The growing size of our dedicated British and Irish comic events page has meant we have had to split our Exhibitions guide onto a new page on downthetubes. Information on events and venues is always welcome.
This feature was last updated on Sunday 24th March 2024
As ever, information about events is welcome: here’s how to contact us. If you don’t see your exhibtion added to this list, please re-send the information as it’s entirely possible, given the huge amount of email received, that we’ve missed it first time around – sorry!
• For comic-related events across the UK and Ireland, visit and bookmark this regularly updated page
• More Exhibition News on downthetubes
London
Bookery Gallerie
20 Church Street, London NW8 8EP | Web: bookerygallerie.com
The British Library
96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB
Web: bl.uk/whats-on
Check back for comic or illustration-related exhibition information – or visit bl.uk/whats-on
The Cartoon Museum – London
63 Wells Street, Fitzrovia, London, W1A 3AE Tel: 0207 580 8155
Web: www.cartoonmuseum.org | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
• 30 Years of The Wrong Trousers
Runs until Monday 15th April 2024
The Cartoon Museum are celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the classic Aardman Animations film The Wrong Trousers with an exciting never-before-seen exhibition. The museum will be displaying a treasure trove of Wallace and Gromit goodies, including storyboards, sketches, props and insight from the people that made the film. They will also be exploring the cartoons that inspired Nick Park and his team.
Alongside the exhibition the Musuem will be running multiple events with the public from August 2023, so look out for more information on their website and social media during 2023.
HEROES: The British invasion of American comics
Thursday 25th April – Saturday 19th October 2024
The Cartoon Museum, 63 Wells St, London, W1A 3AE | More information here
Comic books are American as apple pie and Uncle Sam… aren’t they? Visit The Cartoon Museum this Spring to discover how British artists and writers invaded America and made their mark on iconic superheroes and more!
HEROES: The British invasion of American comics tells the story of early American comics such as Buster Brown, Miss Fury and Superman, how they influenced British artists and culture, and how the British took that influence and sold it back to America through legendary comics such as Watchmen and V For Vendetta.
The exhibition shines a light on the many British creators who provided art for iconic superheroes including Batman, Spider-Man, Hellboy and Hit-Girl, including works by Brian Bolland, David Lloyd, Doug Braithwaite and Alison Sampson. On the way you’ll discover British attempts to imitate American strips in the 1940s, find out the story behind the 1972 launch of Marvel UK, and enjoy stunning artwork by key figures from the history of British and American comics, including works by legendary names such as Jack Kirby, Jack Davis and Tarpe Mills. You’ll even get to see the costume of a real-life British superhero!
For more information visit cartoonmuseum.org | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
The Ealing Project
Ealing Broadway, London W5 5JY | Web: ealingproject.co.uk
The Ealing Project – a multi-functional community space on the ground floor of Ealing Broadway centre, which has hosted comic related exhibitions, including 3 Generations, an exhibition of art that includes the work of comic creator and editor David Leach, in July 2023 (Read our related news story).
Gunnersby Park Museum
Set to Stun
Runs until 2nd June 2024
Gunnersby Park Museum, Gunnersbury Park House, Popes Lane, London W5 4NH (near Acton Town tube station) | Free, No booking required | Closed Mondays, Tuesday – Sunday: 10am – 4.30pm
Web: visitgunnersbury.org | Facebook | Instagram | X | YouTube
Beyond the stars and behind the scenes… for nearly a century west London has been home to a hive of workshops and design studios that fed into some of the country’s most iconic science fiction films and TV shows. That’s being celebrated until June next year at Gunnersby Park Museum, with Set to Stun, a major exhibition offering a look at the area’s Doctor Whoconnections and much more from the 1960s through to today, turning the camera onto the west London artisans, artists and crafts people who brought it all to life.
From laser beams to paranoid androids, exploring faraway planets to alien invasions, visitors can enjoy an engaging and interactive showcase of the sets, costumes, prosthetics, props, and artistic visualisations that went into British science fiction classics, including Doctor Who, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Red Dwarf.
Jam Bookshop
61A Hackney Road, London E2 7NX | Web: jambookshop.co.uk | Instagram | Twitter | BlueSky
Will Eisner Exhibition (including original art)
25th January – 25th March 2024
Postponed from last autumn, an exhibition focused on William Erwin Eisner (6th March 1917 – 3rd January 2005), the groundbreaking American cartoonist, writer, and entrepreneur. He was one of the earliest cartoonists to work in the American comic book industry, and his series, The Spirit, was noted for its experiments in content and form. A Contract with God, first published in 1978, was one of the American comic industry’s first longform graphic novels.
JW3
Zoom Rockman’s Jewish Hall of Fame
JW3, 341-345 Finchley Road, London NW3 6ET
Box Office: jw3.org.uk/zoom | Entry ticket price: £6 per person (concessions £3 per ticket) – Children under four go free | Please note: 20 capacity, in 30 minute slots
The Heath Robinson Museum
Pinner Memorial Park, 50 West End Lane, Pinner HA5 1AE | Web: www.heathrobinsonmuseum.org
The permanent Heath Robinson exhibition combines original artwork with books, photographs, film and digital media to tell the full story of Heath Robinson’s artistic career.
Heath Robinson’s autobiography was called My Line of Life and the permanent exhibition draws on this theme to follow his career from art school in the 1890s to his last works made during the Second World War. It describes how, having established himself as a leading illustrator at the start of the 20th century, he was forced to turn to humorous drawing to maintain his income. He pursued both forms of art for several years, but humour eventually dominated. However, throughout his life he saw himself as a serious artist and painted landscapes and imagined scenes for his own enjoyment.
Young Victoria and Albert Museum
Japan: Myths to Manga Exhibition
Runs until 8th September 2024
Young Victoria and Albert Museum, Cambridge Heath Road, Bethnal Green, London, E2 9PA | Tickets £10 (concessions available) | Exhibition details and booking information here
Take an exciting and atmospheric trip through Japan – and explore how landscape and folklore have influenced Japanese art, technology and design, with the Japan: Myths to Manga Exhibition at the Young Victoria and Albert Museum in East London.
Tthis child-friendly exhibition, is set across four sections – Sky, Sea, Forest, and City – and showcases how each setting has been the context for some of Japan’s most popular and beloved creations, including anime, manga, fashion, film, robots, and photography.
Bowness-on-Windermere
• Lakes International Comic Art Festival Exhibition 2024
Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria – TBA
The annual Lakes International Comic Art Festival wil feature tie-in exhibitions during its annual event, 27th – 29th September 2024
Bovington
The Tank Museum brings the story of tanks and their crews to life. Exhibitions sometimes include comic-related items. The Museum owns a collection of “Charley’s War” pages from Battle.
Chester
Storyhouse, Hunter Street, Chester CH1 2AR | Web: storyhouse.com
Dundee
Tower Building
University of Dundee, Nethergate Dundee DD1 4HN | Exhibitions Information
Previous exhibitions include Sydney Jordan retrospective – read our news story about the opening night and a preview of some of the art on display (If you’re a Jeff Hawke fan, check out the Jeff Hawke Fan Club here)
Bonus: Here’s a virtual tour of Ian Kennedy – Celebrating a Comics Legend, which ran in early 2023
Ian Kennedy (1932-2022) is a legend in British comics. Acclaimed and respected by fans and fellow artists, his career in comics spanned over 70 years. Ian left behind a huge legacy that will continue to inspire comics fans for generations to come. We are delighted to present this exhibition featuring a selection of original art from Ian’s studio and from the collections of DC Thomson.
• Read James Bacon’s review of this exhibition right here on downthetubes
• Watch: A guided tour by comics expert and Abertay University lecturer Phillip Vaughan showcasing highlights of the exhibition Ian Kennedy: Celebrating a Comics Legend in the Lamb Gallery, Tower Building, University of Dundee, given at a special event on 3rd March 2023 in the company of members of Ian’s family, former friends and colleagues and comics fans.
Herne Bay
The Seaside Musuem
12 William Street Herne Bay | Web: theseasidemuseumhernebay.org
Has hosted cartoon-related exhibitions as part of the annual Herne Bay Cartoon Festival.
Hull
Brew Cafe
76 Bond Street, Hull, HU1 3EN | Web: www.brewhull.co.uk
Liverpool
The Beatles in Comics
The Liverpool Beatles Museum is at 23 Mathew Street, Liverpool L2 6RE | Web: liverpoolbeatlesmuseum.com | Facebook | Twitter
The Beatles in Comics permanent exhibition features over 100 examples of the band from newspaper cartoons, strips and comic books from 1963 to the present day.
The exhibition is open to the general public and well worth the trek to the third floor of this most authentic and delightful of museums to all things Fab.
Northampton
The Panel Gallery
3 Abington Square, Northampton NN1 4AE | Opening hours Tuesday to Saturday 11.00am – 4.00pm) | Free | Web: thepanelgallery.com
The Panel Gallery is the first art gallery in the UK to specialise in original comic art. Showcasing comic art from Marvel, DC Comics, 2000AD and many more publishers.
Opening to the public in 2021, Jeff Chahal, the owner and curator of the gallery, has always felt that comic art doesn’t receive the respect that it should, which ultimately lead to the idea of starting Panel Gallery so that comic artwork might at last be showcased in a fitting environment.
Having worked in comic retail for 20 years, and with a background of running the hugely respected NICE Comic Con in Bedford, Jeff applies the same criteria to both his comic convention and the new Panel Gallery. For him, it is essential that the focus of both are on the art itself and also on all those that are involved in the creative process of producing comic books.
Rugby
Rugby Art Gallery and Museum
Little Elborow Street, Rugby, CV21 3BZ | Telephone 01788 533201 | Web: ragm.co.uk/kapow
Hosted Kapow – The Art of Making Comics and Film in 2023 featuring a wide range of comic art, including work by Frank Bellamy, Ben Oliver, Frank Quitely and many others.
• Read James Bacon’s review of KAPOW
Shrewsbury
Comics Salopia: Shrewsbury Comics Trail
Free. The Shrewsbury Comics Trail is a brilliant idea combining nine life sized art pieces created by ten world famous comic artists and writers. Read our news story
• Sign up to the Facebook Group The Shrewsbury Comics Trail to stay up to date with the latest news, or follow the project on social media
Weston
Adventures in Time and Space – 60 Years of Doctor Who Art
EXTENDED until 16th April 2024
Weston Museum, Burlington Street, Weston-super-Mare BS23 1PR
Web: westonmuseum.org | Free
Please make a note of the Museum’s opening days and times, the Christmas closure period and that it is closed Thursday 26th October. To make the most of your visit please arrive before 15.00. There are no tickets for the exhibition, but at busy times the Museum will operate a ‘one in one out’ policy. Entry is free.
Currently running at the Weston Museum, Weston-super-Mare until January, the Adventures in Time and Space – 60 Years of Doctor Who Art is a truly incredible collection of Doctor Who art, carefully selected from books, comics and more, spanning the whole life of the popular science adventure.
• Read our review of the exhibition
Woodstock
Into Battle: The Art of British War Comics
Runs until 30th April 2024
Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum, Park Street, Woodstock, OX20 1SN | Registered Charity No. 1145408 | Web: sofo.org.uk
The county’s military history museum is collaborating with Oxford-based Rebellion Publishingon the new exhibition, which will offer visitors a chance to explore the history of British war comics through the archives of classic comic titles such as War Picture Library and Battle Action.
Still popular today, Britain has been publishing comics continuously for over 130 years. During that time, conflict has remained a staple of comic book storytelling and by the 1960s and 1970s war stories were the most popular genre.
The exhibition, featuring original comic artwork on public display for the first time, tells the story of war comics decade by decade. From satirical comic strips and patriotic illustrated story papers of 19th Century and early 20th Century, to the revolutionary comics of the 1970s, which presented much more gritty, authentic and emotionally-charged stories.
• Read our news story about this exhibition here
• Read James Bacon’s review of Into Battle here
Make Mine Manga
Make Mine Manga, a free, touring exhibition for anyone curious about manga, as well as the avid fan.
The exhibition explores the origins of manga in Japan, the creative techniques behind the art and the wonder of Manga-Anime. The exhibition features artwork from incredible creators from Japan and UK manga creators.
The exhibition has been specially created by Paul Gravett, comic publisher, fan and author of Manga: 60 Years of Japanese Comics, and has been led by Bolton Library Services, on behalf of a consortium of libraries in the North West. It’s been funded by Arts Council England under its Project Grants scheme and the Lakes International Comic Art Festival is one of the delivery partners.
Manga have become a pop-culture phenomenon in the UK and, if you’ve been into any branch of Waterstones, or your local comic shop, you probably already know more and more people are reading them; and six of the top ten bestselling graphic novelists in Britain are by Japanese manga authors.
In this exhibition, visitors will be able explore how these comics evolved first in Japan and how their brilliant creators continue to expand the medium, and discover today’s generation of award-winning British talents making manga their own way into a truly global language.
The Lakes International Comic Art Festival is an annual comic art Festival and advocate for comic art. Established in 2013, the not-for-profit festival takes place annually over a weekend in the Autumn, originally in Kendal, and, since last year, in multiple venues in Bowness-on-Windermere.
• For the latest information on the Make Mine Manga Exhibition head to manchestercityofliterature.com/event/make-mine-manga-exhibition
LAKES INTERNATIONAL COMIC ART FESTIVAL: ONLINE MAKE MINE MANGA RESOURCES
• How to draw manga with Inko
• How to draw manga with Chie
• Manga colouring
Make Mine Manga Exhibition Tour dates
Barrow-in-Furness Central Library
15th April 2024 – 18th May 2024
Ramsden Square, Barrow-in-Furness LA14 1LL
Web: westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk
• More Exhibition News on downthetubes
• For comic-related events across the UK and Ireland, visit and bookmark this regularly updated page
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.
Categories: British Comics, Comic Art, Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Events, Exhibitions
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