Author Archives: alexfitch

About alexfitch

Co-presenter / producer of "Panel Borders", Thursdays 5pm Resonance 104.4 FM. Film reviewer for www.electricsheepmagazine.com Podcaster for www.sci-fi-london.com

Panel Borders: Spirit animals – Hannah Eaton and Dan White

Panel Borders: Spirit animals – Hannah Eaton and Dan White

Continuing a month of shows on horror and fantasy comics, Alex Fitch talks to a pair of writer / artists about their work in these genres which mix tales of adolescent girls with English legends, spirit animals and weird occurrences. Hannah Eaton discusses her folkloric graphic novel Naming Monsters, recently published by Myriad Editions and a result of her entering the 2012 First Fictions Competition. Dan White talks about his self published comics Terminus and Cindy and Biscuit, the latter combining the adventures of a Little Orphan Annie type character and her dog with Lovecraftian horrors. Both interviews were recorded live at Cartoon County, Brighton, Summer 2013, with additional questions by David Lloyd, Corinne Pearlman, Glenn Fabry, Dave Stone and others.

Originally broadcast 21st October 2013 on Resonance 104.4 FM (London)

Cindy and Biscuit by Dan White / Naming Monsters by Hannah Eaton

Cindy and Biscuit by Dan White / Naming Monsters by Hannah Eaton

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 Hannah’s work at www.hannaheaton.com / www.myriadeditions.com
Alex’s previous interview with Hannah at Crawley Wordfest
Dan White’s website: milkthecat.wordpress.com featuring Cindy and Biscuit
Podcast / reviews site: mindlessones.com featuring Terminus
Cartoon County website
Listen to episode 68 of The Mindless Ones podcast, recorded immediately after the Dan White interview Continue reading

Panel Borders: Mute, Glenn Fabry

Panel Borders: Mute, Glenn Fabry

Continuing a month of shows looking at horror and fantasy comics, Alex Fitch talks to comic book artist and illustrator Glenn Fabry about his graphic novel adaptation of Duncan Jones’ yet to be filmed sequel to Moon, a Philip K Dick style drama called Mute. Glenn discusses the differences between illustrating adaptions of film scripts and regular comics, his collaboration with Steve Niles on the horror serial Lot 13, drawing Garth Ennis’ “funniest script” for The Authority: Kev, and his plans for more personal work in the future. Recorded in front of a live audience at Cartoon County, Brighton, Summer 2013. Originally broadcast Monday 14th October 2013, on Resonance 104.4 FM (London)

Art from Mute by Duncan Jones, More Kev by Garth Ennis, Lot 13 by Steve Niles, illustrated by Glenn Fabry

Art from Mute by Duncan Jones, More Kev by Garth Ennis, Lot 13 by Steve Niles, illustrated by Glenn Fabry

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 Glenn Fabry’s work at www.glennfabry.co.uk
Discover Cartoon County at www.cartooncounty.com
Listen to Alex’s previous interview with Glenn Continue reading

Reality Check: Vanishing Brightness

Reality Check: Vanishing Brightness

To coincide with this weekend’s Oktoberfest, we have a pair of QandAs from the Spring SCI-FI-LONDON festival, in which Alex Fitch talks to the directors of a couple of the more cerebral SF films that screened at the Stratford Picturehouse. Kristina Buozyte discusses her erotic techno thriller Vanishing Waves in which a scientist travels into the mind of a coma patient to try and revive her consciousness. Also Shezad Dawood talks about his feature film Piercing Brightness where cultures and alien encounters collide in an elliptical film shot on the streets of Preston, Lancashire.

Stills from Piercing Brightness and Vanishing Waves

Stills from Piercing Brightness and Vanishing Waves

For more info about this podcast and a variety of other episodes you can download, please visit the home of this episode at www.sci-fi-london.com

Links: Piercing Brightness tumblr
Vanishing Waves website
Listen to Alex’s previous interview with Shezad Dawood
Listen to Virgine Selavy (ELectric Sheep Magazine) interview with Kristina Buozyte

Recommended Events:

SCI-FI-LONDON Oktoberfest 2013

This autumn’s mini Science Fiction and Fantastic Film Festival takes place from 11th – 13th October 2013 at Stratford Picture House, Stratford, East London. Premieres include The Battery, Haunter, The Colony, The Machine, Battle of the Damned and Rewind This. Retro screenings include new prints of Tokyo Fist, Tetsuo: The Iron Man and Ikarie XB-1, themed allnighters include anime, X-Com and MST3K marathons and a second chance to see the Spring SCI-FI-LONDON film of the festival, Channelling.
A highlight of the festival is a rare chance to see the feature debut of youtube phenomenon Stuart Ashen in Ashens and the Quest for the GameChild with a Q and A after the screening with the star, plus an all day symposium about spaceship construction at The Crystal, Royal Victoria Docks E16 1GB

Screenings take place at Stratford Picture House, London E15 1BX

Full programme at www.sci-fi-london.com
Continue reading

Panel Borders: 100 issues of The Walking Dead

Panel Borders: 100 issues of The Walking Dead

Starting a month of shows on horror and fantasy comics, Alex Fitch talks to artist Charlie Adlard about drawing 100 issues of The Walking Dead. Alex and Charlie discuss the various storylines the artist has rendered since 2004, coming up with new character designs for humans and zombies alike, how the TV show compliments and diverges from the original comic, and drawing variant covers for the title to help support his local comic book shop.

Recorded in front of a live audience at Infinity and Beyond Comics, Shrewsbury, Autumn 2013. Originally broadcast 7th October 2013 on Resonance 104.4 FM

Charlie Adlard signs art from The Walking Dead 106 / alternative cover for the issue / interior art

Charlie Adlard signs art from The Walking Dead 106 / alternative cover for the issue / interior art

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: The Walking Dead official website
Charley Adlard’s website
Infinity and Beyond shop website
Article on the signing event in The Shropshire Star
Listen to Alex’s 2010 interview with Charlie Continue reading

Panel Borders: Nic Roeg and Sandy Lieberson – filmmakers talk comics

Panel Borders: Nic Roeg and Sandy Lieberson – filmmakers talk comics

Concluding a month of shows on the presence of comics in the Victoria and Albert museum, Alex Fitch talks to two filmmakers who are regular attendees at Ian Rakoff’s comic book lectures at the V and A. Acclaimed film director Nic Roeg discusses his interest in comics and museum culture, how he nearly directed the 1980 adaptation of Flash Gordon and why the BBC wouldn’t let him choose Desert Island Discs for Radio 4?s Cultural Exchange. American Producer Sandy Lieberson, who worked with Roeg on Performance, talks about his love of classic newspaper strips, distinctions between high and low art and his involvement in The Magic Roundabout movie, Dougal and the Blue Cat. Originally broadcast Monday 30th September 2013, on Resonance 104.4 FM (London)

Pastiche of Performance poster featuring Nic Roeg and Sandy Lieberson

Pastiche of Performance poster featuring Nic Roeg and Sandy Lieberson

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 Continue reading

Panel Borders: Storing Comics / Awarding Illustration

Panel Borders: Storing Comics / Awarding Illustration

In the fourth of a series of shows looking at the presence of comics in the Victoria and Albert Museum, Alex Fitch talks to three of the people involved in promoting the collection. Martin Flynn, Head of Access at the V & A talks about the museum’s annual illustration awards, how comic book creators are beginning to submit their work and the process of doing so. Ian Rakoff, founder of the Rakoff comic book collections and Marc Ward serials librarian at the National Art Library in the Victoria and Albert Museum discuss the storing of comics at the NAL in the museum’s climate controlled basement and elsewhere, how these titles are categorised and how members of the public and access them.
Originally broadcast Monday 23rd September 2013, on Resonance 104.4 FM (London)

The National Art Library in the Victoria and Albert Museum / attendees at the Illustration Awards / display case from On Eagles Wings exhibition

The National Art Library in the Victoria and Albert Museum / attendees at the Illustration Awards / display case from ‘On Eagles Wings’ exhibition

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 the comic book collections in the National Art Library / Victoria and Albert Museum
Info about the Illustration Awards
Search the National Art Library catalogue
Ian Rakoff’s blog
Alex’s previous interview with Ian

Recommended Events:

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival is modelled on the European comic festivals rather than comic conventions that UK audiences are more familiar with.

The aim is create an ‘en fete’ atmosphere, making the whole town part of the festival. There will be a much bigger emphasis on the range of talks, special live drawing events, workshops, films, exhibitions and a kids’ zone. Some of the events, including the exhibitions and the kids’ zone will also be free.

There will be The Comics Clock Tower – in Kendal Town Hall, where people will be able to buy comics and where authors and artists will be signing copies of their work. It will be smaller than at most comic conventions and will focus on writers, artists and publishers who are pioneers of a new wave of innovators in the field of comics and graphic storytelling.

We will be kicking off on Friday evening, 18th October and running until teatime on Sunday 20th. The programme will feature around 30 events of different styles and scales including meet the creators (presentations, live drawings and interviews), panel discussions and a few quirky events too. Alongside this there will be a film programme, exhibitions, workshops, our version of a marketplace/artists’ alley and a dedicated kids’ zone……and more

Guests include: Charlie Adlard, Steve Bell, Hannah Berry, Gareth Brookes, Ed Brubaker, Kurt Busiek, Stephen Collins, Darryl Cunningham, Rob Davis, Al Davison, Andy Diggle, Glyn Dillon, Pete Doherty, Hannah Eaton, Hunt Emerson, Carlos Ezquerra, Duncan Fegredo, Karrie Fransman, Simon Fraser, Katie Green, Isabel Greenberg, Steven Harris, David Hine, Ilya, David Lloyd, Robbie Morrison, Jose Muñoz, Luke Pearson, Ivan Petrus, Sean Phillips, Gary and Warren Pleece, Trina Robbins, Joe Sacco, Gilbert Shelton, Posy Simmonds, Nicola Streeten, Bryan and Mary Talbot, John Wagner and Oscar Zarate…

18th-20th October, Brewery Arts Centre and environs?, 122A Highgate, Kendal, Cumbria LA9 4HE

More info at: www.comicartfestival.com Continue reading

Panel Borders: Preserving comics

Panel Borders: Preserving comics

Continuing a month of shows about the presence of comics in the Victoria and Albert Museum, Alex Fitch talks to V and A conservator Anne Bancroft and comic book creator Jenni Scott about some of the more unusual items in the collection. Anne discusses the preservation and conservation of comics at the V and A, including methods to display items in touring exhibitions and the creation of bespoke storage folders suitable for fragile printed materials. Also, a few days after what would have been his fiftieth birthday, Jenni describes the donation of the Andy Roberts collection to the museum which followed his untimely passing in 2005; the collection includes boxes of British comics and self published zines by Andy himself and others, that the small press creator and musician had amassed during his life. Originally broadcast 16th September 2013 on Resonance 104.4 FM (London)

Tools used by Anne Bancroft at the Victoria and Albert Museum / art by Andy Roberts from 1997 Caption programme, Linus website, RRR zine 2005

Tools used by Anne Bancroft at the Victoria and Albert Museum / art by Andy Roberts from 1997 Caption programme, Linus website, RRR zine 2005

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 the comic book collections in the National Art Library / Victoria and Albert Museum

Articles about Andy Roberts in The Comics Reporter / Paddy Brown’s website
LiveJournal page on Andy Roberts including link to his final RRR zine Continue reading

Panel Borders: Collecting comics at the National Art Library

Panel Borders: Collecting comics at the National Art Library

Continuing a month of shows looking at the presence of comics in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, Alex Fitch talks to Jan van der Wateren (former chief librarian and Keeper of the National Art Library,) and Ian Rakoff (founder of the Rakoff Collection) about the collecting and acquisition of comics at the V & A. Jan and Ian talk about the history of the Rakoff collection, how it relates to other comic book collections in the archive at the National Art Library – such as the Krazy Kat Arkive and Walt Disney comics collection – and various efforts over the years to highlight their existence. Also, Julius Bryant, Keeper of Word and Image at the V & A, talks about the museum’s cultural remit and how that relates to comics, periodicals and popular culture.
Originally broadcast Monday 9th September 2013 on Resonance 104.4 FM (London)

Photo of the National Art Library

Photo of the National Art Library

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 the comic book collections in the National Art Library / Victoria and Albert Museum

Ian Rakoff’s blog
Alex’s previous interview with Ian

Recommended Events:

Resonance FM comedy gig

Don’t miss Resofit on Wednesday 11 September 2013 at the Bloomsbury Theatre. An all-start comedy gala to raise funds for Resonance FM. Starring Simon Amstell, Baconface, Stewart Lee, Shazia Mirza, Rob Newman, Lewis Schaffer and Rosie Wilby.
A great line-up for a great cause – help fund the UK’s best community arts radio station…

More info / tickets at: http://www.thebloomsbury.com/event/run/1839

Graphic Justice

A one-day symposium on the intersection of comics and graphic with the concerns of law and justice. Speakers include Paul Gravett, Ian Rakoff and other experts from the study of law and comics.

St Mary’s University College, London

11 September 2013, 9am – 5pm FREE

More info at: http://graphicjustice.blogspot.co.uk Continue reading

Book List: Alternate Histories

Book List: Alternate Histories

Alex Fitch looks at the science-fiction sub genre of Alternate History, talking to three novelists about their works that imagines the past and near future if historical events had taken a different path. Charles Stross discusses his parallel worlds series “Merchant Princes” which depicts travel between various 21st Centuries where Europe is still feudal or has only just seen the industrial revolution plus his collaboration with Cory Doctorow “Rapture of the nerds”; Max Brooks talks about “World War Z” which depicts the present day Earth after twenty years of a war with zombies; and Ken MacLeod discusses his novella “The Human Front” and novel “Intrusion” which look at the kinds of police states that might exist in this county if various political movements had access to more advanced technology.

Originally broadcast Tuesday 3rd September 2013, Resonance 104.4 FM (London)

Covers of World War Z and Recorded Attacks by Max Brooks, Intrusion and The Human Front by Ken MacLeod, The Bloodline Feud by Charles Stoss, Rapture of the nerds by Stross and Doctorow

Covers of World War Z and Recorded Attacks by Max Brooks, Intrusion and The Human Front by Ken MacLeod, The Bloodline Feud by Charles Stoss, Rapture of the nerds by Stross and Doctorow

For more info about this podcast and a variety of other formats you can download / stream, please visit the home of this episode at www.archive.org

Links: Charles Stross’ website
Max Brooks’ website
Ken MacLeod’s blog
Listen to Alex’s interview with Ken MacLeod and Edward Ross about their stem cell comic book Continue reading

Panel Borders: Illustrating the Memory Palace

Panel Borders: Illustrating the Memory Palace

In the first of a new series of Panel Borders, we have the start of a month of shows looking at the presence of comics in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Alex Fitch talks to curator Ligaya Salazar and artist Robert Hunter about the exhibition Memory Palace which runs at the V and A until 20th October and depicts a post apocalyptic London where memory and speech are being legislated and curtailed by the state. Salazar discusses the creation of the exhibition with her co-curator Laurie Britton Newell and how the short story by Hari Kunzru which forms the basis of the show has been illustrated by artists from various media, including comics, illustration and sculpture. Hunter talks about his silent comic strip in the book of the exhibition which reimagines its creation within the walls of the museum and elsewhere and his latest graphic novel Map of Days, available from Nobrow Press. Originally broadcast 2nd September 2013 on Resonance 104.4 FM (London)

Photo of Memory Palace exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum

Photo of Memory Palace exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum


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 Memory Palace at Victoria and Albert Museum website /
Sky Arts website
Review of Memory Palace at One Stop Arts
Robert Hunter’s website
More info about Map of Days at Nobrow Press

Recommended Events:

Quick Strips at Brighton Digital Festival

Twelve cartoonists reveal all in under six minutes each

Quick Strips, part of Brighton Digital Festival, is a speedy showcase for 12 cartoonists and graphic novelists to reveal all in public by presenting their work or giving away their trade secrets in under 6 minutes each.

Alex Fitch of Resonance FM is compere for the night, and the stellar cast features First Graphic Novel Competition winner Gareth Brookes, author of The Black Project, to be published on 12 September, and fellow Myriad graphics authors Nye Wright (Things to Do in a Retirement Home Trailer Park), Hannah Eaton (Naming Monsters), and, down from Leeds to investigate the Balcombe fracking protests, Darryl Cunningham, author of Science Tales. Other guests are graphic novelists and cartoonists Hannah Berry, Joe Decie, Chie Kutsuwada, Ottilie Hainsworth, Julia Homersham, Jaime Huxtable and Ben Naylor. Held in association with Cartoon County.

Location: The Latest Bar, Manchester Street, Brighton BN2 1TF
Thursday 5th September, 2013

Doors open 18.30; show starts 19.00; ends 21.00 FREE

More info at: http://www.myriadeditions.com/events?item=368 Continue reading