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.
-
Jack Kirby Thor Comic Cover Art Pops Up in British Toy Figure Auction Catalogue
Nestling in an auction from Charterhouse Auctioneers, due to take place on Friday 24th June 2016, is the cover to an early issue of Marvel’s Thor, drawn by Jack Kirby and Vince Colletta. The original artwork for the cover of The Mighty… Read More ›
-
Tiger Crab Studios launches “Nevera Tales” Kickstarter, a new British comic book
Tiger Crab Studios has just launched a Kickstarter for Nevera Tales – described as The Shawshank Redemption meets Interview with a Vampire, a fantasy horror tale of mutual survival, written by the undead – although, actually, it’s a script by Daniel… Read More ›
-
WebFind: A Foreigner’s Guide to Polish Comics
While the Polish comics industry may not be as internationally recognised as that of the US or the Francophone countries, it certainly has its own share of writers and artists creating world-class comics. From the most famous albums and books… Read More ›
-
Writer Maureen Hartley reveals the Inside Story on Writing for DC Thomson’s Girls’ Comics
Over on the brilliant Girls Comics of Yesterday site, dedicated to girls comics published by DC Thomson, Maureen Hartley has written a fascinating piece about her experiences writing picture stories and working for the company. She first started writing picture script… Read More ›
-
Something For the Weekend: Sherlock Shenanigians and Wonder Woman Reborn (New Comics w/c 6/6/16)
DC Comics “Rebirth” project continues this week, with two of the creators I had the pleasure of working with back in my Marvel UK days working on separate books. Aquaman #1 is written by Dan Abnett (with art by Oscar… Read More ›
-
Batman: The Killing Joke to get limited US theatrical release
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and Fathom Events are working together to give Batman: The Killing Joke a special, one-night big screen release on Monday 25th July in select cinemas across the US shortly after its world premiere as part of… Read More ›
-
Doctor Who’s (brief) cameo in new LEGO Dimensions game trailer
Doctor Who‘s the Twelfth Doctor makes a quick appearance in the latest E3 trailer for the latest expansion of the LEGO Dimensions game, which introduces a host of new characters. The expansion of LEGO Dimensions , the LEGO toy and videogame… Read More ›
-
London’s Cartoon Museum Gets Set for a Summer Makeover
Nothing is more boring than going to a gallery and seeing the same pieces over and over again. After a while, it’s time to shake it up, and that’s exactly what they’re doing at London’s Cartoon Museum. At the end… Read More ›
-
NBM Publishing Announces February 2017 Release Date for Paco Roca’s new book, “The Lighthouse”
NBM Publishing’s upcoming releases of its new graphic novels include The Lighthouse by Paco Roca, one of the Lakes International Comic Art Festival‘s guests in October. Paco Roca is a Spanish artist best known for his graphic novel Wrinkles (reviewed… Read More ›
-
Doctor Who Adventures artist Russ Leach joins Hull Comic Con Line-Up
Following on from a very successful event last year, Hull Comic Con is back on Saturday 18th June 2016, and will be a much bigger event, taking over over all three floors of its venue, the Hull University Union building…. Read More ›
-
ELCAF Back This Weekend, Celebrates Fifth Year In Style
Celebrating its fifth birthday across three days and three new venues, ELCAF 2016 is back this weekend (10th – 12th June), offering an exciting roster of international cartoonists, picture book illustrators and digital creators, included in the mix are Adrian Tomine,… Read More ›
-
Beano Studios Launched, revamp on the way for comic, web site and new Dennis the Menace TV show in the works
DC Thomson – publishers of The Beano, Commando and other comics, as well as newspapers and magazines – has just launched a new creative company called Beano Studios, which aims to become the number one choice for seven to ten year olds… Read More ›
-
Comichaus Closes In on Funding for New British Monthly Comic Book Anthology Launch Issue
Comichaus – the web-based comic book market place launched last year which among other services offers independent comic creators the means to sell their books online with no seller fee commission – looks on course to gain funding for its… Read More ›
-
Comic Creator Spotlight: The Life and Work of Alberto Breccia – Part One 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 ›
-
In Review: Darwin’s Diaries Book One: The Eye of the Celts
by Sylvain Runberg & Eduardo Ocan Publisher: Cinebook Reviewed by: Paul H. Birch (previously reviewed for downthetubes by Jeremy Briggs here) The Book: Victorian England. In Yorkshire, several men and horses working on a railway line have been killed. The… Read More ›
-
Cam Kennedy, John Wagner and more head to Moniaive
Here’s the details of this year’s Moniaive Comic Festival Weekend (11th – 12th June) – two days of all things related to comic books in Moniaive, a village in the Parish of Glencairn, in Dumfries and Galloway, South-West Scotland. Some… Read More ›
-
Dave Gibbons Returns to Doctor Who Magazine
As we’ve already mentioned, Doctor Who Magazine has just published its 500th issue, and is celebrating with a special 20-page comic strip adventure, “The Stockbridge Showdown” – and writer Scott Gray kindly took time out of his schedule to give… Read More ›
-
Awesome Comics Podcast Episode 49 – Gareth A Hopkins and The Intercorstal
This week, the Awesome Comics Podcast gang are joined by Gareth A Hopkins, the creator of the abstract sequential comic book The Intercorstal. He talks about how the creation of this unique book came to be, the creators who have… Read More ›
-
Something For the Weekend: Awesome Slaine and Sold Out Rebirths! (New Comics w/c 30/5/16)
Yes, yes, we know it’s Saturday already and you’re on the way to the comic shop already. We’re a bit busy at this end, getting ready for Lancaster Comics Day on Sunday, revamping the Lakes International Comic Art Festival web… Read More ›
-
When Tiny Skulls Attack! Kek-W’s and Lukasz Kowalczuk’s new strip for 100% Biodegradable
Here’s a sneak preview of “Tiny Skull Attack” – a brand new strip by 2000AD‘s Kek-W and Aces Weekly‘s Lukasz Kowalczuk – coming to Issue 13 of the digital anthology 100% Biodegradable (due out this month). The quarterly sci-fi digital… Read More ›