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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Saturation Point: Have We Got Too Many Comic Cons?
I was very sorry to hear yesterday that Jeff Chahal, organiser of the highly-regarded, comics-focused NICE convention in Bedford, has reluctantly decided to cancel his 2017 event – although he hopes to be action next year. The decision followed news… Read More ›
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2015 Winter Flood Stories inspire powerful new Lakes Festival Comics Exhibition, “Five Bridges”
Ahead of Kendal’s Lakes International Comic Art Festival this weekend (14th – 16th October), some of the event’s Exhibitions are now open, with others to follow on 12th October. Beatrix Potter Reimagined, which runs until 28th October 2016 is open now at Kendal Library, as are Making… Read More ›
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IDW picks up English rights to David Foenkinos “Lennon”, adapted by Eric Corbeyran and Horne
The year was 1975 and an ex-Beatle, at the height of his fame, chose New York City to raise his young family, setting career, adoring fans, and creative contemporaries aside. Just five years later, John Lennon was dead. Now, US… Read More ›
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Sneak Peek: Madius Comics shakes up the latest Papercuts & Inkstains (#6)
There’s something strange, in your neighbourhood, who’s to blame? Probably the smashing independent comics publisher Madius Comics, who are back with another spine-busting, game-changing, fist-pumping mega issue of Papercuts & Inkstains, wrapped in cover by Angela Sprecher, who has conjured up a… Read More ›
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2000AD’s Tom Foster among first guests announced for Malta Comic Con 2016
Following quickly on the announcement of the dates for this year’s Malta Comic Con, organisers Wicked Comics have unveiled the official poster for the event and their first guests, who include 2000AD artist Tom Foster and Southern Nightgown artist Collette… Read More ›
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Cor! By Gum! It’s a Comiket loads of comic creators – in Woking… Tomorrow!
Not only is the Cor! By Gum! Zarjaz! exhibition at The Lightbox in Woking (reviewed here) going great guns, but tomorrow (Saturday 8th October) sees the venue hosting a sparkling Comica Comiket – followed, as we reported earlier in the week,… Read More ›
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Titan Comics announces new Dan Dare title
Hot on the tail of the entirely separate Dan Dare Audio Adventures, Titan Comics has just announced a new Dan Dare comic at New York Comic Con. The creative team has not been revealed. Talking about the new title, which will… Read More ›
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Titan Comics Announces Jack Campbell’s “Lost Fleet: Corsair”
Titan Comics has announced the upcoming release of an all-new comic series based on the New York Times best selling Lost Fleet SF novels written by best-selling author Jack Campbell, pencilled by Andre Siregar, inked by Bambang Irawan and coloured by Sebastian Cheng. I’d best… Read More ›
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Disruptor Beam Announces The Walking Dead: March to War Mobile Game
Disruptor Beam, a gaming company focused on bringing the world’s greatest entertainment franchises to mobile, has announced its plans to release a new story-driven multiplayer strategy game based on The Walking Dead. Under license from Skybound Entertainment and based on… Read More ›
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Sean Phillips’ Phono+Graphic Exhibition opens in Carlisle
The hugely successful Phono+Graphic exhibition curated by comics artist Sean Phillips arrives in Carlisle next week. Phono+Graphic is a collection (including some real rarities) of vinyl record sleeves designed by comic strip artists. The exhibition previewed at last year’s Lakes… Read More ›
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Holy Showcase! Dark Hall Mansion release stunning “Batman ’66” prints
Dark Hall Mansion has just launched its amazing officially licensed 2016 NY Comic Con “Batman ’66” editions by contemporary artists, Kode Abdo, aka BossLogic, and Orlando Arocena, in partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products on behalf of DC Entertainment. Kode… Read More ›
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Game of Thrones meets Walking Dead in new play “North Country”
A new play by a Lancaster University lecturer in creative writing explores the lives of three young people as they deal with the aftermath of a devastating plague. Playwright Tajinder Singh Hayer‘s new work North Country is performed by award-winning… Read More ›
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Something For the Weekend – Killer Dinosaurs in This Week’s New Comics in the UK (w/c 3rd October 2016)
Despite all the excitement of last week’s sell-out 2000AD prog 2000, don’t be thinking the team on the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic are resting on tier laurels! Prog 2001 offers a fine mix this issue, which includes a new Judge Dredd… Read More ›
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Midnight Missions and Pony Soldiers! New Commandos ride out
Here’s our regular intel on the latest issues of DC Thomson’s war comic Commando (Issues 4959 – 4962) – on sale from 6th October 2016 in all good newsagents and various digital platforms. By the way, our secret agents tell… Read More ›
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Enjoy a taste of the macabre with celebrated Lancaster author AS Chambers this Hallowe’en
A.S.Chambers, Lancaster’s master of the macabre (and one of Lancaster Comics Day’s most fervent supporters), will be making a special appearance at Lancaster Library this Hallowe’en weekend. On the 29th October he will be holding a one off event, where he will… Read More ›
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CBBC orders “Dennis & Gnasher: Unleashed!” from Beano Studios
Beano Studios, the business behind the relaunch of the Beano as a global entertainment network, is announcing its first TV commission, with the Dennis & Gnasher: Unleashed series (52 x 11 minute episodes) due to air on CBBC in late… Read More ›
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Dr Gale, Mrs Peel, Tara King… We’re Needed – on New Avengers Posters!
Following the success of last year’s pop art featuring The Avengers John Steed and Mrs Peel, Art & Hue‘s collection has been expanded to include fellow spies Cathy Gale (played on screen by Honor Blackman) and Tara King (Linda Thorson) as… Read More ›
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Titan Comics Takes Manhattan!
This New York Comic-Con (6th – 9th October), Britain’s Titan Comics is bringing its largest-ever offering of thrilling debuts, NYCC variants and special appearances from a host of creators including Hard Case Crime founder Charles Ardai, novelist and Peepland writer Christa Faust, and comic writers Paul Cornell (The Third Doctor), Si Spurrier (The Eleventh… Read More ›
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Crowdfunding Spotlight: Mirabilis – Year of Wonders by Dave Morris and Leo Hartas
Many downthetubes readers will recall Mirabilis: Year of Wonders – a wonderful, beautifully written and realised graphic novel project by Dave Morris and Leo Hartas, which first debuted in The DFC and which Print Media Productions planned to publish as a series graphic albums. Sadly,… Read More ›
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By Gum! It’s Dan Dare (and Flamer Spry) at Woking’s Lightbox
As part of The Story of British Comics So Far exhibition at The Lightbox in Woking, Surrey, Peter Hampson, son of Dan Dare co-creator Frank Hampson, will be talking with Paul Gravett on Saturday 8th October 2016, straight after a day-long “Comiket” event produced in… Read More ›