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.

  • Comic Creation As It Happens

    By on

    Website NewTeeVee reports that the hugely popular online comics Penny Arcade and PVP have begun live-casting their cartoon artists as they create the sites’ Web comics. Webcams pointed at computer desktops follow the process through the completed script. Each live… Read More ›

  • Milligan on Mobile

    By on

    The work of writer, poet, musician and comic genius Spike Milligan, who revolutionised comedy after the Second World War, is now available on the web and for mobile phone users through ROK Entertainment, the global mobile entertainment group, owners of… Read More ›

  • Being Human To Return

    By on

    BBC Three has ordered a six-part series of the popular one-off drama, Being Human from Touchpaper Television, part of the RDF Media Group. The intriguing pilot screened in February (as reported on downthetubes at the time), as part of the… Read More ›

  • Prince Caspian Game: Special Scenes Filmed

    By on • ( 3 )

    Although there may well be no more Narnia films after Dawn Treader is released in 2010, there certainly seems to be enough being filmed when it comes to the upcoming Prince Caspian, with ans of The Chronicles of Narnia will… Read More ›

  • Missing Believed Wiped

    By on

    I don’t know if anyone caught ITV3’s affectionate documentary Those Were The Days about the Apollo 11 Moon Landing last night, with interviews and footage about the momentous event. (It’s currently available on ITV’s CatchUp service and to be repeated… Read More ›

  • Dan Dare at the Science Museum

    By on • ( 1 )

    Good news for Frank Hampson fans. The upcoming Dan Dare and the Birth of High Tech Britain exhibition at London’s Science Museum, which opens next week, now includes murals drawn by Dan Dare creator Hampson back in 1977. Talking of… Read More ›

  • Ewing and Holden Interviewed

    By on

    Matthew Badham has just posted a great interview with 2000AD and small press creators Al Ewing and PJ Holden (who has also worked for Image Comics and Fantagraphics) on his Overspill blog. “We were supposed to be talking about Dead… Read More ›

  • Saint Johns Church Edinburgh Easter Sign

    By on

    Saint Johns church Edinburgh Easter sign – China and OlympicsOriginally uploaded by byronv2 Following up on our earlier post about Chinese piracy, Forbidden Planet’s Joe Gordon recently published this photograph of a thought-provoking poster outside Saint John’s church on the… Read More ›

  • No More Narnia?

    By on

    Several entertainment web sites including Digital Spy are reporting that Disney may end its The Chronicles of Narnia franchise after the third film, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, is released. Prince Caspian, the second film in the series of… Read More ›

  • Chinese Copyright Theft

    By on

    (with thanks to Matthew Badham): Illustrator Darren Di Lieto and British artist Jonathan Edwards are just two of many creators on the warpath after discovering a Hong Kong-based publisher has illegally used illustrations and interviews conducted by Darren in a… Read More ›