Panel Borders tackles Multimedia Comics on today’s new radio show

By John Freeman on June 1, 2022

On today’s latest Panel Borders, Britain’s only on-air regular radio show about comics, host Alex Fitch talks to comic creators about multimedia engagement with their sequential art.

Chinese cartoonist Chihoi chats about his comic The Train, which is currently on display in the riverside window of the the Royal Festival Hall, London, and at Graphic Brighton, audio producer Lance Dann and graphic novelist Hannah Berry discuss a comic and podcast called The Rez, which is a science-fiction title about kindness aimed at a young audience.

Running until 19th June, “The Train” is a free slideshow of selected artworks from Hong Kong artist Chihoi’s eponymous graphic novel published in 2014 in English by Conundrum Press, based on a story written by Taiwanese poet Hung Hung, evokes a dreamlike train journey.

The story is about a long-haul train that runs day and night around the island. It has many carriages which separate and reconnect. People lose family and loved ones during the journey, and the protagonist seems to have been continuously searching in vain for a lost loved one.

In the short sequence on display at the South Bank, a curated selection of the artwork by Chihoi is presented on a loop, reflecting the continuous nature of the train journey in the story.

The Rez is a sci-fi podcast adventure for 9–11 year-olds, also told through a comic book and a game-based website.

Set in a future where happiness is just another download, our young heroes start to wonder what’s missing in their ‘perfect’ lives, and reach back to the children of the 2020s for help building meaningful relationships and defeating an AI that wants to keep them under its control.

Hannah Berry developed a story that is wild, silly, and exciting alongside a team of writers and psychologists, including Robin Banerjee, Professor of Kindness (yes, there is such a thing). The Rez’s heroes are played by Karl Queensborough (Hamilton in the UK production of Hamilton) and Emily Burnett (last year’s Children’s BAFTA award winner). Juliet Aubrey (BAFTA winner for Best Actress) plays JEF the malevolent AI.

• Panel Borders: Multimedia Comics airs today, 5.30pm, Wednesday 1st June 2022, repeat broadcast 11.00am, Sunday 5th June 2022, Resonance 104.4 FM + DAB (London) / broadcast streamed at www.resonancefm.com / Resonance Replay stream on mixcloud.com / podcast after broadcast at www.panelborders.wordpress.com

John Freeman

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.