Just a quick ‘heads-up’ to advise you to tune into tonight’s The Culture Show on BB2 (at 7.00pm, repeated at 12.20am Friday morning). The programme will be exploring “the past, present and post-election future of British comic art” which is… Read More ›
downthetubes News
British comic and creator news, book news, media news. If it’s news, it’s here.
In Review: London MCM Expo 17
The one thing that really hits you about the MCM Expo at London’s ExCel centre is its sheer size. The two big comics events in the UK are Bristol and BICS. Two weekends ago Bristol had 1000 people at it… Read More ›
Doctor Who graphic novels range cancelled?
Speculation is rife on the future of Panini’s Doctor Who comics collections today, after news broke that the planned release of The Crimson Hand – featuring Tenth Doctor David Tennant’s last comics adventures – had been cancelled. Sheffield based store… Read More ›
Record attendance at London MCM Expo, Comics Village success
MCM Expo, May 2010. Picture: Juliette Crawford Last weekend’s London MCM Expo was the most successful in the show’s history, with more than 41,000 visitors attending over the two days. Already established as the top UK entertainment event, the show… Read More ›
Marvel Super Heroes storm London’s Madame Tussauds
Two of the world’s leading entertainment brands – Madame Tussauds, part of the Merlin Entertainments Group, and Marvel Entertainment – have joined forces to create a unique new visitor experience at the leading London attraction, scheduled to open in early… Read More ›
Zine Symposium this Saturday in London
The London Zine Symposium takes place this weekend at the Rag Factory in East London. An annual event where people interested in zines, small-press, comics and/ or radical culture can get together, buy or sell zines and share ideas with… Read More ›
Striker comic to go free-to-view online in July
The entire 25-year archive of the football strip Striker, first published in The Sun and now featuring in mens magazine Nuts, is to be available online as free to view comics on the Striker website when it relaunches in early… Read More ›
Folk to watch out for at the Bristol Comic Expo
(with thanks to Bryan Talbot, who can’t be there due to deadlines – but Watch the Grandville trailer!): Here’s a list of just some of the comics creators at the Bristol Comic Expo this weekend to look out for if… Read More ›
Doctor Who Live: Tour Details
Tickets for the BBC Worldwide Doctor Who Live – The Monsters Are Coming! are now on sale. The show will be a spectacular audio-visual experience – think their successful stage show version of Walking with Dinosaurs but with Doctor Who… Read More ›
Strip! Goes Manga, Mills talks French (comics, that is)
Continuing ‘cross cultural comics month’ on the show, the Strip! radio show this week is looking at the winners of last year’s Manga Jiman (Pride in Manga) competiton run by the Japanese Embassy in London to find the best new… Read More ›
First Beano Book, Marvelman Cover Art up for auction
Over 200 items of British comics and art form the Summer 2010 auction at UK auction house Compalcomics, including a rare Beano book discovered in a charity shop and cover art for an early issue of Marvelman by creator Mick… Read More ›
David Bishop launches graphic novels collection in Scotland
(Adapted in part from David Bishop’s Vicious Imagery blog and reposted here with his full permission): Comics writer, editor and TV script writer David Bishop was at the Greenock Public Library, Scotland last night to help promote its new collection… Read More ›
Doctor Who artist conjures iconic Football Moment for new print
Former Doctor Who comic artist Richard Piers Rayner has produced a limited edition print recreating one of football’s most iconic moments, when Pele and Bobby Moore were pictured swapping shirts. The original photograph, taken by John Varley at the Estadio… Read More ›
IPC Media, owners of classic comic archive, considers title closures
IPC Media – owners of classic but no longer published titles such as Lion and many comic characters such as the Steel Claw, the Spider and Robot Archie – has announced that it is undertaking a strategic review of its… Read More ›
Comic-inspired movie Largo Winch comes to London
Successful Belgian bande dessinée series Largo Winch has been made into a live action film. Its writer and creator Jean Van Hamme was on hand at the Institut Francais in South Kensington in London to answer questions after a screening… Read More ›
Classical Comics ‘The Tempest’ shortlisted for major book awards
Classical Comics adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest has been shortlisted for two different awards. The company will hear this week if it has won a gold, silver or bronze Independent Publisher (or “IPPY”) award from Independent Publisher Online: no small… Read More ›
Free Comic Book Day: a report from the (British) front line
Free Comic Book Day – an annual event to promote the comics industry worldwide – gets bigger and better every year, and for First Age Comics, based in the Assembly Rooms on King Street, Lancaster, the latest incarnation was easily… Read More ›
Azzopardi launches "Sightings"
I caught up with enthusiastic and inventive indy press creator Sean Azzopardi on Free Comics Book Day at Orbital Comics, London, where, among others, Kieron Gillen was tapping out a script and Tom Humberstone was busy sketching along with enthusiastic… Read More ›
Doctor Who Magazine features first Eleventh Doctor strip
The latest issue of Panini UK’s Doctor Who Magazine (Issue 421) sees the debut of the Eleventh Doctor in its comic strip pages, with the delectable Amy Pond in tow to boot. While Matt Smith’s Doctor has already appeared in… Read More ›
Dan Dare at 60: Merchandise Update
With the Eagle and its best-remembered character Dan Dare celebrating a 60th birthday this month, fans will be pleased to hear that several items are either in development or already on sale now to mark the event. • The collectable… Read More ›