Blimey! What’s not to love about this 1983 issue of the British comics fanzine Chain Reaction (Issue Five), edited by Frank Plowright, the late, great and still much-missed Steve Whitaker and Hassan Yusuf? Initially titled Direct Currents (the name changed… Read More ›
Features
Gordon Livingstone – An Appreciation by Calum Laird
Former Commando editor Calum Laird pays tribute to artist Gordon Livingstone, who died recently… When British comics lost Gordon Livingstone, they lost one of their finest servants. As I was lucky enough to work with him, on and off, for… Read More ›
Sam Glanzman Forever! tribute project announced after veteran comic creator enters hospice care
Sue Glanzman, US comic artist Sam Glanzman‘s wife, has asked Drew Ford, who has successfully got some of his most critically-acclaimed work back into print, to inform his fans that the much-admired comic creator has entered the first stages of… Read More ›
In Memoriam: Commando comic artist Gordon C. Livingstone
It is difficult to say how much artist Gordon C. Livingstone, aka Gordon Livingstone, who died recently aged 82, has influenced my appreciation of art. I first became aware of his work way back in December 1973, probably with the DC… Read More ›
In Review: ELCAF 2017
ELCAF 2017 – the East London Comic Art Festival – took place, for the second year, at the Round Chapel in Hackney, also utilising the nearby School Rooms. “Friday is definitely the day to go,” I decided to remind myself… Read More ›
Lakes Festival Focus 2017: Ivan Petrus Adriaenssens on the Draw of War…
Here’s the first of this year’s “Kendal Calling” interviews, highlighting the work of comic creators attending this years Lakes International Comic Art Festival (13th – 15th October 2017). Weekend Passes are on sale now Returning to the festival from Belgium… Read More ›
In Review and In Pictures: Lancaster Comics Day 2017
Lancaster Comics Day started in 2015 and has been running every year since. A small, friendly event, it has built up a good reputation in the comics community and is providing an appealing alternative to some of the larger, less… Read More ›
In Memoriam: Adam West
We’re sorry to note the passing of Adam West, the actor who played Batman in the iconic eponymous TV show alongside Burt Ward as Robin, has died at the age of 88. West is best known for his role as Batman… Read More ›
In Review: The Dan Dare Audio Adventures – Prisoners of Space
Prisoners of Space by Colin Brake Directed by Andrew Mark Sewell Part of Dan Dare: The Audio Adventures Volume Two Produced by B7 Media Distributed by Big Finish Featuring cover art by Brian Williamson The third story of the second… Read More ›
In Review: Be Pure! Be Vigilant! Behave! 2000AD & Judge Dredd: The Secret History
Written by Pat Mills Out: Now (Kindle) The Book: Pat Mills is the creator of 2000AD and one of the comic’s top writers. He was also the creator of British weekly comics such as Action and co-creator of Battle and Misty, and is co-creator… Read More ›
In Review: The Dan Dare Audio Adventures – Operation Saturn
Operation Saturn by Patrick Chapman Directed by Andrew Mark Sewell Part of Dan Dare: The Audio Adventures Volume Two Produced by B7 Media Distributed by Big Finish Featuring cover art by Brian Williamson The second story of the second volume of… Read More ›
In Review: Fantasy Sports 3 – The Green King by Sam Bosma
Created by Sam Bosma £12.95 Published by NoBrow www.nobrow.net ISBN: 9781910620182 | 300 x 215mm | 64pp | HB The Book: Wiz and Mug become separated after washing up on the shores of a gothic castle town, where a monstrous beast… Read More ›
In Review: The Phantom – Scarlet Sapphire
Regular readers of downthetubes will recall we reported back in March that Dublin-based independent comics publisher Lightning Strike Comics was to release a new Phantom comic, Scarlet Sapphire. Well, this stunning-looking comic gets its public launch tomorrow (Saturday 3rd June)… Read More ›
In Memoriam: Comics Letterer Albert Deschesne
We’re sorry to report the passing of comics letterer, colourist and inker Albert Deschesne, whose numerous credits include District X, Nova and Tim Perkins’ Worlds End graphic novel; remembered here by Comicraft’s Richard Starkings… Albert Deschesne, who had lettered for… Read More ›
Remembering Marvel UK’s The Real Ghostbusters: An Interview with artist Brian Williamson
One of the first comics I wrote for on a regular basis, thanks to faith in me from launch editor Richard Starkings, was Marvel UK’s The Real Ghostbusters. Well, there’s now a fan site dedicated to the title – The… Read More ›
Scurry Up! It’s time for a massive Awesome Comics Podcast Catch Up!
Yes, it’s time for another of those “Oh my God, we should have done this instead of editing some comics” catch ups on the British comics and independent comic creator-oriented Awesome Comics Podcast, brought to you by Dan Butcher, Vince… Read More ›
In Review: Sydney Newman – The Man Who Thought Outside the Box
By Ryan Danes Publisher: eye-imagine-digitalentropy Out: Now The Book: Exactly where did the idea of Doctor Who come from? What did Canadian Sydney Newman do that changed British culture forever? We can trace the show’s origins back to a BBC report on… Read More ›
The Famous Five at 75: The Comic Strip Stories
As the author behind book series such as The Famous Five, The Faraway Tree and The Secret Seven, Enid Blyton’s books still sell in huge numbers and she regularly features in the top ten list of the best-selling authors in… Read More ›
In Memoriam: 2000AD Comic Artist Edmund Bagwell (Edmund Perryman)
I’m sorry to report the passing of artist Edmund Bagwell, aka Edmund Perryman, who I first met as one of the team working in the Marvel UK basement back in the 1990s, bringing his unique style to the Black Axe series… Read More ›
Looking Back: Exploring The World of Tomorrow in DC Thomson’s “Big Five” boys comics
Notoriously secretive DC Thomson still publish Beano and Commando, but their past comics included The Dandy and weekly anthology titles aimed at boys such as Hotspur and Adventure. These specialised in sports, school and war stories, but also, occasionally, there… Read More ›