Some more quick spins around the web for you to savour…
Growing up in the 1960s, former 2000AD editor Alan Mackenzie was surrounded by pop-culture touchstones – The Beatles, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Civil War News gum cards. But the biggest influence on his life was Marvel Comics. He wanted to write something about the early days of Marvel, but felt it needed to be put in the right cultural context, and has been doing just that on his Marvel in the Silver Age blog, currently covering the arrival of the X-Men in the early Marvel universe. Check it out here!
With Remembrance Day approaching, you may want to check out screenwriter and author Ian Winterton’s chat with Jonathan Sandler about adapting his grandfather Steve’s World War Two story, from the docks of Bombay to the jungles of Burma, into Commando No. 5985: A Different Kind of Courage. Regular downthetubes readers will recall Ian also kindly provided a commentary about the adventure for downthetubes back in August, which you can read here.
EAGLE comic archivist Steve Winders has posted his recent EAGLE Times article about the comic strip “Wrath of the Gods” on the Society’s official blog, which is a great way to promote the work of the dedicated team documenting the history of the hugely successful title. “Wrath of the Gods”, written by Willie Paterson and illustrated by Ron Embleton and John M. Burns began in Boys’ World, continuing in EAGLE, albeit briefly, when the two titles merged in 1964.
“Despite its limitations, ‘Wrath of the Gods’was one of the most memorable British comic strips of the 1960s and like ‘Heros the Spartan’ is fondly recalled today,” Steve notes. “The idea of using a continuing hero fighting the monsters and villains of Greek mythology was a good one, although it inevitably became repetitive and exhausted its material.”
Back in 2024, a team of dedicated fans led by Director, Producer and Puppet Maker Maria Andreotti launched their first Kickstarter with an ambitious goal: to begin making a documentary about the life and legacy of the late Kent Melton, one of the most extraordinary, and quietly influential, artists in the history of animation. Thanks to incredible support, they did it, and are now raising the finishing funds needed for editing, animation, original music, sound, colour, festival submissions, and their final interviews in Portland and Missouri. If you’re aware of Ken’s contribution to the world of animation, from his work on iconic Disney classics to Oscar-nominated stop-motion films, check out the Kickstarter here. The project will include stop-motion animation shoots, honouring Kent and his career.
Talking of animation, the Manchester Animation Festival is on now, and has attracted plenty of deserved press attention. You don’t need to buy a pass for the whole event and tickets for events such as tonight’s premiere of Lucy Lost are still available, a visually arresting, emotionally powerful tale of mystery, resilience, and hope, adapted from Michael Morpurgo’s bestselling novel. Book here
Also in animation vein, AmazonUK is currently deep discounting the paperback edition of Iwao Takamoto: My Life with a Thousand Characters, (Affiliate Link), published by University Press of Mississippi back in 2009. Takamoto (1925-2007) spent a lifetime in the animation industry and was influential in the creation of some of the most beloved characters in the medium’s history, including Scooby-Doo, Atom Ant, The Jetsons’ Astro, The Flintstones’ Great Gazoo, and The Wacky Races’ Penelope Pittstop and Muttley, all of whom he designed. The book is the story of this legendary American artist, told in his own words. If you need more convincing, there’s an outline guide of the content here on JSTOR.
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: Animation, British Comics, Comics, Crowd Funding Projects, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Events, Other Worlds, Tube Surfing, US Comics
Leave a Reply