(With thanks to Tony Ingram): As folk know, we try to document Marvel UK curiosities and the graphic novel Fury/Black Widow: Death Duty, published by Marvel US in February 1995, certainly qualifies. Given the publication date, I did wonder if it was one… Read More ›
Featured News
Major new stories on downthetubes – or simply things we feel are major!
Comic Creator Spotlight: Big Punch Studios
Independent publishers Big Punch Studios will be featuring on a number of panels at the upcoming Melksham Comic Con soon (Saturday 30th – Sunday 31st August). Big Punch Studios are Nich Angell, Lucy Brown, Jon Lock and Alice White: four friends with… Read More ›
Safari Festival returns to London this weekend
The Safari Festival, organised by Breakdown Press, is back this weekend, taking place at Studio 2, the Shoreditch gallery space of London-based creative agency, Protein. The Festival is a one-day celebration of the new wave of alternative and art comics from the UK and beyond and… Read More ›
An Embarrassment of Riches: A forward look at Comic Conventions of 2016
We are already seeing a surge in convention activity for next year as teams around the country begin to prepare their conventions – which should really come as no surprise to many event organisers, whose planning for their next comics… Read More ›
Sneak Peek: 2000AD Zenith “Apex” Edition
This week (Thursday) sees the release of the Zenith: Apex Edition – a gorgeous-looking full size reproduction from 2000AD publishers Rebellion of the original artwork from Grant Morrison and Steve Yeowell’s seminal superhero story from the late 1980s – and we have a sneak peek at some pages for… Read More ›
“A Survivor in the Cosplay Age”: the London Comic Mart
In these days of large in scale conventions, cosplay-infested MCMs and curated, arty, small press festivals it’s nice to see that events like the London Comic Mart at the Royal National Hotel are still there for us hardcore collectors. Known… Read More ›
“Eagle Daze” – Part Two: The Fall of Eagle and the Rise of Max Clifford
We are pleased to publish Part Two of the memories of Roger Perry – memories of now more than half-a-century ago – of his days at Fleetway Publications working on Girl and Eagle… 1963: A New Home brings about a “Cleansing of the Slate”… Read More ›
In Review: The Bizarre Adventures Of Gilbert & Sullivan
By Laura Howell Publisher: Soaring Penguin Press Out: 31st August 2015 The Book: The Bizarre Adventures of Gilbert & Sullivan: the very model of a modern mirthful comic book! Based on historical facts and characters, Laura Howell conjures a delightful collection… Read More ›
In Review: Futurequake Issue 27
Creators: Various Publisher: Futurequake Press Out: Now The Book: FutureQuake is back! The finest talents in the small press are here again to save you from boredom. Where else in the printed world can you get this much variety for… Read More ›
“Wish You Were Here” – comic artists re-imagine the Lake District – ahead of Comic Art Festival
The Lake District National Park is England’s largest covering 229,200 hectares of land with 16 large lakes and more than 200 fells. Beatrix Potter, Alfred Heaton Cooper, Arthur Ransome, JMW Turner, and William Wordsworth were just a few of the famous names inspired… Read More ›
In Review: Panel Borders: Crowd-Funded Comics
A train journey to the Lakes afforded me the chance to listen to this terrific episode of the Resonance FM ’Panel Borders‘ podcast about the positives and negatives of crowd funding your comic projects. This show concluded a month… Read More ›
Peter Pan: Six Questions for Stephen White On His Adaptation Of JM Barrie’s Classic
Artist Stephen White, who works under the pen-name Stref, has just had his graphic novel adaptation of Peter Pan, JM Barrie’s 1904 play and 1911 novel, released by Birlinn Books. This is, remarkably, the first official graphic novel of one… Read More ›
Breaking Surface: An Interview with Jay Gunn, creator of “Surface Tension”
“Surface Tension” is Jay Gunn’s first foray into the world of comics and we’re delighted he was up to talk to downthetubes about it
Creators @ Glasgow Comic Con 2015 – Part 1
The fifth Glasgow Comic Con took place over the weekend of 4/5 July 2015 near the centre of Scotland’s largest city. Organised by Black Hearted Press, GCC has been based in the Centre For Contemporary Arts, the CCA, for the… Read More ›
Sapphire & Steel Art Competition!
With the news that Luther creator and Doctor Who script writer Neil Cross is, hopefully, to re-make Sapphire & Steel, the spooky ITV-commissioned 1970s show starring Joanna Lumley and David McCallum as mysterious times agents, we think it’s time for one of… Read More ›
“Eagle Daze” – Part One: When an Eagle became ensnarled in a Mirror’s Net
We are pleased to publish the memories of Roger Perry – memories of now more than half-a-century ago – of his days at Fleetway Publications working on Girl and Eagle… When an Eagle became ensnarled in a Mirror’s Net “Halfway through 1962,… Read More ›
Creating Comics: The Making of To End All Wars’ “Bottomley – Brand of Britain”
Andy Luke reveals the making of one of the strips featured in the Eisner Award-nominated anthology To End All Wars – “Bottomley – Brand of Britain”… On Friday night, the San Diego Comic Con will announce the Eisner Awards, where… Read More ›
Awesome Comics Podcast launches this weekend, promoting British small press comics
Comics are awesome. It’s that simple. Nowhere is this more apparent than amongst the books, convention tables and creators within the small press and independent comics community in the UK. And what do you do when you find something thats… Read More ›
Roads Not Taken: Renga, DC Thomson’s Abandoned Rival to 2000AD
Nestling for over 20 years on a long-forgotten hard drive incompatible with modern computers, we’re delighted to be able to finally bring you some of the work that featured in a stunning ‘dummy’ comic, Renga, commissioned by DC Thomson…
The Comics That Shook 1950s Britain discovered in the National Archives
Britain’s National Archives is a wonderful repository for many odd things, but you might be forgiven for wondering just what a number of horror comics might be doing lurking in its catalogue. It was certainly a surprise to researcher Emily… Read More ›