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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Johnny Red: Red Devil Rising!
Continuing the adventures of Britain’s best-loved aerial combat pilot, Johnny Redburn, Titan Books releases Johnny Red – Red Devil Rising at the end of the month in the UK (27th January). This is the second hardback volume reprinting the classic… Read More ›
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Cardiff Comic Expo line-up revealed
Ticket sales for this year’s Cardiff Comic Expo next month (25th-26th February) are booming – and are expected to increase further with publication of the event’s schedule, outlined in full below. In addition to the event itself, show producer Mike… Read More ›
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Totally Merlin confuses some fans – and us!
A spell of confusion about the latest Merlin magazine works a treat on readers – and us!
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Breaking into Comics – some quick tips
The first unassuming cover by Matt Binghamfor the comics zine that helped meget into comics publishing. Subscribersincluded Alan Moore.Download a cbr of the issue Regular readers will be aware, we hope, that our main downthetubes site features some guides to… Read More ›
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Ronald Searle’s art collected – in Germany
Fans of Ronald Searle, the doyen of the cartoon, who died recently, might want to check out the German Museum of Caricature and Drawing
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In Review: The Phoenix Issue 1
It feels like a long time since the last issue of The DFC appeared – although The DFC Library books have been reminding us what that title was like and, with the Etherington Brother’s Baggage, what it might have continued… Read More ›
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Post Office celebrates British Comics
Britain’s Post Office is celebrating what it’s defined as “75 Years of British Comics” with a special issue of stamps featuring the covers of various much-loved comics, including 2000AD and The Beano. Set to be released on 20th March 2012,… Read More ›
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Happy New Commandos!
Here are the details of the first batch of Commandos for 2012. Invasion Watch, one of the new stories this tim around, is the first part of a three-instalment story featuring the men of Britain’s Home Guard, many of whom… Read More ›
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Eagle Awards nominations open
The nomination round for the Eagle Awards 2012 is now open. Introducec in 1976, the Eagles are the comics industry’s longest established awards. Acknowledged as the pre-eminent international prizes, they have been featured on the covers of leading US and… Read More ›
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Re-staging Halo Jones: the inside story
When the Forbidden Planet International blog heard that there was going to be a new stage version of Halo Jones produced at the Lass O’Gowrie pub in Manchester (a spot already well known to local science fiction and comics… Read More ›
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Chris Foss Comic Strip?
(with thanks to Bill Storie): Everyone knows veteran artist Chris Foss as the man who draws amazing spaceships – and whose art has inspired many an illustrator down the years. But did you also know one of his first commissions… Read More ›
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The Really Heavy Greatcoat Review of the Year 2011
The Really Heavy Greatcoat by myself and Lancaster-based artist Nick Miller most recently appeared in Comics International, after being published for many years in alternative Lancaster titles such as On The Beat and Off the Beat and online on virtual-lancaster.net…. Read More ›
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Devil’s Heritage joins STRIP Magazine line-up
Here’s the cover to Issue 3 of STRIP Magazine, on sale in UK comic shops next month. The Devil’s Heritage is a new strip to the title, by Jerome Felix and Paul Gastine and the comic magazine’s first ongoing story… Read More ›
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Halo Jones stage play poster
Here’s the poster for the new Ballad of Halo Jones play at the Lass O’Gowrie in Manchester which we plugged recently. The art is by Adrian Salmon, who’s been a regular contributor to Doctor Who Magazine for many years, and… Read More ›
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Merry Christmas – Don’t Eat Too Much!
As you sit down to your Christmas dinner, or alternatively are recovering from it, we couldn’t resist showing you this illustration of a Christmas meal in Tudor times taken from The Stories Of Our Christmas Customs which was first published… Read More ›
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The Best of the Season to all our Readers!
Unlike the talented comic artists whose work we promote here, I can’t draw for toffee, so I hope you don’t mind this adaptation of a piece of art by the great pulp magazine artist Virgil Finlay. Have a Merry Christmas… Read More ›
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Last Commandos of 2011 go on sale
The last four Commandos of the year are now on sale, and the veteran title sees off its 50th aniversary year with another batch of great stories old and new – and what a year it’s been for the title…. Read More ›
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Get The Phoenix for Christmas!
The cover of Issue 1 of The Phoenix If you’re looking for a last minute Christmas present for the youngr comic fans in your family, The Phoenix – the new weekly comic launching in January – would be an present… Read More ›
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"first fictions" Graphic Novel competition shortist announced
A Rat’s Tale by Adam Blackman & Dylan Shipley: one of the shortlisted entries. It’s based in modern Britan and aims to warn young people about the hazards of ‘drug use’ and ‘addiction’ Myriad Editions has announced its shortlist for… Read More ›
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Multiverse comic magazine heads for America
It’s the magazine I, Vampire writer Joshua Hale Fialkov hails as “beautifully designed, with a modern, smart sensibility about mainstream comics that’s been missing from print comics journalism for a long time” — and Multiverse will be available in the… Read More ›