Panel Borders: Derek the Sheep, the Mouse Guard and other Comical Animals

By John Freeman on 16 December 2010

In a packed final show on radio show Panel Borders for 2010, Alex Fitch concludes his look at anthropomorphic comics, with a survey of recent titles for all ages – Gary Northfield’s ‘Derek the Sheep’ who appears in The Beano and Beano Max comics; Mouse Guard, a series of adventure comics and graphic novels by David Petersen; and ‘Comical Animal’, a new website devoted to funny animal strips, curated by Jim Medway.

The show features interviews with all three creators, recorded variously in Streatham Library, near Euston Station and via transatlantic phone line!

• Panel Borders: Derek the Sheep, the Mouse Guard and other Comical Animals airs at 5.00pm today, 16th December on Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com

• Resonance FM will be running repeats from 20th December 2010 – 9th January 2011; each of the three interviews will be available at www.panelborders.wordpress.com as extended half hour podcasts between now and the end of the year: David Petersen at 5.30pm 16/12/10; Jim Medway by 5pm 23/12/10 and Gary Northfield with Ellen Lindner and the Streatham Library Graphic Novels Reading Group by 5pm 30/12/10

About the Author
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John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as 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.