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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New 2000AD, Judge Dredd Megazine on sale now, plus news of first “Art of” book from Rebellion
2000AD Prog 2114 and Judge Dredd Megazine Issue 404, accompanied by the free, stunning first part of Battle Presents: Operation Overlord, are both on sale now in all good newsagents and comic shops across the UK, and across various digital… Read More ›
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UK’s Small Press Day 2019 Announced for 13th July
The UK and Ireland’s Small Press Day returns this year on Saturday July 13th for its fourth annual celebration of comics self-publishing, micropublishing and DIY culture. The brainchild of cartoonist David Ziggy Greene, its aim is to provide a dedicated… Read More ›
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Sneak Peek: 2000AD Villains Take Over for Free Comic Book Day
The dastardly and the iniquitous will be taking over this year’s Free Comic Book Day when Rebellion launch the first ever 2000AD Villains Takeover! Here’s some of the nefarious pages from this one shot… To coincide with Free Comic Book Day,… Read More ›
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Sneak Peek: Rebellion’s “Funny Pages” for Free Comic Book Day
Rebellion is putting the funny back in funny pages this Free Comic Book Day – and has released a free preview!
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Creating Comics: Awesome Comics Podcast interviews Alterna Comics founder Peter Simeti
This week the Awesome Comics Podcast team are joined by the founder and publisher of Alterna Comics, Peter Simeti, to talk about his journey in comics and what the publisher are trying to achieve in the modern publishing world. Founded… Read More ›
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Lakes Festival Podcast gets a dose of Graphic Medicine with Ian Williams
The Lakes International Comic Art Festival Podcast goes all graphic medicine for their latest episode, chatting with ace comics creator Ian Williams. Ian created the Graphic Medicine website and following on from that has created two graphic novels, The Bad Doctor and the upcoming The… Read More ›
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“Rick and Morty” heads to Channel 4
American adult animated science fiction sitcom Rick and Morty, created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon for Cartoon Network’s late-night programming, is heading to Channel 4 in the UK. This is good news for Titan Comics, who publish collected editions of… Read More ›
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Rebellion launches “Battle Presents” line with “Operation: Overlord”
Rebellion Publishing is to present the international best-selling French graphic novel series Operation: Overlord for the first time in English – under the banner of Battle, one of the UK’s most cherished comics, the weekly war comic once home to… Read More ›
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Second Illustrator’s Survey seeks to snapshot UK illustration industry
The second annual Illustrator’s Survey is live, backed this year by Hire an Illustrator. The survey is the brainchild of artist Ben O’Brien – and anyone who worked in commercial illustration in 2018 is being asked to please fill in the… Read More ›
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Digital publisher ComicFlix looks beyond licensed comics, to consumer market
ComicFlix, a digital publisher that has developed a tech-based solution to convert films into graphics novels, is looking to expand into the consumer business, building on its initial titles available on Kindle which include of The Mask of Zorro, Sherlock… Read More ›
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When Ron Smith drew for Eagle
2000AD and DC Thomson artist Ron Smith may not have been a name immediately associated with the original Eagle comic, best known for “Dan Dare: Pilot of the Future” – created by Frank Hampson and his team – “Riders of… Read More ›
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In Memoriam: 2000AD, comic creators and fans pay tribute to artist Ron Smith
British comic creators, publishers and fans have paid tribute to Judge Dredd artist and former Spitfire pilot Ron Smith, who passed away aged 90 early yesterday
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Doctor Who Adventures Special released in the UK
Celebrating the Thirteenth Doctor’s first season, Panini UK have released a new-look Doctor Who Adventures Special, on sale now in all good newsagents and supermarkets across the UK, priced £3.99, alongside the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine. Aimed at 7-11-year-old… Read More ›
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Missing in Action: Heroquest at Marvel UK, and the RPG magazine that never happened
Looking back at Marvel UK’s one-off foray into the world of role-playing magazines
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The Smurfs head to the Lakes International Comic Art Festival this October
Wallonia-Brussels International, with the help of the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, is bringing an exhibition of The Smurfs to the Lake District later this year. The Smurfs incredible story began in October 1958, in the pages of the Belgian magazine Spirou…. Read More ›
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Whatever Happened to Eagle’s “Skippy the Kangaroo”?
Not to be confused with the TV show of the 1960s (or its associated comics), “Skippy the Kangaroo” was an odd little humour strip that ran in the first volume of Eagle, and has been dismissed by some fans of… Read More ›
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BBC Local Radio celebrates 90th anniversary of Hergé’s Adventures of Tintin today
Celebrating the 90th anniversary of The Adventures of Tintin, Simon Doyle, an expert on the character, will be appearing on 13 (possibly 15) BBC radio stations, from 10.00am onwards today, to talk about Tintin’s creator Hergé and the the start of… Read More ›
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The Munsters Pinball Game announced
If you’re a fan of the original The Munsters TV sitcom, or remember the strip that ran in TV Century 21, then there’s a new pinball machine – offered in various editions – that may well appeal, from Stern Pinball,… Read More ›
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Artist Anne Farrall Doyle’s “expressionist wallpaper” catches the eye
Wallsauce.com – creators of made-to-measure wall murals – has revealed its latest collection of expressionist wallpaper murals by the award-winning Hertfordshire-based contemporary artist, Anne Farrall Doyle.
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Viking ghosts and a man from Mars menace in new Commando comics!
Get ready for Viking ghosts, a man from Mars, Napoleonic duels, and grudges against the Germans! All this and more in brand new Commando issues 5191 – 5194, on sale in all good newsagents and via various digital platforms this… Read More ›