The entry period for the worldwide Eighth International Manga Award organised by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has begun. The winner will earn a trip to Japan to meet Japanese Manga creators if they win. The International Manga Award was… Read More ›
Creating Comics
Articles on creating comics, how tos, reference information and more
Award-winning creator Becky Cloonan joins Lakes International Comic Art Festival line-up
The Lakes International Comic Art Festival has announced that the critically-acclaimed comic creator Becky Cloonan has joined the event’s line-up of guests. Born in Pisa, Italy, Becky Cloonan began her career self-publishing mini-comics in 1999. Since then she has gone on to… Read More ›
Director’s Commentary: Mary Talbot and Kate Charlesworth on Sally Heathcote, Suffragette
This Director’s Commentary going behind the scenes on the award-winning Sally Heathcote, Suffragette by Mary Talbot, Kate Charlesworth and Bryan Talbot was originally published on 8th April 2014 on the Forbidden Planet International blog by Joe Gordon, and is re-published… Read More ›
Scotland’s Robert the Bruce celebrated in new comic
A new comic book, King Robert the Bruce and the Wars of Independence, is now available to order directly from the King Robert the Bruce educational web site. The web site, developed by staff and students at Fife College, celebrates Dunfermline’s historic… Read More ›
A Different Type of Star – Rejuvenating DC Thomson’s Red Star for a New Era
General Jumbo, The Smasher and Supercats are just some of the classic British heroes back in print right now, thanks to a team of Scottish comic creators, DC Thomson and Comic Heroes magazine. As we previously reported, The Glasgow League of Writers has teamed up with publisher DC… Read More ›
OFF LIFE magazine announces live London #QuickDraw event
To help launch the brand new House of Illustration gallery in London’s Kings Cross, the OFF LIFE team – makers of the free street comic distributed in London and Bristol – are holding a free #QuickDraw event in April. “Every… Read More ›
Glasgow comic makers documentary released
Independent film maker and director John Wilson has just released Independent Comics: Glasgow a short documentary exploring comic book writers based in Glasgow on YouTube, filmed in various locations and featuring interviews with Team Girl Comic‘s MJ Wallace and Roachwell creator… Read More ›
Panel Borders: Ben Katchor, architectural strips
Concluding a month of shows about comics and graphic novels drawn from elements of real life on British comics radio show Panel Borders, Alex Fitch talks to award winning American cartoonist Ben Katchor about his weekly newspaper strips on tourism… Read More ›
Look Out, Britain! Psycho Gran is Back!
Psycho Gran is back – and Titan Comics think they’ve got her! Little do those poor darlings down in that there London know how dangerous this much-loved silver surfer character really is… and the things she gets up to! … Read More ›
One Issue – Six Questions For Scotland
On the evening of Monday 17 March 2014 Glasgow’s Centre For Contemporary Arts (CCA) held the Issue One symposium on the future of the comics industry in Scotland. With a panel of industry professionals, creatives and academics, this was not… Read More ›
British Heroes return in Comic Heroes Magazine’s “Comic Review”
General Jumbo, The Smasher and Supercats are just some of the classic British heroes back in print this month, thanks to a team of Scottish comic creators, DC Thomson and Comic Heroes magazine. The Glasgow League of Writers has… Read More ›
Lakes Comic Art Festival’s reveals new mascots, designed by Jonathan Edwards
Guardian and MAD Magazine cartoonist Jonathan Edwards has created “Poblin’s Gang” — a family of mascots for this year’s Lakes International Comic Art Festival, which returns to Kendal from 17th – 19th October. Poblin and family reflect the inclusive aims of the… Read More ›
Creator Owned Day Return to promote indie comics
(with thanks to Stephen Downey): Creator Owned Day returns Wednesday 5th March 2014, this year’s event following two previous annual challenges that saw comic creators writing and drawing up new characters, readers celebrating their favourite creator-owned series and a trending topic on… Read More ›
Calvin & Hobbes artist Bill Watterson’s film poster for “Stripped”
US artist Bill Watterson seems to be making forays back into the world of comic art, some 20 years after he ended his world-famous and much-loved newspaper strip Calvin & Hobbes about a boy and his talking tiger. Watterson has… Read More ›
Arts Council Touring funding could support comic creators
Applications for next round of funding from Britain’s Arts Council Strategic Touring Programme are now being accepted (deadline Friday 2 May 2014). Why is this relevant to comics? Well, comic festivals offering comic creation workshops should qualify for funds from this,… Read More ›
Second Self Publisher Conference to spotlight children’s books, cover design
Britain’s Second Self-Publishing Conference takes place on 30th March 2014 at the University of Leicester, aimed at any author wishing to self-publish. The event will bring together key figures in the self-publishing sphere for the benefit of self-publishing authors. “Last year’s Conference was… Read More ›
Tom Plant’s “Sunshine Bay” – Every Bit as Good as People Say
On sale soon from The Beano and The Oldie cartoonist Tom Plant is Sunshine Bay: Not Half As Bad As People Say, two fantastiic, funny and beautifully drawn short stories based in the delightful seaside hellhole of the same name…. Read More ›
“A Lovely Bloke”… Barrie Mitchell remembers Tony Harding
Following up on his son’s tribute, fellow comic artist Barrie Mitchell recalls working with artist Tony Harding… I first met Tony when he walked through the door, which he filled, at Link Studios. He was a big lad. I… Read More ›
Copyright under review in Europe
The European Commission are running a public consultation on the future of copyright and they’re asking everyone – which includes comic creators – to get involved. The full consultation, which ends on 5th March 2014, is here: http://youcan.fixcopyright.eu The Open Rights Group,… Read More ›
“Does Your Dad Draw for Roy of the Rovers?”
Antony Harding pays tribute to his father, Tony Harding, artist on “Roy of the Rovers”, “Twisty”, “Look Out for Lefty” and many more classic British football strips… During my school years, from time to time older kids would come… Read More ›