We were very saddened to hear the news recently that British comic artist James (Jimmy) Hansen, perhaps best known for his work on the Beano’s “Dennis the Menace” strip, passed away last month, on Tuesday 19th June. (News broke of… Read More ›
Features
How Chris Weston created his cover for this week’s 2000AD
Artist Chris Weston created the cover for this week’s 2000AD, on sale now in all good newsagents and comic shops, and he kindly gave downthetubes permission to share his Work in Progress work that led to the final cover. Featured… Read More ›
Comic Creator Spotlight – The Picasso of Comics, Hugo Pratt, by Keith Page
Artist and writer Keith Page shines a light on the work and impact of Corto Maltese creator Hugo Pratt, on his own work and that of others… Hugo Pratt (1927 – 1995) was a most unusual comics creator by British… Read More ›
DC Comics pays tribute to comic creator Steve Ditko
DC Entertainment is mourning the loss of comic creator Steve Ditko who died at the end of June, but whose passing has only just been announced. In a statement, the company describes him as “a true legend of the comic… Read More ›
Legendary comic creator Steve Ditko, dead at 90
I’ve woken to the sad news of comic creator Steve Ditko’s passing, one of the global comic industry’s most influential, and yet elusive artists. The award-winning co-creator of The Amazing Spider-Man, Doctor Strange and so many more great characters was… Read More ›
In Review: Doctor Who – Land of the Blind
Land of the Blind is the latest collection of comic strip adventures from the pages of Doctor Who Magazine and features the first five Doctors and their companions. With a smashing cover from David Roach, the stories included are, in… Read More ›
“Swade” – the Last New Work of Artist Frank Bellamy?
Comic artist Frank Bellamy died suddenly on 5th July 1976, at the height of his powers. He left behind a body of work that included strips such as “Heros the Spartan” and “Dan Dare” for Eagle, “Thunderbirds” for TV Century… Read More ›
In Review: The Murder Club – Useless Deaths Volumes One and Two
By Tony Cooper Out: Now Self-published, 72 Page Graphic Novels Warning: These books contain adult themes and language The Books: In Volume One, Lisa, a student preparing for her A-levels, is recruited by fellow student Tom, who wants to see… Read More ›
In Review: Death and the Bear – A Modern Fable by Paul Tonner
Created by Paul Tonner 24 pages – Full Colour The Story: A bear is living his day to day in the snow. But he comes across a human with a shotgun. The man fires as the bear attacks. What will… Read More ›
Comics to Read on Your Holidays – as recommended by the Awesome Comics Podcast’s Tony Esmond
Breathe in… It’s been a big week of comics reading as I have just got back from a pool side holiday. I headed out to see pals Pat and Lisa Mills, in Spain (who recently released Kiss My Axe! Sláine… Read More ›
Who Remembers Marvel UK’s Shadow Riders? An unpublished story revealed
Back in the early 1990s, just before Marvel UK went a bit crazy with multiple US titles with the word “Death” in them, artist and writer Brian Williamson and I co-created Shadow Riders, who eventually were drawn by Ross Dearsley… Read More ›
Sneak Peek and Review: Zarjaz 31
Featuring stunning a cover over by 2000AD artist Steven Austin, Futurequake Press releases Zarjaz Issue 31 next week – the latest issue of the not for profit anthology inspired by the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic! Torquemada – Grand Master of Termight… Read More ›
Cosplay 101: The Competitive Life of Cosplay by Holly Rose Swinyard
Wearing costumes for fun is far from new and costume parades were an integral part of early comic and other media conventions. But cosplay as a concept, in many ways a whole separate world to comic and other media fandom,… Read More ›
In Review: Macc-Pow 2018
Ian Loxam, co-host of the Lakes International Comic Art Festival Podcast, reports on the latest annual comic event in Macclesfield, organised by comic creator Marc Jackson… Macc-Pow is a small comic convention held in Macclesfield. Currently on its third year,… Read More ›
In Review: MBC Library Volume One – The Tina Kapplinger Mysteries by SJ McCune
Created by SJ McCune Published by Millicent Barnes Comics Full Colour – 59 Pages (Contains material previously published in Cold Colony issues 1 and 2) Warning: This review contains song lyrics shamelessly. In the words of the creator to start… Read More ›
Delivering the goods: Don Heck, a much under appreciated artist
Donald L. “Don” Heck was an American comics artist best known for co-creating the Marvel Comics character Iron Man (not the character’s design, but plenty more that shaped him), and for his long run penciling the Marvel superhero-team series The… Read More ›
In Praise of… comic artist (and editor!) Marc Jackson (and his new humuour comic, Goof!)
Marc Jackson is one of the busiest cartoonist’s on the British comic scene at the moment. From his strips in online comic Aces Weekly, to his own superb self-published books to his cover for Splank! Number One, his style is… Read More ›
Creating Comics: An Interview with artist and writer Olivia Hicks
The latest 2000AD Sci Fi Special was released last week and I mentioned how much I enjoyed the Terror Tale, “The Hockey Sticks of Hell”, from writer Olivia Hicks with art by Abigail Bulmer. Phillip Vaughan, Senior Lecturer at the University… Read More ›
Judging a Comic by its Cover: Some Early Favourites
More than anything else, comics sell on their covers, but which ones stick most in your mind in your years of collecting? For me, there are plenty, but here are just a few that caught my attention at an early… Read More ›
Let’s show writers Leah Moore and John Reppion some comics community support
Leah Moore and John Reppion are two talented and, usually, hard working British comic book writers, perhaps best known for their work on 2000AD, their Sherlock Holmes titles for Dynamite Entertainment and Damsels – but right now, they could do… Read More ›