Panel Borders: Ben Katchor, architectural strips

Concluding a month of shows about comics and graphic novels drawn from elements of real life, Alex Fitch talks to award winning American cartoonist Ben Katchor about his weekly newspaper strips on tourism and architecture. Fitch and Katchor discuss the latter’s weekly strip from The Village Voice – Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer – and how it was part of a wave of underground cartoonists in periodicals, collecting his absurdist cartoons on tourism – The Cardboard Valise – and his oversized monthly graphic short story for Metropolis magazine, collected as Hand Drying in America and other stories.
(Originally broadcast 31/03/14 on Resonance 104.4 FM)

Excerpts from Julius Knipl, The Cardboard Valise and Handdrying in America by Ben Katchor

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: Ben Katchor’s website and blog
Katchor’s pages on www.lambiek.net and www.ted.com Continue reading →

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Panel Borders: Unusual Origins

Continuing a month of shows about comics and graphic novels which present ‘slices of life’ on the page, Alex Fitch talks two creators who are doing their first work in the field. Jessica Martin, actress turned graphic novelist, discusses her self published comic book biography of Clara Bow – It Girl – and her forthcoming longer work about society and cinema in the 1930s. Willem Samuel talks about the first volume of his autobiography Mengelmoes, published by Soaring Penguin Press, which depicts his childhood in South Africa and how the drawing style and magical realist narration will change over later volumes. Recorded at London Super Comic Con, Spring 2014. (Originally broadcast 24/03/14 on Resonance 104.4 FM)

Cover and interior art from Mengelmoes by Willem Samuel and It Girl by Jessica Martin

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: Jessica Martin’s website
Info about Mengelmoes at Soaring Penguin Press’ website
Continue reading →

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Panel Borders: Oscar Zarate, exploring The Park

Continuing a month of shows about comics and graphic novels which present ‘slices of life’ on the page, Alex Fitch talks to cartoonist Oscar Zarate about his latest graphic novel The Park, an exploration of various characters whose lives intersect on Hampstead Heath, published by SelfMadeHero.
The Park is the first graphic novel illustrated by Zarate that the artist has also written rather than working from someone else’s script, and he discusses the genesis of the project, his previous graphic albums published in France and his rereleased short story anthology It’s Dark in London. (Recorded in front of an audience at The Lakes International Comic Art Festival, Autumn 2013 / originally broadcast 17/03/14 on Resonance 104.4 FM)

Pages from The Park, I keep coming back and La Faille by Oscar Zarate

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 Oscar Zarate’s work with SelfMadeHero at www.selfmadehero.com
Info about Zarate at lambiek.net
The Lakes International Comic Art Festival website

Recommended events:

Mystery Science Theatre 3000 at SCI-FI-LONDON

The MST3K all nighter is a regular attraction of SCI-FI-LONDON (The London International Science Fiction and Fantastic Film Festival), and this year the festival would like to bring along two of the actors from the series to ‘riff’ in person at the film screenings. Dr. Forrester and Frank’s appearance will hopefully be funded by an indiegog campaign where you can also purchase a signed Cinematic Titanic DVD by the duo.

More info here / festival website

British Comics Month at Gosh!

Special events celebrating British Comics are taking place throughout March at Gosh! Comics in Soho, London. These include:

BLANK SLATE TALK at Process, the monthly event where working and aspiring comics artists and writers get together and talk about their work process. As part of British Comics Month, March is Blank Slate themed affair, with Darryl Cunningham, Joe Decie and Lizz Lunney all talking about their own comics-making methods, chaired by Woodrow Phoenix. Friday, March 21st, and run from 7.30pm to 9pm. From the 17th through to the 23rd of March, customers will be able to get 25% off of all Blank Slate books! Continue reading →

Panel Borders: Oscar Zarate, exploring The Park [ 38:04 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download