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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Image Comics “Genesis” latest US project for British artist Alison Sampson
British comic artist and architect Alison Sampson (one of the team behind Think of a City, a tumblr-based, mass storytelling project) is providing art for a one-shot creator-owned comic, Genesis, from Image Comics, which will be published in April. Written… Read More ›
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Top 10 downthetubes Posts: 21st – 27th January 2014
Here’s a rundown of the Top Ten posts on downthetubes over the last seven days (not including the Home Page): • “White Dwarf” goes weekly, “Warhammer Visions” launches 1st February Bucking the usual trend of magazines closing or going digital only,… Read More ›
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Gerry Anderson’s Gemini Force One secures publishing deal with Gollancz
In an exciting development for fans of shows such as Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet, word breaks this morning that the successful Kickstarter project, Gerry Anderson’s Gemini Force One, is to be published by Gollancz in 2014 and Orion Children’s Books… Read More ›
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London Cartoon Museum revamps web site, new “Bring Me Laughter” exhibition raises smiles
The London-based Cartoon Museum‘s latest exhibition – Bring Me Laughter – is in full swing at the moment, and this terrific extravaganza there reminds me to mention that the venue’s web site (www.cartoonmuseum.org) has been totally revamped and much improved… Read More ›
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Revolutionary War: Knights of Pendragon preview released, Cork signing announced
Marvel has released a preview of Revolutionary War #3: Knights of Pendragon (Warning! Potential spoilers in the art below), written by Rob Williams with Irish artist Will Sliney, on art – replacing Simon Coleby, who was the advertised artist in… Read More ›
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2000AD offers sneek peek at upcoming Thrills for 2014
2000AD has released a series of teaser images for many of its new strips, set for publication in the weekly SF comic and Judge Dredd Megazine, including a new creator owned story from Paul Grist and a new Slaine tale… Read More ›
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“White Dwarf” goes weekly, “Warhammer Visions” launches 1st February
. Bucking the usual trend of magazines closing or going digital only, Games Workshop has announced the launch of a new, weekly White Dwarf magazine and a new monthly title – Warhammer: Visions – on 1st February 2014. The new… Read More ›
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The Return of the Marvel UK Heroes: An interview with Alan Cowsill
Unless you’ve been living under a stone, you’ll be aware we’ve been giving a lot of coverage to Marvel’s Revolutionary War series, featuring the return of the Marvel UK heroes first created at the instigation of the company’s Editorial Director,… Read More ›
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Lovecraft in London: Cagliostro’s Comic Challenge
Here’s a quick follow up on my post about I Racconti di Nur (Tales of Nur), a graphic novel published in Italy by artist Gian Marco Ibba who I worked with back in 2003. Giorgio Messina, the editor-in-chief at Cagliostro… Read More ›
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In Review: Ron Turner’s “Space Ace” Volume 2
Out: NowPublisher: John LawrenceOriginally published by Atlas Publishing & Distributing Co. Ltd The Magazine: Four more vintage stories from the pages of Lone Star Magazine and Lone Star Annual featuring Space Ace, lovingly restored and coloured by John Ridgway. The… Read More ›
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New Italian publisher launches SF, fantasy comics range
Admittedly, this isn’t actually British comic news – but bear with me, there is a British connection! A few years ago I wrote a number of comic strips for an Italian publisher, CJL, who were seeking to use comics as… Read More ›
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“Comics UnMasked” exhibition at British Library to be designed by Dave McKean
The British Library – which has a huge archive of comics and graphic novels to draw on – has confirmed that their major lead exhibition for 2014 (which we highlighted last year) is on British comics and entitled Comics Unmasked:… Read More ›
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“Visual Language of Comics” earns high praise for Neil Cohn
Bloomsbury Publishing released Neil Cohn‘s The Visual Language of Comics, an academic work offering an introduction to the structure and cognition of Sequential Images last December, but it slipped under our radar in the inevitable pre-Christmas madness. Reviews for the… Read More ›
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John Jennings catches the eye with his cover for “Afrofuturism”
Wrapped in a cracking cover titled ‘Io Ashtara” by John Jennings, Afrofuturism: The World Of Black Sci-Fi & Fantasy Culture by Ytasha L Womack is described as a “hip, accessible primer to the music, literature, and art of Afrofuturism.” Comprising… Read More ›
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SelfMadeHero’s Spring Slate includes new titles from I.N.J. Culbard, Nick Abadzis and more
British publisher SelfMadeHero has confirmed its publishing plans for the first few months of 2014. They include a biography of painter Vincent van Gogh by Dutch artist Barbara Stok, a political satire set during the Iraq War by Abel Lanzac… Read More ›
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Batman-Judge Dredd Collection out at last
Finally, every Judge Dredd versus Batman story ever published, um.. republished, in over 300 Thrill-packed pages! The long-awaited Batman/Judge Dredd Collection, first announced for a November release last year, includes all four team-ups of the greatest crime-fighting duo – so… Read More ›
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Titan Comics bags Doctor Who rights
BBC Worldwide and Titan Comics have teamed up to publish all-new Doctor Who comic book adventures in the United States, taking over from US publisher IDW, and have just issued the following press release: In the universe of Doctor Who,… Read More ›
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More Dennis the Menace merchandise in the works, and other Beano characters, too
In a wide ranging interview with Start Licensing’s Ian Downes, Licensing.Biz reveals that more Dennis the Menace merchandise is in the works from DC Thomson after a great year for the character – and that DC Thomson looks keen to… Read More ›
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Doctor Who ‘zine, Plaything of Sutekh, Issue Three released
Issue 3 of the Doctor Who fanzine Plaything of Sutekh is now available. The new issue features: · Don’t Shoot – He’s British! – Matt Kilburn looks at the cultural influences on the Doctor’s identity. · Matt Finish… Read More ›
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MCM London Comic Con – back in May
MCM London Comic Con storms back to Excel on 23-25 May for another spectacular celebration of all that’s best and brightest in the worlds of movies, sci-fi, anime, videogames, comics, manga and cosplay. Alongside all the onstage panels, games zones… Read More ›