Panel Borders: In the company of women

Originally broadcast 17/09/09 as an episode of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM

Continuing “women in comics” month on the show – we have two interviews with creators whose comics are set in worlds featuring primarily female characters. Alex Fitch talks to Pam Harrison, the Queer Press Award winning creator of “House of the Muses – the latter days of Sappho of Lesbos” while (Eagle Award winner) Tom Humberstone talks to Pia Guerra, artist of “Y: The Last Man” who won the 2008 Eisner Award and 2006 Joe Shuster Award for her work on the title.
For more info about this podcast and a variety of formats you can stream or download, please visit the home of this episode at www.archive.org

Links: Pam Harrison’s House of the Muses website and Prism Comics profile
Interview with Pam on the Prism website
Buy House of the Muses from amazon.co.uk
Alex’s interviews with 2007’s Queer Press Grant winners
Info about this year’s grant (deadline October 1st)

Pia Guerra’s website
Pages on Pia’s work on the comic book database and wikipedia
Interviews with Pia about drawing Y – The last man and Doctor Who: The Forgotten at comicbookresources.com

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Comics news:

Comics competitions

This year’s Observer / Jonathan Cape and Manga Jiman competions are now on:

Manga Jiman
The Embassy of Japan’s annual manga-writing competition, open to anyone 14 years of age or over.
More info…

The Observer / Jonathan Cape / Comica Graphic Short Story Prize 2009
Are you an aspiring graphic novelist? Do you have an original story to tell? Win £1,000 and have your story printed in The Observer.
More info…

also: Comica/Ctrl.Alt.Shift: Comic Design Competition
Win the chance to create a unique comic in collaboration with musician and writer Lightspeed Champion. More info…

Deadline for all three competitions: September 25, 2009

London signings:

Pat Mills: Panini’s English translation of his French graphic albums Requiem: Vampire Knight at Forbidden Planet on Shaftesbury Avenue on September 19th

Bryan Talbot: promoting his new graphic novel – “Grandville”, on Sunday 27th September, 2pm – 4pm at Orbital Comics, off Charing Cross Road.

Joe Sacco: a rare opportunity to get graphic novels such as the award-winning Palestine, Safe Area Goražde, The Fixer, and War’s End signed by the man himself so don’t miss it! Gosh! comics, Great Russel Street, opposite The British Museum on Wednesday the 30th of September from 5 to 7pm

also: This year’s Queer press grant is open until October 1st, 2009

Prism comics awards a significant Queer Press Grant to assist in the publication and promotion of LGBT comics. The grant is funded by donors who are either creators who want to help others just starting out, or fans who want to see more LGBT creators get published.
The submissions are judged for a variety of elements. First and foremost is the quality of the work itself; the level of the illustration and writing, the use of cartooning techniques such as panels, lettering, and page layout, and the thematic depth and ability to develop character and plot, for example, all play significantly in the decision. Also under consideration, however, are financial need, the thoroughness of the business plan, and the presentation of the grant proposal. A well-written proposal with no grammatical or spelling errors, for example, can provide the crucial few points to break an artistic stalemate.
The work can be in black and white or in color, and in comic strip, comic book, or webcomic format.

More info here…

plus: Laydeez do Comics ….

Is a graphic novel reading group or forum with a focus on comic works based on life narrative, the drama of the domestic and the everyday.

The group is run by illustrator Nicola Streeten and artist Sarah Lightman. As well as selecting favourite works to base discussion on, artists, academics and fans will be invited to speak. A platform for people to test new works and ideas or works in progress is included.

The Sewing Room / The Rag Factory / 16-18 Heneage Street, London E1 5LJ

6.30-8.30pm, Monday 21th September / Rosalind B Penfold, creator of ‘Dragonslippers’ will be discussing her work and the book ‘New York Diary’ by Julie Doucet…

More info here…

and: Karen Rubins at the V & A

Manga artist Karen Rubins is the comic book artist in residence at the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington, London and on the 11th, 18th-20th and 25th of September you’re welcome to visit her in her studio in The Sackler Centre, watch her create work, browse some books and take part in a comics jam session!

The Sackler Centre,
Victoria and Albert museum,
(closest entrance: Exhibtion Road, off the South Kensington museums ‘tunnel’)
London SW7 2RL

More info here…