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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More European Comic Creators join October’s Lakes International Comic Art Festival line-up
The Lakes International Comic Art Festival 2019 has announced a number of European comic creators who will be heading to Kendal in October for this year’s weekend-long Festival. Joining the recently-announced Belgian and Belgium-based creators Serge Baeken, Ephameron, Loic Gaume, Ben… Read More ›
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WebFind: Odeith’s larger-than-life insect murals look ready to leap from the wall
Portuguese street artist Odeith, also known for his anamorphic graffiti lettering work, is a master of creating larger-than-life urban murals of realistically painted insects. For those of you not keen on spiders – you may not want to read on…… Read More ›
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“Don’t make me angry…” INFINITY Magazine “Incredible Hulk” cover reveal!
Artist Pete Wallbank has revealed his art for a new cover for INFINITY magazine featuring Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno in their roles as David Banner and his big green alter-ego from the 1970s TV show The Incredible Hulk –… Read More ›
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First ever Tintin cover looks set for one million dollar plus sale in June
The first cover appearance of Hergé‘s Tintin, arguably the most popular comic character worldwide, as well as a pair of lots by Osama Tezuka, the artist who has been called “the Japanese equivalent of Walt Disney” and a group of… Read More ›
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High street comics retailer WHSmith ranked bottom of annual Which? poll
WHSmith has finished bottom of the Which? annual UK high street shops survey rankings of more than 100 shops for the ninth year in a row, while specialist retailers come out on top. The annual survey of more than 7700… Read More ›
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Roads Not Taken: When Disney almost went Discworld
Animation designer and children’s author Claire Keane has posted some wonderful concept art for an abandoned Disney project based on Sir Terry Pratchett‘s fourth Discworld novel, Mort, on her official web site. While that project didn’t go ahead, BBC America’s… Read More ›
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Still on sale – the Cor!! & Buster Humour Special – review round up
The Cor! & Buster Humour Special is still on sale in WHSmith and selected newsagents for another couple of weeks, so if you’re looking for a brilliant all-ages treat for your kids, why not pop out and buy it now?… Read More ›
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Commando comics mark D-Day 75 with commemorative issues
75 years ago this year, brave men of many nations stormed the beaches at Normandy, ready to fight tooth and nail, to reclaim occupied land. As part of the D-Day 75 remembrance, DC Thomson Media are releasing a commemorative set… Read More ›
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Unearthed: An unexpected Doctor Who comics crossover with Lost in Space!
The cover of the 1969 Doctor Who annual was Walt Howarth’s last Doctor Who-related work for publisher World Distributors for some time, and its similarity to the cover of a 1967 Gold Key Swiss Family Robinson Comic was highlighted recently on social media.
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Visions from the Upside Down: Stranger Things Art Book out in October
Publisher Printed in Blood has teamed up with Penguin Random House Del Rey for a new hardcover art book book full of original artwork inspired by the hit Netflix series Stranger Things – and along with an image by Marvel artist Bill Sienkiewicz, it includes art by a terrific illustrator whose stunning early work for Marvel UK captured the imaginations of many…
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A snapshot of British Comics Fandom in 1970: Fantasy Advertiser #32
David Hathaway-Price continues his brilliant UK Classic Comic Zines project to digitise British comic fanzines across several decades, from their early beginnings in the 1960s and 70s as hand printed low print run titles to more sophisticated, slick looking publications in the 1980s and beyond – adding a ground-breaking Issue of Fantasy Advertiser his invaluable web site.
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Simon Bisley “Slaine” art offered (and much more) in latest Comic Link auction
The Spring Featured Auction at US auction house Comic Link starts closing next week – and along with rare US comics includes a wide range of original art, from creators that include British artists Simon Bisley, Alan Davis, Dave Gibbons,… Read More ›
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ComicScene 4 spotlights Simon Furman and Geoff Senior’s “To the Death”
ComicScene Issue 4 is out now in all good comic shops and available through many newsagents – and includes a free 16-page supplement featuring Simon Furman and Geoff Senior‘s new 10 part comic, To The Death. The supplement includes an… Read More ›
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Breaking the Mould: How the GetMyComics team are shaking up comics distribution in the UK
Independent comic creators can come up with the best stories in the world, but if they can’t get their finished publication – created through crowdfunding, self financed or published by an independent – in front of potential customers, then they’re… Read More ›
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Pat Mills and Oliviér Ledroit’s “Requiem Vampire Knight” tops sales charts in France
Requiem: Resurrection by Pat Mills and Oliviér Ledroit is sitting in the Number One sales spot in the fantasy graphic novel chart on Amazon France – an amazing accomplishment, considering it was re-published over three years ago, and it’s apparently… Read More ›
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Crowdfunding Spotlight: Frenemies: The Lost Planet by Yishan Li and Monty Nero
Yishan Li and Monty Nero have created Frenemies, a sci-fi comic updating the best of classic films like Star Wars, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Raiders of the Lost Ark with strong LGBTQ and straight characters from around the world…. Read More ›
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StreetCat Bob gets animated series
UK pay TV children’s channel Sky Kids has commissioned StreetCat Bob, an animated series inspired by the cat that has already been the subject of books and a major feature film. StreetCat Bob is a real-life stray ginger cat, credited… Read More ›
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Crowdfunding Spotlight: BUN&TEA, edited by Claire Napier
Having been a critic of all-format, all-source comics since 2012 or so – most notably as Editor in Chief at Women Write About Comics between 2017 and 2018, and long before that, a keen reader of British weekly serial comics,… Read More ›
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“Posy Simmonds: A Retrospective” Exhibition opens this week
Posy Simmonds: A Retrospective opens at London’s House of Illustration on Friday (24th May), running until 15th September. Co-curated by Paul Gravett, author of the recently released Posy Simmonds monograph from Thames & Hudson, it’s the first major British exhibition… Read More ›
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Thirteenth Japan International MANGA Award competition closing date approaches
The call for entries is open to all over the world for the 13th Japan International Manga Award, organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. The deadline is 14th June 2019. Previous British winners include Sean Michael Wilson,… Read More ›