50 years ago today, the crew of Apollo 11 were almost at the Moon with their mission progressing smoothly. But what might have gone wrong? 10 years ago on downthetubes, Jeremy Briggs wrote a 40th anniversary day-by-day celebration series of… Read More ›
Art and Illustration
Illustration and Comic Art Items
‘Patronus on a Postcard’ BookTrust charity art auction closes at 6.00pm today!
Bloomsbury has joined forces with BookTrust to mark a very significant date for all Harry Potter fans – 20 years of JK Rowling‘s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – and a special celebratory charity art auction has just… Read More ›
Apollo 11 at 50: The Race to the Moon – The Journey to the Moon
50 years ago today, Apollo 11 and its crew were on the first day of their journey from Earth orbit to lunar orbit. As much as science fiction stories suggest that space travel is fast, in reality the distances involved… Read More ›
Rare Ron Turner original art up for auction next month
Here’s something very unexpected coming up for auction at Heritage Auctions next month – a classic piece of vintage Ron Turner book cover art from the 1950s
The Wonderful World of the Ladybird Artists exhibition opens in Leicester
The Wonderful World of the Ladybird Artists exhibition has just opened at New Walk Museum in Leicester, offering not just an insight into the art and the many books published, but a visual history of 20th Century Britain in microcosm…. Read More ›
Florida’s Norton Museum of Art hosts major Dwight M. Cleveland Collection film poster exhibition
If you’re heading to Florida on holiday this summer, then you may want to pop along to the Norton Museum of Art, which is presenting the first, extensive museum exhibition of classic movie posters from one of the most prominent… Read More ›
“Penalty” Football Card Game box art by John Armstrong on eBay
“Penalty“, a football-inspired Pepys card game was invented by Ernesto Scola of Milan, working with a team of twelve specialists who took five years including playing 18,000 trial games to develop the game. It was first published on the continent… Read More ›
John Patrick Reynolds offers new limited edition “Dennis the Menace” print
Screen printer John Patrick Reynolds is offering a new limited edition print of Dennis the Menace, based on an which first appeared in an edition of The Beano annual in the 1960s – and has inspired other similar illustrations of the character since
WebFind: Chet Phillips’ Postcards from Britain – with added monsters!
American illustrator Chet Phillips is the creator of terrific art projects such as Dr Mew, the Monster Zen book, the Steampunk Monkey Colouring Book and the Steampunk Monkey Cigarette Cards – but here at downthetubes I have to say I… Read More ›
Space: 1999 Power Records cover art offered in auction
Heritage Auctions has some Space: 1999 art credited to Neal Adams and Dick Giordano on offer in its upcoming Comics & Comic Art Signature Auction in Dallas, taking place 1st – 3rd August 2019. Split over two lots, on offer… Read More ›
Saturday Evening Post artist Joe de Mers profiled in latest Illustration magazine
The latest issue of the US Illustration magazine (#64) features the work of American artist Joe de Mers, best known for his many slick magazine illustrations for the Saturday Evening Post and others
Tintin in the Land of the Soviets cover art sells for $1.12 million
The very first original cover art featuring the beloved comic character Tintin, Hergé’s The Adventures of Tintin Volume 1: Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, sold for more than $1.12 million by Heritage Auctions on Saturday, 8th June, in… Read More ›
“Bookmarks” cartoon exhibition opens at Westminster Reference Library
Bookmarks, an exhibition of cartoons on the theme of books, literature and libraries drawn by the UK’s finest and funniest cartoonists, is running now at London’s Westminster Reference Library until 22nd June 2019.
In Memoriam: Star Trek artist Keith Birdsong
There have been a number of tributes to acclaimed Star Trek artist Keith Birdsong, renowned for his photorealistic renderings of Star Trek actors, who passed away on 4th June 4 2019, the result of injuries sustained in an earlier car… Read More ›
WebFind: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, illustrated by Salvador Dali
In 1865, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, an Oxford mathematician and Anglican deacon, published Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, a story about a little girl who tumbles down a rabbit hole, first introducing the world to Alice and her pseudonymous creator, Lewis Carroll…. Read More ›
Dads can be Heroes, just for one day!
London’s National Theatre loves David Bowie – singer, musician, actor, writer, fashion icon – and their Bowie inspired products have proved incredibly popular, and the organisation reckons they’d make for perfect Father’s Day presents. The bestselling Ziggy tea towel (one… Read More ›
WebFind: Odeith’s larger-than-life insect murals look ready to leap from the wall
Portuguese street artist Odeith, also known for his anamorphic graffiti lettering work, is a master of creating larger-than-life urban murals of realistically painted insects. For those of you not keen on spiders – you may not want to read on…… Read More ›
“Don’t make me angry…” INFINITY Magazine “Incredible Hulk” cover reveal!
Artist Pete Wallbank has revealed his art for a new cover for INFINITY magazine featuring Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno in their roles as David Banner and his big green alter-ego from the 1970s TV show The Incredible Hulk –… Read More ›
First ever Tintin cover looks set for one million dollar plus sale in June
The first cover appearance of Hergé‘s Tintin, arguably the most popular comic character worldwide, as well as a pair of lots by Osama Tezuka, the artist who has been called “the Japanese equivalent of Walt Disney” and a group of… Read More ›
Roads Not Taken: When Disney almost went Discworld
Animation designer and children’s author Claire Keane has posted some wonderful concept art for an abandoned Disney project based on Sir Terry Pratchett‘s fourth Discworld novel, Mort, on her official web site. While that project didn’t go ahead, BBC America’s… Read More ›