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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Scorch Comics delivers a great “Comic Zone” to Wyntercon VI this weekend
If you’re in the Eastbourne area this weekend and looking for something comic-related to do then look no further than Wyntercon VI, which features a great Comic Zone line up, put together by local comic shop Scorch Comics. Over the… Read More ›
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Vojtěch Mašek arrives in Kendal in new Comics Cultural Exchange
The Czech Literary Centre, a section of the Moravian Library, and the Lakes International Comic Art Festival have released details of their Comics Cultural Exchange taking place this autumn. Czech comic book writer and artist Vojtěch Mašek has now arrived… Read More ›
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Vectis announces its first dedicated Lego Auction Sale
Vectis Auctions will be holding its first dedicated Lego Auction Sale in October, expected to be the largest of its kind in the UK. The majority of the sale is the lifetime collection of Stockton based Lego builder and exhibitor… Read More ›
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Lakes Festival Focus 2019: Film Maker, Illustrator and Graphic Designer Lars Jakobsen
Every year, in the countdown to the Lakes International Comic Art Festival in October, we bring you a series of interviews with guests at the event. This “Festival Focus” for 2019 is with Lars Jakobsen, director and founder of the… Read More ›
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Rare Frank Frazetta, Gil Elvgren, Alberto Vargas art heads to Heritage Auctions
An oil painting by iconic American science fiction and fantasy artist Frank Frazetta could bring as much as $400,000, and artwork from the collection of Glynn and Suzanne Crain and the Investment Rarities Incorporated collection should continue their waves of… Read More ›
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Dark Horse announces Blacksad: The Complete Stories for 2020 release
US publisher Dark Horse Comics has announced a complete collection of Spanish creators Juan Díaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido’s award-winning and internationally acclaimed Blacksad series in Blacksad: The Complete Stories – well, to date, anyway…
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Steve MacManus parodies 1970s British comics in “The Sheerglam Conspiracy”
Former Tharg Steve MacManus is back on our reading list here in the downthetubes dungeon, this time with his first novel, The Sheerglam Conspiracy, a thoroughly scurrilous jab at the British comics industry in the 1970s. London, 1973. For 40… Read More ›
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In Review: Invasion 1984
Luke Williams takes a look at Invasion 1984, plucked from the pages of Battle, released earlier this year… By John Wagner, Alan Grant (writing as Rick Clark) and Eric Bradbury Publisher: Treasury of British Comics / Rebellion Out: Now As… Read More ›
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WebFind: “Return to Cloudbase” by Supermarionation Recreations – and a new puppet show project
Back in August 2017, the team at Supermarionation Recreations learned that nothing significant was being done to mark the 50th anniversary of the original Captain Scarlet TV series. Agreeing this was a missed opportunity, as fans of the show they felt… Read More ›
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2000AD revamps subscription incentives offering badge, poster and more
With news stand sales of comics and magazines facing a number of challenges, despite the best efforts of their publishers, it’s no surprise they’re becoming even more determined to encourage readers to subscribe and that includes 2000AD publishers Rebellion
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Lakes Festival Focus 2019: Comic Artist and Writer Robert Deas
Every year, in the countdown to the Lakes International Comic Art Festival in October, we bring you a series of interviews with guests at the event. This “Festival Focus” for 2019 is with Robert Deas is a British comic artist and… Read More ›
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Lakes Festival Focus 2019: Comics Author and Illustrator Judith Vanistendael
Every year, in the countdown to the Lakes International Comic Art Festival in October, we bring you a series of interviews with guests at the event. This “Festival Focus” for 2019 is with a Belgian author of graphic novels Judith… Read More ›
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Lakes Festival Focus 2019: Illustrator and Graphic Artist Pierre van Hove
Every year, in the countdown to the Lakes International Comic Art Festival in October, we bring you a series of interviews with guests at the event. This “Festival Focus” for 2019 is with Pierre Van Hove, an illustrator and graphic… Read More ›
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2000AD Prog 2150 – Jump on Board this Wednesday!
This week’s 52-page 2000AD – Prog 2150 – is a “jump on board” issue, with all-new thrills throughout, an issue on sale this Wednesday in all good comic shops and newsagents (and digital platforms, too) that comes alongside release date… Read More ›
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Sneak Peek: Pete Wallbank takes on “Logan’s Run” for INFINITY Maagazine
Artist Pete Wallbank, has kindly shared this sneak peek of his terrific Logan’s Run cover for an upcoming issue of Infinity magazine, inspired by the TV show based on the feature film starring Michael York and Jenny Agutter – one of… Read More ›
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Doctor Who: Panel to Panel podcast crunches comic sales figures
Episode #113 of Jeremy Bement’s excellent Doctor Who: Panel to Panel podcast is live, offering reviews of the recent final episodes of the Thirteenth Doctor Doctor Who Magazine strip “Power of the Mobox” and the classic strip “Duel of the… Read More ›
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Catford Comic and Zine Fair back in December
Catford Comic and Zine Fair returns for its third year on Sunday 8th December 2019
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Lakes Festival Focus 2019: Graphic Designer and Illustrator Emma Price
Every year, in the countdown to the Lakes International Comic Art Festival in October, we bring you a series of interviews with guests at the event. This “Festival Focus” for 2019 is with Emma Price, a multidisciplinary graphic designer and… Read More ›
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Rok of the Reds returns in “Rok the God”, ashcan available!
Ahead of the launch of a much-anticipated Kickstarter to fund the next “Rok of the Reds” story Rok the God, the team behind the project have announced a free digital version of Chapter One will be accessible to all on Rok’s forthcoming Kickstarter (October 2nd – mark the date!).
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Dark Metropolis novel trilogy launched by comics retail veteran and publisher Howard Lee
Howard Lee, a Chicago-based champion of pop culture both British and American, founder of Tomatovision TV and Nexus Entertainment Group Publishing, has just self published the first in a trilogy of SF novels under the umbrella title “Dark Metropolis”. The first, Planetsong, is available now