Book time podcasting!

October 9, 2022October 9, 2022Andrew Leave a comment

I learned last night our new bookcast, I’ve never read Discworld, made the Apple top 50 for UK book pods in September. O Team!

It was pleasant news after two days graft editing. There’s the new episode of The Drew and Look Podcast to come, in which I interview indie start-up SHP Comics about creative entrepreneurship, as well as sex, sci-fi and vampires. The Drew and Look has been on hiatus a while. Some months back, the interview with comedy horror novelist, Philip Henry, got a lot of love.

Sean Black is a household name: prime-time actor on stage and screen and linked to an unknown number of gruesome murders. Sean Black is the lead in METHOD, the creation of Philip Henry, a struggling dramatic novelist, film-maker and singer-songwriter.

Podcaster Andy Luke lures Philip to a remote country cottage to unravel his secrets. What emerges is a wide reaching conversation on writing, celebrities, romance, violence, ethics, feminism and Northern Ireland on screen.

The new episode is live on Patreon and I’ll be putting episode 2 of Discworld up there next week. It’s been a learning curve bringing in the video element on these series. Judging by the feedback on our first Discworld, people seem happy to wait.

My brother Gavin dumped his 15 Discworld duplicates on me in a big green canvas bag. In trying to procrastinate, I knew the reading experience ought to be chronicled and reached out to ask the internet for a co-host. Local writer PJ Hart responded: having read through most of the series and keen to revisit. And thus we became a legend in my own lunchtime.

https://anchor.fm/andyluke/episodes/Auteur-Philip-Henry-The-madness-in-his-METHOD-e1jfckn/a-a822jl6

‘It’s the fantasy version of The Wire.’

Experienced wizard PJ Hart guides the tourist Andy Luke through the first book in Terry Pratchett’s world: a world supported on the back of a giant turtle (sex unknown); from the docks to taverns of Ankh-Morpork,to forests, temples and the edge of the world.

https://anchor.fm/iveneverreaddiscworld/episodes/Ep-1–The-Colour-of-Magic-e1o0nop

Press Gang – The School Edition (Part 1)

April 7, 2022April 7, 2022Andrew Leave a comment

New Podcast!

Comedy-drama Press Gang was widely hailed as one of the best YA telly series ever, attracting critical acclaim and industry awards. As well as featuring some of the best names in the business it launched a dozen careers including those of Stephen Moffat, Julia Sawalha, Dexter Fletcher, Lee Ross, Paul Reynolds, Gabrielle Anwar and Lucy Benjamin.

Occupied author Andy Luke’s feature presentation includes character studies and reviews of ten episodes from Series 1-2. You’ll also hear from roving reporters Ian Lawther, author Tristan Shephard and comics artists Simon Hodgkiss-Rogers and Peter Bangs.

Listen everywhere! (But here’s the Anchor.Fm Link!)

Homespun Fun Comics

February 26, 2017February 26, 2017Andrew Leave a comment

I managed to take some time last month for a social trip around England, kicking off with the Midwinter Comics Retreat, hosted by Sophie in her family home. This year was a bit different as I joined Jay Eales on the writing duties, shipping out scripts to seven artists. The experience was true to the MCR ethos of ‘fun comics’ and I feel enthused and inspired about making comics in the future. Crisis on Infinite Captions should be out from Factor Fiction Press later this year. Thanks particularly to Sophie, Jenni & Richard, Arsalan, Glenys, Sean, Ciaran & Adrian and Suzanne for making it a holiday I won’t forget.

Helen Gomez runs The Girly Comic Club, an event in which she opens her home to trusted friends to draw comics two or three times a month. Isn’t that a beautiful thing? To come off wet streets and get handed a cup of tea, some cake, and draw comics in comfortable surroundings! Four or five people collaborating on a mini-comic or two, within hours! I’m hoping to try hosting something similar soon. It’ll be a LGBT-friendly called Boys Club, of course.

If you’d like to see what we’ve been up to try a wee comic-zine about Houses, or ones about Jeans or Monkies.

Sam Finnegan has attended a few of these. He’s a cartoonist in Bangor, NI, working out of Boom! Studios, and now SyncSpace in Dufferin. Sam has set up a zine and comics library there, with a great gallery, a regular Flea Market event (on Sundays), and some prog art exhibits planned.

An update on the Axel America coverage in form of a reading given at The Book Reserve. It’s from Chapter 10 a.k.a Masculinity Under Threat: The Effeminate Ephemera of FEMA. I also got a nice column in the February edition of Writing Magazine, and a mutual love-and-anger chat with Rob and Janelle Alex of the Authors Talk About It Podcast. And you can now buy Axel America at SyncSpace!

Off to the White House

August 31, 2016August 31, 2016Andrew Leave a comment

Or rather The Green Room…

Of The Black Box, Belfast.

That’s this Monday, just around from the Duke of York where I’ll be tasting beer after.

The books have arrived, big chunky things. Michael at Northern Visions TV assures me he’ll be getting through it before we shoot on Friday for two shows: Focal Point (news), and Novel Ideas.

Tomorrow, I’ll be in Dublin to talk to sellers, meet some pals and attend the launch of The Call, a new novel by Peadar Ó Guilín. He’ll be in Easons with Oisín McGann and a group of fans and pals. (Link: FB event) It’s published by Scholastic/Fickling and is a children’s book about child abduction (!) by the Sidhe faeries. [More about that on Publisher’s Weekly]

The Axel America Election Tour has begun, kicking off with the folks at Downbelow, a podcast about Babylon 5. A double episode on Secrets of the Soul (dismissed), and Day of the Dead (applauded). I took a while to warm, fighting the prevailing opinion on the first episode, but I was roundly welcomed and it put me in a good mood to start. (Thanks Ian for the on-air sale!)

Next day, the first of the email interviews with Pro Media Mag, and talking to Seemi about comics and the making of The Invisible Artist show. I really enjoyed this one and you can find it linked with the others on the Axel America page.

The weekend began with a night out at Sector 13, a local group of ‘mature’ comics readers and cosplayers. I was picked up by Peter Duncan of great British comics blog Splank!, and we hooked up with social Laurence McKenna, Paddy Brown (soon appearing in Hawaiian shirts), the jovial Ryan Brown, the omnipresent stoic Bruce Logan, teller of tales Glenn Fabry and Ishtar, an author visiting Glenn from Brighton. It was a night of fine craic and welcoming faces and I’d recommend it for folks in the area. More setting up and more interviews. Writers Community is a local site with an interview. Alan asked me questions where I’ve gone into the mechanics and politics of the book, and given some advice on writing.

Old friend Ciaran Flanagan phoned me up on Sunday for a segment on the ComicCityCast and it was a delightful lapse into casual (but excitable) chat about the origins of the book and where it is now. On Monday, US blog Literary Links got in touch to ask about Axel’s showbiz links and the creative lifestyle.

Today, it’s more attempts to bribe journalists and bloggers with a free lunch, and some house tidying so when publisher Andrew arrives on Monday, he isn’t sleeping in a hammock of cobwebs. Keep an eye to @TheAxelAmerica – there’s things I’ll announce there that have blown our socks off.

Oh, just time to mention http://www.outsidergames.com/jennifer-wilde/

Me old pal Stephen Downey is working on a game based off the beloved comic, created with Rob Curley and Maura McHugh. For those unfamiliar, Jennifer Wilde follows a French artist and Oscar’s ghost as they solve mysteries in London, Paris and New York.

The Daniel O’ Donnell Podcast – Episode 3

August 8, 2015Andrew Leave a comment

Two scatter-brained friends on the roads of County Donegal review the sights they’ve seen, and verbalise excrement as the sun shines out of their asses. In this episode, the daring duo visit Carey’s Viking House aka The Daniel O’ Donnell Hotel and sing the praises of Árainn Mhór Island. Announcing our Daniel O’ Donnell slash and viking fiction competitions. Poached eggs are on the menu and trousers must be worn over the knee!

Download (21:00)(right click and save)

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KINCASSLAGH TO ARRANMORE

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FROM ARRANMORE ISLAND FERRY TO BURTONPORT

The Daniel O’ Donnell Podcast – Episode 2

July 4, 2015July 8, 2015Andrew Leave a comment

Two scatter-brained friends on the roads of County Donegal review the sights they’ve seen, and verbalise excrement as the sun shines out of their asses. In this episode, Sarah and Andy recount the wild ghostly village of Glencolmcille and majestic Glenveagh National Park.

I messed up the footage from Glenveagh, but there’s a gallery and video for your viewing pleasure.

Part 1 – 12 minutes

Download Part 1(right click and save)

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Part 2 – 8 minutes

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OHNOTOOMUCHBONUS

Read Andy’s review of Ionad Siuil accommodation over on Trip Advisor.

The Daniel O’Donnell Podcast: Episode 1

June 8, 2015June 8, 2015Andrew 1 Comment

A brand new feature! Two scatter-brained friends on the roads of County Donegal review the sights they’ve seen, and verbalise excrement as the sun shines out of their asses.

Download this episode (right click and save)

In this first episode, Sarah and Andy review ‘Shaun the Sheep: The Movie’, along with the small seaside town of Bundoran, near Ballyshannon. Sarah loses her podcast virginity and Andy loses his Donegal virginity. Discussion includes new concrete versus old concrete, knocking over rabbits, internet fame and ghost stories, as well as the first of our regular 10-minute outros. This podcast was recorded at night, which explains why the sound quality sucks boke. (20 minutes)