Comics: Refreshing Parts Other Literature Can’t Reach!

Hot on the heels of Thought Bubble in Leeds this weekend, there's an amazing event on Monday (19th November), brought to you by the Comica Festival with Book Trust at Free Word Centre in London.

At Comics: Refreshing Parts Other Literature Can’t Reach!, graphic novelist and Booktrust online writer in residence Hannah Berry, author of the Jonathan Cape graphic novels Britten and Brulightly and Adamtine will invite you to try a comic or two on for size, presenting two hours and two panels hosted by Hannah and Paul Gravett in conversation with some of the country’s best graphic novelists.

These include Glyn Dillon (The Nao of Brown), Karrie Fransman (The House That Groaned), Rian Hughes (Yesterday’s Tomorrows, On The Line), Simone Lia (Fluffy, Please God, Find Me A Husband), Sarah McIntyre (Vern and Lettuce, Nelson, Airship) and Dave McKean (Cages, Celluloid, Pictures That Tick) and a special appearance by Posy Simmonds (Gemma Bovery, Tamara Drewe).

They will tell you why they love the funny books. You can ask them questions about comics. We can all rejoice in graphic novels. The world can watch as we present to you just why graphic novels are just as good as literary fiction. Get along!

• Comics: Refreshing Parts Other Literature Can’t Reach!: Monday 19th November 2012 6.30 for 7-9.00pm, the Free Word Centre, 60 Farringdon Road, EC1R 3GA. Tickets: £6 Click to book or pay on the door (subject to capacity)

 

Panel Borders: Tom Gauld and Simone Lia discuss Cabanon Press

Panel Borders: Cabanon Press

In the second of a series of shows about comic book creators who have collaborated together, Alex Fitch talks to celebrated British cartoonists Tom Gauld and Simone Lia in a conversation recorded at this year's Spring Comiket at Bishopsgate Institute, London.
Tom and Simone talk about their collaborative comics First and Second (collected together as Both by Bloomsbury) and publishing books together under the title Cabanon Press.

8pm, Sunday 15th July 2012, Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com / podcast at www.panelborders.wordpress.com

Also, Alex contributes to this week's episode of the counter-culture and liberal activism podcast, The Pod Delusion:

The Pod Delusion episode 144

In this episode we find out what’s happening with Richard O’Dwyer, the Sheffield student who's facing extradition to the US for copyright infringement, why Nature won in the libel courts, and why the government is letting creationism be taught in British schools...
Plus: Sean Ellis suggest a novel solution for Lords Reform, Alex Fitch discusses portrayals of Gay Marriages in comics such as Life with Archie, Astonishing X-Men and James Robinson's new DC title Earth 2 with journalist Tim Macavoy, and we preview a couple of fun Edinburgh shows!

http://poddelusion.co.uk/blog/2012/07/12/episode-144-13th-july-2012

Panel Borders: Depicting the personal

Continuing Panel Borders month of radio shows looking at British comics, they have a pair of interviews about artists who examine their personal life and feelings as a subject for their art.

Cartoonist Richy K. Chandler talks to Simone Lia about her new graphic novel, Please God, find me a husband!, which explores Simone's faith and search for a partner.

Critic and writer Columba Quigley talks to fine artist Josephine King about her paintings which combine self portrait with text and references to Renaissance narrative art.

- Panel Borders: Depicting the personal airs at 8pm, Sunday 15th April, Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com / podcast after broadcast at www.panelborders.wordpress.com

 

It's a ¿@#!*$ exhibition and comics events thing in Belfast, innit...

¿@#!*$ 

What this unpronounceable series of symbols stands for is; ‘an exhibition and series of events incorporating the artistic mediums of Comics, Illustration and Zine making'.

Exhibiting Artists are Malcy Duff, who will also be appearing, Travis Millard, Tom Gauld, Simone Lia, Chris Ware, Fionnuala Doran and Phil Barrett.

Alongside the visual treat that is the work of the exhibiting artists, Belfast-based Catalyst Arts will also play host to a library full of zines and comics from all over the place - "Basically anything we could get our hands on," say the orgaaisers.

Then as if that wasn’t enough, there will be series of events running throughout the duration of the exhibition to keep things interesting, details of which can be found below.

• Catalyst Arts presents ¿@#!*$: 15th April – 7th May; Preview Thursday 14th April, 7pm – 10pm; 5 College Court, Belfast, BT1 6BS

Events
• ‘Absence’ Launch Party
7.30pm – 9:30pm, Thursday 21st April, Catalyst Arts Gallery
Local Artists Andy Luke (Gran, Don’t Get lost) and Stephen Downey (Cancertown, Slaughterman’s Creed) launch their latest work ‘Absence’.

• Secret Cinema
Location and Time: Unknown
Follow ‘Sweet Or Salted’ on facebook. If you want any more information… don’t be silly, it is a secret isn’t it.

• Comic/Zine fair
12pm – 5pm Saturday 23rd April, Catalyst Arts Gallery
On Saturday 23rd April the Gallery space will be handed over to creators of comics, zines and all things illustrative. Stalls will be set up pedaling wares ranging from cakes to comics, posters to bags, zines to doodles on pieces of paper… you get the idea.

Stalls are FREE but spaces are limited, so if you are interested in reserving one then please contact catalystarts@gmail.com

• Pretty Circus presents ‘Live Music & Live Drawing’ 7pm – 1am, Sunday 1st May, Catalyst Arts Gallery
The collective Pretty Circus arrange a night of live performance with music and illustration combining for a unique take on the collaboration of the two art-forms.

• ‘The Simpsons’ live comic performance by Malcy Duff
8pm Thursday 5th May, Catalyst Arts Gallery, Belfast

• ‘The Dog Walking Technique’: Drawing/Comic Storytelling Workshop
11am – 3pm, Saturday 7th May, Catalyst Arts Gallery, Belfast
Lunch Provided free
On Saturday 7th May, Artist Malcy Duff will be running a free workshop based around;non-traditional approaches to drawing, and comic storytelling, exploring new possibilities in form and narrative. Malcy uses sensory drawing to create ideas and/or characters, and have specific techniques that he has designed to lead these into making comix

Spaces are limited, if you are interested in taking part please RSVP to catalystarts@gmail.com to book a place.

Tube Surfing: Dez Skinn, Fanzines Galore and Simone Lia

Right, what's happening out there...

Lew Stringer's ace comics blog informs us that Dez Skinn has a new website. Dez was, of course, the man behind such titles as Warrior, Comics International and Doctor Who Weekly (still with us as Doctor Who Magazine).

Warwick Johnson Cadwell has posted his ace A.B.C Warriors strip from new 2000 AD fanzine, Nu Earth online at his blog. Warwick sent me a copy of the fanzine and I have to say it's, well, zarjaz. Will Kirkby has done the same with the pencils for his cracking contribution, a fab Rogue Trooper strip. Tharg, employ these men now!!!

Paul Gravett's new article about and interview with cartoonist Simone Lia is well worth checking out. In the interview, Simone talks about various topics, including her new work-in-progress, a graphic novel about her relationship with God:

"I was passing through Leicester Square almost three years ago and the bubbling inspiration came to me and I had a fuzzy vision of the completed story whilst standing near a red telephone box," she explains. "I was so excited and happy to be suddenly inspired again, I had a sense the book would be about an adventure with God. When it came to starting the work however I really didn’t know how to go about having an adventure with God and how I might show it in a comic. Showing that relationship is such a personal thing. Part of me definitely did not want to open that up for everyone to see but the feeling to make the book didn’t go away. It’s been taking a long time to produce partly because of that uncertainty of depicting this personal area of my life and also because the story in real life has had to unravel."

Paul also sends word of an opportunity for creators of humorous zines and comics to have their work displayed in the reading room at Tate Britain as part of their Rude Britannia exhibition.

Here's the skinny, from the Tate's website:

"Help us curate the reading room of the Rude Britannia exhibition with an array of humorous fanzines, comics and home made publications. Rude Britannia: British Comic Art celebrates all that is comical, satirical, political, absurd and bawdy in British art from 1600s to today and we would like you to respond to these themes. The best fanzines will be selected by curator Cedar Lewisohn and placed in the exhibition space for a period of time. Please only send publications that you think are funny. We will notify you if your publication has been selected, but we cannot commit to sending your publication back to you."

And finally, small press comics news blog Bugpower draws our attention to another opportunity for self-publishers:

"Cerebus.TV are starting a "Small Press Comics Focus" feature, and they are looking for submissions for future episodes. Email indie@exoss.net for details. You can see a promo for the first one HERE. The 'pilot' has been put together by the guys at Cerebus.tv and features the minicomics of Dan Fish (Hey, that's ME). It appears as part of Episode 30, which streams online starting Friday 18th June and 24/7 all week long."