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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Radio interviews with James Moran and VS Comics creators
Panel Borders: James Moran Vs Comics Continuing a month of shows about webcomics, Alex Fitch talks to screenwriter James Moran (Cockneys vs Zombies, Torchwood) about his new webcomic Day + Night, an urban vampire tale that casts the creatures of… Read More ›
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2000AD’s Greatest Covers under the spotlight
It’s been setting the newsstands ablaze with pulse-pounding covers for 36 years and now 2000AD is teaming up with one of its biggest fans to bring you the Galaxy’s Greatest Covers. Long-term fan Pete Wells of 2000AD Covers Uncovered and… Read More ›
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Comics Forum announces ‘Death and the Superhero’ event
Comics Forum has announced the second event in its ‘Comics Forum presents…’ series. José Alaniz, author of Komiks: Comic Art in Russia, guest author for the Comics Forum website and the current chair of the executive committee of the International… Read More ›
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10 Questions: Comics Writer Benjamin Read
Benjamin Read writes comics and makes films. He wrote the True Grit and Super 8 comic adaptations, and also wrote and produced the films Warhouse and 500 Miles North. He is also one of the founder members of the Improper… Read More ›
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72nd World Science Fiction Con to celebrate ‘Diversity in Speculative Fiction’
The academic programme at Loncon 3, the 72nd World Science Fiction Convention which will be held in London next August at the Excel, is offering the opportunity for academics from across the globe to share their ideas – including their… Read More ›
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Standby For… Andersonic 15
The latest issue of the independent Gerry Anderson fanzine, Andersonic, is now out. Issue 15 includes – Tony Harding interview – a new interview with Century 21’s Effects Assistant on Captain Scarlet, Joe 90, Secret Service and UFO. Tony talks… Read More ›
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Interview: Bringing Comics to the Classroom
Digital comics are pushing boundaries on many fronts, but one British company is pushing them into the classroom, aiming to harness the timeless appeal of comics to create a uniquely engaging learning tool. The first Comics in the Classroom projects… Read More ›
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London’s Orbital Comics to host Des Taylor exhibition
Orbital Comics has announced an exhibition of limited edition art prints and sketches by British illustrator DesTaylor will open at their Central London store later this month. Born and bred in Tottenham, London with a passion for comic book and… Read More ›
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Dennis the Menace, Daleks and Darth in Cover of the Century poll
Dennis the Menace, Daleks and Darth Vader rub shoulders with other memorable magazine covers in a new poll celebrating 100 years of the Professional Publishers Association – Britain’s trade organisation representing more than 200 publishing-related companies. The PPA Cover of… Read More ›
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Scar Comics bring back Roger Mason’s Mice
Now available from Scar Comics is the new sci-fi graphic novel from acclaimed bande dessinée and 2000AD artist Roger Mason. Featuring the giant alien factory Order Nine, The Mice graphic novels tell the story of the remnants of humanity who… Read More ›
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Panel Nine releases Terry Wiley’s VerityFair on iPad
Panel Nine, digital publishers of Eddie Campbell’s Dapper John and The Certified Hunt Emerson, and has just released their iPad edition of “unheralded star” Terry Wiley‘s VerityFair. A slightly twisted soap opera with the merest dash of X-Files, VerityFair tells… Read More ›
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Steampunk Radio with Panel Borders
Panel Borders: Steampunk Geniuses Continuing a month of shows looking at webcomics, Alex Fitch talks to the creators of a popular online steampunk strip that combines Victoriana, mad scientists, fantasy and strong female characters. Phil and Kaja Foglio discuss the… Read More ›
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SelfMadeHero launches ‘Art Masters’ series with Rembrandt bio
SelfMadeHero are to release a graphical biography of the world’s greatest portrait painter, Rembrandt, in April, produced in association with the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The biography from Dutch illustrator Typex presents an unique colourful account of the great artist’s life… Read More ›
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Artist Colin Andrew: A Tribute by Syd Jordan
As we reported earlier this week, veteran comic artist Colin Andrew recently passed. Here, Syd Jordan pays tribute to this unsung artisan of British comics (and much more)… An episode of Jeff Hawke: Overlord. Jeff Hawke © Daily Express ENVOI… Read More ›
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Paul Cornell signing Wolverine #1 at Forbidden Planet London
Paul Cornell will be signing The Forbidden Planet Variant of Marvel Comics new Wolverine #1 at the Forbidden Planet London Megastore on Wednesday 13th March from 6 – 7.00pm. The best there is at what he does gets an all-new… Read More ›
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Titan Comics announces IT CAME! from Dan Boultwood
Titan Comics releases the brand-new creator-owned series, IT CAME! – a four-issue, 1950s B-movie style mini-series by Dan Boultwood – in August. Judging from the sneek peek trailer (created by Angie Thomas) which has just been released, fans of Mystery… Read More ›
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Luck for Some: Temple APA 13 released
The Temple APA Issue Thirteen is now available to download as a totally free pdf file, containing contributions from the likes of Dave Hailwood, Paul Eldridge, Simon Mackie, Tony Suleri, Dirk Van Dom and Malcolm Kirk – who also provides… Read More ›
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Soaring Penguin Press to publish Régis Loisel’s “Peter Pan”
Indie publisher Soaring Penguin Press is to publish Régis Loisel’s epic series, Peter Pan for the first time in English, in one omnibus edition, later this year – and has launched an Indiegogo campaign to support publication. The 372-page, full… Read More ›
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Brubaker, Sacco and Munoz among first ‘big name’ guests for Lakes International Comic Art Festival
Lakes International Comic Art Festival Posterby Bryan Talbot. Competition below! Some of the biggest names in comic art – including top names such as Joe Sacco, Ed Brubaker and Posy Simmonds, John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra – will be heading… Read More ›
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In Memoriam: Colin Andrew
The following tribute is compiled with grateful thanks to Martin Baines, Gerry Dolan, Martin Griffiths, the Illustration Art Gallery (from where much of the information featured below about Colin’s career was sourced), Steve Holland , the New Camden Journal and… Read More ›