Panel Borders: The Hartlepool Monkey

Continuing a month of shows about French comics or Bande dessinée, Alex Fitch talks to writer Wilfrid Lupano, artist Jérémie Moreau and publisher Tony Bennett about their graphic novel The Hartlepool Monkey (Le Singe de Hartlepool), released in the UK by Knockabout Press. The trio discuss the County Durham legend of a pet monkey washed ashore from a Napoleonic ship and taken to be a French spy by locals, how the graphic novel has gone down in France and their approach to combining various versions of the story to make a cohesive narrative. (Originally broadcast 17/02/14 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

Links: Wilfred’s blog
Jérémie’s blog
More info about The Hartlepool Monkey at www.knockabout.com
Review and director’s commentary on The Hartlepool Monkey at Forbidden Planet International blog

Panel Borders: Translating Snowpiercer

Continuing a month of shows about French comics or Bande dessinée, Alex Fitch talks to Virginie Sélavy about her translation of Jacques Lob, Benjamin Legrand and Jean-Marc Rochette’s French graphic novel Snowpiercer (Le Transperceneige) for its new two volume UK edition published by Titan Comics. Fitch and Sélavy also discuss Bong Joon-ho’s forthcoming film adaptation of Snowpiercer, other French translations that Titan have planned for 2014, and about the various comics and graphic novels that are available in the Resonance FM fundraising auction. (Originally broadcast 10/02/14 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

Links: Info about Titan Comics’ release of Snowpiercer
BFI page on Virginie Sélavy
Electric Sheep Magazine website
Wikipedia pages on Snowpiercer and Jean-Marc Rochette

Recommended events:

Resonance FM auction

Resonance FM is a registered charity radio station – all the programme makers and engineers give their time for free and the charity needs donations to keep the station on air. During fundraising week, please take the time to donate whatever you can, go along to a fundraising event or buy an item from the auction.

More info at: www.resonancefm.com / Download a donation letter

Panel Borders: Régis Loisel and Peter Pan

Starting a month of shows about French comics or Bande dessinée, Alex Fitch talks to cartoonist Régis Loisel about his epic graphic novel adaptation of and prequel to J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, published in the UK by Soaring Penguin Press. Fitch and Loisel talk about the artist’s work for Disney in the 1990s, his interest in anthropomorphic characters, and how Jack the Ripper unexpectedly became part of Peter Pan’s origin.

Recorded at the Institut Francais, London, Summer 2013 with translation provided by Justine Goy. (Originally broadcast 03/02/14 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

Links: Régis’ website
Information about Peter Pan at www.soaringpenguinpress.com
More info about BD and Comics Passion at the Institut Francais

Recommended events:

Just So Happens Launch party

Fumio Obata is a comic book author and visual artist who makes absolutely stunning work and who we here at Gosh! are huge fans of. His comics are a visual mish-mash of manga and Bande Dessinée styles, with the frequent theme of cultural differences, and his zines were the insider tip-off at Thought Bubble 2012. Jonathan Cape have snapped him up quickly for his UK debut graphic novel, Just So Happens.

If this tickles your fancy, you should probably make it down to the launch party for Just So Happens, taking place on Friday, the 7th of February, from 7pm until 9pm. There will be booze as usual, as well as Fumio himself signing copies.

More info: http://www.goshlondon.com/2014/01/fumio-obatas-just-so-happens-launch-party-at-gosh/

Gosh!,
1 Berwick Street,
London W1F 0DR

Panel Borders: Kelly Sue DeConnick, Captain Marvel

Concluding a month of shows looking at Marvel Superhero comics, Alex Fitch talks to writer Kelly Sue DeConnick about her work on their Avengers Assemble, Osborne and Captain Marvel titles. Alex and Kelly Sue discuss how the author got her first work at Marvel, how her interest in aviation history leads to portrayals of female heroes from the real world in Captain Marvel, and how her writing collaboration with Warren Ellis on recent issues of Avengers Assemble came about. (Originally broadcast 27/01/14 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

Links: Kelly Sue’s website
Listen to Kieron Gillen’s interview with Kelly Sue DeConnick
Listen to Alex’s interview with Matt Fraction about his work Continue reading →

Panel Borders: Kieron Gillen, Now.1

Continuing a month of shows about Superhero Comics, Alex Fitch talks to writer Kieron Gillen about his recent titles published under the Marvel Now banner, including Iron Man and Young Avengers, his collaborations with writer Matt Fraction, thoughts on online and interactive comics, and his forays into ‘mature readers’ titles such as Uber. Recorded at Nine Worlds Geek Fest, London 2013

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

Links: Kieron Gillen’s website and tumblr
Info on Kieron’s work at marvel.com

Listen to Alex’s previous interviews with Kieron Gillen about his work Continue reading →

Panel Borders: What is a Superhero?

Continuing a month of shows about superhero comics, Alex Fitch discusses the new Oxford University Press book ‘What is a Superhero?’ with a couple of the contributors – Richard Reynolds (Central St. Martins School of Art and Design) and Will Brooker (Kingston University) – and two writers of superhero comics – Kieron Gillen (Iron Man) and Si Spurrier (X-Men: Legacy).
Reynolds and Brooker read from their sections of the anthology and discuss their thoughts on superheroes, pop star culture and technology; while Gillen and Spurrier talk about how they have built on the work of their predecessors while trying to create a voice of their own at Marvel Comics, in titles such as Journey into Mystery and The Punisher. Also, the four authors discuss the nature of cosplay with practitioners in the audience and its relation to the modern superhero identity. Recorded at Foyles, Charing Cross Road, Autumn 2013 as part of Comica Festival.

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

Links: More info about the Oxford University Press book ‘What is a Superhero?’
Info about Richard Reynolds on LinkedIn
Info on Will Brooker on Kingston University’s website
Kieron Gillen’s website
Si Spurrier’s website
Info about the original event on the Comica Festival website

Listen to Alex’s previous interview with Si Spurrier, previous interviews with Kieron Gillen about his work, and previous episodes featuring Richard Reynolds

Panel Borders: Drawing Daredevils

Starting a month of shows about Superhero comics, Alex Fitch talks to a trio of artists who have worked on the title Daredevil at different periods over the last forty years. Klaus Janson, Bill Sienkiewicz and David Mack discuss their various art styles, and their joy in collaborating together on the recent mini series Daredevil: End of days. (Recorded Spring 2013 at London Super Comic Con)

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

Links: Marvel Wiki on Klaus Janson
Bill Sienkiewicz’ website
David Mack’s facebook page
Daredevil fansite: www.manwithoutfear.com

Listen to Alex’s previous show on Daredevil featuring interviews with Alex Maleev and Alex Irvine and previous interview with Klaus Janson about his work

Panel Borders: Designing comics

In a coda to a trio of shows about the use of fine art in comics, Alex Fitch looks at graphic design in comics, in a panel discussion with Rian Hughes (2000AD), Karen Rubins (V&A artist in residence), Robert Ball (Winter’s Knight) and Mike Medaglia (The Comix Reader). Hughes talks about his segue from being a comics artist into a full time graphic designer and font creator, Rubins discusses the influence of medieval woodcut design in her comic Blood Magic, Ball examines his move from ‘mondo’ style superhero posters to silent fantasy graphic novels and Medaglia explores the connections between atypical panel layout and Taoist theory in his small press anthology Wu Wei. Recorded at Caption Festival, Summer 2013. (Panel Borders will return in the second week of January, 2014)

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

Websites: Rian Hughes / Karen Rubins / Robert Ball / Mike Medaglia / Caption Festival