Panel Borders: Laura and Mike Allred – Pop art comics
Starting a month of shows about iconoclastic American comic artists, Alex Fitch talks to husband and wife art team Mike and Laura Allred about their work together from their long running Madman comic, to X-Statics and I, Zombie. The Alldreds’ style has been often described as pop art and Alex discusses the development of this as well as its representation in adaptations of their work such as Christopher Coppola’s film G-Men from Hell.
Originally broadcast 04/03/12 on Resonance 104.4 FM
X-Force, Madman and I, Zombie art by Laura and Mike Allred
Concluding our month of shows looking at non practitioners’ love of comics, Alex Fitch talks to auctioneer Lon Allen of Heritage comics and collectables in Texas, the company that last week began the auction of the Billy Wright collection of 300 comics including the first Batman, Superman and Marvel Comics from the 1930s and the sale has raised nearly 3.5 million dollars so far. Also, Alex talks to stand-up comedian Rob Deb, to Lik + Neon gift shop owner Janice Taylor about stocking small press comics on Brick Lane in London and to Paul Harrison, a Doctor of Egyptian Archeology, who is giving a talk on representations of Egyptian culture in superhero comics next Thursday, 1st March, at The Petrie Museum, University College London.
Action and Marvel Comics sold by Heritage Collectables, Ibis the Invincible, Rob Deb and Zines and Comics at Lik + Neon
Panel Borders: Movies, toys and graphic design with Alex Cox and James Jarvis
Continuing our month of shows looking at the work of people who aren’t known for their involvement in sequential art, Alex Fitch talks to film director Alex Cox and celebrated toy designer James Jarvis on the importance of comics to their work.
Alex and Alex talk about the prehistory of his classic film Repo Man as a comic book, why its proposed sequel Waldo’s Hawaiian Holiday was turned into a graphic novel and the influence of Dick Tracy on Death and the Compass. Alex and James talk about the latter’s first graphic novel De Profundis and how the style and narratives of comics have influenced his Amos Toys designs and work in general.
(Originally broadcast 12/02/12 on Resonance 104.4 FM / The second half of Alex’s interview with Alex Cox continues in this month’s Electric Sheep Magazine podcast)
Repo Man booklet + comic by Alex Cox / World of Pain + De Profundis by James Jarvis
Continuing our month of shows about about non practitioners’ love of comics, Alex Fitch talks to Lord Baker of Dorking about The Cartoon Museum‘s latest exhibition ‘Her Maj: Sixty years of unofficial portraits of the Queen’ and to John Huddy, founder and curator of The Illustration Cupboard about the gallery’s history.
Also, from last week’s Manga Jiman awards ceremony at the Embassy of Japan in London, Cultural Officer Simon Wright and Minister Hiroshi Suzuki, the director of the Japan Information and Culture Centre, introduce this year’s winning entries to the comic book competition.
Art from Her Maj / Lord Baker at the exhibition opening / Kevin O Neil on display at the Illustration Cupboard / Manga Jiman Winner Elena Vitagliano: The Deep Needs Train
Imperial War Museum educator Grant Rogers talks to Pat Mills about his seminal wartime strip Charley’s War, serialised in Battle Action comic in the 1970s and 80s. Grant and Pat Mills discuss the history of the strip, working with Joe Colquhoun and the real life events that influenced the comic. (Recorded in front of an audience at the 2011 Comics and Conflicts conference at the Imperial War Museum, London.)
You will learn about comic and graphic novel storytelling techniques, and how to create your own visual narrative. Everyone will end the course with one completed comic page, and the skills to continue their work for themselves. We will look at comic and graphic novel art styles, the use of text and images, the “grammar” of comic art, use of sound effects, abstraction, and styles. You provide a story from your own experience, or one you wish to adapt into the medium.
West Dean College, Chichester (Suitable for all levels)
2nd – 4th March 2012
Details here: www.westdean.org.uk
Starting a month of shows about non practitioners’ love for comics, guest presenter Robin The Fog talks to graphic designer and music producer Strictly Kev, better known as DJ Food. A lifelong comics fan, Kev tells us about engaging legendary 2000AD artist Henry Flint to make the artwork for his new LP ‘The Search Engine’ and also for the three EPs that make up the release; and also how a love of comics in his formative years compliments not only his graphic work but his musical productions today.
Covers of The Search Engine and constituent EPs by Henry Flint and DJ Food
In an hour long show about children’s book illustration, Alex Fitch talks to three generations of illustrators: David McKee, creator of Mr Benn, King Rollo and Elmer the Patchwork Elephant; Dave McKean, artist of of young adult books by David Almond, graphic novels and picture books by Neil Gaiman and Richard Dawkins’ first science book for children The Magic of Reality; and Jim Kay, illustrator of Patrick Ness’ A Monster Calls and Toby Forward’s Flaxfield Quartet of novels about dragons.
Also includes an extract from Dave McKean’s presentation of his work from The Magic of Reality at the book launch in Foyles, September 2011.
Mr Benn by David McKee, The Magic of Reality by Dave McKean and Richard Dawkins, and A Monster Calls by Jim Kay and Patrick Ness
Concluding our month of shows looking at biography and autobiography in comics, Alex Fitch talks to the multiple award winning (and Grammy nominated) cartoonist Craig Thompson about his epic new graphic novel Habibi (My beloved). Alex and Craig discuss the 672 page book’s reworking of themes from ‘One Thousand and One Nights’, mixing in modern concerns about gender politics and pollution in the Middle East and how his previous autobiographical works Blankets and Carnet de Voyage, with their themes of sexual awakening, religion and travelogue, led to his latest work.
Habibi, Blankets and Carnet de Voyage by Craig Thompson
Continuing our month of shows about biography and autobiography, guest presenter Nicola Streeten interviews Bryan and Mary Talbot about their forthcoming graphic novel, Dotter of Her Father’s Eyes, which contrasts two coming of age narratives: Lucia, daughter of James Joyce, and author Mary Talbot, daughter of the Joycean scholar James S Atherton. (Recorded and edited by Alex Fitch) (Recorded live in front of an audience at the University of Sussex as part of the First Fictions Festival).
Image from Dotter of her fathers eyes by Bryan and Mary M Talbot
Laydeez do podcasts – Judith Vanistendael: Dance by the light of the moon
A Q and A recorded at Bar Music Hall in East London as part of Comica Festival, 2010, Paul Gravett talks to Flemish cartoonist Judith Vanistendael about her semi-autobiographical graphic novel Dance by the light of the moon, published in the UK by Self Made Hero.
(Recorded and edited by Alex Fitch, introduced by Sarah Lightman)
Excerpt from Dance by the light of the moon by Judith Vanistendael
