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.
-
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 ›
-
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 ›
-
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 ›
-
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 ›
-
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 ›
-
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 ›
-
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 ›
-
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 ›
-
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 ›
-
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 ›
-
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 ›
-
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 ›
-
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 ›
-
The 2018 Scream and Misty Special – Cover Artist Spotlight!
Rebellion are offering pre-orders of this year’s Scream & Misty Special, no doubt acutely aware that newsagents didn’t carry enough stock of last year’s edition, which included first sight of the heroes now starring in the much more widely-distributed superhero special, The… Read More ›
-
Roy of the Rovers – new book covers revealed, pre-order launch offer bargain on offer
Rebellion have revealed the covers to the new Roy of the Rovers books: Tom Palmer’s Scouted, on sale in October, and Rob Williams’ Kick-Off, out in November. The first book to hit the shelves is Scouted by Tom Palmer, an… Read More ›
-
Topps 80th anniversary cards prove almost as collectible as the originals
If you remember the fun collecting bubble gum cards from younger days, then you may already know card company Topps is celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2018, and to commemorate the occasion, they’re issuing weekly exclusives on their website –… Read More ›
-
Sequart Releases Book on Star Wars Expanded Universe
Sequart has announced the publication of A More Civilized Age: Exploring the Star Wars Expanded Universe, edited by Rich Handley and Joseph F. Berenato. Almost as soon as there were Star Wars films, there were Star Wars novels. Alan Dean Foster got the ball rolling,… Read More ›
-
I Kill Giants and Deadpool writer Joe Kelly talks to the Lakes International Comic Art Festival Podcast
One of the creators of Ben 10 and the writer of the magnificent I Kill Giants, Joe Kelly is the guest on the latest episode of the Lakes International Comic Art Festival Podcast. Joe, who returns to the Lakes International… Read More ›
-
Big robots and super villains in this week’s 2000AD, a new Megazine – and The Vigilant, too! It’s a busy week from Rebellion
The latest issue of 2000AD is on sale now (alongside the latest Judge Dredd Megazine and The Vigliant) in all good newsagents and comics shops (and digitally), with a dramatic cover from Kei Zama coloured by Kelly Fitzpatrick, highlighting some… Read More ›
-
Creating Jack Campbell’s Lost Fleet – Corsair comic: some unseen designs and behind the scenes reveals
Go behind the scenes on Titan’s Lost Fleet comic