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.
-
Jessica Martin talks career and creating comics with Doctor Who: Panel to Panel
Episode #97 of Jeremy Bement’s Doctor Who: Panel to Panel is live and its focus is actress, singer and comic artist Jessica Martin, best known to many Doctor Who fans as Mags from The Greatest Show in the Galaxy. She’ll be… Read More ›
-
Dark Horse’s New Series Journeys Into “The Quantum Age”
Dark Horse has announced the next adventure in Jeff Lemire and Dean Ormston’s beloved Black Hammer universe, The Quantum Age: From the World of Black Hammer. The Quantum Age follows Sherlock Frankenstein & The Legion of Evil and Doctor Star… Read More ›
-
Two chances to win a Star Wars themed original painting!
Things are a little different this month with Graeme Neil Reid’s Art Raffle. The biggest difference being the huge selection of paintings to chose from but also this month there are two winners – but you need to be quick to be… Read More ›
-
IDW announces new Star Trek: The Next Generation series, Terra Incognita
After the success of Star Trek: The Next Generation: Mirror Broken, which introduced the alternate “Mirror” villainous version of the U.S.S. Enterprise crew to comics, and the excitement around the upcoming five-week mega-event Star Trek: The Next Generation: Through The… Read More ›
-
Dundee’s McManus Gallery becomes the McMenace Gallery as Beano celebrates 80th anniversary
Beano Studios and The McManus: Dundee’s Art Gallery & Museum will come together this summer for a bespoke exhibition dedicated to the beloved Beano characters and comic. In Beano’s 80th year, the special collaboration will see The McManus revise their… Read More ›
-
In Praise of… the Dinosaur Magic of animal artist Harry Rountree
Harry Rountree (1878 – 26 September 1950) was a prolific illustrator, specialising in animals, who came to England from New Zealand in 1901, when he was just 23 years old – and even today, his work as an animal artist… Read More ›
-
Crouch End set to go comic crazy as CECAF returns in June
9th June 2018 sees the return of CECAF (Crouch End Cartoon Arts Festival), once again taking place at the Earl Haig Hall, London. CECAF will host the best and brightest cartoonists and independent publishers from the UK comics scene, including… Read More ›
-
London’s Cartoon Museum celebrates the world of British cartoons and comics with “50 Glorious Shows!”
In February 2018, London’s Cartoon Museum celebrated twelve years at 35 Little Russell Street, during which time it has put on 50 exhibitions of cartoons, comics, caricature, graphic novels and animation. 50 Glorious Shows! is the museum’s 51st exhibition at… Read More ›
-
Bigger, bolder and banging onto your radar – the new 100% Biodegradable, on sale now!
The latest issue of the ace digital comics anthology 100% Biodegradable – the biggest issue yet featuring a cover by Edward R. Norden – is available now from Comicsy! (Declared bias alert – I’m co-writer on “Skow Dogs” with editor… Read More ›
-
In Pictures: Marvel Superheroes storm Madame Tussauds Blackpool (in an unlikely “Love Island” crossover!)
Madame Tussauds Blackpool launched its epic new Marvel Superheroes addition at a VIP-filled launch this week, and I was lucky enough to be there on the night… Truth to tell, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect of the event… Read More ›
-
Site Gremlins!
Our apologies to regular downthetubes readers for significant site down time on Friday this week. We’re in the process of re-designing the site, but unfortunately some “under the bonnet” changes caused a number of issues resulting in a loss of… Read More ›
-
Lakes International Comic Art Festival announces second wave of guests for October
The Lakes International Comic Art Festival has announced more guests for its Festival weekend in Kendal (12th – 14th October 2018), who include veteran British comics artist Ian Kennedy and New Yorker illustrator Stanley Chow. The latest guests revealed are Steven Appleby,… Read More ›
-
Paul Shipper Studio provides new Thunderbirds Are Go Poster as new season launches
Thunderbirds Are Go returns Saturday 31st March at 8.30am exclusively on CITV and ITV – and ITV has marked the launch of a third season with a new poster. The art is the work of illustrator Paul Shipper, whose recent… Read More ›
-
Feuding footballers and a jinxed bomber haunt this week’s new Commando comics!
Brand new Commando (Issues 5107 – 5110) are on sale this Thursday (22nd March 2018). Go toe to toe with our feuding footballers, survive a flight in a jinxed Lancaster bomber, hold off Iraqi patrols in the Kuwait desert, and beat… Read More ›
-
Doug Braithwaite “Paradise X” art, and other British artists, feature in latest ComicLink auction list
Auction house Comic Link have some interesting art coming up for auction soon that includes a number of British artists, some noted below. Fellow artist David Roach spotted this mightily impressive spread from Marvel’s Paradise X by Doug Braithwaite, inked with… Read More ›
-
Approved by The Bureau for Fictional Alignment – Mike French’s new illustrated novel gets an unusual video trailer
Writer Mike French, the writer behind the much-praised illustrated novel An Android Awakes has a sequel, Fictional Alignment, out soon – and have just released an unusual video trailer, created by Joshua Hudson. Fictional Alignment, launching in paperback in April from Alnpete… Read More ›
-
Electric Sheep: Audio Dramatics celebrates Doctor Who and Hitchhiker’s Guide Audio Anniversaries
Continuing the new hour-long series Electric Sheep: Audio Dramatics on Resonance FM in which Alex Fitch talks to creators of audio dramas that have been broadcast on radio or released on CD and MP3 download, “Sci-Fi Anniversaries” celebrates two landmarks for… Read More ›
-
Crowdfunding Spotlight: Hatch – The Next Day by Glenn B. Fleming (Reprise)
Comics creator and publisher Glenn B. Fleming has restarted his crowdfunding appeal to get a collection of his Hatch stories funded – but this time on IndieGogo, after behind the scenes problems that are, quite frankly, enough to make any… Read More ›
-
Comic Scene UK, new British comics magazine, launches web site, reveals first issue line up
Comic Scene UK, the new magazine for people who love comics, launches 1st May 2018 in print and digital format. Celebrating all that is great about comics over twenty top quality writers and contributors, including the creator of 2000AD Pat… Read More ›
-
On Sale This Week: 2000AD 2073 – New Readers Start Here!
There’s a treat in store for 2000AD readers this week – the 48-page Prog 2073 offering five new stories, all starting this issue and offering a perfect “jumping on” point for both new and lapsed fans of the Galaxy’s Greatest… Read More ›