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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Capital Comic Con, The Edinburgh Comic Art Festival , announced for October 2015
After a long year and a half of searching for the right venue and the right dates, BHP Events – part of comics publisher BHP Comics – has finally been able to secure all the elements they want to produce their first event… Read More ›
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Barry Kitson, Andrew Wildman part of Dutch Comic Con Line-Up
British artists Barry Kitson and Andrew Wildman are part of a growing guest line up for next year’s Dutch Comic Con, which will be held 28th – 29th of March 2015 at the Jaarbeurs Exhibition Centre, Utrecht. Dutch Comic Con is an… Read More ›
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Sneak Peek: 2000AD Prog 2015 – Dark Judges, Dark Justice and Savage, too
2000AD Prog 2015, a 100-page bumper issue of Tharg-assembled thrill power that kicks off a number of new ongoing stories for the weekly SF comic, will arrive in newsagents, comic shops and on digital devices worldwide on 17th December – and… Read More ›
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Broken Frontier Awards 2014 launched, Warren Ellis, Darryl Cunningham, SelfMadeHero among the chosen
The top comics site Broken Frontier has announced the nominees for its 11th annual Broken Frontier Awards. The site’s staff has selected five nominees for each of the 13 categories that comprise the BF Awards, their way to honour the… Read More ›
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Wart Horror Comic team launch a “Cosmic” Kickstarter
Writer Chris Welsh and artist Ammar Al-Chalabi, the team behind the fun, long-running and much-praised “cosmic horror web comic” WART have just launched a Kickstarter to raise funds to publish a print edition. For those that need reminding, the crowd funding site Kickstarter is… Read More ›
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Crucible: The Quest – Episode Ten
Beyond the ‘safety’ of Pomorele, our Taskers meet with the Tanners Guild guides… but tough as they are, they’re about to encounter something much tougher…
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Crucible: The Quest – Episode Nine
Our first look at the world outside the gates of Pomorele, and no, the perspective is meant to look that odd…
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Crucible: The Quest: Episode Eight
Time to mount up and head out of Pomorele… but are there some things best left unsaid?
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Crucible: The Quest – Episode Seven
Fisticuffs on the streets of Pomorele! But no-one messes with Zingamy’s chosen few…
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New Commandos take you down “Doom River” and into a deadly desert!
Here’s the details of the latest issues of Commando (Issues 4763 – 4766) from DC Thomson, on sale now in all good newsagents across the UK and digitally for iPad and iPhone. Commando No 4763 – Ambush In The Ardennes… Read More ›
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First Ever British Comic sells at auction for over £2000
Potentially Britain’s first ever comic title, a rare offering of the Glasgow/Northern Looking Glass Issues 1-13 in the latest Comic Book Auctions in a bound volume have sold for £2,350 – well over the estimated sale price of of £400-500. “To… Read More ›
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Voting begins for Peters Book of the Year 2015 – more kudos for Phoenix creators
Hot on the heels of the good news for Adam Murphy and his Blue Peter Book Award nomination for Corpse Talk comes more good news for the creators whose work has also featured in The Phoenix. Von Doogan and the… Read More ›
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Blackpool to host one day Comic Con in September 2015
Blackpool Comic Con is to take place on 12th September 2015 at the northern seaside town’s world famous Winter Gardens. “Like never before Blackpool will play host to the brightest and best Comic Con that the UK has to offer,” say… Read More ›
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Paul Magrs Doctor Who story “Stuff of Nightmares” on Radio 4Extra over Christmas
Hornets’ Nest: The Stuff of Nightmares, a Doctor Who audio drama written by Paul Magrs starring Tom Baker, Susan Jameson and Richard Franklin is being broadcast on Radio 4Extra starting on 16th December. You could sit down and listen to it… Read More ›
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Adam Murphy’s “Corpse Talk” nominated for Blue Peter Book Award
Adam Murphy’s Corpse Talk, published by David Fickling Books, is one of six titles nominated for the Blue Peter Book Awards 2015, announced yesterday. It’s the first time a book using comic strips to tell real-life stories has been nominated… Read More ›
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ROK Comics revamps ‘Aggregator’ App for its audio comics
Wolverhampton-based audio comics publisher ROK Comics has revamped its ‘aggregator’ app, which brings together all its ROK Comics – and titles from a number of independent publishers – in one place for iPad and iPhone users. The app is the… Read More ›
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Scottish Comics Unconference Meet-up announced for February 2015, participants wanted
The Scottish Comics Unconference Meet-up – open to any and all with an interest in engaging seriously with the medium – will take place on Saturday 28th February 2015 in Glasgow, Scotland and a call has just gone out for participants. An unconference is… Read More ›
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Production team on new Preacher pilot “unbelievably psyched”, filming next year
US cable TV network AMC has announced it has ordered a pilot for a series based on the comic Preacher, originally created in the 1990s by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon for DC Comics Vertigo imprint, which may see… Read More ›
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Creators join forces to raise funds for Bill Mantlo with “Transformers 100” signed issue
Key comic creators involved in bringing Transformers to the comic book page, some over the past three decades, have banded together to offer a special Transformers #100 very limited multi-signed issue, to raise funds to aid US comic author Bill Mantlo…. Read More ›
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Ian Edginton signing Brass Sun at Forbidden Planet
Writer Ian Edginton will be signing copies of Brass Sun at the Forbidden Planet London Megastore on Thursday 4th December from 6 – 7.00pm. Unfortunately, artist Ian Culbard is unable to attend. Described as “Exquisite” by major comics web… Read More ›