Podcasts, radio shows, writing and more by Alex Fitch
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Next Week’s show: Pricks, and Sea Sick
December 1, 2023
Cover and interior of Pricks: Purple Hate Balloon by Fraser Geesin and Laurie Rowan / Karrie Fransman, Zara Slattery and Myfanwy Tristram launching the CCIC initiative at LICAF
In an episode on provocation and sequential art, Alex Fitch talks to Fraser Geesin and Laurie Rowan, the creators of Purple Hate Balloon and Pricks, magical realist tales of toxic masculinty set in Worthing, recorded at Cartoon County. Also, in a panel discussion recorded at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, Myfanwy Tristram, Zara Slattery and Karrie Fransman, organisers of The Comics Cultural Impact Collective (CCIC / pronounced ‘Seasick’) relate their plans, ambitions and ideas to bring new audiences to British comics.
5.30pm, Wednesday 6th December 2023, repeat broadcast 11am, Sunday 10th 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: Info about Purple Hate Balloon and Pricks: Flat part 1 and 2 on Fraser Geesin’s website
More info about Fraser’s Silence! podcast featuring Gary Lactus and the Beast Must Die
The Comics Cultural Impact Collective website
Previous podcasts featuring Karrie Fransman, Zara Slattery and Myfanwy Tristram
Panel Borders: Jewish Women in Comics
November 7, 2023
Covers of The Dreaming and Destiny comics written by Alisa Kwitney / excerpt from Die Bubbeh by Sharon Rudahl / cover of Jewish Women in Comics / Art in progress by Sarah Lightman
Jewish Women in Comics: In a special episode looking at the work of Jewish Women in Comics, Alex Fitch talks to Sarah Lightman, one of the editors of a new book with that name, and to Sharon Rudahl, a veteran comics creator known for her strips in Wimmen’s Comix, who is featured in the anthology. Also ahead of her appearance at JewCE in New York, Alisa Kwitney chats about editing DC Comics in the 1990s, writing Sandman spin-off titles, and her parallel career as a novelist.
Originally broadcast 1st November 2023 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
For more formats to stream or download, please visit archive.org (more…)
This week’s show: Jewish Women in Comics
October 30, 2023
Covers of The Dreaming and Destiny comics written by Alisa Kwitney / excerpt from Die Bubbeh by Sharon Rudahl / cover of Jewish Women in Comics / Art in progress by Sarah Lightman
In a special episode looking at the work of Jewish Women in Comics, Alex Fitch talks to Sarah Lightman, one of the editors of a new book with that name, and to Sharon Rudahl, a veteran comics creator known for her strips in Wimmen’s Comix, who is featured in the anthology. Also ahead of her appearance at JewCE in New York, Alisa Kwitney chats about editing DC Comics in the 1990s, writing Sandman spin-off titles, and her parallel career as a novelist.
Please note: this episode was planned, and mostly recorded, long before the horrific events of Oct 7th 2023 and subsequent days.
5.30pm, Wednesday 1st November 2023, repeat broadcast 11am, Sunday 5th October 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
More info about: Alisa Kwitney’s website
Info about her work for DC Comics and Ahoy Comics
Publisher’s website on Jewish Women in Comics
Extract from Die Bubbeh by Sharon Rudahl, as featured in the collection
List of comics by Sharon Rudahl on comics.org
Sarah Lightman’s website
Article on the History of Jewish Comic Creators
Panel Borders: Transformers and Translators
October 11, 2023
Transformers, Venom and The Ultimates art by Bryan Hittch / Ivanka Hahnenberger at Bologna comics fair / covers of graphic novels translated by Ivanka
Transformers And Translators: In the first of this year’s autumn series of Panel Borders, Alex Fitch talks to Bryan Hitch, a comics artist renowned for his work on Transformers and super-hero titles, and to Ivanka Hahnenberger who has translated numerous award-winning European graphic novels into English, and works in promoting the medium at various events. Recorded at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, and Cartoon County, Brighton.
Originally broadcast 6th September 2023 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
For more formats to stream or download, please visit archive.org (more…)
Next week’s show: Transformers and Translators
August 31, 2023
Transformers, Venom and The Ultimates art by Bryan Hittch / Ivanka Hahnenberger at Bologna comics fair / covers of graphic novels translated by Ivanka
In the first of this year’s autumn series of Panel Borders, Alex Fitch talks to Bryan Hitch, a comics artist renowned for his work on Transformers and super-hero titles, and to Ivanka Hahnenberger who has translated numerous award-winning European graphic novels into English, and works in promoting the medium at various events. Recorded at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, and Cartoon County, Brighton.
The next Lakes International Comic Art Festival takes place between 29th September and 1st October in Bowness-on-Windermere.
5.30pm, Wednesday 6th September 2023, repeat broadcast 11am, Sunday 10th September 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: Reviews of books translated by Ivanka Hahnenberger
Info about Hahnenberger’s company V.I.P. Brands who promote comics and graphic novels
Bryan Hitch’s profile on Marvel and DC Comics websites
Hitch’s instagram site
Panel Borders: Comic Histories
August 24, 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 (photos taken by Alex Fitch)
Comic Histories: the Panel Borders 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.
Originally broadcast 3rd May 2023 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
For more formats to stream or download, please visit archive.org
Links: Listen to Alex Fitch’s interview with Alice Loxton about 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 (more…)
Panel Borders: Exploring Human Behaviour
July 2, 2023
Alex Fitch, Alex Frith, Veronika Muchitsch and Daniel Locke discuss the graphic novels Two Heads and Cyberman in a Q and A at Waterstones, Brighton (photo by Myf Tristram)
Exploring Human Behaviour: In a programme looking at non-fiction graphic novels that explore human behaviour, Alex Fitch chairs a panel discussion with a trio of comic creators about their work. Veronika Muchitsch discusses her book Cyberman which investigates a year in the life of webcammer Ari Kivikangas, plus Daniel Locke and Alex Frith chat about their collaboration – Two Heads – with the latter’s parents, Uta and Chris Frith, detailing their research into how the human brain works, recorded at Waterstones, Brighton (photo by Myf Tristram).
Originally broadcast 3rd May 2023 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
For more formats to stream or download, please visit archive.org
Links: Info about Cyberman on publisher Myriad Editions’ website
Veronica Muchitsch’s website
Buy Two Heads from publisher Bloomsbury’s website
Info about Two Heads on artist Daniel Locke’s website
Articles by Alex Frith on Usborne’s website
Kickstarter campaign for Daniel Locke and David Blandy’s RPG Eco-Mofos (ends July 27th 2023) (more…)
Next week’s show: Exploring human behaviour
April 28, 2023
Alex Fitch, Alex Frith, Veronika Muchitsch and Daniel Locke discuss the graphic novels Two Heads and Cyberman in a Q and A at Waterstones, Brighton (photo by Myf Tristram)
In a programme looking at non-fiction graphic novels that explore human behaviour, Alex Fitch chairs a panel discussion with a trio of comic creators about their work. Veronika Muchitsch discusses her book Cyberman which investigates a year in the life of webcammer Ari Kivikangas, plus Daniel Locke and Alex Frith chat about their collaboration – Two Heads – with the latter’s parents, Uta and Chris Frith, detailing their research into how the human brain works, recorded at Waterstones, Brighton (photo by Myf Tristram).
5.30pm, Wednesday 3rd May 2023, repeat broadcast 11am, Sunday 7th May 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 Cyberman on publisher Myriad Editions’ website
Article on Veronika Muchitsch winning the Myriad First Graphic Novel competition in 2020
Veronica Muchitsch’s website
Buy Two Heads from publisher Bloomsbury’s website
Info about Two Heads on artist Daniel Locke’s website
Articles by Alex Frith on Usborne’s website
Alex Fitch’s previous interview with Alex Frith and Daniel Locke, recorded at the British Science Festival
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: Local / Locas Stories by Jaime Hernandez and Susan Sainsbury
December 1, 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
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
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: 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
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
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
Panel Borders: Edible Ensembles
September 13, 2021
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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: European Comics
October 4, 2019
FOI diary comic by Myf Tristram / cover and interior art from Last Words by Siiri Viljakka and Lauri Tuomi-Nikula / web comic by Boulet / sketchbook page by Mattias Adolfsson
European Comics: In the first of a new series of Panel Borders, we have British, Finnish, French and Swedish comic creators talking about their work. Alex Fitch talks to artists Boulet and Mattias Adolfsson about their drawing techniques and styles in an interview recorded at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, and guest presenter and cartoonist Myfanwy Tristram discusses the Freedom of Information graphic novel – Last Words – with its creators Siiri Viljakka and Lauri Tuomi-Nikula in a Q and A recorded at Cartoon County, Brighton.
Originally broadcast Wednesday 2nd October 2019 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London) (more…)
Next week’s show: European Comics
September 25, 2019
On Wednesday, October 2nd at 5.30pm on Resonance 104.4 FM and DAB, Panel Borders: European Comics
FOI diary comic by Myf Tristram / cover and interior art from Last Words by Siiri Viljakka and Lauri Tuomi-Nikula / web comic by Boulet / sketchbook page by Mattias Adolfsson
In the first of a new series of Panel Borders, we have British, Finnish, French and Swedish comic creators talking about their work. Alex Fitch talks to artists Boulet and Mattias Adolfsson about their drawing techniques and styles in an interview recorded at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, and guest presenter and cartoonist Myfanwy Tristram discusses the Freedom of Information graphic novel – Last Words – with its creators Siiri Viljakka and Lauri Tuomi-Nikula in a Q and A recorded at Cartoon County, Brighton.
5.30pm Wednesday October 2nd 2019, repeated 2.30am Friday 4th October, Resonance 104.4 FM and DAB (London) / broadcast streamed at www.resonancefm.com (more…)
Graphic Brighton 2016 – 9th and 10th Dec
November 30, 2016
Graphic Brighton poster and books being discussed at the event by Dave McKean, Bryan and Mary Talbot, Kate Evans
This year’s Graphic Brighton festival and conference is taking place at the University of Brighton City Campus on 9th and 10th December, with the theme of war comics and graphic novels about wartime resistance. Guests talking about their work include Dave McKean, Bryan and Mary Talbot, Kate Evans, Ben Dickson, plus the editors and the creators of “Brighton’s Graphic War” and many more.
On Friday 9th December there is an academic conference in the University’s building on Edward Street, with talks by Irish cartoonist Fionnula Doran, broadcast journalist Alex Fitch, and Justin Wadlow, curator of the French comics festival Les Rendez-vous de la Bande Dessinée d’Amiens.
Friday evening and all day Saturday are public events; and on the Saturday in the University Main Building on Grand Parade, these include a Manga workshop run by Inko and Chie Kutsawada, a discussion of New Internationalist’s comic book anthologies, Bryan Talbot, Jaime Huxtable and Chris Geary exploring how they make their comics, and an ‘on stage’ interview with Dave McKean about his latest book Black Dog – the Dreams of Paul Nash.
Tickets are priced between £5 and £20 for a ticket to all of the public events, and from £30 to £60 to include the additional academic strand; available from the University of Brighton online shop. (more…)
Panel Borders: Fumio Obata
February 1, 2016
Excerpts from webcomics by Fumio Obata, at Cartoon County with Alex Fitch (photo by Corinne Pearlman), Observer competition entry and cover of Just So Happens
Fumio Obata: In a Q and A recorded at Cartoon County, Brighton, Alex Fitch talks to Fumio Obata about his graphic novel Just so happens, which fictionalises his experiences of working as an artist in England and Japan, and his web comics about the Fukushima disaster. (Panel Borders continues on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 8pm, repeated the following day at 9am. Originally broadcast as the second half of a Clear Spot on Resonance 104.4 FM, 14th January 2016)
Ninth of the 12 Podcasts of Christmas. For more info and a variety of formats to stream or download this podcast, please visit archive.org
Links: Fumio Obata’s website
Review of Just So Happens in The Guardian
Listen to Paul Gravett discussing webcomics with P.J. Holden, Liz Lunney, Tim Winchester, Philipa Rice, David O’Connell and Sydney Padua
Panel Borders: Drawn from life
January 30, 2016
Excerpts from Lovelace and Babbage by Sydney Padua, Behind the Curtain by Klimowski and Schejbal
Drawn from life: In the first Panel Borders of 2016, Alex Fitch talks to three cartoonists who work in biography and autobiography. Andrzej Klimowski and Danusia Schejbal discuss their memoir about life in 1970s communist Warsaw – Behind the Curtain – and Sydney Padua explores her fictionalised account of the birth of computing – The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage – in a panel discussion recorded at Stoke Newington Literary Festival, 2015. (Originally broadcast as the first half of a Clear Spot on Resonance 104.4 FM, 14th January 2016)
Seventh of the 12 Podcasts of Christmas. For more info and a variety of formats to stream or download this podcast, please visit archive.org
Links: Info about the event at Stoke Newington Literary Festival (more…)
Today’s show: Drawn from life
January 12, 2016
Today at 8pm on Resonance FM, Panel Borders: Drawn from life
Excerpts from Lovelace and Babbage by Sydney Padua, Behind the Curtain by Klimowski and Schejbal, Just so happens by Fumio Obata, plus Fitch and Obata at Cartoon County (photo by Corinne Pearlman)
In the first Panel Borders of 2016, Alex Fitch talks to four cartoonists who work in biography and autobiography. Andrzej Klimowski and Danusia Schejbal discuss their memoir about life in 1970s communist Warsaw – Behind the Curtain – and Sydney Padua explores her fictionalised account of the birth of computing – The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage – in a panel discussion recorded at Stoke Newington Literary Festival, 2015.
Also, in a Q and A recorded at Cartoon County, Brighton, Alex talks to Fumio Obata about his graphic novel Just so happens, which fictionalises his experiences of working as an artist in England and Japan, and his web comics about the Fukushima disaster. (Panel Borders continues on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 8pm, repeated the following day at 9am.)
8pm Tuesday 12th January, repeated 9am Wednesday 13th January 2016, Resonance 104.4 FM and DAB (London) (more…)
Today’s show: Death of the Artist
May 7, 2015
Tomorrow at 11am on Resonance FM, Panel Borders: Death of the Artist
Excerpts from Death of the Artist by Karrie Fransman / with Tim Pilcher at Graphic Brighton 2015
Starting a month of shows about comics and graphic novels which occupy the middle ground between ‘mainstream’ titles and independent publishing, guest presenter Tim Pilcher talks to artist Karrie Fransman about her latest graphic novel, Death of the Artist published by Jonathan Cape, which depicts a fateful weekend where five university friends’ hedonistic party leads to tragedy. Tim and Karrie also discuss her first graphic novel The House that Groaned, her comic for the Red Cross – ‘Over Under Sideways Down’ – and the nature of the collaborators involved in her most recent work. Recorded and edited by Alex Fitch at Graphic Brighton festival, May 2015.
11am Thursday 7th May, repeated 7am Saturday 9th May 2015, Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com / podcast after broadcast at www.panelborders.wordpress.com
Links: Karrie’s website / Tim’s blog
Alex Fitch’s 2011 interview with Karrie Fransman (more…)
Panel Borders and other podcasts 
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