The sudden passing of the inspiring comics creator Alan Mitchell, perhaps best known for co-writing “Third World War” with Pat Mills for Crisis, aged just 55, came as a tremendous shock to both family and friends. Although we met only a couple of… Read More ›
Safari Festival returns to London next month (27th August). The brainchild of Breakdown Press, the event is a celebration of the new wave of alternative and art comics from the UK and beyond. The festival is an opportunity for a curated… Read More ›
When Marvel UK shrunk its original strip output in the mid-1990s, not being a 2000AD reader, comics creator Andy Luke had nowhere to go. He came to find that the small press, often photocopied works, were a core part of… Read More ›
Congratulations this morning to Metaphrog – the Franco-Scottish duo of John Chalmers and Sandra Marrs – who tell us they are “Completely stunned” after winning The Sunday Herald Scottish Culture Awards 2016 for Best Visual Artist. Metaphrog – who had… Read More ›
As we’ve previously reported on downthetubes, Scream Street creator, Beano writer, Doctor Who author and all round lovely guy, Tommy Donbavand, has been diagnosed with cancer and is currently recovering from a series of painful and unpleasant treatments as he… Read More ›
Alongside the latest issue of 2000AD – and if you’re a fan of Gerry Anderson’s UFO, you’ll love the opening episode of the new “Scarlet Traces” story – be sure to be ready to pick up the superb collection of… Read More ›
The first ever Shrewsbury International Comic Art Festival, taking place 15th – 17th July, is now a free event – giving full access to an amazing guest list and exhibitors for the general public all three days. Guests lined up include creators Dan Berry,… Read More ›
Egmont will launch a new children’s magazine, Bing, as a regular monthly frequency publication later this month. Regular downthetubes readers may recall the company previously published its first Bing magazine as part of their pre-school Play & Learn titles, back in 2014. Bing is a pre-school… Read More ›
Lancastrians enjoyed a great night boogieing to reunited local band Mostly Hums, Sea of Rain and Frenetic at Lancaster Library on 3rd July 2016. The event raised £500 raised for Cancer Care UK and the local St John’s Hospice, and included… Read More ›
World War Two is a popular setting for comics, whether grounded in fantasy or reality, but is often quite a challenge to find the correct tone and balance when attempting the former. Originally published from 2004 to 2007 in French… Read More ›
Leamington’s award-winning comic convention – Leam Comic Con – is offering independent comic creators the chance to raise their profile and win a table at their 2017 event, and promotional support. Launching on Small Press Day 2016 this coming weekend (9th… Read More ›
What with holidays and a mass of other stuff (yes, the work that pays the bills), I’ve gotten behind on coverage of what’s been on the small press-devoted Awesome Comics Podcast, although I did congratulate Vince Hunt, Dan Butcher and Tony… Read More ›
“You must draw David Bowie. Find David Bowie, or I’ll send you David Bowie. Because if it isn’t David Bowie, you’re going to have to re-do it until it is David Bowie.” – Kelley Jones, quoting Neil Gaiman, Hanging Out… Read More ›
A special DFDS Seaways Beano is now available free on board DFDS ships. Ace writer Nigel Auchterlounie tells us he wrote the scripts the Dennis and Gnasher, Billy Whizz, Gnasher and Gnipper, Minnie the Minx,Calamity James, Bash Street Kids, Numskulls,… Read More ›
After we posted Andrew Pepoy and Jason Millet‘s marvellous (sorry, couldn’t resist that!) Doctor Who Comics Day Doctor Who: Fourth Doctor #4 variant yesterday, numerous comics fans noted it’s a homage to a classic Fantastic Four cover (#49) credited to… Read More ›
Now in its third year, Doctor Who Comics Day, – back next Saturday, 9th July 2016 – is set to be bigger and better than ever with the launch of a new crossover event comic – Doctor Who: Supremacy of… Read More ›
You can register now for free to attend Markings, a new Illustration and Performance Festival convened by Roger Sabin, with Pascal Lefevre as the keynote speaker. Taking place Friday 8th – 9th July 2016, Markings consists of a symposium… Read More ›
How many superheroes can you fit on a train? On 23rd – 24th July a group of comics fans are running this event in the new community rooms at the Pages Park Station of the Leighton Buzzard Light Railway in… Read More ›
Pat Mills, who co-created the seminal World War One-centred comic strip “Charley’s War” with artist Joe Colquhoun, has thanked fans still finding the strip first published in Battle, starting in 1979, in its collections – but has savaged those in… Read More ›
It would be hard, to be honest, to find many Scots who have not heard of, or read the comic stories of Oor Wullie, a Scottish laddie who has never grown up, and has captured the hearts of millions over… Read More ›