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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“Nemo: The Roses of Berlin” hits Top Three in Graphic Novel Sales for March
Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill’s latest League of Extraordinary Gentlemen-inspired title Nemo: The Roses of Berlin, co-published by Knockabout and Top Shelf, proved a sales hit last month in terms of sales in specialist comic shops, reaching the Number Three spot… Read More ›
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A Different Type of Star – Rejuvenating DC Thomson’s Red Star for a New Era
General Jumbo, The Smasher and Supercats are just some of the classic British heroes back in print right now, thanks to a team of Scottish comic creators, DC Thomson and Comic Heroes magazine. As we previously reported, The Glasgow League of Writers has teamed up with publisher DC… Read More ›
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21st Tank Girl project gets massive Kickstarter support
After a break of nearly 20 years Jamie Hewlett will be drawing a new Tank Girl story as part of 21st Century Tank Girl project conceived by Alan C. Martin, joining six other artists to create a brand new book that has… Read More ›
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Jon Lock’s AFTERLIFE INC. collection on course for crowd funding success?
Comics writer Jon Lock recently launched a Kickstarter campaign that looks to be on course to see the publication of a deluxe collection of his amazing AFTERLIFE INC., the tale of con-artist Jack Fortune, who, following his untimely demise, discovers an afterlife in… Read More ›
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Scar Comics Unveils New Crime Thriller
Unfinished City, the latest graphic novel to be announced by award winning British independent publishers Scar Comics and seeking crowd funding, is catching the attention of readers in Eastern Europe as well as readers and creators here in the UK and… Read More ›
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From Street to Trench: A World War that Shaped a Region opens at IWM North
The Imperial War Museum North‘s new exhibition in Manchester, the largest of its kind, will reveal the important contribution the North West made during the First World War. Marking the 100 year commemoration we have gathered together over 200… Read More ›
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OFF LIFE magazine announces live London #QuickDraw event
To help launch the brand new House of Illustration gallery in London’s Kings Cross, the OFF LIFE team – makers of the free street comic distributed in London and Bristol – are holding a free #QuickDraw event in April. “Every… Read More ›
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Glasgow comic makers documentary released
Independent film maker and director John Wilson has just released Independent Comics: Glasgow a short documentary exploring comic book writers based in Glasgow on YouTube, filmed in various locations and featuring interviews with Team Girl Comic‘s MJ Wallace and Roachwell creator… Read More ›
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Panini UK set to launch “Henry Hugglemonster” title
Panini UK is to launch Henry Hugglemonster, a new 36-page monthly magazine for pre-schoolers, featuring the monster family from Disney Junior’s TV show, on 17th April. The show, which launched last year and airs in 150 countries worldwide, is based… Read More ›
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The road to the World War One to be re-visited by top British cartoonists
Over six weeks (28th June – 4th August 2014), twelve top cartoonists and graphic artists, and a number of script writers will respond to the events that happened across the world as the world was heading to war one hundred… Read More ›
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Get ready for MCM Ireland Comic Con
Calling all Irish sci-fi, videogame, comics, cosplay and anime fans! A quick reminder that the first ever MCM Ireland Comic Con comes to Dublin’s RDS on 12-13 April for a weekend jam-packed with geeky goodness. Special guests already confirmed for… Read More ›
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First Age Comics opens new Lancaster store
Lancaster’s First Age Comics has moved into new premises, expanding its new comics, graphic novels and action figures and back issue sales operations over two floors at 3, Moor Lane, Lancaster. Owners Mark and Lucy Braithwaite have been looking for… Read More ›
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Violence: A Conference on Comics – Call for Papers
Whether they are depicting the never-ending battles of superheroes, dealing sensitively but shockingly with issues such as domestic violence, or presenting an overview of historical conflicts, the themes of conflict and violence are common in comics, and will be the… Read More ›
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Ace indie title “Raygun Roads” gets second printing
The latest news from the interground has it that the entirety of the fantastic Raygun Roads webcomic from Owne Johnson, Indio and Andy Bloor, which we’ve enthused about here before, will crackle live today – 2nd April. From today it… Read More ›
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The Beano’s Gnasher has gone missing!
One of The Beano’s most popular and well-known characters, Gnasher, appears to have disappeared following the discovery that a rare dinosaur bone has gone missing from the National Museum of Scotland. The dinosaur thigh bone went missing from the Museum… Read More ›
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Eagle Times Volume 27 Number One Available Now
The new issue of Eagle Times is available now from the Eagle Society – Britian’s longest-running comics fanzine. Spring 2014 Contents ‘The Lakeland Motor Museum’ – an article focussing on the Campbell Bluebird Exhibition, recalling the former world land and… Read More ›
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Panel Borders: Ben Katchor, architectural strips
Concluding a month of shows about comics and graphic novels drawn from elements of real life on British comics radio show Panel Borders, Alex Fitch talks to award winning American cartoonist Ben Katchor about his weekly newspaper strips on tourism… Read More ›
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Heroes In The Night: Inside The Real Life Superhero Movement
The Watchman didn’t arrive in a Batmobile but drove a tan, four-door Pontiac. He was in costume, of course — a trench coat, motorcycle gloves, army boots, a domino mask, and a red hooded sweatshirt emblazoned with a W logo…. Read More ›
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Marvel’s Revolutionary War ends, but will its UK heroes be back?
The final issue of Revolutionary War, reviving many Marvel UK characters, is on sale now in all good comic shops. If you haven’t already gone out and bought it, here’s another preview to tempt you… and the collection is out… Read More ›
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Wonder Woman recruited for Mothering Sunday merchandise offensive
Warner Bros. Consumer Products UK and DC Entertainment have been busy ramping up the profile of their Wonder Woman licence in the run up to Mothering Sunday this weekend. (No, it isn’t “Mother’s Day” – that is the US celebration,… Read More ›