Panel Borders and other podcasts

Panel Borders and other podcasts

Podcasts, radio shows, writing and more by Alex Fitch

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Panel Borders: The Spirit of Will Eisner

March 3, 2015 — 1 Comment

Excerpts from The Spirit by Will Eisner, originally published in 1940, 1949, 1952 and 1997

Excerpts from The Spirit by Will Eisner, originally published in 1940, 1949, 1952 and 1997

The Spirit of Will Eisner: Concluding a month of shows about ‘Masters of American Comics’, Alex Fitch talks to a quartet of comics experts and historians about the 75th anniversary of Will Eisner’s seminal crime comic The Spirit. Richard Reynolds (Senior Lecturer, Central Saint Martins), Ian Rakoff (Lecturer, Victoria and Albert Museum), Guy Lawley (contributor: 1001 Comics You Must Read Before You Die) and Steve Edgell (co-author: The Complete Cartooning Course) discuss the early days of American adventure comics and the other characters Eisner created in the 1930s, how The Spirit was influenced by film noir, and representations of racial minorities in the author’s work. Originally broadcast 26th Feb 2015 on Resonance 104.4 FM (London)

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

Tomorrow’s show: The Spirit of Will Eisner

February 25, 2015

Tomorrow at 11am on Resonance 104.4 FM, Panel Borders: The Spirit of Will Eisner

Excerpts from The Spirit by Will Eisner, originally published in 1940, 1949, 1952 and 1997

Excerpts from The Spirit by Will Eisner, originally published in 1940, 1949, 1952 and 1997

Concluding a month of shows about ‘Masters of American Comics’, Alex Fitch talks to a quartet of comics experts and historians about the 75th anniversary of Will Eisner’s seminal crime comic The Spirit. Richard Reynolds (Senior Lecturer, Central Saint Martins), Ian Rakoff (Lecturer, Victoria and Albert Museum), Guy Lawley (contributor: 1001 Comics You Must Read Before You Die) and Steve Edgell (co-author: The Complete Cartooning Course) discuss the early days of American adventure comics and the other characters Eisner created in the 1930s, how The Spirit was influenced by film noir, and representations of racial minorities in the author’s work.

11am Thursday 26th February, repeated 7am Saturday 28th February 2015, Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com / podcast after broadcast at www.panelborders.wordpress.com

Listen to the accompanying podcast on Eisner’s autobiographical comics (more…)

Panel Borders: Will Eisner week

March 4, 2014 — 5 Comments

Extracts from A Contract with God, P.S. Magazine and The Plot by Will Eisner

Extracts from A Contract with God, P.S. Magazine and The Plot by Will Eisner

Will Eisner week: Starting a month of shows about comics and graphic novels which depict ordinary life on the page, Alex Fitch talks to a quartet of comics experts and historians about Will Eisner’s autobiographical comics to coincide with International Will Eisner Week, which celebrates the author’s work. Richard Reynolds (Senior Lecturer, Central Saint Martins), Ian Rakoff (Lecturer, Victoria and Albert Museum), Guy Lawley (contributor: 1001 Comics You Must Read Before You Die) and Steve Edgell (co-author: The Complete Cartooning Course) discuss Eisner’s seminal graphic novel A Contract with God and its sequels, the cartoonist’s work for the army on P.S. Magazine: The Preventive Maintenance Monthly and his final work The Plot: The Secret Story of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. (Originally broadcast 03/03/14 on Resonance 104.4 FM) (more…)

Today’s show: Will Eisner week

March 3, 2014

Today at 4.30pm on Resonance 104.4 FM, Panel Borders: Will Eisner week

Extracts from A Contract with God, P.S. Magazine and The Plot by Will Eisner

Extracts from A Contract with God, P.S. Magazine and The Plot by Will Eisner

Starting a month of shows about comics and graphic novels which depict ordinary life on the page, Alex Fitch talks to a quartet of comics experts and historians about Will Eisner’s autobiographical comics to coincide with International Will Eisner Week, which celebrates the author’s work. Richard Reynolds (Senior Lecturer, Central Saint Martins), Ian Rakoff (Lecturer, Victoria and Albert Museum), Guy Lawley (contributor: 1001 Comics You Must Read Before You Die) and Steve Edgell (co-author: The Complete Cartooning Course) discuss Eisner’s seminal graphic novel A Contract with God and its sequels, the cartoonist’s work for the army on P.S. Magazine: The Preventive Maintenance Monthly and his final work The Plot: The Secret Story of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.

4.30pm, Monday 3rd March, repeated 11am, Thursday 6th March 2014, Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com (more…)

Panel Borders: What is a Superhero?

January 16, 2014 — 3 Comments

Covers of What is a Superhero? by OUP / books by Will Brooker, Richard Reynolds, Kieron Gillen and Si Spurrier

Covers of What is a Superhero? by OUP / books by Will Brooker, Richard Reynolds, Kieron Gillen and Si Spurrier

What is a Superhero?: Continuing a month of shows about superhero comics, Alex Fitch discusses the new Oxford University Press book ‘What is a Superhero?’ with a couple of the contributors – Richard Reynolds (Central St. Martins School of Art and Design) and Will Brooker (Kingston University) – and two writers of superhero comics – Kieron Gillen (Iron Man) and Si Spurrier (X-Men: Legacy).
Reynolds and Brooker read from their sections of the anthology and discuss their thoughts on superheroes, pop star culture and technology; while Gillen and Spurrier talk about how they have built on the work of their predecessors while trying to create a voice of their own at Marvel Comics, in titles such as Journey into Mystery and The Punisher, and more revisionist stories elsewhere such as Extermination and Uber. Also, the four authors discuss the nature of cosplay with practitioners in the audience and its relation to the modern superhero identity. Recorded at Foyles, Charing Cross Road, Autumn 2013 as part of Comica Festival. (more…)

Today’s show: What is a Superhero?

January 13, 2014

Today at 4.30pm on Resonance 104.4 FM, Panel Borders: What is a Superhero?

Covers of What is a Superhero? by OUP / books by Will Brooker, Richard Reynolds, Kieron Gillen and Si Spurrier

Covers of What is a Superhero? by OUP / books by Will Brooker, Richard Reynolds, Kieron Gillen and Si Spurrier

Continuing a month of shows about superhero comics, Alex Fitch discusses the new Oxford University Press book ‘What is a Superhero?’ with a couple of the contributors – Richard Reynolds (Central St. Martins School of Art and Design) and Will Brooker (Kingston University) – and two writers of superhero comics – Kieron GIllen (Iron Man) and Si Spurrier (X-Men: Legacy).
Reynolds and Brooker read from their sections of the anthology and discuss their thoughts on the modern superhero identity, while Gillen and Spurrier talk about how they have built on the work of their predecessors while trying to create a voice of their own at Marvel Comics, in titles such as Journey into Mystery and The Punisher. Recorded at Foyles, Charing Cross Road, Autumn 2013 as part of Comica Festival.

4.30pm, Monday 13th January 2014, repeated 11am, Thursday 16th January 2014, Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com (more…)

Panel Borders: Drawing and painting comics

December 2, 2013 — 1 Comment

Pages of comics by Al Davison, Hannah Eaton, Vicky Stonebridge, James E Snelling

Pages of comics by Al Davison, Hannah Eaton, Vicky Stonebridge, James E Snelling

Drawing and painting comics: Starting a month of shows about creators who use fine art in their work, guest presenter Richard Reynolds (FRSA) discusses art techniques used in strips and graphic novels with artists Al Davison, Hannah Eaton, James E Snelling and Vicky Stonebridge.
Al discusses relearning to draw comics after suffering bouts of blindness and hand paralyses, Hannah talks about the fine art training that contributed to her first graphic novel, James explores his parallel art careers in trompe l’oeil interiors and comic books and Vicky demonstrates the use of painting and ceramics in her site specific sculptures, photographs and sequential art. Recorded at Caption Festival, Oxford, Summer 2013. Originally broadcast Monday 2nd December 2013, on Resonance 104.4 FM (London) (more…)

Panel Borders: Fine art / comics

May 6, 2013 — 4 Comments

Richard Reynolds and Rian Hughes on stage at Comiket, Central Saint Martins, Lichtenstein strip by Mort Walker

Richard Reynolds and Rian Hughes on stage at Comiket, Central Saint Martins, Lichtenstein strip by Mort Walker

Fine art / comics: Starting a month of shows looking at the connections between ‘fine art’ and comic books, Panel Borders is proud to broadcast a pair of presentations by Richard Reynolds FRSA and graphic designer Rian Hughes given at 2013 Spring Comiket, Central Saint Martins School of Art. Reynolds looks at the influences that various works of fine art have had on comic books over the last hundred years while Hughes explores the many comic book panels that Roy Lichtenstein used in creating his works of art, currently on show at Tate Modern. (Originally broadcast 06/05/13 on Resonance 104.4 FM) (more…)