Dean Simons
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He/Him. Freelance comics journalist & researcher. Interests: global comics histories and cultures (on the other place as dean.simons…) Follow ≠ endorsement
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Articles by Dean Simons
BREAKING: New Angoulême Festival has Finally Been Revealed
It is called Angoulême Bande Dessinée. At a press conference this morning, the Association for the Development of Comics in Angouleme (ADBDA) and the Morgane Group were finally able to reveal the successor to the defunct Angouleme International Comics Festival. The festival will take place in the traditional slot of January 28-31, 2027 – so pack warm clothes and waterproofs.
New Angoulême Festival Finally Revealed
It is called Angoulême Bande Dessinée. At a press conference this morning, the Association for the Development of Comics in Angoulême (ADBDA) and the Morgane Group were finally able to reveal the successor to the defunct Angoulême International Comics Festival. The festival will take place in the town’s traditional slot of January 28-31, 2027 – so pack warm clothes and waterproofs.
BREAKING: 9e Art+ and Association FIBD rejected by court leaving path open for new Angoulême Festival
Original Angoulême Festival owner Association FIBD and its controversial operator 9e Art+ have failed in their legal bid to prevent the new incarnation of the festival from happening.
Beat Staffers pick their own 9 GAMES THAT MADE US
For many of us, videogames – like comics – have been a part of our lives for as long as we can remember, so when #My9Games started making the rounds it seemed like a perfect excuse to opine on the games that brought us to the hobby, and helped define our tastes. And since we don’t have the character limitations of social media, we can talk about our choices.
Uncivilized debuts new anthology magazine DREGS! on Kickstarter
Indie publisher Uncivilized Books has thrown its hat in the ring, launching DREGS! – an ambitious new 100-page quarterly science fiction and fantasy magazine that aims to provide an access point to diverse global talent. Set to hit shelves in December, Uncivilized has just launched the project on Kickstarter to help it hit the ground running. The 8.5”x11” magazine will showcase colour- alongside black-and-white comics, each being between 6 and 10 pages in length.
ANGOULÊME: Festival’s Future Now in Judges Hands
Court was finally in session – and the future of the Angoulême International Comics Festival remains in the balance. Via local newspaper Charente Libré, Wednesday morning representatives of the defunct original festival and the emerging new festival at last met at the Angoulême court to argue their case.
Contestent grilled on 2000 AD knowledge on TV quiz show MASTERMIND
A contestent on longstanding British quiz show Mastermind was tested on his knowledge of anthology comic 2000 AD — and won, landing a place in the series’ semifinals. The episode aired September 7 on BBC in the UK. Mastermind is a long-running BBC quiz show that first aired in 1972.
LOOK BACK and ROGUE TROOPER receive UK premieres at the BFI London Film Festival next month
Another good year for comics adaptations as Tatsuki Fujimoto manga Look Back and 2000 AD character Rogue Trooper make a cellular appearance at the BFI London Film Festival, taking place October 7 to 18. Also at the festival will be an advanced screening of the first two episodes of Marvel Studios TV series VisionQuest, and an adaptation of French bande dessinée mystery The Case of David Zimmerman, entitled The Unknown. Tickets go on sale September 17.
2000 AD printer goes bust, this week’s issue delayed in UK
Rebellion, publisher of British weekly 2000 AD, has been left scrambling as its UK printer of twenty years unexpectedly folded. While they have found emergency alternative printers, the turnaround time will cause a week’s delay for subscribers and newsstand readers in Great Britain. Prog 2498 was originally set to hit shelves Wednesday, it will still be available digitally, and the US edition (printed domestically by Lunar, with a two week delay) is presently unaffected.
The COUNT BINFACE COMIC BOOK is real!
British publisher SelfMadeHero are releasing a tribute anthology spotlighting novelty independent electoral candidate Count Binface. Unauthorised and unofficial, with contributions from over 30 cartoonists, the 72-page Count Binface Comic Book will release August 6, retail for £9.99, and part of the proceeds will go to UK homelessness nonprofit Shelter.
Ding-ding! The 2026 RINGO Nominations are up!
Award season continues as the 2026 edition of the Mike Wieringo – Ringo – Comics Book Industry Awards have announced the nominees that made the final ballot. Voting (exclusive to industry professionals) is now open with the winners to be announced Saturday, September 26 at Baltimore Comic-Con. The closing date for voting will be August 26. The press release for the awards said, “The Ringo Awards are thrilled to announce the 2026 nominees.
Zines used as evidence to convict in Prairieland case
The possession of zines appear to have been used as evidence in the recently concluded Prairieland case, giving a chilling effect on freedom of speech according to campaigners. Of those arrested and convicted, couple Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada and Maricela Rueda were respectively sentenced to 30 and 70 years in prison, with a box of political zines apparently linking them to a “North Texas Antifa cell” involved in an incident outside an ICE detention center in July 2025.
New EU tariff means chaos for comics
On July 1, the European Union (EU) introduced a €3 tariff on any goods entering worth less than €150 – and it is already creating problems for comics, with The Phoenix and 2000 AD cancelling subscriptions. Anyone who has taken an online order set to be shipped to the EU – especially those with Kickstarter backers to fulfil beware.
Rebellion give Dave Gibbons the Apex Edition treatment in November
Watchmen co-creator Dave Gibbons is the next fan favourite artist to receive the deluxe Apex Edition treatment from Rebellion. Set to release November 11, The 2000 AD Art of Dave Gibbons: Apex Edition will showcase full reproductions of the artist’s pages stretching back to the early years of his career – and the very beginnings of the British weekly.
Check out the AMERICAN MANGA AWARDS 2026 nominees
If you’re looking for summer reading, the American Manga Awards are back for 2026 with the third year’s batch of nominated high-flyers. Decided via manga industry professional ballot, the winners will be declared at a special ceremony August 20 at the Japan Society, New York City – coinciding with Anime NYC (August 20-23). Registration and voting is now open, with a deadline set for July 20.
Judge Dredd co-creator JOHN WAGNER receives award from King Charles
John Wagner has been given an honour from King Charles III recognising his work in comics and the British comics industry. Awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), it was announced June 12 as part of the official release of the sovereign’s birthday honours. Born in America, raised in Scotland, resident of Shropshire, England, John Wagner has been a mainstay of the British comics scene since the late 1960s.
Mignola’s BOWLING WITH CORPSES receives Bram Stoker Award
Mike Mignola anthology Bowling with Corpses and Other Strange Tales from Lands Unknown picked up Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel at the 2025 Bram Stoker Awards over the weekend. Organised by the Horror Writers Association, the awards took place as part of StokerCon 2026 in Pittsburgh, PA. between June 4-7.
2000 AD and TREASURY OF BRITISH COMICS ANNUALs confirmed for November
Rebellion have announced the 2027 editions of their 2000 AD and Treasury of British Comics annuals for November. Unlike previous years, the 2000 AD Annual 2027 will feature a larger complement of original material ahead of the weekly comic’s fiftieth anniversary in February. Both 112-page hardcover annuals will release November 25, 2026, and feature standard and webshop exclusive editions. They will be priced £25 ($32.99), and £30 ($39.99) respectively.
Joel Meadows launches new Kickstarter campaign as George Pratt issues new message
The furore over the cancelled crowdfunded George Pratt art book Into White has yet to abate but already Tripwire founder/editor Joel Meadows has initiated his next Kickstarter campaign. Meanwhile Pratt issued a new email to backers to give a fuller account of his version of events that led to the schism between himself and Meadows over the project.
ANGOULÊME: 9e Art+ bankrupt but Bondoux insists war isn’t over
Controversial Angoulême International Comics Festival operator 9e Art+ has entered judicial liquidation. The company, which had been organising the historic festival on behalf of its owners Association FIBD for 20 years, had previously been in safeguarding measures after the cancellation of the January 2026 event left it €1.6 million ($1.9million) in the red.
GRAPHIC NOVEL REVIEW: Sattouf’s THE END OF THE ARAB OF THE FUTURE (vol 1) was worth the wait
Writer/Artist: Riad Sattouf Translator: Sam Taylor Publisher: Fantagraphics Publication Date: May 19, 2026 It’s been seven years. Riad Sattouf’s six-book opus had won acclaim upon its 2022 completion in France – even earning Angoulême Festival’s much-coveted Grand Prix career achievement award – but for English language readers the series has been stuck at the major cliffhanger in the series’ fourth volume, published in 2019.
Report: Peter Jackson is actively writing new TINTIN movie
Peter Jackson’s Tintin movie sequel might still happen. According to ScreenDaily, during a career retrospective session at the Cannes Film Festival, the director spilled the beans that he is in the process of writing the screenplay for the follow up to Steven Spielberg’s 2011 CGI blockbuster The Adventures of Tintin. While little is known beyond the movie still being in draft stages, Jackson mentioning it at all could be a positive sign.
BUNNY VS MONKEY and DAV PILKEY honoured at British Book Awards
Jamie Smart’s latest Bunny vs Monkey collection, Intergalactic Monkey Business!, was the inaugural winner of the new Graphic Novel (Book of the Year) category at the 2026 British Book Awards. Smart used his speech to highlight the often overlooked value of the British comics industry and its hardworking independent creators and small publishers. Meanwhile Dog Man author Dav Pilkey received the Illustrator of the Year Award.
The 2026 Graphic Medicine Award shortlists have been prescribed
The Graphic Medicine International Collective (GMIC) have announced the nominees for the fifth edition of their annual comics awards. Split across three categories, the 2026 GMIC Awards cover educational, long form and short form comics. The winners will be announced as part of the annual GMIC conference, set to take place in Baltimore between July 23-26.
Uncivilized Books kicks off new manga imprint with Hideko Mizuno’s FIRE!
Uncivilized Books has announced that they are joining the manga boom with a new imprint. Called Mangalith, it will launch in October with the pioneering shojo manga Fire!, by Hideko Mizuno. Founded by Tom Kaczynski in 2009, Uncivilized Books is a Minneapolis-based alternative comics publisher, starting out as a home for minicomics and alt comics pamphlets before broadening further into graphic novels, and other formats.
National Cartoonists Society announces 2025 Reuben Divisional Award nominees
The National Cartoonists Society has announced the complete slate of creators, illustrators and sequential artisans up for the 2025 NCS Divisional Awards for Excellence in Cartooning. A vote of NCS members will take place in May, with the winners announced at the 80th Annual Reuben Awards, in Columbus, Ohio on August 7. The NCS Divisional Awards comprises 13 categories, running the gamut from advertising, animation, comic strips, editorial cartooning, online and offline comics, and more.
Absolute Wonder Woman, Power Fantasy and more are HUGO AWARDS Finalists
The finalists for the 2026 Hugo Awards were announced this week. Once again offering an intriguing mix of material – not least in the Best Graphic Story or Comic category. The winners will be announced at a ceremony held at LAcon V, Anaheim on August 30. At our count two of the six titles came from the superhero (sub)genre.
Set sights for summer as 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special 2026 is on the horizon
Rebellion have announced the latest edition of annual summer institution, the 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special 2026. Set to release in the UK July 22, the US edition (orderable via Lunar) has an anticipated release date of August 19. Featuring 48 pages and 5 standalone stories, it will all cost the tidy sum of £4.99 in the UK, $8.99 in the US.
ANGOULÊME: Association FIBD on the attack as Morgane Group sets sights for a January 2027 festival return
It didn’t take long but the copyright holders of the Angoulême Festival, Association FIBD, have bitterly responded to the news that the stakeholders alliance Association for the Development of Comics in Angoulême (ADBDA) had chosen the Morgane Group to oversee a new international comics festival in the town.
Dispute erupts over George Pratt art book crowdfunder
The Kickstarter for Into White, an art book retrospective of the work of illustrator George Pratt has seemingly collapsed just short of the printers, following a clash between Pratt and the book’s publisher Joel Meadows. Both claim a misappropriation of funds, with Meadows seeking legal advice for defamation. George Pratt is a reputable illustrator and comics artist whose painted work on covers and interiors at the Big Two across the 1990s and early 2000s earned him many fans.
The New Angoulême Festival Organizer Has Been Named
The Morgane Group will be the showrunner for a renewed comics festival in Angoulême. As disclosed today by the Association for the Development of Comics in Angoulême (ADBDA) Morgane was picked from the four names who had thrown their hat in the ring at the conclusion of the open call launched in January. Morgane will be showrunner on a five year contract.
‘Mom’s Cancer’ at 20: PW Speaks with Brian Fies
Two decades after its original release, Brian Fies’ graphic novel Mom’s Cancer has returned to shelves in an expanded anniversary edition. Depicting his family’s experience when his mother underwent treatment for lung cancer, the story originally started as a 2004 webcomic posted anonymously by Fies before being collected by Abrams for its then-nascent ComicArts imprint in 2006.
Tributes paid to Belgian comics master Hermann, dead at 87
European comics was rocked this past week following the news that Belgian comics auteur Hermann had died March 22, age 87, following a two year battle with cancer. The news went beyond specialised comics outlets, being widely reported in national newspapers across France, Belgium, and beyond. The Brussels Book Fair held a special tribute on March 29, and a ceremony for fans and mourners will take place April 1.
GRAPHIC NOVEL REVIEW: Western THE UNDERTAKER breathlessly gallops to the finish line in solid series debut
Writer: Xavier Dorison Artist: Ralph Meyer Colorist: Caroline Delabie Translator: Tom Imber Publisher: Abrams ComicArts Publication Date: March 2026 It’s a curiosity of world popular culture that Europe still has an ongoing taste for Westerns while the genre has seen significant decline Stateside. Setting aside the majesty of Sergio Leone’s cinematic approach to the genre in the 1960s, European comics have a long tradition of classic and contemporary takes.
INTERVIEW: Creators and editors discuss the magisterial return of THE TRIGAN EMPIRE and its continued appeal
Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away…there was The Trigan Empire. A classic comic serialised in the United Kingdom between 1965 to 1982 in kids weekly Look and Learn. Full of classical dress, alien creatures and futuristic craft, written by Mike Butterworth and gifted with incredible painted art by the legendary Don Laurence, the series has for decades been described as one of the greats.
ANGOULÊME: Mayor Bonnefont survives reeelection campaign, candidates in line for the “New Festival” revealed, and more
Credit: Charente Libre TV In this edition: A bruised Mayor Bonnefont gets reelected for third term; the court face-off between the Association FIBD, 9e Art+, and the Association for the Development of Comics in Angoulême (ADBDA) was postponed; and the candidates to fulfill the ADBDA’s plan for a New Festival in Angoulême are revealed.
British Book Awards announce first ever Graphic Novel shortlist
The British Book Awards have announced the nominees in contention for its newly introduced comics category, Graphic Novel of the Year. The winner will be announced at a gala event in London on May 11, 2026.
Enter the first class of Jack & Roz Kirby Award winners!
Nate Powell, Zoe Thorogood, and John Byrne were among the seven recipients of the inaugural Jack & Roz Kirby Awards last month. The February 21 ceremony from Orlando, Florida’s Original Art Expo is now available online on OAX’s YouTube channel. The Jack & Roz Kirby Awards are the result of a partnership between Collectors Network Holdings (owners of ComicArtFans.com), the Jack Kirby Estate, and the Jack Kirby Museum.
ANGOULÊME: 9e Art+ and Association FIBD mount lawsuit to stop replacement festival
9e Art+ and Association FIBD’s threatened legal action to halt the open call for a replacement to the Angoulême International Comics Festival (FIBD) has moved forward. According to reports, a court summons has been issued to the Association for the Development of Comics in Angoulême (ADBDA), with a preliminary date set for 9.30am, March 18.
NAACP Image Awards 2026 crowns Duffy & Jennings’ Octavia Butler adaptation PARABLE OF THE TALENTS Best Graphic Novel
Octavia Butler adaptation Parable of the Talents by writer Damian Duffy, artist John Jennings, and layout artist David Brame (Abrams ComicArts) has been named Outstanding Literary Work – Graphic Novel winner at the 57th NAACP Image Awards. The third recipient of a graphic novel category introduced in 2024. On social media, the duo acknowledged their win: Artist John Jennings said: “Humbled by this news.
Britain's DENNIS THE MENACE receives anniversary coin from Royal Mint
Both the US and UK Dennis the Menace turn 75 this year, and Britain’s Royal Mint has partnered with Beano Studios to produce a special commemorative fifty pence (50p) piece to mark the occasion for their version of the character. The Royal Mint said via press release, “The nation’s most iconic prankster has broken out of the pages and landed on an official UK collectable 50p.
Paul Chadwick's CONCRETE returns this summer for new miniseries
Multi award-winning cartoonist Paul Chadwick‘s signature creation Concrete returns for the first time in over a decade for new story Stars Over Sand. The five-issue Dark Horse miniseries will begin June 16, 2026. Begun in 1986, Concrete is a fascinating series about a man whose mind is trapped in a hulking stone body. A bizarre yet heart-breakingly human series, the last Concrete adventure was 2012’s one-shot Three Uneasy Pieces.
2000 AD returns weekly to America in new Rebellion and Lunar partnership
After a time of Diamond-induced distribution uncertainty, British anthology 2000 AD is returning to American comic book stores – and giving US readers the O.G. weekly experience, to boot. Announced at ComicsPRO, 2000 AD owner Rebellion has partnered with Lunar Distribution to co-publish the comic in the US, sidestepping the uncertainties (and costs) of international trade.
LUCKY LUKE live action TV series makes first appearance
Disney+ France released the teaser trailer for the live action Lucky Luke series. The 8-episode French-language adaptation of the classic Franco-Belgian comic is set to release on Disney+ in Europe on March 23, with an international release yet to be confirmed. One of a pantheon of beloved Franco-Belgian characters, a live action Lucky Luke has been attempted before on the big and small screen.
Zidrou and Frank Pé's THE BEAST is coming in May
Magnetic Press and Oni Press have announced the full English language release of writer Zidrou and artist Frank Pé’s The Beast for summer 2026. Coming in two hardcover volumes, the story transforms classic Belgian humour character the Marsupilami to produce a tale akin to Lilo & Stitch, ET, and Abominable. Volume 1 will release May 12, with the conclusion coming June 2 – both retailing for $24.99.
Original Batman/Judge Dredd crossover to get 35th anniversary deluxe hardcover
2000 AD publisher Rebellion have announced John Wagner, Alan Grant & Simon Bisley‘s Batman/Judge Dredd: Judgement on Gotham Anniversary Edition, a deluxe hardcover rerelease of the first crossover between the two signature characters in 1991.
GNCRT's debut Outstanding Comics Awards honor FROGGY, TONGUES, INSECTOPOLIS and more
The Graphic Novel & Comics Round Table have announced the first recipients of their newly-introduced Outstanding Comics Awards. Celebrating a swathe of work in the kids, young adult, and adult age brackets, the winners will be formally presented with their awards at the ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition, Chicago in June. The GNCRT is an organisation under the umbrella of the American Library Association whose goal is to promote comics and improve understanding about the art form across libraries.
Bondoux Strikes Back
Frank Bondoux announced at a Paris press conference that his company 9e Art+ and Angoulême Festival owners Association FIBD will launch legal action to block the ADBDA’s call for projects. Earlier this month a newly reformed Association for the Development of Comics in Angoulême (ADBDA) announced a call for an alternative organiser to develop and organise a brand new comics festival in the town.
ANGOULÊME: With FIBD no more, a new comics event is planned for 2027
Next week would have been the Angoulême Comics Festival but following a series of escalating scandals that led to the protest and boycott of the festival by the entire French comics industry (and the withdrawal of public funding), the event could not possibly take place. Game over? Not quite. A completely new event is in the works – and next week there are substitute events taking place in Angoulême, across France, and beyond.
Graphic Novel Review: In WHITE SHADOWS, death is always near
Writer: Antoine Ozanam Artist: Antoine Carrion Translator: Dan Christensen Publisher: Magnetic Press Publication Date: January 2026 Death strikes, betrayal discussed or has taken place, there is the growing sense that nothing is truly what it seems – and we are only a few pages into writer Antoine Ozanam and artist Antoine Carrion’s medieval fantasy tale of political intrigue.
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