The Forbidden Planet International Blog Log

A little later than usual this week due to Resonance FM being on a repeats schedule while their studios are upgraded, but here’s Alex Fitch with details of the shows he’s involved with over the next seven days or so; as usual check the Panel Borders site for more details and links to podcasts of previous shows:

Panel Borders: The art of Rutu Modan part one

Continuing cross cultural comics month on the show:

In an interview conducted live at the Jewish Community Centre in North London, Roehampton University Illustration lecturer Ariel Kahn interviews award-winning graphic novelist Rutu Modan about her work from the acclaimed Exit Wounds to her new collection Jamilti and Other Stories. Rutu and Ariel talk about her influences, the difficulties in depicting a city as rich and diverse as Tel Aviv in print and adjusting to life in England. (part one of two)

Reality Check: For all Mankind

To coincide with the 40th anniversary of the Moon landing, we’re looking at space exploration in fact and fiction. Alex Fitch talks to Sir Patrick Moore about the Apollo 11 mission in July 1969, which saw man first take a small step onto another world, and about entering his sixth decade as presenter of The Sky at Night. Also, Chris Patmore talks to NASA advisor Dr. Kevin Fong about current research into keeping men and women alive on future space missions and how this is reflected in the depiction of such science in Battlestar Galactica.

Podcasts:

Panel Borders: The art of Shaun Tan

Continuing cross cultural comics month on the show: Alex Fitch talks to Australian artist Shaun Tan about his work, including his award winning graphic novel The Arrival which tells tales of immigrants arriving in fantastical worlds and was loosely based on his Malaysian family’s history and his new book Tales from Outer Suburbia, which superbly mixes a whole variety of story telling techniques from comic strips, to poetry and collage. Alex and Shaun talk about breaking into the illustration business, the art of designing books and the influence of Raymond Briggs on Shaun’s work.

Reality Check: The Phoenix Games Club

Alex Fitch talks to Hugh and Matt, members of The Phoenix Games Club, a group who meet at least once every week at the Black Lion pub in Plaistow to play board games, strategy games and RPGs together. The Phoenix Club is one of many up and down the country who also play games together at regional meets and national ones, so Alex asks the guys about the type of games they play, the demographic of their membership and the social and intellectual aspects of gaming.

Coming soon:

I’m ready for my close-up: Dario Argento

Alex Fitch talks to Italian Horror film maker Dario Argento about his career from writing ‘Spaghetti Westerns’ in the 1960s to his most recent film ‘Mother of Tears’. Alex and Dario talk about the importance of music in his work, why he doesn’t like being pigeon holed as a horror director and his next project ‘Giallo’. Due on air at 5pm, Friday 26th June, on Resonance 104.4 FM / podcast after transmission at Electric Sheep.

In print:

The latest issue of the online magazine ‘Wheel me out‘ is now available to download and includes… a transcript of Alex Fitch’s interview with Park Chan-Wook about his film “I’m a cyborg but it’s okay”, Sarah Lightman’s interview with David Lloyd about his artistic practice and influences on his work from the start of his career in advertising to his most recent graphic novel, “Kickback” and Ananda Pellerin’s interview with Cosey Fanni Tutti, a founding member of the art / music collective Throbbing Gristle…

The Summer 2009 print edition of Electric Sheep magazine is available now from various stockists… Electric Sheep is edited by Virginie Sélavy with assistance by Alex Fitch and includes reviews by Virginie, Mark Stafford, Joel Karamath and others of recent releases: Just another love story (2007), Takeshis (2005) and Mesrine (2008) and well as classic films: Blood: The Last Vampire (2000), Suture (1993) and Black Lizard / Kurotokage (1968). The magazine also includes articles on the work of ‘Beat’ Takeshi, Joseph Losely and Patricia Highsmith’s (talented) Mr. Ripley plus Alex Fitch’s interviews with Marc Caro and Helen McCarthy… This month’s illustrators include: Sean Azzopardi – Invasion of the Bodysnatchers (1978) / The Invasion (2007), Douglas Noble – Hardware (1990), comic strip review – and Daniel Locke – Westworld (1973) / I, Robot (2004).