Aces Weekly and Beano cartoonist Marc Jackson is coming to Lancaster Comics Day on Sunday 11th June, to run one of his special Cartoon Club events, alongside the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. Other guests at Lancaster Comics Day include… Read More ›
Creating Comics
Articles on creating comics, how tos, reference information and more
2017 Lakes International Comic Art Festival Programme Revealed, some of the British Comics events highlighted
The Lakes International Comic Art Festival has just revealed its programme for its Festival Weekend in October 2017, celebrating comic art from across the world, and I’ve picked out just some of the highlights for fans of British comics. The Festival Weekend features… Read More ›
Comics project for Syrian refugees picks up pace, seeks further backing and creators
Here’s a smashing comics project from the Comics for Youth Refugees Incorporated Collective, a US-based non-profit organisation that produces and delivers free comic books for refugee children, based on the folklore from their own homes. Working in conjunction with mental health… Read More ›
Simon’s Cat set to storm US Licensing Expo (and his creator!)
Attendees at this month’s Licensing Expo in Las Vegas can look forward to a live drawing demonstration and meet and greet with award-winning illustrator, animator and director Simon Tofield, creator of Simon’s Cat. Endemol Shine, who acquired a controlling stake… Read More ›
Creating Comics: Aces Weekly and Beano artist Marc Jackson latest Comic Art Festival Podcast guest
The latest Comic Art Festival Podcast (Episode Four) is live and features an interview with Marc Jackson, who has written and drawn for Aces Weekly and Beano and is currently working on Here Comes Cat Stevens which will be officially launched… Read More ›
Applied Comics seeks comic writers and artists for new
Lydia Wysocki over at Applied Comics Etc has dropped us a line appealing for comic creators to work on a great new project with a Civil Rights theme. “We’re making a comic to give children age 8-14 some context about… Read More ›
Looking Back: Exploring The World of Tomorrow in DC Thomson’s “Big Five” boys comics
Notoriously secretive DC Thomson still publish Beano and Commando, but their past comics included The Dandy and weekly anthology titles aimed at boys such as Hotspur and Adventure. These specialised in sports, school and war stories, but also, occasionally, there… Read More ›
Work in Progress – London Comics Gathering This Saturday
This Saturday sees a day-long gathering of W.I.P. Comics (aka Work In Progress Comics) at London’s Royal Festival Hall, a gathering of comic creators that aims to offer collaborative feedback on each other’s work. Originally known as Graphic Novels and… Read More ›
ICE grips Brighton in June! (No, it’s not a weather report)
Some of the biggest stars from the world of comic art are coming to Brighton this June as part of ICE Brighton 2017 – an international celebration of the medium organised by Smallzone Events. As the summer sun beats down, a cool… Read More ›
Lakes International Comic Art Festival 2017 Comics Clock Tower Line Up Revealed
The Lakes International Comic Art Festival has announced the comic creators who will have a presence in their free-to-enter Comics Clock Tower venue in Kendal Town Hall in October. The creators were chosen after hundreds of applications were sifted through… Read More ›
In Review: Space Ace Volume Eight
Art and Stories by Ron Turner Colour by John Ridgway Published by John Lawrence The Book: 40-page anthology comprising four stories featuring “Space Ace” by Ron Turner, first published in The Book of Space Adventures in 1963, colourised and re-mastered… Read More ›
Bryan Talbot payes tribute to Leo Baxendale in final Grandville tale
Artist Bryan Talbot has sent us this panel from his final Grandville story – a homage to the late Leo Baxendale, scripted five years ago, penciled and inked about 15 months ago and coloured in January. “I’m going to dedicate the book to his… Read More ›
Leo Baxendale Remembered, by Beano artist Nigel Parkinson
The first name I recognised in comics was Leo Baxendale, who signed his name on the front cover of WHAM! In 1964. Until earlier this month, he was still my favourite living cartoonist. In the 1950s he gave us Little Plum,… Read More ›
In Memoriam: Leo Baxendale
Just days after posting an “In Praise of… Leo Baxendale” feature, focusing on his later, creator-owned material, we’re sorry to report his passing. I know this is a loss is going to hit a lot of my friends hard, especially those who know… Read More ›
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Illustrator: Sarah McIntyre on How to Beat It
How on earth did I miss the news that illustrator and writer Sarah McIntyre is now Writer in Residence at BookTrust, the UK’s largest children’s reading charity? My belated and heartiest congratulations on this new role, which she took up in February. Sarah now… Read More ›
Supergirl actress Chyler Leigh heads to Liverpool to support FAB 4000 comics project
Up, up and away! The most wonderful synchronicity is bringing Supergirl star Chyler Leigh to Liverpool next month. The visit is in support of THE FAB 4000, a brilliant new comics project developed by comics creator Tim Quinn, artist Jorge Pacheco… Read More ›
In Praise of… Leo Baxendale
Leo Baxendale is a British cartoonist who should need no introduction to downthetubes readers. Not only was the creator of the classic Beano strips “Little Plum”, “Minnie the Minx”, “The Bash Street Kids” and “The Three Bears”, but he was… Read More ›
Crowdfunding Spotlight – British Jack Kirby Documentary Project Launches
2017 marks the centennial of US comic book artist and writer Jack Kirby‘s birth – and British comics archivist Glenn Fleming has just launched a Kickstarter to back the release of a documentary about this key creator, based on interviews he… Read More ›
Creating Comics: The Comic Industry and the Downside of Working from the Belly of the Whale
Our thanks to comics writer, inker, letterer, editor and publisher Ian Sharman today for kindly giving us permission to post his thoughts on working in the comics industry, addressing why creators seem loathe to challenge some of its working practices… So, let’s… Read More ›
Lakes Festival Focus 2017: An Interview with artist Michael Cho
I’m delighted to present our second “Kendal Calling” interview of 2017, this time with artist Michael Cho, in the run up to the Lakes International Comic Art Festival in October, highlighting the event’s many international and British guests. (Tickets are… Read More ›