Electric Sheep podcast – Panel Borders and other podcasts

Clockwise from top left: Alpine Rescue menu screen, Share Squid software logo, stills from Alpine Rescue, Chris Romero in a Vectrex T-shirt, games by Future Vector, Ben ‘Rasmasynth’

Past, Present, and Future Vectrexes: In a Clear Spot looking at the Past, Present and Future of the Vectrex Arcade Console, Alex Fitch talks to a couple of programmers for the machine, and a collector / expert on the system. Benoit Bender from Future Vector / Rasmasynth discusses his latest collection of games – Vectral – being released for the Vectrex and his previous titles such as WireOut, Jon Day chats about his forthcoming game Alpine Rescue, and archivist Chris Romero explores his history of collecting for the platform.

Partially broadcast 27th October 2023 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)

For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit archive.org and for the 60 minute brodcast edit, plese visit the Resonance Mixcloud page

More info: Future Vector games and demos for the Vectrex / Rasmasynth synthesiser technology

Cover of Vec-Man / photos of Prof. Peer Johannsen and Steve Hopkins / mock-up of Vectrex with Vyrzon on screen / cover of Vecrex Multi-Cart / photo of Sean Kelly

The Vectrex at 40: Alex Fitch presents a show celebrating the 40th anniversary of the much loved, but obscure video game console the Vectrex: programmer Steve Hopkins talks about his forthcoming shoot-em-up Vyrzon published by Minsoft Games and influenced by classic shooters such as Space Invaders, publisher Sean Kelly discusses reviving long lost games for the platform such as Dark Tower and A Crush of Lucifer, and lecturer Prof. Peer Johannsen chats about training a new generation of coders at Pforzheim University, and making his own new games such as Vec-Man and Rotor.

Partially broadcast 28th October 2022 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)

For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit archive.org

Links: Vyrzon publisher Minsoft games’ twitter account

Jon Culshaw, Janet Fielding, Peter Davison and Mark Strickson between recordings at Big Finish studios / cover of Doctor Who: Forty / Still from Doctor Who Am I featuring Matthew Jacobs / Covers of The Black Archive #25 and Faction Paradox: The Boulevard published by Obverse Books

Doctor Who – 13, 26, 40 (ish): In the gap between the end of one incarnation of Doctor Who and the start of another, spin-off material related to the show keeps fans entertained in its absence… Alex Fitch talks to actress Janet Fielding about reviving her character Tegan in audio dramas, the 1996 Doctor Who TV movie writer Matthew Jacobs and documentary maker Vanessa Yuille discuss their film Doctor Who Am I about encounters with fandom, and Stuart Douglas chats about publishing imprint Obverse Books which explores offbeat corners of the Whoniverse including titles featuring Iris Wildthyme and Faction Paradox.

Partially broadcast 27th October 2022 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)

For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit archive.org

Links: Big Finish audio plays featuring Janet Fielding including Doctor Who: Forty vol. 1 and 2

Fell holds a prototype Vecribbon overlay / anticlockwise screen shots from Vecribbon, Raiding Party, Holzer Vectrex generated hand and polyhederon / Derek Holzer at Zagreb Vector Hack Festival 2018

Sound and Vectrexians: In a Clear Spot looking at new uses for the Vectrex games console, an arcade style machine by Milton Bradley from 1983, Alex Fitch talks to a pair of creators who use the machine to generate graphics paired with unique sounds. Programmer ‘Fell’ discusses his titles Raiding Party and 3D Vector Space Cab, plus forthcoming game Vecribbon, as part of the programming team Shattered Screens. Audiovisual artist Derek Holzer explains how he hacks the Vectrex to allow input of frequencies which generate complex images on the screen of the device, and can be manipulated for artistic effect.

Partially broadcast 29th October 2021 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)

For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit archive.org

Links: Shattered Screens website including free demos and Vecribbon preorder

Posters for I am Ren / Minor Premise / stills from films being shown as part of ‘Return to the city’

From the City to the Suburbs (on film): In advance of the Barbican Cinema’s season ‘Return to the City’, Alex Fitch talks to cinema programmer Alex Davidson about the city-based films they are showing between 8th and 27th June, set in six different urban environments, from five different decades.

Also, in a pair of interviews recorded at SCI-FI-LONDON, Alex talks to director Patricia Ryczko and actress Marta Krol about their film I am Ren (Panacea), which depicts an android / housewife who is sent to a mental institution to find out if she is human or machine, and to film-maker Eric Schultz regarding his movie Minor Premise about a neuroscientist who experiments on himself with dangerous results.

Originally broadcast Tuesday 1st June 2021 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)

For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit archive.org

Links: Buy Minor Premise on VoD / Blu-Ray from amazon.co.uk

Art from Urotsokidoji by Toshio Maeda / Project Immortality by Coco Kirkland / Sticky Monsters by John Kenn Mortensen

Eclectic Horrors: In a belated Halloween special, Alex Fitch talks to three creators of very different horror themed comics. In a pair of interviews recorded at Copenhagen Comics Festival 2019, legendary creator Toshio Maeda explores his grotesque erotic manga Urotsokidoji: Legend of the Overfiend, and John Kenn Mortensen discusses his Edward Gorey inspired sketches of nightmares on post-it notes: Sticky Monsters. Also in a Q and A recorded at Cartoon County, Coco Kirkland chats about his cartoon inspired zombie / ghost graphic novel Project: Immortality.

Originally broadcast 4th November 2020 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)

For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit archive.org

Links: John Kenn Mortensen’s blog and Instagram site

Onscreen Vectrex graphics for “Galaxy Wars / Space Launcher” and “Every Day is Halloween” and Glowing Pumpcart Cassette by Binary Star Software + Box cover for “Vextrexians” and graphics with overlay for “Vector Patrol” by Tutsoft, Zara plays Vectrex

Vectrexians: In a Clear Spot looking at the continuing good fortunes of the Vectrex games console, an arcade style machine distributed in the UK by Milton Bradley in 1983, Alex Fitch talks to programmers Chris Malcolm and Kristof Tuts about their new games for the console, and to graphic novelist Zara Slattery about her experiences of playing the Vectrex and teenage years in arcades.

Partially broadcast 29th October 2020 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)

For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit archive.org

Links: Kristof Tuts’ website

Pages from Torpedo and Jonah Hex by Jordi Bernet / Stills from the film adaptation of 5 is the Perfect Number by Igort and page from the original graphic novel

Euro Noir: In this month’s show, Alex Fitch talks to a pair of veteren European artists who specialise in comics influenced by Film Noir. Alex chats to Igort about directing the film adaptation of of his classic graphic novel 5 is the Perfect Number, and how it differs from and homages the original comic. Also, in a Q and A translated by Miguel A. Domínguez, Jordi Bernet dicusses drawing the 1930s gangster saga Torpedo and American Western drama Jonah Hex. Recorded at the Institut Français, London and the Lakes International Comic Art Festival.

Originally broadcast 3rd June 2020 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)

For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit archive.org

Links: Info about the screening of 5 is the Perfect Number at the Institut Français, as part of the Made in Italy festival

Covers of ATA Girl + Doctor Who audio drams featuring Louise Jameson / Doctor Who and Susan’s War featuring Carole Ann Ford

An hour-long seasonal podcast series in which Alex Fitch talks to actors and creators of audio dramas broadcast on radio or released on CD/mp3.

Groundbreaking Podcasts: In this episode, a look at the return of classic Doctor Who companions in new audio dramas on radio and download, Alex Fitch chats to actresses Carole Ann Ford and Louise Jameson. Jameson talks about reprising the role of Tom Baker’s companion Leela, and appearing in audio dramas Survivors, The Omega Factor and WII saga ATA Girl, which she also writes for and co-created. Ford discusses playing the Doctor’s granddaughter in stories that range from monologues to full cast adventures, which revive the William Hartnell era of the programme, and also depict an adult version of the character taking part in The Time War alongside Paul McGann. Originally broadcast 8th May 2020 on Resonance 104.4 FM

Visit www.archive.org, for more info and formats you can stream / download of the podcast.

Links: Big Finish audio dramas starring Louise Jameson and Carole Ann Ford

Posters for Little Joe and Vivarium / Mark Kermode photo by Adam Prosser

Vivariums and Architecture on Film:

Plus, Mark Kermode discusses depictions of Architecture in such films as Blade Runner and The Shining in a lecture recorded at the University of Brighton.

Little Joe is currently screening in UK cinemas, Vivarium is released on VOD on March 27th via such platforms as Curzon Home Cinema and BFI Player.

Originally broadcast Wednesday 18th March 2020 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)

For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit archive.org

Links: Official Little Joe website