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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Prisoners of Time: An Interview with artist Gary Erskine
IDW’s yearlong celebration of Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary Prisoners of Time features the work of many British creators, with Phillip Bond providing art on Issue 5, on sale soon. Issue 4, the Fourth Doctor issue, was drawn by Gary Erskine,… Read More ›
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Image Duplicator exhibition opens this week at Orbital Comics
Pop artist Roy Lichtenstein currently has a show on at the Tate Modern. While the public is intimately familiar with his work, what they may be unaware of is that many of his images were directly “appropriated” from comic artists… Read More ›
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2000AD partners witb Plastic Head for new t-shirt, tote-bag range
With summer fast approaching now is the perfect time to get yourself a funky fresh new look-or some new t-shirts and bags, at least! Plastic Head, in conjunction with 2000AD have a fabulous line in tees-long and short,hoodies and even… Read More ›
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Comic Creator Ian Sharman pirates his own title
Not sure if you want to pre-order Marksosia’s Hero: 9 to 5 – Quietus because you haven’t read the first book? You want to read the first book but for any one of a million perfectly legitimate reasons you can’t… Read More ›
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Judge Minty takes the Long Walk to YouTube success
Judge Minty is a fan film, inspired by the world of 2000AD‘s Judge Dredd, based on an old story from the comics and follows a Judge forced to take the ‘Long Walk’ into the irradiated, post-apocalyptic wasteland of ‘The Cursed… Read More ›
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Adam Cadwell’s Northern Slacker Vampires head back to the shelves
Great Beast Comics has announced that the long awaited third issue of Adam Cadwell‘s Northern Slacker Vampire series Blood Blokes is due to be released on 15th May after debuting at Toronto Comic Arts Festival. It will be available in… Read More ›
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Tickets go on sale for the first Lakes International Comic Art Festival
Grandville by Bryan Talbot Tickets for the first Lakes International Comic Art Festival, which will feature top talent from both sides of the Atlantic including Kurt Busiek, Ed Brubaker, Bryan Talbot and Jose Munoz, go on sale on Monday (13th… Read More ›
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STRIP Magazine Issue 2 on sale for IPad now, print edition in newsagents tomorrow
Slightly ahead of its print release, the digital edition of STRIP: The Adventure Comics Magazine #2 is now on sale for iPad in the iTunes store. The print edition goes on sale in newsagents across the UK from tomorrow (Friday)…. Read More ›
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Team MOBILE #3 audio comic on sale now from iTunes
The Team MOBILE #3 audio comic from ROK Comics is now on sale in the iTunes store for Apple devices. The adventures of Team M.O.B.I.L.E. continue! They are the undesirables, the no-hopers, misfits… the teenagers who don’t fit in, who… Read More ›
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downthetubes.net: Main Site Closed, for now
Owing to rising costs – in part, it appears, due to a dramatic rise in “hot linking” to images on the site, which results in excess bandwidth charges of £50 per month – we have been forced to temporarily close… Read More ›
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Breaking talent to be showcased at Kendal-based comic art festival’s Clock Tower
Some of the UK’s best emerging and established comic art talent will be showcasing their skills at the specially-dedicated Comics Clock Tower venue as part of Kendal’s The Lakes International Comic Art Festival in October, rubbing shoulders with the likes… Read More ›
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Comica Festival’s Bank Holiday 2 for 1 deal on upcoming MangaAsia event
London-based Comica Festival and Asia House are offering a Bank Holiday Weekend Special of 2 for 1 (i.e. buy one, get one free!) on the pass for all three talks at Comica MangAsia on Saturday May 18th, if you book… Read More ›
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Geek Retreat coffee shop opens in Glasgow
Cafe culture meets comic book geekery in Geek Retreat, the new Glasgow hang out for those who like their coffee served with a side of superheroes, which opens tomorrow, on Free Comic Book Day (4th May). Geek Retreat is a… Read More ›
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Abslom Daak, Dalek Killer, returns…
Well, all right, that headline is a little misleading. I’m not talking about new stories (although there have been some, find out more below…). Rather, the release of Doctor Who: Nemesis of the Daleks, a Seventh Doctor comic collection from… Read More ›
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Gatehouse, Windett unleash "Lazarus Lemming"
Lazarus Lemming is the top special secret agent of Department X, the covert government agency that investigates eXtraordinary happenings worldwide. When the world’s cows are kidnapped to steal their farts, or all the citizens of Transylvania are turned into mindless… Read More ›
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Lakes International Comic Art Festival announces full guest list
The Lakes International Comic Art Festival has now announced the full line up for the event which will run from 18-20th October in Kendal, Cumbria. 15 new guests are being revealed today. These are on top of the 37 guests… Read More ›
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Paragon 13 – pulp action adventure from cover to cover!
Issue 13 of the long running acclaimed British anthology comic Paragon is on sale now. With a great cover by Bhuna, read Oor Ganesh – the Hindu god (as if drawn by Dudley Watkins!); the further adventures of Jikan –… Read More ›
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Malta Comic Con 2013 Annoounced
Malta Con organisers Wicked Comics have just announced the 2013 show will run the weekend of Saturday 30th November and Sunday 1st December at St. James Cavalier Valletta. The guest list has yet to be revealed, but, says Chris Le… Read More ›