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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“Jekyll And Hyde” Stars To Attend MCM London Comic Con
Jekyll And Hyde writer, star of The Fast Show and novelist Charlie Higson (Young Bond, The Enemy) and stars of the new ITV drama Jekyll and Hyde – Tom Bateman (Da Vinci’s Demons, The Tunnel), Richard E Grant (Doctor Who, Downton Abbey) and… Read More ›
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Talk Nerdy To Me… in Preston, Lancashire!
SF author J.S. Collyer and Lancaster-based fantasy author A. S. Chambers are guests at Talk Nerdy 2 Me in Preston on Friday 8th May 2015 at the Harris Library, Museum and Art Gallery from 4.00pm to 9.00pm. The event will feature stalls, a cosplay competition, an open… Read More ›
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Sneak Preview: Arcadia #1 by Alex Paknadel and Eric Scott Pfeifer
When 99 per cent of humankind is wiped out by a pandemic, four billion people are “saved” by being digitized at the brink of death and uploaded into Arcadia, a utopian simulation in the cloud. But when Arcadia begins… Read More ›
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The New Doctor Who Adventures: An Interview with Editor Jason Quinn
When writer and editor Jason Quinn dropped me a line to let me know about Panini UK’s acquisition of the licence to publish Doctor Who Adventures, previously published by Immediate Media, I had little inkling just how much interest there would… Read More ›
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Alternative Press: Takeover 2015 Details
In the second event of their Takeover Series, the Alternative Press team will be taking over 47/49Tanner Street, London on Saturday 9th May 2015 with a day that champions all radical publishing – from its independent bookshops and publishers to its DIY-ers; the small press,… Read More ›
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New North West Comic Creator Groups Information
With Lancaster Comics Day on its way on Sunday 14th June, Blackpool Comic Con in September and the Lakes International Comic Art Festival in October (to name but three events), here’s information on two groups that may be of… Read More ›
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Goldeneye – Where Bond Was Born: Ian Fleming In Jamaica
Queen Anne Press are to distribute the Pegasus Books hardcover edition of Goldeneye: Where James Bond Was Born from 11th May 2015. The book was first published in the UK by Hutchinson / Random House in August 2014, and explores the importance of Jamaica… Read More ›
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Marvel’s “Ant-Man” Heads to the UK in July
Heroes don’t get any bigger with the new trailer for Marvel’s Ant-Man, which debuts in the UK on Friday 17th July, the same weekend as the London Film and Comic Con. (I’ve been delaying posting this in the hope… Read More ›
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Tonight’s Gotham on Channel 5: Red Hood
A gang of serial bank robbers has made their new home in Gotham in tonight’s episode of Gotham, “Red Hood”, on Channel 5. Meanwhile, Selina Kyle bonds with Barbara Kean at her apartment, and Fish Mooney attempts to reclaim her position… Read More ›
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Backwards Burd Head To Belfast for May MCM Convention
London comics group Backwards Burd is heading to Belfast on the 2nd – 3rd of May, spreading their slothy goodness at the King’s Hall Complex MCM convention. The quartet of Sajan Rai, Daniel de Sosa, Siobhan Alcaide and ShaneMelisse… Read More ›
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Convention Report: North to Eden (EdenCon, that is)
While there have been comic events in Carlisle in the past, EdenCon is a new annual event – but that didn’t dissuade a good turnout of comic and film fans, cosplayers and gamers, despite the temptation to head elsewhere in Cumbria… Read More ›
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Crucible: The Quest Episode 28
While exploring a Dwarf Mine, our Taskers – assigned to recover a mysterious religious artefact – stumble into a world of metal… and some dangerous Dwarves. Dwarves that see them as an equally dangerous contagion!
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Crucible: The Quest Episode 27
Dwarves. Cute cuddly folk with beards, right? Wrong. So, very, very wrong… Chapter Four of “Crucible” draws to a close. Story by John Freeman, Art by Smuzz, Lettering by Jim Campbell.
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British Comic Shop Releases (15th April 2015) – Doctor Who and Cold Mountain Bums!
Here’s our list of both British and US comics on sale this week in comic shops (from Wednesday 15th April 2015), complementing our monthly list of British graphic novel releases (April 2015 release list here). There are no less… Read More ›
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New Edition of Josh Blaylock’s “How to Self Publish Comics” Released
First published in 2006 as a four issue US comic series, Josh Blaylock‘s now classic How-To prose book, How to Self-Publish Comics: Not Just Create Them about the business of comics publishing, after selling out of its updated 2012 edition,… Read More ›
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Call For Papers: The Superhero Project: First Global Meeting
The 1st Global Conference on Superheroes will take place between Monday 7th September and Wednesday 9th September 2015 at Mansfield College, Oxford, United Kingdom – and has just issued the following Call For Papers. ________________________________________ “Superman! Champion of the oppressed, the physical… Read More ›
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Art of Doctor Who DWM Special Out Now
On sale now from all good newsagents is the absolutely brilliant Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition: The Art of Doctor Who, wrapped in a cover by US artist Mark Maddox. “This is how the story of Doctor Who unfolded in… Read More ›
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A Lost Art: Queen’s Brian May Talks Stereoscope Revival
Some time in 1854, at 313 Oxford Street, the “London Stereoscope Company” was born, and under the leadership of Managing Partner George Swan Nottage, by 1856 the company had changed its name, to “The London Stereoscopic Company”, and finally in… Read More ›
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Doctor Who: The Complete History Part Work enters Test Phase
Perhaps as a result of the success of their Doctor Who “Specials” the team behind Doctor Who Magazine have gone one stage further with a new joint project with part works publisher Hatchette – and have begin road testing Doctor… Read More ›
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Doctor Who: The Series You’ll Never See
Would you like to start your weekend by reading an utterly insane and ridiculously expensive proposal I came up with to revamp Doctor Who, that I actually had the temerity to send to the BBC in 1993 – which included… Read More ›