V&A Dundee is currently publishing a number of webcomics by a group of up and coming creators encompassing a range of genres
Creating Comics
Articles on creating comics, how tos, reference information and more
Visual Aids’ Open Call for Artists: Comics and HIV/AIDS
Visual AIDS – which utilises art to fight AIDS by provoking dialogue, supporting HIV+ artists, and preserving a legacy – is inviting artists to submit proposals for new comics to be included in their Summer 2020 exhibition with proposals required… Read More ›
“The Life of Charlie ‘Chas’ Grigg” biography released in time for Christmas
Charlie “Chas” Grigg was a cartoonist who drew Desperate Dan, Korky the Cat and many other characters for the DC Thomson’s comics – Dandy, Beano, Topper and Judy, from the 1960s to 1980s. Now a new book about his life and work has just been published – and his family are dedicating half the proceeds The Alzheimer’s Society and Dudley-based dementia support group, Me, Myself & I.
His much-admired work will also be celebrated at a special event at the Wolverhampton Literature Festival next year.
Lakes International Comic Art Festival Podcast – Thoughts on Thought Bubble 2019
In the latest episode of the Lakes International Comic Art Festival Podcast, the Ian Loxam and Nikki Bates report back on their recent trek to Harrogate for this year’s Thought Bubble Festival, now in a new town
Finnish Institute seeks partners for 2020 Tom Of Finland exhibitions
2020 celebrates the 100th birthday of the graphic artist Touko Laaksonen, better known as Tom Of Finland, who had a great impact on popular culture, for instance fashion, photography and music. The Finnish Institute are now looking for artistic and… Read More ›
Comic Laureates, Three! In Conversation at the Cartoon Museum
London’s Cartoon Museum recently played host to a unique gathering of current Comics Laureate Hannah Berry and past holders Dave Gibbons and Charlie Adlard. All three were able to look back on how the post has evolved since it was… Read More ›
Snapshot in Time: Brian Woodford and The Launch of Boys’ World, Part Two
A Short Introduction: Before his unexpected passing in 2016, author Roger Perry – a longtime contributor to this site and veteran of the British comics industry – sent downthetubes a number of articles which we planned to run, working back… Read More ›
Snapshot in Time: Brian Woodford and The Launch of Boys’ World, Part One
A Short Introduction: Before his unexpected passing in 2016, author Roger Perry – a longtime contributor to this site and veteran of the British comics industry – sent downthetubes a number of articles which we planned to run, working back… Read More ›
Cartoon Museum hosts Comics Laureate Round Table this Wednesday
London’s Cartoon Museum hosts a Comics Laureate Round Table this Wednesday (13th November 2019), with Dave Gibbons, Charlie Adlard and Hannah Berry. This is a rare opportunity to see all three Comic Laureates on stage at the same time, including the… Read More ›
Will IPC’s John Sanders’ memoirs blow the lid on some British Comics secrets?
For British comic fans, the must-read memoir of 2020 is likely to be the fascinating inside story of one of British comics’ biggest movers and shakers – King’s Reach: John Sanders’ Twenty-Five Years at the Top of Comics. It certainly… Read More ›
British Girls Comics “Mystery Artists” Identified!
Several “Mystery Artists” who worked on DC Thomson girls comics for decades, largely uncredited, have been identified, thanks to information received from various sources, including former staff at the Dundee-based comics publisher. Author and artist David Roach is trying to… Read More ›
Bringing “Rae’s Story” to The Big Issue: A Quick Chat with co-writer Andrew Donkin
If you’re a reader of The Big Issue, then you’ll know the latest edition, available from street vendors now, features a comic strip telling the moving story of one of them, adapted by the team who brought us the brilliant, award-winning but harrowing graphic novel of two migrants deadly journey from Africa to Europe, ILLEGAL. I caught up with co-writer Andrew Donkin to ask him about this special project – and he teased me with some great news about another graphic novel he’s working on that I was delighted to hear about…
Meet Space Agent Buttocks, Space Hero (sort of) – and his creators!
Picking up on the despair of older downthetubes readers with fond memories of the action-packed adventure annuals they used to get for Christmas – sadly, it seems, now an ever distant memory, if you’ve checked our recently-published checklist – we’ve… Read More ›
An evening with Comics Laureate Hannah Berry: gripping stories for our time…
Comics Laureate Hannah Berry will be in Lancaster next week, as a guest of Lancaster University’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences talk series – a free event taking place at the Cavendish Colloquium on campus, that should prove an… Read More ›
WebFind: The Art of Ian Kennedy Official Site
Now open for business, veteran comic artist and illustrator Ian Kennedy – perhaps best known for his work on DC Thomson war comic Commando, but whose credits also encompass Dan Dare, other war comics strips and much more – has… Read More ›
Broadcaster Jonathan Ross joins campaign to preserve British Comics History and call for national Comics Museum
Comic artists, writers, editors, publishers, academics and broadcaster and comics collector Jonathan Ross gathered in person and by Skype at London’s Cartoon Museum this weekend (Saturday 2nd November 2019) to voice support for the preservation of British comics history, and… Read More ›
Who will win the first Arts Foundation Futures Awards in Comics?
Comic creators Danny Noble, Esther McManus, Jess Taylor and Zara Slattery – selected from a long list of nominated comics artists as finalists for the first Arts Foundation Futures Awards in Comics – will find out who will be the recipient of… Read More ›
Panel Borders: Genre and Inspiration – Arts Foundation comics prize finalists, Garth Ennis interviewed
In a pair of recordings looking at how comic creators are inspired by genre and inspiration, guest presenter and comics laureate Hannah Berry talks to Arts Foundation comics prize finalists Esther McManus, Danny Noble, Jess Taylor and Zara Slattery in… Read More ›
Daggers Drawn! Illustrators Magazine Commando Special available for pre-order now
This new illustrators Special is for all those schoolboys that have refused steadfastly to grow up and master the art of reading serious works of literature. Do you recall Commando Comics, with those amazing covers and equally amazing interior art and stories?
In Review – Terminator: Dark Fate
Starring: Linda Hamilton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mackenzie Davis, Natalie Reyes Directed by Tim Miller Review by Tim Robins Sarah Connor and a hybrid cyborg human must protect a young girl from a newly modified liquid Terminator from the future…. The Terminator… Read More ›