Articles on creating comics, how tos, reference information and more
Donald L. “Don” Heck was an American comics artist best known for co-creating the Marvel Comics character Iron Man (not the character’s design, but plenty more that shaped him), and for his long run penciling the Marvel superhero-team series The… Read More ›
The latest 2000AD Sci Fi Special was released last week and I mentioned how much I enjoyed the Terror Tale, “The Hockey Sticks of Hell”, from writer Olivia Hicks with art by Abigail Bulmer. Phillip Vaughan, Senior Lecturer at the University… Read More ›
More than anything else, comics sell on their covers, but which ones stick most in your mind in your years of collecting? For me, there are plenty, but here are just a few that caught my attention at an early… Read More ›
Rare original reference material from Frank Hampson’s Dan Dare studio, including Astronomical Photographs, are currently for sale on eBay. These boards of “Astronomical Photographs”, which come from Frank Hampson’s estate, were reference files from his Dan Dare studio. As with… Read More ›
I’ve known ace VIZ cartoonist Davey Jones since the 1980s, back when he contributed some of his amazing early strips to a fanzine I published (a chaotic assemblage with inconsistent numbering and format sizes, including one edition that literally, physically… Read More ›
George Herriman was an American cartoonist, best known for the influential comic strip “Krazy Kat” – but did you know its much appreciated characters sprang from an entirely different strip? Harriman established a name for himself as a much in… Read More ›
downthetubes contributor and comics archivist Richard Sheaf has shared plenty of strange British comic one shots and short-lived titles over on his brilliant Boys Adventure Blog, and while his recent coverage of Gilbert’s Fridge intrigued, I think it’s more than… Read More ›
In a trio of interviews recorded at academic events for the comics radio show Panel Borders, Alex Fitch talks to three writers of academic books about comics. At the IGNCC conference at the University of Dundee, Alex talks to David… Read More ›
Beano cartoonist and Lakes International Comic Art Festival patron Zoom Rockman is the guest of the organisation’s podcast this week. Zoom is a young creator who started producing comics from a young age, He appeared in the Beano at age… Read More ›
The Borders Book Festival in the Scottish town of Melrose, perhaps best known for its Abbey and the Melrose Sevens rugby tournament, is not a literature festival that normally covers comics in any great depth but that has changed this… Read More ›
The Comics Summit, a brand-new event set up by creators, for creators has announced it will now take place across the weekend of 14 – 15th July in Cheltenham. The creating comics event, organised by Cheltenham-based Jon Lock of Big… Read More ›
Last year Fife Council put on the inaugural Glenrothes Comic Con in the town’s Rothes Halls with artist Gary Erskine as the event’s Creative Director. Gary’s participation ensured that the event was a truly comics flavoured comic con and the organiser’s… Read More ›
Over the last few years, Atomeka Press publisher Dave Elliott has stood by and frustratingly watched as the US comic book industry continues to devour itself like the mythical Ouroboros, the snake that ate its own tail. Last week, he… Read More ›
Over on his brilliant Rusty Staples site, 2000AD writer Michael Carroll has begun a series of articles tracing the history of British comics, creating a series of “family trees” showing various mergers and more down the years. It’s something Alan… Read More ›
I’ve always been a 2000AD fan but never quite got into the message board scene that they have of recent become known for. It’s an ace comic and full of some of the best and most imaginative comics you’ll see… Read More ›
Here’s an item from my archives that should interest some Marvel UK fans – Liam Sharp’s fax of our creator-owned heroine, Rourke, created for STRIP, alongside Marvel US heroes Monark Starstalker and Wolverine. I’ve written about this a little before,… Read More ›
Eisner Award-nominated editor, writer and publishing consultant Tim Pilcher ponders the problems getting a successful graphic comics line off the ground for British publishers… Lately I’ve been musing on why it is that traditional British book publishers have never really… Read More ›
I recently did some brief research on the work of British newspaper strip artist Harry Bishop, perhaps best known for drawing Gun Law, based on the TV series Gunsmoke, starring James Arness as Matt Dillon, for the Daily Express. While… Read More ›
The Lakes International Comic Art Festival Podcast took a trip out to Oldham Comic Con 2018 last weekend and landed plenty of conversations with some terrific comic creators. “We had a great time and it really was a well ran… Read More ›
Following up on news on the new Roy of the Rovers creative team, publishers Rebellion have unveiled the brand new Melchester Rovers club crest – and a hint of dark times for the famous fictional football club. Featuring a modern,… Read More ›