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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Panel to Panel Interviews Doctor Who comic creator Dan McDaid
Episode 58 of Doctor Who: Panel to Panel is available for download, so grab your copy of The Crimson Hand graphic novel and flip through it as host Jeremy Bement chats with comic creator Dan McDaid about his run on the… Read More ›
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New Danger Mouse comic launches
DC Thomson has launched its Danger Mouse magazine, a four-weekly magazine aimed at primary kids. It’s of course magazine is based on the hit CBBC show that’s successfully introduced secret agent Danger Mouse to whole new audience, saving London, saving the world… Read More ›
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Comic Creator Spotlight: A Story from “Buscavidas” by Carlos Trillo and Alberto Breccia, in English
As a supplement to artist Ron Tiner‘s thee-part series on the life and work of Argentinian comics creator Alberto Breccia, here’s six pages from his work Buscavidas (a title which has different titles in English, among them “Story Gatherer”, “Scandal… Read More ›
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Awesome Comics Podcast Episode 55: Matt Rooke and Bubbles O’Seven
The Awesome Comics Podcast Episode 55, features Matt Rooke, co-creator of Apes ‘n’ Capes, and brings you the lowdown on some talking comics … and apes! Matt Rooke, the artist behind Apes ‘n’ Capes and the brand new primate spy… Read More ›
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Neil Gaiman and Shane Oakley partner on “Forbidden Brides” for Dark Horse
Dark Horse have announced Neil Gaiman (Sandman) is returning to one of his darkly complicated short stories in Neil Gaiman’s Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire. That’s surely got to… Read More ›
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Something For The Weekend (w/c 18th July 2016) – Support Your Local Comic Shop!
So, last week as I was promoting the week’s new comics, I was a bit flippant about the price rises for imported US comics British comic shops will have to pass on to their customers (imposed by Diamond, who had no choice, either,… Read More ›
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Lakes International Comic Art Festival – Festival Flash Guide!
The fourth Lakes International Comic Art Festival will run from 14-16 October 2016 in Kendal, Cumbria, celebrating great comic art from across the world – and the full details for every ticketed event have now been announced. Here’s a “Flash Guide”… Read More ›
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Comic Creator Spotlight: The Life and Work of Alberto Breccia – Part Two by Ron Tiner
He’s perhaps best known to British comic fans for his work through the Bardon Press Features office in Barcelona for Fleetway Edtions in the 1960s, first on Super Detective Picture Library Number 172 “Passport to Peril” (an adaptation of the novel, Assignment Helene by Edward… Read More ›
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Caliber Comics pick up Jim Alexander’s “Amongst the Stars” project
US publisher Caliber Comics is to release a new edition of the Amongst the Stars collection most recently published here in the UK by Planet Jimbot. Written by Jim Alexander with art from Mike Perkins and Will Pickering, Amongst The Stars reveals aliens… Read More ›
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“Blankets” creator Craig Thompson joins 2016 Lakes International Comic Art Festival line-up
The Lakes International Comic Art Festival (14th -16th October 2016) has confirmed an appearance by one of the most critically-acclaimed cartoonists of his generation, award-winning author Craig Thompson, alongside current collaborator, the acclaimed French artist Edmond Baudoin. Thompson is the writer and artist of… Read More ›
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New Star Trek TV show heads to Netflix in world rights deal outside US and Canada
Streaming network Netflix and CBS Studios International have inked a landmark international licensing agreement for the new Star Trek TV series, expected to launch in early 2017 and “introduce new characters seeking imaginative new worlds and new civilisations”. Netflix – already… Read More ›
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Vice Press get set to release limited edition Judge Dredd prints by Jock
Vice Press has announced the upcoming release of its Judge Dredd Letterpress Set by Jock this week – an officially licensed, Limited Edition Portfolio Set featuring some of the artist’s stunning work on 2000AD‘s most popular character. This new release – following… Read More ›
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“Striker” collections in the works, bringing entire football strips to book for the first time – and “Psycops” too?
Dropped from The Sun‘s print edition earlier this year, popular football strip Striker, created by Pete Nash, looks on course to make a come back – both in the paper and online, via YouTube. Collections of the strip, first published in… Read More ›
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Sneak Peek: 2000AD Summer Special 2016 – Dredd, Ace Trucking, Robohunter and more! (No, not that Moore).
This Wednesday (20th July) see the release of the 2000AD Summer Special 2016 – and it’s a cracker! Do your duty and pick this up, along with 2000AD Prog 1990 and Judge Dredd Megazine 374. Crammed with thrill power ,… Read More ›
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Doctor Who artist Paul Hanley delivers “Steampunk Iris” (Wildthyme, that is)
Don’t miss “A Clockwork Iris” by Paul Magrs
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Johnny Red Volume 4 On Sale Now
Out now from Titan Comics is Johnny Red Volume 4: Flying Gun, the long-awaited fourth collection of classic strips featuring Britain’s Easter Front-seconded air ace. Written by Tom Tully and drawn by John Cooper – two immense talents of British comics sadly… Read More ›
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Something For The Weekend: New Comics On Sale (w/c 11th July 2016): Judge Dredd and Johnny Red!
Comic shops are telling us they have stock of this week’s top-selling comic collection in the UK, Judge Dredd: The Cursed Earth Uncensored, but once they’re gone, they’re gone, because publisher Rebellion has announced the book has sold out, so no… Read More ›
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Reader requests help shape the latest re-presented Commando stories
The latest editions of DC Thomson’s Commando (Issues 4931-4934), on sale now in all good newsagents and through various digital platforms, features four classic stories from the long-running title, some chosen by readers themselves. Commando No 4931 – Mark Of The… Read More ›
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In Review: Spaceship Away Issue 39 – highlights Ian Kennedy, offers new Dan Dare adventures
The latest issue of Spaceship Away, the magazine devoted to Dan Dare, Eagle and its many creators is out now, offering a great line up of strips and features behind a cover by the late Frank Bellamy. Tim Booth continues… Read More ›
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Judge Dredd: The Cursed Earth Uncensored sells out in just 24 hours
The uncensored edition of the legendary Judge Dredd epic, The Cursed Earth, has sold out in the UK – less than a day after going on sale. Unprecedented demand for The Cursed Earth Uncensored has resulted in distributors being cleared… Read More ›