Licence To Queer

Well, they can't all be winners, eh?

Antony and David dive into the second Warren Ellis/Jason Masters' "caper" Eidolon, which deals with dirty money and even dirtier duties as James and Tanner, er, torture a suspect by removing his skin (?!) to prevent the rise of a neo-SPECTRE.

Listen to what the couple thought, along with thoughts from LTQ listener, on 2016's Eidolon from Dynamite Entertainment.

This episode is also available as a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6T0oz1O9yjU

Award-winning Bond author Kim Sherwood and Licence to Queer's David Lowbridge-Ellis sit down to watch together the Bond film appearances of Kim's grandfather, George Baker - the man who Fleming wanted to play Bond.

More than a decade after his passing, George remains a household name in the UK, immediately familiar to generations of film and TV viewers - especially Bond fans. Although his screen time in the Bond series is relatively svelte, he leaves a lasting impression in two very different roles: the no-nonsense Captain Benson in The Spy Who Loved Me and the comically fusty brass-rubbing genealogist Sir Hilary Bray in On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

Which of these roles was closest to the real George? Kim shares her unique insights.

In On Her Majesty's Secret Service, George Baker also revoiced George Lazenby for around a third of the film. Baker himself said he found dubbing Lazenby "extraordinary", not least of all because he would have played James Bond himself if Ian Fleming had got his own way. Kim and David explore in detail how George almost became Bond and also the lesser known parts of his legacy: how he was not just an actor but a poet and award-winning playwright; how he was a British icon who was actually born in Bulgaria (and he could still speak the language until his final days); how he might have been a spy using his acting roles as cover!; how he earned a reputation as a ladies' man while being someone who was very vocal towards any institution which discriminated against women (this film contains some strong language!). And of course, Kim shares how much of an influence George had - and continues to have - on her own life and work.

As usual with Kim and David, the chat ranges far and wide. Expect discussion of:

- The merits of DVD menus

- The complexities of keeping the British end up

- Tweed (See: #SirHilaryBrayDay)

- Accents! Accents! Accents! (And more accents!)

And: an accidental recreation of Lethal Weapon.

Utilising the Licence to Queer queer view system (Bond, Allies, Girls, Villains, Camp), Antony and David tackle the first in Dynamite Entertainment's long line of James Bond comic books:

Vargr by Warren Ellis and Jason Masters from late 2015.

We're launching a new mini-series on the Licence to Queer podcast feed and one which is going to be led by Antony Lowbridge-Ellis, David's (better) half.

In this introductory episode, Antony, a life-long fan of the medium of comic books (see his X-Men podcast X-Nation) gives a bit of background on this new Licence to Queer project where Antony and David will review each arc, in order, of the James Bond comic books being published by Dynamite Entertainment.

Before we get to Episode 001 (Warren Ellis' and Jason Masters' 2015/16 reboot "Vargr"), Antony explains in Episode 000 the history of James Bond on the comic book page, detailing how the "funny book" version pre-dates the cinematic Bond by almost four years.

Antony and David debate the merits of the various Bond comic books published by Dynamite Entertainment, including the new run by Garth Ennis.

As usual for the 'Our Month' series, they look back on the many ways Bond has intersected with their daily lives and the special events they've been involved with, including Jim Fanning Friday: Live and Let's Bow Tie and a Goldfinger celebration in a bank vault. They also get everyone up to speed with the events to come: Sir Hilary Bray Day and the epic watchalong fundraiser Time to Donate.

This episode's cocktail is a new creation: the Casino Royale.

With a drought on the Bond film front, why is everyone not quenching their thirst with the Bond books? Perhaps it's because, with more than 50 continuation stories published in the sixty years since Fleming's death, it can be hard knowing where to start. Setting each other the mission of proving the case that there's a Bond book for every mood and every taste, Licence to Queer's David Lowbridge-Ellis and Mark Edlitz, author of James Bond After Fleming, have each curated a list of seven 007 continuation novels.

Here they share their picks and why they selected them. David and Mark each choose...

The one to read in one sitting

The one to read when you're in the mood to squirm in your seat

The one to read when you want something fantastical

The one to read on the beach

The one to read when you want something psychological

The one to read when you want to see Bond from a different angle

The one to read when you want something fresh and original

*There are slight spoilers for the opening chapters of some of the books but nothing significant about the plots.*

Stephen Bourne saw Goldfinger in the cinema in 1964 as an ‘impressionable little gay boy’. Author of one of the first (if not the first) books to see Bond films queerly, Stephen reveals how his thinking about the ‘offensive’ characters in Bond has become more nuanced since he wrote the book - and urges everyone to keep a more open mind.

Stephen is the author of Brief Encounters: Lesbians and Gays in British Cinema, published in 1996. To my knowledge, this is one of very first (if not the first) books to treat Bond films as ‘queer’ films. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brief-Encounters-Lesbians-British-1930-71/dp/0304332860 

Fighting Proud is the book which first drew Stephen to my attention. Published in 2017, the book reveals the untold stories of the gay men who served in Two World Wars. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fighting-Proud-Untold-Story-Served/dp/1784538744 

Stephen published his very first book in 1991, collaborating with his adopted aunt on relating her life as a black working-class Londoner. The book was later turned into a documentary, which you can view here: https://youtu.be/710s3ljCKag?si=XPgvRsJHs9WF8Egy 

2022’s Black Poppies: The Story of Britain’s Black Community in the First World War is Stephen’s bestselling book to date, currently in its third printing. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Poppies-Story-Britains-Community/dp/0750999632/ref=sr_1_1?crid=19LQ4MO9E51VN&keywords=black+poppies&qid=1705232380&s=books&sprefix=black+poppies%2Cstripbooks%2C65&sr=1-1 

In the last two years, the Licence to Queer community raised almost £4,000 for charity. This year we’re raising money to support the vital work of a charity whose mission is close to our hearts: PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide.

Very few people will not have been affected by suicide. One of my motivations for starting Licence to Queer was to do whatever I could to shatter the stigma surrounding suicide. Not only have I experienced suicidal thoughts for prolonged periods of my own life but I have known several people who have taken their own lives.

One of my earliest pieces dealt very personally with my own battle with suicidal ideation and it’s a topic I’ve returned to more recently in my coverage of the latest James Bond film, No Time To Die.

That film’s title provided us with the inspiration for the name of this year’s fundraiser. Its star, Daniel Craig, has personally donated to our chosen charity and sent them messages of support.

This year we are raising money for PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide.

As we have done in previous years, my husband and me are going to create a focal point for our efforts by having a marathon Bond watchalong with followers. The first year, it was the Bond films of Roger Moore. Last year it was the Bond films of Pierce Brosnan. This year’s it’s fitting that it’s Daniel Craig.

On the surface, a movie marathon might not sound all that ardous - even one lasting over 700 minutes! - but if you’ve been involved in one of these before, you know it’s so much more. Expect custom drinks (which you can make yourself, as we’ll share the recipes in advance), costume changes and much more. We’ll be watching along with fans on social media and streaming live between each film.

Save the date: Sunday 26th May 2024

Find out more and donate at https://tinyurl.com/LtQTfD2024

HOPELINE247 is available 24 hours a day, 265 days of the year to support young people experiencing suicidal thoughts, and those concerned about a young people that might be feeling suicidal.

Call: 0800 068 41 41 

Text: 07860 039 967