We’re sorry to report the passing of veteran comic artist Mike White, probably best known to readers of downthetubes for his art on Roy of the Rovers, Commando, 2000 AD and strips such as “Hell’s Highway” and “Kids Rule OK” for… Read More ›
downthetubes News
British comic and creator news, book news, media news. If it’s news, it’s here.
Call for Papers for third ‘Transitions’ comic conference in November
Transitions is a one-day symposium promoting new research and multi-disciplinary academic study of comics, comix, manga, bande dessinée and other forms of sequential art, now in its third year, with the next event taking place as part of Comica 2012… Read More ›
Soaring Penguin catches the Undertow
British indie publisher Soaring Penguin Books has just published its first book of 2012 – Undertow by Ellen Lindner. Set amidst the chaos of a summer weekend at Coney Island, Undertow tells the story of Rhonda, a girl suddenly overwhelmed… Read More ›
Call for Papers: From Akira to Žižek: Comics and Contemporary Cultural Theory
Papers are now being invited for the academic comics tome Studies in Comics (volume 3.2). Guest editor Tony Venezia tell us this special issue – sub-titled From Akira to Žižek: Comics and Contemporary Cultural Theory – seeks to provide a forum for new articulations between… Read More ›
Panel Borders: Searching comics with DJ Food
Starting a month of Panel Borders radio shows about non practitioners’ love for comics, guest presenter Robin Warren talks to musician and 2000AD fan Strictly Kev about collaborating with Henry Flint on the artwork for his new LP The Search… Read More ›
Tartan Bucket Prize Winning Strip In The New Beano
About this time last year the Dundee University Humanities Department, in conjunction with DC Thomson, launched the Tartan Bucket Prize competition to create, write and illustrate a new Beano and Dandy style children’s humour comic strip. At the conclusion of… Read More ›
Tube Surfing: Phoenix, Jamie Smart, Commando and The Broons
It has been a while since we have had a Tube Surf so… The Phoenix had a bumpier than expected take-off when their distribution deal through Waitrose supermarkets left many potential readers puzzled when no Waitrose had copies of the… Read More ›
Panel Borders: Habibi Blankets and Children’s Books
Here’s some information on both upcoming and recent Panel Borders radio shows, broadcast on Resonabce FM and online. Concluding the show’s month of looking at biography and autobiography in comics, Alex Fitch talks to the multiple award winning (and Grammy nominated) cartoonist… Read More ›
Cartoon Museum honours ‘Her Maj’
London’s Cartoon Museum will be celebrating the Diamond Jubilee with a humorous history of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Her Maj: 60 Years of Unofficial Portraits of the Queen (1 February – 8 April 2012) will offer a gallery… Read More ›
“The Invisible Artist” film released
The Invisible Artist from Northern Visions NvTv on Vimeo The comic booklet: once a mass market media form, some would argue it has all but disappeared from newsagents shelves in the last 20 years – but comic creation continues apace… Read More ›
Comics @ Glasgow Book Festival
Aye Write!, Glasgow’s Book Festival, run by Glasgow Council’s libraries department at the Mitchell Library is much smaller than Edinburgh’s International Book Festival but normally turns up some comics talks and this year is no exception. Writing For Graphic Novels… Read More ›
Comics @ Glasgow Film Festival
Last year the Glasgow Film Festival at the Glasgow Film Theatre brought writer Mark Millar on board to curate a comics creators and movies strand which included amongst others a talk by artist/writer Dave Gibbons and screenings of Luc Besson’s… Read More ›
British Comedy Conference seeks papers on comedy and comics
The organisers of the Sixth International Comedy Conference, which will take place later at the University of Salford have issued a Call for Papers. The theme for this year’s two-day conference is ‘Drawing The Line’ and the academic event aims… Read More ›
Director’s Commentary: Creating “Dotter of her Father’s Eyes” by Mary Talbot
This article was first published on 13th January 2012 on the Forbidden Planet International Blog by Joe Gordon and is re-published here with the permission of Mary Talbot I’m always fascinated to learn more about how works of art come… Read More ›
Celtic Conventions: Hi-Ex and 2D Return In 2012
We missed out on mentioning Hi-Ex 2012 in our run-up to Christmas so let’s set the record straight now. The fourth Hi-Ex will be taking place on Saturday 31 March and Sunday 1 April on the banks of the river… Read More ›
Totally Merlin confuses some fans – and us!
A spell of confusion about the latest Merlin magazine works a treat on readers – and us!
Post Office celebrates British Comics
Britain’s Post Office is celebrating what it’s defined as “75 Years of British Comics” with a special issue of stamps featuring the covers of various much-loved comics, including 2000AD and The Beano. Set to be released on 20th March 2012,… Read More ›
Re-staging Halo Jones: the inside story
When the Forbidden Planet International blog heard that there was going to be a new stage version of Halo Jones produced at the Lass O’Gowrie pub in Manchester (a spot already well known to local science fiction and comics… Read More ›
Halo Jones stage play poster
Here’s the poster for the new Ballad of Halo Jones play at the Lass O’Gowrie in Manchester which we plugged recently. The art is by Adrian Salmon, who’s been a regular contributor to Doctor Who Magazine for many years, and… Read More ›
Last Commandos of 2011 go on sale
The last four Commandos of the year are now on sale, and the veteran title sees off its 50th aniversary year with another batch of great stories old and new – and what a year it’s been for the title…. Read More ›