Comics artist John Armstrong died this week, He’s best known for his work on the girls comics titles Bunty, Misty and Tammy, and for co-creating the long-running “Bella at the Bar” strip for the latter – but made very few… Read More ›
Creating Comics
Articles on creating comics, how tos, reference information and more
Lakes Festival Focus 2018: Orijit Sen, creator of India’s first graphic novel, River of Stories
Every year, in the countdown to the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, we bring you a series of interviews with guests at the event. Over 70 are attending in 2018 in October (and that’s not including creators you’ll find in… Read More ›
Comic Creator Spotlight: “Working Class Heroes” – The Comics of Jaques Tardi, by Keith Page
Artist and writer Keith Page shines a light on the work of the award-winning French artist Jacques Tardi… Jacques Tardi spent his early years in post-war Germany, his father a career soldier. The atrocities of the 1914-18 war, retold him… Read More ›
Lakes Festival Focus 2018: Killjoy creator Robert Brown
Every year, in the countdown to the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, we bring you a series of interviews with guests at the event. Over 70 are attending in 2018 in October (and that’s not including creators you’ll find in… Read More ›
Lakes Festival Focus 2018: Skank Magazine and Scotland Yardie author Bobby Joseph
Every year, in the countdown to the Lakes International Comic Art Festival we bring you a series of interviews with guests at the event. Over 70 are attending in 2018 in October (and that’s not including creators you’ll find in… Read More ›
Lakes Festival Focus 2018: Judge Dredd and Rok of the Reds co-creator John Wagner
Every year, in the countdown to the Lakes International Comic Art Festival we bring you a series of interviews with guests at the event. Over 70 are attending in 2018 in October (and that’s not including creators you’ll find in… Read More ›
Creating Jack Campbell’s Lost Fleet – Corsair comic: some unseen designs and behind the scenes reveals
Go behind the scenes on Titan’s Lost Fleet comic
Comichaus Spotlight: An interview with Brethren Born creator Jon Laight
Here’s the first in a series of interviews with creators whose work features on the digital comics marketplace Comichaus, in association with the platform. Midlands- based Jon Laight is a comic writer whose first comic, Brethren Born, was released in… Read More ›
Robbie Morrison talks Nikolai Dante and more for latest Lakes International Comic Art Festival Podcast
Robbie Morrison, co-creator of 2000AD‘s “Nikolai Dante”, is the guest of the latest Lakes International Comic Art Festival Podcast – available now. Robbie discusses his work at 2000AD, starting with the Judge Dredd Megazine and the creation of Nikolai Dante and… Read More ›
Crowdfunding Spotlight: Gateway City Volume One by Russell Mark Olson
Regular readers of downthetubes will recall we’ve previously plugged the independent comic Gateway City created by Russell Mark Olson – and now the first four issues are to be collected into a new collection, accompanied by extra pages, new art… Read More ›
The Impossible Space Helmet: Why Frank Hampson’s “Dan Dare” drives engineers crazy, but delights us still
Commando artist Keith Page follows up his profile of French artist Hugo Pratt with a look at the work of “Dan Dare” creator Frank Hampson… Anyone can see that Dan Dare’s space helmet just wouldn’t work. How could you possibly… Read More ›
Future of creating comics to be explored at free Cartoon Museum event this Saturday
London’s Cartoon Museum is to host an creating comics event entitled Sustaining Comics: What the Future Holds this Saturday. Join a host of comics professionals to explore the challenges of working in comics, the opportunities out there, and what the future might… Read More ›
Coming Soon: The Masters in Comics Podcast launches with Dave Gibbons as first guest
A new monthly comics podcast – Masters in Comics – launches in two weeks time, a new project offering insight into creating comics from the University of Dundee’s Phillip Vaughan. Masters in Comics will offer a chat with some of… Read More ›
BBC Radio Scotland celebrates The Beano with new documentary
Following up on the documentary A Comic Celebration: The Dandy, BBC Radio Scotland has broadcast A Comic Celebration: The Beano in the run up to next week’s 80th anniversary of the comic’s launch on Tuesday 26th July 1938. The documentary reveals author and… Read More ›
London Film and Comic Con to host its first Comics Symposium this month
Last year’s London Film and Comic Con gave us a new and improved Comic Zone, organised by #1 New York Times Bestselling writer and long-time comic creator Tony Lee – and at this year’s event, which is less than two… Read More ›
Ian Rankin investigated by the Lakes International Comic Art Festival Podcast
The Lakes International Comic Art Festival Podcast team have just released Episode 32, which features a great interview with crime novelist and comics writer Ian Rankin. The creator of the Rebus novels chats about his career, his love of comics… Read More ›
Comic Art Festival Academic Sessions announced for October in Kendal
The Lakes International Comic Art Festival has announced this year’s “Friday Sessions” – a full day of talks and discussions exploring comic art in all its guises, taking place Friday 12th October 2018 as part of the Festival weekend in Kendal. The… Read More ›
How Chris Weston created his cover for this week’s 2000AD
Artist Chris Weston created the cover for this week’s 2000AD, on sale now in all good newsagents and comic shops, and he kindly gave downthetubes permission to share his Work in Progress work that led to the final cover. Featured… Read More ›
Comic Creator Spotlight – The Picasso of Comics, Hugo Pratt, by Keith Page
Artist and writer Keith Page shines a light on the work and impact of Corto Maltese creator Hugo Pratt, on his own work and that of others… Hugo Pratt (1927 – 1995) was a most unusual comics creator by British… Read More ›
“Swade” – the Last New Work of Artist Frank Bellamy?
Comic artist Frank Bellamy died suddenly on 5th July 1976, at the height of his powers. He left behind a body of work that included strips such as “Heros the Spartan” and “Dan Dare” for Eagle, “Thunderbirds” for TV Century… Read More ›