downthetubes.net

Here’s a guide to Rebellion releases for this week and beyond, opening with 2000AD Prog 2142, which comes with a crazily creepy Cthulu-inspired cover from Adam Brown to lead us into “Indigo Prime: Fall of the House of Vista”, on… Read More ›

2000 AD’s latest Art Stars Competition has fans wondering if “Halo Jones” will return

2000AD has challenged readers to draw one of its best known female heroines, Halo Jones, in its latest Art Stars competition – surely no easy task given Ian Gibson’s iconic look. Unsurprisingly, it got some fans wondering if 2000 AD… Read More ›

The Beano is now 81 – here’s a look back at the comic’s 50th birthday!

By John Freeman on July 30, 2019 • ( 2 )

The Beano celebrated its 81st birthday recently, the first issue published with a cover date of 26th July 1938 – but that date isn’t it’s actual birthday, and neither are the cover dates for other British comics, either… Most would… Read More ›

In Review: Edge of Extinction #3

Written by Baden James Mellonie Art and Letters by Paul Peart-Smith Covers by Stephen Sampson (also known as Steve Sampson), David Millgate, Ryan Brown and Huy Truong Published by Eighth Continent Publishing Note: Some strong language as zombies try to… Read More ›

Crowdfunding Spotlight: New comics publisher Body Parts launches first anthology, The Seas, on Kickstarter

Independent comics publisher Body Parts has just launched a crowdfunder for its first anthology, The Seas, on Kickstarter, which I’ve had a sneak peek at – and it looks great. Offering new strips by a diverse range of international creators,… Read More ›

Strip! Focus: “The Man from Cancer”, aka The Rockpool Files

By downthetubes Guests on July 29, 2019 • ( 3 )

Luke Williams takes a look back at The Man from Cancer, first published in Marvel UK’s STRIP! anthology – a creator-owned strip by Glenn Dakin and Phil Elliott, still fondly remembered today… Possibly long forgotten, but not by this geek,… Read More ›

Mark Stafford’s love story, Kangkangee Blues, gets British publication

By John Freeman on July 29, 2019 • ( 1 )

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival is to publish a new edition of Mark’s Stafford‘s comic Kangkangee Blues, a tragic love story produced at the behest of the British Council as one of their collaborative artistic endeavours. One of several… Read More ›

French Hugo Pratt Part Work continues, 70 ”Tout Pratt” books planned

By John Freeman on July 28, 2019

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

Rebellion launch new oversize Hugo Pratt war comic reprints next year

Fans of Corto Maltese creator and artist Hugo Pratt have welcomed news of Rebellion’s over-sized reprints of his 1960s British war comic work. This should be good news for fans of his work, as good quality editions of the original Picture Library comics can be hard to find

Heritage Auction details Science Fiction Collection of Glynn and Suzanne Crain sale

A collection of 461 lots from the finest and most extensive group of mid-century American science fiction art will be brought to auction for the first time when Heritage Auctions presents The Glynn and Suzanne Crain Science Fiction Collection Auction,… Read More ›

Misty comics artist John Armstrong “Life Studies” Sale on eBay

Here are some of Misty comics artist John Armstrong‘s life studies artworks created in the 1940s, currently up for sale on eBay. I’m selling the work on behalf of John’s family, and here is what’s on offer in this first… Read More ›

The Fantasy Worlds of Irwin Allen - 2020 Calendar by Ron Gross

Official 2020 “Fantasy Worlds of Irwin Allen” available now

If you’re a fan of 1960s TV shows such as Lost in Space, Land of the Giants or Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, then the The Fantasy Worlds of Irwin Allen – 2020 Calendar may be something you’d like to check out

In Review: Combat Colin No. 4 by Lew Stringer

The Book: Reprinting the “Combat Colin” stories from The Transformers Nos. 257 to 283, Combat Colin No.4 brings you fast-paced comedy-action that takes place beneath the sea, on Mars, in the Prehistoric past and in Colin’s home town of Wallytown!… Read More ›

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

Recording a scene of "Space Command". Image: CBC

Radio Luxembourg’s “Dan Dare” – an unexpected Canadian Connection!

By John Freeman on July 26, 2019 • ( 4 )

downthetubes continues to track down Dan Dare-related items of ephemera and interest. One unexpected discovery is that the theme tune for the Radio Luxembourg Dan Dare radio show was also used for the 1950’s SF show Space Command, whose regular… Read More ›

The IBM Selectric. State of the art typesetting in 1979...

WebFind: Cold Type: The Years of Paste-Up Graphics, and the short comics career of Derek Duff

By John Freeman on July 26, 2019 • ( 1 )

If you’re under a certain age, you’d be forgiven for failing to recognise these tools of the trade many veteran comic creators and comics editors used to create their work. Finding an online edition of the Cold Type: The Years… Read More ›

London Film and Comic Con offers “Creating Comics” panels

As we previously reported, this weekend’s London Film and Comic Con has a huge roster of comic creators attending its show at Olympia this weekend – and they have a number of great comic-related talks, too, some definitely of interest… Read More ›

Glasgow’s Ghost Comics Festival returns in October

Were you at Glasgow’s Ghost Comics Festival last year – the festival for alternative comics? Do you wish it would happen again? Well, there’s no need to reminisce anymore, because Ghost is back, taking place on Saturday 26th October 2019. Ghost… Read More ›

World War Two action all the way in new Commando comics

Brand new issues of DC Thomson’s war comic Commando (Issues 5247-5250) are on sale now in all good newsagents. Featuring firemen on the Home Front, French pilots of the Free French Forces, an underaged murder suspect, and the German invasion… Read More ›

Titan Comics Two go Mad in San Diego