The Embassy of Japan in the UK has just launched their annual comic-writing competition to find the best creators of comic short-stories, and this year the theme is “Dreams”. Manga Jiman 2017 has two categories; Yonkoma Manga, requiring a comic… Read More ›
Here’s a “nuts and bolts” panel from this year’s Lancaster Comics Day, discussing ways comics – and books – are published outside the mainstream today, through self publishing, crowd funding and digital outlets. The panel was was recorded by the… Read More ›
The latest Comic Art Festival Podcast (Episode Four) is live and features an interview with Marc Jackson, who has written and drawn for Aces Weekly and Beano and is currently working on Here Comes Cat Stevens which will be officially launched… Read More ›
Our thanks to comics writer, inker, letterer, editor and publisher Ian Sharman today for kindly giving us permission to post his thoughts on working in the comics industry, addressing why creators seem loathe to challenge some of its working practices… So, let’s… Read More ›
Beano comic creator Nigel Auchterlounie has pointed me in the direction of an edition of New Yorker cartoon editor Bob Mankoff‘s “Cartoon Lounge” podcast entitled “Trop de Tropes“, webcast last year, in which he looks at the history of the… Read More ›
Regular downthetubes readers will recall The Marionette Unit, a creepy, scratch the back of your eyeballs work of gothic steampunk-driven horror we reviewed positively last year. Well, now the team behind the book – filmmakers Azhur Saleem and James Boyle –… Read More ›
Whether you’re an amateur or pro artist or like comics history or insights into artists you might like Drawing and Life Lessons from Master Cartoonists, set for release from IDW Publushing in July The very first book of its kind,… Read More ›
This week, the Awesome Comics Podcast crew tackle something that every small press or indie comics creator has to deal with at some point – printing! Joined by one of the best indie printers in the biz, Rich Hardiman from… Read More ›
I’m not quite sure why the wonderful woolly mammoth that is Awesome Podcast and downthetubes contributor Tony Esmond doesn’t plug said ACP here himself (perhaps he’s too shy, or just busy with his night job as a Steven Seagal impersonator), but… Read More ›
US attorney Gamal Hennessy of Creative Contract Consulting has announced he’s working on a new book Your Career in Comics: A Business, Creative and Legal Framework for Professional Sequential Artists (YCC for short!) that should be of interest to comic creators following downthetubes Gamal,… Read More ›
This might sound a bit of a boring item, but it’s important for any freelancer creating comics or working as an illustrator, because UK government proposals to not only require quarterly tax reporting, but to also only file tax returns digitally… Read More ›
Honouring one of their finest talents, Steve Dillon, who died at the weekend, 2000AD has announced the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic will pay tribute to the artist in a future issue. “Over the last two days it has been great to… Read More ›
In this podcast Vince Hunt, Dan Butcher and Tony Esmond let loose and talk comics and more. The two main topics of conversation this year are the epic event that was the release of 2000AD Prog 2000 and a discussion on… Read More ›
Lancaster-based Steve Gregson and Matthew Simmons are two 1980s kids who grew older, but didn’t grow up. With a shared love of cartoons, comics and action figures the two decided to put their heads together to write a story about… Read More ›
Dan Butcher is the creator, artist and writer of the acclaimed British independent comic Vanguard, which can be read for free at VanguardComic.com. He’s also one of the hosts on the Awesome Comics Podcast. Here, he offers some thoughts on independent superhero… Read More ›
This week Ryan K Lindsay (Deer Editor, Negative Space) joins the Awesome Pod crew to talk about all things comics, from his working processes on his past books, the price of digital books, Michael Bay films and the importance of… Read More ›
DC Thomson has just launched its revamp of The Beano, across all aspects of the title including the comic – still sold in all good newsagents- and digital world. Here’s the details in full from Beano Studios… however, there’s no information… Read More ›
Comics creator and publisher Brett Uren argues for the need for alternative distribution methods for independent comics into comic shops, outside of US market leader Diamond Distributors – and how, with some caveats, Kickstarter is proving a game changer… Talk to… Read More ›
Leonard Matthews, General Managing Editor of Fleetway and the Eagle Group of Comics, was a Creative Visionary… but that, Roger Perry argues in his extensive biography of the man which continues here on downthetubes, is only due to him having… Read More ›
Leonard Matthews, General Managing Editor of Fleetway and the Eagle Group of Comics, was a Creative Visionary… but that, Roger Perry argues in his extensive biography of the man which continues here on downthetubes, is only due to him having… Read More ›