More quickfire news items and WebFinds that caught our bionic eye…
1980s Screen Superhero Embarks on an Anniversary Adventure: A few notes can bring an entire era back. The Greatest American Hero is ready for one more adventure, created in collaboration with series star, William Katt. It’s an opportunity from AMP Comics to celebrate the 45th Anniversary of the iconic TV series with a Deluxe Edition Graphic novel, apparel and merchandise created in collaboration with the estate of the show’s creator, Stephen J. Cannell. Get notified when the Kickstarter campaign launches here
Ratings Success for Lanterns? The Hollywood Reporter reports the series premiere of Lanterns, inspired by DC Comics Green Lantern mythos, achieved 6.6 million US viewers and 9.3 million worldwide viewers in its first three days on HBO and HBO Max, as reported by Nielsen.
Talking of DC Comics: HBO Max has ordered a new eight-episode comedy, The People v. Gorilla Grodd from DC Studios and Warner Bros. Television. The original mockumentary-style series presents as a true crime story in which the Daily Planet’s Jimmy Olsen investigates whether Gorilla Grodd, an evil, super-intelligent, telepathic gorilla, was wrongfully convicted in a famous Metropolis murder trial. Cast members include Skyler Gisondo (The Righteous Gemstones) as Jimmy Olsen, Jimmy Tatro (American Vandal) as Gorilla Grodd and a handful of actors from the Superman universe, such as Beck Bennett and Mikaela Hoover.
American Vandal creators Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault will serve as showrunners, and DC Studios co-chairmen and co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran will also executive produce.
London’s Cartoon Museum has an Autumn of evening events on the way, including a Mary M and Bryan Talbot Book Launch on 16th September 2026, for their latest joint graphic novel, Lo! An Amazon! The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Mary Wollstonecraft. Full details and ticket booking here. They are also hosting a panel discussion with artists featured in the Museum’s special exhibition “Does my Head look BIG in this? The art of portrait caricature” on Thursday 24th September. Meet creators Dave Brown, Nicola Jennings, and Wilfrid Wood. Plus, on 15th October, there’s a special “Comics x Cartoon Museum: meeting creators and each” event with Ladies Do Comics, featuring illustrator and visual narrative creator Yu-Ching Chiu and cartoonist Hayley Gullen. Keep an eye on this Cartoon Museum page for more upcoming happenings!
We can’t leave here without some nostalgia: C & T Auctioneers next online Vintage & Collectible Toys Including Toy Soldiers auction includes a couple of “Dan Dare” gems: a Lone Star Dan Dare Cap Firing Space Gun, offered alongside an unconnected “Smoke-Ring Space Gun”; and a mixed lot of Space Heoes and Superheroes that includes a fairly rare Crescent Dan Dare.
The items have clearly been well played with at some point, but may be the kind of collectable you’d treasure, now. The auction catalogue is live here on the auction house site and here on TheSaleroom. Toy robots, including a Japanese Batman toy, Corgi toys, including an original James Bond DB6 from Goldfinger, the Green Hornet car, Matchbox Stingray and Thunderbirds toys, are also in the mix. Do note there are restrictions on shipping – see individual lot details for these.
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as 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.
Categories: British Comics, Comics, Crowd Funding Projects, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Merchandise, Other Worlds, US Comics
Tube Surfing: Happy Birthday, Batman, new Daredevil launches Wednesday – no fooling!
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