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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Middlesbrough Literary Festival hosts "Mini Comic Con"
Middlesbrough will host a Mini Comic Con on Saturday 22nd June as part of the fifth Middlesbrough Literary Festival , which begins on Saturday 15th June. The ethos of the Middlesbrough Literary Festival is to celebrate the word in all… Read More ›
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Medicine and Comics merge for unusual conference
Ethics Under Cover is an interdisciplinary conference in July in Brighton, intended to appeal to a wide audience, including healthcare professionals, comics creators, students, academic scholars, comics enthusiasts and various stakeholder groups. The meeting, organised by Brighton and Sussex Medical… Read More ›
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Mars Attacks – Your Wallet!
IDW Limited has announced plans for interstellar domination of your wallets this week, beginning with the Mars Attacks: Attack from Space Limited-Edition Hardcover. The book collects the first five issues of the popular IDW comic series drawn by top talent… Read More ›
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In Review: Peter Pan by by Régis Loisel
by Régis Loisel Out: Now (UK and Europe only) Publisher: Soaring Penguin The Book: Before he became Peter Pan, before his arrival to Neverland, he was a boy fighting for survival. Born into the suburbs of harsh, Dickensian London, to… Read More ›
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10 Questions: Russell Willis, publisher of SEQUENTIAL and Panel Nine
Russell Willis – Publisher of Panel Nine I’ve known Russell Willis since the 1980s, first encountering him at the Fast Fiction stall run by Paul Gravett and Peter Stanbury at the now-legendary Westminster Comic Marts when he was publishing INFINITY,… Read More ›
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WebFinds: Wonderfully Vulgar, an online exhibition of British Comics
Early comics merchandise: an Ally Sloper greeting card from 1890 (with thanks to Norman Boyd and Kevin Carpenter): It was a surprize to me too – but British Comics do turn up in the strangest of places – but none… Read More ›
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Elephantmen storm 2D Festival as new issue debuts
With the brilliant 2D Festival on this weekend in Northern Ireland, here’s a quick plug for the latest issue of Richard Starkings Elephantmen. Issue 48, with art from Axel Medellin and a cover by the ever brilliant Boo Cookoffers the seventh… Read More ›
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Six-Gun Gorilla comics inspired by British pulp hero in the pipeline
Two comics projects inspired by an obscure British Pulp hero published by DC Thomson the 1930s are in the works, illustrating, perhaps, the potential pitfalls of reviving “Golden Age” heroes in the public domain. Six-Gun Gorilla was published in Wizard,… Read More ›
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Complete Zenith Collection finally on its way from 2000AD
2000AD is to publish a complete – if strictly limited – collection of Grant Morrison and Steve Yeowell’s ground-breaking superhero series Zenith for the first time in December. The 2000AD marketing team have been teasing fans with the possibility of… Read More ›
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Gary Northfield’s TeenyTinySaurs storm Gosh!
Excellent childrens’ books illustrator and Phoenix-contributor Gary Northfield has released The Terrible Tales of the TeenyTinySaurs, a delightful new kid’s book from Walker Books – and Gosh London are celebrating it with a launch party on Friday 31st May. Is it… Read More ›
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Titan Comics releases Devil May Cry: The Vergil Chronicles
Titan Comics has just released the first issue of Devil May Cry: The Vergil Chronicles comic, based on the all-new re-imagination of Capcom’s world-famous eponymous videogame saga. Both issues of the two-part ‘prequel’ comic series are already available digitally, to… Read More ›
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Orbital Comics announces Comic Book Creators launch event
Orbital Comics in London have announced a special discussion panel to celebrate the launch of the new Comic Book Creators magazine from Twomorrows Publishing, taking place on Saturday 8th June. Learn more about how John Morrow and his wife started… Read More ›
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SEQUENTIAL gets set to launch
SEQUENTIAL, the free digital graphic novel storefront app for the iPad created by Panel Nine, is launching next Wednesday in the UK, bringing you loads of great titles from the likes of Hunt Emerson, Gilbert Shelton, Alan Moore, Krent Able… Read More ›
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Dravn to Succeed: Dave Elliott on A1, DRAVN and the lure of the anthology comic
Dave Elliott has more than 25 years of experience working in every aspect of the comic book industry from writer and artist to editor and publisher, and his latest project, the return of A1, is about to be launched, in… Read More ›
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Keith Page seeks a publisher for "Tommy Atkins’ Tour of the Trenches"
Commando artist Keith Page (whose credits also include Paint It Black, the Charlotte Corday saga with Stephen Walsh and the Bryant and May series by Christopher Fowler) has created a smashing-looking 32-page comic called Tommy Atkins’ Tour of the Trenches… Read More ›
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New venue, ace guest list for Glasgow Comic Con
There’s an impressive line up already announced for this year’s Glasgow Comic Con, which will take place at the CCA Glasgow. GCC is Scotland’s number one comic book festival, bringing in people from across the UK to celebrate the art… Read More ›
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Sean Azzopardi exhibition announced
Flashback Records, Crouch End, will be hosting an exhibition of prints by cartoonist and publisher Sean Azzopardi next month. The event, on 7th June, is part of the Crouch End Festival 2013. Flashback Records 144 Crouch Hill London N8 9DX… Read More ›
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Creating Comics: Copyright Matters
Some suggestions and advice on copyright. However, if you are seeking proper, professional copyright or trademark advice, hire a lawyer!
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Creating Web Comics: Some Useful Books
If you’re thinking about creating your own web comic, I’ve found these three books useful reading. How to Make Web Comics by Scott Kurtz and Peter Straub For years young, creative men and women have dreamed about making a living… Read More ›