A very special edition of Panel Borders, the UK’s only radio show on comics, illustration and other graphic delights featuring an exclusive interview with Canadian turntablist and graphic novelist Kid Koala!
Otherwise known by his alter-ego of mild-mannered Eric San, Kid Koala is a world-renown DJ, music producer and cartoonist hailing from Montreal. Best known for a series of delightfully odd-ball albums released on the Ninja Tune label (often including a free comic book), 2011 has seen the publication of his second graphic novel ‘Space Cadet’, which comes with its own bespoke soundtrack. On vinyl, no less!
The Kid has also been travelling around of late presenting a series of ‘Music To Draw To’ events, where pens and paper are mandatory accessories and the audience sit around drawing to an ‘inspirational’ DJ set. This most recent event, which doubled as a sort of unofficial launch for the book; took place within the very pleasant confines of the Material / Red Gallery in London’s fashionable Shoreditch area. Sketchbook in hand, I attended the recent London leg of his tour to talk robots, etch-boards and the Canadian work-ethic. It was broadcast by Resonance 104.4FM on Ocotber 2nd 2011, and is now available as a podcast right here:
Or you could also download it by visiting it’s page on the Resonance FM website here
Interviewing such an instantly-likeable, softly spoken chap (except when he laughs – which is often!) made for some curious recording levels and a few clashes with the air-conditioning, but none-the-less, I hope this programme will entertain and inspire. ‘Music To Draw To’ was certainly an inspirational enough with a room literally bursting at the seams with talent, all sitting around nibbling cake and beavering away.
In fact, for added visual stimuli, why not listen while staring at the pictures below? This first one was created by graphic artist and blogger Andy Paterson in real time as the Kid ripped into some classic Hepburn:
Andy proved most unpopular on our side of the table by effortlessly making all of our creations look like crap in comparison. To prove it, here’s a slightly dodgy one of mine, that certainly hasn’t benefitted from the amount of time I put into photographing it:
And lastly, let us turn to this affable chap called Ollie, whose contact details I have since lost and therefore cannot be properly credited (unless we can track him down). Which is a shame, as I think this drawing wraps up the spirit of the evening rather neatly:
Oh, and one more thing, because you’re lovely: Here’s a ‘wildtrack’ recording of Kid Koala ripping up the aforementioned Hepburn. I include it here because it’s rather obscured on the finished programme, and frankly, it’s too ace to just sit there and be a backdrop:
If you have any pictures of Space Cadets, Kid Koala, Kids, Koalas, Cadets or Space, do send them to robinthefog@gmail.com and I promise I’ll look at and perhaps act on them. In the meantime, remember: pens are your friends!
Robin The Fog 