• The Alternative Press Fair is back! Taking place in London on 13th February, this is a free event celebrating all things self-published and DIY: Comics and Zines, Radical Literature, Poetry, Printmaking, Book Arts and even a bit of DIY… Read More ›
downthetubes News
British comic and creator news, book news, media news. If it’s news, it’s here.
Striker bounces back again – into Nuts
Football comic Striker has kicked off its 25th anniversary year by signing exclusively to Nuts, Britain’s biggest-selling weekly mens lifestyle magazine published by IPC. (We’re betting the team mascot might just be a bit racier than its past cheerleader, pictured… Read More ›
New Biography of Showbiz Legend Lew Grade
A new biography of British media entrepeneur Lew Grade – without whom shows such as Thunderbirds, UFO and The Muppets might never have been made – is to be published by Aurum Press next month. All My Shows are Great… Read More ›
Arthur Ranson exhibition opens at Orbital
Tonight (Thursday 14th January) sees the opening of an exhibition of art by 2000AD contributor Arthur Ranson at London’s Orbital Comics. The exhibition spans his 30-year comic career: Arthur’s credits are numerous, including, of course, “Button Man”, “Judge Anderson” and… Read More ›
Tube Surfing: Ro-Jaws, Rebellion, Crikey!, Rankin, Road and Comic Fairs!
Ro-Jaws returns to 2000AD this week, making a comeback in the A.B.C. Warriors strip by Pat Mills and Clint Langley, who also provides the cover for Prog 1667, right.Originally designed by Kevin O’Neill for the Ro-Busters strip in Starlord weekly… Read More ›
Vworp! Vworp! It’s a New Doctor Who comics fanzine!
A new Doctor Who fanzine, Vworp Vworp! goes on sale later this month. It takes a loving, affectionate look at Marvel/Panini’s Doctor Who comic strips and the magazine that spawned them – Doctor Who Magazine and is o-edited by Gareth… Read More ›
Tube Surfing: Marvel, Disney, Stan Lee and possible iTablet launch
• Marvel Entertainment stockholders approved the company’s merger with Disney at a special meeting held last Thursday (31st December). Under the agreement, valued at an estimated $4.3 billion, Marvel becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary of Disney. Whether this will ultimately have… Read More ›
Tube Surfing: Wallace and Gromit, Insomnia on PSP, Free Digital Comics and Christmas Covers
• Titan Publishing’s Wallace & Gromit digital comic has taken the iPhone by storm with over half a million downloads of its first free app – and the company is surely hoping to repeat the success with its release on… Read More ›
Striker Returns
Long-running football strip Striker is set to return – this time as a weekly strip in an as yet unnamed magazine. A Striker movie is also again in development. Announcing the return on the official Striker forum (membership required to… Read More ›
Strip! – Cartoons in Classrooms
In the last of this month’s shows looking at the use of comics in education, the Strip! radio show, broadcast on Resonance FM and now available as a podcast, have interviews with a variety of practitioners and tutors with an… Read More ›
Tube Surfing: Mike Collins Draws New Who, Harker, Alternative Press News…
Some quick, short items today, as I’m immersed in some research for Titan and other things… • A slew of updates from ever busy comics artist Mike Collins, which are mostly Doctor Who related, including an original graphic novel for… Read More ›
Eagle Times Warms Up Winter (Volume 22 Number 4, Winter 2009)
The latest issue of Eagle Times (Volume 22 Number 4, Winter 2009) is now available from the Eagle Society, wrapped in this cheery winter scene that illustrated an article titled ‘He wants to be a Postman’ from the Christmas issue… Read More ›
British Comic Creator Interviews on SciFiPulse
Longtime downthetubes readers know this site trades news items with the superb science fiction TV, film and genre site SciFiPulse, but what with recent holidays here in the tubes, we’ve missed some of their coverage of British comics. So here’s… Read More ›
Tube Surfing: Death’s Head, Poot, Chattyman and a Christmas Competition
• Death’s Head is back! And not some Johnny-Come-Lately Death’s Head II or III, or even the bit-on-the-small-side Version I, the result of an encounter with the good Doctor and his TARDIS. No, Marvel’s new S.W.O.R.D. title features everyone’s favourite… Read More ›
Tube Surfing: Marvel Fun, Arthur Ranson, IndieManga and Look and Learn
• Our thanks this week to the fab British Comic Art blog, for spotting Dan Dare, Mekon and Dalek on the cover of Fantastic Four 573; artist Alan Davis is of course a master of dropping in such characters into… Read More ›
More V for Vendetta Art to Aid Cartoon Classroom on eBay
A second batch of David Lloyd V For Vendetta illustrations are now on eBay in support of the Cartoon Classroom project, which aims to serve libraries, schools, colleges and museums by directing them to creators who teach in these specialised… Read More ›
Doctor Who: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Daleks
A daft video for the day, re-spotted by SF author Paul Macauley and re-tweeted by Matthew Badham…
Geek Syndicate Auctions All-Star Superman Art for Charity
Comics and scifi podcast site Geek Syndicate has launched a charity auction that will include some unique comic art and other collectables, to help an eight-year-girl after the sudden and untimely death of her father, a loyal supporter of the… Read More ›
Hi Ex Tickets now on sale
Ace Scottish comics event Hi-Ex, which will take place in Inverness over Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th March 2010, are now offering advance weekend and day tickets through the website at discounted prices, via Paypal. Guests at the event (subject… Read More ›
Buster Busts into WH Smith
Egmont’s latest Classic Comic collection – this time bringing Buster back to the shelves of WH Smith – goes on sale soon, just in time to be a Christmas stocking filler. This is the final special of four released this… Read More ›