Titan Books is to release Charley’s War: A Boy Soldier in the Great War, a terrific omnibus collection of Charley’s War stories on 8th August, which features all-new scans of many pages direct from original art by Joe Colquhoun. While the… Read More ›
Classic British Comics
TV21 “Daleks” artwork offered for almost £5000 on eBay
A page of “The Daleks” from the 1960s comic TV Century 21 is currently being offered on eBay for close to £5000. The page, drawn by Richard Jennings, featured in Issue 19 of the top-selling 1960s comic which predominantly featured… Read More ›
TV21 returns as part of ‘Supermarionation’ release from Network
(Updated, 22/7/14): Network, the DVD and Blu-Ray label, has officially announced the return of the legendary British weekly TV Century 21 (better known as TV21). The special comic is being published as a special supplement to Network’s ’Supermarionation’ limited edition… Read More ›
Angus Libraries Exhibition
A small exhibition, but this will be well worth the time for those that can get there. Monday 21st July sees the opening of a new war comics exhibition at Arbroath Library. Original works of art from Commando, Warlord, Bunty,… Read More ›
Eagle Times documents “Lost Eagle” project featuring art by Bellamy, Colquhoun
The current Eagle Times, available now, features downthetubes contributor Jeremy Briggs’ latest piece on Lost Eagle – the aborted 1973 re-launch of Eagle comic with painted Dan Dare artwork by Frank Bellamy and Joe Colquhoun. Jane Colquhoun, Joe’s daughter, provided much… Read More ›
Bear Alley Books “Countdown” book on sale next week
The latest comic index from Bear Alley Books, Countdown to TV Action, goes on sale from 4th July. The 200-plus page book, which features a a colour cover featuring the work of Gerry Haylock, John M. Burns and Gordon… Read More ›
Sneek Peek: Great War in Comics Exhibition, featuring “Charley’s War”, “White Death”
Marking the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War, Kendal’s Abbot Hall Art Gallery (currently exhibiting an incredible exhibition on British Surrealism) and the Lakes International Comic Art Festival are bringing together for the first time the work… Read More ›
BBC News features ‘Comics Unmasked’ new British Library exhibition
Here’s Paul Gravett and academic Dave Huxley on BBC News this morning, talking comics and the Comics Unmasked exhibition at the British Library. Crisis, the Eagle and more got name checks (and there’s a vox pops sequence shot at… Read More ›
British Pathe bring rare “Dan Dare” footage to YouTube
British Pathe have released some of their archive footage on YouTube, including a rare behind the scenes insight into the creation of the original Dan Dare strip for Eagle. The film is also available on British Pathe’s web site but… Read More ›
Athletics Weekly revives Alf Tupper, “Tough of the Track” for London Marathon
Athletics Weekly – the world’s only devoted weekly track and field magazine better known as AW – has revived DC Thomson’s famous fish and chips-eating runner Alf Tupper, “The Tough of the Track“, who featured in comics such as The… Read More ›
British Heroes return in Comic Heroes Magazine’s “Comic Review”
General Jumbo, The Smasher and Supercats are just some of the classic British heroes back in print this month, thanks to a team of Scottish comic creators, DC Thomson and Comic Heroes magazine. The Glasgow League of Writers has… Read More ›
Sylvia Anderson speaks out in new Andersonic
The latest issue of the Gerry Anderson-inspired fanzine Andersonic, featuring a cover image by Martin Bower (the Space: 1999 effects artist whose work used to feature in Starlord comic), is on sale now – and the team have pulled off something of… Read More ›
Alan Hebden and José Ortiz “Tower King” tale from New Eagle collected
From the the 1980s comic New Eagle comes the classic story “The Tower King”, written by Alan Hebden (one of the current writers on Commando, but whose credits also include many strips for 2000AD, including “Meltdown Man” and other comics)… Read More ›
Frank Hampson’s “Head of Christ” model up for sale
The sculpted Head of Christ created by the Dan Dare studios for Frank Hampson to draw Jesus for his Eagle, strip “The Road of Courage”, is being auctioned on eBay by current owner Dave Westaway. When Eagle artist and co-creator Frank… Read More ›
Compalcomics auction offers first edition Beano, Roy of the Rovers and Star Trek art
There’s a host of British comic goodies in the Spring 2014 auction at Compalcomics , which is now open, including an excellent copy of the first issue of The Beano, some great looking early issues of Mickey Mouse Weekly, art work… Read More ›
In Praise of… Comic Artist John Gillatt
Comics editor and writer Barrie Tomlinson kindly sent us this photograph of himself with veteran artist John Gillatt at his home in Peterborough this weekend. John’s credits in British comics span decades, including work on “Jet Ace Logan”, “Johnny Cougar”,… Read More ›
Lakes Comic Art Festival announces “Great War in Comics” exhibition
The Lakes International Comic Art Festival has announced that the prestigious Abbot Hall gallery in Kendal is to host a tie-in exhibition, entitled “The Great War in Comics” – featuring art from the classic war strip Charley’s War drawn by… Read More ›
Looking back on Charley’s War: An Interview with Pat Mills
If you’ve read a British comic book in the last few decades, the chances are you’ve read a story written or edited by Pat Mills. Learning his craft with DC Thomson in Dundee, Pat would go on to create Battle… Read More ›
In Review: Charley’s War Volume 10 – The End
Reviewed by Steve Earles By Pat Mills and Joe ColquhounPublisher: Titan BooksOut: Now The Book: In the final explosive volume of never-before-collected comic strip, including for the first time reproductions of strip pages from Joe Colquhoun’s original artwork, we finally… Read More ›
“Comics UnMasked” exhibition at British Library to be designed by Dave McKean
The British Library – which has a huge archive of comics and graphic novels to draw on – has confirmed that their major lead exhibition for 2014 (which we highlighted last year) is on British comics and entitled Comics Unmasked:… Read More ›