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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Crucible Colour Notes: Ardahl
We know we’re only a couple of episodes in, but we hope you like Ardahl. He’s a bit of a man of mystery – his origins obscure, known, perhaps, only to Truug… and perhaps even his old friend doesn’t know… Read More ›
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Other Worlds: Mike Carey’s City of Silk and Steel
Earlier this year, the Carey gang – Mike Carey, wife Linda and daughter Louise – saw the UK publication of City of Silk and Steel by Gollancz, a wonderful Arabian Nights-style novel I discovered quite by chance recently in Lancaster Library…. Read More ›
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London’s “GeekFest” pulls the crowds, Paul Cornell wins award for “London Falling”
More than 1500 “geeks” converged this weekend for Nine Worlds Geekfest, London’s first annual celebration of geek culture, which included talks from comic creators and SF authors, discussions, workshops, comedy and music dedicated to all things geeky, with many fans… Read More ›
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Scar Comics launches Kickstarter appeal for ‘Forgotten Planet’ project
In 2006, scientists announced Pluto was to be de-classified as a planet, and many felt a slight pang of disappointment as our Solar System lost its little Ice baby. But what if there was a darker reason behind this cosmic… Read More ›
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TOXIC comic sales up, but bad news for other news stand titles in latest ABCs
There’s good news and bad news for British news stand publishers lurking in the latest ABC sales figures for January – June 2103 for comics and related magazines, with some titles on sale in WH Smiths and other newsagents celebrating… Read More ›
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Neil Gaiman, Chris Riddell, get set to spill the milk – tickets selling fast
If you are going to be in London on Tuesday 15th October 2013, you might want to buy tickets as soon as possible (since they’re selling fast) to go and see Neil Gaiman read the whole of Fortunately, The Milk…… Read More ›
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Christian Ward’s ‘Dead Cats’ exhibition at London’s Orbital Comics
(via Paul Gravett): London’s Orbital Comics Gallery near Leicester Square, London has just opened their latest exhibition of original comics art: ‘Dead Cats’ by Christian Ward. Spinning out of the much-lauded Infinite Vacation mini-series from Image comics (co-created by Christian… Read More ›
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Ireland’s Cootehill International Cartoon Festival lines up UK guests
Via Bloghorn: The Cootehill International Cartoon Festival takes place in County Cavan, Ireland, over the weekend of 14-15th September and will feature workshops, exhibitions and live drawing, and guests such as John Berkeley, Hunt Emerson, Tim Leatherbarrow and Graeme Keyes…. Read More ›
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Marineman creator Ian Churchill first announced guest for Malta Con 2013
Wicked Comics has announced the internationally renowned British creator Ian “Marineman” Churchill as the first guest for this year’s Malta Comic Con, which will be held on Saturday 30th November and Sunday 1st December at St. James Cavalier (all floors), Valletta, Malta. The convention’s… Read More ›
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17th Japan Media Arts Festival Issues Call for Entries
The Japan Media Arts Festival has just launched its annual call for entries to its competition that reaches out to both comic artists and animators worldwide. A comprehensive festival of Media Arts (=Media Geijutsu), the event honours outstanding works from… Read More ›
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Vicious Vikings aplenty in Tim Hall’s ‘Skragbeard’
If vicious Vikings and demon lords are the kind of things that grab your attention when searching for a comic to read, then look no further!
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Award-winner Corbain Wilkins seeks backing for ‘Breaker’s End’
2012 Observer/Cape/Comica Graphic Short Story Prize winner Corbain Wilkins has a new graphic novel, Breaker’s End, in the works and hopes to release a special edition using the Kickstarter crowdfunding service. Breaker’s End tells the story of a fragile, ageing… Read More ›
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Sequart puts Warren Ellis’ Transmetropolitan under the spotlight
The Sequart Research & Literacy Organization (sequart.org) has just released its newest book of comics analysis, Shot in the Face: A Savage Journey to the Heart of Transmetropolitan, edited by Chad Nevett. Published in 1997-2002, Warren Ellis and Darick Robertson’s… Read More ›
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Aces Weekly back with Scarpa, Baskerville, Langridge and – Psycho Granny!
Volume Six of this revolutionary digital comic Aces Weekly begins its latest seven-issue, seven-week this week, once again showcasing some of the brightest talent from across the globe in an exclusively digital weekly comic art magazine published by David Lloyd…. Read More ›
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LICAF Guest Spotlight: Charlie Adlard
Award-winning Charles “Charlie” Adlard is a British comic book artist and penciller, one of over 80 comic guest at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival in October, is best known for his work on the long-running, best-selling Image Comics series… Read More ›
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Best of Milligan and McCarthy out in September from Dark Horse
One of comics’ most fruitful collaborations is to get its due in Best of Milligan and McCarthy – a deluxe collection of hard-to-find gems from Peter Milligan (Hellblazer, X-Statix) and Brendan McCarthy (Judge Dredd, The Zaucer of Zilk). There is… Read More ›
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Gordon Rennie and PJ Holden’s fantastic ‘Dept of Monsterology’ out in October
Gordon Rennie and PJ Holden‘s long-in-gestation project, Dept of Monsterology, is on its way at last from Renegade Entertainment – and having seen pages, read the original pitch and knowing the quality of the work of both creators, I have… Read More ›
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Manga Jiman winners capture the Choshu Five for this year’s competition leaflet
As we previously reported, the search for the best manga talent in the UK is on as London’s Embassy of Japan is now accepting entries for its manga writing competition, Manga Jiman. The Embassy recently caught up with Sara Ferreira… Read More ›
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Chronos Commandos #2 out next week, first issue sells out in UK
The second issue of Titan Comics’ Chronos Commandos by Stuart Jennett hits comic stores this coming Wednesday, 14th August and we’ve got a great preview for you. When the Allies and Nazis develop time-diving technology that could see the course… Read More ›
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Comics Forum issues Call for Papers: Comics and Cultural Work
“All artistic work, like all human activity, involves the joint activity of a number, often a large number, of people. Through their cooperation, the art work we eventually see or hear comes to be and continues to be. The work… Read More ›