Comics News, features and more
The latest issue of the Eagle Society’s Eagle Times is available now, featuring: The Adventures of Tintin: King Ottokar’s Sceptre – a comparison of three editions of Herge’s picture strip story: the 1947 book by Casterman of Paris, its first publication… Read More ›
The sudden passing of the inspiring comics creator Alan Mitchell, perhaps best known for co-writing “Third World War” with Pat Mills for Crisis, aged just 55, came as a tremendous shock to both family and friends. Although we met only a couple of… Read More ›
Safari Festival returns to London next month (27th August). The brainchild of Breakdown Press, the event is a celebration of the new wave of alternative and art comics from the UK and beyond. The festival is an opportunity for a curated… Read More ›
When Marvel UK shrunk its original strip output in the mid-1990s, not being a 2000AD reader, comics creator Andy Luke had nowhere to go. He came to find that the small press, often photocopied works, were a core part of… Read More ›
Congratulations this morning to Metaphrog – the Franco-Scottish duo of John Chalmers and Sandra Marrs – who tell us they are “Completely stunned” after winning The Sunday Herald Scottish Culture Awards 2016 for Best Visual Artist. Metaphrog – who had… Read More ›
As we’ve previously reported on downthetubes, Scream Street creator, Beano writer, Doctor Who author and all round lovely guy, Tommy Donbavand, has been diagnosed with cancer and is currently recovering from a series of painful and unpleasant treatments as he… Read More ›
Alongside the latest issue of 2000AD – and if you’re a fan of Gerry Anderson’s UFO, you’ll love the opening episode of the new “Scarlet Traces” story – be sure to be ready to pick up the superb collection of… Read More ›
The first ever Shrewsbury International Comic Art Festival, taking place 15th – 17th July, is now a free event – giving full access to an amazing guest list and exhibitors for the general public all three days. Guests lined up include creators Dan Berry,… Read More ›
Leonard Matthews, General Managing Editor of Fleetway and the Eagle Group of Comics, was a Creative Visionary… but that, Roger Perry argues in his extensive biography of the man which continues here on downthetubes, is only due to him having… Read More ›
Egmont will launch a new children’s magazine, Bing, as a regular monthly frequency publication later this month. Regular downthetubes readers may recall the company previously published its first Bing magazine as part of their pre-school Play & Learn titles, back in 2014. Bing is a pre-school… Read More ›
by Alex Potts Underpants is a selfppublished collection of mostly autobiographical short stories from the creator of last year’s excellent A Quiet Disaster, telling tales of the life and interests of its laconically sarcastic and observant creator. Some of my favourites were… Read More ›
Lancastrians enjoyed a great night boogieing to reunited local band Mostly Hums, Sea of Rain and Frenetic at Lancaster Library on 3rd July 2016. The event raised £500 raised for Cancer Care UK and the local St John’s Hospice, and included… Read More ›
Alan Russell visits London’s Cartoon Museum, revealing some of its treasures for British comic fans… I’ve been a comics fan since I was a young child back in the early 1970s. In those days of course, there were far fewer things… Read More ›
World War Two is a popular setting for comics, whether grounded in fantasy or reality, but is often quite a challenge to find the correct tone and balance when attempting the former. Originally published from 2004 to 2007 in French… Read More ›
Leamington’s award-winning comic convention – Leam Comic Con – is offering independent comic creators the chance to raise their profile and win a table at their 2017 event, and promotional support. Launching on Small Press Day 2016 this coming weekend (9th… Read More ›
By Paul Tonner “Cursed to wander the nine circles of Hell for all eternity and with an insatiable hunger for the flesh of demons, Nom The Demon Eater will stop at nothing for a tasty snack. “Expect lashings of gratuitous… Read More ›
What with holidays and a mass of other stuff (yes, the work that pays the bills), I’ve gotten behind on coverage of what’s been on the small press-devoted Awesome Comics Podcast, although I did congratulate Vince Hunt, Dan Butcher and Tony… Read More ›
“You must draw David Bowie. Find David Bowie, or I’ll send you David Bowie. Because if it isn’t David Bowie, you’re going to have to re-do it until it is David Bowie.” – Kelley Jones, quoting Neil Gaiman, Hanging Out… Read More ›
A special DFDS Seaways Beano is now available free on board DFDS ships. Ace writer Nigel Auchterlounie tells us he wrote the scripts the Dennis and Gnasher, Billy Whizz, Gnasher and Gnipper, Minnie the Minx,Calamity James, Bash Street Kids, Numskulls,… Read More ›
After we posted Andrew Pepoy and Jason Millet‘s marvellous (sorry, couldn’t resist that!) Doctor Who Comics Day Doctor Who: Fourth Doctor #4 variant yesterday, numerous comics fans noted it’s a homage to a classic Fantastic Four cover (#49) credited to… Read More ›