Podcasts, radio shows, writing and more by Alex Fitch
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Panel Borders: Life Drawing
March 11, 2024
Examples of “Nick Draws Neighbours” by Nick Sayers, and extracts from “This Might Surprise You: A Cancer Memoir” by Hayley Gullen
Life Drawing: In a pair of interviews recorded at Cartoon County, Brighton, Alex Fitch talks to a pair of artists whose work is drawn from life. Nick Sayers discusses his projects Nick Draws Neighbours, and Nick Draws Nationals which see the artist pencil likenesses of people met locally and on zoom to compile vignettes of life during lockdown and beyond. Also, Hayley Gullen chats about her graphic memoir in process – This Might Surprise You – which chronicles her diagnosis of, and recovery from cancer, which was shortlisted for the 2023 Caliburn Prize for Comics.
Originally broadcast 6th March 2024 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
For more formats to stream or download, please visit archive.org (more…)
This week’s show: Life Drawing
March 4, 2024
Examples of “Nick Draws Neighbours” by Nick Sayers, and extracts from “This Might Surprise You: A Cancer Memoir” by Hayley Gullen
In a pair of interviews recorded at Cartoon County, Brighton, Alex Fitch talks to a pair of artists whose work is drawn from life. Nick Sayers discusses his projects Nick Draws Neighbours, and Nick Draws Nationals which see the artist pencil likenesses of people met locally and on zoom to compile vignettes of life during lockdown and beyond. Also, Hayley Gullen chats about her graphic memoir in process – This Might Surprise You – which chronicles her diagnosis of, and recovery from cancer, which was shortlisted for the 2023 Caliburn Prize for Comics.
5.30pm, Wednesday 6th March 2024, repeat broadcast 11am, Sunday 10th March 2024, 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: Hayley Gullen’s pages on Twitter / X and Instagram
Order the short comic Hayley’s Guide to Chemo from Colossal Cartographies
Nick Sayers’ pages on Twitter / X and Instagram
Info about the projects Nick Draws Neighbours, and Nick Draws Nationals by Nick Sayers on Behance
Next Week’s Show: Comic Histories
August 3, 2023
Alice Loxton presentation at The Cartoon Museum / cartoons by Cruikshank, Gillray and Rowlandson / early comic by Caran d’Ache / Benoît Peeters’ presentation at Comics Up Close
Panel Borders 90 min Summer Special: in a couple of public talks, a pair of academics discuss the early history of comics. Alice Loxton investigates the saga of 18th Century satirical prints, as made by Gillray, Cruikshank and Rowlandson in a talk recorded at The Cartoon Museum in conjuction with the launch of her book Uproar! Satire, Scandal and Printmakers in Georgian London; and in a presentation from Comics Up Close at Manchester Museum, Benoît Peeters explores famous examples of comics in the 19th and 20th Centuries from Rodolphe Toffler and Caran d’Ache, to Alex Raymond and Hergé. Introduced by Alex Fitch.
5.30pm, Wednesday 9th August 2023, repeat broadcast 11am, Sunday 13th August 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
Links: Listen to Alex Fitch’s interview with Alice Loxton about her book Uproar!
Info about Uproar! on Icon Books’ website
Links to Alice Loxton’s video content on tiktok and instagram via her website
Info about Les Cités Obscures by Benoît Peteers and François Schuiten
Benoît Peeters’ profile on Lambiek
Podcats relevant to comics mentioned by Benoît Peeters include: Ally Sloper and The Yellow Kid
Chris Ware discussing Building Stories and other titles (more…)
Panel Borders: Historical Comics
August 1, 2023
— 3 Comments
Promotional image for Uproar! by Alice Loxton / cover of Brexit, Betrayal, Booze and Babies by Teresa Robertson, and excerpt from The Comical Eye’s British Monarchy by Robertson and Leo Schulz
Historical Comics: In a programme looking at comics from and about history, Alex Fitch talks to a pair of female creators about their work. Alice Loxton discusses her book Uproar! Satire, Scandal and Printmakers in Georgian London which delves into the lives of early cartoon satirists – Thomas Rowlandson, Isaac Cruikshank and James Gillray – in an interview recorded at The Cartoon Museum. And, in a Q and A recorded at Cartoon County, Teresa Robertson chats about her autobiographical comics, and illustrating the educational pamphlet The Comical Eye’s British Monarchy from Alfred the Great to Charles III written by Leo Schulz and tells the history of the royality in Britain, published by Self Made Hero.
Originally broadcast 5th July 2023 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
For more formats to stream or download, please visit archive.org
Links: Info about Uproar! on Icon Books’ website
Links to Alice Loxton’s video content on tiktok and instagram via her website
Teresa Robertson’s website and shop
Info about The Comical Eye’s British Monarchy (more…)
This week’s show: Historical Comics
July 3, 2023
Promotional image for Uproar! by Alice Loxton / cover of Brexit, Betrayal, Booze and Babies by Teresa Robertson, and excerpt from The Comical Eye’s British Monarchy by Robertson and Leo Schulz
In a programme looking at comics from and about history, Alex Fitch talks to a pair of female creators about their work. Alice Loxton discusses her book Uproar! Satire, Scandal and Printmakers in Georgian London which delves into the lives of early cartoon satirists – Thomas Rowlandson, Isaac Cruikshank and James Gillray – in an interview recorded at The Cartoon Museum. And, in a Q and A recorded at Cartoon County, Teresa Robertson chats about her autobiographical comics, and illustrating the educational pamphlet The Comical Eye’s British Monarchy from Alfred the Great to Charles III written by Leo Schulz and tells the history of the royality in Britain, published by Self Made Hero.
5.30pm, Wednesday 5th July 2023, repeat broadcast 11am, Sunday 9th July 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
Links: Info about Uproar! on Icon Books’ website
Links to Alice Loxton’s video content on tiktok and instagram via her website
Teresa Robertson’s website and shop
Info about The Comical Eye’s British Monarchy from Alfred the Great to Charles III on Self Made Hero’s website
Panel Borders: Challenging Lives
May 31, 2023
Extracts from The English G.I. by Jonathan Sandler and Brian Bicknell / Can’t Not Won’t by Eliza Fricker
Challenging Lives: In this ‘feature length’ podcast looking at comics that detail some extraordinarily challenging lives in biography and autobiography, a pair of graphic novelists discuss with Alex FItch their work on this topic. Cartoonist and designer Eliza Fricker dicusses her book Can’t Not Won’t: A Story about a child who couldn’t go to school, which illustrates her experiences of raising a child who suffers from Pathological Demand Avoidance, and writer Jonathan Sandler talks about turning his father’s wartime memories into the graphic novel The English G.I.: A World War II Graphic Memoir. Both interviews recorded in front of a live audience at Cartoon County.
Shorter edit broadcast 5th April 2023 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
For more formats to stream or download, please visit archive.org
Links: Eliza Fricker’s website – Missing the Mark
Books illustrated by Eliza Fricker on the Jessica Kingsly Publishing website
Jonathan Sandler’s Graphic Memoir website
Review of The English G.I. in The Jewish Chronicle
Next week’s show: Challenging Lives
March 31, 2023
Extracts from The English G.I. by Jonathan Sandler and Brian Bicknell / Can’t Not Won’t by Eliza Fricker
In a programme looking at comics that detail some extraordinarily challenging lives in biography and autobiography, a pair of graphic novelists discuss with Alex FItch their work on this topic. Cartoonist and designer Eliza Fricker dicusses her book Can’t Not Won’t: A Story about a child who couldn’t go to school, which illustrates her experiences of raising a child who suffers from Pathological Demand Avoidance, and writer Jonathan Sandler talks about turning his father’s wartime memories into the graphic novel The English G.I.: A World War II Graphic Memoir. Both interviews recorded in front of a live audience at Cartoon County.
5.30pm, Wednesday 5th April 2023, repeat broadcast 11am, Sunday 9th April 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: Eliza Fricker’s website – Missing the Mark
Books illustrated by Eliza Fricker on the Jessica Kingsly Publishing website
Jonathan Sandler’s Graphic Memoir website
Review of The English G.I. in The Jewish Chronicle
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
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
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…)
Panel Borders: Sporting Titles
May 7, 2022
Comics by Ellen Lindner and Josh Hicks / photos of Lindner, FItch and Hicks
Sporting Titles: In a pair of interviews recorded at Cartoon County, Alex Fitch talks to cartoonists whose recent work has been on sports themed comics. Ellen Lindner chats about her project ‘A History of Gender Rebellion in Baseball’ – which has generated the comic, Lost Diamonds and two issues of the zine The Cranklet’s Chronicle, so far and looks at how female presenting people, and people of colour have been marginalised by the sport, and Josh Hicks discusses Glorious Wrestling Alliance, which follows the escapades of ‘the universe’s least-professional wrestling company’, as well running Carp Publishing Endeavours, a micropress based out of Cardiff, plus his work on animating a pop video for the Foo Fighters.
Originally broadcast 6th April 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: Ellen Lindner’s website
The Strumpet comic website
Josh Hicks’ website
Carp Publishing Endeavors website
Next week’s show: Sporting Titles
March 31, 2022
Comics by Ellen Lindner and Josh Hicks / photos of Lindner, FItch and Hicks
In a pair of interviews recorded at Cartoon County, Alex Fitch talks to cartoonists whose recent work has been on sports themed comics. Ellen Lindner chats about her project ‘A History of Gender Rebellion in Baseball’ – which has generated the comic, Lost Diamonds and two issues of the zine The Cranklet’s Chronicle, so far and looks at how female presenting people, and people of colour have been marginalised by the sport, and Josh Hicks discusses Glorious Wrestling Alliance, which follows the escapades of ‘the universe’s least-professional wrestling company’, as well running Carp Publishing Endeavours, a micropress based out of Cardiff, plus his work on animating a pop video for the Foo Fighters.
5.30pm, Wednesday 6th April 2022, repeat broadcast 11am, Sunday 10th April 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: Ellen Lindner’s website
The Strumpet comic website
Josh Hicks’ website
Carp Publishing Endeavors website
Panel Borders: Historical Adventures
February 4, 2022
Historical Adventures: Alex Fitch talks to artists Warren Pleece and Edith (Grattery) about their work on historical graphic novels. In a Q &A recorded at Cartoon County, Brighton, Pleece discusses the joy of rendering adventures set in the past, and the importance of creating comics featuring people of colour who often get excised from history, when drawing the books Freedom Bound and Incognegro: Renaissance. Plus, in an interview recorded at Amiens comics festival, Edith explores her technique and references, including inspiration from Gustave Doré, when rendering Basil & Victoria and her adaptation of Tom’s Midnight Garden, dramas set in Victorian England and beyond.
Partially broadcast 2nd February 2022 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
Links: For more info, and links to various download formats, please visit the home of this podcast at archive.org
Warren Pleece’s website
Edith’s profile on Lambiek
(more…)
Next week’s show: Historical Adventures
January 27, 2022
Alex Fitch talks to artists Warren Pleece and Edith (Grattery) about their work on historical graphic novels. In a Q &A recorded at Cartoon County, Brighton, Pleece discusses the joy of rendering adventures set in the past, and the importance of creating comics featuring people of colour who often get excised from history, when drawing the books Freedom Bound and Incognegro: Renaissance. Plus, in an interview recorded at Amiens comics festival, Edith explores her technique and references, including inspiration from Gustave Doré, when rendering Basil & Victoria and her adaptation of Tom’s Midnight Garden, dramas set in Victorian England and beyond.
5.30pm, Wednesday 2nd February 2022, repeat broadcast 11am, Sunday 6th 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: Warren Pleece’s website
Info about Freedom Bound on publisher BHP Comics’ website
Info about Incognegro: Renaissance on publisher Dark Horse Comics’ website
Edith’s profile on Lambiek
Info about Basil & Victoria on publisher Humanoids’ website
(more…)
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 2022 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
Next week’s show: Drawn from Experience
December 29, 2021
Excerpts of comics by Steven Appleby, Sayra Begum, Matt Smith and Rachael Smith
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.
5.30pm, Wednesday 5th January 2022, repeat broadcast 11am, Sunday 9th January 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: 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
Next week’s show: Drawn from the past
November 25, 2021
In this month’s show Alex Fitch talks to a pair of cartoonists whose work recreates moments from the past. Former ‘Time Team’ illustrator Neil Max Emmanuel 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, and Sabba Khan discusses her graphic novel The Roles We Play which mixes infographics, comics autobiography, and family history of forced migration from Mirpur in Pakistan, in a Q and A recorded at Cartoon County.
5.30pm, Wednesday 1st December 2021, repeat broadcast 11am, Sunday 5th December, 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: Sabbah Khan’s website
Neil Max Emmanuel’s website
More info about The Middle Ages – A Graphic History on Icon Books’ website
Info about The Roles We Play on Myriad Editions’ website
Buy The Roles We Play and The Middle Ages: A Graphic History from Amazon UK
Listen to Alex’s interview with Meg-John Barker about Icon Books’ Queer: A Graphic History and Gender: A Graphic Guide
Listen to Sabba Khan’s presentation about her previous comics work at LDComics
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…)
Next week’s show: Telling Truths
October 2, 2021
Interior art from Livestock, Graphic Science, Fukishima and Such, Such Were The Joys
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.
5.30pm, Wednesday 7th October 2021, repeat broadcast 10am, Sunday 10th October, 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
Darryl Cunningham’s blog
Fumio Obata’s website
Jaime Huxtable’s website
More info about the latest graphic graphic novels by this episode’s guests: The Garden by Fumio Obata, Livestock by Hannah Berry, Putin’s Russia by Darryl Cunningham, and Such, Such Were The Joys by Jaime Huxtable
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