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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Crucible: The Quest Episode 13
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Crucible: The Quest Episode 12
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British Comic Shop Releases (31st December 2014) – New Year Treats!
Here’s this week’s list of comics – both US and UK releases – on sale in specialist UK comic shops tomorrow, Wednesday 31st December 2014. We’ve picked out the titles published by British publishers in bold below, or titles with… Read More ›
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Thunderbirds Are Go: First Trailer Released
As a festive treat. ITV have released a very short Thunderbirds are Go trailer as part of their ongoing teaser campaign for the re-imagining of the original show created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, which launches in April 2015…. Read More ›
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Weeping Angels stalk the Western Front in upcoming Tenth Doctor comic
Wednesday 7th January 2015 sees the release of Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor #6 by Robbie Morrison and Flash Gordon artist Daniel Indro, and features The Doctor and Gabby facing the terror of Weeping Angels in the trenches of the… Read More ›
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New Light and Darkness War collection by Tom Veitch and Cam Kennedy
Alongside Titan Comics numerous May 2015 releases for Doctor Who, Madefire tie-ins and several collections including Penguins of Madagascar is a new edition of the stunning creator-owned Light and Darkness War by Tom Veitch and Cam Kennedy. Originally published in the late 1980s… Read More ›
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Gosh announces “Soppy” Launch Party with Philippa Rice
Small press sensation Soppy is back – bigger, better, and more hardcover-y than ever – and Gosh London have just announced a launch party with creator Phillipa Rice on the 16th January 2015. What started out as a self published collection… Read More ›
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Ninth Doctor Comic: Blair D. Shedd reveals #1 variant cover
Artist Blair D. Shedd has revealed his variant for the first issue of Titan Comics upcoming Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor mini series, to launch in March, written by Cavan Scott. “Alice X. Zhang is doing the ‘A’ (primary) cover… Read More ›
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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to All Our Readers!
With Christmas almost upon us I’d like to thank everyone who has been reading downthetubes over the year and wish you all the very best of the season. I hope you’ve enjoyed the site in 2014 – we have some… Read More ›
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Sneak Peek: The Penguins of Madagascar #2 by Alex Matthews and Grant Perkins
This week sees the release of some fantastic new titles from Titan Comics including Penguins of Madagascar #2, Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor #3 (previewed here); a very special issue of Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor #6 (previewed here); and the final instalment of The Evil Within #4, based… Read More ›
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Sneak Peek: Doctor Who – The Twelfth Doctor #3 by Robbie Morrison and Dave Taylor
This week sees the release of some fantastic new titles from Titan Comics including Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor #3 by Robbie Morrison (Spider-Man) and Dave Taylor (Batman: Death By Design); and a very special issue of Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor #6 in which, as we… Read More ›
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Frank Bellamy TV Century 21 “Thunderbirds” art up for auction
Three Thunderbirds art boards drawn by Frank Bellamy for TV Century 21 Issues 141 and 142 are up for auction through the US Heritage Auctions web site in February 2015. The pages – all a trifle faded with age – are from… Read More ›
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Doctor Who tops BFI favourite SF character poll
The ultimate showdown between science fiction heroes The Doctor and Ellen Ripley – both also comic heroes – has seen British TV’s favourite Time Lord from Doctor Who emerge victorious in a British Film Institute poll we mentioned recently. The BFI launched… Read More ›
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Titan reveals new Ninth Doctor comic
Titan Comics is to release a Ninth Doctor limited series comic in March 2015, which not only features the post Time War Doctor (played on screen by Christopher Eccleston) but Rose Tyler and Captain Jack, too. The new, five-part… Read More ›
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Sneak Preview: Kingdom of the Wicked by Ian Edginton & D’Israeli
On 6th January 2015 Titan Comics brings you a new horror/fantasy graphic novel series, Kingdom of the Wicked, in which Ian Edginton and D’Israeli bring war to wonderland… In this sumptuous collection of their first collaboration, Ian Edginton and D’Israeli – whose work together… Read More ›
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Thunderbirds Are Go! gets second series even before first airs
UK broadcaster CITV has commissioned ITV Studios and New Zealand-based Pukeko Pictures to make a second series of Thunderbirds Are Go, even before the first has premiered. News of the second commission breaks just as the official web site for the show… Read More ›
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Call For Papers: The Comics Grid
The Comics Grid: Journal of Comics Scholarship is inviting all authors to submit contributions to the journal. The Comics Grid publishes one issue per year, with rapid publication as soon as articles are ready. Its purpose is to make original, media-specific contributions to… Read More ›
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Firebox Ricky Rouse Graphic Novel Competition launched
What could be more festive than a bizarro graphic novel that’s a little bit like Die Hard, only set in a knock-off Disney theme park? Nothing, that’s what. This Christmas online retailer Firebox are giving away three hardback copies of the… Read More ›


