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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Unicorn Press to publish Eagle’s “Happy Warrior” biography of Winston Churchill
Unicorn Press is to release anew collection of The Happy Warrior: The Life Story of Sir Winston Churchill, written by Clifford Makins and drawn by Frank Bellamy, in March. The strip was last re-published in the United States only in… Read More ›
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Garry Leach heads to Orbital for Marvel Man… Miracle Man signing
London’s Orbital Comics is to host a signing by the original Marvel Man – sorry, Miracle Man – artist Garry Leach on Wednesday 15th January from 5.00pm. KIMOTA! With one magic word, a long-forgotten legend lives again! Freelance reporter Michael… Read More ›
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New online project explores the impact of comics on everyday life
MediaCommons’ The New Everyday has announced the publication of a cluster on The Multimodality of Comics in Everyday Life, curated by Ernesto Priego of City University London and David N. Wright of Douglas College. The cluster includes Harriet Kennedy’s article,… Read More ›
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Rough Cut Comics collect Jim Alexander’s GoodCopBadCop
Regular readers will recall our past news items for Jim Alexander‘s horror comic GoodCopBadCop, but now the entire series to date has been repackaged by Rough Cut with all-new material ready to be unleashed end of January onto an unsuspecting… Read More ›
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The Last Ever Alan Moore Interview?
Pádraig Ó Méalóid has published a wide-ranging and, possibly, the last ever comics-related interview Alan Moore will ever give, in which he responds to recent criticism of his work online and reveals some forthright views on some members of the… Read More ›
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Comic Criticism: A Call for Calm – and Common Sense
Whether it’s the bad weather on both sides of the Atlantic, or simply a case of rising bile reaching a point at which those who appear to be bearing the brunt of it have decided to say “Enough!”, the past… Read More ›
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RM Guera’s new Judge Dredd story – sneek peek!
The artist on the critically-acclaimed Scalped crime series for Vertigo, RM Guera, comes to the Judge Dredd Megazine next week with a one-short Judge Dredd story written by Rob Williams (Cla$$war, Daken) – and Tharg has kindly provided this sneek… Read More ›
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Win a copy of Titan Books’ “Battle Classics”
Thanks to those fine folk at Titan Books, we have TWO copies of their new British comic collection, Garth Ennis Presents Battle Classics, to give away! All you need to do is answer the question below and tell us in… Read More ›
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ITV Studios hints at new Thunderbirds merchandise as 50th anniversary approaches
ITV Studios has begun preparing in earnest for its new Thunderbirds are Go! series in 2015, having already announced the launch of its Classic Thunderbirds 50th anniversary plans and commenced the countdown to the new TV series, both set to… Read More ›
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Dark Souls II tie-in comic by Rob Williams, Andi Ewington and Simon Coleby launches
Namco Bandai has just launched a free digital comic – Dark Souls II: Into the Light – created by three leading British comic creators to promote the upcoming release of it Dark Souls II game. The new comic, set in… Read More ›
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New Temple APA showcase for aspiring comic creators released
The Temple APA Issue Fifteen is now available to download as a totally free PDF file, containing contributions from the likes of Dave Hailwood, Simon Mackie, Tony Suleri, Malcolm Kirk, (who also provides the cover), and newcomer to the project, Ben… Read More ›
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J. Michael Straczynski signing at GOSH, London tomorrow
Babylon 5 creator and Academy-Award-nominated author J. Michael Straczynski will be at GOSH London tomorrow (8th January) signing and chatting to fans from 5.00 – 7.00pm. Famously known in comics for his superb and successful run on the Amazing Spider-Man,… Read More ›
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Royal Mail celebrates 60 years of classic children’s TV
The Royal Mail’s Special Stamp programme kicks-off 2014 with an issue that celebrates over 60 years of Classic Children’s TV – and almost every character featured has appeared in one comic or more down the years. 12 of the most… Read More ›
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Paragon Annual mixes old and new in great new collection
Not content with putting out the regular independent Paragon comic anthology, the ever-busy Davey Candlish has also published a Paragon Annual, featuring work by writers Greg Meldrum, Locust, Peter Salmond, The Emperor, Sean Brink and Davey himself; and artists Archie… Read More ›
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Commando blasts into 2014, featuring first ever free gifts for title
DC Thomson has just published the first issues of their fortnightly Commando war comic for 2014 – the first ever to feature free gifts in its long history. “For the first time in its very long history, Commando will giving… Read More ›
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London Anime & Gaming Con “Biggest Yet”
Pre-Pay Places are selling at record levels for the expanded London Anime & Gaming Con this 8-9th February, and the event's organisers are urging fans to make sure to get your tickets now before the price rises. If you register… Read More ›
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Gaze into the ‘City of Dredd’!
Coming soon for 2000AD and Judge Dredd fans – the third edition of a 1000-plus page, unofficial Judge Dredd reference manual. On sale from 13th January 2014 as a PDF eBook, City of Dredd is a gazetteer of Mega-City One,… Read More ›
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Latest Infinity magazine spotlights Kendal Comic Art Festival, Greenberg and Moore
Infinity #5, the free digital magazine of graphic novels and sequential art published by Panel Nine, is out now. This issue contains features on Alan Moore, reviews of Isabel Greenberg’s Encyclopedia of Early Earth, Paul Gravett’s Comics Art, Gareth Brookes’… Read More ›
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Nemo: The Roses of Berlin out in March
When Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill followed up their League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Century trilogy with 2013’s spinoff Nemo: Heart of Ice, critics hailed it as a return to form, “a throwback to the high adventure of the initial series,”… Read More ›
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Bojeffries Saga set to clank into bookshops this April
Knockabout Comics, in partnerhsip with Top Shelf, are to publish the complete The Bojeffries Saga by Alan Moore and Steve Parkhouse in April – a collection that will feature an all-new 24-page story. “Think The Munsters written by Alan Bennett… Read More ›