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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Marshall Law Deluxe edition set for March 2013 release
The Marshal Law: Deluxe Edition, collecting all the character’s solo stories, has been confirmed for release next March from US publisher DC Comics. Marshal Law was one of the first major creator-owned characters for a major American publisher, first published… Read More ›
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Telos releases ‘Ape-Man’ an unofficial Tarzan guide
In October 1912, readers of The All-Story magazine were enthralled by Edgar Rice Burroughs’ tale of John Clayton, an orphaned English lord given a simian upbringing in the African jungle who went on to reclaim his birth-right in civilisation while… Read More ›
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Cinebook Titles On DVD
It has been a while since we reviewed any Cinebook titles here on downthetubes so this week we will be putting that right with a selection of reviews of various Cinebook releases from the last few months. Before that, and… Read More ›
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Megacon Comes To Carlisle In August
With just less than one month to go, the Carlisle Megacon comics, manga/anime and gaming event has finalised its guests, small press and dealers line-up. Organised by the Carlisle branch of Waterstones, this is an expansion of the shop based… Read More ›
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Diamond launch digital comics service, linked to comic shops
Diamond Comic Distributors and iVerse Media have partnered to create Diamond Digital, a unique initiative that lets your local comic book shop retailer sell digital comics and graphic novels for Apple and Android devices directly to you. Diamond and iVerse… Read More ›
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Dead Universe’s Late Launch today
Today sees the official launch of Dead Universe Comics in Aylesbury. Regular readers may recall we mentioned the opening of the shop last year. You may have already seen Aylesbury Dead, Little Terrors and Apes ‘n’ Capes, plus the Japan… Read More ›
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Panel Borders: Multimedia comics by Edgar Wright and others
Tommy Lee Edwards + Edgar Wright Panel Borders: Multimedia Comics In the third of our series on comic book collaborators, Alex Fitch talks to two pairs of creators who have created cross platform comics that exist as both as sequential… Read More ›
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Beasts take over the Cartoon Museum!
Animals have always inspired cartoon and comic artists, from the British Lion to Bunny Suicides, Korky the Cat to Simon’s Cat. Now, London’s Cartoon Museum is to host an exhibition of animal-inspired cartoons. The Animal Crackers exhibition includes works by… Read More ›
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Elephantmen versus Strontium Dog story in the works
Elephantmen creator Richard Starkings and artist Boo Cook will be signing at Travelling Man in Leeds this Saturday with advance copies of the fifth Elephantmen hardcover, Devilish Functions. The collection includes ‘Man and Elephantman’ (including the sold out one shot… Read More ›
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Black Tower’s Return of the Gods proves an Unexpected Hit
Indie publisher Black Tower is enjoying strong sales for its Return of the Gods collection, originally published for the European market. Sales of the title totalled more than all Black Tower sales for the previous six months in just one… Read More ›
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Eagle Day announced for September
(via the Eagle Times): The Eagle Society is to hold an Eagle Day in August to celebrate the classic British comic. Eagle Days were the idea of the late Bob Rothwell, offering fellow ‘Eaglers’ and collectors, to chat, swap, buy… Read More ›
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Multiverse #6 Digital Editions on sale
Multiverse #6 – available on Graphic.ly While the print edition of comics magazine Multiverse #6 has yet to hit UK comic shops, it is available at various online locations, including Graphicly, Myebook and Comicsplus. Edited by Mike Conroy, each 52-page issue includes… Read More ›
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2000AD, IDW team on Ewing, McCarthy’s ‘Zaucer of Zilk’
Continuing their new partnership with legendary English publishers 2000AD, IDW Publishing is proud to announce a collection of Al Ewing and Brendan McCarthy’s The Zaucer of Zilk. The mind blowing story centres on a despondent, alienated young man who finds… Read More ›
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IDW confirm creative talent on new Judge Dredd US title
After announcing their partnership with the 2000AD at WonderCon 2012 earlier this year, US publisher IDW Publishing and Rebellion have announced Edgar-nominated and Anthony Award-winning Duane Swierczynski and Nelson Daniél, as the creative team for their brand-new Judge Dredd US… Read More ›
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Lazy Oaf launches chic Batman clothing range
Image: Viktor Vauthier © Lazy Oaf East London-based fashion street wear label Lazy Oaf has just launched a very stylish range of Batman-themed clothing, in the run up to the release of The Dark Knight Rises on 20th July. Image… Read More ›
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Gerry Anderson Walks For Alzheimer’s Research
On 28 June 2012 television and film producer, writer and director Gerry Anderson went public with his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease to promote the launch of the Alzheimer’s Society charity sponsored Memory Walks. He will always be associated with the… Read More ›
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MKomix Fair: comic creators in abundance!
A quick reminder that the MKomix Comic Fair organised by comic creator Paul Rainey takes place this Thursday (19th July) in the Milton Keynes Art Gallery. Full details of the event, which reads like a Who’s Who of some top… Read More ›
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Spaceship Away 27 on sale now
Issue 27 of the Eagle-inspired comic magazine Spaceship Away is available now, this time with a background theme drawing on the Dan Dare story The Red Moon, featuring a number of paintings relating to that story from both Don Harley… Read More ›
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Famous Five to ape Doctor Who (or is that Timeslip?)
The cast of The Famous Five1978 production, scripted byRichard Carpenter London-based Kindle Entertainment, makers of the critically acclaimed CBBC show Leonardo are to turn Enid Blyton’s The Famous Five into a time travel show. The company recently announced it has… Read More ›