— I’m sure the power won’t go to Mr Spilsbury’s head, after all it never affected me!
downthetubes News
British comic and creator news, book news, media news. If it’s news, it’s here.
Here come the Copyright Police!
It had to happen – while fuddy duddy Britain enforces copyright protection through dull sounding organisations such as the Federation Against Copyright Theft, the Chinese government has gone all 21st century and introduced animated copyright police characters that will patrol… Read More ›
Another Gaming Magazine bites the dust
icv2 reports Wizard Entertainment is ending publication of InQuest Gamer, effective in September. The most recent issue shipped was #149, which arrived in comic stores on 1st August. This is another item of bad news for game magazine fans, suggesting… Read More ›
Virgin Comics Dan Dare, film to come?
(This post last updated 27/8/07, with thanks to Richard Sheaf and Derek Wilson): Information on Virgin Comics Dan Dare title due in November and news on a film project has begun to emerge. The new Dan Dare comic will be… Read More ›
Small Pressers Appeal
Comics columnist and downthetubes contributor Matthew Badham will be speaking at a comics and animation conference, The Aesthetics of Trash at Manchester University at the end of August and is appealing for information from small press publishers. “I’m going to… Read More ›
Comics Britannia Series Info
The BBC have released full transmission details for Comics Britannia (or, How we grew up with comics and how comics grew up with us…), a series of four documentaries on comics which will screen on BBC4, to be broadcast as… Read More ›
Wallace and Gromit web site revamped
Cynopsis reports that Aardman Animations has tapped the ROO Group, an online video solutions company, to re-launch its Wallace and Gromit website (www.wallaceandgromit.com) with increased video functionality. Wallace and Gromit content, including a series of short films and clips from… Read More ›
Hold Your Dinosaurs!
Although we now know T-Rex might have actually caught up with that landrover in Jurassic Park (it could certainly have iutrun most of the England football team based on last night’s performance), we don’t know any more about the next… Read More ›
Dalek Empire: The Fearless
Big Finish has just released an awesome CGI trailer to promote Dalek Empire IV: The Fearless, a mini-series of four, full-cast audio dramas with each chapter released on single CD. Spanning four spin off series from Big Finish’s Doctor Who… Read More ›
Keith Robson’s History Of Comics
It has been open since the end of June and will end on Sunday 2nd September, but if you are near Hartlepool in the next couple of weeks then it is worth paying a visit to the Museum Of Hartlepool… Read More ›
Cubicle 7 licences DC Thomson’s Starblazer for ‘space roleplaying adventures’
Head into space with Starblazer (not literally…)
Star Wars Exhibition extended
Star Wars – The Exhibition has today announced that due to overwhelming popular demand the run at County Hall, Westminster, London will be extended until 12 January 2008. Exhibition Coordinator Jonathan Sands said: “The Exhibition is proving so popular that… Read More ›
Comics Artist Phil Gascoine: Tributes Pour In
Tributes to one of Britain’s unsung comic heroes, Phil Gascoine, who has died after a short illness, have poured into downtheubes after an online appeal. You can read them alongside a 2006 interview with Phil here, while over on Bear… Read More ›
Reboot Competition
Here’s some news of a great competition (its deadline 26 August) for comic artists courtesy of Josh Roberts, who runs the terrific comics web site comicspace – if you want to track down your favourite comic creators, try here! Vancouver-based… Read More ›
CBBC LIne Up includes "Sarah Jane Adventures"
The BBC’s revamped CBBC launches its new programming season on 3 September 2007 with a slew of fantasy and drama shows including Adventure Rock, a new online game and play environment for children which allows children to inhabit a virtual… Read More ›
In Memoriam: Phil Gascoine
I’m very sorry to report that artist Phil Gascoine has died after a short illness. For those of you who knew him the news comes as a terrible shock. He was once chairman of the Society of Strip Illustrators and always… Read More ›
Escape from New York – Again
Goodness only knows why, but a remake of Escape from New York is in the works. Various trade papers are reporting that New Line Cinema is in final talks with Len (Live Free or Die Hard) Wiseman to direct its… Read More ›
Painkiller pulled
The SCI FI Channel US has cancelled the action series Painkiller Jane, according to Hollywood Reporter, which stars starring Kristanna Loken. The show, based on the comic book heroine created by Jimmy Palmiotti and Joe Quesada for Event Comics in… Read More ›
Online superhero drama for SciFI UK in works
Sci Fi channel UK has ordered a superhero-themed mockumentary drama – the first commission for its new broadband player Sci Fi Play. Legion of Fire stars Ron Moody, playing 80-something Cecil Roper, aka Flash Harry, who runs a Croydon-based superhero… Read More ›
Conan Films on their way
Paradox Entertainment, the company which owns the stories and characters created by pulp author Robert E. Howard, including Conan, Kull, Bran Mak Morn and Solomon Kane, has announced it has sold the option for Conan movies to Millennium Films. Development… Read More ›