Author Archives
The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan - his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War" and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of "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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Birmingham Comic Show Wins Lottery Grant
In a major coup for the organisers – perhaps signifying comics are indeed becoming more mainstream once more – the annual British International Comic Show has been awarded a £6,000 Arts Council grant to help further their work in bringing… Read More ›
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Insomnia Joins "Buskers" Project
Popquiz, hotshots: What do Mos Def, Kevin Spacey, former Blur front man Damon Albarn, musician Ian Brown, comic writer and publisher Sean Michael Wilson and Japanese cartoonist and illustrator Michiru Morikawa have in common with Insomnia Publications? Answer: the fledgling… Read More ›
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Meet and Greet Dave Gibbons Competition
Podcast website Geek Syndicate have just launched a competition to offer a Watchmen fan the chance to win an exclusive Meet and Greet with original Watchmen illustrator, Dave Gibbons. The winner will have their favourite character drawn by Dave Gibbons…. Read More ›
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British Dragon Joins Marvel Advisors
Cypriot-born British businessman Theo Paphitis – one of the judges on BBC TV’s Dragons’ Den – has joined Marvel Comics International Advisory Board. Comprised of business leaders from key international growth markets, the Advisory Board works with Marvel executives to… Read More ›
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Rainey’s Book of Lists Collected At last
Ace British comic creator Paul B Rainey has just been in touch to say that he’s finally put together a collection of his critically-acclaimed Book of Lists comic strips in trade paper back form. Suicidal birds, edible guitars, licky dogs,… Read More ›
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Starblazer from the Command Deck
DC Thomson editor Bill McLoughlin has kindly given downthetubes his account of the rise and fall of DC Thomson’s 1980s SF digest title Starblazer, which has recently spawned its own Role Playing Game (see our review). Revealing the origins of… Read More ›
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Engines of Enchantment at Cartoon Museum
London’s Cartoon Museum is to host an exhibition dedicated to the work of eccentric genius Rowland Emett this summer. Described in TIME Magazine as “a nostalgic-romantic artist-humorist social commentator-engineer,” this exhibition brings together, for the first time in Britain, the… Read More ›
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Tube Surfing: Comic Cutbacks, San Diego Schedules, Dinsoaurs and Weird Fishes…
• Filming has started on the new series of Doctor Who that will see Matt Smith will take on the eponymous role. Matt is seen here in costume, side by side with Scottish actress Karen Gillan who plays new companion… Read More ›
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2009 Graphic Short Story Competition Launched
UK Sunday newspaper The Observer has just launched this year’s Graphic Short Story competition, part of the activities of the ComiICA Festival. The winner of last year’s Graphic Short Story prize, Julian Hanshaw, is about to publish a book, so… Read More ›
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Graeme Neil Reid: Walking on the Moon