Panel Borders: Doctor Who and The Spiral Cage

Continuing our month look long at ‘British Mavericks’ – interviews with artists whose work brings aspects of the avant-garde to mainstream comics – Alex Fitch talks to artist Al Davison about his career so far, from early graphic novels based on autobiography such as The Spiral Cage and The Minotaur’s Tale which depict Al’s struggle with his identity as an artist with spina bifida to his most recent book Hokusai: Demons which explores Japanese erotic art and bestiaries based on the artist’s dreams; and also writer Tony Lee joins Alex and Al to discuss the latter’s collaboration with the artist on the American Doctor Who comic which depicts David Tennant’s alter-ego having adventures in 1920s Hollywood. Today’s interviews were recorded last month at the British International Comics Show in Birmingham.

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: Al Davison – Official website www.astralgypsy.com
Al’s page at www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk
Interview with Al in The Coventry Telegraph

Tony Lee – Official website www.tonylee.co.uk
Interview with Tony about Doctor Who at www.comicbookresources.com
Read the first 6 pages of Doctor Who: Silver Scream online

Recommended events:

Orbital Comics Gallery will be hosting an exhibition of various artists’ contributions to the Solipsistic Pop comics anthology from 14-19 November 2009.

Gilbert Shelton, signing the brand new Fat Freddy’s Cat Omnibus at:
Gosh! Comics, Great Russell Street, London – Saturday 14th November
A rare chance to meet the legendary American underground creator as Knockabout comics publish an omnibus edition of one of his most famous creations…

Cameron Stewart / Karl Kerschl / Ramón Pérez at Orbital Comics
Cameron Stewart (Seaguy, Batman & Robin), Karl Kerschl (Wednesday Comics: Flash, Teen Titans: Year One) and Ramón Pérez (Resistance, NYX: No Way Home)
will be signing their wares on Thursday 19th November 2009 from 5:00 to 7:00.
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Panel Borders: The art of Brendan McCarthy

Edited broadcast 05/11/09 as an episode of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM

Starting ‘British Mavericks’ month on the show – a series of conversations with illustrators whose work is surprisingly avant-garde for mainstream comics – we have an interview with pop art surrealist Brendan McCarthy. Appropriately for Guy Fawkes’ Night, Brendan’s work is the comic strip equivalent of fireworks, mixing lurid colours with hallucinogenic rendering that he has managed to smuggle into British periodicals such as 2000AD and Crisis and more recently has led to work in the field of film and animation design, working on TV series such as Reboot and the new film Mad Max 4: Fury Road. Today’s interview was conducted by author and librarian Pedro Galvao in front of an audience of Graphic Novel fans at Minet libraryin Camberwell as part of the Lambeth Readers and Writers Festival during the summer. (The episode was recorded and edited by Alex Fitch)

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: Brendan McCarthy ‘fansite’
Buy Brendan’s art from Koch Comic Art
Info about The Lambeth Readers and Writers Festival 2009
Info about Minet library
Info about Mad Max 4: Fury Road on wikipedia

Related events: BLACK POWERS exhibtion at Swiss Cottage Library Gallery

As part of Black History Month, Swiss Cottage Library Gallery presents an exhibition of comics by black creators and of African-American characters in comics. The collection coheres around black representations through the imagery and language of the comic book medium: representation as markers of both historical and contemporary struggles. The theme is developed through archival works from the 1930’s to the present-day and culminates with a display of the singular comic art of Patrice and John Aggs, Paul Peart-Smith, Woodrow Phoenix and Lance Tooks.

09 October – 06 November 2009
Swiss Cottage Library Gallery, 88 Avenue Rd, London, United Kingdom

and while we’re on the subject: VOTE FOR PHOENIX!

Woodrow Phoenix’ acclaimed graphic novel Rumble Strip is up for an award – The People’s Book Prize – so please go to www.peoplesbookprize.com and cast your vote!

COMICA FESTIVAL – various events at the ICA, The Mall, London and environs:

Week one:
(all events are at the ICA unless otherwise noted)

Heavy Pencil: David Lloyd
David Lloyd leads this month’s Heavy Pencil session for a V For Vendetta themed evening. November 5, 2009 – 8pm to midnight

Little Pencil: Sarah McIntyre
Sarah McIntyre (Vern & Lettuce, Morris The Mankiest Monster) joins the drawing to music workshop for children. November 6, 2009 – 4.30pm to 6pm

The Birth Of American Comics Fandom In Britain
Brian Bolland and Dave Gibbons bring to life the startling story of how fandom exploded in the Sixties. November 7, 2009 – from 2.30pm

Bryan Talbot: Grandville & The Anthropomorphic Tradition
Bryan Talbot gives his only London presentation of his illuminating illustrated lecture. November 7, 2009 – 4.30pm to 6pm

Eddie Campbell: The Years Have Pants
Eddie Campbell discusses his latest book, Alec: The Years Have Pants. November 7, 2009 – 7pm to 9pm
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Panel Borders: Inside the Fleece Station

Edited broadcast 29/10/09 as part of an episode of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM

Concluding ‘anthologies and collectives month’ on the show, in an interview recorded on location at the Old Police Station The Fleece Station in Deptford, Alex Fitch talks to artists Sarah McIntyre and Viviane Schwartz about their work including books such as Morris the Mankiest Monster and There are Cats in this book plus the benefits of sharing a studio that has a web and public presence.

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 Fleece Station blog
Sarah’s website and blog
Viviane’s website
The DFC website / “Save the DFC” blog
Super Comics Adventure Squad blog

Related events: BLACK POWERS exhibition at Swiss Cottage Library Gallery

As part of Black History Month, Swiss Cottage Library Gallery presents an exhibition of comics by black creators and of African-American characters in comics. The collection coheres around black representations through the imagery and language of the comic book medium: representation as markers of both historical and contemporary struggles. The theme is developed through archival works from the 1930’s to the present-day and culminates with a display of the singular comic art of Patrice and John Aggs, Paul Peart-Smith, Woodrow Phoenix and Lance Tooks.

09 October – 06 November 2009
Swiss Cottage Library Gallery, 88 Avenue Rd, London, United Kingdom
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Panel Borders: Banal Pigs, borrowed toilets and other manly anthologies

Edited broadcast 29/10/09 as part of an episode of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM

Continuing ‘anthologies and collectives month’ on the show, in an interview recorded at this year’s Small Press Expo in Bristol, Dickon Harris talks to Steve Tillotson and Gareth Brookes about their self published comics, including The Manly Boys Annual, Can I borrow your toilet? and The Banal Pig Landscape anthology; Dickon then catches up with Gareth again at the Alternative Press Fair Collaborama! in Borough to talk about performing small press comics as poetry.

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: Steve Tillotson’s Banal Pig website
Gareth Brookes’ Appalling Nonsense website
Banal Pig blog
Listen to Gareth read his poems Smell of the Wild and Jolly Bear as part of Gemma Cantlow’s Stand-up Comics
Listen to Dickon’s interview with Gareth Brookes and various other creators at last year’s Handmade and Bound festival

Related events:

November Small Press events:

Handmade and bound – The Affordable book arts and zine fair, Sunday 1st November at the St Aloysius Social Club, near Euston,

The Small Press Comiket, Sunday 8th November which is part of the fortnight long Comica festival at The ICA, on The Mall, in Central London

“Are you zine friendly?”, Thursday 12th November, an Alternative Press event at the Foundry in Hoxton, promoting a new small press web resource: the Zine Friendly blog! And that’s at 86 Great Eastern Street.

For more info about all these events please visit: comicsandzines.wordpress.com
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Panel Borders: Eclectic Micks and stars of Solipsistic Pop!

Edited broadcast 22/10/09 as part of an episode of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM

Continuing ‘anthologies and collectives month’ on the show, in an interview recorded at last month’s British International Comics Show in Birmingham, Alex Fitch talks to four members of a group of Irish comic book artists – Stephen Mooney, PJ Holden, Will Sliney and Declan Shalvey – who work for a variety of British and American comic publishers and collectively promote their work through a blog with the title “Eclectic Micks”.
Alex also talks to the creator and editor – Tom Humberstone – and some of the contributors – Julia Scheele, Matthew Sheret and Stephen Collins – of the new anthology “Solipsistic Pop” which intends to bring the sensibilities of high-end American Indie comic anthologies to the under represented world of British small press creators. Julia and Matthew also talk about disseminating their own self published comics – “We are words and pictures” – to the public via market stalls and club nights.
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: Solipsistic Pop … group website
Individual websites for Tom Humberstone, Matthew Sheret, Julia Scheele, Stephen Collins and Philippa Johnson
We are words and pictures website
Info about this year’s Comica Comiket, curated by Sol. Pop and WAW+P

Eclectic Micks… group blog
Individual blogs for Stephen Mooney, PJ Holden, Will Sliney and Declan Shalvey
Info about the Eclectic Micks sketchbook

Related events: BLACK POWERS exhibtion at Swiss Cottage Library Gallery

As part of Black History Month, Swiss Cottage Library Gallery presents an exhibition of comics by black creators and of African-American characters in comics. The collection coheres around black representations through the imagery and language of the comic book medium: representation as markers of both historical and contemporary struggles. The theme is developed through archival works from the 1930’s to the present-day and culminates with a display of the singular comic art of Patrice and John Aggs, Paul Peart-Smith, Woodrow Phoenix and Lance Tooks.

09 October – 06 November 2009
Swiss Cottage Library Gallery, 88 Avenue Rd, London, United Kingdom
plus: Autumn comics conventions and events…

October 24th and 25th: The MCM Expo at the Excel centre in London’s Docklands includes appearances by Andy Diggle, Jock, Leigh Gallagher, Alan Grant, Ben Templesmith ,Kieron Gillen and Emma Vieceli – more info at www.londonexpo.com

Also on Sunday October 25th, there’s the Women in Comics one-day conference at Murray Edwards College New Hall in Cambridge: which includes Belgian-based artist Dominique Goblet in conversation with Paul Gravett, Corrine Pearlman and Woodrow Phoenix discussing autobiographical comics work, Helen McCarthy on women and gender roles in the work of Osamu Tezuka, and other talks by Sarah McIntyre and Asia Alfasi. More info at http://tinyurl.com/womenincomics
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Panel Borders: Swedish Manga

Originally broadcast 05/06/08 as part of an episode of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM

Continuing ‘anthologies and collectives month’ on the show, Dickon Harris presents Fredrik Strömberg and Sofia Falkenhem’s panel on Swedish Manga from the 2008 Bristol International Comics Expo, about a Manga studio (Yokaj) imported to Europe from Japan! Since this panel was recorded Yokaj studio have gone on to win the 2008 award for best Swedish comic book…

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: Yokaj Studio’s blog
(Swedish) wikipedia page on Fredrik Strömberg
Sofia Falkenhem’s website

Comics news:
We Are Words + Pictures stall: Saturday 17th October, Girl Germs club night @ The Camden Head (from 8pm)
Join WAW+P creators Julia Scheele and Matthew Sheret as they sell and personalise the cream of the UK’s small press output from a stall with the ‘Girl Germs’ female pop and punk night at 100 Camden High Street, London NW1 0LU

also: Hunterian Museum Film Screening – Medical Miniaturisation – Thursday 22 October, 7pm

Join us for our first ever Hunterian Museum film screening of two works on the theme of medical miniaturisation. Anime expert Helen McCarthy will introduce the classic 1963 anime Astroboy: Mighty Microbe Army about the robot boy miniaturised to fight bacteria inside the body, followed by the 1966 movie Fantastic Voyage inspired by one of Osamu Tezuka’s early Manga works ‘The Monster on the 38th Parallel’. The museum and the exhibition ‘Sci-Fi Surgery: Medical Robots’ will be open from 6pm so that you can see the mini-bots that turn fantasy into reality. Screenings supported by the Japan Foundation, the Japan Society and Right Stuf, Inc. FREE, booking essential on 0207 869 6560
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Panel Borders: London / Quebec / Cape Town

Originally broadcast 08/10/09 as an episode of Strip! on Resonance 104.4 FM

Starting ‘anthologies and collectives’ month on the show, Alex Fitch talks to three comic book creators who produce anthologies of their wares in a trilogy of interviews recorded at last weekend’s British International Comics Show in Birmingham.
Giovanni Spinella, secretary of the ‘Comic Creators Guild’ discusses their work in helping new creators find their feet in the industry while Christian Quesnel talks about publishing sequential art with ‘Le Studio coopératif Premières Lignes’ and representing Québécoise comics in London. Alex also talks to Tom McNally about his anthology Semiotic Cohesion which publishes strips by the finest comic book creators from Cape Town.

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: Giovanni Spinella – Comics Creators Guild website
Review of Comics forum, the CCG annual anthology
Review of Giovanni’s horror comic Atrox

Christian Quesnel – Le Studio coopératif Premières Lignes website (in French)
Premières Lignes blog (in French)
Christian’s page at lambiek.net
Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec website (in English)

Tom McNally – Semiotic Cohesion website and blog
Review of issue one at comicsbulletin.com
Info about Camden Lock Market

Join our facebook group / follow Panel Borders on twitter
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