The Forbidden Planet International Blog Log

Thursday once more, which means it must be time for Alex Fitch to fill us in on the latest upcoming comics, SF and movie related broadcasts and podcasts he’s involved with; as ever check the Panel Borders site for more details and links to podcast versions of previous shows:

Strip: The work of Howard Hardiman, tonight at 5pm on Resonance FM
It’s the start of Gay Comics month on Resonance FM (season of good will to all men and whatnot) and we kick off with an ideal Christmas present for children of all ages: Badger by up and coming artist Howard Hardiman. Alex and Howard talk about funny animal / anthropomorphic titles and their relation to autobiography, having a sense of location in comics and the tricky art of marketing a new product… (see here for Richard’s recent review of Badger – Joe)

In the cinema:

Sunday Shock Therapy: Icelandic Horror Double Bill, Sunday 7th December, Vibe Live, above the Vibe Bar, 91 Brick Lane, London E1 6QL, 2-6pm, FREE:

To celebrate the publication of the winter issue of Electric Sheep we’ll be screening a double bill of outrageous Icelandic horror movies, the comic book-style vampire comedy Frostbite (2006) and the classic 50s monster movie Terror in the Midnight Sun (1959).

For all those desperate to find eccentric, bizarre, funny, enchanting, beautiful and non-mass-produced Christmas presents, we’ll also have an alternative mini-Christmas market with a film books and DVDs stall from Cinéphilia, London Underground Comics, Where It’s At Is Where You Are records, Sophistikitten retro lingerie, and cakes!

London Underground Comics artists will be in attendance to sign their wares!The first 20 people in get a free copy of the new issue of Electric Sheep… You will also have the possibility of winning a year’s subscription to the magazine!

Coming soon:

I’m ready for my close-up: Michael Winterbottom’s Code 46, due on Resonance FM on the 11th at 10.30pm

During a special Architecture foundation screening of Code 46 at the Barbican centre, Alex Fitch caught up with director Michael Winterbottom in the foyer of the cinema and discussed issues of British Science Fiction, unreliable narrators and the importance of location in Sci-Fi films. Alex and Michael also look at issues of psychogeography, breaking the fourth wall in 24 hour party people and A cock and bull story and why Spielberg’s Minority Report is a ludicrous attempt to make realistic SF!
(with thanks to the Barbican and the Architecture Foundation – next screening details here)

In print:

The all new Electric Sheep Magazine Winter issue 2008 is available in shops now and features reviews of Hansel and Gretel / Captain Eager and the Mark of Voth by Alex Fitch, and Lady Snowblood / Far North (plus an interview with Asif Kapadia) by Virginie Selavy. Alex also looks at the Christmas Trilogy by Tim Burton (Batman Returns / The Nightmare before Christmas / Edward Scissorhands), there’s a comic strip review of Kamikaze Girls by Dan Lester and illustrations by Mark Stafford, Lee O’Connor and Tom Humberstone. Complimentary online version due 08/12/08…

Recent podcasts...:

Panel Borders: The work of Art Spiegelman

Guest presenter Grant Rogers talks to Pulitzer Prize winning author Art Speigelman about his classic graphic novel “Maus: A Survivor’s Tale” and about the 30th anniversary edition of his first collection of strips “Breakdowns“, which combines the original book with a new autobiographical comic “Portrait of the artist as a young  %@&*!”… Interview recorded and edited by Alex Fitch.
(With thanks to Penguin and Paul Gravett for arranging this interview)

Reality Check: Life during Wartime

Alex Fitch introduces a pair of interviews about modern Science-Fiction takes on warfare which have a classical, yet prescient feel to them: Duncan Nott talks to Garth Ennis about working on the new Virgin Comics version of the classic British sci-fi comic strip Dan Dare which sees Dare called out of retirement as Britain and Earth enter new hostilities with the Mekon due to a corrupt Prime Minister running the country. Also, Tripwire Magazine editor Joel Meadows presents and takes part in a brief press conference with actor Michael Hogan about playing the long suffering character Colonel Tigh in the 21st century re-imagining of Battlestar Galactica, which is about to return to our screens shortly for the second half of its final season.