Panel Borders: European Female Voices

Starting a month of shows looking at the work of female comic creators, Alex Fitch talks to German scratch board artist Line Hoven, and Belgian cartoonist Judith Vanistendael about their family drama graphic novels Love looks away published by Blank Slate Books and When David lost his voice, published by Self Made Hero. Hoven discusses her meticulous technique used to render the biography of three generations of her family, including a member of the Hitler Youth, while Vanistendael explores how her various graphic novels have each used a different artistic style, depending on the subject matter she is bringing to the page, in this case about a grandfather who reconnects with his family when diagnosed with throat cancer. Recorded at the British Library exhibition ‘Comics Unmasked: Art and Anarchy in the UK’. Originally broadcast 2nd June 2014 on Resonance 104.4 FM

Cover and interior art from Love looks away by Line Hoven / from When David lost his voice by Judith Vanistendael

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: Line Hoven’s website
Judith Vanistendael’s blog
Info about Comics Unmasked at the British Library
Listen to Paul Gravett’s interview with Judith Vanistendael about her previous book Dance by the light of the Moon
Listen to Robin Warren’s interview with Kid Koala about his scratchboard comic Space Cadet

Recommended events:

Comic book events at Stoke Newington Literary Festival

Cartoonist and comedienne Josie Long interviews Mark Kermode

Gala Opening Evening featuring Mark Kermode and an Arts Emergency showcase, hosted by one of our favourite comedians, Josie Long. Arts Emergency take to the stage at 7pm with performances by Joe Dunthorne (Submarine, Wild Abandon), Nikesh Shukla (Meatspace, Coconut Unlimited), Schmoovy and more. After an interval, at around 8:15pm, Mark will talk about his brilliant new book Hatchet Job: Hate Critics, Love Movies.

£10. Time – 19.00, Friday 4th June. Venue – Stoke Newington Town Hall
More info: www.stokenewingtonliteraryfestival.com/snlf_events/mark-kermode

Living and Loving in London: Oscar Zarate and Ilya

Broadcast journalist Alex Fitch talks to cartoonists Oscar Zarate and Ilya about their London set graphic novels The Park and Room for Love.

£6. Time – 14.30, Saturday. Venue – Stoke Newington Library Gallery
www.stokenewingtonliteraryfestival.com/snlf_events/living-and-loving-in-london-oscar-zarate-and-ilya Continue reading →

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Panel Borders: Banned Books

Concluding a month of shows about comics and controversy, Alex Fitch talks to Tony Bennett (Knockabout Books) and Rick Veitch about comic book censorship in a special exclusive podcast edition of Panel Borders. Tony discusses the various brushes with censorship law that he’s endured as a publisher of independent comics and Rick explores the titles he’s worked on that have attracted controversy from Miracleman to Swamp Thing. Recorded at Whitechapel Library Ideas Store as part of their Banned Books festival.

Knockabout Comics #4, Fresca Zizi by Melinda Gebbie, Miracleman #9, Swamp Thing sketch by Rick Veitch

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 →

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Panel Borders: Surviving The Crow

Continuing a month of shows about comics and controversy, in the programme’s 365th episode, Alex Fitch talks to James O’Barr, creator of the seminal American independent comic The Crow. Fitch and O’Barr discuss the latter’s battles with drug addiction, nearly drawing Batman for DC Comics and the long gestation of his most famous creation. Recorded in front of an audience at Bristol Comics Expo, Spring 2014. (Originally broadcast 26th May 2014 on Resonance 104.4 FM, London)

James O’Barr in conversation with Alex Fitch (inset, art from The Crow: Curare) / covers of Dead World 10 and The Crow no.1 by O’Barr

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 Crow fan website
James O’Barr’s typepad site
Buy the latest Crow graphic novel and digital comics from IDW

Recommended events:

Comics at the AusNZ literary festival

Various Australasian comic book creators are in London and are featured in documentary screenings for the Australia and New Zealand festival of literature and the arts taking place from 30th May – 1st June. These include:

Screening: THE SHARP EDGE – The Art of Martin Sharp (Oz magazine illustrator)

Eccentric. Outsider. Artist. Genius. Martin Sharp shaped pop art and culture in Australia and around the world for half a century.

Friday May 30th, 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm

Talk: GRAPHIC LIVES – Sarah Laing, Dr Mary Talbot and Evie Wyld

What does working with graphic novels to remember great lives add to the biography genre?

Friday May 30th, 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm Continue reading →

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Panel Borders: Exploring The Murder Mile

Continuing a month of shows about comics and controversy, Alex Fitch talks to graphic novelist Paul Collicutt about his book The Murder Mile, published by SelfMadeHero, which sets the occurrence of a murder against the spectacle of Roger Banister running the four minute mile, an event that has reached its 60th anniversary this month. Alex and Paul discuss how the book combines the latter’s interests in running and film noir and how the author used a real life event to tell a tale of organised crime and sports betting. Recorded at Cartoon County, Brighton. (Originally broadcast 19th May 2014 on Resonance 104.4 FM, London)

Excerpt from The Murder Mile by Paul Collicutt

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: Paul Collicutt’s blog
Article on selfmadehero.com about the 60th anniversary of Bannister’s record
Cartoon County website
Listen to Alex’s previous interviews with Paul Collicutt about Brighton: The Graphic Novel and Robot City Adventures

Recommended events:

Comics at the AusNZ literary festival

Various Australasian comic book creators are in London and are featured in documentary screenings for the Australia and New Zealand festival of literature and the arts taking place at King’s College from 30th May – 1st June. These include:

Screening: THE SHARP EDGE – The Art of Martin Sharp (Oz magazine illustrator)

Eccentric. Outsider. Artist. Genius. Martin Sharp shaped pop art and culture in Australia and around the world for half a century.

Friday May 30th, 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm

Talk: GRAPHIC LIVES – Sarah Laing, Dr Mary Talbot and Evie Wyld

What does working with graphic novels to remember great lives add to the biography genre? Chaired by Alex Fitch (Resonance FM)

Friday May 30th, 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm Continue reading →

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Panel Borders: A Cartoon History of Private Eye

Continuing a month of shows about comics and controversy, guest presenter Tom Sutcliffe talks to Nick Newman (author of Private Eye: A Cartoon History) and magazine editor Ian Hislop about memorable and controversial cartoons and strips in the fortnightly periodical. The trio discuss the history of cartoon art in Private Eye from the days of scurrilous Gerald Scarfe covers to the present day, which images have proved unacceptable and potentially libellous and how Hislop’s commissioning process for the magazine works. Recorded at the Victoria and Albert Museum, November 2013 and edited by Alex Fitch. (Originally broadcast 12th May 2014 on Resonance 104.4 FM, London)

A classic Gerald Scarfe cover from 1965 / Private Eye: A Cartoon History book cover / recent cartoon by Alexander Williams / inside spread from A Cartoon History

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: Private Eye website
Nick Newman’s profile on procartoonists.org
Tom Sutcliffe’s profile on bbc.co.uk
Info about the event and Ian Rakoff’s comic book blog on the Victoria and Albert Museum’s website
Listen to Alex Fitch’s 2010 interview with Gerald Scarfe about his work / with the curators of the Rakoff collection of comics at the National Art Library in the Victoria and Albert Museum

Recommended events:

Graphic Brighton one day festival

A one day event, being held at the University of Brighton Faculty of Arts, May 24th 2014, curated by Paul Slater, Barbara Chamberlin and Alex Fitch. Guests include Chris Riddell, David Lloyd, John Higgins, Nicola Streeten, Hannah Berry, Corinne Pearlman, Daniel Locke, Joe Decie, Neil Evans (a.k.a. Nelson Evergreen), Lawrence Elwick, Ian Williams, Paul O’Connell, Nye Wright, Hannah Eaton, Paul Collicutt and Tim Pilcher.

The day will comprise talks, panel discussions, workshops and much more, and is only a five minute walk from the sea front for a lunchtime barbeque!

Tickets are £8 / £5 concessions and must be bought in advance from http://arts.brighton.ac.uk

9.30 – 5.30, Saturday 24th May 2014,
University of Brighton Faculty of Arts, 56-58 Grand Parade, Brighton BN2 0JY
Continue reading →

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