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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Panel Borders: Designing Comics
Designing comics: In a coda to a trio of shows about the use of fine art in comics, Alex Fitch looks at graphic design in comics, in a panel discussion with Rian Hughes (2000AD), Karen Rubins (V and A artist… Read More ›
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Merry Christmas from 2000AD!
Merry Christmas Eve! It’s Pro Day on the 2000AD Advent Calendar – a thread for one and all to post some fextive cheer and fun and the droids have really knocked it out of the park this year, with artworks… Read More ›
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2000AD Free Comic Book Day details emerge
2000AD are in the advance stages of putting together their Free Comic Book Day title for 2014 – a 48 page Free Comic Book Day edition with a cover by Henry Flint. The line up includes work from writers John… Read More ›
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Official Star Wars Fact File launches in January in the UK
The Official Star Wars Fact File, a new national partwork for the UK from part work publishers De Agostini, launches on sale 1st January 2014, initially priced at 50p. Aimed at fans of all ages, The Official Star Wars Fact… Read More ›
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Looking back on 2013: A Good Year for British Comics?
Here at downthetubes.net we think it’s been a great year that’s included the 100th issue of The Phoenix and has been named one of the top comics of 2013 by TIME Magazine, and we’ve been able to enjoy a growing… Read More ›
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‘Caught Unaware’, an exhibition by Doctor Who illustrator Paul Vyse, opens in January
Back in my days as editor of Marvel UK’s Doctor Who Magazine, I commissioned a number of illustrations to accompany a plethora of text stories that formed part of the title, new tales of the Doctor and companions to keep… Read More ›
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Simpsons Comics UK goes digital
Titan Comics has partnered with Comixology to bring its licensed Simpsons Comics the comic to tablets and smartphones in the UK and Eire for the first time. Featuring both classic and new issues, the Titan Comics range is now available… Read More ›
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Latest Commandos bring you War Dogs and Nazi Raiders!
Here’s the details of the last of DC Thomson’s Commando titles of 2013, on sale from today, 19th December 2013, in all good newsagents and digitally for iPad and other mobile devices. Commando No 4663 – The Eagles Return Story:… Read More ›
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Horizon: The Fear continues Andrew Wildman’s rite of passage adventure
‘We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are’ – Anais Nin Comic creator Andrew Wildman very kindly sent me a copy of Horizon: The Fear, the second book in his HORIZON trilogy recently – what… Read More ›
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Accent UK’s “Thaddeus Mist” gains wider distribution
(With thanks to Owen Michael Johnson): Who On Earth Was Thaddeus Mist?, a terrific anthology book published by AccentUK to much praise last year, is now available on Amazon. At the funeral of her mysterious and eccentric husband, widow Zelda… Read More ›
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Angry Candy release new ‘West’ strip as part of “The Newspaper Strip Collection of Oscar Charles Drayton’
The Newspaper Strip Collection of Oscar Charles Drayton – featuring the latest West story The Train Leaves at Noon, alongside other faux-1970s newspaper strip-style stories from John Maybury, Colin Stanford, Arthur Goodman, and David Goodman – is now available to buy… Read More ›
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“Neil Gaiman’s Lost Tales” digital comic raises over £1200 for Malaria No More
Last week, SEQUENTIAL‘s Editorial Director, Chloe Pursey, was delighted to hand over a cheque for $2,000 to Malaria No More UK to help them fight malaria. This was the first tranche of the money publishers Panel Nine are raising by… Read More ›
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Jamie Hewlett backs Greenpeace Arctic campaign’s Christmas eCard promotion
It may be Christmas, but Santa’s worried about his home. With oil companies like Shell and Gazprom moving in to drill in the Arctic Ocean, his home at the North Pole is rapidly disappearing from under his feet. Soon, it… Read More ›
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Psylocke joins Marvel Heroes game line up, so where’s Captain Britain?
Psylocke – Captain Britain’s sister – is to join the line up of playable characters in the Marvel Heroes game in the near future, prompting many British fans to ask if Captain Britain is far behind. News of Betsy Braddock’s… Read More ›
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HeroicArt.com to remove comic art from sale after creator complaints
British-based company HeroicArt has removed a number of artworks for sale from its web site, after comic creators complaints that the work offered was based on their own. The company told downthtubes.net that two items – a “Hulk versus Thing”… Read More ›
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Saltire, Scotland’s superhero – competition to win first book launched
Diamondsteel Comics have launched a Facebook-based competition to promote their Scottish superhero, Saltire. To be in with a chance of winning one of ten free copies of their new Saltire Invasion graphic novel, just go to this facebook link and… Read More ›
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Kick-Ass 2 scene brought to life at London’s Rockwell House
Last weekend, fans of the Kick-Ass franchise celebrated the release of Kick-Ass 2 on Blu-ray and DVD at the Kick-Ass Comic Canv-Ass, re-creating writer and executive producer Mark Millar’s favourite scene from the superhero blockbuster. Comic book buffs and aspiring artists… Read More ›
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Christmas Cheer from Eagle Times (Volume 26 Number Four)
There’s a glorious Christmas-themed cover from artist Peter Jackson on the cover of the latest Eagle Times (Volume 26, Number Four), available now from the Eagle Society. Winter 2013 Contents An appreciation of the work of artist Peter Jackson, whose… Read More ›
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Marvel’s Revolutionary War – details of final limited series titles released
Marvel Comics has released covers for the last three titles in its Revolutionary War limited series, which re-introduces the Marvel UK characters first created back in the 1990s to the wider Marvel universe. Revolutionary War is set at an… Read More ›
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Actress Jessica Martin’s “It Girl” comic a warm up for longer graphic novel
Actress, singer, impressionist and now, comic creator Jessica Martin (whose screen credits include the Doctor Who story The Greatest Show in the Galaxy, but is perhaps best known as an impressionist and voice artist on Spitting Image, impersonating the voice… Read More ›