Alex Fitch talks to artist and writer Walter Simonson on Resonance FM which week, the creator whose exceptional four-year run on the Marvel comic The Mighty Thor in the early 1980s remains the most appreciated version of the character since Stan Lee and Jack Kirby brought the Viking hero to Marvel comics a generation before.

Alex and Walt talk about combining European mythology and space opera, esoteric character design (why does Beta Ray Bill have a face like a horse’s skull?), turning the Norse god of war into a talking frog and the joy of revisiting classic heroes.

• Strip!: The Mighty Thor by Walter Simonson airs at 5.00pm Thursday 12/03/09, repeated 11.30pm Sunday 15/03/09, Resonance 104.4 FM (London), streamed at www.resonancefm.com / extended podcast after transmission at www.panelborders.wordpress.com

Also this week, Resonance FM’s weekly show about Asian Culture, Lucky Cat: Live Action Manga, regular host Zoe Baxter invites Alex Fitch (Electric Sheep Magazine) and Helen McCarthy (The Animé Encyclopedia) into the studio to discuss live action manga adaptations such as 20th Century Boys and Death Note and how these compare to animé versions and adaptations of Western comic books such as Watchmen. The show includes Zoe’s regular eclectic mix of Asian music from the last half century and live tastings from the Dim Sum Lunchbox…

• Lucky Cat: Live action Manga airs at 9.00pm Tuesday 17/03/09, Resonance 104.4 FM (London), streamed at www.resonancefm.com

Online now at www.sci-fi-london.com/audio, downthetubes readers may also be interested in Reality Check: The Invisible Art of Acting for Radio, in which Alex Fitch talks to actor Rupert Degas about his various roles in genre radio and audio dramas such as playing David Warner’s sidekick “Rizla” in the BBC7 adaptation of Robert Rankin’s The Brightonomicon and playing the father of a cyrogenically preserved child in Kim Newman’s Cry-Babies which was recently broadcast on Radio 4. Alex and Rupert also talk about his roles in Dan Dare, Dirk Gently and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy plus his uncredited role voicing the devil in Exorcist: The Beginning…

• About the Author
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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.

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Categories: Podcasts

Tags: Alex Fitch, Radio 4, Resonance FM, Thor, Walt Simonson