Brand new Jamie Hewlett design for Comics Unmasked at the British Library. © Jamie Hewlett 2014
• 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 you must book. The first is this Tuesday, 5th August at 6.30pm, and the second is on the closing night itself, 19th August again from 6.30pm. And on this historic last night, co-curator John Harris Dunning will be joining Paul for a grand finale double-act performance not to be missed.
• Gary’s Garden: Book 1
“I’ve watched Gary at the next desk over in the studio, putting together these comics for his regular strip in The Phoenix and they’re brilliant,” enthuses fellow comics creator Sarah McIntyre. “His drawings have so much energy, his jokes are wonderfully zany, his colours are beautiful, and he creates such a funny and engaging little world down among the grass of his back garden.”
• Also on sale on 7th August from David Fickling Books is How to Make Awesome Comics by Neill Cameron, compiling many of his fantastic guides from The Phoenix to creating comics for both little and big kids. Neill’s comics workshops are hugely popular whenever he runs them and there’s no better way to get kids reading than to get them making comics. This book is packed full of comic ideas that really make comic creation fun and easy for anyone to follow.
• Lew Stringer is bringing “Ivy the Terrible” back to The Beano in the issue on sale Wednesday 13th August, a 1980s character who has been revived several times over the years. “I even did a fill-in strip myself several years ago,” Lew tells us. “The new series will be half page strips and the scripts I’ve been getting are full of slapstick fun and a delight to draw.”
His “Lord Snooty” mini-strip will also continue in The Beano for another month or so, and he’s also writing/drawing another mini-strip featuring an old favourite that will begin in a few weeks.
The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
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