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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Afterlife creator after crowdfunding new collection
Jon Lock, writer and creator of a great-looking comic called Afterlife Inc. is among the first British comic creators using the UK arm of crowdfunding site Kickstarter to try to raise the finance to publish a third collection of the… Read More ›
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Egmont expands its digital collections with Misty, Battle and Scream stories
Egmont UK’s Classic Comics imprint was created to re-publish the wealth of classic comics in their archive. Four volumes of Roy the Rovers kicked off their e-comic publishing in June this year – and now they have announced the launch… Read More ›
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Egmont adds Charley’s War to its digital comic collections
Egmont UK’s Classic Comics imprint was created to re-publish the wealth of classic comics in their archive. Four volumes of Roy the Rovers kicked off their e-comic publishing in June this year – and now they have announced the launch… Read More ›
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30 Years of Knight Rider to be celebrated at Memorabilia
Break out your Look Ins! The 30th Anniversary of cult SF detective show Knight Rider will be marked at Memorabilia at Birmingham’s NEC later this month, with a rare signing event by its original star, David Hasselhoff. Memorabilia Birmingham, Britain’s… Read More ›
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Team Girl Comic Issue 6 Available At Thought Bubble
The Glasgow based collective Team Girl Comic will be appearing at Thought Bubble on the weekend of 17/18 November 2012 where they will be releasing their new Issue 6 complete with a colour cover by MJ Wallace. Earlier this year… Read More ›
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Radio shows featuring Min-Woo Hyung, Andy Diggle, Gail Simone, Al Ewing and more
I’m ready for my close-up: Manhwa and Metamorphosis Two events taking place this weekend are ideal places for fans of fantasy and SF to visit – SCI-FI-LONDON: EAST and Manhwa: Korean Story & Painting – each in venues not known… Read More ›
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Is online reading bad for you? Leading book store The Works argues it might be
Battling the ever increasing push toward digital reading that threatens its bottom line UK discount book chain The Works – responding to perhaps controversial claims about the dangers of online reading – has launched an investigation into why reading books… Read More ›
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ROK releases first Beatles audio comic in new eight-issue series
ROK Mobile Comics has released the first issue of its new audio comic The Beatles Story for iPad, iPhone and other mobile devices. The eight-issue digital series collects, for the first time in its entirety, the classic and highly-acclaimed Beatles… Read More ›
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Warm reception for new Judge Dredd’s tale "Cold Deck"
The co-creator of Judge Dredd, John Wagner, has praised “Cold Deck”, the latest Judge Dredd serial in 2000AD – a storyline by three of British comics’ top writers that has electrified the fan base. The audacious plot twist in last… Read More ›
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In Review: WesterNoir Book 1
Writer Dave West and artist Gary Crutchley take us to the Old West where they introduce us to the character of Josiah Black in the first book of Accent UK’s supernatural WesterNoir. In the Lucky Star Saloon in the town… Read More ›
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Leeds Alternative Comic Fair back in December
The free Leeds Alternative Comics Fair returns for its fifth outing on Saturday 8th December, and this time it’s got a distinctly seasonal theme. The organisers are encouraging everyone to ditch the Christmas shopping and discover a haven of creativity… Read More ›
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New Grandville book launches on Friday at Foyles, London
On Friday 9th November, the Badger is back! Comica Festival at Foyles will be presenting the world premiere of Grandville Bête Noire, the third thrilling episode in Bryan Talbot’s phenomenal Grandville series of anthropomorphic steampunk scientific-romance-thrillers starring Inspector Le Brock…. Read More ›
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Judge Dredd-focused digital issue of Tripwire released
The first digital TRIPWIRE edition since 2011 has just been released, this time focusing on Dredd 3D the movie. It’s packed full of Dredd-related goodies like interviews with Dredd comic writers John Wagner, Alan Grant, actor Karl Urban (who plays… Read More ›
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Kevin O’Neill at Foyles for Comica on Thursday
On Thursday 8th November British artist and co-creator Kevin O’Neill will be talking about his bestselling series League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Since 1999, O’Neill has been collaborating with Alan Moore on the imagining an entire parallel universe and secret history,… Read More ›
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Halo Jones heads for Thought Bubble
Scytheplays and Lass O’Gowrie Productions have announced that their much-lauded adaptation of writer Alan Moore and artist Ian Gibson’s comic book series, The Ballad of Halo Jones, is to be re-staged as part of Thought Bubble, the week-long comic arts… Read More ›
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Alan Moore releases single in support of Occupy and Anonymous
Art: AD Anonymous and Occupy supporters around the world are in for a special treat today, Monday 5th November, as Alan Moore, author of Watchmen and V for Vendetta from which those infamous Guy Fawkes masks became popularised, releases his… Read More ›
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Brit team bring Transformers fans biggest ever Optimus Prime-Megatron clash
Simon Furman, the comic creator who single handedly has probably done more to shape the mythology of Hasbro’s Transfomers than any other over the past two decades (and counting) is promising an epic battle in #85 of IDW’s latest Transformers… Read More ›
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Will Dundee Get A Real Bash Street?
(Updated 11/12/12): Class 2B of Bash Street School, otherwise known as The Bash Street Kids, have been entertaining us in The Beano since the strip first appeared under its original title of When The Bell Rings in the issue dated… Read More ›
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Truffle Shuffle launches Thunderbirds t-shirt range
Truffle Shuffle and Peter Black Footwear and Accessories have recently launched Thunderbirds lines either directly or in partnership with retailers. Truffle Shuffle’s “Classic Thunderbirds” inspired line of T-shirts for men and women, and sweaters for men, all featuring various characters… Read More ›