Award-winning PanelxPanel magazine reaches 50th edition

By John Freeman on August 31, 2021

PanelxPanel, the multi-nominated and 2019 Eisner Award-winning monthly digital magazine celebrating the comics medium edited by Hass Otsmane-Elha, has just reached its milestone 50th issue.

Available as single issues or on subscription via Gumroad, PanelxPanel magazine, launched in 2017, regularly offers a range of critics and comics creators in each issue, looking at themes, craft and why comics are a unique medium for storytelling.

This month, Hass celebrated fifty issues of the magazine by asking writers to reflect on some of their favourite comics of the past 50 years, and how they slotted into the comics landscape of the time.

Alongside five big essays on Will Eisner’s A Contract with God, Ms. Tree, Barbie, Hellboy, Blue Period and Silver Spoon, also included are various small features on other hidden gem comics covering the same time period, including some from comic creators.

Writers include Andrea Ayres, Douglas Wolk, Ritesh Babu, Tiffany Babb and Rasmus Lykke.

In the Regulars section, David Padovani dives into Chris Claremont’s X-Men, Guilherme Preusse on Scrooge, there’s an interview by Jason Hammons, a short comic, and more.

If you haven’t read the magazine before, you can also buy “year bundles” of back issues. That will keep you busy for a while!

• PanelxPanel magazine is available as a single issue or on subscription via Gumroad from 31st August 2021

• Follow Hass Otsmane-Elha on Twitter @hassanoe

• Follow PanelxPanel on Twitter @panelxpanel

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “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.