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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Framed! Britain’s Observer newspaper meets the creators shaking up modern comics
No longer the preserve of the hardcore geek, comics are moving away from superheroes and into a new golden age of creativity and diversity. Andrew Harrsion at The Observer talked to the indie writers and artists inking the changes this weekend, including… Read More ›
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ICv2: Comic Sales Slip in January
The ICV2 web site reports that comics and graphic novel sales were down 5.1 per cent versus the year ago period in January, with graphic novels trailing at a 7.77 per cent decline and comics down 3.86 per cent, according… Read More ›
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Awesome Comics Podcast Episode 32: Knowledge is Power – A Small Press Comic Book Q&A
It’s an epic Awesome Comics Podcast show this week after Vince Hunt, Dan Butcher and Tony Esmond asked for listener questions – and boy, did they get some great ones! (Be warned that there is some swearing and some risque… Read More ›
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Top CBS comedy “2 Broke Girls” Meets Aces Weekly’s “Return of the Human”!
Hit US tv show 2 Broke Girls brings the Aces Weekly-published ground-breaking SF strip Return of the Human by J.C. Vaughn and Mark Wheatley to a potential audience of millions on Wednesday 10th February. Set in Brooklyn, New York, 2 Broke Girls follows the… Read More ›
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SEQUENTIAL Offers free iPad Guide to Comics Creatrix: 100 Women Making Comics Exhibiton
SEQUENTIAL, the iPad app for digital graphic novels, has partnered with London’ House of Illustration to provide a free digital guide for their new exhibition Comix Creatrix: 100 Women Making Comics, as well as digital graphic novels displayed within the… Read More ›
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Tabella Publishing Shutters after nearly a decade of comic publishing
Lost in post-Christmas catch-ups was the news that British graphic novel publisher Tabella Publishing has closed its doors. Originally set up with the aim of publishing graphic novels and art books, Tabella diversified into iOS apps, ebooks, and even publishing… Read More ›
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Sneak Preview: Second Sight by David Hine & Alberto Ponticelli, Signing News
Comic book writer and occasional artist David Hine will be signing at Orbital Comics in London on Wednesday, the release day of his new creator owned comic Second Sight, published by AfterShock Comics. David began his career at Marvel UK and… Read More ›
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Bid for Terry Pratchett Statue in Salisbury Gathers Pace
Salisbury City Council’s Services Committee will meet later today to discuss, among other things, a proposal to erect a statue in memory of author and Discworld creator Sir Terry Pratchett in the city. An online petition campaigning for the statue,… Read More ›
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Aleister Crowley: Wandering the Waste relaunches at London Super Comic Con
Aleister Crowley: Wandering the Waste, the critically-acclaimed graphic novel by Martin Hayes, Roy Huteson Stewart and Paul McLaren is re-launching at London Super Comic Con 2016 later this month – one of several new titles from Markosia. Described as “one of the… Read More ›
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Duran Duran, David Cassidy Look-In art and more goes under the hammer
A huge auction at Stroud Auction Rooms this week, offering antique guns, Hornby trains, art prints (including a Battle of Britain print by Frank Wooton), also features a number of comic art pages from Look-In and other comics featuring top TV characters and… Read More ›
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Tonight on Gotham on Channel 5: Scarification
In “Scarification”, tonight’s episode of Gotham airing on Channel 5 in the UK, as Theo Galavan forces the Penguin to work for him, and the old family rivalry between the Waynes and Galavans resurfaces, Jim Gordon struggles to maintain order in the city. Here’s… Read More ›
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Andi Ewington’s “Overrun” project gets physical!
Overrun – a stunning comic described by Broken Frontier’s Andy Oliver as “Tron meets Dawn of the Dead” – is finally being released as limited edition physical comic, complementing its availability as a digital edition for Apple devices and Kindle. The amazing creation… Read More ›
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Behind the Mask: David Lloyd on BBC Artsnight
Artist David Lloyd, publisher of the digital anthology Aces Weekly and co-creator of V for Vendetta with Alan Moore, put in an appearance on BBC2’s fascinating Artsnight this week. In this first episode of the series, ventriloquist, comedian and documentary film-maker… Read More ›
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M.A.S.K. Returns in All-New Fan film from David Guivant
David Guivant, a talented young independent director and artist from the South Pacific island of New Caledonia, is working on a fan film sequel to M.A.S.K, based on the toy range that appeared in a DC Comics nine-issue title and 80 issues… Read More ›
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New Comics On Sale This Week (Wednesday 3rd February) – Bad Kids, Bunnies and Soviet Space Dogs!
2000AD have a feast of great graphic albums out this week as well as the regular Prog (1966), but a quick heads up that coming out next week in comic shops is Judge Dredd: Dead Zone by John Wagner, with… Read More ›
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In Review: Vanguard Book One
Vanguard is created, written and illustrated by Dan Butcher Book one cover pencils/inks by Chris Imber, Colours by Dan Butcher Follow the strip online on VanguardComic.com The Book: Vanguard: In the near future, a small team of genetically engineered metahumans… Read More ›
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Sneak Peek: Heroes Godsend #1 from Titan Comics
Here’s a fab first sneaky peak inside the covers of Heroes: Godsend #1, written by Heroes Reborn scriptwriter Joey Falco and with art from Roy Allan Martinez (Immortal Iron Fist), the first issue in a five-art arc on sale next… Read More ›
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New British Graphic Novels Out This Week: Tales from Berk
Titan Comics is enjoying quiet success with its Dragons: Riders of Berk series, most the work of top comics writer Simon Furman, who you’ll know from his incredible work on Transformers down the years, as well as being the co-creator… Read More ›
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British Comics Out This Week: Johnny Red #4
The latest issue of Titan Comics Johnny Red mini series is out tomorrow in all good comic shops. Here’s a look at some of the pages, which come wrapped this issue on a stunning lead cover from Kev Walker… Johnny… Read More ›
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Leap into February with the new Doctor Who Adventures
February is here – but there’s a perfect way to beat those end of winter blues (especially as February is one day longer with it being a Leap Year)… the latest issue of the greatest comic book the galaxy has… Read More ›