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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Pictures from an Exhibition: The 2002 Bristol Dan Dare show
Back in 2002, Bristol’s Museum and Art Gallery played host to a Dan Dare exhibition, the same year that saw the launch of the short-lived animated series. One visitor, John Leslie Sinclair, has kindly shared some of his pictures of… Read More ›
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Andrew Cartmel’s Vinyl Detective Released
Just released by Titan Books is former Doctor Who script editor and Rivers of London comic co-writer Andrew Cartmel’s new novel The Vinyl Detective: Written in Dead Wax. Titan have clearly got a lot of faith in this new title… Read More ›
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Dan Dare Audio Adventures Cast Revealed, Recording Underway
Inspired by the original Eagle comic strips, the cast for B7 Media’s dramatic new audio version of Dan Dare – currently recording in London – has been announced. Ed Stoppard – The Pianist, Joy Division, Brideshead Revisited and Youth –… Read More ›
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Planet Replica Reveals Limited Edition Mekon Figure, solicits pre-orders
Planet Replicas Ltd – makers of many 2000AD-inspired items – has begun taking orders for a limited edition release of the Mekon as he appeared in “Dan Dare” in the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic. A limited edition of just 350 pieces, this… Read More ›
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Modiphius Thunderbirds game Expansion details revealed
Modiphius Entertainment has just released information for the expansion to their Thunderbirds board game, Thunderbirds: Tracy Island. The expansion on the Thunderbirds co-operative board game will require the base game to play. It includes new cards, playable characters, machines and models of 14 pod… Read More ›
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Striker’s Return – Announcement Soon?
Striker creator Pete Nash has told fans of the popular strip – sadly dropped from The Sun’s print edition – that news on the strip’s future should be announced soon. Strikerworld, the official fan site for the strip, have been… Read More ›
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Big Finish Launches Paul Spragg Memorial Doctor Who Short Trip Competition
Two years ago, Big Finish, producers of a huge number of Doctor Who audio adventures, lost the much-loved Paul Spragg, producer’s assistant by role, but a vital contributor across the company as a whole and to the people working… Read More ›
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Awesome Comics Podcast Episode 45: Kirk Campbell and Dirty Rotten Comics
Kirk Campbell, one of the minds behind the brilliant anthology Dirty Rotten Comics joins the Awesome Comics Podcast gang to talk about the series, how it came to be, the amazing creators that have contributed and so much more. It’s a… Read More ›
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Soviet Children’s Book Art at London’s House of Illustration
London’s House of Illustration, currently hosting the marvellous Comix Creatrix exhibition, will host an exhibition of Soviet children’s picture book illustration from Russa from the end of May. With their perfect synthesis of typography, design and illustration, Soviet children’s books… Read More ›
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Absence Creator Martin Stiff releases free new supernatural sci-fi comic for FBCD
British comic creator and designer Martin Stiff – best known for The Absence, published by Titan Comics – has gone digital for Free Comic Book Day by releasing a free, new 29-page web-comic. “It’s a story completely unrelated to The Absence (although… Read More ›
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Happy Birthday, First Age Comics! Lancaster store celebrates ten year of comics trading today
Lancaster comic shop First Age Comics will be celebrating today – not just because it’s Free Comic Book Day, which helps boost visitors to the shop – but also the fact it’s the company’s Tenth Anniversary. As you can imagine, dedicated owners Lucy… Read More ›
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Big Finish Productions Doctor Who Licence Extended to 2025
Big Finish Productions has announced that its licence from BBC Worldwide to make original Doctor Who and Torchwood dramas on audio has been extended until June 20th 2025. Big Finish released its first Doctor Who audio production, Doctor Who: The Sirens of Time, in… Read More ›
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Jings! Crivvens! Maw Broon’s Kitchen to open in Dundee
Publisher DC Thomson has announced that the first Maw Broon’s Kitchen will open in Dundee city centre next year. Following the retail launch of a range of Maw Broon’s Kitchen-branded food products, the publishing company has worked with a selected… Read More ›
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Broken Frontier Publishes First Small Press Yearbook
Following hot of the heels of the release of its brilliant Broken Frontier Anthology, the comic book and graphic novel news site has just released another great publication – the Broken Frontier Small Press Year Book 2016. Launched on Friday 29th… Read More ›
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Titan Comics “Assassin’s Creed” Free Comic Book Day – Full Details
Titan Comics are releasing a new Assassin’s Creed one-shot featuring two original short stories from the popular Assassin’s and Templar series this weekend (Saturday 7th May), as part of this year’s Free Comic Book Day. Free Comic Book Day is a single day when participating comic book specialty shops around… Read More ›
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Something For The Weekend: This Week’s New – and Free! – Comics (w/c 2nd May 2016)
Heading to your local comic shop this weekend? Of course you are – it’s Free Comic Book Day on Saturday, and no-one’s going to pass up the chance of free comics, are they? Especially when your local comic shop –… Read More ›
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Top Spanish comic artists Jordi Bernet and Paco Roca join Lakes Festival Line-Up
The Lakes International Comic Art Festival has just announced appearances by two top Spanish comic creators at this year’s Festival (14th-16th October) – Torpedo and Jonah Hex artist Jordi Bernet and Paco Roca, best known for his award-winning graphic novel Wrinkles…. Read More ›
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Artist Emma Vieceli Mind Probed for Doctor Who: Panel to Panel
Better late than never, in the latest episode of Jeremy Bement’s terrific Doctor Who: Panel to Panel, he covers a lot of Doctor Who comic news, reviews “Shock Horror” from Doctor Who Adventures Issue 13 (Danger! Spoilers!), praising Tommy Donbavand’s script… Read More ›
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Awesome Comics Podcast Episode 44 – Comics Writer Luke Halsall
Writer Luke Halsall takes a moment out of being a new dad to join the Awesome Pod this week to talk about his work in the Avery Hill Publishing anthology Reads, Out of Time (a Time Travelling Adventure published by Luke and… Read More ›
