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: Bad Planets and Misguided Islands
Starting a month of shows about comic book creators who collaborate together, later today on radio show Panel Borders Alex Fitch talks to to pairs of creators who come from outside the world of comics. In an interview recorded at… Read More ›
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Creating Comics: Learning the Basics with AnySketch
Here’s an interesting little app from Korea that might be of use to new or young artists trying to learn what makes a comic panel or page ‘tick’ as part of learning the art of comic creation. When I was… Read More ›
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Judgement is due… in Scunthorpe!
(With thanks to Kev Levell for the tip off and Pete Wells for permission touse some of his photos): An exhibition of art work featuring 2000AD‘s Judge Dredd is currently running at the Visual Arts Centre in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire… Read More ›
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Stan Lee versus… Judge Dredd? IDW “Mars Attacks” Variant Cover
Here’s an item of Mars Attacks! Judge Dredd-inspired goodness that will have fans monitoring eBay for a copy – a variant cover from US publisher IDW featuring Stan Lee, co-creator of Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four (and more) – as… Read More ›
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Asterix and the Picts sells two million copies in a week (and that’s just in France)
Asterix and the Picts – the first new Asterix book in eight years, with a new creative team – Jean-Yves Ferri and Didier Conrad – taking over the popular series, has been a runaway success and is already being reprinted in… Read More ›
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London Super Comic Convention announces more guests for 2014 show
The London Super Comic Convention has just announced its second wave of attending creators for its 2014 show (15th – 16th March), who include Ian Churchill, Katie Cook, Alan Davis, Mark Farmer, Adi Granov, Roger Langridge, John Layman,Tom Palmer, Dan… Read More ›
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MCM London Comic Con Smashes Attendance Record With 88,000 Visitors
The UK’s biggest comic con got even bigger last weekend, with MCM London Comic Con bringing a record-breaking 88,000 visitors through the doors of ExCel London. “The latest London Comic Con smashed the show’s previous high of 76,000 attendees back… Read More ›
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Freaktown Comics release first titles
Just in time for Hallowe’en, Freaktown Comics – a new UK-based small press publishing imprint, specialising in horror and adventure one-shots – has just launched its first titles, with both on sale at Thought Bubble in Leeds next month. The… Read More ›
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Death’s Head comes to Heroclix
Heroclix has just announced the upcoming release of a Death’s Head figure for their collectible miniatures game, as part of their upcoming Marvel HeroClix: The Invincible Iron Man set. Death’s Head was the Marvel HeroClix 2012 Fan-Vote Winner , winning… Read More ›
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Kieron Gillen, Si Spurrier debate “What Is A Superhero?” at Comica
Supermen and Wonder Women are living amongst us, not only in comics, films, games and television, but as cosplay escapism, alternative personas, communities and lifestyles. As part of this year’s Comica Festival in London, Alex Fitch will be discussing with… Read More ›
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Humanoids reveals UK publishing plans as company’s 40th anniversary nears
Following up on our news item yesterday about the roll out of their UK-dedicated social media program, Humanoids Inc., the international publisher of high quality graphic novels, is has announced that its titles are now available directly in the UK… Read More ›
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‘Gigantic Beard That Was Evil’ nominated for Waterstones Book of the Year
If you needed some assurance that the form of graphic storytelling is very much ascendant right now, then you need look no further than the nominations for this year’s Waterstones Book of the Year award. The Gigantic Beard That Was… Read More ›
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Happy Hallowe’en from SEQUENTIAL!
Happy Hallowe’en! (Well, almost.) Here are some spooky SEQUENTIAL suggestions for you, offered through Panel Nine’s ace digital comics app for iPad. Let us know your favourite – or if you’ll be reading any other scary stories this Halloween. • Download SEQUENTIAL… Read More ›
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Dan Dare Reboot Competition: Hal Laren
We’re starting to receive entries for our Dan Dare Reboot Competition, with this from Hal Laren – best known to comics fans for his amazing strips published under his Reaper Comics imprint. Hal is a 2D & 3D graphic designer,… Read More ›
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Humanoids UK launches, Tim Pilcher UK Liaison
Humanoids UK has begun marketing its brand on Facebook and Twitter, the latest development from the company the graphic novel publishing company founded in Los Angeles in 1998. Its catalogue – considered as one of the most prestigious and innovative… Read More ›
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Beano artist Jim Dewar’s whale of a creation boosts kidney charity funds
Wilfred Whale, the creation of Beano artist Jim Dewar, helped the kidney cancer charity the James Whale Fund for Kidney Cancer raise more than £2000 in a special auction run by radio and tv host James Whale at the Castle… Read More ›
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Beano, Dandy Annuals mix the old and the new for 2014
With folk buying for Christmas even earlier than ever to spread the cost, here’s a quick reminder that Britain’s best-selling comic, The Beano celebrates its 75th birthday this year and the annual is still sale now in all good bookshops,… Read More ›
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Slaine storms social media as “Book of Scars” nears release
To celebrate 30 years of the Celtic barbarian and the release of Sláine: Book of Scars on 7th November, the 2000AD team are posting some of Sláine’s greatest covers from the past three decades on their social media feeds, such… Read More ›
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Pass me a chain gun, Lou Scannon is back
The wait is over – Lou Scannon #6: Loose Cannons is now available from www.louscannon.co.uk! Uniting plot threads and characters from the first five stand-alone issues, Loose Cannons is Lou’s most explosive, action-packed small-press comic entry yet! And it still… Read More ›
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“Best of Britain’s Political Cartoons 2013” on sale soon
Australian publisher Scribed launched its first UK catalogue earlier this year. Rubbing shoulders with new books such as High Sobriety: my year without booze, by Scottish-born Melbourne-based journalist Jill Stark and Viennese Romance, the first-ever English edition of the previously… Read More ›