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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Jim Alexander and Will Pickering’s SF project “Savant” lands in Dark Horse Presents
Savant, a comic strip originally published by British small-press publisher Planet Jimbot, is to be serialised from March onwards in multi-Eisner award-winning Dark Horse Presents. Introducing Lode from the planet Savant, having gone walkabout around the universe, she chooses to… Read More ›
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Dark Horse Comics announces “Lead Poisoning: The Pencil Art of Geof Darrow”
Geof Darrow’s slick, precise inks and stunning detail have amazed comics fans for decades, from his early work with Moebius to Hard Boiled, his first collaboration with Frank Miller, to the overwhelming success of his current series, The Shaolin Cowboy…. Read More ›
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Doctor Who artist Mike Collins on board for “Apollo” graphic novel from SelfMadeHero
Doctor Who and Star Trek artist Mike Collins – not to be confused with NASA astronaut Michael Collins in this instance – is working on Apollo, a new graphic novel about the manned moon missions on the 1960s and early… Read More ›
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In Review: Future Shock! 40 Years of 2000AD – Cartoon Museum Exhibition
The 2000AD 40th Anniversary exhibition is open now at London’s Cartoon Museum – and Richard Sheaf was at the opening night… The idea to hold a 2000AD exhibition at London’s Cartoon Museum came about 12 months ago when Steve Marchant… Read More ›
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Revised Thrill-Power Overload Out Next Month
Revised and expanded, a new edition of Thrill-Power Overload – the definitive history of one of the world’s most influential comics – is coming to book stores in February. With more than 140 pages of fresh content, the brand new… Read More ›
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New Dan Dare Audio Adventures promo released for second volume of new audio stories
This vintage-styled Dan Dare poster is the work of Midlands-based designer Sugary Tea, adapting art created by Doctor Who and Torchwood comic artist Brian Williamson. It’s been released to help promote the impending launch of The Dan Dare Audio Adventures… Read More ›
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Aces Weekly Volume 15 Now on ComiXology
The digital anthology Aces Weekly Volume 15 is now available on ComiXology. Aces Weekly is an exclusively digital comic art magazine featuring some of the world’s finest creators of comic art. Comic artist and publisher David Lloyd has gathered professionals from around… Read More ›
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Roy of the Rovers editor and “Scorer” writer Barrie Tomlinson confirmed for Lancaster Comics Day 2017
Roy of the Rovers and Tiger editor Barrie Tomlinson has been announced as a guest of Lancaster Comics Day 2017 (Sunday 11th June) – making a very rare appearance at a comics event. “It’s real Roy of the Rovers stuff!”… Read More ›
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Doctor Who and Road to Perdition artist Richard Piers Rayner to make rare convention appearance for Lancaster Comics Day 2017
Making a rare convention appearance at Lancaster Comics Day on 11th June 2017will be the Doctor Who, Hellblazer and Road to Perdition artist Richard Piers Rayner. His appearance is something of a coup, as Richard has only appeared at perhaps as many as three comic conventions in the… Read More ›
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Roy of the Rovers artist David Sque Sunderland AFC print released
We recently highlighted the terrific work of Roy of the Rovers artist David Sque in our review of The Rise of the Invincibles, the graphic novel account of the early days of Preston North End. Now, David is working on a… Read More ›
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Call For Papers: Documenting Trauma: Comics and the Politics of Memory Symposium, Oxford
The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities (TORCH), which offers the city’s humanities scholars to collaborate with researchers across other disciplines, and institutions, has issued a Call For Papers for a day-long symposium to be hosting here in Oxford on 22nd June 2017. (The… Read More ›
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Sabotage Stories and Pirate Patrols in the new Commando comics!
Here’s the lowdown on the latest issues of DC Thomson’s Commando (Issues 4987 – 4990). These issues are on sale from Thursday 26th January 2017 in all good newsagents and on various digital outlets. Commando 4987 – Operation Arrowhead Story:… Read More ›
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Call for Papers for a Special issue Authorship: Comics and Authorship (deadline 31st July 2017)
The open-access journal Authorship has issued a Call for Papers around the subject of Comics and Authorship. Here are the details… The comic book, recently legitimized through the graphic novel phenomenon while remaining anchored in popular culture, can provide unique… Read More ›
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Jack Kirby to be celebrated in new book “Kirby & Me” as centenary looms
A crowdfunding project to fund a new book celebrating the life of Jack Kirby is gathering pace, which if successful, will include contributions from British comic creators such as Brendan McCarthy and John McCrea, as well as a host of internationally-accliamed… Read More ›
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The Independent celebrates modern British comics, offers Phoenix subscriber deal, UK news stand distribution costs revealed
British newspaper The Indpendent has published an upbeat article on modern British comics such as The Phoenix, which includes comments from Lew Stringer, Jamie Smart and Phoenix editor Tom Fickling. Written by David Barnett, the article (“How classic comics gave way to garish… Read More ›
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Celebrating “ABC Film Review”, Boys Adventure Blog spotlights the Dan Dare and other comic strips the magazine published
When news that the last ever ABC cinema has closed reached the ears of downthetubes writer Richard Sheaf, he began a series of features on its inhouse magazine, ABC Film Review, over on the Boys Adventure Blog, spotlighting some of the… Read More ›
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London’s Barbican Gallery announces “Into the Unknown”, summer SF exhibition and events
(with thanks to Richard Sheaf): London’s Barbican Gallery has revealed details of its upcoming “Into the Unknown” exhibition, which opens in June 2017, and includes comics in in its content. One of the most celebrated fields in popular culture, science… Read More ›
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This year’s DCA Thomson Exhibition inspired by Beano, Commando, features new Ian Kennedy art
Celebrating the 80th anniversary of The Broons and Oor Wullie, Dundee Contemporary Arts is hosting a unique group exhibition in partnership with DC Thomson, in which six artists have each created playful responses to the publisher’s extensive comic archives. The exhibition features… Read More ›
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“Rourke of the Radlands” returns via 100% Biodegradable shapes up
Back in the early 1990s, myself and now Wonder Woman artist Liam Sharp co-created “Rourke of the Radlands“, who has only, to date, appeared in Marvel UK’s STRIP anthology (Issue Four). As I previously mentioned here, the response to the… Read More ›
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Tributes to comics artist John Watkiss, who has died, from fellow creators and fans
I’m sorry to report the passing of the hugely/talented British film and comics artist John Watkiss, whose most recent comics work was Surgeon X from Image. He was 55. A very private man, he had been ill for some time…. Read More ›