Author Archives
News, reviews, interviews and features for print and on-line: Spaceship Away (since October 2005), Bear Alley (since February 2007), downthetubes (since June 2007), and Eagle Times (since October 2008). Plus DC Thomson's The Art Of Ian Kennedy, Titan’s Dan Dare and Johnny Red reprints, Ilex’s War Comics: A Graphic History and 500 Essential Graphic Novels, and Print Media’s The Iron Moon and Strip magazine.
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In Review: MULP – Sceptre Of The Sun Issue 3
The rodent adventurers of MULP are back in their on-going quest to discover a powerful ancient relic, the Sceptre Of The Sun. Written by Matt Gibbs and illustrated by Sara Dunkerton, MULP issue 3 joins our mousey heroes as they prepare to… Read More ›
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In Review: Largo Winch – Crossing Paths / 20 Seconds
It feels like a long time since we heard from Largo Winch, writer Jean Van Hamme and artist Philippe Francq’s billionaire, businessman, adventurer and philanthropist, and part of the reason for that is that Cinebook, who publish the English language… Read More ›
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Sneak Peek: MULP – Sceptre Of The Sun Issue 3
MULP – Sceptre Of The Sun written by Matt Gibbs and illustrated by Sara Dunkerton has been a favourite here on downthetubes since we first got our paws on a copy of this mousey Indiana Jones style adventure back in… Read More ›
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Photo Review: Ian Kennedy’s Mekon Art Masterclass
To put it quite simply, Ian Kennedy is the most experienced British comics artist working today. Beginning his career as a staff artist at DC Thomson in Dundee in 1949, he went self-employed in 1954 for the simple expediency of… Read More ›
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In Review: DTHRTL 3 by Bob Turner
Writer/artist Bob Turner’s remarkable silent tale DTHRTL (that’s “Death Rattle” for those of us who like to use vowels) draws to a close with Book 3. DTHRTL follows our eyeball-headed hero (remember, the comic is silent so there are no… Read More ›
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In Review: Yoko Tsuno – The Three Suns Of Vinea
Yoko Tsuno and her friends Vic and Pol return in The Three Suns Of Vinea, the eleventh of Cinebook’s translations of Roger Leloup’s tales of the young engineer. This follows on in the alien Vinean sub-series from The Curious Trio and… Read More ›
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Sneak Peek: DTHRTL 3 To Be Launched At MCM Scotland Comic Con
Bob Turner Of Castle Rock Comics tells us that the third and concluding issue of his excellent silent comic DTHRTL (that’s “Death Rattle” for those of us who like to use vowels) will be officially launched at the MCM Scotland… Read More ›
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Have You Seen All The Twinkle Books?
A guide to the little-known books that span off from DC Thomson’s Twinkle comic
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Comics Dundee: Beyond The Bucket Trail
Check out the BEANO and Oor Wullie statues, and other DC Thomson-related things to see in Dundee
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Comics Dundee: Oor Wullie’s Bucket Trail
The city of Dundee is currently in the middle of the art and charity installation Oor Wullies’ Bucket Trail in which painted fibreglass statues of the Sunday Post newspaper’s 80 year old naughty boy character are scattered around the city for… Read More ›
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Comics @ Edinburgh International Book Festival 2016
The Edinburgh International Book Festival, the world’s largest literary festival which runs from 13 to 29 August 2016 in the Scottish capital’s Charlotte Square Gardens, opens doors one week from today. While the impressive Stripped ‘festival-within-a-festival’ that was held in… Read More ›
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In Review: Namibia – Episode 1
Leo (Luiz Eduardo de Oliveira) and Rodolphe (Rodolphe Daniel Jacquette) return to the continent of Africa for more adventures of MI6 agent Kathy Austin this time illustrated by Bertrand Marchal with colour work by Sebastien Bouet. In this follow-up series… Read More ›
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In Review: Antares – Episode 6
Brazilian artist and writer Leo (Luiz Eduardo de Oliveira) continues his Worlds of Aldebaran saga of 22nd century interplanetary settlers with the final book in the ongoing Antares saga, Episode 6. Having flown with a small team from the settlers’… Read More ›
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In Review: Kenya – Illusions
Kenya, Leo (Luiz Eduardo de Oliveira) and Rodolphe’s (Rodolphe Daniel Jacquette) ongoing series of spies, extinct beasts and strange flying lights that is set in post-war Kenya reaches a conclusion with its fifth book, Illusions, translated from the French and published by… Read More ›
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In Review: Kenya – Interventions
Kenya, Leo (Luiz Eduardo de Oliveira) and Rodolphe’s (Rodolphe Daniel Jacquette) ongoing series of spies, extinct beasts and strange flying lights that is set in the post war British colony reaches its fourth book, Interventions, translated from the French and published by… Read More ›
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In Review: The Survivors – Episode 3
The on-going prequel series to writer and artist Leo’s futuristic Worlds Of Aldebaran, The Survivors, reaches Episode 3 after the previous book had turned around the survivors’ view of the desolate, dangerous world they had crash-landed on. After encountering one… Read More ›
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In Review: DTHRTL Issue 2
Silent comics are always a challenge to read, and to review given that there are no character or location names to be used, but Bob Turner’s DTHRTL (that is Death Rattle to the non-text savvy amongst us) is definitely worth… Read More ›
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In Review: Tales Of WesterNoir – Issue 2
Tales Of WesterNoir, the short story anthology spin-off Accent UK’s ongoing old West demon hunting series WesterNoir, returns with a second issue as the two WesterNoir creators, writer Dave West and artist Gary Crutchley, both turn their hands to writing with… Read More ›
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In Review: The Survivors – Episode 2
Cinebook continues their translation of the spin-off series from Leo’s Worlds Of Aldebaran books with The Survivors – Episode 2, a tale set during the initial colonisation of Aldebaran IV, 100 years before the main Aldebaran series begins. After the loss… Read More ›
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Metaphrog Nominated For Scottish Culture Awards 2016
It has been a remarkable 12 months for Metaphrog, the Franco-Scottish duo of artist Sandra Marrs and writer John Chalmers. August saw them announced as Writers in Residence at the 2015 Edinburgh International Book Festival, in September they were awarded… Read More ›