British comic creators, publishers and fans have paid tribute to Judge Dredd artist and former Spitfire pilot Ron Smith, who passed away aged 90 early yesterday
downthetubes Comics News
Doctor Who Adventures Special released in the UK
Celebrating the Thirteenth Doctor’s first season, Panini UK have released a new-look Doctor Who Adventures Special, on sale now in all good newsagents and supermarkets across the UK, priced £3.99, alongside the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine. Aimed at 7-11-year-old… Read More ›
Missing in Action: Heroquest at Marvel UK, and the RPG magazine that never happened
Looking back at Marvel UK’s one-off foray into the world of role-playing magazines
The Smurfs head to the Lakes International Comic Art Festival this October
Wallonia-Brussels International, with the help of the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, is bringing an exhibition of The Smurfs to the Lake District later this year. The Smurfs incredible story began in October 1958, in the pages of the Belgian magazine Spirou…. Read More ›
Whatever Happened to Eagle’s “Skippy the Kangaroo”?
Not to be confused with the TV show of the 1960s (or its associated comics), “Skippy the Kangaroo” was an odd little humour strip that ran in the first volume of Eagle, and has been dismissed by some fans of… Read More ›
BBC Local Radio celebrates 90th anniversary of Hergé’s Adventures of Tintin today
Celebrating the 90th anniversary of The Adventures of Tintin, Simon Doyle, an expert on the character, will be appearing on 13 (possibly 15) BBC radio stations, from 10.00am onwards today, to talk about Tintin’s creator Hergé and the the start of… Read More ›
Viking ghosts and a man from Mars menace in new Commando comics!
Get ready for Viking ghosts, a man from Mars, Napoleonic duels, and grudges against the Germans! All this and more in brand new Commando issues 5191 – 5194, on sale in all good newsagents and via various digital platforms this… Read More ›
Former DC staffer Bob Wayne keynote for 2019 ComicsPRO convention
ComicsPRO has announced former DC Entertainment executive, convention staple and comics retailer Bob Wayne as the keynote speaker for its 13th Annual Comic Industry Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina in the United States from 21st – 23rd February 2019. ComicsPRO… Read More ›
Crikey! collection now available to pre-order from ComicScene UK
Before ComicSceneUK – available now in all good newsagents – there was a magazine which ran for 16 issues and covered all aspects of UK comic industry. Crikey! is remembered with much affection from comic fans and featured exceptional articles about UK comics during its run – and as previously reported, it’s risen from the ashes
Laurel and Hardy, the stars of British comic Film Fun for almost 30 years
Laurel and Hardy may be enjoying renewed success at the box office thanks to the new film Stan & Ollie starring Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly, but they were box office stars in comics here in the UK too, thanks to… Read More ›
Upcoming Astons auction offers rare Pinocchio poster, Moonraker gun
Dudley-based auctioneers Astons have two sales of interest to downthetubes readers this month – a Toy and Railway Auction on Tuesday 15th January and an Entertainment & Memorabilia Auction including British and US comics, film posters, some James Bond film… Read More ›
Awesome Comics Podcast Episode 183 – Looking forward to the Year Ahead
It’s the first show of 2019, and the Awesome Comics Podcast team – Dan Butcher, Tony Esmond and Vince Hunt – talk about what they and the listeners are looking forward to in indie comics in the coming months. There… Read More ›
“Dan Dare” art and more in Chris Beetles Gallery 2019 Sale
A number of original Eagle comic “Dan Dare” artworks by Frank Hampson and the art team who worked on the earliest incarnation of the strip are currently being offered by the London-base Chris Beetles Gallery, as part of its “2019 Sale” of cartoons and illustrations.
Time for an Aces (Weekly) New Year!
Publisher David Lloyd would like you to subscribe to Aces Weekly. The creators drawing strips for this digital publication would like you to subscribe, too. Check out some great teasers to tease you once more…
Comic Creator Q&A: Indie Publisher David Robertson
downthetubes caught up with busy, enthusiastic experimental creator David Roberson of Fred Egg Comics just before Christmas to talk to him about his work…
In Review: Combat Colin Issue 3 by Lew Stringer
A review of Combat Colin #3, the latest collection of madcap strips by Lew Stringer from the pages of Marvel UK’s Transformers comic first published in 1989 and early 1990
Lakes Festival Podcast Looks back on 2018
We may already be enjoying a big Happy New Year already resplendent with inexplicable outrage over new pastry-based products from Greggs, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t time to look back at 2018, a great year in the world of… Read More ›
Panel to Panel: Dan Slott talks Doctor Who, Freefall Warriors in the spotlight
Episode #107 of the excellent Doctor Who: Panel to Panel is live – and leads with Marvel Comics writer Dan Slott (Amazing Spider-Man, Fantastic Four) chatting with podcast host Jeremy Bement about Doctor Who comics, history, the current season and… Read More ›
Red Range returns in “Pirates of Fireworld”
Ace independent US publisher It’s Alive! has announced that Keith Lansdale, the writer who recently brought you The X-Files and Creepy stories, will unleash his imagination on the historical and somewhat Steampunk world his father, Joe R. Lansdale, created in… Read More ›
New book lifts the lid on cream of Soviet satire
A new book delving into one of the best-known examples of Soviet satire has just been published by the University Press of Mississippi. Graphic Satire in the Soviet Union: Krokodil’s Political Cartoons by John Etty lifts the lid on Krokodil, which offered some extraordinary cartoon art within a hugely propagandistic publication