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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Coming Up from Black Mask Studios: a stylish crime thriller, “Snap Flash Hustle”
Our thanks to ace letterer Jim Campbell for highlighting Snap Flash Hustle, a new comic from written by Pat Shand, with art by Emily Pearson. Jim’s lettering this four-issue series from Black Mask Studios, a comic book and graphic novel publishing… Read More ›
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#ForDarwyn
Over on some social media platforms, there’s been a storm about the appropriation of the memory ofAmerican comic creator Darwyn Cooke, and the subsequent utterly inappropriate and thoroughly distasteful attacks on his widow. Rightly, voices on both sides of the rage around… Read More ›
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Taschen’s “Walt Disney’s Disneyland” a visual treat
Specialist publisher Taschen has just released a stunning look back at the origins of Disneyland in Walt Disney’s Disneyland by Chris Nichols, a visual history of the world’s magic megalopolis. Walt Disney dreamed for decades about opening the ultimate entertainment venue, but… Read More ›
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All-ages Family Fun ahead at this year’s Lakes International Comic Art Festival
The Lakes International Comic Art Festival has some big plans for family fun at this year’s weekend-long celebration of all things comic related, working hand in hand with the team at Westmorland Shopping Centre in Kendal to deliver some full-on creative craziness. Drawing challenges,… Read More ›
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ComicScene UK distribution expands, now available through all British comic shops
While the team behind the new ComicScene UK magazine may have only planned that the title be subscription only when they launched it, everything has changed – rapidly. After releasing a brilliant promotional #0 earlier this year, the magazine caught… Read More ›
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Graeme Neil Reid joins the distinguished league of Commando cover artists for “The Red Devil” sniper adventure
2000AD and Doctor Who artist Graeme Neil Reid joins the ranks of Commando cover artists this week, when four new war comics go on sale this Thursday in all good newsagents and via various digital platforms. The stories in Issues… Read More ›
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League of Extraordinary Gentlemen finale continues in October, new omnibus edition out next year
Echoing British girls comics of the 1960s and 70s, Kevin O’Neill‘s fantastic cover for the third jaw-dropping instalment of his and Alan Moore’s astonishing League of Extraordinary Gentlemen swan-song The Tempest takes us from a boarding school in Big Brother-dominated… Read More ›
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Crowdfunding Spotlight: Sherlock Holmes: Adventures Beyond the Canon
There’s still a few more days to back Belanger Books latest project, Sherlock Holmes: Adventures Beyond the Canon, a three volume collection of new Sherlock Holmes stories by today’s best pastiche authors and inspired by Doyle’s original tales. Sherlock Holmes… Read More ›
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24 PANELS Anthology creator line-up revealed, includes Alex de Campi, Paul Cornell, Lizz Lunney, Alan Moore and Melinda Gebbie, and many others
US comics publisher Image Comics has announced more details of the forthcoming 24 PANELS Anthology, the charity comics project curated by Kieron Gillen (THE WICKED + THE DIVINE, PHONOGRAM) we highlighted earlier this year when a call for submissions went out…. Read More ›
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Lakes Festival Focus 2018: Judge Dredd and Rok of the Reds co-creator John Wagner
Every year, in the countdown to the Lakes International Comic Art Festival we bring you a series of interviews with guests at the event. Over 70 are attending in 2018 in October (and that’s not including creators you’ll find in… Read More ›
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In Preview: ‘Close’ by Chris Sides and Chris Travell
Written by Chris Sides Art by Chris Travell Lettered and Edited by Ken Reynolds Cover design and art by Colin Lorimer Published by Comichaus The Story: Given six months in prison and slapped with a restraining order against celebrity starlet… Read More ›
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A Trip down Memory Lane: Forbidden Planet’s 40th Anniversary Photo Archive
Forbidden Planet‘s archive of many signings across 40 years of events at the London store and beyond is proving an absolute delight – but they’d welcome more images from halcyon days if you have them. Now available on the forbiddenplanet.com… Read More ›
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New bookazine celebrates Minnie the Minx at 65!
DC Thomson is celebrating 65 years of the Beano‘s Minnie the Minx with a new 68 page special, Minnie – 65 Years of Minxing. The bookazine format title, which will be released in October, covers everything, from the story of… Read More ›
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Golden Age US comics prove a rich source of new shirt design for Funthropology.com
Startup company 2C Comics, game producer and now retailer, has launched its online retail store, Funthropology.com, offering over 350 different shirt designs featuring images from hundreds of meticulously-restored vintage art pieces from the golden era of US comic books. “I had… Read More ›
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British Comic Sales Figures, Winners and Losers (January – June 2018): Beano on the rise, Peppa Pig continues to party to high sales
Report by John Freeman and Jeremy Briggs The latest sales figures for some comics and children’s magazines available on the UK news stand for the first half of 2018 have been published by the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC). There are winners… Read More ›
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Screenwriter Richard Dinnick faces the Doctor Who Panel to Panel mind probe
Episode 102 of Doctor Who: Panel to Panel is live – and has a decidedly Thirteenth Doctor flavour. Writer Richard Dinnick joins host Jeremy Bement on the Doctor Who comics podcast to chat about the upcoming Thirteenth Doctor Volume 0… Read More ›
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Soaring Penguin Press brings in new director, announces new Canadian office
Soaring Penguin Press, publisher of the anthology Meanwhile and a range of graphic novels that includes Emma Vieceli and Malin Ryder’s BREAKS, has a new director. The independent publisher has made an offer to Eisner-nominated writer and editor Tim Pilcher to join… Read More ›
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Comic Book Postal Auctions latest offering launched, includes original Beano, Dandy art
Comic Book Postal Auctions has just launched their August / September auction – and there are some great British comics offerings, including original art from the Beano, and The Dandy – and rare copies of early appearances of Dick Boss,… Read More ›
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Crowdfunding Spotlight: TechnoFreak by Sunday Lunch Comics
TechnoFreak is a great-looking adult-leaning scifi noir project running on Kickstarter from British creators John Charles and Barry May, with art by Tom Newell lettered by Nikki Foxrobot, which has already met its target – so back it now if you… Read More ›
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Fancy The Beano Annual From Your Year? Personalised facsimiles now available
Signature Gifts are now offering Beano readers personalised, facsimile reprints of every Beano annual from the very first one, published in 1940 – right up to 2013. The Beano Annual From Your Year is a fantastic nostalgic gift, with each… Read More ›