Today’s show: the Kick-Ass West

January 13, 2011 — Masculinity in American Comics

Today on Resonance FM…

Panel Borders: the Kick-Ass West

Covers of Gunfighter #13, Kit Carson, Indian Scout #1, Four Color comic #199, Kick-Ass vol.2 promotional image, Amazing Spider-Man #484, The Gray Area #1

Starting 2011’s run of shows, Panel Borders begins its yearly look at depictions of Masculinity in American Comics. This week, Alex Fitch talks to the Victoria and Albert Museum’s comics expert Ian Rakoff about his forthcoming lecture on the Western genre in magazines and strips and to veteran American comic book artist John Romita Jr. who has drawn nearly 150 issues of Spider-Man over the last 30 years and more recently the mini series Kick-Ass which was turned into one of the most exciting films of 2010.

5pm, 13/01/11, Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com / podcasts: Ian Rakoff / John Romita Jr

Links: More info about V and A lectures
Listen to Alex’s interviews with Ian about the crossover between the Western on film and in comics and his V and A talk on ‘The Creation of the American identity through 20th Century comic strips’
Wikipedia pages on John Romita Jr. and Kick-Ass
More info about CLiNT magazine featuring Kick-Ass series 2

Recommended events:

Call for Mechanical Elephant strips

As part of their ‘First Fridays’ events, Marine Studios in Margate are putting together an exhibition that looks at comics, graphic novels and sequential art.

Featuring work from a range of local and international artists and writers, live talk from guest speaker Paul Gravett, more comics than you can stand, and the chance to discuss your work and ideas.

To kick start proceedings prior to the show they are inviting submissions for a two page comic under the title: ‘Mechanical Elephant’. All ideas are welcome to inspire, amuse, terrify and entertain. There are no limits other than sticking to the two page rule (206 x 280 mm each, in either portrait or landscape), and of course, don’t forget the Mechanical Elephant!

Send your entries (jpeg, pdf, tif, eps or mov format) with the subject ‘Mechanical Elephant’ to: Kam [at] hkd.uk.com or Rick [at] hkd.uk.com

The deadline for entries is 21st January 2011. Marine Studios will display the finished artwork and as much of the preparatory work as possible in their show beginning 4th February 2011 at Marine Studios, Margate.

More info at www.marinestudios.co.uk/gallery/events/

Laydeez do Comics January meeting

Guest Speakers:

Corinne Pearlman: Cartoonist, designer and illustrator.
Co-coordinator of Cartoon County, the Sussex Association of Cartoonists and Comic Strip Artists.
Creative Director of Comic Company, and Myriad Editions

Erica Smith: Editor and Creator of Girl Frenzy, the UK’s only underground girl zine. First Published in ’91.

Ilya: British comic book writer and artist.
Creator of Bic who appeared in a self-published series of comics (now collected as Skidmarks). His first (not graphic) novel The Clay Dreaming was published in 2010.

Monday 24 January 2011, 6.30-9.30pm, The Rag Factory, Henage Street (off Brick Lane), London E1 5LJ

More info at: www.laydeezdocomics.com