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.
-
In Review: Commando 4443 – Killer In No-Man’s-Land
The batch of Commandos that are in the shops now, as well as including the reprint of the original Issue 2 from 50 years ago, also has two brand new stories set during the First World War. On the eleventh… Read More ›
-
Panel Borders: The Last Ride of the Western Heroes
Continuing the Panel Borders comic radio show’s month of programming about genre in comics, Alex Fitch talks to creators of small press and mainstream cowboy comics. In the 300th radio show that Alex Fitch has made for Resonance FM, he… Read More ›
-
Sale, Starkings, Hughes among Thought Bubble guest signings at Travelling Man
Hulk by Tim Sale The Travelling Man comic shops and Thought Bubble festival have just announced their line up of international comic superstars signing with at the store next week, as follows: Tim Sale, Richard Starkings and Gail SimoneTravelling Man… Read More ›
-
That Funny Little Man… Roy Newby exhibition announced
(with thanks to David Roach and Tim Pilcher) An exhibition by little-known artist Roy Newby, whose work over many decades included numerous comics, will go on show at Phoenix Place in Lewes, East Sussex, later this month. Roy’s work displays… Read More ›
-
Black Hearted Press to launch new titles at Thought Bubble
Comics writer Jim Alexander, whose credits include stories for 2000AD, DC and Marvel Comics and Metal Hurlant has been heavily involved with Glasgow-based publishers Black Hearted Press and is the writer on two new books that will be launched at… Read More ›
-
Mike Trim’s Airfix Paintings
After mentioning Airfix’s re-release of the Angel Interceptor kit from Gerry Anderson’s Captain Scarlet And the Mysterons TV series, we have another Airfix/Captain Scarlet cross-over to report but this time it is one of the behind the scenes team. Mike… Read More ›
-
Markosia’s mind-bending comic releases!
It’s not often you get to release a book that causes people to worry about reality and feel unstable after reading it – which is how I felt after reading one of them. It’s almost unthinkable, dangerous even, that you… Read More ›
-
Buy the Crucible Poster
Crucible: Promotional Art by ~theheavygreatcoat on deviantART If you were lucky enough to grab a copy of STRIP Magazine Issue Zero – it’s been distributed at various comic events and there’s a online version on Yudu – you can’t… Read More ›
-
Treating Comics Seriously – Belfast’s Linen Hall Library
As part of their Northern Ireland Political Collection Lunchtime Lecture series, this week Belfast’s prestigious Linen Hall Library will feature talks on comics and political cartoons. The Linen Hall Library, opposite Belfast’s City Hall, was founded in 1788 and is… Read More ›
-
Millar and McCrea Create A Blue Peter Superhero
The creator of Kick-Ass and Wanted creating a comic strip for the BBC children’s programme Blue Peter? As odd as it sounds writer Mark Millar visited the new Blue Peter studio in Manchester on 1 November along with STRIP Magazine… Read More ›
-
Alan and Steve Moore’s poetry goes online
One of the more obscure of Alan Moore‘s works is Technical Vocabularies, a poetry collection he and Steve Moore produced in 2004 in very limited numbers. Now, Alan and Steve have allowed Padraig O Méaloid to post it online on… Read More ›
-
Bizarre Omen Bodes Well for Strip Magazine?
It’s a funny old world. This week, Print Media Productions launched their new comic magazine Strip, featuring reprints of the classic 1970s comic story Hookjaw, which features a shark with a hook stuck in its jaw as the main character…. Read More ›
-
Angels – Immediate Launch!
Despite Captain Scarlet being over 40 years old, Spectrum remains green. Spectrum’s Angel aircraft, as featured in Gerry Anderson’s 1967 TV series Captain Scarlet and The Mysterons, remain popular enough to have two new merchandise releases before Christmas. Featuring in… Read More ›
-
Artist Spotlight: Jésus Blasco
The Illustration Art Gallery is spotlighting the work of the late Jésus Blasco this month, offering a 20 per cent discount on any orders of his original art, which includes pages of perhaps his best-known strip in the UK, The… Read More ›
-
Cartoonist Steve English wins first ‘Tartan Bucket’ prize
Steve English with his‘Tartan Bucket’ Steve English has just been awarded the first Tartan Bucket Prize (named in honour of famous Scottish comics character Oor Wullie) organised by Dundee University in conjunction with D C Thomson. The aim of the… Read More ›
-
Army photographer captures off duty moments of serving soldiers
In her forthcoming photographic exhibition, ‘Make Do and Mend’, award-winning Terriotorial Army Sergeant Alison Baskerville has captured images of many off duty moments for soldiers serving overseas in today’s combat zones. Sergeant Baskerville returned this summer from a tour… Read More ›
-
Remembering Lis Sladen, aka Sarah Jane Smith
A bittersweet release
-
Strip Magazine launches today in UK comic shops
Read Strip Magazine Issue 1 Sneak Preview by clicking here STRIP Magazine Issue One is available in British comics shops from today. The digital edition for iPad is also available and can be downloaded from the iTunes Store. The cost… Read More ›
-
Dick Turpin returns to Time Bomb Comics
Time Bomb Comics has announced that their next release, Dick Turpin and the Crimson Plague, will be launched at the Leeds Thoughtbubble weekend of the 19th & 20th November, where the creative team will be conducting a mid-day signing session… Read More ›