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 ›
British Comics
British comics-related news, interviews and features
Sneak Peek: For the Love of God, Marie! by Jade Sarson
We don’t normally post the entire cover of a book here on downthetubes, but Jade Sarson‘s For the Love of God, Marie! – out from Myriad in July – is just so darn gorgeous, how could we not? Sex, religion, gender,… Read More ›
Something For The Weekend: New Comics On Sale (w/c 13th June 2016) – Mix With Some Bad Company!
Along with your usual fine mix of new comics on both sides of the Atlantic, how could we not direct you to the new Bad Company: First Casualties collection? It’s been a decade since the vicious war with the Krool… Read More ›
Alien Air Aces in Commando? The Truth is Out at Your Newsagent!
Here’s the inside intel on the latest issues of DC Thomson’s Commando – Issues 4923-4926 – on sale now in all good newsagents and via various digital platforms. They’re a great mixed bag of tales this week, with even a… Read More ›
In Review: The Moniaive Comic Festival 2016
Most comic conventions measure their success by either footfall, social media reach or economic success. Well, I am here to report that the Moniaive Comic Festival takes a different route to measuring success. The aim of Sue Grant and her… Read More ›
In Memoriam: Comics Letterer and Designer Derek Pierson
We’re sorry to report the passing of Derek Pierson, who once self deprecatingly described his comics career as “from Hulton’s to IPC Magazines with Fleetway, taking a chunk of the middle”. Aged 77, he had been ill for some time. A… Read More ›
VATMOSS Tax Problems will continue for indie comic creators, in or out of the EU
Anyone remember the VATMOSS debacle which is still costing small business time and money – including comic creators selling digital editions? The debacle that put some small electronic publishers out of business? We reported on it here last year –… Read More ›
In Preview: The Intercorstal 683
By: Gareth A Hopkins Reviewed by Simon Russell The Book: The Intercorstal: 683 is a Kickstarter-funded anthology-style abstract comic, by a single artist, inspired by, and in homage to, British sci-fi comics. The Preview: You can look at the drawings of Gareth… Read More ›
In Review: ELCAF 2016 – Back for its Fifth Year and Buzzing!
This year was the 5th Annual East London Comics Art Festival (ELCAF) and it was a whopper! There has been a lot of talk recently about what makes a genuine and good Comic Convention. Well, it’s this attendee’s belief that a… Read More ›
Eagle Daze: The Life and Times of Leonard James Matthews – Part Eleven
Leonard Matthews, General Managing Editor of Fleetway and the Eagle Group of Comics, was a Creative Visionary… but that, Roger Perry argues in his extensive biography of the man which continues here on downthetubes, is only due to him having… Read More ›
Something For the Weekend: Sherlock Shenanigians and Wonder Woman Reborn (New Comics w/c 6/6/16)
DC Comics “Rebirth” project continues this week, with two of the creators I had the pleasure of working with back in my Marvel UK days working on separate books. Aquaman #1 is written by Dan Abnett (with art by Oscar… Read More ›
London’s Cartoon Museum Gets Set for a Summer Makeover
Nothing is more boring than going to a gallery and seeing the same pieces over and over again. After a while, it’s time to shake it up, and that’s exactly what they’re doing at London’s Cartoon Museum. At the end… Read More ›
Doctor Who Adventures artist Russ Leach joins Hull Comic Con Line-Up
Following on from a very successful event last year, Hull Comic Con is back on Saturday 18th June 2016, and will be a much bigger event, taking over over all three floors of its venue, the Hull University Union building…. Read More ›
In Review: Darwin’s Diaries Book One: The Eye of the Celts
by Sylvain Runberg & Eduardo Ocan Publisher: Cinebook Reviewed by: Paul H. Birch (previously reviewed for downthetubes by Jeremy Briggs here) The Book: Victorian England. In Yorkshire, several men and horses working on a railway line have been killed. The… Read More ›
Cam Kennedy, John Wagner and more head to Moniaive
Here’s the details of this year’s Moniaive Comic Festival Weekend (11th – 12th June) – two days of all things related to comic books in Moniaive, a village in the Parish of Glencairn, in Dumfries and Galloway, South-West Scotland. Some… Read More ›
Something For the Weekend: Awesome Slaine and Sold Out Rebirths! (New Comics w/c 30/5/16)
Yes, yes, we know it’s Saturday already and you’re on the way to the comic shop already. We’re a bit busy at this end, getting ready for Lancaster Comics Day on Sunday, revamping the Lakes International Comic Art Festival web… Read More ›
When Tiny Skulls Attack! Kek-W’s and Lukasz Kowalczuk’s new strip for 100% Biodegradable
Here’s a sneak preview of “Tiny Skull Attack” – a brand new strip by 2000AD‘s Kek-W and Aces Weekly‘s Lukasz Kowalczuk – coming to Issue 13 of the digital anthology 100% Biodegradable (due out this month). The quarterly sci-fi digital… Read More ›
Gordon Livingstone, I Presume – An Art Gallery
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”4″ gal_title=”Gordon Livingstone Art”] When I created my Comic Creator Spotlight for Gordon Livingstone, I had more pictures than I could shake a stick at and as a result, I have pictures that I did not use in the main… Read More ›
Half Pint Soldiers and Trials by Combat! New Commando comics On Sale Now
Here’s all the intel you need on the latest issues of DC Thomson’s Commando, (Issues 4919 – 4922), on sale now in all good newsagents and available via a number of digital platforms. And what a treat – not one,… Read More ›
Ian Kennedy’s Dan Dare cover for new 2000AD collection revealed
Here’s Ian Kennedy‘s specially commissioned cover for the second collection of the “Dan Dare” strips from 2000AD, which will be released on 3rd November 2016. Ian drew just one “Dan Dare” strip featuring the 2000AD incarnation, for the 1979 Dan Dare annual, the… Read More ›