Monthly Archives: August 2012

Electric Sheep Podcast: Philosophy and Murder

Electric Sheep Podcast: Philosophy and Murder

Alex Fitch talks to film critic and historian Kim Newman about The Edgar Wallace Mysteries, a series of British B movies made in the 1960s and subsequently rebranded as a TV series, based on novels by the co-creator of King Kong. Plus: in a Q and A recorded at the Raindance Film Festival, Alex talks to director M.A. Littler about his documentary The Kingdom of Survival, a road movie that explores the current state of scepticism and philosophy in modern America and features interviews with Noam Chomsky, Ramsey Kanaan and Joe Bageant.

Still from the opening credits of The Edgar Wallace Mysteries / Poster for The Kingdom of Survival

Still from the opening credits of The Edgar Wallace Mysteries / Poster for The Kingdom of Survival

Visit www.archive.org, for more info and formats you can stream / download.

Links: Bloody Murder blog on The Edgar Wallace Mysteries
Wikipedia page on Edgar Wallace
Buy The Edgar Wallace Mysteries from Network DVD

Info about The Kingdom of Survival at showboatfilms.com
Watch clips from The Kingdom of Survival on youtube
Continue reading →

Electric Sheep Magazine Podcast: Philosophy and Murder [ 40:20 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Reality Check: Counter Measures

Reality Check: Counter Measures

In the second of a pair of podcasts about Doctor Who audio spin-offs, Alex Fitch talks to actor John Banks, producer David Richardson and director Ken Bentley about Counter Measures, a new Nigel Kneale influenced audio drama that continues the story of the supporting cast from Doctor Who: Remembrance of the Daleks. Alex also talks to actress Pamela Salem about reprising her Daleks role for the new series as well as her history of appearing in British telefantasy such as Blake’s 7 and Into the Labyrinth plus her role of Miss Moneypenny in the Bond film Never Say Never Again.

Counter Measures poster and still from Remembrance of the Daleks featuring Pamela Salem and Simon Williams

Counter Measures poster and still from Remembrance of the Daleks featuring Pamela Salem and Simon Williams

(Expanded podcast of the second half of a ‘Clear Spot’, broadcast 17/08/12 on Resonance 104.4 FM)

For more info about this podcast and a variety of other episodes you can download, please visit the home of this episode at www.sci-fi-london.com

Links: More info on Counter Measures at bigfinish.com
Previous podcast on Doctor Who spin-offs The Minister of Chance and Kaldor City
Wikipedia pages on Doctor Who serials: Remembrance of the Daleks and Robots of Death featuring Pamela Salem

Listen to Alex’s shows on Doctor Who companion Professor Bernice Summerfield and Who convenions, featuring an interview with Sylvester McCoy Continue reading →

Reality Check: Counter Measures [ 37:47 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Panel Borders: Taming the Elephantmen

Panel Borders: Taming the Elephantmen

In a companion podcast to last week’s episode, Alex Fitch continues his conversation with writer Richard Starkings and artist Ian Churchill about Elephantmen, a sci-fi anthropomorphic comic about animal / human hybrid soldiers coming to terms with life in the big city after being demobbed.
In a Q and A recorded at the Leeds Thought Bubble festival, Autumn 2011, Alex discusses Elephantmen issue #25 and beyond, including the comic’s use of guest artists such as Tim Sale and Marian Churchland and the programme of collecting the title into chunky graphic novels.
(This is the last in the current series of Panel Borders, which will return on September 16th, 2012)

Elephantmen promotional art by Ian Churchill

Elephantmen promotional art by Ian Churchill

Visit www.archive.org, for more info and formats you can stream / download.

Links: Elephantmen official website
Read about comics article on Elephantmen

Listen to Alex’s previous month of shows on anthropomorphic comics
Continue reading →

Panel Borders: Taming the Elephantmen [ 44:51 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Wavelength – Destruction in Art part 10 with Richard Thomas

Conversing with Resonance apparatchik Richard Thomas on Tenerife, anti-design, a Markson piano, ResoVision, and the recent student demonstrations.

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Reality Check: The Minister of Chance

Reality Check: The Minister of Chance

In the first of pair of podcasts about Doctor Who audio spin-offs, Alex Fitch talks to the writer / director, Dan Freeman, and one of the stars, Paul Darrow, of The Minister of Chance. The series is a crowd-funded, mp3 download serial which follows the SF / fantasy adventures of The Minister, a character who first appeared in the Doctor Who webcast, Death Comes to Time. Alex talks to Dan about the creation of DCtT and The Minister of Chance and to Paul about acting alongside Paul McGann and Sylvester McCoy and reprising his iconic role of role of Avon in Blake’s 7 and Kaldor City audio plays.

Promotional images for The Minister of Chance and Kaldor City, starring Paul Darrow

Promotional images for The Minister of Chance and Kaldor City, starring Paul Darrow

For more info about this podcast and a variety of other episodes you can download, please visit the home of this episode at www.sci-fi-london.com

Links: Minister of Chance / Kaldor City / Blake’s 7 audio websites Continue reading →

Reality Check: The Minister of Chance [ 37:41 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Panel Borders: Unleashing the Elephantmen

Panel Borders: Unleashing the Elephantmen

Alex Fitch talks to writer, editor and letterer Richard Starkings, and Ian Churchill, one of a rotating team of artists on Elephantmen, an American monthly comic (primarily created by Brits) about retired super-soldiers that are half animal, half human hybrids. Mixing the sci-fi / noir ambience of Blade Runner with the anthropomorphic horrors of The Island of Doctor Moreau, the comic has been serialised since 2003 and in this episode, recorded in front of an audience at last year’s Bristol Small Press Expo, Alex talks to Richard and Ian about the origins of the title, Richard’s move to America as a creator and Ian’s own creator owned title, Marineman, which first appeared as a back-up strip in Elephantmen #25. Originally broadcast 19/08/12 on Resonance 104.4 FM

Panel from Elephantmen

Panel from Elephantmen

Visit www.archive.org, for more info and formats you can stream / download.

Links: Elephantmen official website
Read about comics article on Elephantmen

Listen to Alex’s previous month of shows on anthropomorphic comics

Panel Borders: Unleashing the Elephantmen [ 52:32 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Wavelength – Clive Phillpot on Ray Johnson

Clive Phillpot, Super Librarian, started at Chelsea Art School before becoming director of the library at the Museum of Modern Art New York. One of the world’s leading authorities on artists’ books, Clive talks about Ray Johnson; mail artist and founder of the New York Correspondence School. Clive’s book; Ray Johnson on Flop Art was published by fermley press in 2008.

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Six Pillars – Turner Prize Nominee Shirazeh Houshiary

Shirazeh Houshiary first showed at The Lisson Gallery in 1984. On the eve of a new and monumental Lisson show Houshiari discusses her technique and thinking with Six Pillars. Her works draw on the presence of the ineffable presences that stand between life and death, earth and space, time and the nanosecond.
“I set out to capture my breath,” she says, to “find the essence of my own existence, transcending name, nationality, cultures.“

Book List: Anthropomorphic Literature

Book List: Anthropomorphic Literature

To complement this month’s series of Panel Borders on anthropomorphic comic books, tonight’s Clear Spot explores the use of animal characters with human characteristics in literature. In the first half of the show, we’re proud to present an extract from one of Bryan Talbot’s lectures on anthropomorphism in children’s books, cartoons and comics, and their relevance to his own graphic novels series Grandville. Alex Fitch also talks to Bryan about his interest in the subject, and to children’s writer and illustrator Helen Ward about her adaptations of Aesop’s Fables for modern audiences. (Originally broadcast 13/08/12 on Resonance FM)

Bryan Talbot talks about Kamandi (photo by Matthew Rees) / cover of Grandville vol. 3 / covers of Varmints by Helen Ward + Marc Craste / Cover and interior spread from Aesops Fables adapted by Ward

Bryan Talbot talks about Kamandi (photo by Matthew Rees) / cover of Grandville vol. 3 / covers of Varmints by Helen Ward + Marc Craste / Cover and interior spread from Aesops Fables adapted by Ward

For more info about this podcast and a variety of other formats you can download / stream, please visit the home of this episode at www.archive.org

Links: Bryan Talbot’s website
Video of Bryan giving his talk in another location on youtube
Buy Grandville as an ebook from Dark Horse Comics

Information about Helen Ward’s titles for Templar Books
Review of Helen’s adaptation of Aesop’s Fables at Publishers Weekly
Watch the animated film of Varmints on vimeo

Wikipedia pages on anthropomorphism and Aesop’s Fables

Listen to Alex’s previous month of shows on anthropomorphic comics Continue reading →

Book List: Anthropomorphic Literature [ 1:04:30 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download