Compare and contrast!
Creating Comics
Articles on creating comics, how tos, reference information and more
Tim Quinn on Tour
Comics writer Tim Quinn is back on the cartoon workshop and lecture circuit, appearing at The Brindley in Runcorn tonight and elsewhere in the UK (see current dates below). Tim, whose credits include The Beano, Doctor Who Magazine and The… Read More ›
Lorenzo Sketch Books Launched
The Etherington Brothers are pushing boundaries again, adding another attraction to their StudioBlinkTwice web site which documents their many fab creations – a new online shop selling Blink Twice professional comic board, Malcolm Magic books and more. The launch coincides… Read More ›
Shades of Yesteryear! Looking Back at British Comic Fanzines
Over on social community Facebook, former 1980s fanzine editor Russell Willis, who now lives in Japan, has posted a huge number of covers to some fondly-remembered British fanzines of the period, including this example of SCAN, edited by me,… Read More ›
Creating Tammy: A True Story
Announcing a fantastic look at the creation of one of Britain’s best-known girls comics of yesteryear
Creating Tammy: A True Story
Many years ago, British newsagents were awash with all sorts of comics: boys’ adventure, children’s titles, educational comics and more. But while humour comics reigned supreme in Britain, and still do, girls comics regularly outsold most of the more famous… Read More ›
To Infinity and… er, Japan! An interview with Russell Willis
Russell Willis produced and published a number on important underground cartoon magazines in the 1980s. He moved to Tokyo in the early 1990’s where he now runs a web based publishing company in Tokyo. UK underground cartoonist, Simon Mackie, who… Read More ›
British Comic Heroes: The Return of Garth
In August 2008, after a long gestation period, adventure hero Garth returned to British newspaper The Mirror – albeit, for now, only on the publication’s web site. Here, artist Huw-J talks to John Freeman about the new strip and his… Read More ›
War of Words: An interview with Calum Laird
In December 2007 I was fortunate enough to interview Calum Laird, who edits DC Thomson’s Commando. The interview was conducted as research for an article about writing and Calum was very generous with his time. I felt it seemed a shame to waste… Read More ›
Ron Smith in Book and Magazine Collector
The long running series of articles on Great British Comics Artists by David Ashford and Norman Wright in Book and Magazine Collector has reached part 28. This time the subject is Ron Smith and it is the first time that… Read More ›
Tube Surfing: Remembering Michael Turner, Virgin’s Dan Dare Collection
Scurrying around the web for comic related news, so you don’t have to
Creating WebComics: A Brief Guide
In 2007, I was part of a panel at the Birmingham International Comic Show and there was plenty of advice offered on web comics creation, and I figured it was high time I shared some of it on downthetubes. Many… Read More ›
Turn Your School Magazine into a Comic Book
Former Marvel Comics UK editor Tim Quinn will be holding storytelling and comic book creation sessions at the Victoria Theatre, Halifax on Saturday 5 July 2008 from 9.00 am through the day, as part of the line-up for the Calderdale… Read More ›
In Memoriam: Mike Western
Sad news via Steve Holland’s Bear Alley: one of the giants of British comics, Mike Western, has laid down his pen for the last time. Mike, who suffered a heart attack in 2007 and was laid low by it for… Read More ›
By Sea, By Land, By Air: An Interview with Calum Laird
This interview was first published on 9th April 2008 on downthetubes and was merged with this blog in 2013. First published in 1961 Commando is Britain’s last war comic. Indeed, of those British comics that many of us grew up with,… Read More ›
In Memoriam: Comic Artist and Colourist Steve Whitaker
British artist and colourist Steve Whitaker is, I am deeply sorry to report, no longer with us. Steve died on Thursday after becoming unwell on the way to his doctor’s. The loss has left family, friends and the comics fans… Read More ›
Paul Cornell in the Writer’s Room
Doctor Who (and now Primeval) writer Paul Cornell – who among other things is pitching a new series to the networks accoridng to his blog – has just been interviewed for the BBC Writer’s Room site and by Forbidden Planet… Read More ›
Hanging around as The Doctor!
That time Sylvester McCoy probably broke several Health and Safety rules…
Hi-Ex 2008: High Excitement In The Snow
The Inverness comic convention Hi-Ex really couldn’t have chosen a worse weekend weather-wise with heavy snow, high winds and sub-zero wind chill in the days leading up to it but, despite loosing some guests and dealers to the weather, it… Read More ›
Comic artist Bill Mevin Interviewed on “The Time Meddler” DVD
“The Perishers” and TV Comic “Doctor Who” artist Bill Mevin is one of several comics creators interviewed on a special release of the Doctor Who story The Time Meddler, released 4th February 2008 in the UK. This is the first… Read More ›