Podcasts, radio shows, writing and more by Alex Fitch
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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: Vehlmann and Gazzotti
November 30, 2014
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Cover, interior art and serialised cover of Alone (Seuls) / covers of Green Manor and Beautiful Darkness written by Fabien Vehlmann / cover of Soda drawn by Bruno Gazzotti
Vehlmann and Gazzotti: Concluding a month of shows about the work of comic book creators who mix together different cultures and media in their art, Alex Fitch talks to writer Fabien Vehlmann and artist Bruno Gazzotti about their graphic album series Alone (Seuls), published by Cinebook. The creators discuss how their serial – about children who wake up in a world without adults – was inspired by classic American dystopia fiction, Vehlmann’s interest in 19th century thrillers which influenced his comic Green Manor, and Gazzotti’s experience on the policier series Soda. Recorded in front of an audience at the South Ken Kids Festival, Institut Français, November 2014. (Originally broadcast 27th November 2014 on Resonance 104.4 FM, London)
For more info and a variety of different formats you can stream or download, please visit the home of this podcast at www.archive.org (more…)
Tomorrow’s show: Vehlmann and Gazzotti
November 26, 2014
Tomorrow at 11am on Resonance 104.4 FM, Panel Borders: Vehlmann and Gazzotti
Cover, interior art and serialised cover of Alone (Seuls) / covers of Green Manor and Beautiful Darkness written by Fabien Vehlmann / cover of Soda drawn by Bruno Gazzotti
Concluding a month of shows about the work of comic book creators who mix together different cultures and media in their art, Alex Fitch talks to writer Fabien Vehlmann and artist Bruno Gazzotti about their graphic album series Alone (Seuls), published by Cinebook. The creators discuss how their serial – about children who wake up in a world without adults – was inspired by classic American dystopia fiction, Vehlmann’s interest in 19th century thrillers which influenced his comic Green Manor, and Gazzotti’s experience on the policier series Soda. (Recorded in front of an audience at the South Ken Kids Festival, Institut Français, November 2014).
11am Thursday 27th November, repeated 7am Saturday 29th November 2014, Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com / podcast after broadcast at www.panelborders.wordpress.com
Links: Info about the original event at the South Ken Kids Festival
Info about Alone on CineBook’s website
Read back issues of Spirou et Fantasio featuring Fabien Vehlmann at izneo.com
Info about Bruno Gazzotti and Fabien Vehlmann on lambiek.net
Panel Borders: Graphic Details
November 25, 2014
— 4 Comments
Exterior of Space Station 65 gallery / Ariel Schrag discusses her work / excerpt from The Book of Sarah by Sarah Lightman
Graphic Details: Continuing a month of shows about the work of comic book creators who mix together different cultures and media in their art, Alex Fitch talks to gallery owners Jo David and Rachel House, and artist Ariel Schrag about the exhibition Graphic Details: Confessional Comics by Jewish Women, currently on display at Space Station 65, Kennington, South London. Also, Graphic Details curator Sarah Lightman talks about her work and introduces artists Miriam Katin, Diane Noomin, Corinne Pearlman and Ilana Zeffren who describe the examples of their autobiographical strips which are featured in the exhibition. (Recorded at Space Station 65 Kennington, November 2014; originally broadcast 20th November on Resonance 104.4 FM)
For more info and a variety of different formats you can stream or download, please visit the home of this podcast at www.archive.org (more…)
Today’s show: Graphic Details
November 20, 2014
Today at 11am on Resonance 104.4 FM, Panel Borders: Graphic Details
Exterior of Space Station 65 gallery / Ariel Schrag discusses her work / excerpt from The Book of Sarah by Sarah Lightman
Continuing a month of shows about the work of comic book creators who mix together different cultures and media in their art, Alex Fitch talks to gallery owners Jo David and Rachel House, and artist Ariel Schrag about the exhibition Graphic Details: Confessional Comics by Jewish Women, currently on display at Space Station 65, Kennington, South London. Also, Graphic Details curator Sarah Lightman talks about her work and introduces artists Miriam Katin, Diane Noomin, Corinne Pearlman and Ilana Zeffren who describe the examples of their autobiographical strips which are featured in the exhibition. (Recorded at Space Station 65 Kennington, November 2014)
11am Thursday 20th November, repeated 7am Saturday 22nd November 2014, Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com / podcast after broadcast at www.panelborders.wordpress.com
Links: Space Station 65 website
Graphic Details blog
Ariel Schrag’s website
Panel Borders: Ricky Rouse has a Gun
November 19, 2014
— 3 Comments
Ricky Rouse meets Alex Fitch / images from …has a Gun
Ricky Rouse has a Gun: Continuing a month of shows about the work of comic book creators who mix together different cultures and mediums in their work, Alex Fitch talks to playwright and film maker Jörg Tittel about writing his debut graphic novel Ricky Rouse has a Gun, a satire on Western movie violence and China’s ‘knock-off economy’, published by SelfMadeHero. Fitch and Tittel discuss how the project evolved from a film script to a graphic novel, the process of working with artist John Aggs and whether the writer’s own background of an upbringing in different cultures fed in to the story on the page. (Recorded at Cartoon County, Brighton, September 2014; originally broadcast 13th November 2014 on Resonance 104.4 FM)
For more info and a variety of different formats you can stream or download, please visit the home of this podcast at www.archive.org (more…)
Tomorrow’s show: Ricky Rouse has a Gun
November 12, 2014
Tomorrow at 11am on Resonance 104.4 FM, Panel Borders: Ricky Rouse has a Gun
Ricky Rouse meets Alex Fitch / images from …has a Gun
Continuing a month of shows about the work of comic book creators who mix together different cultures and mediums in their work, Alex Fitch talks to playwright and film maker Jörg Tittel about writing his debut graphic novel Ricky Rouse has a Gun, a satire on Western movie violence and China’s ‘knock-off economy’, published by SelfMadeHero. Fitch and Tittel discuss how the project evolved from a film script to a graphic novel, the process of working with artist John Aggs and whether the writer’s own background of an upbringing in different cultures fed in to the story on the page. (Recorded at Cartoon County, Brighton, September 2014)
11am Thursday 13th November, repeated 7am Saturday 15th November 2014, Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com / podcast after broadcast at www.panelborders.wordpress.com
Panel Borders: …there is Joost Swarte
November 12, 2014
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Covers and comic strips by Joost Swarte
…there is Joost Swarte: Starting a month of shows about the work of comic book creators who mix together different cultures and mediums in their work, Alex Fitch talks to acclaimed Dutch cartoonist and graphic designer Joost Swarte about his career so far. Fitch and Swarte discuss the latter’s covers for The New Yorker and RAW magazine (also reprinted as the front of the Tate coffee table book Comics Art), the Fantagraphics collection of his strip work “Is that all there is?” and the artist’s work in designing children’s books, theatrical architecture and stained glass windows.
(Recorded in front of an audience at The Lakes International Comic Art Festival, October 2014, originally broadcast 6th November 2014 on Resonance 104.4 FM)
For more info and a variety of different formats you can stream or download, please visit the home of this podcast at www.archive.org
Tomorrow’s show: …there is Joost Swarte
November 5, 2014
Tomorrow at 11am on Resonance 104.4 FM, Panel Borders: …there is Joost Swarte
Covers and comic strips by Joost Swarte
Starting a month of shows about the work of comic book creators who mix together different cultures and mediums in their work, Alex Fitch talks to acclaimed Dutch cartoonist and graphic designer Joost Swarte about his career so far. Fitch and Swarte discuss the latter’s covers for The New Yorker and RAW magazine (also reprinted as the front of the Tate coffee table book Comics Art), the Fantagraphics collection of his strip work “Is that all there is?” and the artist’s work in designing children’s books, theatrical architecture and stained glass windows.
(Recorded in front of an audience at The Lakes International Comic Art Festival, October 2014)
11am Thursday 6th November, repeated 7am Saturday 8th November 2014, Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com / podcast after broadcast at www.panelborders.wordpress.com
Links: Joost’s website
More info about Fantagraphics’ collection Is that all there is?
Page about the event on the LICAF website
Panel Borders: Freud, Shakespeare and Marx
June 29, 2014
— 1 Comment
Much ado about nothing and Hamlet, drawn by Emma Vieceli / Freud and Marx by Anne Simon
Freud, Shakespeare and Marx: Continuing a month of shows looking at the work of female cartoonists, Alex Fitch talks to a pair of artists whose graphic novels have covered the work of masters of theatre, philosophy and psychoanalysis. In a Q and A recorded at Gosh! Comics as part of the SCI-FI-LONDON film festival, Emma Vieceli discusses her work on SelfMadeHero’s Manga Shakespeare line, drawing adaptations of a post-apocalyptic Hamlet, and 19th Century Much ado about nothing. Also, in an interview (translated by Alex Spiro) recorded at ELCAF French cartoonist Anne Simon discusses her graphic novel biographies of Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud, published in English by Nobrow. Originally broadcast 23rd June 2014 on Resonance 104.4 FM (more…)
Today’s show: Freud, Shakespeare and Marx
June 23, 2014
Today at 4.30pm on Resonance 104.4 FM, Panel Borders: Freud, Shakespeare and Marx
Much ado about nothing and Hamlet, drawn by Emma Vieceli / Freud and Marx by Anne Simon
Continuing a month of shows looking at the work of female cartoonists, Alex Fitch talks to a pair of artists whose graphic novels have covered the work of masters of theatre, philosophy and psychoanalysis. In a Q and A recorded at Gosh! Comics as part of the SCI-FI-LONDON film festival, Emma Vieceli discusses her work on SelfMadeHero’s Manga Shakespeare line, drawing adaptations of Hamlet, relocated to a post-apocalyptic future, and Much ado about nothing, set in the 19th Century. Also, in an interview (translated by Alex Spiro) recorded at ELCAF – East London Comics Arts Festival – French cartoonist Anne Simon discusses her graphic novel biographies of Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud, published in English by Nobrow.
4.30pm, Monday 23rd June, repeated 11am, Thursday 26th June 2014, Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com / podcast after broadcast at www.panelborders.wordpress.com (more…)
Panel Borders: Oscar Zarate, exploring The Park
March 20, 2014
— 2 Comments
Pages from The Park, I keep coming back and La Faille by Oscar Zarate
Oscar Zarate, exploring The Park: Continuing a month of shows about comics and graphic novels which present ‘slices of life’ on the page, Alex Fitch talks to cartoonist Oscar Zarate about his latest graphic novel The Park, an exploration of various characters whose lives intersect on Hampstead Heath, published by SelfMadeHero.
The Park is the first graphic novel illustrated by Zarate that the artist has also written rather than working from someone else’s script, and he discusses the genesis of the project, his previous graphic albums published in France and his rereleased short story anthology It’s Dark in London. (Recorded in front of an audience at The Lakes International Comic Art Festival, Autumn 2013) (more…)
Panel Borders: Rabbis and Humanoids
February 27, 2014
Extracts from The Rabbis Cat and Tokyo by Joann Sfar and covers of three forthcoming releases from Humanoids UK
Rabbis and Humanoids: Concluding a month of shows about French comics or Bande dessinée, Alex Fitch talks to Tim Pilcher about his new role as UK Liaison at Humanoids Publishing, bringing translations of French graphic novels to Britain, and to Graphic Novelist and filmmaker Joann Sfar about his titles The Rabbi’s Cat (Le Chat du Rabbin) and Tokyo.
Fitch and Pilcher discuss the launch titles available from Humanoids UK in the Spring, including work by Alejandro Jodorowsky and Nicolas de Crecy, and Sfar discusses how he adapts his style for different audiences and age groups, as well as for the cinema as the director of Gainsbourg: Vie héroïque (2010). (Originally broadcast 24/02/14 on Resonance 104.4 FM)
For more info and a variety of different formats you can stream or download, please visit the home of this podcast at www.archive.org (more…)
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