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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Inkwell Awards ballot opens to find and honour favourite comic book inkers
The Inkwell Awards, a US non-profit organization devoted to educating and promoting the art of inking, is inviting the public worldwide to vote for the industry’s best of the past year. The official public ballot will be available on the… Read More ›
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In Review: Spaceship Away Issue 32
The latest issue of the Dan-Dare and Eagle comic-inspired magazine Spaceship Away has just shipped to subscribers and will be available soon from the title’s web site (http://spaceshipaway.org.uk). This issue, wrapped in a cover and back cover by Eagle and… Read More ›
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Panel Borders tackles the GHOSTS creative team as London exhibition looms
Continuing a month of radio shows about the depiction of musicians and music culture in comic books, this week’s episode of Britain’s Panel Borders coincides with our yearly look at the work of young graphic novelists whip will also be… Read More ›
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Alan Grant and Tony Luke reunited for top secret ‘Project X’
Word has reached us of an exciting new ‘Project X’, from the minds of UK creators Alan Grant (Judge Dredd, Judge Anderson, Batman et al), Tony Luke (Dominator, Hellkatt, 2000AD), Yasushi Nirasawa (Phantom Core, Godzilla, Guillotina) and Les Garner… Read More ›
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Athletics Weekly revives Alf Tupper, “Tough of the Track” for London Marathon
Athletics Weekly – the world’s only devoted weekly track and field magazine better known as AW – has revived DC Thomson’s famous fish and chips-eating runner Alf Tupper, “The Tough of the Track“, who featured in comics such as The… Read More ›
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Amazon buys Comixology, what now for independent comic creators?
I’ve just seen the news that Amazon.com is acquiring comiXology, the US company that developed a cloud-based digital comics platform. In a statement, David Naggar, Amazon’s VP, content acquisition and independent publishing said “Amazon and comiXology share a passion for reinventing… Read More ›
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Nemesis the Warlock film images by Tony Luke uncovered
Brighton-based 2000AD comic creator Tony Luke – creator of a slew of amazing strips for a huge range of companies – has been digging into his archives and has started turning up some interesting stuff… including these images of a 12-minute stop-motion… Read More ›
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George Low and Keith Page continue World War One Commando series
Here’s the rundown of the latest issues of DC Thomson’s Commando, on sale from today in all good newsagents and for iPad and iPhone. Writer George Low’s epic World War One story – a loosely connected series that doesn’t require… Read More ›
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Eighth International Manga Award competition announced, win a trip to Japan
The entry period for the worldwide Eighth International Manga Award organised by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has begun. The winner will earn a trip to Japan to meet Japanese Manga creators if they win. The International Manga Award was… Read More ›
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Egmont’s “Ben 10 Magazine” named number one news stand title for boys
Egmont’s Ben 10 Magazine – available in print and in digital format – has topped the charts as the UK’s number one magazine in the primary boys sector and has now sold more than 5.2 million copies since its launch in… Read More ›
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Charlie Gillespie’s horror fantasy, “The Many”, primed for digital release
London-based comic creator Charlie Gillespie – a name longtime 2000AD and Judge Dredd Mgeazine readers are sure to recognise – is to launch his hard-hitting story The Many as a digital comic, distributed through Comixology from 25th April. He very kindly sent… Read More ›
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Award-winning creator Becky Cloonan joins Lakes International Comic Art Festival line-up
The Lakes International Comic Art Festival has announced that the critically-acclaimed comic creator Becky Cloonan has joined the event’s line-up of guests. Born in Pisa, Italy, Becky Cloonan began her career self-publishing mini-comics in 1999. Since then she has gone on to… Read More ›
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Name A Character in Mark Millar’s Starlight
Ever fancied having a comic-book character named after you? Especially one in a book that’s been picked up as a big-budget movie by Fox? Well, via an eBay auction, Writer Mark Millar (Wanted and Kick-Ass) and Goran Parlov (The Punisher)… Read More ›
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Leading Graphic Novel Publisher Top Shelf Partners with the SEQUENTIAL Digital Graphic Novel App
SEQUENTIAL, the graphic novel storefront and reader app focused on literary graphic novels produced by Panel Nine, has announced that it has started releasing titles by pioneering art comics and graphic novel publisher Top Shelf Productions. Top Shelf Productions, which… Read More ›
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Massive Luther Arkwright tome, “Arkwright Integral” announced
Finally! At long last, a comics publisher – Dark Horse – has had the good sense to commission and publish a high quality ultimate A4 size hardback edition of the first flagship British graphic novel, Luther Arkwright by Eisner and Harvey Award-winner Bryan… Read More ›
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Sally Heathcote “Director’s Commentary” reveals creators secrets about new graphic novel
(with thanks to Joe Gordon): Writer Mary Talbot and artist Kate Charlesworth have their guest Director’s Commentary on the making of their upcoming book Sally Heathcote – Suffragette on the Forbidden Planet International blog today. “For those not familiar with… Read More ›
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Scotland’s Robert the Bruce celebrated in new comic
A new comic book, King Robert the Bruce and the Wars of Independence, is now available to order directly from the King Robert the Bruce educational web site. The web site, developed by staff and students at Fife College, celebrates Dunfermline’s historic… Read More ›
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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 ›