(With thanks to Jeremy Briggs): News of Egmont’s Comic Specials prompts us to mention this new collection of material from Jackie magazine, which was published by D C Thomson & Co Ltd. Launched in 1964 at the height of Beatlemania,… Read More ›
British Comics
British comics-related news, interviews and features
Phantom Fleet Appears
Officially on sale this week is Dan Dare: Phantom Fleet from Titan Books, the latest in the company’s high quality collections of the classic Eagle comic character. First published in 1958 and written by Frank Hampson and Allan Stranks with… Read More ›
Comix Web Thing This Week
A quick reminder that the UK Comix Web Thing takes place this coming Saturday (28th March ) at the Great Hall, Queen Mary University, Mile End, London. The event, which has been running since 2004, includes panel discussions, a drawing… Read More ›
Smuggling Vacation Sequel Live
Day of the Deal, Jason Wilson‘s follow up to his enjoyable but controversial drug smuggling adventure Smuggling Vacation, is now being serialised online. The story will be published in print in October. Between now and print day, the entire new… Read More ›
TOXIC Comic Supplement Cover: Sneek Peek!
The TOXIC Comic Supplement we trailed back in February, featuring work from a host of great creators, will go on sale in the UK news stand title on sale 1 April: here’s the cover, courtesy of Egmont, who have also… Read More ›
Can DFC Readers Save Their Comic?
A group of readers of the Random House subscription-only comic The DFC are trying to raise funds to stage a ‘subscriber’ buy-out of the title and have launched a blog to chart the progress of the campaign at: savethedfc.blogspot.com If… Read More ›
Tharg’s Head Revisited
In October 2008, occasional downthetubes contributor Matthew Badham interviewed freelance writer Andy Diggle (who is also the ex-editor of 2000AD). An edited 2000 word version of that interview was published in the February edition of the Judge Dredd Megazine. Now,… Read More ›
More Commandos Officially Available Online
(With thanks to Jeremy Briggs): DC Thomson’s official Commando web site has been updated again with another free to read strip and more giveaways to promote the popular digest title. Our sources at DC Thomson indicate the Commando web site… Read More ›
Happy 50th Birthday, Mighty Moth!
(with thanks to “Ian”): The first appearance of “Mighty Moth”, the longest-running strip in Britain’s TV Comic was in Issue 384, dated week ending 14th March 1959. The strip ran every week until the title was cancelled in June 1984… Read More ›
Tube Surfing: 13 March 2009
• Lucasfilm has published a feature on Dave Gibbons and Alan Moore’s connections to Star Wars, documenting the pair’s early Star Wars work. Alan wrote several Star Wars tales for Marvel UK while Dave’s first contribution was as an artist… Read More ›
Cla$$war Returns
This month sees the welcome return of British indie publisher Com.X, whose success was torpedoed by a series of unfortunate events shortly after it launched in the early Noughties. Com.X kicks off its new projects with a hardcover collected edition… Read More ›
Tube Surfing: 8 March 2009
• (via Matt Badham): Space war story Insurrection is currently wowing all those Earthlets who pick up Judge Dredd: The Megazine every month – with many suggesting that it might be one of the best series the Megazine has ever… Read More ›
Hope Falls Trade in the Pipeline
Hope Falls, the five-part miniseries that AAM/Markosia released in 2007/2008 is, hopefully, to be released as a trade paperback, depending on trade orders through comic shops. The title is an enigma. In many ways, it’s known as the ‘little train… Read More ›
Tube Surfing, 2nd March 2009 – New TV21 Collections and more
• The Century 21 hardbacks — TV Century 21 and Lady Penelope comic collections lovingly put together by British publisher Reynolds & Hearn (see news story) featuring art by the likes of Frank Bellamy, Mike Noble and others — are… Read More ›
2D or not 2D?
A quick reminder that 2D, the Northern Ireland Comics Festival, returns from 4th – 6th June this year in Derry / Londonderry, featuring some of the most creative comic talent around. The Festival will take place between The Verbal Arts… Read More ›
Watching the Watchmen at Borders
Borders UK has teamed up with Titan Books to bring fans two chances to meet Watchmen artist and co-creator Dave Gibbons, with an in-store signing at Borders Islington on 12th March from 7.30pm and another at Borders Glasgow on 14th… Read More ›
Talking Up Tabella
There’s a sense of fun to the output of new British publisher Tabella (www.tabella.co.uk), which was was set up last year by husband and wife Kevin and Julia Quinn. By fun, I don’t mean their range is humorous, although some,… Read More ›
Kez and Luke Collected
Recently arrived at the downthetubes lair is a copy of The Adventures of Kez and Luke by TOXIC Comic sub-editor Luke Paton, a collection of strips published first published online. The drawings comprise simple stick figures throughout but there’s some… Read More ›
London Cartoon Festival Group to Meet
The first meeting of the London Cartoon Festival Support and Social Group (soon to be shortened to LICfest) takes place at The Cartoonist Pub in London next week. LICfest is an online gathering of cartoonists, caricaturists, cartoon students, enthusiasts, fans,… Read More ›
Century 21 Cover Revealed
Details of the first two Reynolds & Hearn “Century 21” titles