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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Marvelman Challenge!
As it’s recently been noted on several blogs and forums that the Dez Skinn-created Warrior was first published 30 years ago (including Lew Stringer’s terrific blog, see: http://lewstringer.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/30-year-flashback-warrior-no1.html), I thought I’d throw down a challenge to readers and members of… Read More ›
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Flesh chomps back into 2000AD
Time-travelling cowboys and murderous lizards are rampaging back into the pages of 2000AD, as Flesh returns again. One of the all-time classic strips from early 2000AD, Flesh made a thrilling, blood-splattering return to the weekly British anthology title last year… Read More ›
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Go Undercover, Low Life!
From the world of Judge Dredd, comes Mega-City Undercover 02 – four tales about the idiosyncratic members of Justice Department undercover unit, known as the ‘Wally Squad’. But they patrol no ordinary patch – this is the Low Life, the… Read More ›
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Middle England unites to save The Hobbit
Neil Gaiman, Stephen Fry and Sir Ian McKellen are just some top creative names backing a campaign to stop a small English pub from having to change its name at the instruction of American corporate lawyers. The Hobbit in Southampton,… Read More ›
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Save The Hobbit!
Neil Gaiman, Stephen Fry and Sir Ian McKellen are just some top creative names backing a campaign to stop a small English pub from having to change its name at the instruction of American corporate lawyers. The Hobbit… Read More ›
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Mixing with Freaks – Darren Craske illustrates new short story collection
Harper Collins is to release Freaks next month under it Friday Project imprint – a unique collection of short stories dedicatd to dedicated “To all who, if only for a moment, felt that they didn’t belong”, featuring comic book style… Read More ›
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In Memoriam: Jean Giraud
The world has lost a Grand Master of the Ninth Art
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Leeds Alternative Comics Fair back in April
The Leeds Alternative Comics Fair is back once more on Saturday 28th April, and the fourth fair is once again going to be held at A Nation of Shopkeepers, which has proved itself an ideal venue with its great atmosphere,… Read More ›
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The Really Heavy Greatcoat: Death Comes in Threes
With the greatest of respect to all creators, of so many hues and four dimensions, everywhere… • More Really Heavy Greatcoats on the original downthetubes web site
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In Review: Superior
By Mark Millar and Leinil Francis YuPublisher: Titan BooksOut: NowISBN: 9780857685940 The Book: Simon Pooni had it all going for him – plenty of friends at school, good looks, and his coach called him one of the most talented basketball… Read More ›
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Glasgow Comic Mart today
(with thanks to Gordon Robertson) A quick plug for today’s Comic Mart at the Britannia Panopticon Music Hall, in Glasgow today. The world’s oldest surviving music hall, the Panopticon was founded in 1857 on the Trongate and quickly became… Read More ›
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Hammer brings ‘Screamboard’ to iPhones
Legendary British film brand Hammer has today launched the ‘ScreamBoard’ in the UK – a free app for the iPhone which enables horror fans to mix their own selections of classic Hammer film sound clips. The app will appeal to… Read More ›
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New Starburst on sale this week
Issue 375 of science fiction media magazine Starburst is out this week, laying claim to being the world’s longest running sci-fi, horror and fantasy magazine, providing readers with all the latest news and reviews from across the genre since its… Read More ›
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Laydeez do podcasts!
Next week sees the online airing of Laydeez do podcasts: The female form in comics. In two talks recorded at Laydeez do comics, Dr. Ann Miller, lecturer and joint editor of European Comic Art journal talks about stereotypical representations of… Read More ›
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Panel Borders: Klaus Janson – Superhero Noir
Continuing the Panel Borders radio show’s month of shows about iconoclastic American comic book artists, Alex Fitch talks to German-American artist Klaus Janson about his work from inking and eventually providing most of the art for Frank Miller’s run on… Read More ›
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Leeds to host Comics and Philosophy Talk
Later this month Comics Forum and the organisers of the Thought Bubble convention will be running an evening event in Leeds to discuss the philosophical questions posed by comics. The speakers at ‘Comics and Philosophy: From Maus to She-Hulk’ wil… Read More ›
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Cory Doctorow to be ORGCon guest
Cory Doctorow. Photo by Jonathan Worth (JonathanWorth.com) The digital rights event ORGCon is back in London on Saturday 24th March 2012, at the University of Westminster. It’s packed with exciting speakers, including author and comic creator Cory Doctorow, challenging debates,… Read More ›
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British small press comic goes global, hopes piracy will secure publishing deal
No More Heroes, a British self-published comic released just last week, is now amongst the most popular downloads on pirate sites such as Demonoid, ranking high in the “top torrents” list — alongside the likes of other ilegal downloads such… Read More ›