Author Archives
A life-long comic fan, specialising mainly in UK adventure comics, Colin did his very best to support his passion for the comics of his youth, Commandos (still going!) and any small press that interested him. Sadly, Colin passed in March 2021, an invaluable downthetubes team member, much missed by us all
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In Review: Comics Unstripped – An Exhibition of Original Comic Art
If you happen to find yourself in Kettering over the next two months, I can thoroughly recommend spending a little time to find the Alfred East Art Gallery (part of Kettering Museum), which is hosting the free Comics Unstripped exhibition until… Read More ›
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On The Trail of the Lonesome Bucket in Dundee
It would be hard, to be honest, to find many Scots who have not heard of, or read the comic stories of Oor Wullie, a Scottish laddie who has never grown up, and has captured the hearts of millions over… Read More ›
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In Review: The Moniaive Comic Festival 2016
Most comic conventions measure their success by either footfall, social media reach or economic success. Well, I am here to report that the Moniaive Comic Festival takes a different route to measuring success. The aim of Sue Grant and her… Read More ›
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Gordon Livingstone, I Presume – An Art Gallery
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”4″ gal_title=”Gordon Livingstone Art”] When I created my Comic Creator Spotlight for Gordon Livingstone, I had more pictures than I could shake a stick at and as a result, I have pictures that I did not use in the main… Read More ›
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Comic Creator Spotlight: The Art of Gordon Livingstone
Artist Gordon Livingstone is another unsung hero of British comics. Born on 17th August 1934, he grew up in the tenements of Lochee, Dundee. As a school leaver, Gordon ended up working as an office boy for a local law firm… Read More ›
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Planet Jimbot’s ‘Wolf Country’ Trade Released
Written by Jim Alexander Art by Will Pickering Cover art by Luke Cooper Published by Planet Jimbot For anyone that has not read any part of Planet Jimbot’s Wolf Country, this is a good chance start, by grabbing the entirety… Read More ›
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Secrets Revealed: How artist Gordon Livingstone started on Commando
Some days, it’s just so hard to get going when it comes to comic research, but there are others when good things just fall into your lap. Today was one of those days when good things just kept falling. My… Read More ›
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In Review: Edinburgh Comic Con 2016 (A View From the Trenches)
When you are one of the army of volunteers that is needed for most shows these days, it is hard to get around the show and see all of the attractions, but if you were at Edinburgh Comic Con 2016, then… Read More ›
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In Review: Tales Of The Damned Book 2 Issue 1
Writer: John Richard Farman Artist: Will Pickering Publisher: Vital Publishing A new series is being launched by Vital Publishing – and it looks to be quite intriguing. John Farman is expanding on the “Damned Universe” that he has created and is… Read More ›
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When Saturday Comes: Comic Sporting Heroes of Yesteryear
While attending the inaugural Capital Sci-Fi Con at Meadowbank earlier this year, I got to see James “Safest Hands in Soccer” McCulloch, the author of City of Lost Souls being ambushed by John “Ball of Fire” Ferguson of DiamondSteel Comics… Read More ›
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Comic Creator Spotlight: The Art of Jeff Bevan
Colin Noble guides fans through the DC Thomson work of Jeff Bevan – and we share some of his fine art, too
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Comics For Valentine’s Day: Celebrating 40 Years of Action and Bullet
Valentine’s Day is usually considered a time for lovers, but this year – 2016 – it’s year for lovers of Action… and Bullet, two British boys’ comics celebrating their 40th anniversary. Although, sadly, neither of course are still being published, both left… Read More ›
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In Review: In Love And Warcraft
Branching out a little from my normal fare, I felt that I want to share my thoughts on a production by the Beam Theatre Company that I had the joy of watching on Thursday 4th February 2016. My wife, daughter… Read More ›
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Cosplay Is NOT Consent – By Colin Noble
With the conventions of 2016 fast approaching, I’m looking forward to meeting a lot of artists, writers, editors, inkers and publishers. But another part of the convention experience has become meeting some of the cosplayers out there, who deserves kudos… Read More ›
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Comic Creator Spotlight: The Art of Ron Smith, Part Three. The Hotspur Mark II 1970 to 1980
My first article regarding the work of Ron Smith acted as a introduction, to remind us how great this veteran artist, now retired, has been over the course of his career. The second article demonstrates how I am beginning to review Ron’s… Read More ›
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Comic Creator Spotlight: The Art of Ron Smith, Part Two – The Hotspur Mark II 1959 to 1969
My first article regarding the work of Ron Smith acted as a introduction, to remind us how great this veteran artist, now retired, has been over the course of his career. This next pair of articles will focus on one aspect of Ron’s… Read More ›
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Comic Creator Spotlight: The Art of Ron Smith, Part One
As a comic fan of long standing, one of my real pleasures is identifying and applauding some of the artists that I feel never got the appreciation that they so richly deserved. But I have found that even with the… Read More ›
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Vital Publishing’s “School Of The Damned” Collected – With Plenty of Trimmings
Vital Publishing launch their first trade paperback, Force Majeure, this week on Sunday 25th October 2015 – and it’s a perfect book for those that like their comics to go bump in the night. This is the collected issues of School Of… Read More ›
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Dundee Literary Festival 2015 features comics guests, opening of Dundee Creative Comics Space
If you’re a comics fan and in the vicinity of Dundee from 21st October until 25th October 2015, then an attempt needs to be made to attend the Dundee Literary Festival. Most of the events are aimed at the bibliophiles… Read More ›
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The MASK: Smiling in the Face of Adversity
One of my hobby horses has always been that comics have rarely been treated as a serious medium by main stream culture when it has produced such works as Maus, The Tale of One Bad Rat and V for Vendetta…. Read More ›