Panel Borders: Hemlock and Skullkickers – Gendering Fantasy

Starting a month of shows about genre in comic books, Alex Fitch talks to the writers of two very different fantasy comics which show the wide range of approaches to the genre. At a signing in Orbital Comics, recorded in February, Alex talks to Jim Zubkavich about his popular Image Comics title Skullkickers, his web strip Makeshift Miracle and his work on Udon Studios’ Street Fighter comic, then in an interview recorded at last weekend’s MCM Expo, Joceline Fenton discusses her small press comic Hemlock. Both creators discuss the appearance of their comics online, the importance of well designed packaging for the collected editions and their other projects.

For more info and a variety of formats you can stream or listen to this podcast in, please visit the home of this episode at www.archive.org

Links: Jim Zubkavich on livejournal and blogspot
Info about Jim Zubkavich at Udon Entertainment’s website

Josceline Fenton pages on tumblr
Hemlock website, including the first page of the saga

Recommended events:

Events at Gosh! Comics

November 9: Comics Gosh!p – the new monthly meeting for graphic novel fans, run by Mark Hayock & Mike Medaglia, this month discussing Frank Miller and David Mazzuchelli’s Batman: Year One and Joceline Fenton’s Hemlock.

November 11: Frederik Peeters (Blue Pills: A Positive Love Story) signing/talk/Q&A. His new book Sandcastle is out through SelfMadeHero.

November 14: A Comica Conversation with Richard McGuire (Raw, The New Yorker, Liquid Liquid) and Steven Appleby, plus a projection of McGuire’s animated films.

November 18: German creators Uli Oesterle and Mawil signing copies of their newly translated books from Blank Slate + Q & A with Alex Fitch (Resonance FM).

November 25: Nelson launch party, signing and art show. Exclusive Gosh! Bookplate Edition by Frank Quitely available on the night!

November 26: Luke Pearson signing copies of his new Hilda book from Nobrow + art show (all pieces are up and on sale now)

Gosh! Comics, 1 Berwick Street, London W1F 0DR

Comica Events

Comiket 2011

The spectacular Great Hall at the Bishopsgate Institute is the new venue for Comica Comiket, the Comica Festival’s 6th one-day comics and art fair – bigger and better than ever, offering the best of British creators, publishers, small presses, graphic artists and suppliers under one roof. Throughout the day, top artists will be taking part on stage in the Comica Drawing Parade, with their live artworks and demos projected on a giant screen.

Artists include: Roger Langridge, Luke Pearson, Warren Pleece, James Jarvis, Savage Pencil, Eyeball, Frederik Peeters and Brecht Evens

Bishopsgate Institute, 230 Bishopsgate, London
Saturday, November 12, 2011 – 11am to 6pm

Warren Ellis screening + Q & A

The cult writer Warren Ellis makes a rare public appearance at the Bishopsgate Institute and is interviewed by Lenny Henry, before the UK premiere screening of Warren Ellis: Captured Ghosts, the revealing documentary about Ellis, directed by Patrick Meaney (Grant Morrison: Talking With Gods).

Tickets: £8 (plus 80p booking fee) available from WeGotTickets.com
Bishopsgate Institute, 230 Bishopsgate, London
Saturday, November 12, 2011 – From 7pm