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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Starblazer Covered
Regular downthetubes readers will recall we published some features about DC Thomson’s much-missed SF digest comic Starblazer on downthetubes some time ago, including a checklist of the title. The section orginally kicked off with a feature by Jeremy Briggs called… Read More ›
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Hoodie Horror from Smith and Bagwell!
The Ravenglade Estate is ‘broken Britain’ as its worse. Plagued by ASBO-wielding gangs, boarded-up shops stinking with human despair, scattered with piles of rubbish from a month-long binmen strike – this is the Daily Mail’s worst nightmare. But there are… Read More ›
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Guest Post: Al Ewing Tells you why we should be reading 2000AD
Last month, comics writer Al Ewing (who’s writing a series of increasingly regular reviews and musings for the Travelling Man website) gave the thumbs up to 2000AD, urging readers past and present to give it a try. With Al’s permission,… Read More ›
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Comic Football sent off
(Updated 13:24 4/10/11) We’re sorry to report the demise of Comic Football, the subscription-only title – after just three issues. Subscribers have just received a letter advising of the title’s “temporary suspension” and the return of any subscription money owed… Read More ›
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In the Spotlight: Ron Embleton
One of our most popular and talented artists, Ron Embleton – whose work is getting major promotion this month over at the Book Palace web site’s Illustration Art Gallery – began drawing as a young boy, at 12 winning a… Read More ›
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Comic workshops part of this year’s Bloomsbury Festival
Comic creators Steve Marchant and Sally Kindberg will be on hand to keep kids happy during this year’s Bloomsbury Festival in London. Five years after the first ever Bloomsbury Festival (Friday 21st – Sunday 23rd October, 2011), this annual celebration… Read More ›
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London Super Comic Con ramps up impressive guest list
The London Super Comic Convention, announced for February next year (25-26th), is ramping up an impressive guest list, with the likes of US creators George Perez, Howard Chaykin, Bernie Wrightson, Mike Carey, Tony Moore, Bob Layton and more all confirmed… Read More ›
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Panel Borders moves nights, interviews David B, Kid Koala
Concluding the Panel Borders radio show’s month of war comics coverage and four years of broadcasts on Thursday evenings, Alex Fitch talks to French graphic novelist David B about his new book Black Paths, published by SelfMadeHero, which depicts a… Read More ›
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Comics @ Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival
The Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival have been in touch to let us know about three comics related events taking place in Edinburgh and Glasgow in October 2011 as part of their festival. A Day in the Life:… Read More ›
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Edinburgh-based online comic store launched
A group of comic fans has launched a new online comic shop which plans to include a specific section for British comics. The Comic Book Store (www.thecomicbookstore.co.uk) say they stock everything from 2000AD to The Walking Dead “and everything in-between”…. Read More ›
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Dundee Comics Day And Commando Art Exhibition
The fifth annual Dundee Comics Day will be taking place in the Tower Building of Dundee University on Sunday 30 October 2011 as part of the Dundee Literary Festival. This will include the Commando Battlelines exhibition of artwork from DC… Read More ›
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Signup Books Century 21: Menace from Space line-up revealed
Some great strips lined up for the next Century 21 collection
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Tharg the Mighty meets Dragons’ Den!
2000AD has just announced its first official convention portfolio session in years – culminating in a Dragons’ Den-style show off! 2000AD has teamed up with the annual Thought Bubble convention , which takes place in Leeds in November, to create… Read More ›
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Commando Classics out this week – by Special Request of loyal readers
Four new Commandos go on sale tomorrow (Thursday) – a quartet chosen by readers as their best-remembered stories. “There were more than these ‘By Special Request’ suggested (far more!),” editor Calum Laird tells us, “but these came up again and… Read More ›
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Forbidden Planet lines up comic signings for October
Paul Cornell is part of a triplesigning at FP Bristolon Friday 21st October Forbidden Planet London has lined up a month of great signings for October that includes a number of comic creators. Here’s the gen. All the events below… Read More ›
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Classical Comics goes Chinese!
(with thanks to Clive Bryant and Jon Haward): Classical Comics adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth, is to be re-published in China by its Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, along with a number of other titles from the successful range…. Read More ›
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Will the new Moshi Monsters online channel give magazine further sales boost?
Moshi Monsters Magazine – produced by Britain’s Skyjack Publishing for the brand’s owners, Mind Candy – will get a further boost to its already-phenomenal sales with the arrival of Moshi TV, a new online channel. Describing the new channel as… Read More ›
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Adult comic Poot back on the stands
If you want a magazine that comes out with clockwork regularity but doesn’t have many jokes, buy The Economist. If you want an irregularly-appearing magazine with jokes about flatulence, genitalia, going to the lavatory and other “grown-up” topics, buy Poot! … Read More ›
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Web FInds: Someone Old, Some New
Art by Cliff Robinson (with thanks to Matt Badham): Many British comic characters may not be getting the exposure these days – who wouldn’t want to see new adventures of Steel Claw or Adam Eterno? – but thanks to the… Read More ›
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SICBA Awards Exhibition In Glasgow
The successful first Glasgow Comic Convention, held at the Mackintosh Church Arts And Heritage Centre in Maryhill, Glasgow in June 2011, featured the presentation of the first Scottish Independent Comic Book Awards (SICBA) during its evening party. Winners included the… Read More ›