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

Electric Sheep podcast: The Antonioni Project

Electric Sheep podcast: The Antonioni Project

In the second Electric Sheep Podcast of 2011, Alex Fitch talks to director Ivo van Hove about his innovative theatrical production The Antonioni Project, being staged at The Barbican, City of London, a play that combines elements of cinema and theatre as it blends three screenplays by Michelangelo Antonioni with the latest technological achievements.

Photo of The Antonioni Project, directed by Ivo van Hove

Photo of The Antonioni Project, directed by Ivo van Hove

The Barbican are also showing all three of the films which inspired The Antonioni Project:
L’Avventura (The Adventure) / 5 Feb 2011 / 15:45 / Cinema 1
La Notte (The Night) / 13 Feb 2011 / 13:30 / Cinema 1
L’eclisse (The Eclipse) / 20 Feb 2011 / 16:00 / Cinema 1

More info: www.barbican.org.uk

More for more information and a variety of formats you can stream / download, please visit the home of this podcast at www.archive.org

In association with

Links: Info about The Antonioni Project at The Barbican
Review round-up of the production on current.com
Toneelgroep Amsterdam website
Wikipedia page on Michelangelo Antonioni
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Panel Borders: Trina Robbins, Female comic creators and Underground Comix

Panel Borders: Trina Robbins, Female comic creators and Underground Comix

Woodrow Phoenix and Trina Robbins at Laydeez do Comix, photo by Lisa Gornick

Woodrow Phoenix and Trina Robbins at Laydeez do Comix, photo by Lisa Gornick

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: The Walking Dead website
Charlie Adlard’s website
Wikipedia pages on Charlie Adlard and The Walking Dead

Links: Wikipedia pages on Trina Robbins and Underground Comix
Recent interview with Trina Robbins at comicsbeat.com
Info about Laydeez do comics

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Panel Borders: Charlie Adlard and the Walking Dead

Panel Borders: Charlie Adlard and the Walking Dead

Concluding our month of shows looking at depictions of masculinity in America comics, we have an uncut hour long recording of Alex Fitch in conversation with British artist Charlie Adlard about his ongoing zombie comic The Walking Dead, recently turned into a TV series by Frank Darabont, director of The Shawshank Redemption. Alex and Charlie also look at the latter’s work on 2000AD, The X-Files and CodeFlesh plus the evolution of The Walking Dead over the last seven years. The talk was recorded live at the London Print Studio, Harrow Road as part of 2010?s Comica Festival and includes questions from the audience, including festival organiser Paul Gravett.

The Walking Dead, trade paperback covers 11-13 by Charlie Adlard

The Walking Dead, trade paperback covers 11-13 by Charlie Adlard

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: The Walking Dead website
Charlie Adlard’s website
Wikipedia pages on Charlie Adlard and The Walking Dead

Listen to Alex Fitch and Duncan Nott’s 2007 interview with Charlie Adlard

Recommended events:

Orbital Comics exhibition and signings

Mark Stafford exhibition

Artist Mark Stafford (Bryan Talbot’s Cherubs / Electric Sheep Magazine) is exhibiting his work in the Orbital gallery, including images from his forthcoming contribution to Self Made Hero’s H.P. Lovecraft anthology… 18th Jan 2011 – 13th Feb 2011

Jim Zubkavich Signing

Jim Zubkavich, creator of Skull Kickers will be signing at Orbital Comics, Great Newport Street, London on Saturday 5th Feb, 4pm
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Panel Borders: Chris Ware and Daniel Clowes – the deconstructed American male

Panel Borders: Chris Ware and Daniel Clowes – the deconstructed American male

Continuing Panel Borders’ month long look at depictions of Masculinity in American Comics, Alex Fitch talks to award winning graphic novelists Chris Ware and Daniel Clowes who both publish their work first as chapters in periodicals Acme Novelty Library and Eightball respectively. Ware’s graphic novel, Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth, won the Guardian First Book Award in 2001, while Clowes’ Art School Confidential and Ghost World have both been adapted as American Independent films, the latter seeing the author nominated for his Best Adapted Screenplay at the 2002 Academy Awards…

Alex Fitch interviews Chris Ware and Daniel Clowes

Alex Fitch interviews Chris Ware and Daniel Clowes

Please note: a video podcast of this interview is available at http://www.youtube.com/panelborders

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: Daniel Clowesonline bibliography
BBC online interview with illustrations and screensaver
More info about Wilson, Ice Haven and Ghost World at randomhouse.co.uk

Chris Ware‘s animations from This American Life
Unofficial ACME Novelty library website
More info about Jimmy Corrigan, the smartest kid on Earth and Quimby the Mouse at randomhouse.co.uk
Wikipedia pages on Chris Ware and Daniel Clowes

Recommended events:

Laydeez do Comics January meeting

Guest Speakers:

Corinne Pearlman: Cartoonist, designer and illustrator.
Co-coordinator of Cartoon County, the Sussex Association of Cartoonists and Comic Strip Artists.
Creative Director of Comic Company, and Myriad Editions

Erica Smith: Editor and Creator of Girl Frenzy, the UK’s only underground girl zine. First Published in ’91.

Ilya: British comic book writer and artist.
Creator of Bic who appeared in a self-published series of comics (now collected as Skidmarks). His first (not graphic) novel The Clay Dreaming was published in 2010.

Monday 24 January 2011, 6.30-9.30pm, The Rag Factory, Henage Street (off Brick Lane), London E1 5LJ

More info at: www.laydeezdocomics.com

Electric Sheep podcast: Zipangu festival and the films of Tetsuaki Matsue

Electric Sheep podcast: Zipangu festival and the films of Tetsuaki Matsue

In the first Electric Sheep Podcast of 2011, Alex Fitch presents a Q and A conducted by Jasper Sharp with director Tetsuaki Matsue recorded at the Zipangu festival at London University School of Oriental and African Studies, November 2010. Jasper and Tetsuaki discuss the director’s work in independent documentary cinema, focussing on his two most recent films – Annyong Yumika (2009), a documentary portrait of the adult performer Yumika Hayashi following the discovery after her death of an obscure low-budget Korean oddity in which she starred, Junko the Tokyo Housewife, and Live Tape (2009), the one guitar, one camera, one tape and one take live concert film of Kenta Maeno’s street performance that won the 2009 ‘Japanese Eyes’ Best Picture Award at Tokyo International Film Festival.

Left to right, film director Tetsuaki Matsue, actress Yumika Hayashi in the film Annyong Yumika and musician Kenta Maeno in the film Live Tape

Left to right, film director Tetsuaki Matsue, actress Yumika Hayashi in the film Annyong Yumika and musician Kenta Maeno in the film Live Tape

More for more information and a variety of formats you can stream / download, please visit the home of this podcast at www.archive.org

In association with

Links: Zipangu Festival website +
pages on Tetsuaki Matsue, Annyong Yumika and Live Tape
SOAS (London University School of Oriental and African Studies) website

The latest issue of Electric Sheep Magazine is now online, and is concerned with Fallen women, sour love and toxic memories
Dreamy Belgian neo-giallo Amer leads us to ponder cinematic bitterness with articles on Mizoguchi’s Street of Shame and Michael Haneke’s anatomy of hatred.

In cinemas, we review the extravagant ballet melodrama Black Swan and you can read our interview with director Darren Aronofsky while John Carpenter perfects his B-movie recipe with The Ward .

Extract of Breakfast at Tiffanys review by Francesca Cassavetti

Extract of Breakfast at Tiffanys review by Francesca Cassavetti

New DVDs include beautifully packaged editions of Dario Argento’s Deep Red and Mario Bava’s A Bay of Blood, just so we can revisit the films that inspired Amer and we have a Comic Strip Review of Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Francesca Cassavetti.
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Panel Borders: the Kick-Ass work of John Romita Jr.

Panel Borders: the Kick-Ass work of John Romita Jr.

Continuing our month of shows about portrayals of masculinity in American comics, Alex Fitch talks to comic book creator John Romita Jr., artist of nearly 150 issues of Spider-man over the last 30 years and more recently of Mark Millar’s creator owned series Kick-Ass which was turned into one of 2010’s most enjoyable films. Alex and John also talk about the latter’s creator owned series The Gray Area and his forthcoming series Shmuggy And Bimbo, set in 1970s New York, written by Howard Chaykin.

Comics by John Romita Jr.: Kick-Ass vol.2 promotional image, Amazing Spider-Man #484, The Gray Area #1, The Avengers vol.4 #1

Comics by John Romita Jr.: Kick-Ass vol.2 promotional image, Amazing Spider-Man #484, The Gray Area #1, The Avengers vol.4 #1

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: Wikipedia pages on John Romita Jr. and Kick-Ass
More info about CLiNT magazine featuring Kick-Ass series 2

Recommended events:

Call for Mechanical Elephant strips

As part of their ‘First Fridays’ events, Marine Studios in Margate are putting together an exhibition that looks at comics, graphic novels and sequential art.

Featuring work from a range of local and international artists and writers, live talk from guest speaker Paul Gravett, more comics than you can stand, and the chance to discuss your work and ideas.

To kick start proceedings prior to the show they are inviting submissions for a two page comic under the title: ‘Mechanical Elephant’. All ideas are welcome to inspire, amuse, terrify and entertain. There are no limits other than sticking to the two page rule (206 x 280 mm each, in either portrait or landscape), and of course, don’t forget the Mechanical Elephant!

Send your entries (jpeg, pdf, tif, eps or mov format) with the subject ‘Mechanical Elephant’ to: Kam [at] hkd.uk.com or Rick [at] hkd.uk.com

The deadline for entries is 21st January 2011. Marine Studios will display the finished artwork and as much of the preparatory work as possible in their show beginning 4th February 2011 at Marine Studios, Margate.

More info at www.marinestudios.co.uk/gallery/events/
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Reality Check: Future Publishing? part 2

Reality Check: Future Publishing? part 2

Tom Hunter (Arthur C. Clarke Awards Administrator), Paul Graham-Raven (editor-in-chief of the science fiction webzine Futurismic), Paul Rainey (creator of serialised web and print comics Book of Lists and There’s No Time Like The Present), Gary Gibson (novelist – Nova War / Stealing Light) and Dave Bradley (Editor-in-Chief of SFX magazine) conclude their talk about the Future of Publishing in the iPad / Kindle age, looking at the synesthethic reaction to real books and the interative nature of downloaded / online content. Also features questions by Alex Fitch (Resonance FM) and John Freeman (Doctor Who Magazine)… (part 2 of 2)

Recorded live at Sci-Fi London 9, Apollo Piccadilly Cinema, Spring 2010 (recorded and edited by Alex Fitch)

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 / listen to part 1

Links: Paul Rainey’s website
Gary Gibson’s blog
SFX magazine website
Paul Raven’s Futurismic website
Arthur C. Clark awards website

Listen to Alex’s interview with Paul Rainey about his work
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Panel Borders: Four Color Westerns

Panel Borders: Four Color Westerns

Starting 2011’s run of shows, Panel Borders begins its yearly look at depictions of Masculinity in American Comics. This week, Alex Fitch talks to the Victoria and Albert Museum’s comics expert Ian Rakoff about his forthcoming lecture on the Western genre in magazines and strips, from Classics Illustrated to Donald Duck, Red Ryder to the brutality of E.C. Comics…

Various Western themed comics 1950-1979

Various Western themed comics 1950-1979

(Please note Panel Borders will be back on air 13/01/11 on Resonance 104.4 FM)

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: More info about V and A lectures
Info about the illustration
Red Ryder #3 (1941) by Fred Harman
Four Color comic #199 – Donald Duck (1948) by Carl Barks
Gunfighter #13 (1950) by Johnny Craig
Kit Carson, Indian Scout #1 (1950) by Everett Raymond Kinstler
Classics Illustrated #154 – The Conspiracy of Pontiac (1960) by Gerald McCann
Commanche Moon graphic novel (1979) by Jack Jackson
Wikipedia page on Classics Illustrated
Lambiek page on Everett Raymond Kinstler

Listen to Alex’s interviews with Ian about the crossover between the Western on film and in comics and his V and A talk on ‘The Creation of the American identity through 20th Century comic strips’

Recommended events:

Call for Mechanical Elephant strips

As part of their ‘First Fridays’ events, Marine Studios in Margate are putting together an exhibition that looks at comics, graphic novels and sequential art.

Featuring work from a range of local and international artists and writers, live talk from guest speaker Paul Gravett, more comics than you can stand, and the chance to discuss your work and ideas.

To kick start proceedings prior to the show they are inviting submissions for a two page comic under the title: ‘Mechanical Elephant’. All ideas are welcome to inspire, amuse, terrify and entertain. There are no limits other than sticking to the two page rule (206 x 280 mm each, in either portrait or landscape), and of course, don’t forget the Mechanical Elephant!
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Panel Borders: Discussing Derek the Sheep

Panel Borders: Discussing Derek the Sheep

Concluding our month long look at anthropomorphic / funny animal comics Alex Fitch leads a discussion recorded at the Streatham library graphic novel readers group about Derek the Sheep and other funny animal comics with creator Gary Northfield and colourist Ellen Lindner.
(Partially broadcast 16/12/10 on Resonance FM)

Extract from Derek the Sheep by Gary Northfield

Extract from Derek the Sheep by Gary Northfield

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: For more info about Gary’s comics please visit his website www.garynorthfield.co.uk
Ellen Lindner’s comics website: www.littlewhitebird.com
Pedro Galvao’s blog: http://sequentialscripts.blogspot.com
For more about the Streatham Library graphic novels reading group, please go to http://community.livejournal.com/lambeth_comics

To hear more discussions of comics, manga and graphic novels recorded at Streatham Library, click here

Call for Mechanical Elephant strips

As part of their ‘First Fridays’ events, Marine Studios in Margate are putting together an exhibition that looks at comics, graphic novels and sequential art.

Featuring work from a range of local and international artists and writers, live talk from guest speaker Paul Gravett, more comics than you can stand, and the chance to discuss your work and ideas.

To kick start proceedings prior to the show they are inviting submissions for a two page comic under the title: ‘Mechanical Elephant’. All ideas are welcome to inspire, amuse, terrify and entertain. There are no limits other than sticking to the two page rule (206 x 280 mm each, in either portrait or landscape), and of course, don’t forget the Mechanical Elephant!

Send your entries (jpeg, pdf, tif, eps or mov format) with the subject ‘Mechanical Elephant’ to: Kam [at] hkd.uk.com or Rick [at] hkd.uk.com

The deadline for entries is 21st January 2011. Marine Studios will display the finished artwork and as much of the preparatory work as possible in their show beginning 4th February 2011 at Marine Studios, Margate.

More info at www.marinestudios.co.uk/gallery/events/

Panel Borders: Comical Animal

Panel Borders: Comical Animal

Continuing a series of shows about anthropomorphic comics, Alex Fitch talks to Jim Medway about his new online web comic magazine Comical Animal. Alex and Jim talk about the latter’s influences from Richard Scarry to kitchen sink drama, creating the popular strip Crab Lane Crew in The DFC and curating a bimonthly magazine that features the likes of Woodrow Phoenix, Gary Northfield and Sarah McIntyre…

Partially broadcast 16th December 2010 on Resonance 104.4 FM

Comical Animal workout by Jim Medway

Comical Animal workout by Jim Medway

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: www.comicalanimal.com
Wikipedia pages on anthropomorphic comics
Jim Medway’s website and blog

Recommended events:

Erika Moen – Signing and Exhibition

Erika Moen (Dar Comics) will be in London for the opening of her show at Orbital Comics! Come see her paintings in real life and maybe get a book signed or something!

Orbital Comics, 8 Gt Newport Street, London WC2H 7JA, United Kingdom
Thursday, 30 December 2010 17:00

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