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.
-
In Review: 2000AD Prog 2065
The latest issue of 2000AD, on sale now in all good newsagents and comic shops, continues to stoke up the fires for all its protagonists, with some particularly grim outlooks for the ABC Warriors and Savage – and Dredd isn’t… Read More ›
-
Artist and writer Nick Brokenshire joins Star Wars Adventures creators
Artist Nick Brokenshire, whose credits include IDW’s Amelia Cole series and The Once and Future Queen for Dark Horse Comics, is the latest creator to work on IDW’s all-ages Star Wars Adventures title. He’s both written and drawn a story… Read More ›
-
Saga, Walking Dead top 2017 comic store books sales chart
Diamond Book Distributors has announced the top 25 best-selling graphic novels from publishers they distribute to comic shops through 2017, based on sales data gathered from their retailer network and retail partners – and it looks like US publisher Image Comics… Read More ›
-
Crowdfunding Spotlight: Sliced Quarterly Volume 2, the Experimental Comic Anthology
Sliced Quarterly, an experimental comic anthology, is running a crowdfunding campaign to print its second trade paperback collection. The diversity of the strips included offers a fascinating snapshot of creative talent out there in the indie field right now and… Read More ›
-
Blake’s 7 40th Anniversary marked with stunning new Inifinity magazine cover by Pete Wallbank
Happy 40th anniversary, Blake’s 7! This month marks 40 years since Terry Nation‘s SF adventure series launched on BBC1, and there’s been no shortage of celebrations – not least of them artist Pete Wallbank‘s marvellous cover art for an upcoming… Read More ›
-
In Pictures: Orbital Comics “Kirby Consciousness” Exhibition, Image Comics-inspired exhibition on now
For anyone who couldn’t get to the “Kirby Consciousness” exhibition at Orbital Comics in London, here are a few hurried snaps Richard Sheaf took the other evening, offering plenty of examples of Jack Kirby comics and artists taking their own spin on his work. In… Read More ›
-
New Year, New Commandos – on sale this week!
Brand new Commando comics from DC Thomson (Issues 5091-5094) go on sale in all good newsagents this Thursday (25th January 2018). This time out, a team of Nazi Fallinschirmjager paratroopers are in the loose in the Scottish Highlands during World War… Read More ›
-
The Force is strong in Graeme Neil Reid’s January Art Raffle!
Doctor Who and 2000AD artist Graeme Neil Reid‘s first Art Raffle of 2018 is live and there is a brother and sister (spoilers) to choose between in this Star Wars: A New Hope themed month. Graeme is a Scottish artist… Read More ›
-
British comic fanzines celebrated in style in FANSCENE – a new fanzine, of course!
I’m delighted to report the release of FANSCENE, a very special celebration of over fifty years of comics fandom in Ireland and the UK. It’s a privilege to have been asked to be part of this free mammoth publication put… Read More ›
-
Johnny Nero’s strange new adventures in India: or, how Women’s Liberation helped a comics cheat
In the third of a series of articles, publisher, comics creator and historian of Tamil comics Nathan Viswa reveals some more disturbing and bizarre instances of British comics conflagration and copyright theft on the Indian sub-continent… In the previous case… Read More ›
-
14-18 NOW “Traces of the Great War” international comic anthology announced
Kendal’s Lakes International Comic Art Festival has announced Traces of the Great War, a new and ambitious anthology publication exploring the traces and impact of the World War One on our lives today. Featuring over 20 internationally acclaimed comic artists and writers,… Read More ›
-
London’s Lever Gallery to host Sixties-inspired “Uncovered” exhibition
London’s Lever Gallery – a commercial art gallery devoted to post-war lifestyle illustration – is to showcase a selection of rare, original cover Pulp Art illustrations from the 1960s and early 70s next month. Artists selected for Uncovered: Illustrating the… Read More ›
-
2000AD-inspired Lawgiver convention returns to Bristol in May
Tickets for the 2000AD-inspired LAWGIVER 4 event at the end of May in Bristol are now on sale. “If you enjoyed 2000AD’s 40th last year,then this is the convention you want to be at this year,” say the organisers of… Read More ›
-
Could a Captain Britain TV series be back on the cards?
Updated 16:36: Could a possible barrier to a Captain Britain TV series now have been put behind the team who were working on such a “Producer’s Pitch” for such a project, back in 2016? Well, forgive us in advance if… Read More ›
-
Sneak Peek: Wild’s End: Journey’s End by Dan Abnett and INJ Culbard, out in June
BOOM! Studios has announced Wild’s End: Journey’s End, a full-length graphic novel conclusion to the celebrated, anthropomorphic SF trilogy, will be released in June 2018. Written by Dan Abnett (Guardians of the Galaxy, Aquaman Rebirth) and illustrated by INJ Culbard… Read More ›
-
Star Wars: The Last Jedi Art Director Kevin Jenkins joins Portsmouth Comic Con line-up
With the news that Star Wars: The Last Jedi was the biggest film at the UK and Irish box office in 2017, Portsmouth’s newest Comic Con has announced that ILM London’s supervising art director Kevin Jenkins will be attending the… Read More ›
-
In Review: Mockingbird: Nightmare on Another Planet by Flix Gillett
By Flix Gillett Self Published – Limited Print Run 128 Pages The Book: 128 pages of Mockingbird’s space adventures, collecting the first three issues of Space: Out of this World with an additional 35 plus pages (that would have been… Read More ›
-
Acclaimed Spainish comic artist Luis García Mozos retrospective exhibition announced
Spanish cartoonist, editor, illustrator and painter Luis García Mozos – perhaps best known in the UK for his work for Warren Publishing on titles like Creepy – has just confirmed the wonderful news that he is going to have a… Read More ›
-
More early Marvel UK art goes under the hammer at Heritage Auctions, alongside iconic US Amazing Spider-Man cover
Following up on our report on how some art created for British comics helped Heritage Auctions profits soar in 2017, a number of early Marvel UK published pieces go under the hammer next month as part of their upcoming auction… Read More ›
-
Webfinds: The Forbidden Planet the Movie Facebook Group
There are some movies that stick in your head your whole life and for me (and George Lucas, Gene Roddenberry and so many, many more), one of them has to be Forbidden Planet. One of the most American SF movies… Read More ›