Author Archives
Richard Sheaf is a longtime contributor to downthetubes and has written for numerous magazines about British comics.
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Rare Ron Turner collected comics cache discovered, offered for sale
John Lawrence, publisher of terrific retro stripzine, Space Ace, has been in touch to say that he’s recently unearthed a small cache of the Ron Turner comics he produced in the 1980s, published by Harrier Comics. If you’re unfamiliar with… Read More ›
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Original Frank Hampson studio reference material used to create “Dan Dare” for sale
Rare original reference material from Frank Hampson’s Dan Dare studio, including Astronomical Photographs, are currently for sale on eBay. These boards of “Astronomical Photographs”, which come from Frank Hampson’s estate, were reference files from his Dan Dare studio. As with… Read More ›
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In Pictures: Treasury of British Comics Exhibition – Orbital Comics, London
Here’s a few snaps from the Treasury of British Comics exhibition currently on at Orbital Comics in central London. The art is being exhibited courtesy of 2000AD publisher Rebellion Publishing in a celebration of their imprint, The Treasury of British Comics. Rebellion have been lovingly… Read More ›
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In Review: Astérix in Britain: The Life and Work of René Goscinny Exhibition at London’s Jewish Museum
Richard Sheaf reports on the opening of a great new exhibition opening at London’s Jewish Museum… The top floor of the Jewish Museum in Londinium has been given over for the next five months to the story of comic creator… Read More ›
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Astérix in Britain exhibition opens at London’s Jewish Museum in May
London’s Jewish Museum is hosting an exhibition dedicated to the life and work of René Goscinny, the writer of Asterix, opening 10th May 2018, billed as an immersive and playful exhibition that explores the unique imagination of the co-creator, with Albert Uderzo, of… Read More ›
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Second Striker collection a sell-out success, last few copies just offered
If you’re a fan of the newspaper strip Striker, still running in The Sun (and online, for now, at Planet Striker on YouTube), then you probably know creator Pete Nash is publishing limited edition collections of the strip. If you… Read More ›
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New Comic Heroes celebrates women in comics, Spider-Man
The latest edition of Comic Heroes (Issue 32) is on sale now in all good newsagents and its own dedicated digital app. The latest issue, in case you weren’t sure, celebrates women in comics with a selection of features (including… Read More ›
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Pat Mills’ 2000AD Memoir, “Be Pure! Be Vigilant! Behave!” soon available in print
There’s great news for all fans of 2000AD creator Pat Mills and historians of British comics this week. His memoir of the origins of the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic – Be Pure! Be Vigilant! Behave! – currently available digitally, is to… Read More ›
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Lost Visions: Frank Bellamy’s unfinished King Solomon’s Mines
Over on Comic Art Fans, there’s an opportunity to spend £5000 on a comic strip that was never published, drawn by “Dan Dare” and “Thunderbirds” artist Frank Bellamy. Commissioned by the original Eagle, “King Solomon’s Mines” was sadly abandoned in… Read More ›
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Bank Holiday Reading: The 1976 Frankie Stein Holiday Special
Holiday Specials may be few and far between these days when it comes to British comics – it’s simply too expensive or publishers to “sell in” one shots, sadly. But this doesn’t mean you can’t dip into your collection and… Read More ›
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In Review: The Art of Reginald Heade
By Stephen James Walker Published by Telos Given the all-ages appeal of downthetubes, how best to review The Art of Reginald Heade? This artist’s impossible women with their hourglass figures and dresses so flimsy that they defy disbelief should be… Read More ›
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Photo Review: The BEYOND 2000AD Exhibition at London’s Orbital Comics
London’s Orbital Comics – the UK’s one and only Eisner Award-winning comic shop – is currently hosting what sounds like it could be an extremely dull and pretentious look at 2000AD. “Beyond 2000AD – The Broader Cultural Impact of… Read More ›
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Mrs Peel, we’re needed: “The Avengers” comic strips collected at last
Just released by audio drama creators Big Finish to complement their new, official The Avengers – Steed & Mrs Peel series starring Julian Wadham and Olivia Poulet is a collection of eight strips sourced from Diana comic in the 1960s…. Read More ›
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In Review: Rok of the Reds #4
Written by John Wagner and Alan Grant Art by Dan Cornwell Colour by Abigail Bulmer Lettered by Jim Campbell Publisher: BHP Comics Industry legends John Wagner and Alan Grant (Judge Dredd, Strontium Dog, Judgement on Gotham, A History of Violence) team… Read More ›
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In Pictures: “The Mighty One”, former 2000AD editor Steve MacManus and friends at Orbital Comics
Just before the official release of The Mighty One: My Life Inside the Nerve Centre, former 2000AD editor Steve MacManus attended a launch event for this fascinating insight into the early days of the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic at London’s award-winning… Read More ›
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By Gum! What a Grand Comics Exhibition at Woking’s Lightbox
Tuesday 9th August saw the official launch of “The Story of British Comics So Far: Cor! By Gum! Zarjaz!” at the Lightbox in Woking, which runs until December. Co-curators Paul Gravett and Hamish MacGillivray gave an insight into the genesis of the… Read More ›
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The Story of British Comics So Far opens at Woking’s Lightbox
Yesterday saw a new exhibition open at The Lightbox gallery and museum, Woking that we highlighted earlier this year, which will take visitors on an interactive journey through the past, present and future of sequential art. The Story of British… Read More ›
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British Comics Recalled: Grange Hill
The recently announced tragic death of former child actor Terry Sue-Patt, perhaps best known as the football-obsessed Benny Green in the Phil Redmond-created BBC TV school drama Grange Hill, sent me to the back of the archive cupboard to have the… Read More ›
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British Comics Recalled: Tower Magazines “Action Man”
I used to love Action Man as a kid – and John Freeman’s post last week about the toys being sold by Vectis sent me to the back of the cupboard to dig out my copies of the comic so you could… Read More ›
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Ron Turner: The Harrier Comics Collections
While many of us are enjoying John Lawrence’s Space Ace magazine (Volume Four is on sale now), this isn’t the first time that he has re-printed classic Ron Turner material. Below is a gallery of titles published by Harrier Comics in the… Read More ›