The Forbidden Planet International Blog Log

Alex Fitch has updated us on a raft of comics and science fiction related radio and podcast shows to tune into over the new few days; as ever check Alex’s Panel Borders blog for more details and podcasts of previous shows:

“Strip!: Breaking Conventions, 5pm today on Resonance FM

Today’s show is all about breaking conventions. Not just because I like a good pun but also because half of today’s interviews were recorded at conventions over the easter weekend last month, while Virginie Selavy’s interview later in the show is with cartoonist and film maker Marjane Satrapi whose film and graphic novel Persepolis breaks with convention in terms of depictions of the middle east, comic book adaptations and autobiography.

Over the easter weekend there were two very different conventions going on in London, both of which mixed industry, professionals and fans. Alex attended Orbital, the sci-fi literary convention held at a hotel near heathrow and interviewed a variety of fans and sci-fi professionals about their interests and trade.

You can hear all 8 of the interviews from Orbital at www.sci-fi-london.com but as two of the writers featured are also comic creators you can hear Alex Fitch’s interviews with Neil Gaiman and last week’s guest, Bryan Talbot on today’s show.

Before that, in order to record the show in two places at once, small press creator, Oliver Lambden, who draws the popular indie comic Tales from the flat, interviews a variety of creators and one girlfriend at the post pub get-together after the UK Web & Mini Comix Thing, a comic book convention for self published and internet comic creators which was held in Mile End. At the same time as that, a rival mini comix protest was held in Camden, so Oliver talked to attendees of both, about what they got from either attending the East End convention or boycotting the event and heading west.

I’m ready for my close-up (live): Sci-Fi London 2008; Friday 25th on Resonance FM

Alex Fitch is back on IRFMCU on an irregualr basis and interviews Sci-Fi London’s organiser Louis Savy about this year’s event, which is being held on the May bank holiday weekend. As SFL’s podcaster interviewing SLF’s programmer seems a little incestuous, we hope to have at least one other Resonance presenter in the studio to moderate (or at least talk excitedly about Mystery Science Theatre 3000)!

Reality Check: Ian Fleming and James Bond; online this weekend at www.sci-fi-london.com

Alex Fitch interviews James Taylor, head researcher at the Imperial War Museum in London about their new gallery celebrating 100 years of a certain Navy employee turned author in an exhibition entitled For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond.

On next week’s Strip! (live): Alex Fitch talks to Barry Forshaw, one of the regular contributors to Jack Kirby Collector magazine and we hope to have at least one other special guest in the studio + on next week’s Reality Check, Alex talks to Doctor Who (audio) and Torchwood (TV) writer Joe Lidster about his work.”