Author Archives
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.
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Gorilla Sex?
Gorillas may have been responsible for the introduction of pubic lice in humans, according to a new study. Evolutionary biologist David Reed of the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville USA has traced the genetic structure of lice and… Read More ›
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Shatner versus Wheaton
Somehow, no matter how immersed in a show you become when editing or being part of the production of its official Magazine, some aspects of that show’s history slip you by. Case in point: Wil Wheaton‘s apparently revived beration of… Read More ›
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Captain America
I think Adam Rogers over on Wired‘s Blog Network neatly sums up my similar feelings (aside from how the character has best been handled in the past) on recent developments Hey, if you don’t know what I’m talking about, I’m… Read More ›
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20 years of cartoon craziness celebrated
Angry aliens, terrified police and bemused party goers. Yes, it’s the 20th Anniversary Really Heavy Greatcoat – three pages of mothball-inspired mayhem! Artist Nick Miller has pulled out all the stops to mark this momentous date for the strip and… Read More ›
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Are Games really Killing Comics?
2000AD artist Ian Gibson’s renewed claim that computer games are killing comics, comments reported in the BBC’s feature on the comics’ 30th anniversary, have been savaged up by some games press web sites such as Games Radar and Addict3D, the… Read More ›
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Jack Lord is Kirk!
With all the excitement over the announcement that there will be a new Star Trek film, casting discussions can begin in earnest. But what about the casting of the original Star Trek series this film will apparently reboot, with new… Read More ›
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Steve Jobs Reinvents… Iran
Since I’m clearly in a silly mood, here’s one of my occasional pastiches of Apple’s Steve Jobs at work re-designing the world, etc.
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Fun while shopping
Okay, nothing to do with comics, but this e-mail joke tickled me, cited as evidence of what can happen if a wife or girlfriend drags her husband or boyfriend along shopping. Sadly, the letter below, allegedly sent by Tesco’s Head… Read More ›
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Greatcoat restored on Wikipedia
I’m delighted to report that The Really Heavy Greatcoat entry on Wikipedia has been restored. While there was apparently no consensus on the debate about its inclusion (now closed), Wikipedia’s editors ruled in favour of restoration on the grounds that,… Read More ›
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Greatcoat Support Grows…
(I amended this entry as the debate has now closed) Some of the great folks over at Forbidden Planet International have just pitched in to the debate over Wikipedia about the proposed deletion of an entry about my cartoon strip,… Read More ›
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One for railway fans…
One of those fun profits from a search of the net while tracking down some eastern European cartoonists: right is a cartoon on the South Eastern Railways Group site by Bobisa Todorovic. It’s one of the winning cartoons of a… Read More ›
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Is the Really Heavy Greatcoat notable?
Note: the debate on the inclusion of the RHG on Wikipedia has closed in the RHG’s favour. I keep this post for its ‘historical’ value! … I ask because last year an entry for my 20-years-and-counting strip The Really Heavy… Read More ›
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Albion Artist Shane Oakley Interviewed
In the third of three exclusive features marking the recent release of Titan and Wildstorm’s Albion collection — interviews with writers Leah Moore and John Reppion, and IPC’s Andrew Sumner were published earlier this month — artist Shane Oakley offers… Read More ›
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Comics International 201 arrives!
New Comics International editor has sent me two spiffy covers for the delayed-but-here-now Comics International #201, which should be on sale soon. Comics International was sold by Dez Skinn earlier in the year and the administrative side of the handover… Read More ›
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Science Fiction stories on your mobile
Interesting find for mobile/cell phone users: www.wattpad.com It’s a very small downloadable app for your phone, compatible with most modern handsets – simply bluetooth it from your PC to your phone and then you can read stories on your mobile…. Read More ›