Over on his ever-wonderful Blimey! It’s Another Blog About Comics!, Lew Stringer has been running a series of features on British Christmas Comic Covers, offerings samples from a wide range of titles, from Film Fun and TV Express to the… Read More ›
DC Thomson
Full Colour Crikey!
As reported here last month, Issue 8 is a milestone edition for British comics fan magazine Crikey! with this 52-page issue published in full colour throughout. “So far, the response has been tremendous and the issue has only been on… Read More ›
Tube Surfing: 23 November 2008
“It’s a cracking read, Gromit”. Having appeared on the cover of the 70th anniversary Beano and with their next adventure due to be broadcast on BBC1 this Christmas, Wallace and Gromit’s popularity is being used to give a boost to… Read More ›
Commando Webbing
The backroom boffins on the Commando Mag website have been adding to the site and trying a few new tactics to entice readers to enter on a regular basis. The ongoing series of Commando cover wallpapers chosen by editor Calum… Read More ›
Name, Rank and Issue Number!
In 1992, Scott Montgomery was at the Glasgow Comics Convention listening to writer Alan Grant as he gave advice on how to get into comics. Today, Scott is chief sub-editor on DC Thomson’s Commando comic, having previously worked on The… Read More ›
Armistice 90
November is a particularly important month for all war veterans and this year will be even more significant, marking 90 years since the guns fell silent over the many battlefields of the First World War. To mark this moment in… Read More ›
In Memoriam: Les Barton
(via Lew Stringer and Steve Bright): downthetubes is sorry to report the death of cartoonist Les Barton, the artist who originally drew DC Thomson’s Sparky comic’s brilliant I-Spy character. Les, who lived in Uxbridge, Middlesex, passed away in a nursing… Read More ›
Commando Webbing
A new interview with Commando and Dan Dare artist Keith Page has been posted on the official Commando website. In the interview Keith, who is currently working on his 144th Commando issue answers questions posed by Commando readers on his… Read More ›
The Forgotten Heroes Of Beanotown
Not much warning but if anyone is within travelling distance of Dundee on Wednesday 8 October then Dr Chris Murray will be giving a talk to the Abertay Historical Society on The Forgotten Heroes Of Beanotown. Dr Murray was the… Read More ›
Tube Surfing: DC Thomson Style
Ian Kennedy may be the pre-eminent Commando cover artist over the course of the title’s long history but it had been running for nine years by the time he did his first cover. Before that Ken Barr was the standout… Read More ›
In Review: Commando and Starblazer Calendars 2009
Two years ago I began the review of the last Art of Commando calendar with “You wait years for a Commando calendar to come along, and then two arrive at once!” After nothing last year save for the usual Beano… Read More ›
In Review: Classics From The Comics 149
It has been out for a while but it is still worth giving the latest issue DC Thomson’s monthly reprint magazine Classics From The Comics a hearty pat on the back. Issue 149 includes two sections that are new to… Read More ›
War of Words: Comic Writing Tips
In December 2007 Matt Badham was fortunate enough to interview DC Thomson editor Calum Laird, currently editing Commando, as research for an article about writing. The interview includes tips on pitching to various DC Thomson titles such as The Dandy,… Read More ›
Happy 70th Birthday, Beano!
As Britain’s top weekly humour comic The Beano celebrates its 70th birthday, downthetubes asked comic creators to offer their birthday wishes, and the first received have now been published in a special tribute section on the main downthetubes site, including… Read More ›
Les Starblazeurs
It has been eleven months since both downthetubes and Bear Alley mentioned the Starblazer Adventures role-playing game due out from Cubicle Seven. The Starblazer Adventures core rulebook is now scheduled to be in games stores in “Autumn/Winter 2008” according to… Read More ›
Beano Mischief on Radio 4!
Wallace & Gromit creator Nick Park and Beano editor Alan Digby were interviewed on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning, part of the ongoing celebrations for the weekly comic as it fast approaches its 70th birthday. Park, who is… Read More ›
Crikey’s DC Thomson Special
The next issue of British comics history magazine Crikey! (Number 6) on sale soon, with the editors promising that the “Summer Special” (remember those?) is a DC Thomson focused issue, apt given the upcoming 70th birthday celebrations for that company’s… Read More ›
Happy Birthday Beano Event
As previously mentioned here, Happy Birthday Beano, the official 70th anniversary exhibition will be running in the Tower Building of the University of Dundee from from 18th July to 20th September 2008. The display will include original artwork from the… Read More ›
Commando Shop – Summer Offer
DC Thomson’s official Commando shop is currently offering free postage on all its orders. The Commando Gear shop offers T-shirts and mugs in a variety of different colours and designs with the Commando logo and the familiar F-S fighting knife… Read More ›
Beano Birthday Publicity Ramps Up
DC Thomson is pulling no punches when it comes to promoting the Beano‘s upcoming 70th issue, running a two page feature in this week’s Sunday Post to promote Wallace & Gromit creator Nick Park’s upcoming guest editorship of the birthday… Read More ›