Bob Wakelin, the artist behind some of the most iconic cover art of the 1980s, passed away in January last year – but now his family are offering prints of some of his work via Etsy, which left an indelible… Read More ›
Marvel UK
Sneak Peek: ComicScene Issue Three, on sale in two weeks!
Issue 3 of ComicScene – released Thursday 25th April – celebrates Free Comic Day on 4th May with a look at the free Funny Pages comic from Rebellion and Doctor Who from Titan Comics, including an interview with creator Jody… Read More ›
In the Spotlight: Marvel UK’s European Comic Reprints
Over on his Boys Adventure Comics Blog, downthetubes contributor Richard Sheaf has highlighted the inclusion of a strip from Le Lombard‘s Franco-Belgian Tintin comic magazine in a short-lived Marvel UK comic. It’s an example of European reprint by the company,… Read More ›
Lost Marvel UK Projects: Mutator, created by Paul Neary and Tom DeFalco
During the tail end of the busy period in the 1990s when Marvel UK was developing numerous projects for the US Direct Sales market, one of the last unpublished proposed series was Mutator, which we’ve brought to a little bit… Read More ›
Dave Gibbons Watchmen #1 cover sells for staggering £171,383 in auction
More than 30 collectors made a play for Dave Gibbons Watchmen #1 original cover art at the weekend’s Heritage Auctions’ Comics & Comic Art auction in Dallas – before it finally sold for $228,000 (£171,383) – but it was not… Read More ›
Royal Mail goes MARVEL mad with Special Issue by Alan Davis and Neil Edwards
With Captain Marvel in cinemas in a couple of weeks and Avengers: Endgame hot on its heels, it should be no surprise the Royal Mail has turned its hand to a Marvel-inspired Special Issue stamp release – and artists Alan Davis… Read More ›
40th anniversary of Doctor Who Weekly celebrated in new audio adaptations of original strips
Two classic Doctor Who comics strips are released as audio adaptations by Big Finish next month, starring Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor and Rhianne Starbuck as companion Sharon. Adapted from the comic strips by Pat Mills and John Wagner,… Read More ›
Flashback Focus: Who Remembers Jerry Paris’ Bug Hunters?
By Lucas Williams For pre-teen computer game geek me of the early 1980s, artist Jerry Paris was simply the guy who did cool computer game magazine covers… but it would turn out he did great comics, too, and I was… Read More ›
Missing in Action: Heroquest at Marvel UK, and the RPG magazine that never happened
Looking back at Marvel UK’s one-off foray into the world of role-playing magazines
Upcoming Astons auction offers rare Pinocchio poster, Moonraker gun
Dudley-based auctioneers Astons have two sales of interest to downthetubes readers this month – a Toy and Railway Auction on Tuesday 15th January and an Entertainment & Memorabilia Auction including British and US comics, film posters, some James Bond film… Read More ›
Rare Mighty World of Marvel poster offered by Heritage Auctions
Currently in auction at Heritage Auctions is an original poster created for Marvel UK in 1972 – drawn by John Buscema (and, possibly, inked by Frank Giacoia).
Happy Birthday, Thomas & Friends – 30 Years Young!
The UK’s biggest specialist children’s publisher, Egmont Publishing, is celebrating the 30th birthday of Thomas & Friends magazine with licensing partner Mattel. The title is based on the popular railway stories by Reverend Wilbert Awdry (who I met as a youngster… Read More ›
Stan Lee Tribute Day announced for Liverpool next weekend
Liverpool’s retro gaming and video shop VideOdyssey has announced a Stan Lee Tribute Day next Saturday (24th November 2018) in aid of the Stan Lee Foundation. Paying homage to the Marvel legend who died earlier this week, expect an event… Read More ›
Marvel artist Dave Hunt’s autobiography, “An Artist’s Life”, now available
A fantastic insight into Marvel UK’s early years included
Marvel UK art mystery – who pencilled this “Dracula Lives” cover back in 1975?
[Updated 31st October 2018] This cover for Marvel UK’s Dracula Lives #29, published in 1975, has some comic creators wondering who actually drew it. Selling for just over $400 on Heritage Auctions this past weekend, the site doesn’t list the… Read More ›
Judging a Comic by its Cover: Some Early Favourites
More than anything else, comics sell on their covers, but which ones stick most in your mind in your years of collecting? For me, there are plenty, but here are just a few that caught my attention at an early… Read More ›
When Alan Moore wrote football comics…a look back at Marvel UK’s “Not the World Cup: The Official Souvenir Brochure”
downthetubes contributor and comics archivist Richard Sheaf has shared plenty of strange British comic one shots and short-lived titles over on his brilliant Boys Adventure Blog, and while his recent coverage of Gilbert’s Fridge intrigued, I think it’s more than… Read More ›
Marvel UK Comics That Never Were: Rourke versus Wolverine, versus… Monark Starstalker?
That time Wolverine battled Monark Starstalker… or might have
Doctor Who “star lot” auction also features great film and comic gems
We previously reported on the upcoming Aston’s Auctioneers Film, Music and Comic Book auction on 3rd May 2018, focusing on the annotated “An Unearthly Child” script originally owned by William Hartnell, something of a “star lot”. But there are more… Read More ›
In Review: Combat Colin #2 by Lew Stringer
By Lew Stringer Self Published Available from Lew’s web shop, direct from Lew at appearances and a limited number of comic shops The Book: The second in a six-issue mini-series reprinting Lew Stringer’s “Combat Colin” strips from the 1980s and… Read More ›