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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Cam Kennedy Commando comic Classic Resurfaces!
Four classic Commandos get the re-issue treatment this week from DC Thomson, including one story drawn by Cam Kennedy, gift-wrapped in a cover from (no relation) Ian Kennedy. These four issues are on sale in all good newsagents and available via… Read More ›
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Dave Gibbons set to WOW in Liverpool in May
Comics Laureate and Honorary Doctor of Comics from Dundee University Dave Gibbons is to be a guest at Liverpool’s WoWFest 2016 in May, talking about his career to date, his inspirations, and how to practically develop creative ideas and bring them… Read More ›
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California College of the Arts offers free online Comic Creator course
The California College of the Arts will launched a free online course next month offering the opportunity for anyone, anywhere to learn how to make their own comics from one of very few schools in the United States to offer… Read More ›
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Titan Books Announce Latest Modesty Blaise Collection
On its way to bookshops in March is Modesty Blaise: Ripper Jax, the latest instalment of the best-selling collection of the acclaimed action adventure strip created and written by the late Peter O’Donnell. It’s been a long run for this series, with… Read More ›
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Former Tharg Steve MacManus Set To Spill the Beans on 2000AD’s Early Days
2000AD has announced it is to publish the memories of arguably its most definitive editor – Steve MacManus – in September 2016. In 1973, 20-year-old Steve MacManus joined Fleetway Publications in London as a sub-editor on one of the UK’s… Read More ›
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SF Author Tony Cooper launches “Powerless” comic Kickstarter based on his superhero novel series
Science fiction author Tony Cooper has launched a very modest Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign to raise just £600 to publish a comic book based on his literary creations. Powerless: Some Kind of Hero is a 24 page, full-colour comic featuring characters… Read More ›
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Sneak Peek: Midnight Tea by Jenika Ioffreda
One upcoming new independent comic that caught my eye on social media recently is a new project from Jenika Ioffreda, one of the creators I met for the first time at Malta Comic Con last year. Jenika’s new project, Midnight Tea,… Read More ›
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2000AD Thrill-Cast teases possible return of “War of the Worlds” Martians in new “Scarlet Traces”
The first 2000AD Thrill-Cast of 2016, released last week, looks ahead at some of the Things To Come in the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic 2000AD and the Judge Dredd Megazine – and there’s some fantastic teases for numerous projects, including the new… Read More ›
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Danger Mouse comic one step closer to release?
The long-awaited Danger Mouse comic – based on the smash hit new series – could be one step nearer to publication, after publisher DC Thomson advertised for staff for the title. DC Thomson was announced as a major licensing partner last June,… Read More ›
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Brussels Comic Strip Festival Returns for Seventh Year
After its resoundingly successful sixth edition in 2015, the Brussels Comic Strip Festival is already sketching out its seventh edition, to be be held 2-4 September 2016 in the Parc de Bruxelles/Warandepark and surrounding areas. All of the Comics Festival’s… Read More ›
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Awesome Comics Podcast Episode 30: Dave White of Avery Hill Publishing
Avery Hill Publishing are a small press publisher on the rise and Dave White, one of the brains behind it joins Vince Hunt, Tony Esmond and Dan Butcher to talk about how they came to be, how Factory Records influenced them,… Read More ›
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Heros the Spartan original art by Frank Bellamy up for auction
The frankbellamy.blogspot.com reports there’s now another chance to own a spread of ‘Heros the Spartan” from Eagle. Offered on eBay, the page in question is Episode 12 from the “Eagle of the Fifth” story written by Tom Tully, drawn by Frank… Read More ›
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Space:1999 FX director Brian Johnson interviewed in latest Andersonic
The latest issue of the top Gerry Anderson-inspired fanzine Andersonic is on sale now and headlines a new interview with Brian Johnson, Space:1999‘s visual effects director, designer of the iconic Eagle transporter now getting plenty of attention from modellers thanks to Round… Read More ›
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Sequart’s Image Comics Documentary Released Through Shout! Factory
The Sequart Organization and Respect Films have announced that Shout! Factory has picked up their documentary, The Image Revolution, for distribution. The Image Revolution examines one of the most important and daring moves in comic book history. In 1992, a group of… Read More ›
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Tonight on Gotham on Channel 5: The Last Laugh
In “The Last Laugh”, tonight’s episode of Gotham airing on Channel 5 in the UK, Gordon and Bullock hunt a nemesis from the past, which leads to a standoff between Jerome and Gordon; and a magic show at a Gotham Children’s Hospital gala results… Read More ›
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Comic creators Eric Shanower and Mike Carey Talk Greek at Nottingham University
We’ve just got word that comic creators Eric Shanower and Mike Carey will be contributing to Nottingham University’s conference, Sacrificing Iphigenia through the Ages, next Friday-Saturday (29th-30th January). The interdisciplinary conference is on representations of the myth of Iphigenia in… Read More ›
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Steven Moffat steps down as Doctor Who executive producer, Chris Chibnall steps in
After six series at the helm, the multi-award-winning Steven Moffat has decided to step down as the lead writer and executive producer of Doctor Who, to be replaced by Chris Chibnall, whose credits include Broadchurch (which starred former Doctor Who David Tennant),… Read More ›
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In Review: Man Plus #1
MAN PLUS #1 WRITER/ARTIST: André Lima Araújo COVER A: André Lima Araújo – Buy it from ForbiddenPlanet.com COVER B: Ryan Stegman – Buy it from ForbiddenPlanet.com COVER C: Yishan Li – Buy it from ForbiddenPlanet.com PUBLISHER: Titan Comics ON SALE: Now The Book: On sale… Read More ›
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In Review: Sliced #1 – A free experimental small press comic anthology
Edited by Ken Reynolds Cover by Freja Steele (Redshift Press) Featuring the work of Chris Sides (Redshift Press, Futurequake, British Showcase Anthology), Denis Vermesse (BD Adult, 100% Biodegradable, Action Lab), Tony Suleri (100% Biodegradable), Chris Redfern (The Psychedelic Journal of Time Travel, Zarjaz, Hallowscream), Lukasz… Read More ›
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Latest issue of Illustrators spotlights Brooke Boynton Hughes, Septimus Scott and more
The latest issue of Illustrators, the sumptuous art quarterly presenting the world’s finest illustrators, will ship from publishers Book Palace Books at the end of January. Artists featured in issue 13 include: Mitch O’Connell – the “world’s best artist” bares… Read More ›