I’m sorry to report the passing of the hugely/talented British film and comics artist John Watkiss, whose most recent comics work was Surgeon X from Image. He was 55. A very private man, he had been ill for some time…. Read More ›
Creating Comics
Articles on creating comics, how tos, reference information and more
downthetubes Discoveries: Turkish comics culture, thanks to comic hero Tarkan
Almost every downthetubes visitor is a comic reader, but up until I came across an item on the Facebook Mighty World of British Comics group, to my shame, I had no idea comics reading once as popular in Turkey as I already… Read More ›
Awesome Comics Podcast Catch Up!
Here’s a round up of the recent Awesome Comics Podcasts from Vince Hunt, Dan Butcher and our very own Tony Esmond (we’d write that in bigger letters, but the web doesn’t let you). The gang were really busy getting on… Read More ›
Driven To Abstraction: A Chat with comic creator Gareth A. Hopkins
Gareth A. Hopkins bucks the trend. His comics are both complex and unorthodox. They are also at times hauntingly charismatic. Like watching a comic flow directly from Rorschach’s mask on to a page of a comic, but about a thousand times… Read More ›
Art Model Collective and 2000AD team up up for unique “Muties & Perps” life drawing event in London
Budding artists should prepare to head into the dystopian futurescape of Mega-City One, the home of Judge Dredd, with the first part of 2000AD’s 40th anniversary celebrations. Muties & Perps is a unique life drawing session taking place at London’s… Read More ›
Creating Comics: Drawing and Life Lessons from Master Cartoonists in the works from IDW
Whether you’re an amateur or pro artist or like comics history or insights into artists you might like Drawing and Life Lessons from Master Cartoonists, set for release from IDW Publushing in July The very first book of its kind,… Read More ›
In Praise Of… Reginald Heade, pulp fiction cover – and comics – artist
Available now from Telos Publishing is The Art of Reginald Heade, written by Stephen James Walker, a book about an artist renowned amongst vintage paperback fans and collectors as the pre-eminent British pulp fiction cover artist of the 1940s and 1950s – considered by some as… Read More ›
Cartoonist Peter Brookes awarded CBE in 2017 New Years Honours
Times cartoonist Peter Brookes has been awarded the CBE – Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire- for services to the media in the 2017 New Year’s Honours list, announced earlier this evening. The full list of… Read More ›
Creating Comics: How British actor Sydney Greenstreet inspired the look of the Kingpin – and Jabba the Hutt
Did you know British actor Sydney Greenstreet was the inspiration for not one but two comic villains – including the Marvel villain Kingpin, first brought to life on the page by John Romita Sr.? Some of our readers did I… Read More ›
In Review: Wired Volume One
The Book: WIRED is a noir science fiction piece with elements of horror, that is loosely based in Scotland. Set in a world where things ‘are’ usually what they appear to be, two detectives, Briggs and Smith, investigate a case that… Read More ›
Frank Quitely: The Art of Comics exhibition heads to Glasgow
Heading to the Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow in April is Frank Quitely: The Art of Comics, running 1st April to 1st October 2017. The exhibition at Kelvingrove will be the largest collection of his work every displayed, offering the opportunity to… Read More ›
The Phoenix Comic celebrates Christmas 2016
Christmas came early for subscribers to the weekly The Phoenix comic, with a smashing issue wrapped in a cover by top artist Jamie Smart, who says he was “very honoured” to do this special issue. Also now available from select… Read More ›
Creating Comics: Lee Robson and David Broughton talk “Strontium Dog”
Lee Robson is the writer of the graphic novel Babble and a frequent contributor to many British independent titles, including Zarjaz, Futurequake, the Strontium Dog-inspired Dogbreath, Something Wicked and several of Accent UK‘s themed anthologies. He’s also penned a series of online daily strips featuring 2000AD‘s Judge Dredd for FutureQuakePress,… Read More ›
Who the heck are Europe Comics, anyway? A quick guide to this exciting pan-European project
Many comics fans with a social media presence may have noticed sponsored ads for a project called Europe Comics popping up in their feeds. I’ve run a couple of stories on some books and re-posted some of their items, but… Read More ›
SF adventure “Skow Dogs” and Alan Burrows “Switchblade”debut in all-new 100% Biodegradable,
Hot on the heels of the SF adventure “Death Duty” by myself, Dave Hailwood and Brett Burbridge in recent issues of digital anthology 100% Biodegradable comes another new story from the “WarWorldz” shared universe project – “Skowdogs“. In the WarWorldz universe, the once mighty… Read More ›
In Praise Of… Artist John Watkiss
“Painting and art for me is a means of showing the world a vision which I have seen with my mind not with my eyes – which I use merely as a means of perception. I call this ‘Mindsight’. –… Read More ›
Creating Comics: a 2000AD Podcast with comics editor and writer Barrie Tomlinson
“It’s real Roy of the Rovers stuff!” has been a cry of football commentators for decades – and the latest episode of the award-winning 2000AD podcast features an interview with author, comics editor and writer Barrie Tomlinson, the man who helped… Read More ›
Comic Creator Spotlight: The Life and Work of Alberto Breccia – Part Three by Ron Tiner
He’s perhaps best known to British comic fans for his work through the Bardon Press Features office in Barcelona for Fleetway Edtions in the 1960s, first on Super Detective Picture Library Number 172 “Passport to Peril” (an adaptation of the novel, Assignment Helene by Edward S Aarons), drawing episodes… Read More ›
In Memoriam: “Billy’s Boots” and “Jet-Ace Logan” Comic Artist John Gillatt
Former Fleetway editor Barrie Tomlinson pays tribute to John Gillatt, the artist best known for his work on strips such as “Billy’s Boots”, “Black Archer” and “Jet-Ace Logan” (for Comet and Tiger), who we have just learned died in November…… Read More ›
“Do Something” anthology launched in aid of Hope Not Hate
Launched at the weekend in Leicester, Do Something is a zine of powerful, thought-provoking short stories, illustrations, strips and poetry that came about as a result of the EU Referendum and the rise in hate crime that followed. Published by… Read More ›