British comics-related news, interviews and features
SelfMadeHero, the UK’s independent graphic novel publisher, is making three of its popular titles available to read in a specially-enhanced digital format on the SEQUENTIAL platform for iPad. The books are Kiki de Montparnasse, José-Louis Bocquet’s elegant true-life account of Man Ray’s muse; H.P. Lovecraft’s… Read More ›
During the summer of 2013, the Edinburgh International Book Festival ran a major comics and graphic novels strand entitled Stripped which we covered heavily here on downthetubes at the time. BookFest’s 2013 Illustrator in Residence was Stephane-Yves Barroux who took… Read More ›
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 ›
My fav online comic, THE FIRELIGHT ISLE: http://t.co/OLECFWeg2X @paul_duffield has put everything @scottmccloud proved into play and more. — Page 45 (@PageFortyFive) February 10, 2014 A chance discovery via Twitter this morning (well not that much of a… Read More ›
London-based DieGo Comic Publishing has just launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for the second volume of the company’s ongoing series Rourke the Hexbuster. The eagerly awaited Rourke the Hexbuster Volume II continues with a journey from Ireland to Africa, and… Read More ›
The second issue of Planet Jimbot’s Wolf Country series is on sale soon, written once more by Jim Alexander (Calhab Justice, Batman) and drawn by Will Pickering (GoodCopBadCop, Savant), who takes over from Luke Cooper on the book. The vampires-versus… Read More ›
Manchester-based comic artist Oliver East has just launched his latest project, The Homesick Truant’s Cumbrian Yarn (ordering information for the first book below), a “walking comic” centred on the artist’s travels in the county dominated by the Lake District, commissioned… Read More ›
Originally released in January to widespread critical acclaim, Titan Comics Snowpiercer Volume 1: The Escape has gone to a second printing, just 48 hour after publication date, due to exceptionally high demand. Titan Comics says that fans eager to read… Read More ›
Continuing a month of shows about French comics or bande dessinée, Alex Fitch talks to Virginie Sélavy this week on Britain’s only regular comics radio talk show, about her translation of Jacques Lob, Benjamin Legrand and Jean-Marc Rochette’s French graphic… Read More ›
Digital publishing technology company Picsean has partnered with Egmont to create the first digital Ben 10 magazine. One of the biggest media franchises in the world and a much-loved children’s brand, the print Ben 10 Magazine is the best-seller in… Read More ›
The creative minds at Orang Utan Comics have teamed up with UK graphic novel publishing power house Markosia to bring you two thrilling new books in time for the London Super Comic Con. In Hero: 9 to 5 – Quietus… Read More ›
Innovative and multi-award comic creator Scott McCloud has been announced as the first official overseas guest for the 2014 Lakes International Comic Art Festival. The announcement comes hot on the heels of the event’s launch of its 24 Hour Comic… Read More ›
There’s still no news on whether the new Thunderbirds Are Go TV project has secured a comic deal. We’ve still got our fingers crossed! As we’ve previously reported, we do know there’s other merchandise in the works to celebrate the… Read More ›
Ace comic artist and illustrator Nick Spender has been beavering away on The Story of the Dambusters, a comics project telling the story of “Operation Chastise” for a long time, occasionally mailing me pages of work in progress. At last,… Read More ›
Japanese-born, UK-based comics creator, comics educator and animator Fumio Obata is at Gosh London tomorrow night (7th February), signing copies of his debut novel, It Just So Happens, published by Jonathan Cape. The team at Gosh! are huge fans of… Read More ›
This slipped through our radar last month – our apologies to the editorial team. It’s the finished cover for the upcoming World War One anthology To End All Wars, which will be released later this year by Soaring Penguin Press,… Read More ›
Creator INJ Culbard has published a tantalising sneak peek of his graphic novel Celeste, out this April from SelfMadeHero. In London, the moment two commuters, Aaron and Lilly, lay eyes on each another on a packed Monday morning tube train,… Read More ›
British independent publisher Soaring Penguin Press launches a new series this month: Mengelmoes, by South African-born creator Willem Samuel, a comic diary that takes you into the most life-changing period of South Africa. Soaring Penguin have kindly sent us a… Read More ›
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 ›
Ladybird Books – whose artists in the past included Dan Dare creator Frank Hampson and fellow Eagle artists Martin Aitchison and Frank Humphris along with TV21 artist Ron Embleton – will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2015. To coincide with… Read More ›