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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British comic creators a-plenty head to London Supercon
The line up for this year’s London Super Comic Convention in March (15–16th) is hotting up. Taking place at the ExCel Centre in London British guests and exhibitors now include Charlie Adlard, Mark Buckingham, Ian Churchill, Andy Clift, Mike Collins,… Read More ›
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Crucible Comic #1 available for Kindle, work in progress on #2
We’re pleased to announce that the first issue of a US-comic styled, digital edition of our Crucible comic is now also available for Kindle and in PDF format from Scribd. Work is progressing steadily on Issue 2, with Jim Campbell at… Read More ›
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Judge Dredd: Underbelly sells out in 48 hours, reprint on the way
Just 48 hours after it went on sale, 2000AD has announced that they are to reprint their sold-out comic book Dredd: Underbelly. The official comic book sequel to the cult hit movie staring Karl Urban and Olivia Thirlby, Underbelly sold… Read More ›
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Convict Commandos return in ghostly new Commando tale
Here’s the run down on the latest issues of DC Thomson’s war comic, Commando – Issues 4675-4678 – on sale now in all good newsagents and digitally for iPad and iPhone on the iTunes store. Commando No 4675 – Grave… Read More ›
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BFI celebrates 30 Years of “Spitting Image”
BFI Southbank will celebrate the 30th anniversary of Spitting Image on 27th February – one of the most innovative and daring television programmes ever conceived. Thirty years ago, Roger Law and Peter Fluck were happily ensconced in a converted Temperance… Read More ›
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Judge Dredd: Underbelly, movie sequel collection released
The comic book sequel to the critically-acclaimed movie DREDD hit comic book stores and online today. Written by Arthur Wyatt and drawn by Henry Flint, this special US-format one-shot is available, collecting the whole Underbelly story, from comic book stores… Read More ›
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Creator Spotlight: Gerry Embleton
I had a quick phone call with ace artist John Ridgway today, discussing colouring comics, Commando and one of our favourite topics, favourite comic creators, which today included the great pulp magazine artist Alden MacWiliams (whose credits included Twin Earths,… Read More ›
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National Literacy Trust charity auction includes Doctor Who script, Gruffalo art
Gruffalo illustrator Axel Scheffler, League of Gentlemen co-creator and co-star Steve Pemberton, along with celebrities including Joanna Trollope, Barbara Taylor Bradford and Madness have united to support literacy. All have donated items to an auction on behalf of the National… Read More ›
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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 ›