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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London’s Orbital Comics to host “Treasury of British Comics” exhibition
London’s Orbital Comics welcomes 2000AD publisher Rebellion Publishing to the Orbital Gallery in a celebration of their imprint, The Treasury of British Comics! Rebellion have been lovingly breathing life into some of the most classic British comics of the 1970s… Read More ›
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Camille Aubry shares some “Toddler Moments”
Camille Aubry is a Bristol-based French illustrator and graphic novel artist who recently released Toddler Moments, a self-published book of cartoons about a toddler and his mother. Camille is a keen observer, seeing any social unit as a micro-society –… Read More ›
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24 Panels charity comics project in support of Grenfell Tower survivors gathers pace
Following the successful and highly regarded 24 Stories anthology the team behind that charity project have embarked on a parallel comic book project, 24 Panels, promoting themes of hope, community, positivity and unity in aid of PTSD related needs of Grenfell Tower survivors. Edited by comic book writer and former computer… Read More ›
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Hibernia’s Fleetway Files, an incredible history of British comics, flies off the shelves!
New from independent publisher Hibernia is the brilliant The Fleetway Files, the fourth release in the publisher’s ‘Comic Archive’ series. It’s an utterly brilliant guide to the background behind some of Britain’s best-loved comics, crammed with amazing interviews and features…. Read More ›
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British Comics Mystery Artists – can you help identify them?
Across decades of British comics creation by major publishers, the names of many creators – both writers and artists – were never revealed to readers of titles that once sold in their millions. Artist and writer David Roach, author of… Read More ›
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2000AD Art Stars competition launched, offering artists chance to feature in Galaxy’s Greatest Comic
Soome of the biggest artists in comic books got their break at the legendary award-winning 2000AD – and you could be joining them! The comic’s new art competition – 2000AD Art Stars – launched last week and is inspired by the weekly SF… Read More ›
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Escaping Wars and Waves, Olivier Kugler’s powerful account of the Syrian Refugee crisis, to be published by Myriad Editions
Myriad Editions will publish Escaping War and Waves by award-winning reportage graphic artist Oliver Kugler soon, and if you’re in any way curious about the plight of refugees in the 21st century, you should buy this book. Escaping War and Waves is a… Read More ›
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New indie humour comic SPLANK! makes a splash with first issue now on sale
After a successful launch at the recent Enniskillen Comics Festival, the Belfast originated anthology comic SPLANK! , eited and published by Peter Duncan, is now available, featuring some fabulous new strips from Mike Higgs (creator of “The Cloak”, first published in… Read More ›
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Vworp Con – a new independent Doctor Who event – heads to Manchester
There’s a new dawn ahead for Doctor Who events in the UK as Manchester based ‘Vworp’ launches their first event with a bang at The Printworks on 9th September 2018 – an independent event offering an impressive looking line up… Read More ›
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Cartoon Museum launches Life on London Streets, a cartoon competition
In the 1960s, cartoonist Ralph Steadman created the ‘New Cries of London’ – a series of cartoons published in Private Eye that depict London’s mid-century streets and their traders – the street walkers, the touts, the waiters, the cabbies. He… Read More ›
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SF action adventure “Skip Tracer” debuts in 2000AD
A terrific new series with a hot-footed new anti-hero: this week’s 2000AD unveils Skip Tracer, new SF action from Doctor Who and Supergirl writer James Peaty. Nolan Blake is a former colonial shock trooper turned tracker-for-hire for hire living in vast outer… Read More ›
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Lakes International Comic Art Festival to host Lorenzo Etherington’s “Art of Stranski” Exhibition
The Lakes International Comic Art Festival will be hosting The Art of Stranski this October, an exhibition of Lorenzo Etheringon‘s 1940s opus, Stranski. The exhibition showcases what remains of the concept art, production stills and merchandising mock-ups that once accompanied the creation of… Read More ›
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Convict Commandos back in action!
The latest issues of DC Thomson’s war comic, Commando (Issues 5123 – 5126) are on sale now! Hunt ‘wolf warriors’ with the Convict Commandos, infiltrate a POW camp full of bloodthirsty Nazi fanatics, team up with Italian partisans in the… Read More ›
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Original Tintin art by Hergé may sell for over £500,000 in Heritage’s First European Comic Art Auction
An extraordinary, 12-panel page of original Tintin art by Belgian cartoonist Hergé may sell for as much as $720,000 (over £533,400) in Heritage Auctions’ first European Comic Art Auction next month. The sale offers nearly 300 lots, including vintage artworks by… Read More ›
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Incognegro: Renaissance hardcover out in October by Mat Johnson and Warren Pleece
The hardcover edition of Incognegro: Renaissance by Mat Johnson (Loving Day, Pym) and Warren Pleece (The Invisibles, Life Sucks) is now available for preorder. Published by Dark Horse, this new novel is a perfect companion and prequel to the tenth-anniversary edition… Read More ›
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Oldham Sounds from the Lakes International Comic Art Festival Podcast!
The Lakes International Comic Art Festival Podcast took a trip out to Oldham Comic Con 2018 last weekend and landed plenty of conversations with some terrific comic creators. “We had a great time and it really was a well ran… Read More ›
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In Preview: Apollo, a stunning new graphic novel about the first Moon landing, touches down in stores next month
Out next month from SelfMadeHero is the eagerly- anticipated Apollo, written Dead Canary Comics founders Chris Baker and Matt Fitch with art by Mike Collins – and this story of the first moon landing is looking absolutely stunning. Apollo is… Read More ›
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Crowdfunding campaign on the way to bring Ken Reid’s Frankie Stein, The Nervs and more back to print
After years of waiting, fans of the brilliant cartoonist Ken Reid will be delighted to hear that an official collection of his contributions to Odhams comics of the 1960s –Wham!, Smash!, and Pow! – look set to be collected in two handsome official hardback books. The… Read More ›
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Jack & Lucy, a free comic by Rachael Smith and Jacob Phillips, tackles teen mental health issues
Jack & Lucy is a 16-page free mini comic written by Rachael Smith, illustrated by Jacob Phillips (editor of The Mancunian Way, a small-press magazine celebrating all things Manc through illustration, writing, design and photography), edited by Tim Pilcher, and designed… Read More ›
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Royal Wedding plans changed in secret, venue moves to Beanotown — and chaos ensues!
Ahead of the much-anticipated wedding of HRH Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, this week’s issue of Beano comic pays homage to the Royal couple in a satire strip – and Royalists heading to Windsor this weekend will be disappointed to… Read More ›