This week we caught up with Richard Schenkman, of ‘Bondage‘ magazine – the original Bond fan publication, which ran until 1989. Schenkman brought behind the scenes news and details to American Bond fans – the first of it’s kind – which began as one or two sides of a sheet of mimeograph paper, and grew…
This week we welcome Nicholas Anderson in from the cold. Nicholas (his nom de plume of course) is a 19-year veteran of the UK’s Secret Intelligence Service (known also as MI6). In 2002-2007 he was recalled a second time to active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is now retired and resides in the French…
This week, we are especially happy to welcome Dr. Wesley Britton, whose multi-talents include a successful teaching and writing career. However, it’s his writing and research on Bondology that’s the reason he’s here and in the following interview, Wesley unravels some of the mysteries behind the original Per Fine Ounce, O.F Snelling and his thoughts…
We are delighted to invite Peter Vollmer in from the cold to discuss this latest spy thriller based upon a ‘lost’ manuscript for a James Bond continuation novel by Geoffrey Jenkins. How did you come to write Per Fine Ounce? Eventually, I found an agent in the US who also happened to be the agent…
Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond, Secret Agent 007, stands before the audience, Pink Gin in hand, a terrified look in his eyes…At 42 he is about to do the thing he most fears; he is getting married! It is 1952 and Fleming is putting the finishing touches to the first Bond book, Casino Royale…
This week, we are so delighted to welcome the artist and illustrator George Almond in from the cold, to talk about his remarkable illustrations that he did to accompany John Griswold‘s James Bond Annotations and Chronologies. He also has provide artwork for various James Bond magazines including Bondage Magazine and 007 Magazine. 1. Was Richard Chopping…
We are delighted to invite artist Freyja Dean to answer some questions about her stunning work on the book bench for the National Literacy Trust’s ‘Books About Town’ project. The campaign raised money for their charity supporting children’s literacy in collaboration with Wild in Art. Freyja was asked by the Ian Fleming estate to illustrate…
Michael VanBlaricum is the President of the Ian Fleming Foundation and we are delighted to be able to interview him and learn more about what the Foundation does and Mike’s vast personal Bond collection. 1. Can you tell us about how the Ian Fleming Foundation came into being and its mission? The Ian Fleming Foundation…
We are honored to welcome Frank Cottrell Boyce in from the cold to discuss his 3 sequels to Ian Fleming’s (only) children’s book Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The first—Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again—was published inOctober 2011. The second, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the Race Against Time was released in September 2012 and the third sequel, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang…
We are privileged to welcome Matthew Parker in from the cold, to discuss his latest book about Ian Fleming and his beloved second home in Jamaica. Matthew is in the unique position as someone who has lived in the Caribbean and is a successful author of many books including about the Battle of Britain, the…
We are delighted to welcome renowned Random House Creative Director Suzanne Dean, whose work has adorned Random House’s recent Vintage Classics Ian Fleming series and William Boyd’s James Bond continuation novel – Solo. 1. How did the Vintage Classics re-issues come about and how did you decide the direction for the artwork? Our deadline was…
This week we welcome Professor James Chapman in from the cold. James is known for many things not least his work on British popular culture and cinema and television in their historical contexts. He is interested in the role of the media as propaganda, the representation of war and history, and the cultural politics of popular fictions.…
We are delighted to get the chance to put some questions to legendary book jacket artist, Bill Botten. Bill’s work has adorned hundred’s of famous author’s novels including Kingsley and Martin Amis, Ian McEwan, William Plomer, Salman Rushdie, Kurt Vonnegut, Michael Crichton and J.G. Ballard. For James Bond fans, Bill’s work is most recognizable from…
We are delighted to bring Nigel West in from cold and ask him a few questions about his Historical Dictionary of Ian Fleming’s World of Intelligence. This book, published in 2009, is a chronology of hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on actual cases of espionage, real-life spies, MI5, SIS, CIA, KGB, and more. It also contains entries…
We are thrilled to welcome former CIA Inspector General Frederick Hitz, in from the cold to answer a few questions! Mr. Hitz experience in The Great Game is extensive, including leading the CIA in the capture of notorious double agent for the Russians – Aldrich Ames – who compromised the second-largest number of CIA assets—second only to…
It is our delight to put some questions to one of the best spy thriller writers working today. Spy novelist Charles Cumming, is the author of 7 books and counting with his latest ‘A Colder War‘ the second installment of the Thomas Kell series. Charles was kind enough to take some time during the busy…
We are delighted to welcome Kate Westbrook a.k.a. Samantha Weinberg, author of the acclaimed series of books – The Moneypenny Diaries. The first diary fills in the gaps between a number of agent 007’s missions including the period between On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and You Only Live Twice, but also includes an entire backstory for Moneypenny. For the…
We are delighted to interview Robert Caplen, author of Shaken & Stirred: The Feminism of James Bond with a few questions of our own about Bond’s girls. Or is that women? 1. What is your opinion of The Spy Who Loved Me, which was written from the female perspective of Vivian Michel? The Spy Who Loved Me is a unique novel because Fleming…
Something a little different this week. I chatted with Matt Spaiser who runs the fascinating website dedicated to the sartorial Bond from the films and books. 1. In which book or books do you think Bond is the best dressed? James Bond’s wardrobe is quite consistent throughout all of the books, so there’s no single…
Artistic License Renewed is very proud to have as a guest, one of the best James Bond narrators of all time, Simon Vance! Simon has narrated all the Ian Fleming novels and short stories as well as some of the continuation work and we asked for his memories of the experience and take on Fleming’s…
Artistic Licence Renewed 