Starting children’s comics fortnight on London-based radio station Resonance FM, Alex Fitch talks to writer Terry Deary and cartoonist Martin Brown for his Strip! radio show this week. It’s a chance to find out more about their hugely successful Horrible Histories range of children’s books, also published in part work comics form and which have inspired a “Terrible Trenches” exhibition that’s just opened at the Imperial War Museum, London and runs until the end of October.
Horrible Histories has also been turned into a popular show on CBBC and Terry is busy working on another TV show, Terry’s True Time Tales, with partners Green Leaf. The storyteller is based on Terry himself and will broadcast from Autumn 2010.
Also this week, in Clear Spot: In search of the Atom Style, Alex talks to artists Woodrow Phoenix and Garen Ewing about their work and the influence of the Atom Style / ligne claire tradition on their comics, which was most famously exemplified in the art of Hergé’s Adventures of Tintin. Also (to be confirmed), Alex talks to comics historian Paul Gravett about his exhibition on the movement which is currently showing at The Atomium in Brussels until 20th September.
Concluding children’s comics fortnight next week is Strip!: Octopi, dogs and bears, oh my!, in which artists Henri Goldsmann and Richy K. Chandler about their work. Henri is the author of a new picture book – Harold (a dog’s best friend) – and has a successful career as a caricaturist, having dabbled in graphic novels such as Secret Agent Spanky Sheep on the side. Richy has produced ten terrific mini comics such as Lucy the Octopus and Govinda the Meditating Rabbit over the last couple of years which are now available in a cute bear shaped box set (see news story)
(This is the last in the current series of Strip! and the show will return in September)
• Strip!: Horrible Histories airs at 5.00pm on Thursday 6th August, repeated 11.30pm Sunday 9th August Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com/ podcast soon after transmission at www.panelborders.wordpress.com
• Horrible Histories Terrible Trenches Exhibition at the Imperial War Museum runs until 31 October 2010. Relive the terrors of the trenches at the nasty new exhibition at the Imperial War Museum. Discover all the dire details of life in the blood and mud of the First World War trenches… from both sides of the barbed wire. More info from http://trenches.iwm.org.uk/-Splash
• Clear Spot: In search of the Atom Style broadcasts at 8.00pm on Thursday 6th August / streamed at www.resonancefm.com/ podcast 20th August www.panelborders.wordpress.com
• Strip!: Octopi, dogs and bears, oh my! broadcasts at 5.00pm Thursday 13th August, repeated 11.30pm Sunday 16th August Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com/ podcast soon after transmission at www.panelborders.wordpress.com
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The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: British Comics
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