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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TV-inspired comics in the spotlight in latest PREVIEWS, IDW’s new M.A.S.K. title in the spotlight
The September edition of Diamond Comic Distributors’ monthly PREVIEWS catalogue arrives in comic shops on 31st August and features comic books, graphic novels, toys, and other pop culture merchandise scheduled to go on sale beginning November 2016. TV-inspired comics are… Read More ›
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Hunt Emerson has Henry VIII and Noddy Holder all Stitched Up in Walsall!
Ace comic artist Hunt Emerson has been doing designs for a series of eleven “tapestries” (not actually tapestries, but stitch-based pieces) for Walsall Silver Threads, which will all be brought together today, Saturday 20th August 2016, at the New Art Gallery… Read More ›
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Greg Tocchini, Esad Ribić and many 2000AD creators head for NICE 2016
We’ve had the brilliant NICE International Comic Convention (back for its fifth year on 3-4th of September at the Bedford Corn Exchange) on our downthetubes calendar for a while now, but here’s a more obvious reminder of the event, world renowned among comics… Read More ›
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BBC Radio 4 Celebrates 70 years of Classics Illustrated
BBC Radio 4 has been celebrating 70 years of Classics Illustrated with a special programme about the comic, broadcast earlier today, and available now through iPlayer. Marking the 70th anniversary of the comic book Classics Illustrated, actor Bill Paterson explores… Read More ›
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Sevenpenny Pirates! Action comic web site content hijacked, for reasons unknown
A quick warning for all British comic fans: the once invaluable Action comic website sevenpennynightmare is back in operation – but the domain is no longer owned by its original creator and whoever now owns it has scraped parts of the… Read More ›
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Jeff Hawke creator Sydney Jordan illustrates new SF time travel collection
Shoreline of Infinity, the Scottish SF magazine, has announced their first book release under the Shoreline of Infinity Publications banner. The Elements of Time by Duncan Long, illustrated by the legendary Sydney Jordan, features classic time travel stories from the… Read More ›
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Something for the Weekend (w/c 15th August 2016): Doctor Who, Dream Gangs, Dredd and Mind Mines, Too!
I’ve heaped plenty of praise on the fast-developing PJ Maybe -focused “Judge Dredd: Ladykiller” story (by John Wagner, Carlos Ezquerra and Annie Parkhouse) and “Scarlet Traces: Cold War” (by Ian Edginton, D’Israeli and Annie Parkhouse) in 2000AD in recent weeks in our weekly… Read More ›
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Steve MacManus, former 2000AD “Mighty One” Talks Unsolicited Submissions
Next month sees the release of The Mighty One from Rebellion, the story of editor Steve MacManus’ time as editor of 2000AD – and we’re really looking forward to reading it here at downthetubes and delighted he’s had time to write… Read More ›
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Oor Wullie creator’s house up for sale
Deadline News reports the house once owned by the creator of cartoon character, ‘Oor Wullie’, is on the market for just under £500,000. Hillbank House in Blairgowrie, Perthshire was home to Oor Wullie’s ‘father’, Robert Low, for over 30 years… Read More ›
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Graphic Short Story Prize 2016 Launches
Sharpen your pencils and wits and have a bash at entering this year’s 10th Anniversary Graphic Short Story Prize organised by The Observer, Jonathan Cape and Comica London and open to UK residents. Get working on your four-page comic and… Read More ›
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Alliigator Descartes latest Crucible Comic 3D Model Revealed
Here’s the latest Crucible comic-inspired 3D model, based on the comic characters co-created by myself and Smuzz and designed by Smuzz, who many downthetubes readers will know as SMS, one of the artists who drew “ABC Warriors” for 2000AD. Crucible started out in… Read More ›
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Crowdfunding Spotlight: Bust #3 by Dave Cook and Chris O’Toole
Creator Dave Cook dropped us a line about his latest Kickstarter appeal for Bust #3, in which a young girl holds the secret to curing a post apocalyptic world gone insane in this Mad Max-inspired comic. “Bust 3: A Sackcloth… Read More ›
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The Phoenix Comic Unbound for the Edinburgh International Book Festival
Here’s a lovely little ad for a free Edinburgh International Book Festival Unbound event in the Spiegeltent yesterday – The Phoenix Rises. Unbound revellers were treated to some late night antics from gladiatorial Gary Northfield (creator of “Julius Zebra”), caped comic crusader Laura… Read More ›
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Titan Comics Announces English language launch date for “Masked” by Serge Lehmen and Stéphane Créty
Titan Comics has just announced the upcoming launch of Masked – an English language edition of the stunning comic series first published as Masque in French by Delcort, written by author Serge Lehman (The Chimera Brigade, Metropolis) with stunning art by… Read More ›
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Striker Back in the Sun From Monday, collections confirmed
Striker – one of Britain’s longest running newspaper strips, mainly published in The Sun – returns to the paper on Monday, thanks to its fans and some hard-won negotiations behind the scenes by creator Pete Nash. The paper acknowledged the strip is… Read More ›
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This Week’s Most Read Stories on downthetubes: a Rum “Comic Run”, the Mekon, and an amazing new exhibtion
Here our are Top Five Most Read stories this week. Check out our most Recent Posts here – and thank you for reading! And don’t miss out on this week’s new comics! Comic-Con run turns sour, comic fans warned as… Read More ›
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British Comic Sales Figures: Winners and Losers (January – June 2016): TOXIC beats off sales woes
While humour and political comment magazine Private Eye is celebrating another modest increase to its circulation this week, some British comic publishers may be scratching their heads after a mixed bag of sales results were announced – but there’s still plenty of… Read More ›
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Something For the Weekend (w/c 8th August 2016): New Spider-Man, Johnny Red bows out, Nick Dyer on “Judge Anderson”
There’s changes on the UK new stand for Panini‘s Marvel Collector Editions this week with the launch of Volume 6 of Astonishing Spider-Man, on sale now in all good newsagents. A one hundred page special, priced £3.99 (higher than the previously advertised… Read More ›
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Etherington Brothers, ILYA, Sally Kindberg, McGarrys and more line up for Lakes Festival “Family Zone”
The Lakes International Comic Art Festival (14th -16th October 2016) has announced full details of its Family Zone events, most of them free for comic fans – of all ages – which include an exclusive book launch for a new… Read More ›
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Remembering “The Cartoonist”, Britain’s short-lived broadsheet comic paper
Yesterday, I did a quick interview with Lee Thomas at BBC Radio Stoke (starts about 11 minutes in, eventually), prompted by the sale of a rare first issue of Action Comics #1, for an eye watering price. The 1938 comic book,… Read More ›