Crazy about Astro Boy, think you could make it as one of Gwen Stefani’s next Harajuku girls or would just love to star in your own version of Spirited Away? Manchester’s Urbis Centre is inviting manga and cosplay fans to… Read More ›
downthetubes News
British comic and creator news, book news, media news. If it’s news, it’s here.
In Memoriam: Mike Western
Sad news via Steve Holland’s Bear Alley: one of the giants of British comics, Mike Western, has laid down his pen for the last time. Mike, who suffered a heart attack in 2007 and was laid low by it for… Read More ›
The Return of Paper?
British comic creator Adam York Gregory has just released his new book based on his webcomic, The Flowfield Unity — but has abandoned trying to sell it by Print On Demand in favour of a tried and tested distrIbution method… Read More ›
Vampire Chiller joins ROK Comics
Check out this digital vampire comic by Rodrigo Diaz Ricci
Parody Ad: Gremlins
The critters from the 1980s film Gremlins do their best to scupper a late night in the office for Dragons’ Den and American Inventor star Peter Jones in this BT ad, created by Swarm. Swarm have published a “Making of”… Read More ›
Woolworths’ Darth Vader Spot
Long-running Wooolworths promotional characters Wooly and Worth (who even have their own ine of merchandise!) prepare for lunch Darth Vader in their flat. The Sith lord is making beans on toast but alas! No toaster. Wooly is sent out to… Read More ›
New UK Comics Auction Opens
The Summer 2008 auction at comics auction site Compalcomics (www.compalcomics.com) is now open, with another great range of both British and US items on offer. There are over 300 lots in this catalogue. DC Thomson’s The Broons are once again… Read More ›
Comics, Nerds and Spandex!
As promised: David Hailwood’s account of this year’s Bristol Comics Expo — although it seems he managed to do more avoiding of the event than actually being at it! (Which, by the way, is par for the course when you’re… Read More ›
Alan Moore in London
(via the Forbidden Planet International blog): Great Britain’s Comics Alchemist in Extraordinary Alan Moore will be appearing at London’s Orbital Comics (148 Charing Cross Road) on the 24th May to promote the new DVD The Mindscape of Alan Moore, a… Read More ›
Dundee Literary Festival – Comics Day
Scotland’s love affair with comics continues in June in Dundee, the home of publishers D C Thomson. In January writer Alan Grant gave one of the Edinburgh Lectures, while February was the successful Hi-Ex comics convention in Inverness and the… Read More ›
Adipose Copyright Battle Escalates
(First posted 9/4/08, updated, 15/5/08): The Adipose began to take over Britain just days after the screening of the opening episode of the fourth season of Doctor Who, Partners in Crime. The episode saw the Doctor and Donna (Catherine Tate)… Read More ›
Gene Colan gravely ill
American writer Clifford Meth has put out an urgent plea to help raise money for the family of one of America’s greatest comic artists Gene Colan, who is gravely ill. The funds are needed to cover medical expenses, as they… Read More ›
Cameron’s Crash Course Launches
The BBC has just published an 88-page full-colour online interactive comic called Crash Course drawn by top British comics artist Neill Cameron. Neill told downthetubes he spent “a good chunk of last year working on the comic for the BBC”… Read More ›
Nebulous Returns
The SF comedy series Nebulous returns to BBC Radio 4 at 11 pm on Thursday 15 May for the first in a new series of six episodes. Set in 2099, the comedy series involves the Key Environmental Non-Judgemental Taskforce (KENT)… Read More ›
BBC’s Comedy Map Of Britain – Newcastle
The BBC2 programme The Comedy Map of Britain turned its attention to the North East of England for the third programme of the second series. Having previously been to the impressive century old headquarters of D C Thomson in Dundee… Read More ›
Red Cross Charity Comic Launched
Available now from lulu.com is a downloadable book, Flood, created to raise funds for the Red Cross. Initiated by Adam R. Grose, publisher of Clown Press, and with the help of John Freeman, a wide selection of writers and artists… Read More ›
Dan Dare Exhibition Reviews
Several newspapers and web sites have reported on the new Dan Dare and the Birth of Hi Tech Britain exhibition at the Science Museum in London. • The Guardian has posted a gallery of images from the strip and images… Read More ›
ROK buys Jalipo Media
ROK Entertainment Group Inc., the global mobile entertainment group and owners of ROK Comics (which is run by downthetubes’ John Freeman), has announced that it has acquired 100 per cent of the issued and to be issued share capital of… Read More ›
Studio Space Signings
Marking the launch of Image Comics’ exciting Studio Space book, the publishers have lined up four signings/ events throughout the UK starting in May. Written by the creators of Tripwire magazine – Joel Meadows and Gary Marshall – Studio Space… Read More ›
Never Been Exhibtion Online
(with thanks to Matthew Badham): Never Been, the giant comic strip that exhibited on the walls of Projekts MCR skateboard park in Manchester earlier this year is now online at www.stuartkolakovic.co.uk/neverbeen.htm The exhibition , both real and virtual, is the… Read More ›