Here’s a list of comics – both US and UK releases – on sale in specialist UK comic shops from tomorrow, Wednesday 24th September 2014, courtesy of First Age Comics, Lancaster. We’ve picked out the titles published by British publishers in bold… Read More ›
Beano
British Comic Shop Comic Releases (17th September 2014) – Cry freeeeeeedom!!
Here’s a list of comics – both US and UK releases – on sale in specialist UK comic shops from tomorrow, Wednesday 17th September 2014, courtesy of First Age Comics, Lancaster. We’ve picked out the titles published by British publishers in bold… Read More ›
The Beano launches mischievous new app
The Beano has launched the first in a series of new apps for fans of its characters, following in the fottsteps of Egmont’s TOXIC to reach its computer and device-savvy readership. The Dennis & Gnasher’s Prank Sticker app, available now for iPhone and… Read More ›
DC Thomson’s “Invisible Dick” revived (no tittering at the back!)
Two of Scotland’s top comic creators have revived DC Thomson’s classic character “Invisible Dick” whose adventures, when a name like that was more innocent and not, perhaps, considered hilarious, appeared in a number of titles across several decades, including… Read More ›
In Memoriam: “Minnie the Minx” artist Jim Petrie
(Updated 29/8/14 to include tribute from Mike Stirling) We’re sorry to report the passing of artist Jim Petrie, an artist perhaps best known for his work on The Beano‘s “Minnie the Minx”, a strip he took over from… Read More ›
British News Stand Comic Sales see surge for pre-school, dips for humour titles
(Updated 20th August 2014) The Audit Bureau of Circulations reported sales figures for January – June 2014 have been released, which include subscription sales, with Redan’s Peppa Pig and Immediate Media’s CBeebies Weekly titles continuing to do well in the pre-school market. Egmont, too,… Read More ›
Dan Dare, Eagle, Beano, Thunderbirds and TV21 gems in latest ComPal auction
Two gorgeous Don Harley-created Dan Dare sketches, rare Beano and Dandy issues from World War Two and plenty of Fleetway Picture Library items are just a few of the lots in the September ComPal comic auction, which has just… Read More ›
Tube Surfing: Comics Unmasked closing soon, How To Make Awesome Comics out this week
• Paul Gravett, co-curator of the Comics Unmasked: Art and Anarchy in the UK exhibition at The British Library reminds us that it closes on Tuesday 19th August. He’s giving two more Co-Curator’s Tours, free with your ticket but… Read More ›
Tube Surfing: Sequential Birthday Competition, Doctor Who and Lenny the Lettuce!
A quick round up of short news items we think you’ll be interested in. Don’t forget I also plug a lot of British comic happenings as they come in on Twitter as well as here… • In case you’ve been… Read More ›
Game of Thrones, Marvel and The Beano among Licensing Award finalists
The Beano, Marvel Comics, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and top fantasy adventure drams Game of Thrones are among the final nominees in this year’s Licensing Awards, announced this week. Approaching 5,000 licensed products were entered into the Product Awards… Read More ›
Comics Unmasked exhibition launch point for new Beano merchandise
Alongside the British Library’s “Comics Unmasked” exhibition – which runs until 19th August – there’s a range of limited edition merchandise on offer, some of it inspired by the show itself, including t-shirts featuring the promotional character created by Jamie… Read More ›
Gnasher dog toys on their way
DC Thomson Consumer Products has announced a partnership with pet accessories specialists Rupert’s Pet Shop for the launch of the first range of Dennis the Menace and Gnasher dog toys. Marking the brand’s entrance into the pet sector, the partnership… Read More ›
Dennis elbow? Andy Murray guest edits The Beano
He’s no stranger to the pages of The Beano – having taken on Minnie the Minx in the weekly humour comic from DC Thomson in the past, for its 75th anniversary edition for example. But now Britain’s top male… Read More ›
downthetubes: Our Top All-Time Posts, June 2014
One of the great things about moving downthetubes to a “Content Managed System” last year is that we have a much better idea of what posts are the most popular… not that it’s changed what we post on the site!… Read More ›
Beano-branded guitars and Brewers Fayre “Menacing Meals” on their way
DC Thomson has announced to new Beano-related licensing deals in the past week, one for musical instruments and the other with restaurant chain Brewers Fayre, which will include the release of a limited edition Beano comic on Father’s Day. The… Read More ›
Fal River Festival offers free cartoon workshops with The Beano’s Nick Brennan
Budding comic artists and cartoonists are being offered a free opportunity to learn a few top tips and create your own comic book from Beano artist Nick Brennan at the end of this month, as part of a huge number of… Read More ›
Beano “Mail on Sunday” sampler nets 25% sales rise
There’s good news for The Beano this week, which has seen a sales uplift of around 25% after a free sampler was made available to The Mail on Sunday readers on 6th April 2014 and as a digital version to Mail… Read More ›
Kids Comics – an Oxymoron in Waiting?
Feature by Jonathan Clode Back in August 2013, it was reported that American artist Paul Pope had pitched an idea to DC Comics to bring back Jack Kirby’s Kamandi, The Last Boy on Earth, only to be told by DC… Read More ›
The Beano’s Gnasher has gone missing!
One of The Beano’s most popular and well-known characters, Gnasher, appears to have disappeared following the discovery that a rare dinosaur bone has gone missing from the National Museum of Scotland. The dinosaur thigh bone went missing from the Museum… Read More ›
Miracle Man spoofed in this week’s Beano
This week’s “Bananaman” story in The Beano is definitely one for the comics fans out there. “Miracle Banana” , written by Kev F. Sutherland and drawn by Wayne Thompson, is a lightly satirical strip in which Bananaman meets a character who… Read More ›