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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Rawhide Kid: Slap Leather exhibition opens at San Francisco’s Cartoon Art Museum
The San Francisco-based Cartoon Art Museum is celebrating the art of John Severin‘s final Marvel Comics western series, Rawhide Kid: Slap Leather, in an exhibition that will be on display from now through April 2019. Johnny Bart made his debut in… Read More ›
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ROK Comics action series “Team M.O.B.I.L.E.” returns – and this time around, it’s in print!
Working with Antarctic Press, digital comics publisher ROK Comics, now based in the United States, is back in action – delivering its flagship title Team M.O.B.I.L.E. to comic shops. The first of an initial three-issue mini series, based on a… Read More ›
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Happy Birthday, Thomas & Friends – 30 Years Young!
The UK’s biggest specialist children’s publisher, Egmont Publishing, is celebrating the 30th birthday of Thomas & Friends magazine with licensing partner Mattel. The title is based on the popular railway stories by Reverend Wilbert Awdry (who I met as a youngster… Read More ›
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Avery Hill Publishing reveal four new graphic novels for 2019
Avery Hill Publishing have announced details of four new publications for 2019 – new projects from Claire Scully and George Wylesol, and debut authors Shanti Rai and Scott Jason Smith
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Roy of the Rovers gets his own app
Good news for those of you who can’t get enough of Rebellion’s Roy of the Rovers reboot – there’s an app out now, too!
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Charity Auction offers 30 comic artworks by Bisley, Jock, McCrea and many more
The latest People First Merseyside Charity Auction, which ends Saturday 8th December, is offering 30 unique pieces of original comic art from some of the top names in comics to raise money for people with learning difficulties
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The Future’s Here: 2000AD Prog 2110 is on sale now
With a smashing cove from Chris Weston, the final regular issue of 2000AD – Prog 2110 – for 2018 is on sale now, and several of the current stories reach a momentous conclusion. It all kicks off, however, with Rory McConville… Read More ›
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Dan Dare creator Frank Hampson centenary exhibition opens in Ewell, Surrey
One hundred years after his birth, another exhibition commemorating Dan Dare creator Frank Hampson‘s work has just opened at Bourne Hall Museum in Ewell, Surrey. The museum just a hop and a skip from Bayford Lodge, Epsom, where he lived… Read More ›
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Tharg goes fully multimedia, announcing global film studio – in Oxfordshire
British company Rebellion, publishers of 2000AD and Judge Dredd Megazine, the creators of numerous successful computer games including Sniper Elite and more, has acquired a new facility in Oxfordshire to convert into global film studios
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Bill Sienkiewicz unpublished Big Numbers #6 cover up for auction
Bill Sienkiewicz‘s unpublished cover for the sixth issue of the Alan Moore-scripted series Big Numbers is going under the hammer over at Heritage Auctions this weekend. The story behind the creation of the ill-fated 12-issue series Big Numbers from Mad Love… Read More ›
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New Hunt Emerson exhibtion opens in Birmingham
Just opened at the Primitivo Bar in Birmingham is a fantastic exhibition of art by this year’s Sergio Aragonés International Award for Excellence in Comic Art winner Hunt Emerson, which runs until February 2019. It includes a splendid Calculus Cat silkscreen print,… Read More ›
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Striker comic battles for second round of crowdfunding
We’re almost at the end of the first 12 weekly Striker comics – and the team behind the project are back on Kickstarter to raise funds for issues 13 to 24. This time around, they’re chasing a target of £45,000… Read More ›
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Unbound’s graphic novels Commissioning Editor Lizzie Kaye latest Festival Podcast guest
The latest Lakes International Comic Art Festival Podcast co-hosted by Ian Loxam and Nikki Bates features an exclusive interview with crowdfunding publisher Unbound‘s comics and graphic novels Commissioning Editor, Lizzie Kaye. Unbound launched one of their latest graphic novels, Reel Love by Owen Michael Johnson, at this… Read More ›
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Jumping Jets! Beano’s Dennis swops his iconic jumper in a good cause this week
Ahead of the much-anticipated Save the Children Christmas Jumper Day on Friday 14th December, the Beano‘s Dennis has changed his iconic striped jumper in support of the charitable event. This week’s issue of the Beano comic encourages fans to don… Read More ›
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Joy Division Graphic Novel Arrives, Launch Party in Manchester
A special launch party for Brian Gorman’s stunning graphic novel, New Dawn Fades – A Graphic Novel About Joy Division and Manchester will be held in the city on Tuesday 4th December 2018
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Rare Al Williamson interview resurfaces thanks to Classic UK Comic Zines archive site
An influential 1960s Irish fan publication offering a fascinating interview with artist Al Williamson has just been added to the brilliant Classic UK Comic Zines archive site run by David Hathaway-Price
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A Comics Mystery: How did a street in Norwich become a location for Alberto Breccia’s “Mort Cinder”?
Inspired to buy Alberto Breccia’s Mort Cinder through the downthetubes articles by artist Ron Tiner and the urgings of artist David Roach, one of our readers came across an interesting little oddity in the art. Mort Cinder, in case you… Read More ›
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Mike Noble In Focus: “Wide World” (1962)
Following the passing of one of Britain’s best-loved and most influential comic artists, Mike Noble, who died last moth, Norman Boyd turned his attention to some of his lesser known, earlier work for the long-running adventure magazine Wide World… I… Read More ›
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Comic Book Masters: Cover Artist Giorgio De Gaspari
Italian artist Giorgio De Gaspari may be an artist unfamiliar to many downthetubes readers, but throughout the 1960s his cover art thrilled many a young comic reader of British digest titles such as Thriller Picture Library and War Picture Library…. Read More ›
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Jeff Hawke Space Gen Cards: comics inspired education!
Back in 1956, Junior Express Weekly, a weekly comic from the Daily Express, produced a batch of Jeff Hawke-inspired cards with a scientific background. The settings are those in which comic strip hero Jeff Hawke works, all with reference to… Read More ›