"Let's go exploring!"

"Phill Jupitus celebrates Calvin and Hobbes, the comic strip about the little boy and his stuffed tiger named after eminent philosphers.

Over the course of ten years, the strip became an international phenomenon, being syndicated in 2,500 newspapers worldwide. It tells the tale of a young boy whose stuffed tiger is as real to him as the people around him, and deals in the process with philosophical issues about free will and the meaning of life, via the perspective of a child with an extraordinary imagination. Its creator, the reclusive Bill Watterson, could have become a multi-millionaire through merchandising deals and film offers, but turned them all down without hesitation.

Phill sets out to discover more about the characters and the man behind them. In Watterson's absence, Jupitus heads to Oxford to speak with artists, merchandisers, booksellers and philosophers to find out what makes the strip so popular, over a decade after Watterson drew the final frame.

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Happy Birthday Batman

Great Big British Castle documentary from 1999, celebrating 60 years of The Batman.

"Comedian Phill Jupitus celebrates the 60th anniversary of the American comic book character. He speaks to actor Adam West, who portrayed him on television in the 60s, and to cult comic authors Frank Miller and Grant Morrison, as well as looking at the fans, films, music and bizarre world of American superheroes.

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Eagle: The Space Age Weekly

"Sir Tim Rice explores the lasting appeal of British magazine Eagle and the impact of its flagship character Dan Dare. Eagle ran in two main incarnations between 1950 and 1994. Dan Dare, is regarded in some circles as the greatest British science fiction hero of the 20th century. 

In this feature Sir Tim Rice charts the influences behind the magazine, and explores the life of its creator Marcus Morris, a fascinating man who began the publication because of his concern over 'horrific' US comics which presented 'disturbing' storylines which he felt 'corrupted British youth'.

The programme reveals how Dan Dare was originally envisaged as a space chaplain before becoming the popular astronaut. It also examines the work of illustrator Frank Hampson who introduced technology years ahead of its time. Hampson knew the Space Age was on its way while serving in the Second World War and seeing the German V2 rockets. He made the Dan Dare strips as realistic as possible by dressing his team in spacesuits and uniforms, basing the look of the fictional characters on his colleagues.

Featuring contributions from author Philip Pullman, Sally Morris the daughter of Eagle Creator Marcus and Eagle Society member David Britton.

The programme is written by Roger Dobson and is produced by Stephen Garner.

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