Podcasts, radio shows, writing and more by Alex Fitch
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Panel Borders: Drawn from Experience
January 12, 2022
Excerpts of comics by Steven Appleby, Sayra Begum, Matt Smith and Rachael Smith
Drawn from Experience: Alex Fitch talks to creators of autobiographical comics and graphic novels inspired by life, about depicting their own experiences on the page. In a panel discussion recorded at the Lakes International Comic Arts Festival, Steven Appleby, Sayra Begum, Rachael Smith and Matt Smith talk about their titles Drag Man, Mongrel, Quarantine Comix, and You’re Stuck with Me Now in front of a live audience.
Also, as part of the Academic Comics conference ‘L’Enfance de l’Art: Jeuness et Bandes dessinées’ (The Childhood of Art: Youth and Comics) hosted at Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Laurence Grove (University of Glasgow) discusses his personal experiences of observing depictions of disability in comics for children and adults.
Partially broadcast 5th January 2021 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
Links: For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit the home of this episode at archive.org
Steven Appleby’s website
Sayra Begum’s website
Rachael Smith’s website
Matt Smith’s website: Smith vs Smith
Laurence Grove’s profile on University of Glasgow website
Panel Borders: Drawn from Memory
December 31, 2021
Drawn from Memory: In this episode, Alex Fitch talks to Sabba Khan about her graphic novel The Roles We Play which mixes infographics, comics autobiography, and family history of forced migration from Mirpur in Pakistan, as well as her architectural practice, and previous comics such as Roti which show an interest in construction and repetition. Q and A recorded at Cartoon County.
Partially broadcast 1st December 2021 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
Links: For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit the home of this episode at archive.org
Sabbah Khan’s website
More info about The Roles We Play on Myriad Editions’ website
Buy The Roles We Play on Amazon UK
Listen to Sabba Khan’s presentation about her previous comics work at LDComics
Panel Borders: Drawn from History
December 23, 2021
Drawn from History: In this episode, Alex Fitch talks to former ‘Time Team’ motion graphics creator Neil Max Emmanuel, who explores the various drawing styles he’s adopted to illustrate The Middle Ages – A Graphic History which illuminates numerous moments from ‘The Dark Ages’ and how some of the period reflects the Britain of today. Alex and Neil also discuss the latter’s tenure making graphics for archeological digs on TV, and illustrating the children’s book Saxon Gold
Partially broadcast 1st December 2021 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
Links: For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit the home of this episode at archive.org
Neil Max Emmanuel’s website
More info about The Middle Ages – A Graphic History on Icon Books’ website
Buy The Middle Ages: A Graphic History from Amazon UK and Saxon Gold from History West Midlands’ website
Listen to Alex’s interview with Meg-John Barker about Icon Books’ Queer: A Graphic History and Gender: A Graphic Guide
Panel Borders: Superhuman Creatures
November 4, 2021
Superhuman Creatures: In a belated Halloween episode, Alex Fitch talks to a couple of artists whose work features mutated humanoid figures in haunted landscapes. Alex talks to veteran artist John Totleben about working with Alan Moore on classic 1980s titles Swamp Thing and Miracleman, and to cartoonist Josephine Mairead King Edwards about comics P.S., and The Will o’the Wisp – the latter recently reprinted by Breakdown Press – in a Q and A recorded at Cartoon County.
Partially broadcast 3rd November 2021 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
Links: For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit the home of this episode at archive.org
JMKE’s website
Info about the Breakdown Press reprint of The Will o’the Wisp
Scans of The Comic Journal interviews with Moore, Bissette and Totleben
Order the Saga of the Swamp Thing paperback Box Set and issues of Miracleman by John Totleben on Amazon
Listen to Alex’s interviews with Steve Bissette and Alan Moore about working on Swamp Thing
Clear Spot: Sound and Vectrexians
October 30, 2021
Fell holds a prototype Vecribbon overlay / anticlockwise screen shots from Vecribbon, Raiding Party, Holzer Vectrex generated hand and polyhederon / Derek Holzer at Zagreb Vector Hack Festival 2018
Sound and Vectrexians: In a Clear Spot looking at new uses for the Vectrex games console, an arcade style machine by Milton Bradley from 1983, Alex Fitch talks to a pair of creators who use the machine to generate graphics paired with unique sounds. Programmer ‘Fell’ discusses his titles Raiding Party and 3D Vector Space Cab, plus forthcoming game Vecribbon, as part of the programming team Shattered Screens. Audiovisual artist Derek Holzer explains how he hacks the Vectrex to allow input of frequencies which generate complex images on the screen of the device, and can be manipulated for artistic effect.
Partially broadcast 29th October 2021 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit archive.org
Links: Shattered Screens website including free demos and Vecribbon preorder
Derek Holzer website including article on Vector synthesis art
Videos by Derek Holzer on Vimeo and youtube
Vectrex fandom website including page on International Play Your Vectrex Day
Vectrex ProGaming Boards pages (more…)
Desert Island Comics: Greg Rucka
October 19, 2021
Alex Fitch interviews Greg Rucka
Desert Island Comics: Greg Rucka If you missed this year’s Lakes International Comic Art Festival, and would like to get a taste of the event, you can watch Alex Fitch’s video interview with 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
Links: Watch Desert Island Comics: Greg Rucka on youtube
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: Telling Truths
October 8, 2021
— 1 Comment
Interior art from Livestock, Graphic Science, Fukishima and Such, Such Were The Joys
Telling Truths: Alex Fitch talks to a quartet of graphic novelists whose work reflects events from history over the last hundred years. In a panel discussion recorded at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, Hannah Berry, Darryl Cunningham and Fumio Obata discuss how their work is based on recent culture and economics regarding graphic novels Livestock, Graphic Science and Fumio’s Fukishima comic. Also, cartoonist Jaime Huxtable talks about illustrating the graphic novel adaptation of George Orwell’s autobiographical essay Such, Such Were The Joys, with script by Sean Michael Wilson, in a Q and A recorded at Cartoon County.
Partially broadcast 7th October 2021 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
Links: For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit the home of this episode at archive.org
Hannah Berry’s website
Darryl Cunningham’s blog
Fumio Obata’s website
Jaime Huxtable’s website (more…)
Panel Borders: Edible Ensembles
September 13, 2021
— 1 Comment
Interior art from Biscuits / Photos of Jenny Robins and Jason Scott Smith / Interior art from Marble Cake
Edible Ensembles: In the second of two early Autumn specials, Alex Fitch chats to the creators of graphic novels with diverse ensemble casts. Jenny Robins discusses her graphic novel Biscuits (Assorted), which presents a snapshot of the intertwining lives of modern women from diverse backgrounds; Scott Jason Smith explores his book Marble Cake, a magical realist look at a community in South London, in Q and As recorded at Cartoon County.
Partially broadcast 1st September 2021 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
Links: For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit archive.org
More info about Biscuits (Assorted) from publisher Myriad Editions
Jenny Robins website and etsy shop
Jenny Robins and Scott Jason Smith on Instagram
More info about Marble Cake from publisher Avery Hill
Scott Jason Smith website
Comics by SJS on issuu and Top Shelf 2.0
Panel Borders: Diverse Superheroes
September 1, 2021
Interior art from The ME Generation / Photos of Eve Greenwood and Colin Brake / Interior art from Inhibit
Diverse Superheroes: In the first of two early Autumn specials, Alex Fitch chats to the creators of superhero comics with diverse ensemble casts. Eve Greenwood talks about their superhero webcomic Inhibit and LGBT+ publishing house Quindre Press, in a Q and A recorded at Cartoon County.
Also, former Eastenders writer Colin Brake discusses the history of his kickstarted comic The ME Generation to be drawn by artist Yishan Li, and how he nearly became the Doctor Who script editor in the early 1990s.
N.B./ The ME Generation kickstarter ends Wednesday September 8th / Quindrie Press’ When I Was Me kickstarter ends September 29th 2021
Partially broadcast 1st September 2021 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
Links: For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit archive.org
Eve Greenwood website, including page on Inhibit
More info about Quindrie Press
Info about Colin Brake on Wikipedia and IMDb filmography
Panel Borders: Good Comics
August 10, 2021
Covers of The Good Comics Reader 1 + 2, Dead Singers Society 3, and cover and interior art from Cosmos and other stories by Rozi Hathaway
Good Comics: Alex Fitch looks at the output of small press publishing house Good Comics, in a pair of interviews with two of their creators. Editor / co-publisher Paddy Johnston talks about the founding of the imprint based on the success of their initial title Dead Singers Society, and artist Rozi Hathaway discusses her collection Cosmos and Other Stories, and contributions to the Good Comics Reader.
Good Comics will be selling their wares at the Hackney Comics and Zine Fair, online throughout September. Recorded at Cartoon County, Brighton in front of a live audience.
Originally broadcast 4th August 2021 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
Links: For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit archive.org
Good Comics website
Paddy Johnston’s website
Rozi Hathaway’s website
Listen to Alex’s interview with Eleanor Crewes about All the Times I Knew I was Gay
Panel Borders (Episode 501): Anticipating the Future
July 10, 2021
Images from Full Tilt Boogie and Madi: Once Upon a Time in the Future written by Alex DeCampi / Images from Infinitum: An Afrofuturism Tale and Matty’s Rocket
Anticipating the Future: In the 501st episode of Panel Borders, Alex Fitch talks to a couple of creators who work on Science-Fiction Comics. In a Q and A recorded at Cartoon County, writer Alex DeCampi discusses her YA serial Full Tilt Boogie serialised in 2000AD and recently collected as a book, and working with director Duncan Jones on adapting his unmade film Madi: Once Upon a Time in the Future as a graphic novel. Also, Alex chats to artist Tim Fielder about his epic graphic novel Infinitum: An Afrofuturism Tale which covers millennia in the life of an immortal who observes the rise and fall of humanity, and his ‘diesel-punk’ comics series Matty’s Rocket.
Originally broadcast 7th July 2021 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
Links: For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit archive.org
Info about Madi: Once Upon a Time in the Future on publisher Z2 Comics website, and Full Tilt Boogie on 2000AD website
Info about Infinitum: An Afrofuturism Tale on Harper Collins’ website
Tim Fielder’s website, including page on Matty’s Rocket
Alex DeCampi’s website (more…)
Panel Borders (Episode 500): Discerning The Past
June 3, 2021
Mike Lake, Denis Kitchen (Kitchen Sink Press), Will Eisner, Nick Landau (Titan Books) and Stan Nicholls (FP manager), June 1980 (photo by Richard Bruton) / Contributors to The Inking Woman including Streeten (in purple) and Tate (in red, photo by Jakki Brown)
Discerning The Past: In the 500th episode of Panel Borders, Alex Fitch takes a nostalgic look back at important moments in the history of comics. Alex discusses anthology title The Inking Woman with two of its editors – Dr. Nicola Streeten and Cath Tate – and how they compiled the book’s survey of 250 years of female cartoonists. Also, co-founder of the Forbidden Planet chain of shops – Mike Lake – talks about his involvement in the birth of the British ‘direct market’ in the UK which inaugurated organised distribution of American comics in the UK in the 1970s.
Originally broadcast 2nd June 2021 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit archive.org
Links: More info about The Inking Woman published by Myriad Editions and profile of Cath Tate
Mike Lake’s website
Nicola Streeten’s website (more…)
Architecture Culture: From the City to the Suburbs (on film)
June 3, 2021
Posters for I am Ren / Minor Premise / stills from films being shown as part of ‘Return to the city’
From the City to the Suburbs (on film): In advance of the Barbican Cinema’s season ‘Return to the City’, Alex Fitch talks to cinema programmer Alex Davidson about the city-based films they are showing between 8th and 27th June, set in six different urban environments, from five different decades.
Also, in a pair of interviews recorded at SCI-FI-LONDON, Alex talks to director Patricia Ryczko and actress Marta Krol about their film I am Ren (Panacea), which depicts an android / housewife who is sent to a mental institution to find out if she is human or machine, and to film-maker Eric Schultz regarding his movie Minor Premise about a neuroscientist who experiments on himself with dangerous results.
Originally broadcast Tuesday 1st June 2021 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit archive.org (more…)
Panel Borders: Fantastical Visions
May 5, 2021
Art from Coma by Zara Slattery / Captain America by Declan Shalvey / Avengers by Staz Johnson
Fantastical Visions: In an episode celebrating great comic book art, Alex Fitch talks to three artists who bring wonderous visions to the page. In a Q and A recorded at Cartoon County, Brighton, Zara Slattery discusses her graphic novel Coma which depicts her experiences of extreme medical intervention as a journey through a fantastical dreamscape. Plus, in a ‘live draw’ session recorded at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, Declan Shalvey and Staz Johnson discuss their influences and inspirations for working on such titles as Injection and 2000AD.
Originally broadcast 5th May 2021 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit archive.org
Links: More info about Coma published by Myriad Editions
Zara Slattery’s website
Wikipedia pages on Declan Shalvey and Staz Johnson
Staz Johnson’s blog
Declan Shalvey’s tumblr
Listen to Alex and Zara discuss classic video games in a show about the Vectrex games console
More info about support for survivors of Necrotising Fasciitis
Panel Borders: Defensive Animals
April 7, 2021
— 2 Comments
Images from Tummy Bugs by Leomi Sadler / Usagi Yojimbo by Stan Sakai
Defensive Animals: In the second of two programmes looking at anthropomorphic comics, Alex Fitch talks to a pair of comic creators about their titles featuring combative animal characters. Leomi Sadler discusses her strips about insects, gargoyles, bacteria and other creatures battling against adversity, featured in a new collection – Tummy Bugs – published by Breakdown Press.
Also, in an interview recorded at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, veteran cartoonist Stan Sakai chats about his long running comic Usagi Yojimbo which chronicles the adventures of a samurai rabbit…
Originally broadcast 7th April 2021 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit archive.org
Links: More info about Tummy Bugs on Breakdown Press’ website
Interview with Leomi Sadler on the Creative Review website
Stan Sakai’s website
Usagi Yojimbo website
More interviews with creators of anthropomorphic comics including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles co-creator Kevin Eastman
Panel Borders: Melancholic Animals
March 4, 2021
Art from I Killed Adolf Hitler and Werewolves of Montpellier by Jason / Haway Man, Klaus by Richard Short
Melancholic Animals: Alex Fitch talks to a pair of creators of anthropomorphic comics whose work features stories of animals in melancholic situations. Richard Short discusses the various publications featuring his popular feline character, including the latest graphic novel Haway Man, Klaus, published by Breakdown Press. Also, in an interview recorded at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, Alex chats to Norwegian cartoonist Jason about his work, including such genre titles as such as I Killed Adolf Hitler and Werewolves of Montpellier.
Originally broadcast 3rd March 2021 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit archive.org
Links: More info about Haway Man, Klaus on Breakdown Press’ website
Interview with Richard Short on The Comics Journal website
Info about books by Jason on Fantagraphics’ website
Jason’s biography on Sundero Gallery site
More interviews with creators of anthropomorphic comics
Panel Borders: Retro Anthologies
February 4, 2021
— 1 Comment
Covers of Blazer and The Mighty One written by Steve MacManus / Interior art by Julie Hollings from Beryl the Bitch and Dire Streets / Covers of Hot Jazz by Hunt Emerson and Outrageous Tales from the Old Testament by Emerson, Hollings and friends
Retro Anthologies: In a pair of interviews, Alex Fitch talks to comic book editor Steve MacManus about his new retro comic book anthology Blazer, plus his tenure on 2000AD and other classic titles, and to Julie Hollings and Hunt Emerson about their work on music themed comics such as Revolver and Hot Jazz, plus anthology Outrageous Tales from the Old Testament including work by both, in a Q and A recorded at the 2018 Graphic Brighton conference at the University of Sussex.
If you enjoy Panel Borders, please consider donating some money towards the running costs of Resonance FM, during February – more info at https://www.resonancefm.com/donate
Originally broadcast 3rd February 2021 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit archive.org (more…)
Panel Borders: Educating Comics
January 9, 2021
Hannah Berry, Elle Whitcroft, Nick Cannan, Catherine Moran, Charlotte Semlyen, Tania Suryabandara, Judith Biddlestone and Ottilie Hansworth at Graphic Brighton / interior and exterior art from The Curious Case of Leonardo’s Bicycle by Brick
Educating Comics: In a 2 hour Panel Borders Winter Special, comics creators discuss using the medium as an educational resource. Comics academic Elle Whitcroft introduces Ottilie Hansworth and her students Charlotte Semlyen, Catherine Moran, Tania Suryabandara, Judith Biddlestone and Nick Cannan regarding their creation of a strip anthology about The Theatre Royal, Brighton featuring untold tales of orphans, psychic cleaners and Marlene Dietrich! Also, Alex Fitch talks to graphic novelist Brick about his book The Curious Case of Leonardo’s Bicycle, which looks at unreliable Da Vinci research in the 20th Century, and to Comics Laureate Hannah Berry about her activities in the role. Recorded at Graphic Brighton 2019, and University of Brighton Central Media Services.
Originally broadcast 6th January 2021 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit archive.org (more…)
Panel Borders: Dramatising the Real
December 6, 2020
Excerpts from Scene and Heard by David Ziggy Greene, and The Red Virgin / Sally Heathcote by Mary and Bryan Talbot
Dramatising the Real: In a pair of interviews looking at comic creators who dramatise real life events, Alex Fitch talks to Bryan and Mary Talbot about their graphic novels Sally Heathcote: Suffragette and The Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia on French revolutionary Louise Michel in a Q and A recorded at Graphic Brighton, and to David Ziggy Greene about his fortnightly strip in Private Eye – Scene and Heard – and editing collections of graphic reportage in Save Our Souls, recorded at Cartoon County.
Originally broadcast 2nd December 2020 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit archive.org (more…)
Panel Borders: Eclectic Horrors
November 4, 2020
— 1 Comment
Art from Urotsokidoji by Toshio Maeda / Project Immortality by Coco Kirkland / Sticky Monsters by John Kenn Mortensen
Eclectic Horrors: In a belated Halloween special, Alex Fitch talks to three creators of very different horror themed comics. In a pair of interviews recorded at Copenhagen Comics Festival 2019, legendary creator Toshio Maeda explores his grotesque erotic manga Urotsokidoji: Legend of the Overfiend, and John Kenn Mortensen discusses his Edward Gorey inspired sketches of nightmares on post-it notes: Sticky Monsters. Also in a Q and A recorded at Cartoon County, Coco Kirkland chats about his cartoon inspired zombie / ghost graphic novel Project: Immortality.
Originally broadcast 4th November 2020 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit archive.org (more…)
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