Panel Borders and other podcasts

Podcasts, radio shows, writing and more by Alex Fitch

You can scroll the shelf using ← and → keys

Panel Borders: Youth and Wellbeing featuring Alison Bechdel

March 19, 2023

Alison Bechdel and Hannah Berry on stage at LICAF / art from G Bear and Jammo, and Don’t Call Me a Tomboy

Youth and Wellbeing: In this ‘feature length’ podcast looking at comics about youth and wellbeing, a quartet of artists discuss their work which touches on these topics. Former Comics Laureate Hannah Berry chats to renowned cartoonist Alison Bechel about her latest book The Secret to Superhuman Strength, as well as her classics Dykes to Watch Out For and Fun Home in a Q and A recorded at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. Also, Alex Fitch talks to artists Jaime Huxtable and Zara Slattery about their titles for younger readers including G Bear and Jammo, and Don’t Call Me a Tomboy respectively, in a panel discussion recorded at Graphic Brighton.

Shorter edit broadcast 1st February 2023 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)

For more formats to stream or download, please visit archive.org (more…)

This week’s show: Junkyard Jack, Street Noise, and Monster Fun

February 28, 2023

Art from Monster Fun: Hire a Horror by Matt Baxter, covers of books published by Street Noise, art from Junkyard Jack by Danny Noble

Art from Monster Fun: Hire a Horror by Matt Baxter, covers of books published by Street Noise, art from Junkyard Jack and the Horse that Talked by Danny Noble

In a programme looking at comics for young audiences, and a young publisher looking to widen audiences, Alex Fitch talks to editor Liz Frances about her imprint Street Noise Books, who publish a range of graphic novels about diversity and activism, and to artists Matt Baxter and Danny Noble about illustrating Hire a Horror and Junkyard Jack and the Horse that Talked respectively in a panel discussion recorded at Graphic Brighton.

5.30pm, Wednesday 1st March 2023, repeat broadcast 11am, Sunday 5th March 2022, Resonance 104.4 FM + DAB (London) / broadcast streamed at www.resonancefm.com / Resonance Replay stream on mixcloud.com / podcast after broadcast at www.panelborders.wordpress.com

Links: Danny Noble’s website
Info about Danny’s books with Adrian Edmondson
Alex’s previous interview with Danny about music and comics
Matt Baxter’s design company – Baxter and Bailey
Buy back issues of Monster Fun
Info about Street Noise Books
Follow Danny Noble, Matt Baxter and Street Noise Books on Twitter

Clear Spot: Guantanamo Voices

February 17, 2023 — 1 Comment

Covers of Guantanamo Diary by Mohamedou Ould Slahi / Guantanamo Voices edited by Sarah Mirk / Photos of Andy Worthington, Alex Fitch and Sarah Mirk / Close Guantanamo website

Guantanamo Voices: To discuss the 21st anniversary of the opening of Guantanamo Bay, and the lives of the people still incarcerated there, Alex Fitch talks to writer Sarah Mirk about her graphic novel anthology Guantanamo Voices, which tells the tale of ten people associated with the prison, and to journalist Andy Worthington about his continuing campaign to Close Guantanamo. Also, Worthington talks with Mohamedou Ould Slahi, a former prisoner of the site about his experiences, in a Q and A introduced by lecturer Sara Birch, recorded at the University of Brighton in 2022.

Partially broadcast 23rd January 2022 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)

For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit archive.org

Links: Sarah Mirk’s website including info on Guantanamo Voices
Alex’s previous interview with Sarah about her political comics anthology The Nib
Andy Worthington’s website and Close Guantanmo campaign
Andy’s band The Four Fathers on bandcamp
Buy Mohamedou’s book The Mauritanian, previous published as Guantanamo Diary from bookshop.org
Info about Sara Birch’s conference ‘Guantanamo: 20 Years After’, at the University of Brighton

Next week’s show: Youth and Wellbeing – Bechdel, Berry, Huxtable and Slattery

January 26, 2023

Alison Bechdel and Hannah Berry on stage at LICAF / art from G Bear and Jammo, and Don’t Call Me a Tomboy

In a programme looking at comics about youth and wellbeing, a quartet of artists discuss their work which touches on these topics. Former Comics Laureate Hannah Berry chats to renowned cartoonist Alison Bechel about her latest book The Secret to Superhuman Strength, as well as her classics Dykes to Watch Out For and Fun Home in a Q and A recorded at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. Also, Alex Fitch talks to artists Jaime Huxtable and Zara Slattery about their titles for younger readers including G Bear and Jammo, and Don’t Call Me a Tomboy respectively, in a panel discussion recorded at Graphic Brighton.

5.30pm, Wednesday 1st February 2023, repeat broadcast 11am, Sunday 5th February 2022, Resonance 104.4 FM + DAB (London) / broadcast streamed at www.resonancefm.com / Resonance Replay stream on mixcloud.com / podcast after broadcast at www.panelborders.wordpress.com

Links: Hannah Berry’s website
Alison Bechdel’s website
Jaime Huxtable’s website and info about his comics course
Zara Slattery’s website and info about her art courses

Next week’s show: Guantanamo Voices

January 20, 2023

Covers of Guantanamo Diary by Mohamedou Ould Slahi / Guantanamo Voices edited by Sarah Mirk / Photos of Andy Worthington, Alex Fitch and Sarah Mirk / Close Guantanamo website

To discuss the 21st anniversary of the opening of Guantanamo Bay, and the lives of the people still incarcerated there, Alex Fitch talks to writer Sarah Mirk about her graphic novel anthology Guantanamo Voices, which tells the tale of ten people associated with the prison, and to journalist Andy Worthington about his continuing campaign to Close Guantanamo. Also, Worthington talks with Mohamedou Ould Slahi, a former prisoner of the site about his experiences, in a Q and A recorded at the University of Brighton in 2022.

8pm, Monday 23rd January 2023, repeat broadcast 10am, Tuesday 24th January 2023, Resonance 104.4 FM + DAB (London) / broadcast streamed at www.resonancefm.com / Resonance Replay stream on mixcloud.com / podcast after broadcast at www.panelborders.wordpress.com

Panel Borders: Local And Locas Stories – Jaime Hernandez and Susan Sainsbury

December 18, 2022

Pages from Love and Rockets: Maggie the Mechanic, and Flies on the Ceiling by Jaime Hernandez / Hernandez chats to Alex Fitch at LICAF / pages from Cheery Cak, Big Knickers and work in progress by Susan Sainsbury

Local And Locas Stories: In this ‘feature length’ podcast, Alex Fitch talks to a pair of comics creators whose work is based around representation of marginalised people and cultures in specific times and places. Graphic novelist Susan Sainsbury discusses her Worthing based titles Kitty and Cheery Cak, about female lives lived on the South Coast of England, recorded at Cartoon County; and acclaimed cartoonist Jaime Hernandez celebrates the 40th anniversary of the award winning comic Love and Rockets, featuring L.A. punks, down-at-heel superheroes, and LGBTQ+ musicians in a Q and A recorded at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival.

Partially broadcast 7th December 2022 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)

For more formats to stream or download, please visit archive.org

Links: Susan Sainsbury’s website and instagram site
Buy eBooks of Susan’s graphic novels
Info about Jaime Hernandez at publisher Fantagraphics website
Review of Flies on the Ceiling at ‘How to love Comics’ website
Articles on gay superheroes and comic book diversity by Alex Fitch in The Conversation

Next week’s show: Local / Locas Stories by Jaime Hernandez and Susan Sainsbury

December 1, 2022

Alex Fitch talks to a pair of comics creators whose work is based around representation of marginalised people and cultures in specific times and places. Graphic novelist Susan Sainsbury discusses her Worthing based titles Kitty and Cheery Cak, about female lives lived on the South Coast of England, recorded at Cartoon County; and acclaimed cartoonist Jaime Hernandez celebrates the 40th anniversary of the award winning comic Love and Rockets, featuring L.A. punks, down-at-heel superheroes, and LGBTQ+ musicians in a Q and A recorded at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival.

5.30pm, Wednesday 7th December 2022, repeat broadcast 11am, Sunday 11th December 2022, Resonance 104.4 FM + DAB (London) / broadcast streamed at www.resonancefm.com / Resonance Replay stream on mixcloud.com / podcast after broadcast at www.panelborders.wordpress.com

Panel Borders: Comics / Civil Wars

November 7, 2022

Cover and interior art from No Country by Patrice Aggs and Joe Brady / Interior art and cover of Vanni: A Family Struggle through the Sri Lankan Conflict by Benjamin Dix and Lindsay Pollock

Comics / Civil Wars: In this ‘feature length’ podcast, Alex Fitch talks to the artists of comics about civil war and conflict, in a pair of interviews recorded at Cartoon County. Lindsay Pollock discusses drawing the graphic novel Vanni which looks at the displacement of families during the Sri Lankan civil war, and his work with Postive/Negatives, a website that hosts strips about conflict and unrest around the world. Patrice Aggs chats about her art for the ongoing strip No Country, serialised in the weekly children’s comic The Phoenix, and collected in book length editions, which imagines a more dystopian United Kingdom where the country has been divided geographically between warring ideological sides.

Partially broadcast 2nd November 2022 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)

For more formats to stream or download, please visit archive.org

Links: Lindsay Pollock’s website
Info about Vanni on Positive/Negatives website and New Internationalist shop
Patrice Aggs’ twitter
Publishers’ websites on No Country and It’s Her Story: Shirley Chisholm

Clear Spot: The Vectrex at 40

November 1, 2022

Cover of Vec-Man / photos of Prof. Peer Johannsen and Steve Hopkins / mock-up of Vectrex with Vyrzon on screen / cover of Vecrex Multi-Cart / photo of Sean Kelly

The Vectrex at 40: Alex Fitch presents a show celebrating the 40th anniversary of the much loved, but obscure video game console the Vectrex: programmer Steve Hopkins talks about his forthcoming shoot-em-up Vyrzon published by Minsoft Games and influenced by classic shooters such as Space Invaders, publisher Sean Kelly discusses reviving long lost games for the platform such as Dark Tower and A Crush of Lucifer, and lecturer Prof. Peer Johannsen chats about training a new generation of coders at Pforzheim University, and making his own new games such as Vec-Man and Rotor.

Partially broadcast 28th October 2022 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)

For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit archive.org

Links: Vyrzon publisher Minsoft games’ twitter account
Sean Kelley’s Vectrex website
Info about the 2022 Vectrex Academy taught by Prof. Peer Johannsen at Pforzheim University
Buy Peer’s Vectrex titles Vecman, Rotor and Gyrostronomy / Gystrology from Packrat Games
Info about Vector War XII / International Play your Vectrex Day
Previous Clear Spots about the Vectrex

Next week’s show: Comics / Civil Wars

October 28, 2022

Cover and interior art from No Country by Patrice Aggs and Joe Brady / Interior art and cover of Vanni: A Family Struggle through the Sri Lankan Conflict by Benjamin Dix and Lindsay Pollock

Alex Fitch talks to the artists of comics about civil war and conflict, in a pair of interviews recorded at Cartoon County. Lindsay Pollock discusses drawing the graphic novel Vanni which looks at the displacement of families during the Sri Lankan civil war, and his work with Postive/Negatives, a website that hosts strips about conflict and unrest around the world. Patrice Aggs chats about her art for the ongoing strip No Country, serialised in the weekly children’s comic The Phoenix, and collected in book length editions, which imagines a more dystopian United Kingdom where the country has been divided geographically between warring ideological sides.

5.30pm, Wednesday 2nd November 2022, repeat broadcast 11am, Sunday 4th November 2022, Resonance 104.4 FM + DAB (London) / broadcast streamed at www.resonancefm.com / Resonance Replay stream on mixcloud.com / podcast after broadcast at www.panelborders.wordpress.com

Clear Spot – Doctor Who: 13, 26, 40 (ish)

October 28, 2022

Jon Culshaw, Janet Fielding, Peter Davison and Mark Strickson between recordings at Big Finish studios / cover of Doctor Who: Forty / Still from Doctor Who Am I featuring Matthew Jacobs / Covers of The Black Archive #25 and Faction Paradox: The Boulevard published by Obverse Books

Doctor Who – 13, 26, 40 (ish): In the gap between the end of one incarnation of Doctor Who and the start of another, spin-off material related to the show keeps fans entertained in its absence… Alex Fitch talks to actress Janet Fielding about reviving her character Tegan in audio dramas, the 1996 Doctor Who TV movie writer Matthew Jacobs and documentary maker Vanessa Yuille discuss their film Doctor Who Am I about encounters with fandom, and Stuart Douglas chats about publishing imprint Obverse Books which explores offbeat corners of the Whoniverse including titles featuring Iris Wildthyme and Faction Paradox.

Partially broadcast 27th October 2022 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)

For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit archive.org

Links: Big Finish audio plays featuring Janet Fielding including Doctor Who: Forty vol. 1 and 2
Info about Janet’s charity Project Motorhouse
Doctor Who Am I facebook page
Info about The Light cinemas, where the film is showing on November 7th
Obverse Books website
Previous programmes on Doctor Who

Next week’s shows: Doctor Who spin-offs / the Vectrex at 40

October 23, 2022

Covers of Doctor Who: Forty volumes 1 and 2, Vecman game, mock-up of Vectrex with Vyrzon installed, cover of Vectrex Multicart, photos of Sean Kelly, Matthew Jacobs, covers of The Black Archive 25, Faction Paradox: The Boulevard, photos of Peer Johannsen and Steve Hopkins

Alex Fitch presents two programmes celebrating aspects of pop culture hitting 40th anniversary dates in their history… In the gap between the end of one incarnation of Doctor Who and the start of another, spin-off material related to the show keeps fans entertained in its absence: Janet Fielding talks about reviving her character Tegan in audio dramas, Matthew Jacobs and Vanessa Yuille discuss their documentary Doctor Who Am I about fandom, and Stuart Douglas chats about publishing imprint Obverse Books which explores offbeat corners of the Whoniverse.

Also, in a look at much loved, but obscure video game console the Vectrex, programmer Steve Hopkins talks about forthcoming shoot-em-up Vyrzon, publisher Sean Kelly discusses reviving long lost games for the platform, and lecturer Prof. Peer Johannsen chats about training a new generation of coders at Pforzheim University, and making his own new games.

Doctor Who: 13, 26, 40 (ish) is broadcast at 8pm, Thursday 27th October, repeated 10am Friday 28th October on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com
40 Years of the Vectrex is broadcast at 8pm, Friday 28th October, repeated 10am Monday 31st October on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com (more…)

Panel Borders: Curating and Creating Comics

October 18, 2022

Covers of Mary and Agnes, and Now Wash Your Hands by Cathy Brett, plus photo of her work space including elements of Mrs. Thorwald: The Victim’s Story / Photo of Henny Beaumont in the Invisible People exhibition at Worthing Museum, plus Lost Generation (Covid cartoon of the year 2021)

Curating and Creating Comics: As the start of a new season of Panel Borders, the UK’s only monthly broadcast radio show about comics, Alex Fitch talks to a pair of artists whose work includes autobiography, museum display, and responses to Covid and Lockdown. In a Q and A recorded at Cartoon County, Henny Beaumont chats about the exhibition Invisible People, which features art based on her graphic novel Hole in the Heart and political cartoons alongside work by neurodiverse artists, and how she sequed into satirical work for The Guardian. Cathy Brett discusses her comic Mary and Agnes, about her grandmother’s friendship with Mary Trump, as featured in the BBC Alba documentary The President’s Mother, her work in three-dimensional collages and reliefs, and her new role as a curator at Leatherhead Museum.

Invisible People is on display Wednesday to Sunday at Worthing Museum and Gallery until 30th Oct 2022.
Cathy Brett is shortlisted for Surrey Artist of the Year 2022, which is on display Tuesday to Saturday at New Ashgate Gallery, Farnham until 5th November 2022.

For more formats to stream or download, please visit archive.org (more…)

Next week’s show: Curating and Creating Comics

September 27, 2022

As the start of a new season of Panel Borders, the UK’s only monthly broadcast radio show about comics, Alex Fitch talks to a pair of artists whose work includes autobiography, museum display, and responses to Covid and Lockdown. In a Q and A recorded at Cartoon County, Henny Beaumont chats about the exhibition Invisible People, which features art based on her graphic novel Hole in the Heart and political cartoons alongside work by neurodiverse artists, and how she sequed into satirical work for The Guardian. Cathy Brett discusses her comic Mary and Agnes, about her grandmother’s friendship with Mary Trump, as featured in the BBC Alba documentary The President’s Mother, her work in three-dimensional collages and reliefs, and her new role as a curator at Leatherhead Museum.

5.30pm, Wednesday 5th October 2022, repeat broadcast 11am, Sunday 9th October 2022, Resonance 104.4 FM + DAB (London) / broadcast streamed at www.resonancefm.com / Resonance Replay stream on mixcloud.com / podcast after broadcast at www.panelborders.wordpress.com

Links: Henny Beaumont’s website / More info about the Invisible People exhibition
Cathy Brett’s website / Review of Mary and Agnes at Broken Frontier

Panel Borders: Greg Rucka – Desert Island Comics

September 7, 2022

Alex Fitch chats to Greg Rucka via zoom

Greg Rucka – Desert Island Comics: In the second of a pair of podcast only recordings, Alex Fitch chats to comics writer Greg Rucka about the five titles he would want to have with him, if marooned on a desert island, including classics by Brian Bolland, Matt Wagner, Bill Sienkiewicz, Matt Fraction and Jen Van Meter.

Alex and Greg also talk about the comics which inspired the writer in his formative years, including Marvel Digest collections, and the importance of minority representation in his comics Batwoman and The Old Guard, in an interivew originally recorded to promote The Lakes International Comic Art Festival.

Also available as a video recording, uploaded 13th October 2021 on YouTube

For more formats to stream or download, please visit archive.org

Links: Greg Rucka’s website
Watch Alex interview Garth Ennis, Simon Spurrier and Rob Williams in a panel discussion on writing comics at LICAF
Other youtube videos on the Lakes International Comic Art Festival channel

Panel Borders: The Writing Game

August 3, 2022

Si Spurrier, Rob Williams, Garth Ennis and Alex Fitch at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival

The Writing Game: In the first of a pair of podcast only recordings, Alex Fitch talks to Simon Spurrier, Rob Williams, and Garth Ennis about their history of writing comics. The three writers discuss their techniques, the characters they’ve enjoyed working on including Judge Dredd and John Constantine, and their tips for collaboration in a panel discussion recorded at The Lakes International Comic Art Festival.

Originally available as a video recording, uploaded 17th October 2019 on YouTube

For more formats to stream or download, please visit the home of this podcast at archive.org

Links: Simon Spurrier’s website
Rob William’s website
Alex’s previous interviews with Garth Ennis and Simon Spurrier

Panel Borders: New Anthologies

August 1, 2022 — 1 Comment

Cover of The 77 annual, Blazer no.2, Eat More Comics: The Best of The Nib, The Nib no. 6 plus photos of Ben Cullis, Steve MacManus, Alex Fitch, Sarah Mirk, Myfanwy Tristram, Daniel Locke

New Anthologies: In a pair of interviews recorded at Cartoon County online, Alex Fitch talks to a number of creators about their work on anthologies. Sarah Mirk discusses her work on political comics anthology The Nib with contributions from artists Myfanwy Tristram and Daniel Locke, talking about their strips created for the title. Ben Conan Cullis, a.k.a. Benksy, and veteran comics editor Steve MacManus talk about the various titles they’ve launched via kickstarter including The 77, Blazer and Pandora which are a love letter to classic British comics.

Originally broadcast 4th May 2022 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)

For more formats to stream or download, please visit the home of this podcast at archive.org

Links: The Nib website
Sarah Mirk’s website
The 77 website and shop
Listen to Alex’s previous interview with Steve MacManus about launching the first issue of Blazer

Panel Borders: Unusual Buildings

July 10, 2022

Cover and interior art from You’re Thinking About Tomatoes, and Welcome Home / Photos (by Myf Tristram) of Michael Rosen and Cole Henley, Alex Fitch and Clarrie Pope

Unusual Buildings: In this month’s show, Alex Fitch talks to the creators of graphic novels set in unusual buildings… Former Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen and artist Cole Henley discuss the comic book version of You’re Thinking About Tomatoes, in which a boy on a school trip to a country house gets embroiled in an adventure with a girl from a painting and a mummy come to life, in a Q and A recorded at Graphic Brighton; cartoonist Clarrie Pope explores the graphic novel Welcome Home about the lives of a community of squatters in a condemned tower block, co-written with her sister Blanche, in a Q and A recorded at Cartoon County.

Originally broadcast 6th July 2022 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)

For more formats to stream or download, please visit the home of this podcast at archive.org

Next week’s show: Unusual Buildings

July 1, 2022

Cover and interior art from You’re Thinking About Tomatoes, and Welcome Home / Photos (by Myf Tristram) of Michael Rosen and Cole Henley, Alex Fitch and Clarrie Pope

In this month’s show Alex Fitch talks to the creators of graphic novels set in unusual buildings… Former Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen and artist Cole Henley discuss the comic book version of You’re Thinking About Tomatoes, in which a boy on a school trip to a country house gets embroiled in an adventure with a girl from a painting and a mummy come to life, in a Q and A recorded at Graphic Brighton; cartoonist Clarrie Pope explores the graphic novel Welcome Home about the lives of a community of squatters in a condemned tower block, co-written with her sister Blanche, in a Q and A recorded at Cartoon County.

5.30pm, Wednesday 6th July 2022, repeat broadcast 11am, Sunday 10th July 2022, Resonance 104.4 FM + DAB (London) / broadcast streamed at www.resonancefm.com / Resonance Replay stream on mixcloud.com / podcast after broadcast at www.panelborders.wordpress.com

Links: Info about You’re Thinking About Tomatoes on publisher Unbound’s website
Michael Rosen’s website
Cole Henley’s website and instagram site
Info about Welcome Home on publisher Minor Compositions website
Clarrie Pope’s website
Broken Frontier article about the Myriad First Fictions 2018 shortlist
Other interviews with former laureates recorded at Graphic Brighton include: Chris Riddell and Hannah Berry

Panel Borders: Multimedia Comics

June 8, 2022

Hannah Berry and Lance Dann at Graphic Brighton / cover and interior art from The Rez / page from The Train by Chihoi / The Train on display in the window of the Southbank Centre

Multimedia Comics: This month, Alex Fitch talks to comic creators about multimedia engagement with their sequential art. Chinese cartoonist Chihoi chats about his comic The Train, which is currently on display in the riverside window of the the Royal Festival Hall, London, and at Graphic Brighton, audio producer Lance Dann and graphic novelist Hannah Berry discuss a comic and podcast called The Rez, which is a science-fiction title about kindness aimed at a young audience.

Originally broadcast 1st June 2022 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)

For more formats to stream or download, please visit the home of this podcast at archive.org
Links: The Rez website, comic, and in app podcast
Order a print copy of The Rez from Soaring Penguin Press
The Rez page at Apple Podcasts / iTunes
Hannah Berry’s website and previous interviews
Info about The Train at the Southbank Centre
Chihoi’s website and gallery exhibitions
Info about Chihoi’s comic The Book Fight
Order Chihoi’s comics collection The Library from Lambiek