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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IDW announces new Star Trek anthology title, launches in September
To celebrate 50 years of Star Trek, US publisher IDW Publishing, under license by CBS Consumer Products, will launch a new series in September which honours the legacy of the various Starfleet crews which have inhabited the Star Trek universe over… Read More ›
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Paragon pays tribute to artist Stephen Prestwood with 64-page collection
The latest issue of top British indie comic anthology Paragon – a glorious 64-page tribute to the late artist Stephen Prestwood, who died recently – is on sale now, direct from the title’s official site. Featuring 64 pages of fantastic… Read More ›
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UK Small Press Day Coming Soon!
Britain’s Small Press Day is back on Saturday 9th July 2016 – a celebration of self-publishing, DIY culture, and grassroots comics across the UK. An idea born on Twitter led to a series of nationwide events in a matter of weeks…. Read More ›
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Skank Magazine’s “Scotland Yardie” Returns in an all-new graphic novel
Out in August from Knockabout is a full length graphic novel, Scotland Yardie, by Bobby Joseph with art by Joseph Samuels, featuring the character who sprang to fame (or should that be infamy?) in the pages of the 1990s indie title Skank… Read More ›
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2000AD Prog 2000 – Bolland, McMahon, Gibbons and O’Neill To Return!
Comic book superstars Brian Bolland, Mick McMahon, Dave Gibbons and Kevin O’Neill are set to return to the pages of the legendary 2000AD for its 2000th issue, out later in the year – along with both classic characters such as Nemesis… Read More ›
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Something For The Weekend: New Comics On Sale (w/c 20th June 2016) – Judge Dredd, James Bond and More!
Judge Dredd gets set to fight back in the long-running story that’s had plenty of surprises along the way in this week’s 2000AD (by Michael Carroll, Colin MacNeil, Len O’Grady, and Annie Parkhouse) – but just how big is the conspiracy… Read More ›
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Tank Girl Returns in September in “Tank Girl Gold”
Titan Comics has just announced that following the hit Tank Girl: Two Girls One Tank series, Tank Girl is returning in September with the gold standard in anarchic entertainment – Tank Girl: Gold #1! This brand new series is The… Read More ›
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Capturing Arts and Minds: Una’s new comic, “On Sanity: One Day in Two Lives”
Just published by comic creator Una is a new 40-page comic, On Sanity: One Day In Two Lives, a very personal project about illness and recovery in mental health, based on the story of her mother. Yorkshire-based Una explains it’s… Read More ›
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Robotech Comes to Titan Comics in 2017!
With one eye on the resurgence of interest in other 1980s properties at other publishers such as IDW, and the other on the upcoming feature film, canny British publisher Titan Comics has ignited the engines of the cult 1980s series, Robotech – and is ready… Read More ›
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Cardiff Independent Comic Expo headlines with artist John Higgins, again promotes indie comic creators
Cardiff’s independent comic show – the Cardiff Independent Comic Expo (CICE) – returns this weekend, on Saturday 25th June, 2016 at Cardiff Masonic Hall. The event will showcase the very best in independent comic artists, writers, publishers, retailers, illustrators, craftspeople and more,… Read More ›
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Dave McKean Talk at London’s House of Illustration
Join legendary illustrator, filmmaker and musician David McKean as he talks to the Observer’s Rachel Cooke and Imperial War Museum curator Richard Slocombe about his astonishing new graphic novel and performance, Black Dog: The Dreams of Paul Nash at London’s… Read More ›
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Crowdfunding Spotlight: “Red Range” by Joe R. Lansdale & Sam Glanzman
If you haven’t already, then please do check out Drew Ford‘s to get the positively stunning Western comic Red Range by Joe R. Lansdale (By Bizarre Hands) and by Sam Glanzman (A Sailor’s Story) back into print. Combining an unusual… Read More ›
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Sneak Peek: For the Love of God, Marie! by Jade Sarson
We don’t normally post the entire cover of a book here on downthetubes, but Jade Sarson‘s For the Love of God, Marie! – out from Myriad in July – is just so darn gorgeous, how could we not? Sex, religion, gender,… Read More ›
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New documentary set to put Soviet “Soyuzmultfilm” in the spotlight, team calls out to those who worked in it
London-based Bill Melendez Productions are currently in pre-production on a feature length documentary exploring animation for children and families in the USSR, in part, focusing on the studio Soyuzmultfilm, and the women in Soviet animation: from Aleksandra Snezhko-Blotskaya, co-director of the… Read More ›
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More British Creators Announced for Lakes International Comic Art Festival in October
Just ahead of tickets going on sale on Friday 1st July, the Lakes International Comic Art Festival has announced the upcoming appearances by a number of top British comic creators, all looking forward to a weekend of comics fun 14th – 16th October… Read More ›
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Something For The Weekend: New Comics On Sale (w/c 13th June 2016) – Mix With Some Bad Company!
Along with your usual fine mix of new comics on both sides of the Atlantic, how could we not direct you to the new Bad Company: First Casualties collection? It’s been a decade since the vicious war with the Krool… Read More ›
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Alien Air Aces in Commando? The Truth is Out at Your Newsagent!
Here’s the inside intel on the latest issues of DC Thomson’s Commando – Issues 4923-4926 – on sale now in all good newsagents and via various digital platforms. They’re a great mixed bag of tales this week, with even a… Read More ›
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Lancaster Comics Day 2017 Date Announced
The Friends of Lancaster Library have announced Lancaster Comics Day will return for a third year on Sunday 11th June 2017. Post the date in your diary now! Lancaster Comics Day 2016 raised over £600 for Library funds, which will be used to… Read More ›
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In Memoriam: Comics Letterer and Designer Derek Pierson
We’re sorry to report the passing of Derek Pierson, who once self deprecatingly described his comics career as “from Hulton’s to IPC Magazines with Fleetway, taking a chunk of the middle”. Aged 77, he had been ill for some time. A… Read More ›
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VATMOSS Tax Problems will continue for indie comic creators, in or out of the EU
Anyone remember the VATMOSS debacle which is still costing small business time and money – including comic creators selling digital editions? The debacle that put some small electronic publishers out of business? We reported on it here last year –… Read More ›