Concluding a month of shows about ‘Masters of American Comics’, Alex Fitch talks to a quartet of comics experts and historians about the 75th anniversary of Will Eisner’s seminal crime comic The Spirit. Richard Reynolds (Senior Lecturer, Central Saint Martins), Ian Rakoff (Lecturer, Victoria and Albert Museum), Guy Lawley (contributor: 1001 Comics You Must Read Before You Die) and Steve Edgell (co-author: The Complete Cartooning Course) discuss the early days of American adventure comics and the other characters Eisner created in the 1930s, how The Spirit was influenced by film noir, and representations of racial minorities in the author’s work. Originally broadcast 26th Feb 2015 on Resonance 104.4 FM (London)

Excerpts from The Spirit by Will Eisner, originally published in 1940, 1949, 1952 and 1997

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

Listen to the accompanying podcast on Eisner’s autobiographical comics

Links: Wikipedia pages on Will Eisner and The Spirit
willeisner.com page on The Spirit
Info about Richard Reynolds on Central Saint Martins website
Ian Rakoff’s blog
Info about Guy Lawley on Paul Gravett’s website
Steve Edgell’s bibliography on goodreads.com
Will Eisner week website

Panel Borders: The Spirit of Will Eisner [ 40:20 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Panel Borders: The Michael Golden Years

Continuing a month of shows about ‘Masters of American Comics’, Alex Fitch talks to artist Michael Golden about his work on classic 1980s comic books The Micronauts, The ‘Nam and Bucky O’Hare. Alex and Michael discuss how the latter’s experiences as a commercial artist differed from working on sequential art, how working on Marvel Magazines offered more adult storytelling opportunities than in their traditional comics and how he was hoodwinked into advertising a toy range under the auspices of launching a new Science-Fiction title. Recorded at Bristol Comics Expo, Spring 2014.

Batman Family, The Nam and Micronauts by Michael Golden

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 Michael Golden’s work on comicvine.com
Buy Modern Masters: Michael Golden and Excess: The Art of Michael Golden: Comics Inimitable Storyteller and How He Does It by Rennee Wittetstaetter from amazon.co.uk
Bristol Expo website

Panel Borders: The Michael Golden Years [ 56:38 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Panel Borders: Mike Grell, Freelance

Continuing a month of shows looking at ‘Masters of American Comics’, Alex Fitch talks to writer and artist Mike Grell about his career so far. Alex and Mike discuss the latter’s acclaimed run on Green Arrow, which influenced the current TV series, his creator owned title Jon Sable Freelance, and his work on James Bond comics in the late 1980s. (Recorded at London Super Comic Con, Spring 2014; Originally broadcast 12th February 2015 on Resonance 104.4 FM)

Jon Sable, Green Arrow, James Bond art by Mike Grell

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

Items in the Resonance FM fundraising charity auction (ends Weds 4pm, 18th Feb): 3 x recent sci-fi novels including Will Dietz

Links: Mike Grell’s website
London Super Comic Con website
Info about Mike Grell’s Green Arrow comics

Panel Borders: Mike Grell, Freelance [ 40:14 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Panel Borders: The Nexus of Steve Rude

Beginning a month of shows looking at ‘Masters of American Comics’, Alex Fitch talks to artist Steve Rude about his ten year run on Nexus comic with Mike Baron and his Harvey Award-winning mini-series Superman / Batman: World’s Finest, written by Dave Gibbons. Alex and Steve discuss the importance of anatomy to the latter’s work, how he enjoys mentoring young artists and his working relationships with writers and inkers. (Recorded at Birmingham International Comics Expo, August 2014; Originally broadcast 5th February 2015 on Resonance 104.4 FM)

Nexus and Superman / Batman: World’s Finest, illustrated by Steve Rude

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

Items in the Resonance FM fundraising charity auction (end Weds 11th Feb):
Iron Man volumes 1-4, signed by Kieron Gillen
Young Avengers volumes 1-3, signed by Kieron Gillen
Avengers Assemble: Science Bros graphic novel
11 x recent no.1s American comics including X-Men
3 x recent sci-fi novels including Will Dietz
4 x recent sci-fi novels including Daryl Gregory

Links: Steve Rude’s website
Wikipedia page on Steve Rude
More info about Birmingham International Comics Expo

Panel Borders: The Nexus of Steve Rude [ 34:25 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Panel Borders: Funny Monsters Zoom

Concluding a month of shows looking at children’s comics, Alex Fitch talks to a pair of cartoonists who both publish ‘traditional’ style British anthology comics in the style of The Dandy and other weekly titles. Joe Matthews discusses Funny Monsters Comic, a new periodical that mixes comedy / horror strips featuring zombies and werewolves with child friendly gags, puzzles and text pages.
Also, in an interview recorded at CECAF (Crouch End Comic Art Festival), Alex talks to Zoom Rockman, a teenager who has been publishing his own humour title – The Zoom – since the age of 9, with 10 biannual issues under his belt. The Zoom features satirical strips looking at modern culture and life in London as well as reoccurring characters such as Skanky Pigeon who has also appeared in The Beano. (Originally broadcast 29th January 2015 on Resonance 104.4 FM)

The Zoom no.10, 1914 Day by Day extract, Haringey People cover by Zoom Rockman / Funny Monsters Comic no.1 and 2, A Christmas Carol by Joe Matthews

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: Funny Monsters Comic facebook page
The Zoom comic website
Zoom Rockman’s strip for the BBC’s 1914 Day by Day project
Crouch End Comic Art Festival website

Panel Borders: Funny Monsters Zoom [ 37:07 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Panel Borders: Editing Psycho Gran

Continuing a month of shows looking at children’s comics, Alex Fitch talks to cartoonist and comic book editor David Leach about his career so far. Alex and David discuss the latter’s most famous character Psycho Gran, her appearances in family comics from Oink! to Aces Weekly, animating Henry’s Cat with Bob Godfrey, and his work editing licenced titles for Marvel UK and Titan Books. (Recorded at Nine Worlds GeekFest, 2013 / originally broadcast Thursday 22nd January 2015 on Resonance 104.4 FM, London)

Comics featuring the work of David Leach + Psycho Gran thumbnails

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 →

Panel Borders: Editing Psycho Gran [ 54:31 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Panel Borders: Musical Monsters, Walruses and Snowmen

Continuing a month of shows looking at children’s comics, Alex Fitch talks to cartoonist Roger Langridge about his work. Alex and Roger discuss the latter’s work on licensed comics such as Popeye and Rocky and Bullwinkle, his adaptation of Jim Henson’s unproduced script The Musical Monsters of Turkey Hollow and creator owned titles Snarked and Abigail and the Snowman; plus a guest appearance by Thomas Langridge (9) discussing the self-published comic Pinkbeard the Pirate! (Recorded at Crouch End Comic Art Festival, November 2014, originally broadcast Thursday 15th January 2015 on Resonance 104.4 FM, London)

The Musical Monsters of Turkey Hollow / Popeye / Pinkbeard the Pirate! / Abigail and the Snowman / Snarked by Roger Langridge

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: Roger Langridge’s website Hotel Fred, featuring Pinkbeard the Pirate!
Info about Roger’s comics for Boom! Studios: Snarked, The Musical Monsters of Turkey Hollow and Abigail and the Snowman
Listen to Robin (The Fog) Warren’s 2009 interview with Roger about illustrating The Muppet Show comic

Panel Borders: Musical Monsters, Walruses and Snowmen [ 28:53 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Panel Borders: Bones, Sabre-toothed Tigers and Noir

Beginning a month of shows looking at children’s comics, Alex Fitch talks to the award-winning American cartoonist Jeff Smith about his work. Alex and Jeff discuss the latter’s fantasy epic Bone which mixes archetypal cartoon characters in the style of Mickey, Goofy and Donald with a mythology akin to The Lord of the Rings, his more adult film noir inspired sci-fi series RASL, and his latest serialised webcomic Tuki: Save the Humans about prehistoric man’s migration from ancient Africa. (Recorded at The Lakes International Comic Art Festival, October 2014, originally broadcast Thursday 8th January 2015 on Resonance 104.4 FM, London)

Bone, RASL and Tuki: Save the Humans by Jeff Smith

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: Jeff Smith’s website
Interview with Smith at Comic Book Resources

Panel Borders: Bones, Sabre-toothed Tigers and Noir [ 47:13 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Panel Borders: Non-Verbal Communication

Concluding a trio of shows about ‘untold tales’, narratives not normally depicted in comics, Alex Fitch talks to writer Laura Malacart and artist Daniel Locke about their comic book Yes! which explores the true story of an autistic man who communicates through song, classified technically as non-verbal communication. Daniel and Laura discuss how the comic was developed from the latter’s academic research, how it works as a multi-media project alongside video clips, and the distribution of the story via a free tabloid edition and webcomic. (Recorded at Cartoon County, September 2014, originally broadcast Thursday 18th December 2014 on Resonance 104.4 FM, London)

Cover and interior art from Yes! by Laura Malacart and Daniel Locke

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 →

Panel Borders: Non-Verbal Communication [ 1:03:49 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Panel Borders: A Hole in the Heart of Manga

Continuing a month of shows about ‘untold tales’, narratives not normally depicted in comics, Alex Fitch talks to artist Henny Beaumont about her debut graphic novel A Hole in the Heart, about bringing up a child with Down’s Syndrome, due to be published by Myriad Editions in 2015, in an interview recorded at Cartoon County, Brighton. Also, with translation provided by Takayo Akiyama, Alex interviews Tomohiko Matsumoto about donating examples of his father Masahiko’s art to an exhibition of Gekiga – Alternative Manga from Japan – at the Cartoon Museum in London, which runs until Christmas Eve. (Originally broadcast 10th December 2014 on Resonance 104.4FM)

Pages from A Hole in the Heart by Henny Beaumont / Cover of Suspense no. 3 by Matsumoto and art from A Drifting Life by Tatsumi, on display at The Cartoon Museum

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: Henny Beaumont’s website and pages
Article on A Hole in the Heart in The Guardian
Cartoon Museum website
Takayo Akiyama’s website
Info on Matsuhiko Matsumoto’s graphic novel The Man Next Door
Cartoon County website
Listen to Alex Fitch and Dickon Harris interview Eric Khoo about his Tatsumi film

Panel Borders: A Hole in the Heart of Manga [ 41:26 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download