites features Lisa Bowerman (Doctor Who, Bernice Summerfield) and Ortis Deeley (Kidulthood, CBBC)

The Leatherhead Theatre, Church Street, Leatherhead,Surrey, KT22 8DF to Saturday January 24, 7.45pm, Thursday matinee 2pm

More info at /www.resurgencetheatrecompany.com

Panel Borders: The work of Marc Ellerby

Panel Borders:

The work of Marc Ellerby

Originally broadcast 15/01/09 as an episode of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM

An image from the online diary comic Ellerbisms by Marc Ellerby

In the second of this month’s shows about four generations of British cartoonists, Alex Fitch is talking to artist and writer Marc Ellerby, who has self-published a variety of small press autobiographical comics, drawn Love the way you love by Jamie S. Rich for Oni Press and the back-up strip for the latest issue of Image Comics’ critically acclaimed Phonogram. Marc is currently exhibiting original artwork in the Drawn! exhibition at Brent Museum (until 8th Feb 2009) and throughout last year ran a Manga Club at a bookshop at Lakeside in Essex…

To download or stream the show in a variety of different formats, please visit the home of this episode at www.archive.org

Links: Marc’s website and online comic strip Ellerbisms
Info about Oni Press’ comic book Love the way you love
Phonogram blog and review at Forbidden Planet International
Image from and review of Put The Book Back On The Shelf: A Belle And Sebastian Anthology
Listen to Alex’s interview with Phonogram creators Jamie McKelvie and Kieron Gillen
Listen to Oliver Lambden’s report from last year’s UK web and mini-comix thing which includes an interview with Marc’s girlfriend!

Comics / Sci-Fi news:

Jessica Fostekew and Other Jokers

‘So You Think You’re Funny’ Semi-Finalist 2008, Jessica Fostekew, brings you a bundle of twisted treats!
Stand-up Comedy followed by a sinister and silly tale of character and sketch comedy.
Jessica hit the UK stand-up circuit like a thunderbolt of joy in January 2008. She has appeared at prestigious clubs such as ‘Up The Creek’, ‘The Comedy Café’ and ‘Spank’. Quarter-Finalist in ‘Laughing Horse Competition’ last year, she recently won ‘The Lion’s Den’ in November 2008 and performs regularly all over the country.
We will then delight you with the tale of various freaky folk in an alternate world, a London not entirely different from our own, but one where a few people are on back to front. Starring Jessica Fostekew, Maxine Ridout, Jo Bowis, Toby Williams and Drummond Bowskill.

21 / 22 Jan 2009, 7.30pm Canal Cafe Theatre, Delamere Terrace, Little Venice, Paddington, London, W2 6ND

also…

Sci-Fi London 2009 (29 Apr – 4 May) has been nominated as one of the best things to do this year by The Times, so put it in your diaries now! It’s going to be amazing (and I only know about the events I’m organising!)…

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/news/article5389520.ece

plus…

“Ask Alan Moore…”,

the Forbidden Planet International Blog is inviting people to submit questions for their next interview with Alan Moore (about The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Century), so visit the blog entry for more info and submit a question…!

Panel Borders: The Work of Raymond Briggs

Panel Borders:

The Work of Raymond Briggs

Originally broadcast 08/01/09 as an episode of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM

In the first Panel Borders of 2009, Alex Fitch is talking to the beloved British children’s illustrator Raymond Briggs who in the 1970s created some of the most treasured kids books of the late twentieth century such as The Snowman, Father Christmas and Fungus the Bogeyman which were all turned into successful and memorable animated cartoons in the following decade.

If many people only know his work from the cartoons, it’s entirely possible they don’t realise that Briggs has been drawing his books in comic strip format since the early 70s and is one of Britain’s finest and ironically least recognised comic book creators. This has started to change in recent years with the last year alone seeing Briggs talk about his work on stage alongside Brian Talbot at Comica at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, being awarded a lifetime achievement award by the Cartoon Art Trust while Jonthan Cape reissued Gentleman Jim as one of their classic British Graphic Novels…
To download or stream the show in a variety of different formats, please visit the home of this episode at www.archive.org

Links: Buy Raymond’s books from: Random House / Jonthan Cape or Penguin books
Read an extract from Gentleman Jim on the New York Magazine website
Watch an extract from When the Wind Blows on youtube
See Raymond and his most famous creation show off a deckchair he designed for charity

Comics / Sci-Fi news:

Jessica Fostekew and Other Jokers

‘So You Think You’re Funny’ Semi-Finalist 2008, Jessica Fostekew, brings you a bundle of twisted treats!
Stand-up Comedy followed by a sinister and silly tale of character and sketch comedy.
Jessica hit the UK stand-up circuit like a thunderbolt of joy in January 2008. She has appeared at prestigious clubs such as ‘Up The Creek’, ‘The Comedy Café’ and ‘Spank’. Quarter-Finalist in ‘Laughing Horse Competition’ last year, she recently won ‘The Lion’s Den’ in November 2008 and performs regularly all over the country.
We will then delight you with the tale of various freaky folk in an alternate world, a London not entirely different from our own, but one where a few people are on back to front. Starring Jessica Fostekew, Maxine Ridout, Jo Bowis, Toby Williams and Drummond Bowskill.

21 / 22 Jan 2009, 7.30pm Canal Cafe Theatre, Delamere Terrace, Little Venice, Paddington, London, W2 6ND

Panel Borders: Dale Lazarov and Amy Colburn’s Manly

Panel Borders:

Dale Lazarov and Amy Colburn’s Manly

Partially broadcast 18/12/08 as an episode of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM

Image from the short story "Clinch" out of the collection "Manly" by Dale Lazarov & Amy Colburn

Concluding gay comics month on Panel Borders: Alex Fitch talks to Amy Colburn and Dale Lazarov, the creators of “Manly“, a homoerotic comic sold in Art bookshops. Alex discusses with Dale his history of writing silent erotic comics and the varying benefits of being published by a comic book company and an art book publisher, plus Amy talks about her fine art background and the differences between Yaoi and Western gay comics.


To download or stream the show in a variety of different formats, please visit the home of this episode at www.archive.org

Links: Please note some of the following links are for 18 year olds and over only…

“Manly“- Video review of Manly at the publisher’s website
Dale’s page on Yaoi Gallery
Interview with Amy at Lincoln Heights Literary Society website
Amy and Dale’s profiles at www.brunogmuender.com
Dale’s profile on prismcomics.org

Comics / Sci-Fi news:

BADGER AT THE GREENWICH PICTURE HOUSE

Artwork from Howard Hardiman’s delightful small press comic Badger goes on display from Monday 1st of December in the basement of the Picture House Cinema in Greenwich for a month.
01/12/08 – 01/01/09, Greenwich Picture House, Greenwich High Road, SE10 8NN, London
More info at www.picturehouses.co.uk and www.cutebutsad.co.uk

Panel Borders: The work of Bevis Musson

Panel Borders:

The work of Bevis Musson

Partially broadcast 18/12/08 as an episode of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM

Queen of Diamonds #4 by Bevis Musson

Continuing gay comics month on Panel Borders: Alex Fitch talks to Bevis Musson the British Indie creator of Oddcases and Queen of Diamonds. Alex and Bevis talk about sexuality in super-hero comics, British eccentrics who investigate strange goings on, how the latter’s background in costume design influences his comics and about the gay small press comics scene in general.


To download or stream the show in a variety of different formats, please visit the home of this episode at www.archive.org

Links: Download all the issues of Queen of Diamonds from www.gayleague.com or buy them from Forbidden Planet International
View the first ten pages of Bevis and Tony Lee’s forthcoming graphic novel Journal: A graphic romance on Tony’s blog
Download Oddcases from www.opi8.com (early stories) and www.factorfictionpress.co.uk (later stories)
Bevis’ profile at www.prismcomics.org

Comics / Sci-Fi news:

CELEBRATE LUXmas AT THE ALPHABET BAR

Alphabet Bar, 61-63 Beak Street, Soho, London, W1F 9FL

Saturday 13th December, 1pm til late (exhibition open 13/12/08 – 20/12/08)

To celebrate the end of London Underground Comics’ epic 75 week run in Camden Lock Market over the past year… and Christmas as well.

There will be DJs from 6pm til late, drinking, merriment, a large communal comics table exhibiting the finest of British small press as well as an exhibition of original art by the core members of the LUC team which will run until the 20th of December.

Exhibitors who will be displaying (and selling) their original art as well as their comics include: Oli Smith, Sean Azzopardi, Jake Harold, Oliver Lamden, Dan Lester, Sally-Anne Hickman, Phil Spence, Francesca Cassavetti, Emma Price, Daniel Merlin Goodbrey, David Baillie and Tim Keable

More info at http://londonundergroundcomics.com

BADGER AT THE GREENWICH PICTURE HOUSE

Artwork from Howard Hardiman’s delightful small press comic Badger goes on display from Monday 1st of December in the basement of the Picture House Cinema in Greenwich for a month.
01/12/08 – 01/01/09, Greenwich Picture House, Greenwich High Road, SE10 8NN, London
More info at www.picturehouses.co.uk and www.cutebutsad.co.uk

Panel Borders: Justin Hall and Glamazonia

Panel Borders:

Justin Hall and Glamazonia

Partially broadcast 11/12/08 as an episode of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM

Glamazonia

Continuing gay comics month on Panel Borders: in the second of two shows about the Queer Press Grant, Alex Fitch talks to one of the winners of last year’s grant – Justin Hall about his comic “Glamazonia: The Uncanny Super Tranny”, which tells the tale of a transgender super-heroine fighting mythical creatures, serial killers and old fashioned super hero origin stories

To download or stream the show in a variety of different formats, please visit the home of this episode at www.archive.org

Links: youtube video of Justin reading Glamazonia
Justin’s livejournal page, website and profile on prismcomics.org
Comics Bulletin report on Justin winning the Queer Press Grant

Comics / Sci-Fi news:

CELEBRATE LUXmas AT THE ALPHABET BAR

Alphabet Bar, 61-63 Beak Street, Soho, London, W1F 9FL

Saturday 13th December, 1pm til late (exhibition open 13/12/08 – 20/12/08)

To celebrate the end of London Underground Comics’ epic 75 week run in Camden Lock Market over the past year… and Christmas as well.

There will be DJs from 6pm til late, drinking, merriment, a large communal comics table exhibiting the finest of British small press as well as an exhibition of original art by the core members of the LUC team which will run until the 20th of December.

Exhibitors who will be displaying (and selling) their original art as well as their comics include: Oli Smith, Sean Azzopardi, Jake Harold, Oliver Lamden, Dan Lester, Sally-Anne Hickman, Phil Spence, Francesca Cassavetti, Emma Price, Daniel Merlin Goodbrey, David Baillie and Tim Keable

More info at http://londonundergroundcomics.com

Reality Check: Michael Winterbottom’s Code 46

Reality Check:

Michael Winterbottom’s Code 46

Originally broadcast 11/12/08 on Resonance FM as an episode of I’m ready for my close-up

Michael Winterbottom directs Tim Robbins & Samantha Morton in Code 46, Photo by Peter Mountain, courtesy of United Artists.

During a special Architecture foundation screening of Code 46 at the Barbican centre, Alex Fitch caught up with director Michael Winterbottom in the foyer of the cinema and discussed issues of British Science Fiction, unreliable narrators and the importance of location in Sci-Fi films. Alex and Michael also look at issues of psychogeography, breaking the fourth wall in 24 hour party people and A cock and bull story and why Spielberg’s Minority Report (which also starred Samantha Morton) was an interesting attempt to make realistic SF…
With thanks to the Barbican and the Architecture Foundation – next screening: Los Angeles plays itself on 21st Jan 2009. 

For more info, please visit the home of this podcast at Sci-Fi London

Links: Article on Code 46 at www.indiewire.com
IMDb and Wikipedia pages on Code 46
Official United Artists website for the movie
Article on the Architecture foundation screening of the film

In association with:

Comics / Sci-Fi news:

BADGER AT THE GREENWICH PICTURE HOUSE

Artwork from Howard Hardiman’s delightful small press comic Badger goes on display from Monday1st of December at the Picture House Cinema in Greenwich for a month.
01/12/08 – 01/01/09, Greenwich Picture House, Greenwich High Road, SE10 8NN, London

More info at www.picturehouses.co.uk
and www.cutebutsad.co.uk

DAVID LLOYD AT THE NEW END GALLERY, HAMPSTEAD

Kickback – an exhibtion of the sequential art of David Lloyd, including work from Night Raven, Kickback and V for Vendetta is the latest show at The New End Gallery in Hampstead. All the pages on display will be for sale…

Tues- Sun 04/12/08 – 23/12/08, New end gallery, 27 Carnegie House, Hampstead, London NW3 1JE

More info at www.newendgallery.com

Panel Borders: The art of Howard Hardiman

Panel Borders: The art of Howard Hardiman
Originally broadcast 04/12/08 as an episode of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM

Howard Hardiman's Badger

It’s the start of Gay Comics month on Resonance FM (season of good will to all men and whatnot) and we kick off with an ideal Christmas present for children of all ages: Badger by up and coming artist Howard Hardiman. Alex and Howard talk about funny animal / anthropomorphic titles and their relation to autobiography, having a sense of location in comics and the tricky art of marketing a new product…

To download or stream the show in a variety of different formats, please visit the home of this episode at www.archive.org

Links: Howard’s website: www.cutebutsad.co.uk
Review of Badger at www.forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog
Preview Badger art on www.flickr.com

Comics / Sci-Fi news:

BADGER AT THE GREENWICH PICTURE HOUSE

Artwork from Howard Hardiman’s delightful small press comic Badger goes on display from Monday1st of December at the Picture House Cinema in Greenwich for a month.
01/12/08 – 01/01/09, Greenwich Picture House, Greenwich High Road, SE10 8NN, London

More info at www.picturehouses.co.uk
and www.cutebutsad.co.uk

DAVID LLOYD AT THE NEW END GALLERY, HAMPSTEAD

Kickback – an exhibtion of the sequential art of David Lloyd, including work from Night Raven, Kickback and V for Vendetta is the latest show at The New End Gallery in Hampstead following their current exhibition of Pink Floyd cover artist Storm Thorgerson. All the pages on display will be for sale…

Tues- Sun 04/12/08 – 23/12/08, New end gallery, 27 Carnegie House, Hampstead, London NW3 1JE

More info at www.newendgallery.com

SUNDAY SHOCK THERAPY
SUNDAY 7 DECEMBER, Vibe Live, 2-6pm, FREE: To celebrate the publication of the winter issue of Electric Sheep we’ll be screening a double bill of outrageous Icelandic horror movies, the comic book-style vampire comedy Frostbite (2006) and the classic 50s monster movie Terror in the Midnight Sun (1959). For all those desperate to find eccentric, bizarre, funny, enchanting, beautiful and non-mass-produced Christmas presents, we’ll also have an alternative mini-Christmas market with a film books and DVDs stall from Cinéphilia, London Underground Comics, Where It’s At Is Where You Are records, Sophistikitten retro lingerie, and cakes!
The first 20 people in get a free copy of the new issue of Electric Sheep! You will also have the possibility of winning a year’s subscription to the magazine…

CELEBRATE LUXmas AT THE ALPHABET BAR

Alphabet Bar, 61-63 Beak Street, Soho, London, W1F 9FL

Saturday 13th December, 12 noon til late (exhibition open 13/12/08 – 20/12/08)

To celebrate the end of London Underground Comics’ epic 75 week run in Camden Lock Market over the past year… and Christmas as well.

There will be DJs from 6pm til late, drinking, merriment, a large communal comics table exhibiting the finest of British small press as well as an exhibition of original art by the core members of the LUC team which will run until the 20th of December.

Exhibitors who will be displaying (and selling) their original art as well as their comics include: Oli Smith, Sean Azzopardi, Jake Harold, Oliver Lamden, Dan Lester, Sally-Anne Hickman, Phil Spence, Francesca Cassavetti, Emma Price, Daniel Merlin Goodbrey, David Baillie and Tim Keable

More info at http://londonundergroundcomics.com/

Reality Check: Life during Wartime

Reality Check: Life during Wartime

Continuing our new series of Sci-Fi London podcasts, we have a pair of interviews about modern Science-Fiction takes on warfare which have a classical, yet prescient feel to them: Duncan Nott talks to Garth Ennis about working on the new Virgin Comics version of the classic British sci-fi comic strip Dan Dare which sees Dare called out of retirement as Britain and Earth enter new hostilities with the Mekon due to a corrupt Prime Minister running the country. Also, Tripwire Magazine editor Joel Meadows presents and takes part in a brief press conference with actor Michael Hogan about playing the long suffering character Colonel Tigh in the 21st century reimagining of Battlestar Galactica, which is about to return to our screens shortly for the second half of its final season. Recorded and edited by Alex Fitch (with thanks to the MCM Expo for their invite to the Michael Hogan junket).

Panel Borders: The work of Art Spiegelman

Panel Borders: The work of Art Spiegelman
Originally broadcast 27/11/08 as an episode of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM

Guest presenter Grant Rogers talks to Pulitzer prize winning author Art Spiegelman about his seminal work Maus and the 30th anniversary republication of Breakdowns, his sophomoric collection of underground strips which has now been reprinted in hardback format with a new 30 page autobiographical comic book called Portrait of the artist as a young %@?*!… The interview was recorded and edited by Alex Fitch.
(With thanks to Penguin books, the ICA and Paul Gravett for arranging this interview).
Resonance 104.4 FM, Thursday 27/11/08 5pm, repeated 11.30pm Sunday 30/11/08…

To download or stream the show in a variety of different formats, please visit the home of this episode at www.archive.org

Links: Read excerpts from Portrait of the artist as a young %@?*!… at the Virginia Quarterly Review website
Wikipedia pages on Art Spiegelman and Maus
Read excerpts from In the shadow of no Towers at www.randomhouse.com
To hear Grant’s interview with Pat Mills about Charley’s War, please click here

Comics / Sci-Fi news:

Howard Hardiman

BADGER AT THE GREENWICH PICTURE HOUSE

Artwork from Howard Hardiman’s delightful small press comic Badger goes on display from Monday 1st of December at the Picture House Cinema in Greenwich for a month.

01/12/08 – 01/01/09, Greenwich Picture House, Greenwich High Road, SE10 8NN, London

More info at www.picturehouses.co.uk
and www.cutebutsad.co.uk by the time the exhibtion goes up!

Howard will be a guest on next week’s Strip! on Resonance FM…

DAVID LLOYD AT THE NEW END GALLERY, HAMPSTEAD

Kickback – an exhibtion of the sequential art of David Lloyd, including work from Night Raven, Kickback and V for Vendetta is the latest show at The New End Gallery in Hampstead following their current exhibition of Pink Floyd cover artist Storm Thorgerson. All the pages on display will be for sale…

Tues- Sun 04/12/08 – 23/12/08, New end gallery, 27 Carnegie House, Hampstead, London NW3 1JE

More info at www.newendgallery.com by the time the exhbition goes up (honestly, does no-one update their websites?)!

 

SUNDAY SHOCK THERAPY
SUNDAY 7 DECEMBER, Vibe Live, 2-6pm, FREE: To celebrate the publication of the winter issue of Electric Sheep we’ll be screening a double bill of outrageous Icelandic horror movies, the comic book-style vampire comedy Frostbite (2006) and the classic 50s monster movie Terror in the Midnight Sun (1959). For all those desperate to find eccentric, bizarre, funny, enchanting, beautiful and non-mass-produced Christmas presents, we’ll also have an alternative mini-Christmas market with a film books and DVDs stall from Cinéphilia, London Underground Comics, Where It’s At Is Where You Are records, Sophistikitten retro lingerie, and cakes!
The first 20 people in get a free copy of the new issue of Electric Sheep! You will also have the possibility of winning a year’s subscription to the magazine!

Panel Borders: Handmade and Bound

Panel Borders: Handmade and Bound
Originally broadcast 20/11/08 as an episode of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM

Dickon Harris presents a special report about the affordable ‘zine and comics book fair – Handmade and Bound – and talks to a quintet of small press comics creators: Gareth Brookes, Gavin Burrows, Sean Duffield, Richard Cowdry and Peter Lally. Dickon also talks to one of the founders of Handmade… – Simon Last – about the success of the fair and the small press scene in general…

Electric Sheep Podcast: Peter Greenaway and the Raindance Film Festival

Electric Sheep podcast: Raindance Film Festival
(Peter Greenaway interview previously broadcast 30/10/08 on Resonance 104.4 FM as part of that evening’s “Clear Spot”)

This month’s Electric Sheep Magazine Podcast is a Raindance Film Festival special. ESM is proud to be a media partner of Raindance and this year the magazine’s editor Virginie Sélavy conducted a Q and A at one of the screenings and wrote an article on Faye Dunaway for the Festival brochure while assistant editor Alex Fitch conducted a couple of Q & As and was granted an interview with Peter Greenaway after the British premiere of his new film Nightwatching.
In this podcast you’ll hear Alex’s Q and As with director Guy Ducker about his short film Lover’s Lane and with the filmmakers – David Boaretto & Charles-Henri Belleville – and members of the cast – including Nhamo Shire, Mike Martin and Pierre Henry-Fontaine – of the new British Basketball film Midnight Madness. Alex also talks to Mr Greenaway about the crossover between filmmaking and fine art and the master painter Rembrant’s position as a pioneer of both.
For more info, please visit the home of this podcast at www.archive.org
Click here for a partial transcript of Alex’s interview with Peter…

Links: Wikipedia pages on Rembrant, Peter Greenaway and The Raindance Film Festival
Websites: www.raindance.co.uk, www.petergreenaway.info, www.guyducker.com, www.midnight-madness.com

In association with:

Panel Borders: The work of Garth Ennis part 2

Panel Borders: The work of Garth Ennis part 2
Originally broadcast 18/09/08 as an episode of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM

Alex Fitch and Duncan Nott continue their talk with one of Britain’s most popular and critically acclaimed comic book writers, and this week look at Garth Ennis’ move to creator owned projects, his bemusement with superheroes as demonstrated in the comic “The Boys” and the differences between scripting his own ideas and characters vs. being hired to work on existing ‘mainstream’ properties.

I’m ready for my close-up: OSS-117, Licence to kill

I’m ready for my close-up – OSS-117, Licence to kill
originally broadcast 06/11/08 on Resonance FM

Massively popular in France but fairly unknown in the UK are the adventures of OSS-117, a cold war secret agent who has appeared in 40 books over the last half century and half a dozen movies. With a new (spoof) version of the Gallic James Bond about to hit our screens, Alex Fitch talks to the director – Michel Hazanavicius – and Bonisseur girl – Bérénice Bejo – of Cairo: Nest of Spies / Le Caire nid d’espions. Although his code number and name seem strangely familiar, apparently 117 predates 007…

The home of this audio podcast which includes a variety of formats to download or stream is at www.archive.org…

Links: Wikipedia pages on the literary life of OSS-117 and Cairo: Nest of Spies
IMDb page on Cairo: Nest of Spies / Official movie website
Buy tickets to see Cairo: Nest of Spiesat the ICA

Panel Borders: Incredibly Strange Comics

Panel Borders: Incredibly Strange Comics
An uncut version of a pair of interviews originally broadcast 06/11/08 as part of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM (London)

In the first of two belated Halloween specials, Alex Fitch talks to sequential art expert Paul Gravett about his new book “The Leather Nun And Other Incredibly Strange Comics” (sold in America with the even subtler title “Holy Sh*t! The World’s Weirdest Comic Books”) which looks at the weirder and more lurid examples of the genre and to Australian artist Ben Templesmith about his career so far, drawing comics such as the neo-noir title “Fell”, the Matrix inspired “Singularity 7″ and the popular vampire serial “30 days of night” which was adapted as a movie last year. Please note, this is an uncut show with very strong language!

For more info and a variety of formats you can download or stream, please visit the home of this podcast at archive.org

Panel Borders: Eddie Campbell – the life and many deaths of the artist

Panel Borders: Eddie Campbell – the life and many deaths of the artist
An uncut version of an interview originally broadcast 30/10/08 as part of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM (London)

In the fourth of four episodes of Panel Borders looking at the work of artist Eddie Campbell, Alex Fitch talks to Eddie about his books The Fate of the Artist, The Black Diamond Detective Agency and The Amazing, Remarkable Monsieur Leotard. Alex and Eddie also touch on film to comic adaptations and vice versa and the lack of heroes at the beginning on the twenty first century via consideration of his comics From Hell, Bacchus and Alec…
(With thanks to Oli Smith for putting Alex in touch with Eddie Campbell)

For more info and a variety of formats you can download or stream, please visit the home of this podcast at archive.org

I’m ready for my close-up: Silent horror and cinematic opera

I’m ready for my close-up – Silent horror and cinematic opera
to be broadcast on 30/10/08 as part of the 8pm Clear Spot on Resonance FM

A special podcast episode of I’m ready for my close-up: Alex Fitch talks to Robert Rider, cinema programmer at the Barbican centre in London about their season of silent horror films which includes such films as Der Golem and The Man who laughs with scores that range from classic piano accompaniment to DJ mixing. Alex and Richard also talk about the centre’s presentations of New York Met. operas such as “Doctor Atomic” and Robert Lapage’s production of “The Damnation of Faust”.

The home of the audio podcast can be found at www.archive.org…

Links: Info on screenings of Barbican screenings of silent horror films and New York Met. operas
Daily Telegraph article about silents at The Barbican
Listen to Alex’s previous interview with Robert Rider and previous podcasts on silent movies

Panel Borders: ‘From Hell’ and Psycho Geography

Panel Borders: ‘From Hell’ and Psycho Geography*
Uncut version of an interview originally broadcast 23/10/08, on Resonance 104.4 FM (London) as an episode of Strip!

Continuing Eddie Campbell month on Resonance FM… Alex Fitch talks to writer and magician Alan Moore about collaborating with Eddie Campbell on his masterpiece From Hell and the two comic book adaptations of his performances Snakes and Ladders and The Birth Caul. Alex and Alan talk about the experience of documenting Whitechapel in the past and present and Alan’s growing interest in psychogeography in London and beyond.
(With thanks to Dutch underground filmmaker Theo Lismith** for use of his kitchen to do the recording in…)

*Alex is aware that psychogeography is all one word but as From Hell is all about Geography and the exploits of a Psychopath…
**Oli Smith is aware of this bad joke, which Alex finds amusing…

For more info and a variety of formats you can download, please visit the home of this podcast at archive.org

Panel Borders: Eddie Campbell and the art of the raconteur

Panel Borders: Eddie Campbell and the art of the raconteur
Exclusive podcast to compliment the Resonance FM radio show, Strip!

In the second of four podcasts about comic book artist Eddie Campbell, Alex Fitch introduces a monologue by the artist in which Eddie tells the tale of his long suffering typesetter Mick Evans who has cameoed in a variety of his comics. Later in the show, Alex talks to Eddie about the nature of the artist’s role as a raconteur in titles such as Alec and Bacchus. Please note, we apologise if it is difficult to hear this recording – there is a lot of very loud background chatter, so it may be occasionally difficult to hear the interview. There will be a transcript forthcoming to help listeners follow the conversation.
(with thanks to Oli Smith and Nottingham’s premiere comic shop, page 45)

For more info and a variety of formats you can download, please visit the home of this podcast at archive.org

Panel Borders: Eddie Campbell on Fast Fiction

Panel Borders: Eddie Campbell on Fast Fiction
originally broadcast as part of Strip!, 09/10/08 on Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com

It’s the start of Eddie Campbell month on Panel Borders: guest presenter Oli Smith (London Underground Comics) talks to the acclaimed comic book artist and writer about Fast Fiction, the seminal British small press comics stall which promoted European and underground comics at the Westminster Comic Marts in the early 80s. Later in the show Alex Fitch and Oli talk to Paul Gravett about running the stall and its influence on the next generation of small press creators. Please note, we apologise if it is difficult to hear this recording – there is a lot of very loud background chatter, so it may be occasionally difficult to hear the interview. There will be a transcript forthcoming to help listeners follow the conversation.
(with thanks to Nottingham’s premiere comic shop, page 45)

For more info and a variety of formats you can download, please visit the home of this podcast at archive.org

Panel Borders: Jonathan Cape – Publishing Graphic Novels

Panel Borders: Jonathan Cape – Publishing Graphic Novels
Originally broadcast as part of “Strip!”, 04/09/08 on Resonance 104.4 FM

This is an uncut version of Alex Fitch’s talk with Dan Franklin, the head of Jonathan Cape, about their range of ‘Classic British Graphic Novels’, their Graphic Short Story competition, their successes publishing Bryan Talbot’s Alice in Sunderland and the recent reprint of The Tale of One Bad Rat and their past and future plans for printing albums of sequential art.

Visit the home of this podcast at archive.org

Reality Check: Genre (crossing) directors, Autumn ‘08

Reality Check: Genre (crossing) directors, Autumn ‘08

To kick off the second series of our fortnightly podcasts, it’s the second of our twice yearly looks at directors who mix a variety of genres in their work with intriguing results. Chris Patmore talks to Tarsem Singh, director of The Cell, about The Fall, his stylish homage to silent movies which combines elements of Wuxia, cowboy films and the Arabian nights to dazzling effect… Also, Alex Fitch talks to Paul W.S. Anderson about his reimagining of Roger Corman’s Death Race which sees the original satirical road race relocated to a futristic prison yard.

Panel Borders: Osamu Tezuka @t Bristol part 2

Panel Borders: Osamu Tezuka @t Bristol part 2*
Exclusive podcast to compliment the “Clear Spot” broadcast at 8pm 18/09/08 on Resonance FM

An episode of Panel Borders: Dickon Harris presents the second half of a panel recorded at The Bristol International Comics Expo hosted by Helen McCarthy and featuring John Aggs, Tim Pilcher, Sean Michael Wilson and Akiko Shimojima looking at the work of Osamu Tezuka. part 2 of 2…
(The name is an intentional homage to the title of the Millennium development in Bristol which mixes art, science and culture!)

For more info please visit the home of this podcast at archive.org
Listen to Alex Fitch’s previous interview with Helen and Alex about Tezuka and other manga and animé works…

Links: Info on Movies into Manga: Osamu Tezuka at The Barbican
wikipedia page on Osamu Tezuka
Info on the current Kamishibai tour of the UK
Review of Tezuka’s Black Jack volume one by Joe McCulloch
Info about Helen’s panel on Tezuka at The Bristol Comics expo earlier this year (under “2pm Ramada Suite”)
Buy Helen’s books from amazon.co.uk
Info on Osamu Tezuka titles on DVD at imdb.com

Comics news:

Movies into Manga: Osamu Tezuka at The Barbican

From 18th September, there’s a week long season of Osamu Tezuka adaptations at The Barbican, curated by manga expert Helen McCarthy…

Plus: The Jonthan Cape / Observer graphic fiction competition is back on, with the deadline being 17/10/09 to design a short story in comic book form to fit two pages of The Observer…

Jonathan Cape / The Observer graphic short story competition

Also: At Harrods, Knightsbridge, Rich Johnston has curated an exhibtion of original comic book art by industry luminaries such as Sean Phillips and Raymond Briggs, open from now until the end of October…
More info at www.comicbitsonline.com and at Sean’s blog

Panel Borders: Osamu Tezuka @t Bristol part 1

Panel Borders: Osamu Tezuka @t Bristol part 1*
Exclusive podcast to compliment the “Clear Spot” broadcast at 8pm 18/09/08 on Resonance FM

An episode of Panel Borders: Dickon Harris presents the first half of a panel recorded at The Bristol International Comics Expo hosted by Helen McCarthy and featuring John Aggs, Tim Pilcher, Sean Michael Wilson and Akiko Shimojima looking at the work of Osamu Tezuka. part 1 of 2…
(The name is an intentional homage to the title of the Millennium development in Bristol which mixes art, science and culture!)

For more info please visit the home of this podcast at archive.org
Listen to part 2…
Listen to Alex Fitch’s previous interviews with Helen about Tezuka and other manga / animé works…

Links: Info on Movies into Manga: Osamu Tezuka at The Barbican
wikipedia page on Osamu Tezuka
Info on the current Kamishibai tour of the UK
Review of Tezuka’s Black Jack volume one by Joe McCulloch
Info about Helen’s panel on Tezuka at The Bristol Comics expo earlier this year (under “2pm Ramada Suite”)
Buy Helen’s books from amazon.co.uk
Info on Osamu Tezuka titles on DVD at imdb.com

Comics news:

Movies into Manga: Osamu Tezuka at The Barbican

From 18th September, there’s a week long season of Osamu Tezuka adaptations at The Barbican, curated by manga expert Helen McCarthy…

Plus: The Jonthan Cape / Observer graphic fiction competition is back on, with the deadline being 17/10/09 to design a short story in comic book form to fit two pages of The Observer…

Jonathan Cape / The Observer graphic short story competition

Also: At Harrods, Knightsbridge, Rich Johnston has curated an exhibtion of original comic book art by industry luminaries such as Sean Phillips and Raymond Briggs, open from now until the end of October…
More info at www.comicbitsonline.com and at Sean’s blog

Panel Borders: The manga of Osamu Tezuka

Panel Borders: The manga of Osamu Tezuka
To be broadcast 18/09/08 as part of a special “Clear Spot” at 8pm on Resonance FM

Alex Fitch talks to manga expert Helen McCarthy in front of an audience of comic book readers at Streatham Library about the work of manga and animé pioneer Osamu Tezuka who is the subject of a season now on at The Barbican. In this episode Alex and Helen look at Tezuka’s manga work from New Treasure Island to MW…

For more info please visit the home of this podcast at archive.org
Listen to the other half of Helen and Alex’s chat about Tezuka, focussing on the artist’s animé work…

Links: Info on Movies into Manga: Osamu Tezuka at The Barbican
wikipedia page on Osamu Tezuka
Info on the current Kamishibai tour of the UK
Review of Tezuka’s Black Jack volume one by Joe McCulloch
Info about Helen’s panel on Tezuka at The Bristol Comics expo earlier this year (under “2pm Ramada Suite”)
Buy Helen’s books from amazon.co.uk
Info on Osamu Tezuka titles on DVD at imdb.com
Listen to Alex’s previous interviews with Helen McCarthy and The Streatham Library Graphic Novels readers group part one / part two…

Comics news:

Movies into Manga: Osamu Tezuka at The Barbican

From 18th September, there’s a week long season of Osamu Tezuka adaptations at The Barbican, curated by Helen McCarthy, who Alex will be interviewing for a second time at Streatham Library on Monday 15th September, to be broadcast as a clear spot on Resonance FM at 8pm on the 18th…

Plus: The Jonthan Cape / Observer graphic fiction competition is back on, with the deadline being 17/10/09 to design a short story in comic book form to fit two pages of The Observer…

Jonathan Cape / The Observer graphic short story competition

Also: At Harrods, Knightsbridge, Rich Johnston has curated an exhibtion of original comic book art by industry luminaries such as Sean Phillips and Raymond Briggs, open from now until the end of October…
More info at www.comicbitsonline.com and at Sean’s blog

Electric Sheep podcast: The animé of Osamu Tezuka

Electric Sheep podcast: The animé of Osamu Tezuka

An episode of The Electric Sheep Magazine Podcast – Alex Fitch talks to anime expert Helen McCarthy in front of an audience of manga fans at Streatham Library about the work of manga and animé pioneer Osamu Tezuka who is the subject of a season now on at The Barbican. Alex and Helen talk about Tezuka’s career in animé from early experimental shorts to the big budget adaptation of his classic manga comic Metropolis. Also comedienne and actress Jessica Fostekew reviews the cinema release of Eden Lake and the DVD release of Annie Leibovitz – Life Through a Lens…

For more info, please visit the home of this podcast at www.archive.org
Listen to the other half of Helen and Alex’s chat about Tezuka, focussing on the artist’s manga work…

Links: Info on Movies into Manga: Osamu Tezuka at The Barbican
wikipedia page on Osamu Tezuka
Info on the current Kamishibai tour of the UK
Review of Tezuka’s Black Jack volume one by Joe McCulloch
Info about Helen’s panel on Tezuka at The Bristol Comics expo earlier this year (under “2pm Ramada Suite”)
Buy Helen’s books from amazon.co.uk
Info on Osamu Tezuka titles on DVD at imdb.com
Listen to Alex’s previous interviews with Helen McCarthy and The Streatham Library Graphic Novels readers group part one / part two…
Jess’ page at castingcallpro.com
myspace page for The Instute, the improv group featuring Jessica Fostekew

In association with:

Archives

There’s now a list of all the radio shows I did during my first two and a half years on air at www.alexfitch.com/radio, currently in reverse chronological order, with the most recent year (October 2007 – September 2008) to follow. There will be additional pages arranged alphabetically and by subject in due course!

Also, all the comics interviews I’ve done on video to date can be found as thumbnails at www.alexfitch.com/video, if that’s easier to use than my youtube channel…

Panel Borders: The work of Garth Ennis part 1

Panel Borders: The work of Garth Ennis part 1
Originally broadcast 11/09/08 on Resonance FM

Alex Fitch and Duncan Nott talk to one of Britain’s most popular and critically acclaimed comic book writers who’s famous for such mildly controversial titles as Preacher and The Boys, both of which are probably going to be adapted for the small and big screens in the not too distant future. Having worked for the main US publishers: Marvel and DC comics, Garth Ennis has started to take his projects to small companies such as Avatar and Dynamite while in terms of British characters, he’s also written the likes of Judge Dredd for 2000AD and Dan Dare for Virgin comics. (part 1 of 2)

For more info please visit the home of this podcast at archive.org

Links: Wikipedia page on Garth Ennis
A recent interview with Garth about The Punisher at Comic Book Resources
Read a Titanic related horror comic book by Garth
Listen to Alex’s interviews with Hitman artist John McCrea and Preacher cover artist Glenn Fabry

Comics news:

Movies into Manga: Osamu Tezuka at The Barbican

From 18th September, there’s a week long season of Osamu Tezuka adaptations at The Barbican, curated by Helen McCarthy, who Alex will be interviewing for a second time at Streatham Library on Monday 15th September, to be broadcast as a clear spot on Resonance FM at 8pm on the 18th…

Plus: The Jonthan Cape / Observer graphic fiction competition is back on, with the deadline being 17/10/09 to design a short story in comic book form to fit two pages of The Observer…

Jonathan Cape / The Observer graphic short story competition

Also: At Harrods, Knightsbridge, Rich Johnston has curated an exhibtion of original comic book art by industry luminaries such as Sean Phillips and Raymond Briggs, open from now until the end of October…
More info at www.comicbitsonline.com and at Sean’s blog

Panel Borders: The Tale of One Bad Rat

Panel Borders: The Tale of One Bad Rat
Originally broadcast 04/09/08 on Resonance FM

After a two week haitus, Resonance’s weekly podcast about comic books – Panel Borders – is back for a 2nd series…
…starting with an interview by Alex Fitch with graphic novelist Bryan Talbot about the new printing of his classic book The Tale of One Bad Rat which tells the story of an abused homeless girl who finds solace in the works of Beatrix Potter…

For more info please visit the home of this podcast at archive.org or watch it as a two part youtube video…

Listen to Alex’s earlier chats with Bryan about The Adventures of Luther Arkwright and his experiences at Sci-Fi conventions…

Links: Wikipedia pages on Bryan Talbot, The Tale of One Bad Rat and
Jonathan Cape’s ‘Graphic Novels minisite’

Comics news:

Movies into Manga: Osamu Tezuka at The Barbican

From 18th September, there’s a week long season of Osamu Tezuka adaptations at The Barbican, curated by Helen McCarthy, who Alex will be interviewing for a second time at Streatham Library on Monday 15th September, to be broadcast as a clear spot on Resonance FM at 8pm on the 18th…

Plus: The Jonthan Cape / Observer graphic fiction competition is back on, with the deadline being 17/10/09 to design a short story in comic book form to fit two pages of The Observer…

Jonathan Cape / The Observer graphic short story competition

Also: At Harrods, Knightsbridge, Rich Johnston has curated an exhibtion of original comic book art by industry luminaries such as Sean Phillips and Raymond Briggs, open from now until the end of October…
More info at www.comicbitsonline.com and at Sean’s blogyoxford.com

I’m ready for my close-up: Malcolm McDowell and Lindsay Anderson

I’m ready for my close-up – Malcolm McDowell and Lindsay Anderson
partially broadcast on 14/11/07 on Resonance FM

Alex Fitch interviews Malcolm McDowell and Mike Kaplan

Alex Fitch interviews star Malcolm McDowell and director Mike Kaplan about their film Never Apologise – a personal visit with Lindsay Anderson. Never Apologize (sic) is currently showing at the Curzon Soho cinema in London and will shortly tour the UK – more details at vervepics.com
The home of the audio podcast can be found here at www.archive.org and there is also a video podcast available for download or streaming and this will be shortly available on our youtube ‘channel’ as well…

Links: Info on screenings of Never Apologize throughout the U.K.
Info on Never Apologize (sic), Lindsay Anderson and Malcolm McDowell at the IMDb
Info on Malcolm McDowell, Lindsay Anderson and The Whales of August (produced by Mike Kaplan) at wikipedia.org
Official website: neverapologize.com

Electric Sheep podcast: (Re)visiting Dark City

Electric Sheep podcast: (Re)visiting Dark City

(Illustration by Tom Humberstone / Vented Spleen)

An episode of The Electric Sheep Magazine Podcast – Alex Fitch talks to Eagle Award winning comic book artist Tom Humberstone about Dark City – the underrated 1998 sci-fi film noir which has been recently rereleased in an extended director’s cut.

For more info, please visit the home of this podcast at www.archive.org

Links: Read a print extract at Electric Sheep Magazine
Tom’s website ventedspleen.com
Official Dark City website

In association with:

Panel Borders on youtube

Here at Panel Borders HQ, we realise that getting video clips onto your xunes, itubes and ephones isn’t the easiest thing in the world to do and while all of our video podcasts have been available to download from archive.org we thought it was high time to get the stuff onto youtube as well.
As this involves divvying up each video into ten min segments, it’s going to take a not small amount of time to copy over all the videos, but all four parts of Alex Fitch’s interview with Dave Gibbons are on youtube now:

(direct link: www.youtube.com/user/PanelBorders / easier interface at alexfitch.com)

with youtube versions of Alex’s interviews with David Lloyd, Alan Moore, Malcolm McDowell, Guy Maddin and Bryan Talbot (online this time-ish next week) to follow…

The site even includes videos by other people that feature Alex in front of and behind the camera,
such as Oli Smith’s latest magnum opus in which Mr Smith goes to Nottingham and meets Eddie Campbell, films Alex eating and Dan Lester dancing, D’Israeli chewing a flyer for ‘Low Energy Day’ while Ian Edgington watches and a bemused Stephen Holland belatedly receives a broken award for his shop…:

And if you enjoyed that…

London Underground Comics' Low Energy Day

LUC is proud to announce its SECOND festival of the year, Low Energy Day on the 30th of August.
After the success of No Barcodes, with its beautiful atmosphere, universal profit making and footfall of over six hundred visitors we’ve decided to do… well pretty much the same again actually.

Plus a couple of sexy bonuses:

Last time we had twelve tables and fifty two exhibitors, this time we are spread over two areas, meaning we can ditch the tables that weren’t in prime positions. We now have ten tables in the original No Barcodes hall, and another five in the centre of the busy Market Hall next door, allowing us to accommodate more creators than ever before, and hopefully give people who asked for space after we were full before a chance to participate.
DJ Laurence Powell from small press legends Modern Monstrosity (Tales From The Flat) will be entertaining us all day with his comics themed mixes in the middle of the main room.
On top of that expect the usual food discounts for taking part in the event, opportunities to sell comics to a large and unsaturated market, and the chance to meet and make friends new and old in the beautiful and popular Camden Lock Market.

Also: On now until the end of August – “Caption Comics Collective” at the Jam Factory

Caption Collective exhibition at The Jam Factory

Comics artists Daniel Merlin Goodbrey, D’Israeli, David Baillie, Sally Anne Hickman and many more display their artistic wares at this gallery show in Oxford. More info at www.thejamfactoryoxford.com

Panel Borders: The state of Gay Comics (2008) part 2

Panel Borders: The state of Gay Comics ( 2008 ) part 2
Originally broadcast 07/08/08 on Resonance FM

The second part of a panel recorded live at this year’s Bristol International Comics Expo, Alex Fitch hosts a panel of creators and experts on Gay comics and Yaoi manga. Accompanying Alex on the panel are comics expert Paul Gravett, manga artist Yishan Li (Yaoi press) and graphic novelist / Guardian strip illustrator David Shenton (Get Her! / The Shentons). Audience members asking questions include Oli Smith (London Underground Comics / Weekend Friends), Richy Chandler (a.k.a. Tempo Lush) and Bevis Musson (Queen of Diamonds). This is an extended version of the panel recording as broadcast on Resonance FM.

For more info please visit the home of this podcast at archive.org

Listen to part one

Links: Paul Gravett’s website
Yishan Li’s website
David Shenton’s website

Oli Smith and London Underground Comics’ websites
Tempo Lush myspace page
Bevis’ comic Queen of diamonds and profile page at Prism Comics

“A History of gays in comics” by Perry Moore

Comics news:

London Underground Comics' Low Energy Day

LUC is proud to announce its SECOND festival of the year, Low Energy Day on the 30th of August.
After the success of No Barcodes, with its beautiful atmosphere, universal profit making and footfall of over six hundred visitors we’ve decided to do… well pretty much the same again actually.

Plus a couple of sexy bonuses:

Last time we had twelve tables and fifty two exhibitors, this time we are spread over two areas, meaning we can ditch the tables that weren’t in prime positions. We now have ten tables in the original No Barcodes hall, and another five in the centre of the busy Market Hall next door, allowing us to accommodate more creators than ever before, and hopefully give people who asked for space after we were full before a chance to participate.
DJ Laurence Powell from small press legends Modern Monstrosity (Tales From The Flat) will be entertaining us all day with his comics themed mixes in the middle of the main room.
On top of that expect the usual food discounts for taking part in the event, opportunities to sell comics to a large and unsaturated market, and the chance to meet and make friends new and old in the beautiful and popular Camden Lock Market.

Also: On now until the end of August – “Caption Comics Collective” at the Jam Factory

Caption Collective exhibition at The Jam Factory

Comics artists Daniel Merlin Goodbrey, D’Israeli, David Baillie, Sally Anne Hickman and many more display their artistic wares at this gallery show in Oxford. More info at www.thejamfactoryoxford.com

Stand-up comics podcast part 2

“Stand-up Comics” * part 2
Originally broadcast 14/08/08 on Resonance 104.4 FM (London)

The second half of the final one hour edition of Resonance FM’s weekly comic book show Strip!** is a special ‘zine-style show curated by Gemma Cantlow, editor of the ‘zine Layby Perk and features a variety of small press creators performing music and spoken word pieces on the radio.

Stand-Up Comics logo

Here’s the track listing…

1 ) Daniel Locke (Green) / Ian Murphy – “It was always burning”
2 ) Attack Wave Pestrepeller featuring Savage Pencil – “These with the ash of spiders”
3 ) Mystery Dick / Ed Pinsent and Harley Richardson (Sound Projector) – “St. Joseph of Copertino”
4 ) Matthew Thurber (1-800 Mice) – “Hiawatha’s Underwater Bird”
5 ) Sylvie Winn (The Director of Tall Buildings) – “Bipolar Bear”
6 ) Dan Lester (Monkeys Might Puke) – “Usagi Yojimbo“
7 ) Jimi Gherkin (Jimi Gherkin Comics) – “It ain’t gonna work out fine” (+ slight reprise)

For more info and various formats to download, please visit the home of this podcast at www.archive.org / Listen to part one…

*Alex Fitch is clearly responsible for this pun…
**Strip! will be back in September in half hour instalments…

Comics news:

London Underground Comics' Low Energy Day

LUC is proud to announce its SECOND festival of the year, Low Energy Day on the 30th of August.
After the success of No Barcodes, with its beautiful atmosphere, universal profit making and footfall of over six hundred visitors we’ve decided to do… well pretty much the same again actually.

Plus a couple of sexy bonuses:

Last time we had twelve tables and fifty two exhibitors, this time we are spread over two areas, meaning we can ditch the tables that weren’t in prime positions. We now have ten tables in the original No Barcodes hall, and another five in the centre of the busy Market Hall next door, allowing us to accommodate more creators than ever before, and hopefully give people who asked for space after we were full before a chance to participate.
DJ Laurence Powell from small press legends Modern Monstrosity (Tales From The Flat) will be entertaining us all day with his comics themed mixes in the middle of the main room.
On top of that expect the usual food discounts for taking part in the event, opportunities to sell comics to a large and unsaturated market, and the chance to meet and make friends new and old in the beautiful and popular Camden Lock Market.

Also: On now until the end of August – “Caption Comics Collective” at the Jam Factory

Caption Collective exhibition at The Jam Factory

Comics artists Daniel Merlin Goodbrey, D’Israeli, David Baillie, Sally Anne Hickman and many more display their artistic wares at this gallery show in Oxford. More info at www.thejamfactoryoxford.com

Stand-up comics podcast part 1

“Stand-up Comics” * part 1
Originally broadcast 14/08/08 on Resonance 104.4 FM (London)

The first half of the final one hour edition of Resonance FM’s weekly comic book show Strip!** is a special ‘zine-style show curated by Gemma Cantlow, editor of the ‘zine Layby Perk and features a variety of small press creators performing music and spoken word pieces on the radio.

Stand-Up Comics logo

Here’s the track listing…

1 ) Gareth Brookes (Appalling Nonsense) – “Smell of the wild”
2 ) Steven Tillotson (Banal Pig Comics) – “‘Round Michael Douglas’ House” (performed by Dan Lester / Monkeys Might Puke)
3 ) Gareth Brookes – “Jolly Bear”
4 ) Ambergris / Matthew Thurber (1-800 Mice) – “Anti-Matter / Alma Mater”
5 ) Ambergris / Matthew Thurber – “Ice Water”

For more info and various formats to download, please visit the home of this podcast at www.archive.org / Listen to part two…

*Alex Fitch is clearly responsible for this pun…
**Strip! will be back in September in half hour instalments…

Comics news:

London Underground Comics' Low Energy Day

LUC is proud to announce its SECOND festival of the year, Low Energy Day on the 30th of August.
After the success of No Barcodes, with its beautiful atmosphere, universal profit making and footfall of over six hundred visitors we’ve decided to do… well pretty much the same again actually.

Plus a couple of sexy bonuses:

Last time we had twelve tables and fifty two exhibitors, this time we are spread over two areas, meaning we can ditch the tables that weren’t in prime positions. We now have ten tables in the original No Barcodes hall, and another five in the centre of the busy Market Hall next door, allowing us to accommodate more creators than ever before, and hopefully give people who asked for space after we were full before a chance to participate.
DJ Laurence Powell from small press legends Modern Monstrosity (Tales From The Flat) will be entertaining us all day with his comics themed mixes in the middle of the main room.
On top of that expect the usual food discounts for taking part in the event, opportunities to sell comics to a large and unsaturated market, and the chance to meet and make friends new and old in the beautiful and popular Camden Lock Market.

Also: On now until the end of August – “Caption Comics Collective” at the Jam Factory

Caption Collective exhibition at The Jam Factory

Comics artists Daniel Merlin Goodbrey, D’Israeli, David Baillie, Sally Anne Hickman and many more display their artistic wares at this gallery show in Oxford. More info at www.thejamfactoryoxford.com

Panel Borders: The state of Gay Comics (2008) part 1

Panel Borders: The state of Gay Comics ( 2008 ) part 1
Originally broadcast 07/08/08 on Resonance FM

The first part of a panel recorded live at this year’s Bristol International Comics Expo, Alex Fitch hosts a panel of creators and experts on Gay comics and Yaoi manga. Accompanying Alex on the panel are comics expert Paul Gravett, manga artist Yishan Li (Yaoi press) and graphic novelist / Guardian strip illustrator David Shenton (Get Her! / The Shentons). Audience members asking questions include Oli Smith (London Underground Comics / Weekend Friends), Richy Chandler (a.k.a. Tempo Lush) and Bevis Musson (Queen of Diamonds).

For more info please visit the home of this podcast at archive.org

Listen to part two

Links: Paul Gravett’s website
Yishan Li’s website
David Shenton’s website

Oli Smith and London Underground Comics’ websites
Tempo Lush myspace page
Bevis’ comic Queen of diamonds and profile page at Prism Comics

“A History of gays in comics” by Perry Moore

Comics news:

London Underground Comics' Low Energy Day

LUC is proud to announce its SECOND festival of the year, Low Energy Day on the 30th of August.
After the success of No Barcodes, with its beautiful atmosphere, universal profit making and footfall of over six hundred visitors we’ve decided to do… well pretty much the same again actually.

Plus a couple of sexy bonuses:

Last time we had twelve tables and fifty two exhibitors, this time we are spread over two areas, meaning we can ditch the tables that weren’t in prime positions. We now have ten tables in the original No Barcodes hall, and another five in the centre of the busy Market Hall next door, allowing us to accommodate more creators than ever before, and hopefully give people who asked for space after we were full before a chance to participate.
DJ Laurence Powell from small press legends Modern Monstrosity (Tales From The Flat) will be entertaining us all day with his comics themed mixes in the middle of the main room.
On top of that expect the usual food discounts for taking part in the event, opportunities to sell comics to a large and unsaturated market, and the chance to meet and make friends new and old in the beautiful and popular Camden Lock Market.

Also: On now until the end of August – “Caption Comics Collective” at the Jam Factory

Caption Collective exhibition at The Jam Factory

Comics artists Daniel Merlin Goodbrey, D’Israeli, David Baillie, Sally Anne Hickman and many more display their artistic wares at this gallery show in Oxford. More info at www.thejamfactoryoxford.com

Reality Check: The Truth is (still) out there

Reality Check: The Truth is (still) out there

Alex Fitch talks to the creators of two new science-fiction dramas that deal with issues of body augmentation, morality, religion and new technology.

Writer / director Chris Carter and producer Frank Spotnitz discuss their new film The X-Files: I want to believe, which reunites iconic 90s TV characters Mulder and Scully on the big screen. The interview was recorded by Oli Smith.

Chris Carter, three days ago! Photo taken by Oli Smith.

We also have an interview with Rachel Welch, the writer of the new play Involution, which is set in the near future and deals with human rights and themes of identity in a world where genome mapping dictates people’s lifestyles as well as featuring shadowy government agents and robot pleasure companions.
Involution is on at The Pleasance Theatre in Edinburgh every day at noon from 31/07/08 to 25/08/08…

Panel Borders: Typography and Teaching comics illustration

Panel Borders: Typography and Teaching comics illustration
Originally broadcast 24/07/08 as part of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM

Alex Fitch is talking to Dan Berry, a lecturer from North Wales School of art and design about the new Illustration for Graphic Novels course he’s going to be teaching from this autumn, about introducing a new generation to the craft of making comics and also about Dan’s interest in typography and how it’s one of the most under appreciated aspects of comic books.

For more info please visit the home of this episode at archive.org

Links: North Wales School of Art and Design
Archive of the ‘Paraliterary Narratives Conference, University of Northampton, Friday, 6th June 2008′ and
a PDF of Dan Berry’s talk on typography from the day

Comics news:

London Underground Comics' Low Energy Day

LUC is proud to announce its SECOND festival of the year, Low Energy Day on the 30th of August.
After the success of No Barcodes, with its beautiful atmosphere, universal profit making and footfall of over six hundred visitors we’ve decided to do… well pretty much the same again actually.

Plus a couple of sexy bonuses:

Last time we had twelve tables and fifty two exhibitors, this time we are spread over two areas, meaning we can ditch the tables that weren’t in prime positions. We now have ten tables in the original No Barcodes hall, and another five in the centre of the busy Market Hall next door, allowing us to accommodate more creators than ever before, and hopefully give people who asked for space after we were full before a chance to participate.
DJ Laurence Powell from small press legends Modern Monstrosity (Tales From The Flat) will be entertaining us all day with his comics themed mixes in the middle of the main room.
On top of that expect the usual food discounts for taking part in the event, opportunities to sell comics to a large and unsaturated market, and the chance to meet and make friends new and old in the beautiful and popular Camden Lock Market.

Panel Borders: The art of Tom Humberstone

Panel Borders: The art of Tom Humberstone
Originally broadcast 17/07/08 as part of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM

Alex Fitch talks to Tom Humberstone about the various illustrated endeavours he’s been involved with such as comics which range from Art school scum to Everything you never wanted to know about Crohn’s disease and the Eagle award winning How to date a girl in ten days. Tom also runs a pen club in South East London which allows amateurs and professionals to meet in a friendly pub and draw together and most recently illustrated the blog / sold out graphic novella My Fellow Americans about the democratic nomination process earlier this year.

For more info please visit the home of this episode at archive.org

Links: Tom’s website
My Fellow Americans blog
Join the Pen Club group and Panel Borders group on facebook

Comics news:

Also: Online now at Manchester Met’ Contemporary Film and Video:

Tales from the Flat: the movie! (sort of)

To quote one of the stars, Oliver Lambden: “Alex Thomson, Jack Tomkins and Jon Hull recently completed their final piece for their film degrees at Manchester Uni and they decided to make a short documentary all about Modern Monstrosity and The Camden Comics Stall. Give it a watch, it’s bloody awesome, the soundtrack’s amazing, it’s only ten minutes long and it’s viewable here…”