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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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 ›
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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 ›
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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 ›
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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 ›
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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 ›
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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 ›
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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 ›
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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 ›
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Chris Weston’s The Prisoner comic cover revealed
Titan Comics has partnered with print and poster house Vice Press to create a Diamond UK exclusive cover for The Prisoner Issue #1. This first-ever Vice Press exclusive cover for The Prisoner Issue #1 – designed by 2000AD and Star… Read More ›
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First “My Neighbour” Podcast focuses on Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
The team behind the Lakes International Comic Art Festival Podcast have launched a “sister” Podcast, My Neighbour, which will focus on a specific Studio Ghibli movie every episode. For those perhaps unaware, Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation film studio… Read More ›
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In Praise of… artist Joseph Clement Coll – a downthetubes journey
One of the things taught Marvel UK’s Editorial Director Paul Neary and others have taught me down the years is to look beyond the work of the current “hot” artist and realise that their influences can help shape others. Paul,… Read More ›
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Meet “The Last Of The Navel Navigators”, a fun fantasy for kids of all ages (well, 9 and up!)
The Last Of The Navel Navigators, a new project from David Hailwood (editor of 100% Biodegradable and my co-writer on “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”), is out now! Featuring a cover by Brett Burbridge, the children’s book – a comedy… Read More ›
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Charlotte Dumortier revealed as ELCAF 2018 artist in residence
Belgian illustrator Charlotte Dumortier has been announced as the East London Comic Art Festival’s artist in residence 2018. ELCAF – London’s biggest annual festival dedicated to showcasing the best in comics, illustration, sequential art, and storytelling – returns 22nd –… Read More ›
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The Editor’s Cut: Kirsten Murray reveals how the Commando war comic celebrated International Women’s Day
Earlier this month, DC Thomson released two very special issues of their war comic, Commando, which focused on female heroes. Published on International Women’s Day, the stories were commissioned by Heritage Brands Editor Kirsten Murray and marked something of an… Read More ›
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Beano Studios unveils 2019 Beano Annual cover, out in August
Over on Twitter, Beano Studios has revealed the covers of Beano Annual 2019, a title that usually goes on sale around August each year. After the news of problems at DC Thomson-owned Parragon Books earlier this month, it’s great to know this… Read More ›
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Latest Lakes International Comic Art Festival Podcast spotlights North American Conventions and more
The Lakes International Comic Art Festival Podcast does like to treat its many listeners, and with Episode 24 they’ve included two great interviews that turn the spotlight on the world of North American comic conventions. First, the team have a chat… Read More ›
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WebFind: Terry Posters, an incredible Czechoslovakian poster site
A project by Prague-based Kino Svetozor, the Terry Posters collection consists of over 20,000 posters from Czechoslovakia between 1930 and 1989, many offered for sale. There’s amazing art represented here by a huge range of influential talents,, including Karel Vaca,… Read More ›
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Marvel’s Incredible Hulk slams Blackpool tram! New exhibition opens next week at Madame Tussauds Blackpool
The Incredible Hulk stopped traffic in Blackpool today – literally – as the iconic green superhero was seen apparently stopping a tram, causing dramatic scenes on the seafront. The spectacular stunt was staged by Madame Tussauds Blackpool to mark the… Read More ›
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Crowdfunding Spotlight: Borough of Churches Graphic Novel by Amrit Birdi & Adam Cheal
Writer Adam Cheal (Redemption Heights, Toxic Storm) and best-selling artist Amrit Birdi (Joe Sugg’s Username:Evie, F2’s Galaxy of Football, Assassins Creed) have teamed up to deliver a great-looking new horror comic, Borough of Churches, which is fast approaching its initial funding target… Read More ›
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Beano characters go Pop! New artworks by Horace Panter revealed
A new collaboration between the Beano and The Specials’ bassist Horace Panter is about launch the likes of Dennis, Gnasher, Minnie the Minx and Billy Whizz into the worlds of Warhol, Lichtenstein and Hockney. After yesterday’s news that Dennis was… Read More ›