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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Lakes Festival Focus 2018: Sayra Begum
Every year, in the countdown to the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, we bring you a series of interviews with guests at the event. This “Festival Focus” for 2018 is Sayra Begum, a Cornwall-based illustrator. She studied Illustration at Plymouth College… Read More ›
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Crowdfunding Spotlight: Jason’s Birthday Adventure, aimed at improving reading skills
Unity Empower, a Scottish charity working with adults with learning disabilities have launched a crowdfunder for a new comic project – Jason’s Adventures. Unity Empower is looking to raise £3000 to be able to produce and publish Jason’s Adventures, a… Read More ›
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Lakes Festival Focus 2018: Czech artist Tomáš Kučerovský
Every year, in the countdown to the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, we bring you a series of interviews with guests at the event. This “Festival Focus” for 2018 is Tomáš Kučerovský, one of the weekend-long event’s Czech creators. Born… Read More ›
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Lakes Festival Focus 2018: Ken Niimura
Every year, in the countdown to the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, we bring you a series of interviews with guests at the event. This “Festival Focus” for 2018 is Ken Niimura, a cartoonist and illustrator based in Tokyo. His breakthrough… Read More ›
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Sneak Peek: Image Comics “Traces of the Great War” anthology launches this weekend at Lakes Festival
Poet Simon Armitage, Edmond Baudoin, Victoria Lomasko, Dave McKean and the UK’s Comics Laureate Charlie Adlard are among creators whose work features in a new international comic anthology – Traces of the Great War – which gets its launch during the Lakes international Comic Art Festival this… Read More ›
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Lakes Festival Focus 2018: Ottilie Hainsworth
Every year, in the countdown to the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, we bring you a series of interviews with guests at the event. This “Festival Focus” for 2018 is Ottilie Hainsworth, an artist and educator living in Brighton, where she… Read More ›
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SelfMadeHero lands English rights to acclaimed graphic novel “Guantánamo Kid”
UK independent graphic novel publisher SelfMadeHero has acquired world English language rights to a landmark graphic biography about Guantánamo Bay, the United States detention camp in Cuba. Guantánamo Kid: The True Story of Mohammed El-Gharani is a compelling, deeply moving story… Read More ›
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On Sale This Week: 2000AD Prog 2102
With a great cover from Cliff Robinson, coloured by Dylan Teague, 2000AD Prog 2102 is out this week – and it’s rammed with action! In this issue: JUDGE DREDD: THE SMALL HOUSE by Rob Williams (Writer) Henry Flint (Artist) Chris… Read More ›
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Lakes Festival Focus 2018: Artist and Writer Mark Stafford
Every year, in the countdown to the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, we bring you a series of interviews with guests at the event. This “Festival Focus” for 2018 is Mark Stafford, co-creator of the Cherubs! graphic novel with Bryan… Read More ›
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Lakes Festival Focus 2018: Artist and Writer David Hine
Every year, in the countdown to the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, we bring you a series of interviews with guests at the event. This “Festival Focus” for 2018 is David Hine, who has been working in comics since the… Read More ›
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Lakes Festival Focus 2018: Ian Kennedy
Every year, in the countdown to the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, we bring you a series of interviews with guests at the event. This “Festival Focus” for 2018 is Ian Kennedy, a British comic artist whose work most downthetubes… Read More ›
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Comics Research Hub Launches at London College of Communication
Leading comics scholars, including Dr Ian Horton (of the Applied Comics Network), Dr Ian Hague (Comics and the Senses), Dr Nina Mickwitz (Documentary Comics) and Professor Roger Sabin (Adult Comics: An Introduction), have launched a new research hub focusing on… Read More ›
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Carlos Ezquerra: His Early Comics Work for Wizard
While Judge Dredd co-creator Carlos Ezquerra, who died this week, is well known for his work on 2000AD, he worked for other publishers, including Commando and Beano DC Thomson, which once published many more titles than they do today. One… Read More ›
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Lakes Festival Focus 2018: Kaisa Leka
Every year, in the countdown to the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, we bring you a series of interviews with guests at the event. This “Festival Focus” for 2018 is Kaisa Leka, a Finnish comics artist and adventurer who, together… Read More ›
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Lakes Festival Focus 2018: Drew Marr, the Festivals’s youngest ever exhibitor?
Every year, in the countdown to the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, we bring you a series of interviews with guests at the event. This “Festival Focus” for 2018 is possibly the event’s youngest exhibitor ever, Drew Marr from Dundee, Scotland… Read More ›
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Comichaus and British Library Team Up to preserve digital comics
Creators and publishers in the UK can now use the Comichaus database site to not only submit their digital comics to the Comichaus app – but with one click they can also send a copy to the British Library for… Read More ›
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Lakes Festival Focus 2018: Writer and Illustrator Owen Michael Johnson
Every year, in the countdown to the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, we bring you a series of interviews with guests at the event. This “Festival Focus” for 2018 is Owen Michael Johnson, a writer and illustrator who grew up… Read More ›
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Beano Studios announces Rocket Licensing as UK Licensing Agent
Beano Studios has announced the appointment of Rocket Licensing as their UK licensing agent and Angeles Blanco’s promotion to Director of Global Licensing. Rocket Licensing – whose clients also include US comics publisher Valiant Entertainment, MGM and Sony Pictures –… Read More ›
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Arthur Ranson signing tonight celebrates 10 years of exhibitions at London’s Orbital Comics
The Mazeworld signing and launch of The Art of Arthur Ranson exhibition is on tonight at Orbital Comics, London. The deluxe new edition of Mazeworld from Rebellion Publishing collects the entire dark fantasy he created with Alan Grant, and was… Read More ›
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Hammer Horror set to hit the High Street!
Aisle19 Solutions is to bring classic Hammer Horror style to the British high street, thanks to its new partnership with the British film studio, and its first port of call is Topman and Topshop. Aisle19 Solutions has secured the rights… Read More ›