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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London’s BD & Comics Passion Festival a huge success
Jonathan Ross at BD and Comics Passion 2012Photo: BD and Comics Passion The weekend has passed, the temperatures soared and London’s BD & Comics Passion‘s second festival came and went with an enormous bang. The extended weekend of celebrations saw… Read More ›
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Japanese Embassy launches UK manga competition
The British Embassy of Japan is once again launching the major manga-writing competition, MANGA JIMAN 2012, with fantastic prizes and open to anyone fourteen (14)* years of age or over. The manga should in some way make reference to ‘GANBARE!’,… Read More ›
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Pushwagner exhibition prompts Milton Keynes small press fair
This summer, the Milton Keynes Art Gallery is hosting an exhibition of art by the acclaimed Norwegian artist and graphic novelist, Pushwagner. To run alongside the exhibition, they will also be putting on a number of events including, on the… Read More ›
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Bumper British comics auction announced
An auction of collectable British comics and annuals from the 1920s onwards – most published by DC Thomson – is set to take place next month on behalf of the estate of avid collector Des O’Leary. Organised by Bloomsbury Auctions,… Read More ›
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Andy Capp TV series finally arrives on DVD
Network has announced the DVD release of the complete six-episode series of the 1988 sitcom Andy Capp on 11th June 2012. Starring James Bolam, this comedy series was an attempt to transform the flat-capped cartoon strip legend from the Daily… Read More ›
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Last ever Eagle Awards? Let’s hope not
Marred by behind-the-scenes issued hinted at on other comic news web sites such as Bleeding Cool, this year’s Eagle Awards were announced as part of this weekend’s MCM Expo last night — and the awards co-owners MCM announced as the… Read More ›
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CLiNT revamps: more strips, more action!
Hot off the back of his 2012 Kapow convention success, Kick-Ass creator Mark Millar launches a stunning new volume of CLiNT, with a new 100-page Issue 1 featuring four new stories between its covers, coupled to a brand new look,… Read More ›
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Commando reaches landmark 4500 issue
Here we are again with another four Commandos – and it’s something of a landmark release this time around, with the title reaching Issue 4500 – surely something of a record for any comic (as, perhaps, is the number of… Read More ›
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Creating Comics: Martin Eden talks Spandex
Writer, artist and magazine editor Martin Eden has been creating comics since he was a nipper – but entered the British small press/indie comics world around 15 years ago. After collaborating with various creators on titles such as Bulldog and… Read More ›
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Flint and Food – Hinkley’s Factoryroad Gallery lands comic exhibition
The Factoryroad Gallery in Hinkley, Leicestershire is hosting an exhibition of artwork from DJ Food‘s new album The Search Engine, and 2000AD artist Henry Flint‘s book Broadcast. The two artists collaborated on the art work for this album and the… Read More ›
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Panel Borders: Blue Pills and Sandcastles
Continuing Panel Borders month of shows on international creators, Alex Fitch talks to Swiss graphic novelist Frederik Peeters about his latest comic Sandcastle, published by SelfMadeHero and based on a script by filmmaker Pierre-Oscar Lévy. Sandcastle is a Twilight Zone… Read More ›
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Comedian Peter Serafinowicz announces comics project with Jock
English actor, comedian, writer, composer, voice artist and occasional director Peter Serafinowicz announced his first comic book project at the Kapow! Comic Convention. Nelson (not to be confused with the recent anthology collection from Blank Slate of the same name)… Read More ›
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Arvon Calling
The next annual creative writing for graphic novels course that Bryan Talbot co-tutors in the depths of the beautiful Shropshire countryside for the Arvon Foundation is on 25 – 30th June this year. This time around, his co-tutor is Hannah… Read More ›
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Tripwire 20 seeks crowdfunding
Here’s a small selection of some of the amazing art Tripwire publisher Joel Meadows hopes to publish in an anniversary editon celebrating 20 years — 20 years!! — of his magazine. The project is seeking crowdfunding via Unbound here. Over… Read More ›
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Zombies Hi And Amelia Earhart From Uproar Comics
Londonderry’s Uproar Comics have been making a name for themselves in Northern Ireland with their regular publication of the anthology comic Zombies Hi, the main story of which is set in and around the walled city of Derry after a… Read More ›
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Steve Parkhouse and Peter Hogan talk Resident Alien
Get along to the Kapow! convention, Islington Design Centre tomorrow to hear an episode of Panel Borders being recorded live, as Alex Fitch talks to writer Peter Hogan and artist Steve Parkhouse about their new serialised comic Resident Alien, published… Read More ›
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Plaything Of Sutekh: New Who Zine
In these days of the internet blogs having taken over the position of the old fanzines, it is always good to see a new printed fanzine appear. Plaything of Sutekh is a 40 page, A5, black and white, Doctor Who… Read More ›
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CBeebies Art magazine teams up with National Portrait Gallery
CBeebies Art magazine has launched a competition inviting readers aged three to seven to create a portrait of their family imagined as the British Royal Family. To coincide with the Diamond Jubilee, the winner of the competition, created in partnership… Read More ›
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Mr. T Goes Green!
Publisher Mohawk Media has just launched its Mr. T series through its range of environmentally-friendly, paperless Eco Comics. Mr. T joins other famous names at Eco Comics including Dracula, Robin Hood, Dick Turpin, and Tough Guy. The Hollywood hard man,… Read More ›
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Overload anthology launches at Kapow
Here’s the gruesome but powerful cover art by Graeme Neil Reid to a new anthology, Overload, edited by Martin Conaghan, which will be launched at Kapow this weekend, priced £4. Yes, as if the very memory of former Prime Minister… Read More ›