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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Eisner Awards 2015: The Winners
The winners of the Eisner Awards were announced at San Diego Comic Con last night. Sadly, no wins for terrific books such as Rob Davis The Motherless Oven or the wonderful anthology To End All Wars, but as well as other… Read More ›
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Egmont UK Launches “Star Wars Adventures” title next week
Egmont Publishing, will launch Disney’s Star Wars Adventures magazine next week, focused on the Star Wars saga and including comic strip material. The monthly magazine will offer a premium pack of Star Wars goodies that will give kids a real insight into the whole of the Star Wars universe, including all… Read More ›
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Thunderbirds 1965 Project Rockets toward Success, reaching £42,000 base goal in 24 hours
Within just 24 hours, the Kickstarter campaign for Thunderbirds 1965 – a Kickstarter project with the aim of creating three new Classic Thunderbirds episodes using 1960s audio recordings – has reached 56% of its base goal – £42,000. As we reporteed earlier this week, this September… Read More ›
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New Spaceship Away magazine profiles Bruce Cornwell and Dave Gibbons work for DC Thomson
The latest issue of the Dan Dare-inspired magazine Spaceship Away – Issue 36 – is now available and it’s a great mix of new strips and features, including a terrific item by our very own Jeremy Briggs documenting the… Read More ›
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In Review: The House of Daemon
The House of Daemon Is a superb horror-tinged adventure… find out more!
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British creators announced on new Vertigo titles to launch this autumn
DC Comics has just announced twelve new Vertigo titles at San Diego Comic Con – and there’s a host of British talent involved, including David Baillie (whose credits include strips for 2000AD), Mike Dowling (Death Sentence), Peter Milligan (Resident Alien) and… Read More ›
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New Digital Comics study Journal released
Co-edited by Daniel Merlin Godbrey, a leading light in the field of digital comics, the Digital Comics edition of the MeCCsa Networking Knowledge Journal is now online. The Journal is hopefully of use for anyone studying the area of digital comics… Read More ›
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Crucible: The Quest Episode 37 – Battling the Chrell
Our adventurers take on a god… but will is Beloc too terrified to help, or is he still too angry at Ardahl for the way he treated him? Crucible is an ongoing creator-owned strip which started in STRIP: The Adventures Comics Magazine,… Read More ›
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Sapphire & Steel Art Competition!
With the news that Luther creator and Doctor Who script writer Neil Cross is, hopefully, to re-make Sapphire & Steel, the spooky ITV-commissioned 1970s show starring Joanna Lumley and David McCallum as mysterious times agents, we think it’s time for one of… Read More ›
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Something for the Weekend (8th July 2015) – Boov, Minions, Bacchus and Dirk Gently, too!
Here’s this week’s list of comics on sale in British comics shops, plus some news stand titles – our intent, as ever being to skew our coverage in favour of British creators. Out this week is an IDW/Top Shelf release… Read More ›
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Humanoids announces partnership with SF author Robert Silverberg
International graphic novel publishing house Humanoids – which includes a UK Operation – has just announced a deal with legendary science fiction writer Robert Silverberg to adapt a selection of his iconic novels into comics and live action entertainment content. The first novel… Read More ›
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Great War Centenary Anthology in the works
Wonderfunders, the free Crowd Funding Platform For Comics and Sequential Art projects, has announced the impending publication of Memorial – the Great War Centenary Anthology in aid of the War Child charity. The project, which we first reported on last year, is being published… Read More ›
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Panel Borders: Writing as the Other
Continuing a month of shows about comics that are about or from Australasia on this week’s only over-air British comics radio show Panel Borders, Alex Fitch talks to cartoonist turned novelist Ed Hillyer about his debut novel, The Clay Dreaming, released in 2010 – his… Read More ›
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Morph to guest star in this week’s Beano
DC Thomson has teamed up with Aardman to bring Morph, the nation’s favourite clay character, to The Beano, everyone’s favourite comic this week. Newly-returned to our TV screens, Morph guest stars in the comic, sharing the cover with Dennis the… Read More ›
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Signature set to roll out new “Chuggington Magazine” with five-piece train set
Signature Publishing, the UK’s fastest growing and multiple award winning children’s magazine publisher, is to launch Chuggington Magazine, based on the hit young children’s show, later this month. Based on the high quality and action-packed Chuggington TV series, the magazine transports… Read More ›
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After Shock Comics recruits Garth Ennis and Neil Gaiman for their new projects
British creators – including Neil Gaiman – will be among those working on new comics to be published by the ambitious US publishing start-up AfterShock Comics. As we reported back in May, the Editor In Chief Michael Marts of the new company will be… Read More ›
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Thunderbirds 1965 Project To Create “Classic Thunderbirds Episodes”
This September marks 50 years since Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s ground-breaking Thunderbirds series blasted onto TV screens in the UK. To celebrate this special anniversary, the iconic puppets will be making a spectacular return in three brand new episodes in… Read More ›
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New Eagle Times highlights Joan Porter’s work on “Dan Dare”
The latest issue of the Eagle-inspired magazine Eagle Times, published by the Eagle Society, is available now, offering a wealth of insights into the much-loved boys comic of the 1950s and 60s. The features, which include insights from colourist and researcher Joan… Read More ›
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The Doctor and Clara tackle the Cyclopes in new Doctor Who Adventures
Doctor Who Adventures Issue Four is set to materialise on UK newsstands from Panini UK next week, on 16th July – and promises a summer holiday in Ancient Greece, a Sontaran Extravaganza and more excitement than most Time Lords can cope with… Read More ›
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Erich Von Däniken’s “Chariots of the Gods” comics
A guide to the comics based on the “gods on Earth” theories of Erich von Daniken