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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Portsmouth Comic Con 2020 Super Early Bird Tickets On Sale Now
Following the second stonking year of a major comics event in Portsmouth, the city’s The Guildhall Trust has opened ticket sales for next year’s Portsmouth Comic Con, taking place on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd May 2020, with a Super… Read More ›
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Dennis & Gnasher Unleashed! The Musical – First Tour Dates Announced
The first tour dates for the new Dennis & Gnasher Unleashed! The Musical have been revealed, opening in Aylesbury in January, at the Waterside Theatre, with dates also announced in Birmingham, Glasgow London, Manchester and more. A production from Selladoor… Read More ›
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Why Frank Bellamy was the perfect artist for “Thunderbirds” in TV21
Fred McNamara argues Frank Bellamy’s depiction of “Thunderbirds” remains TV21’s most memorable strip, and with good reason
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Coming in 2020: Masters of British Comic Art
Masters of British Comic Art, Artist and writer David Roach’s history of British comics and the artists who made them is due for release from Rebellion in April 2020
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Lakes Festival Podcast taken over by gorillas!
Silverbeard the Gorilla – star of the new The Seven Sagas Of Silverbeard comic currently seeking funding on Kickstarter – has reportedly taken over the latest episode of the Lakes International Comic Art Festival Podcast. Luckily, it seems he didn’t… Read More ›
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Roy of the Rovers 65th Anniversary Special out next month
Rebellion have released details of their hardcover Roy of the Rovers 65th Anniversary Special, due for release Wednesday 4th September 2019
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Crowdfunding Spotlight: The Seven Sagas of Silverbeard
The Seven Sagas of Silverbeard is a terrific-looking sword and sorcery book with a gorilla warrior hero, currently seeking crowdfunding on Kickstarter – and we like the cut of its gib!
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DoppelClangers launch brings fans a mad Clangers and Doctor Who mashup
Independent international media group and rights owner Coolabi Group has announced an exclusive new partnership between the award-winning brand, Clangers, and BBC Studios’ legendary adventure brand, Doctor Who, as part of Clangers’ 50th anniversary celebrations. The iconic British space-based adventurers come together to… Read More ›
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WebFind: Alice in Wonderland Playing Cards by Jesus Blasco
British comic fans will be familiar with the name Jesus Blasco, an artist whose distinctive style thrilled many on strips such as “The Steel Claw” for Valiant and 2000AD’s “Bill Savage” – but he was a dab hand at lighter… Read More ›
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Last chance to buy Psycops collection at a discount today
Today is your last chance to get the new Psycops collection featuring strips drawn by 2000AD‘s John M. Burns at 15% off cover price – either the hardback or softback collection. The cost goes to full cover price tomorrow. This… Read More ›
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1970s “Flying Furies”, The Aeronauts, recalled
Picking up on our recent story about Tales from Europe, The Singing, Ringing Tree and The White Horses, who remembers The Aeronauts… or as older readers might remember them, from Lion comic – “The Flying Furies“? Not to be confused… Read More ›
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TV Flashback: The White Horses, Tales from Europe and The Singing Ringing Tree
A discussion about the haunting 1957 East German film The Singing Ringing Tree, first broadcast in the UK in the 1960s by the BBC in a serial format, led me back to the BBC’s Tales from Europe shows of the… Read More ›
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“Van Helsing’s Terror Tales” softback edition available now
Author, comics and magazine publisher Dez Skinn has released a new softback edition of his “Van Helsing’s Terror Tales“, featuring strips first published in House of Hammer back in the 1970s. Dez released a limietd edition hardback edition back in… Read More ›
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Rebellion Round Up: 2000AD Prog 2142, a new Judges Novella and more
Here’s a guide to Rebellion releases for this week and beyond, opening with 2000AD Prog 2142, which comes with a crazily creepy Cthulu-inspired cover from Adam Brown to lead us into “Indigo Prime: Fall of the House of Vista”, on… Read More ›
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2000 AD’s latest Art Stars Competition has fans wondering if “Halo Jones” will return
2000AD has challenged readers to draw one of its best known female heroines, Halo Jones, in its latest Art Stars competition – surely no easy task given Ian Gibson’s iconic look. Unsurprisingly, it got some fans wondering if 2000 AD… Read More ›
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The Beano is now 81 – here’s a look back at the comic’s 50th birthday!
The Beano celebrated its 81st birthday recently, the first issue published with a cover date of 26th July 1938 – but that date isn’t it’s actual birthday, and neither are the cover dates for other British comics, either… Most would… Read More ›
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In Review: Edge of Extinction #3
Written by Baden James Mellonie Art and Letters by Paul Peart-Smith Covers by Stephen Sampson (also known as Steve Sampson), David Millgate, Ryan Brown and Huy Truong Published by Eighth Continent Publishing Note: Some strong language as zombies try to… Read More ›
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Crowdfunding Spotlight: New comics publisher Body Parts launches first anthology, The Seas, on Kickstarter
Independent comics publisher Body Parts has just launched a crowdfunder for its first anthology, The Seas, on Kickstarter, which I’ve had a sneak peek at – and it looks great. Offering new strips by a diverse range of international creators,… Read More ›
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Mark Stafford’s love story, Kangkangee Blues, gets British publication
The Lakes International Comic Art Festival is to publish a new edition of Mark’s Stafford‘s comic Kangkangee Blues, a tragic love story produced at the behest of the British Council as one of their collaborative artistic endeavours. One of several… Read More ›
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French Hugo Pratt Part Work continues, 70 ”Tout Pratt” books planned
Following up on the downthetubes news item on Rebellion’s upcoming series of oversize Picture Library reprints centring on the British War comics work of award-winning Italian artist Hugo Pratt, you may be interested to know that French publisher Altalya is running a planned 70-book part work featuring that aims to reprint all his published stories