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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New comic shop to open in Perth
Perth’s only comic book and collectables store, Venganza, will have its grand opening on Saturday 10th September and with loads of special offers on throughout the weekend and loads of freebies and prizes, owner Brendan Dalton promises it’s going be… Read More ›
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It’s Ace! Dalek comic art for sale
Rummaging through my loft I came across this page of art from Marvel UK’s 1993 Doctor Who Year Book by Lee Sullivan – a strip I edited while editor of Doctor Who Magazine. It really needs a better home than… Read More ›
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Al Davison seeks suport for new graphic novel project
Comic artist Al Davison (creator of critically-acclaimed The Spiral Cage and his new book, Hokusai: Demons) has dropped us a line about his campaign on the global funding platform Indiegogo to raise £4000 to print his new graphic novel, The… Read More ›
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Panel Borders: Gosh! It’s Electric Man!
Concluding radio show Panel Borders month of shows looking at comic book shops, later today Alex Fitch talks to Josh Palmano and Andrew Salmond, the proprietors of Gosh! Comics in London which, after 25 years, has relocated from Great Russell… Read More ›
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Flesh: The Dino Files on its way
Think the dinosaurs became extinct after an asteroid hit Earth 65 million years ago? You couldn’t be more wrong. Saddle up, check your six-shooters and prepare for life in the Cretaceous as Flesh: The Dino Files collects together 35 years… Read More ›
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Are falling sales bad news for The Dandy?
The Dandy’s sales figures have taken a tumble
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Eagle comic author’s biography released by Fantom Films
Fantom Films has just published Auntie’s Charlie, the autobiography of BBC radio presenter, writer and producer Charles Chilton, creator and writer of Eagle‘s successful Riders of the Range strip as well as the classic science fiction radio series Journey into… Read More ›
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In Review: Commando Calendar 2012
I’ve got into something of a routine with Commando calendars enjoying using one for a year and then not having one available to me the next year. The first one(s) came out in 2006 for use in 2007. Bizarrely there… Read More ›
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New Crikey! special available
(Updated 27/8/11): The popular Crikey! fanzine (which takes a nostalgic look at classic British comics) may no longer be available as a print publication but the editors have just released a new special (comprising over 100 pages) which is available… Read More ›
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In Review: Wuthering Heights
By Emily BrontëAdapted by Sean Michael Wilson (script), John M. Burns (Art), Jim Campbell (Letters)Publisher: Classical ComicsOut: Now:The Book: Emily Brontë’s only novel is famous the world over and is the favourite classic of many readers. It is easy to… Read More ›
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Captain Clevedon: a local comic for local people!
Kev F. Sutherland is the latest creator to join a number of talents who are publishing what I can suppose can be described as ‘hyperlocal comics’ – titles with a strong connection to one part of the UK, available, for… Read More ›
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Draw Your Weapons! New Commandos are on sale now…
The latest issues of Britain’s only monthly war comic, Commando, are on sale now – and along with those comes details of the Draw Your Weapons exhibition at the National Army Museum, which includes a number of special events, listed… Read More ›
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Panel Borders: The Shop around the Corner
Continuing radio show Panel Borders month of shows looking at comic book shops, Alex Fitch talks to the former proprietors of comic shops that existed in the 1980s and 90s and have left lasting impression on their fans. Dark Horizons… Read More ›
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Thundercats UK TV Premiere date announced
Promotional art for the new ThunderCats animated series. © Warner Bros. ThunderCats, one of the most beloved cartoons of the 1980s, returns to UK TV next month on Cartoon Network UK – and, as we previously reported, a new comic… Read More ›
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STRIP Magazine on course for October launch in the UK
Print Media Productions STRIP Magazine is on course for an October launch, with the strip line up now firmed up for the first issues. The company has also selected the first winners of its Strip Challenge – but the winners… Read More ›
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Broken Frontier celebrates British Comics
Comic book news site Broken Frontier (www.brokenfrontier.com) has rolled out Brits on Top!, a special week-long event celebrating the British comics scene – with coverage of 2000 AD, The Dandy, Commando and the upcoming STRIP Magazine. The event includes plenty… Read More ›
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Dan Dare in the spotlight of new Judge Dredd Megazine
As well as some great comic strip, the latest issue of Judge Dredd Megazine, on sale tomorrow (Wednesday 17th August) features two mammoth features by downthetubes occasional contributor Matthew Badham on the history of Dan Dare and the new Doctor… Read More ›
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In Memoriam: Francisco Solano Lopez
Francisco Solano Lopez at the Lucca festival in 2007. Photo by Giacomo Bartalesi. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. (via Lew Stringer, The Comics Journal and lanaicon.com): We’re sorry to report the death of legendary Argentinian comics… Read More ›
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Other War Comics: ‘Vietnam Journal’
US publisher Transfuzion is re-publishing Vietnam Journal by Don Lomax – an epic re-telling of the Vietnam War through the eyes of a freelance reporter with the kind of gritty storytelling that might appeal to fans of Charley’s War and… Read More ›
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CDComics bring Salem to Sheffield
Following up on the success of their digital comics Meadowhell and The Attercliffe Prowler, Sheffield-based independent comic company CDComics has produced the third in their local horror series. “I’m sort of on a mission to make Sheffield into Britain’s Salem.”… Read More ›