The winners of the ComicScene Awards 2025 have been announced – and we want to thank everyone who voted for downthetubes in the Best Comics Media category. We’re delighted to have won! Thank you to all our amazing contributors whose work helped make this happen.
Congratulations, too, to all the other winners, but let’s highlight especially here Adam Bagley, for winning the award for Best Charity Comic, for Billy the Brave – created in a fantastic cause. More details below.
Over 3000 comic fans voted in this year’s ComicScene Awards andf the winners were as follows (some links affiliates)…
Best UK Comic
1 Battle Action (28.5%) – Rebellion Publishing
2 VIZ (27.5%) – Dennis Publishing
3 Misty 2024 Special (11.2% of the vote) – Rebellion Publishing
Best UK Children’s Comic
1 – BEANO (47%) – Beano Studios/DC Thomson Media
2 – Spider-Man (25.7%) – Panini UK
3 – The Phoenix (9.8%) – David Fickling Comics Ltd
Best Charity Comic
Billy the Brave by Adam Bagley
This comic was made for a brave little boy named Billy Thompson who, sadly, passed away from a brain tumour. The project helps Billy’s mum and friends continue to raise awareness of the issues with DIPG cancer.
Ellie Thompson is on X, Facebook and Instagram, where she provides regular news updates and shares personal experiences relating to DIPG.
Best US Comic
1 – Wonder Woman (17.1%) – DC Comics
2 – Batman and Robin (14.3%) – DC Comics
3 – Petrol Head by Rob Williams and Pye Parr (13.5%) – Image Comics
Best Crowdfunder
1 – Sherlock Holmes and the Empire Builders by by Joel Meadows & Andy Bennett (16.5%)
2 – System Error by Phil Chapman (15.9%)
3 – Dinosaurs versus Cowboys by Shane Chebsey, Chris McAuley, John McCrea Eoin Coveney et al (11.8%)
Best Indie Comic
Cornmother by Alexandra Leda Green – Blue Fox Comics
Based on pre-Christian superstitions, a corn mother is a figure woven from the last sheath of corn at the end of the harvest. It is then ploughed back into the first furrow of the next season. The doll essentially gives the spirit of the corn somewhere to reside between planting cycles.
After young Ruth discovers the doll in her barn, it begins speaking to her, but this is no wistful sprite, but a malevolent being that is either looking for revenge or just wants to be planted back in the soil…
Best Original Graphic Novel
1 – My Favourite Thing Is Monsters Book Two by Emil Ferris (31.5%) – Fantagraphics Books
2 – Final Cut by Charles Burns (18.3%)
3 – Somna by Becky Cloonan and Tula Lotay (15.1%)
Best Comic Collection
1 – Batman Year One Artist Edition by David Mazzuchelli
2 – Judge Dredd – A Better World by Rob Williams, Arthur Wyatt, Henry Flint – Rebellion Publishing
3 – 40 Years of Scream – Rebellion Publishing
Best Comic Event
1 – London Film and Comic Con (25.7%) – returning in July
2 – Lawless (16.8%) – returning in May
3 – Enniskillen Comic Fest (16.1%) – returning in June
Best Comic Media
1 – Downthetubes (19.9%)
2 – Comic Book News UK (18.9%)
3 – Mega City Book Club (14.6%)
4 – Awesome Comics Podcast (13.8%)
5 – Funny Comics Podcast (10.7%)
Best Retail Outlet
1 – Forbidden Planet (43.2%)
2 – Gosh Comics (17.1%)
3 – OK Comics (15.7%)
Best Comic Creator
1 – Rob Williams (15.5%)
2 – Simon Bisley (14.7%)
3 – Zoe Thorogood (10.5%)
4 – Anna Morozova (10.3%)
5 – Liam Sharp (9%)
Run by volunteers, ComicScene had a busy year in 2024. Run by Tony Foster, the publisher has released three books over the last twelve months – ComicScene, Raising Amy and Tara Togs, all distributed by WHSmith and Amazon). Coming this year is Pat Mills’ successor to “Charley’s War”, Ragtime Soldier, and Peter Pan by Stref, based on JM Barrie’s original work.
They also refreshed their Comic Creator Directory and launched theme weeks on the ComicScene website, and a podcast, too. Their Substack now has over 5000 subscribers and the website has over 30,000 visitors a year. We run the ComicScene Awards on an annual basis with 3000 of you voting this year.
• ComicScene is online at comicscene.org
- About the Author
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: 2000AD, British Comics, Comics, Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, US Comics
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