CAPTION, if you aren’t aware, is a long-running comics festival dedicated to the British independent and small comics press — and also the longest running comics festival in Britain by many years. A week before the 2008 ‘Timewarp’ themed event,… Read More ›
Comics
Comics News, features and 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 ›
The BeONEo Show!
Thanks to iplayer, there’s still time to catch an appearance by Beano writer and artist Kev F. Sutherland on the BBC’s The One Show, which featured an item on the 70th birthday of the comic on Wednesday. With a mix… Read More ›
Digital Publisher Relaunches
US publisher Platinum Studios has announced the global relaunch of the ad-funded e-book distribution service WOWIO (www.WOWIO.com), which was recently acquired by the company that also runs the web comics portal DrunkDuck.com. WOWIO was founded with the vision of giving… Read More ›
Keeping up with The Wizard!
May 2008 was an important month for British comics artist Tim Perkins and his company, Wizards Keep. Making an appearance at their first major British comics convention, this year’s Bristol International Comics Expo, their stand caused quite a stir. Lots… Read More ›
Harrods Art Appeal
In his latest regular Lying in the Gutters column on Comic Book Resources Rich Johnston reports that the world famous London department store Harrods is running a comics exhibition in September, showcasing the best in British created comics artwork. “They’ve… Read More ›
New Online Kids Comic Launches
A Birmingham-based company has launched Taymai Comic+, a new online comic which its makers hope will enable which enable the owners of new and existing characters to build fan bases by using the internet. Described as the first ever internet… Read More ›
Online Comic Creator Tools
I posted this list of Online Comic Creator Tools on the ROK Comics Creator Forum some time ago, but I think it may well be of interest to folks here… I’ve been having a dig around on the Internet and… Read More ›
Rare Eagle Dummy Online
In Spring 2008, Cirencester-based Dominic Book Auctions offered ten volumes (1950-60) of Eagle and Girl of unknown provenance, which were bought by London’s Cartoon Museum in Little Russell Street. Unknown to the Museum (or the auctioneer) the lot also contained… Read More ›
Mama, We’re All Connected Now…
Good news for online comic creators comes via research from KenRadio.com (registration required) that nearly a quarter of the world’s population – roughly 1.4 billion people – will use the Internet on a regular basis in 2008. This number is… Read More ›
Comics Art at Oxford’s Jam Factory
The Caption Comics Collective will be running an exhibition at the Oxford Jam Factory with a launch party this Thursday (31st July) from around 6:30pm and another the evening before the Caption alternative comics convention on 8th August. In attendance… Read More ›
Happy 70th Birthday, Beano!
As Britain’s top weekly humour comic The Beano celebrates its 70th birthday, downthetubes asked comic creators to offer their birthday wishes, and the first received have now been published in a special tribute section on the main downthetubes site, including… Read More ›
In Review: The Mammoth Book of Best Crime Comics
Editor: Paul GravettPublisher: Constance and Robinson Considering crime comics as featured in this collection span some 80 years of the medium’s history, I can’t begin to imagine how hard it must have been for Paul Gravett, editor of The Mammoth… Read More ›
Les Starblazeurs
It has been eleven months since both downthetubes and Bear Alley mentioned the Starblazer Adventures role-playing game due out from Cubicle Seven. The Starblazer Adventures core rulebook is now scheduled to be in games stores in “Autumn/Winter 2008” according to… Read More ›
Comic Book Adventures in Time and Space!
A group of Manchester comic and Doctor Who fans have organised a special event on 18 October at the Lass O’Gowrie, Manchester featuring several top creator names including Paul Cornell (left) and Steve Dillon. Vworp Vworp! Comic Book Adventures in… Read More ›
Beano Mischief on Radio 4!
Wallace & Gromit creator Nick Park and Beano editor Alan Digby were interviewed on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning, part of the ongoing celebrations for the weekly comic as it fast approaches its 70th birthday. Park, who is… Read More ›
Crikey’s DC Thomson Special
The next issue of British comics history magazine Crikey! (Number 6) on sale soon, with the editors promising that the “Summer Special” (remember those?) is a DC Thomson focused issue, apt given the upcoming 70th birthday celebrations for that company’s… Read More ›
How to Draw a Cartoon Cat
Esbjorn Jorsater, who runs the Comic Art School forum on Ning, has come up with a novel use for ROK Comics — as a way to deliver tutorials! Esbjorn has created this simple guide to creating a cartoon cat, which… Read More ›
New British ebook service launches
Just launched in the past few weeks is Myebook.com (www.myebook.com), a new web-based ebook community from a British company, which aims to give people the tools to create book content and ‘get it out there’ for free. Every aspect of… Read More ›
Celebrate 70 years of Comic Mayhem!
Ken Harrison has provided this great illustration for the forthcoming Beano and Dandy exhibition at the Cartoon Muesum in London. While some of the characters featured will be familar to today’s readers of The Beano and Dandy Ken has also… Read More ›