Co-author Shaun McClure has announced there’s not long to wait now for the release of what’s looking to be an amazing book – Martin Bower’s World of Models
Books
“The Life of Charlie ‘Chas’ Grigg” biography released in time for Christmas
Charlie “Chas” Grigg was a cartoonist who drew Desperate Dan, Korky the Cat and many other characters for the DC Thomson’s comics – Dandy, Beano, Topper and Judy, from the 1960s to 1980s. Now a new book about his life and work has just been published – and his family are dedicating half the proceeds The Alzheimer’s Society and Dudley-based dementia support group, Me, Myself & I.
His much-admired work will also be celebrated at a special event at the Wolverhampton Literature Festival next year.
New “Beano Booktopia” book subscription service launched
Beano has today launched Beano Booktopia – a new book subscription service for kids offering newly published books across a wide range of authors and genres. The tailor-made programme will include fiction and non-fiction books specifically chosen by Beano experts based… Read More ›
Charlie Adlard chooses LIFE over Walking Dead
LIFE is a new hardcover by Charlie Adlard, a collection of art from Charlie attending life art evenings at Hive Shrewsbury using various techniques
Katie Kirby’s “Hurrah for Gin” gets licensing deal
Licensing agency Riverside Brands has just added the popular online parenting series, Hurrah for Gin, to its portfolio, a comedic pastiche of modern day parenthood survival by Katie Kirby
Crowdfunding Spotlight: “Bods” by Greenspike hits target in just six hours
After the crowdfunding success of the illustrated guide to the hidden world of the trolls of Oxford, The Oxford Trollomicus, it’s great to see the first novel set in the same world, Bods, has smashed its target goal within six hours of launch
Sir Lenny Henry writes comics!
Just out in bookshops is Sir Lenny Henry’s memoir, Who Am I, Again?, which is not only a terrific read, but also includes comic vignettes of his life story, written by the comedian, drawn by Mark Buckingham and lettered by Todd Klein
Bag of Holding Fundraiser under way to support games publisher Battlefield Press after arson attack
Bundle of Holding, a company that presents time-limited collections of tabletop roleplaying games, or books by RPG designers, as DRM-free ebooks, is running an offer to help support award-winning games publisher Jonathan Thompson, the owner of Battlefield Press after an… Read More ›
Tricks of the Trade: Writing a Comics-inspired Novel, by Steve MacManus
Former Tharg, comics editor and writer Steve MacManus shares his experience of writing his first novel, The Sheerglam Conspiracy, a story set inside the world of 1970s British comics. 40,000 words long, it took 14 long months to write –… Read More ›
Steve MacManus parodies 1970s British comics in “The Sheerglam Conspiracy”
Former Tharg Steve MacManus is back on our reading list here in the downthetubes dungeon, this time with his first novel, The Sheerglam Conspiracy, a thoroughly scurrilous jab at the British comics industry in the 1970s. London, 1973. For 40… Read More ›
Dark Metropolis novel trilogy launched by comics retail veteran and publisher Howard Lee
Howard Lee, a Chicago-based champion of pop culture both British and American, founder of Tomatovision TV and Nexus Entertainment Group Publishing, has just self published the first in a trilogy of SF novels under the umbrella title “Dark Metropolis”. The first, Planetsong, is available now
Former Tharg David Bishop gets two book historical crime fiction deal at Pan Macmillan
For years, comics editor, writer, author and writing tutor David Bishop – perhaps best known to many downthetubes readers as a former editor of both 2000AD and Judge Dredd Megazine and author of Thrill-Power Overload – has been threatening to write a series of historical mystery novels set in Renaissance Florence. Well, now he’s done it – and the results will be published by Pan Macmillan starting in February 2021
Full speed ahead for revamp of Harry Potter trains and toys
Hornby Hobbies and the Corgi brand have re-released a line of Harry Potter die-cast products, tapping into the current resurgence for the Wizarding World brand. Last year, the British toy model and hobby specialist teamed up with Warner Bros. Consumer… Read More ›
Celebrating Scatterbrook: “Scatterbrook Days”, a Moving Tribute to “Worzel Gummidge”
2019 marks the 40th Anniversary of the TV series Worzel Gummidge starring Jon Pertwee as the scarecrow scallywag, and the centenary of the much-loved Jon Pertwee himself. To celebrate, Ten Acre Films took a trip to the countryside with some… Read More ›
New Doctor Who Magazine Special celebrates Target Books
Those of you interested in Doctor Who art may want to pick up the latest Doctor Who Magazine Special (Issue 53), dedicated to Target Books, on sale now in all good newsagents, featuring a cover by Chris Achilleos. Considered a… Read More ›
Sanctioned “Scarfolk Annual” on its way
As some know, but perhaps wish they didn’t, Scarfolk is a lost town in North West England that did not progress beyond 1979. Instead, the entire decade of the 1970s loops ad infinitum. It is a national mystery whose artefacts, occasionally uncovered and reported online, are often both horrifying but at the same time, dangerously fascinating – and now a facsimile of one of them, a Scarfolk Annual, is about to be released…
Creating Comics: Wally Wood’s “Panels That Always Work”
Tips from a master of the Ninth Art on how to make the VP best of comic storytelling
French Hugo Pratt Part Work continues, 70 ”Tout Pratt” books planned
Following up on the downthetubes news item on Rebellion’s upcoming series of oversize Picture Library reprints centring on the British War comics work of award-winning Italian artist Hugo Pratt, you may be interested to know that French publisher Altalya is running a planned 70-book part work featuring that aims to reprint all his published stories
New “Professor Howe” book in aid of Children in Need available now
The sixth Professor Howe book from Long Scarf Publications debuted at the Doctor Who Appreciation Society’s event The Capitol in April, and is now available to order online
‘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 ›