Tube Surfing: Bleep and Booster, and Doctor Who, too!
Who remembers “Bleep and Booster” of Blue Peterfame? Voiced by Peter Hawkins. There’s a smashing guide here (annoying popup ads aside) from Laurence Marcus, reflecting on the serial, featuring art by William Timym
Candy Jar Books is hosting a summer sale which ends soon, which not only includes discounts on many novels, but their art books featuring the work of Chris Achilléos, Jeff Cummins and Colin Howard, well known for their Doctor Who art, too. Check out the sale here
New DC Watchmen and V for Vendetta Deluxe Editions: American publisher DC Comics has added two LCSD-exclusive Deluxe Editions of Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons and V For Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd, for this year’s Local Comic Shop Day on Saturday 19th September 2026. Local Comic Shop Day is an annual event presented by comic retailer pressure group ComicsPRO, which celebrates the role independent comic book stores play in communities across the world.
The new editions feature artwork used in the making of the films based on the comics, as well as a digital code for the films, restricted to US access. The Local Comic Shop Day® logo is incorporated into each dust jacket as a mark of these limited event editions. Local Comic Shop Day is online at localcomicshopday.com
3D Comics? ByJack Kirby, Joe Kubert and others? Restored to their former glory, by the small independent publisher 3-D Film Archive? Worth a look, right? Check out the project on Kickstarter, but be aware copies are only being offered stateside. (The company is too small to handle international orders).
Finally… Are you a fan of the work of Desperate Dan artist, Ken H. Harrison? A resident of Barton-upon-Humber for over 40 years, he was interviewed by by Sallyann Garrard-Hughes a couple of years back. The film was directed, produced, filmed and edited by Tom Darwood and you can watch it here on YouTube. (Thanks Tom Lew Stringer for the tip)
- About the Author
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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 MagazineandOverkill 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.
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