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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Secret Wars Re-enactment Society
Priceless tomfoolery at the expense of Marvel’s now ancient 12-part mini series…
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Battler Britton Returns!
Battler Britton is the next IPC character to see revival through DC Comics Wildstorm imprint, in a five-issue mini series from writer Garth Ennis, illustrated by Colin Wilson, with painted covers by Garry Leach. The first issue will go on… Read More ›
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Jeff Anderson Heads for the Riddler’s Fayre
British comics artist Jeff Anderson, whose work on the critically acclaimed Lion Graphic Bible earned him and writer Mike Maddox a prestigious Angouleme award in 2000, is busy at work on a new project — a five-part graphic novel from Highland Books…. Read More ›
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Striker Goes Down
(Updated 10/5/05):The UK’s weekly football comic Striker is to fold this week, on its 87th issue. Publisher Pete Nash broke the news in last week’s issue and in a letter to the title’s shareholders — many of them readers who… Read More ›
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Comics and Crumpets Column Three: British Comics characters revived – by DC
This feature first appeared on the now defunct Comic World News on 31st January 2005 BRITISH COMICS CHARACTERS REVIVED – BY DC This issue, I’ve got more information on two projects reviving some classic British comics — and am pleased… Read More ›
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Barmy Comics from Barrow
Comics creator Dave Hughes, who lives in Barrow, has just sent me a hilarious collection of his comic strip tales titled The Immeasurable adventures of Gorky Park. Dave’s strange, spikey cartoon work, akin to Rugrats on acid, tells the bizarre… Read More ›
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Is there something in the water?
So let me see if I have this right… — In the past few weeks in Lancaster, almost every councillor (except the Greens and some Skerton reps) have voted in support of a bypass route they’ve all consistently rejected in… Read More ›
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Star Trekking…
After the weirdness of getting RAF Magazine off the ground (so to speak), I’m now preparing to step back in time (for me, anyway) to edit Star Trek Magazine again. I was the launch editor on this way back in… Read More ›
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Yalikavak, Turkey 2004
Just back from our first ‘proper’ holiday in five years — Turkey again but this time it was Yalikavak on the Bodrum peninsula. Been to Cavus and Cappadocia in the past. We went with Manos, enduring the torture of… Read More ›
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London Visit
It’s hot, it’s sweaty and it’s taking over the country. What is it about the place that draws so many to it? You end up with black snot if you walk its streets. I don’t actually think it’s that more… Read More ›
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Shooting themselves in the foot
A warning to all freelance writers out there planning a trip to the US — get a visa! And you might want to think about praying, too, as it’s no guarantee of entry. I had a call from BlackRat yesterday… Read More ›
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When is a transit not a transit?
OK, here’s a question about shared experience. If you couldn’t actually look directly at the transit of Venus yesterday (unless you wanted your eyes boiled or something), is there a difference between standing out in your garden with a pair… Read More ›
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Marvel UK Memories
In and out from writing Beyblade and Dick Turtle for ToonTastic and editing RAF Magazine for Titan Magazines, I’ve been spending some time thinking about one past job as editor at Marvel UK (aka Marvel Comics UK) back in the 1990s. This… Read More ›
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Creating Connections
Strange how the world works. I find 20six via DotJournalism, then find BlackRat‘s blog (the guy writing some fascinating stuff about Iraq after a trip there). I link to that on my blog and he reads about me editing RAF… Read More ›
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A Busy Week: Dick Turtle, RAF Magazine and More
It’s a weird life. This week has been a mix of hassling freelancers for copy and me being hassled for copy — one of those deadline crunch weeks. Beyblade Comic was Monday, Dick Turtle for Lucky Bag Comic was Wednesday,… Read More ›