Licence To Queer

Michael Gillette’s art is nothing short of beloved by Bond fans. In 2008, he created a set of 15 instantly iconic covers for the Fleming centenary editions of the novels. Since then, he has also produced covers for continuation books. In October 2024, he releases his highly conceptual and utterly gorgeous covers for the new hardback editions of the Fleming originals. The project has been gestating for six years! Michael tells the full story here for the first time.

The episode’s title is a quote from Quantum of Solace, specifically the scene where Mathis attempts to get to the bottom of Bond’s sleep problems.

“When you focus your time and energy into the things you can change and influence, opportunities come to you and doors open that wouldn’t have been there before.” - John Able

John is a father and a writer of stories aimed at bringing children and their caregivers closer together. Earlier this year, he wrote an article about martial arts in Fleming which set off a chain of events leading to him becoming far more involved in the Bond community.

John also has a rare life-threatening heart condition. Here, he speaks openly about the feelings of grief he had after being diagnosed with the condition and how he approached making what changes he could to how he lived his life.

A lot of mental health difficulties stem from a feeling of being out of control, so we should try to focus on the things we can control. John uses two Bond films as a metaphor for how to approach the things life throws at us: we can be like Bond in Goldfinger and be the passive recipient of things happening to us or we can be like Bond in Quantum of Solace and continually adapt, creating new opportunities.

Although John speaks very candidly about his specific circumstances, he urges us to focus on the things all of us can control in all aspects of our lives.

While talking with John, David retrospectively realises he took this approach during the worst phase of his life - where negative thought patterns threatened to takeover - and it ultimately made him a much happier person.

John goes on to explain how he learned to defuse negative thoughts. It takes effort, but it’s worth it!

Finally, David and John discuss the extent to which Bond provides us with a fantasy of control.

Find John on Instagram: @writerjohnable

And check out his works on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/212Opi02PNbO64xqRRIytx?si=b8ac940c3bab4a56

“Just because someone seems happy, doesn’t mean it’s the reality of the situation. It’s good to check in and see how people are doing.” - Vinnie Harris

Vinnie Harris is an unfalteringly positive voice in the Bond community - his voice is also very deep and many of you will recognise it from his appearances on various podcasts!

As Anya Amasova tells Bond in The Spy Who Loved Me, “it’s very important to have a positive mental attitude.” This can be easier said than done however! So positive is Vinnie online that you might be surprised to learn about the challenges he has overcome and continues to battle in his everyday life. This is the first time Vinnie has opened up publicly about these and how he is learning to cope with them. 

Diagnosed with autism and ADHD early in life, Vinnie talks candidly about how, like Bond, he felt like he didn’t fit in. Two decades down the line, he shares his thoughts about combatting negative self-talk, taking advice from family and friends, how it’s important to live life at your own pace and learning to own your uniqueness.

You can follow Vinnie on X @Harris94Vinnie and Instagram @mrharris00794

“It shook my foundations. I flipped from being someone that was 'Just get on with it' to a person who felt far more empathy, understanding not everyone has the tools to be able to 'Just get on with it'.” - Natasha Stone

John is one of the fantastic lads who make up the Really, 007! podcast. While David has been honoured to be their guest multiple times and they've got to know each other well in real life, this is the first time John and David have publicly talked just the two of them.

The author of A Different Kind of Brave describes his novel as a “gay teen love letter to James Bond movies”, which is a pretty accurate description!

David chats with Thomas Gilbert, the illustrator of the new edition of Ian Fleming's Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, released to celebrate the book's 60th anniversary. Although this is the first book Thomas has illustrated, you will likely be familiar with his work in other fields. He is not only a highly accomplished artist who turned to making Bond posters at the start of the Covid lockdowns (Instagram @gilbert_posters) but he also designs cars for a living!

Fleming originally commissioned his automotive engineer friend Amherst Villiers (namechecked in the early Bond books) to draw Chitty but his rendering was never used. So this edition marks the first time an actual car designer has illustrated the book!

Thomas and David also talk about where their creative sparks come from and why it's a good idea to say 'Yes!' to adventures which take you out of your comfort zone!

Following Thomas on Instagram here:

“At the core of a lot of depression is feeling like you don't have any meaning.” - David Zaritsky

David Zaritsky and David Lowbridge-Ellis candidly explore the dark side and light side of relevancy within the Bond community. (Yes, there are also Star Wars references.)

When we feel relevant, we get a natural hit of dopamine. But this can become dangerously addictive; creating content with the sole goal of gaining followers and likes can wreak havoc on our mental health.

David Z gets personal about how he has lost friends because they could not stop comparing their own relevance with other people’s. David L-E reveals how he strives to find meaning in himself, rather than by seeking affirmation from others.

This is a very personal conversation in which both Davids discuss how to navigate this tricky territory. The hope is that by sharing it publicly they will help others.

As David Z says here, when it comes to mental health, “There’s a real need to understand the why of what is happening.”

It’s tribal. Although some talk about the Bond Community as if it’s a place where everyone agrees with each other, in reality it consists of many subgroups. And while most Bond fans are positive voices, bringing diverse points of view and supporting others with positive affirmation, a few sadly pursue relevancy by propagating negativity, attempting to tear down those who they are jealous of.

The Davids hone in on their shared why: if it’s not followers and likes, what does motivate them to continue doing what they do?

Finally, David Z has some very practical advice for people who might be struggling with the issues raised in this video.

About the ‘On Our Minds Only?’ series:

Mental health is not discussed enough, despite it being an important element of the 007 stories. In this series, David talks very openly about mental health with members of the Bond community. He has a theory: these are the sorts of things on many of our minds but we often struggle to put them into words. Maybe we can change that?

Anyone who has seen Alex’s amazing YouTube knows that he always says yes to adventures! If something scares him, he follows Bond’s example and overcomes his fear by going and doing it. But as a child, he was not so confident.