Last post...

Dear loyal blogger readers, spambots et al...

this is the last entry you will find on this blog. Please use www.panelborders.wordpress.com from now on (I'll be making it look more exciting soon)...

Thanks for all your support to occasionally make this the 50th most popular blog on the 'net, especially to Joe Gordon at Forbidden Planet International, Kinga P, Paul Cornell, Dirk Deppey, Shaun Pimlott, Paul Gravett and Rich Johnston for mentions on their blogs which have sent traffic in this direction...

Hope you all have a great New Year and 'see' you at the Panel Borders blog in 2008 and beyond.

best wishes,
Alex

A day of hot chat...

Broadcast today on Resonance FM from noon is a variety of the best 'chat' shows from the last twelve months. This will include a selection of "I'm ready for my close-up" and "Panel Borders" / "Strip!" and will hopefully include some of the episodes which have been podcast but not yet broadcast on air. So if you're bored of Christmas TV and want to find out why The Observer thinks Resonance is one of the top five radio events of the year, why not tune in...

Podcast: The Art of Mark Buckingham

Panel Borders: The art of Mark Buckingham

Alex's and Duncan's half hour interview with Mark Buckingham about his comic book career so far drawing such titles as Spider-man, Fables, Death and Miracleman and collaborating with Chris Bachalo on Generation X and Ghost Rider 2099- originally broadcast as the first half of last week's Strip! on Resonance FM...

Happy Christmas!

For more info and a selection of different file formats you can download or stream, please visit the home of this episode at www.archive.com (mp3 format, 30 mins, 27.1mb)

Today's show: Classic Childrens’ characters in Comics

Today at 5pm on Resonance 104.4FM - Strip!: Classic Childrens’ characters in Comics

In the last Strip! of the year, Alex Fitch and Duncan Nott are looking at the depiction of beloved children’s characters in comics. First we have our interview with Mark Buckingham about reinventing classic fairy tales in Fables and the challenge of bringing something new to the character in his two year run on Spider-man.

Later in the show we have the first on air broadcast of Alex & Duncan’s conversation with Geoff Senior and Simon Furman on 25 years of Transformers, which was first podcast last summer. This is a change to the show advertised at the end of last week’s episode (which was to be about adaptations of classic literature in comics and will be broadcast in a fortnight) mainly because I accidently left the CD at home this morning…

Links: Wikipedia pages on Mark Buckingham, Fables and the comic: Peter Parker, Spider-man
Download free Marvel Comics by Mark
Partial bibliography
Interview with Mark at Silver Bullet Comics

Panel Borders: The work of Simon Spurrier

Panel Borders: The work of Simon Spurrier

Alex's and Duncan's half hour interview with Simon Spurrier about his comic book career so far and writing his first novel Contract - originally broadcast as the second half of last week's Strip! on Resonance FM...

For more info and a selection of different file formats you can download or stream, please visit the home of this episode at www.archive.com (mp3 format, 30 mins, 28.7mb)

Today's show: Tamara Drewe and the Angel Gang!*

Today at 5pm on Resonance 104.4FM - Strip!: Tamara Drewe and the Angel Gang!*

*(it amuses me, anyway, to suggest Tamara has adventures as exciting as her long lost cousin Nancy...)


The first half of today's show is continuing Resonance FM's coverage of the London ComICA festival - the second half of a discussion held at the Comica festival in which Lisa Appignanesi talks to Guardian cartoonist in residence Posy Simmonds about the collection of her strips from the newspaper which has just been published as a harback graphic novel Tamara Drewe by Jonathan Cape. The talk was recorded live at the ICA last month. Please note: this discussion will not be podcast, so please tune in if you want to catch it.

In the second half of the show you'll hear an interview that Duncan Nott and Alex Fitch conducted at the Birmingham International Comics Show with British novelist and comics writer - Simon Spurrier** - about his work from acclaimed strips in 2000AD and Judge Dredd megazine such as Lobster Random and The Simping Detective to his recent forays into the American market with Gutsville and The Silver Surfer.

**not to be confused with Simon Guerrier or Paul Spurrier (it's getting like that game where you keep changing one letter to make a new word!)

Links: More info about ComICA at www.ica.org and www.paulgravett.com
"Read yourself Raw" profile on Posy Simmonds
Reviews of Posy's Literary Life and Tamara Drewe
Wikipedia pages on Posy Simmonds and Simon Spurrier
Simon's profile at 2000AD online
Info about Simon's novel Contract
Simon's website and myspace page
Listen to Alex's interview with Simon's frequent collaborator, Frazer Irving

Podcast: The art of Charlie Adlard

Panel Borders: The art of Charlie Adlard

Alex's and Duncan's half hour interview with Charlie Adlard about his comic book career so far - originally broadcast as the second half of last week's Strip! on Resonance FM...

For more info and a selection of different file formats you can download or stream, please visit the home of this episode at www.archive.com (mp3 format, 32 mins, 29.4mb)

Today's show: Exploring the Smoking Cabinet

Today on Resonance FM at 3.30pm Alex Fitch is guest presenting Richard Thomas' show on Ephemera - Tight Pudding and is talking to Claire Cook, Simone Pyne and Kate Grove about the "Burlesque Cinema" weekend they've curated at the Curzon Soho Cinema and Volupte Lounge in London. The Smoking Cabinet mixes short films, features (The Blue Angel), live acts and talks to explore depictions of cabaret on film from the 1890s to the 1930s.

Today's show: Tamara Drewe and the Walking Dead!

Today at 5pm on Resonance 104.4FM - Strip!: Tamara Drewe and the Walking Dead!


The first half of today's show is continuing Resonance FM's coverage of the London ComICA festival - the first half of a discussion held at the Comica festival in which Lisa Appignanesi talks to Guardian cartoonist in residence Posy Simmonds about the collection of her strips from the newspaper which has just been published as a harback graphic novel Tamara Drewe by Jonathan Cape. The talk was recorded live at the ICA last month. Please note: this discussion will not be podcast, so please tune in if you want to catch it.

In the second half of the show you'll hear an interview that Duncan Nott and Alex Fitch conducted at the Birmingham International Comics Show with another British comics artist - Charlie Adlard - about his work from acclaimed zombie comic The Walking Dead to Judge Dredd and the challenges of drawing Mulder and Scully in the comic book adaptation of the X-Files.

Links: More info about ComICA at www.ica.org and www.paulgravett.com
"Read yourself Raw" profile on Posy Simmonds
Reviews of Posy's Literary Life and Tamara Drewe
Wikipedia pages on Posy Simmonds and Charlie Adlard
Lambiek.net pages on Posy Simmonds and Charlie Adlard
Interviews with Charlie at 2000AD review and G Wie Gorilla!
Article on Charlie joining The Walking Dead at Silver Bullet Comics
Read Kim Newman's vampire story Mildrew Manor, illustrated by Charlie

Podcast: The art of Sean Phillips and Duncan Fegredo

Panel Borders: The art of Sean Phillips and Duncan Fegredo

Alex's half hour long interview with Sean Phillips and Duncan Fegredo about their work in comics and their art collaborations - originally broadcast as the second half of yesterday's Strip! on Resonance FM...

For more info and a selection of different file formats you can download or stream, please visit the home of this episode at www.archive.com (mp3 format, 30 mins, 28.6mb)

Tonight...

...there's no episode of "I'm ready for my close-up" broadcast on Resonance FM, due to the station's live coverage of the London Music Collective's 16th Anniversary...
(in case you were wondering)

Today's show: Comics for girls and (Hell) boys part 2

Today at 5pm on Resonance 104.4FM - Strip!: Comics for girls and (Hell) boys part 2


The first half of today's show is continuing Resonance FM's coverage of the London ComICA festival - the second half of a discussion held at the Comica festival that we started broadcasting a couple of weeks ago - in which a variety of critics discuss their love of and the cultural impact of British Girls' comics, introduced by Paul Gravett. Writer and performer Stella Duffy; Jane Purcell, author of the Radio 4 play 43 Years in the Third Form; Unskinny cartoonist Lucy Sweet; Nina Myskow, former editor of Jackie and others relish the heydays of Girl, Bunty, My Guy and more and reflect on their lessons and legacies. Hosted by Dr Mel Gibson (not that one). Please note: this discussion will not be podcast, so please tune in if you want to catch it.

In the second half of the show Alex Fitch talks to artists Duncan Fegredo and Sean Phillips in a conversation recorded at the Birmingham International Comics Show. Duncan and Sean have recently collaborated on an art book in which they start and finish each other's drawings, which spills over into their conversation style! Duncan's work includes Jay and Silent Bob - Chasing Dogma, Enigma and (to justify the title of this week's show) Hellboy - Darkness Falls. Sean has worked on Hellblazer, WildCATS, Marvel Zombies and both artists worked on the offbeat superhero comic Kid Eternity.

N.B./ As featured on last week's show: Jim Mahfood and Bill Shag's exhibition is still on at Dreamspace Gallery 'til tomorrow...


Links: More info about ComICA at www.ica.org and www.paulgravett.com
Article on I love girls' comics at newsarama.com
Hellboy.com
Wikipedia pages on Kid Eternity, Enigma, WildCATS, Marvel Zombies and Hellblazer
Website promoting Duncan's art book "Stuff"
2000 interview with Duncan at Sequential Tart
Sean's website
Interview with Sean at Forbidden Planet International
Splash Page Art pages on Duncan and Sean

Podcast: Animation - Great British Cartoons

I'm ready for my close-up -
[Animation month] Great British Cartoons
Partially broadcast 22/11/07

Yesterday's show is now available to download now...
(mp3 format, 28.5mb)

For more info and a selection of different file formats you can download or stream, please visit the home of this episode at www.archive.com

Another apology...

This is starting to seem like a trend, I'm afraid...
Needless to say, Resonance failed to broadcast tonight's I'm ready for my close-up again (!) except for the first five mins at the end of the half hour slot (after I rang the studio and asked what was going on).
I'm grateful for the engineer putting on the short extract of my show, but not for claiming it had been delivered late. Here's my receipt from yousendit:



Sorry that the e-mail addresses have been redacted, but as angry as I am - no, angry isn't the word, livid is closer, in fact let's go for incandescent with rage - I don't want Chris or Richard to end up with spambots sending them pornomail.

That said, should anyone wish to send an old fashioned letter of complaint to:
Resonance FM,
144 Borough High Street,
London SE1 1LB
be my guest...

Anyway, tonight's IRFMCU featuring my interview with Grant Rogers will be podcast tomorrow. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Alex

Podcast: The art of Jim Mahfood

Panel Borders: The art of Jim Mahfood

Alex's half hour long interview with Jim Mahfood about his career in comics so far and imminent exhibition at Dreamspace gallery (+ Alex's short chat with gallery coordinator Chloe Brooks) - originally broadcast as the first half of today's Strip! on Resonance FM...

For more info and a selection of different file formats you can download or stream, please visit the home of this episode at www.archive.com (mp3 format, 29 mins, 28.0mb)

Tonight's show: Animation - Great British cartoons

10.30pm Resonance 104.4FM: I'm ready for my close-up [Animation month] - Great British cartoons

Alex Fitch interviews former animator Grant Rogers about his work on classic childrens' cartoons such as Father Christmas, Grandpa and Tales of Beatrix Potter - made by legendary production company TVC - as well as his work on international shows such as DuckTales and Dogtanian and the three Muskehounds.

Links: Grant's website
Wikipedia pages on Dogtanian, DuckTales, Beatrix Potter and Raymond Briggs
Animation World Network articles on TVC and Disney investing in UK programming

Today's show: Comics in galleries

5pm Resonance 104.4FM: Strip! - Comics in galleries

To coincide with Thanksgiving, Alex Fitch talks to two American 'indie' comics artists who have had work exhibited in galleries this year. A couple of days before Jim Mahfood and Bill Shag have their fine art collaborations displayed in Dreamspace Gallery in London, Alex talks to Jim about his comic book career so far, the cross-over between fine art and comics and his own artistic influences. Alex also has a brief chat with Dreamspace coordinator Chloe Brooks about the gallery.

In the second half of the show it's the first broadcast of an interview previously podcast as an episode of "I'm ready for my close-up", Alex talks to Jacob Ciocci from the art collective 'Paper Rad' about the exhibition of their video art displayed at Sketch gallery in August which combined sampled images, video games and comic book iconography.

The show you may have expected this week - Comics for girls and (Hell) boys part 2, featuring the second half of ComICA's panel on Girls comics plus Alex's interview with Duncan Fegredo and Sean Phillips - will be broadcast next week as Alex wanted to strike while the iron was hot regarding Jim's exhibition.

Special thanks to Joe Gordon @ FPI for the info about Jim & Bill's show...

Links: Information about Jim & Bill's exhibition and Dreamspace gallery
More info on Jim's comic book company 40oz comics

Video Podcast: Malcolm McDowell & Lindsay Anderson

I'm ready for my close-up - Malcolm McDowell & Lindsay Anderson
(video podcast) Audio version partially broadcast on 14/11/07 on Resonance FM

You can download now the video of Alex Fitch's interview with Malcolm McDowell & Mike Kaplan about their film Never Apoloigise - a personal visit with Lindsay Anderson.
There are a variety of versions of the video available to download at archive.org including 256kb & 64kb streams and downloads as well as the original 3.8Gb video. For more info and to see jpg screen grabs and an animated gif of the video, please visit the home of this podcast (vodcast / vidcast?) at archive.org

Links: Book tickets for Never Apologise at the BFI
Info on Never Apologize (sic), Lindsay Anderson and Malcolm McDowell at the IMDb
Info on Malcolm McDowell, Lindsay Anderson and The Whales of August (produced by Mike Kaplan) at wikipedia.org
Official website: neverapologize.com

Podcast: Animation - Editing cartoons

I'm ready for my close-up -
[Animation month] Post-production and editing of cartoons
Originally broadcast 15/11/07

Yesterday's show is now available to download now...
(mp3 format, 28.5mb)

For more info and a selection of different file formats you can download or stream, please visit the home of this episode at www.archive.com

Podcast: The work of Mike Mignola

Panel Borders: The work of Mike Mignola

Alex's half hour long interview with Mike Mignola about Hellboy, Hollywood and Horror Comics (sorry, couldn't resist the illeratation) - originally broadcast as the second half of Strip! on Resonance FM 15/11/07...

For more info and a selection of different file formats you can download or stream, please visit the home of this episode at www.archive.com (mp3 format, 32 mins, 30.6mb)

Tonight's show: Animation - Editing cartoons

Tonight at 10.30pm on Resonance 104.4FM: I'm ready for my close-up - [Animation month] Post-production and editing of cartoons

Continuing IMFRCU's look at animation, Alex Fitch talks to editor Carin Anne Strohmaier (Beowulf, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Salvador Dali's Destino) about editing cartoons and the variety of post-production work needed to finish aninimated movies. Carin Anne worked for Disney on such projects as Bambi II and Lilo & Stitch II and with Robert Zemeckis on half a dozen films including the Back to the Future sequels and Contact.

N.B./ If you're planning to see Beowulf because you're a fan of the co-writer Neil Gaiman, you can listen to my interview with him about Stardust now and if you tune into the World Service over the weekend you can hear the BBC Radio adaptation of his novel Anansi Boys on Saturday at 8pm & Sunday at 9pm.

Links: Official Beowulf movie site
IMDb pages on Beowulf and Carin Anne Strohmaier
Wikipedia pages on Beowulf (movie), the original epic poem, 'motion capture' (mocap), director Robert Zemeckis and Disney's Destino
My interview with Carin Anne's husband about Cinerama
Cartoon Brew - one of the most authorative blogs on animation on the 'net

Today's show: Comics for girls and (Hell)boys

Today at 5pm on Resonance 104.4FM - Strip!: Comics for girls and (Hell)boys


The first half of today's show is continuing Resonance FM's coverage of the London ComICA festival - the first half of a discussion held at the Comica festival last month in which a variety of critics discuss their love of and the cultural impact of British Girls' comics, introduced by Paul Gravett. Writer and performer Stella Duffy; Jane Purcell, author of the Radio 4 play 43 Years in the Third Form; Unskinny cartoonist Lucy Sweet; Nina Myskow, former editor of Jackie and others relish the heydays of Girl, Bunty, My Guy and more and reflect on their lessons and legacies. Hosted by Dr Mel Gibson (not that one).

In the second half of the show Alex Fitch talks to Mike Mignola about his career from his inauspicious start on comics such as Rocket Raccoon and the Chronicles of Corum to his work in Hollywood on Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula & Guillermo del Toro's Blade II and his popular Hellboy franchise that has spread into prose novels, movies, cartoons and video games.

Links: More info about ComICA at www.ica.org and www.paulgravett.com
Article on I love girls' comics at newsarama.com
Websites on Hellboy - comics, movies and cartoons
Wikipedia and IMDb pages on Mike Mignola

Podcast: Art as Play part 2

Clear spot: Art as play part 2

The second of a two part look at the exhibition 'Play' which is currently on at the Cello factory near Waterloo. The exhibtion mixes established British artists like Jake & Dinos Chapman and Bob and Roberta smith with up and coming artists such as Natasha Kissell and Peter Harrop. The exhibtion is about the nature of play and playful activities and how gallery visitors interact with works of art on display.

In the second instalment, Alex Fitch is talking to three of the artists who have work displayed in the exhibition: Neil Zakiewicz whose piece is an electric guitar in the shape of a giant artist's pallette and pain brush, with the amplifier disguised as an abstract painting, Natasha Kissell about her 3 dimensional painting that combines countryside painting with architects maquetts to create a fantasy landscape in a perspex box and Sarah Baker who has made a mixed media scultpture challenging the perception of fashion in art. (mp3 format, 13.8mb)

N.B./ The exhibtion is appointment only - please phone 020 70340699 or e-mail cellofactory (at) aol.com

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

Links: Listen to the preceding instalment
Info on Play at (contributing artist) Peter Harrap and Bear Space's websites
Map of The Cello Factory in Waterloo
Natasha's website
Info on Neil and Sarah at www.re-title.com

Today's show: Malcolm McDowell & Lindsay Anderson

Wednesday 5.45pm - Micro Clear spot: Malcolm McDowell and Lindsay Anderson

Today's clear spot is Alex Fitch's interview with the presenter / star (Malcolm McDowell) and the director (Mike Kaplan) of the new film Never Apologise - a personal visit with Lindsay Anderson currently showing at the London BFI Southbank. Alex discusses with Malcolm and Mike the experience of working with their mentor on a variety of projects on stage and screen, focussing on If... and O lucky man!.

Links: Book tickets for Never Apologise at the BFI
Info on Never Apologize (sic), Lindsay Anderson and Malcolm McDowell at the IMDb
Info on Malcolm McDowell, Lindsay Anderson and The Whales of August (produced by Mike Kaplan) at wikipedia.org
Official website: neverapologize.com

Podcast: Animation - Creating great cartoon characters

Last thursday's I'm ready for my close-up is now available for download...
(mp3 format, 28.6mb)

For more info and a selection of different file formats you can download or stream, please visit the home of this episode at www.archive.com