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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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 ›
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Opinion: Too Many Cons, Not Enough Pros
With a series of comic conventions upon us in the UK, which began last weekend and continues on Saturday with Kapow in London, Comic Book Alliance organiser, comic creator and book editor Tim Pilcher ponders the future of the Bristol… Read More ›
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Waking up to the power of comic readers?
Remember a time when advertising in comics was as much a part of the comic as the story? When manufacturers went out to use comics to reach their audience, be it a new advertising comic strip for Clarks Commando shoes,… Read More ›
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Creating Comics: Nick Abadzis
Born in Sweden to Greek and English parents, writer, artist and editorial consultant Nick Abadzis was brought up in Switzerland and England. He writes and draws comics and graphic novels for both adults and children and his stories have been… Read More ›
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Mega Signing at Forbidden Planet London this Friday
Forbidden Planet London is capitalising on Kapow this coming weekend by having a fantastic line-up of artists and writers for a fabulous Friday Night Mega-Signing. “On Friday 18th May, from 6 – 7pm, at the London Megastore, 179 Shaftesbury Avenue,… Read More ›
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British comic publishers join new MagAid campaign to fight illiteracy
British magazine and comic publishers have just launched MagAid, the first national project to use magazines to promote literacy. Established by the Professional Publishers Association, which represents the UK’s magazine publishing industry, in partnership with the National Literacy Trust, funding… Read More ›
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Team Girl Comic Kickstarted
A week ago we mentioned the Kickstarter campaign that Glasgow’s Team Girl Comic collective were running to finance the publication of TGC issue 5 and possibly reprint some of their sold-out back issues. It has been the most viewed blog… Read More ›
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Dan Dare art, Marvel UK collections up for auction
The Summer 2012 auction at Compalcomics is open, with nearly 200 British comic-related lots up for biding, including Dan Dare art by Frank Hampson, a limited edition Dan Dare bust and collections of 1980s Marvel UK titles such as Captain… Read More ›
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Comicscape Issue 3 out now
The third issue of Chris Smillie’s Comicscape, a free 48-page magazine offering reviews, news, and views for May 2012, is available now online. Top news stories include big successes for Marvel in their comic arc AvX and spectacular box-office smash,… Read More ›