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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A Very British Appointment: Pat Mills becomes an honorary professor
The ‘Godfather of British Comics’ Pat Mills was presented an honorary professorship by Liverpool University this week for his contributions to popular culture and national literacy. The creator of 2000AD, Slaine, Marshal Law and hundreds of other characters will be… Read More ›
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Alternative Press Fair exhbitions and events announced
The International Alternative Press Fair has announced several exhibitions relating to its two-day event in London at the end of May (Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th). Creators interested in being part of the actual Fair at the Conway Hall, Holborn,… Read More ›
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Tube Surfing: Dan Dare, Death’s Head and World Book Night outrage
Some quick news items… • (via the Dan Dare Yahoo Group) A bust of Dan Dare is now sitting comfortably on a beautifully made plinth in a prominent position in the library of Southport College (where his creator, Frank Hampson… Read More ›
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The Tartan Bucket Prize Competition
The Dundee Comics Day has been running since 2007 and in 2008 became part of the Dundee Literary Festival at Dundee University. The fifth comics day is due to be held in October and the University has announced that this… Read More ›
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Phoenix: a new British comic rises from the ashes of The DFC
A new British comic is in the offing, edited by former The DFC editor Ben Sharpe. Contrary to earlier reports on Lew Stringer’s blog, bleedingcool.com and elsewhere, Ben says The Phoenix is not a revival of The DFC, although its… Read More ›
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A Comic Convention Returns to Glasgow
It has been some 15 years since Glasgow hosted a comics convention with the last of the GlasCACs, the Glasgow Comic Art Conventions. Since then, Scotland has had two Oxfam Comics Days in Edinburgh, three Hi-Exs in Inverness, four Dundee Comics Days as… Read More ›
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STRIP Magazine editor at Lancaster comics event on 19th March
Lancaster’s Storey Creative Industries Centre will host a comic and science fiction fair on Saturday 19th March. A must for all collectors of Doctor Who, Marvel and DC Comics, film posters, trading cards and toys, along with an appearance by… Read More ›
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Sneek peek of 2000AD Lawgiver prop at National Space Centre’s BritSciFi event
TV legend Gerry Anderson is to join the crew of Leicester’s National Space Centre on 19th – 20th March for a celebration of British science fiction that also includes an appearance by Blake’s 7‘s Gareth Thomas and a sneek peek… Read More ›
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David Pugh’s Slaine, Dan Dare art (and more) on sale for charity
Check out some fantastic original comic art by David Pugh
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Roll Up for Roll Out with Furman, Senior and more this Sunday
Transformers comic writer and ace scripter in his own right Simon Furman, artists Geoff Senior, Andrew Wildman, John Higgins and Martin Griffiths be in Fordingbridge, Hampshire on Sunday (6th March), for All the Cool Stuff’s combined Transformers/Action Force mini-con(vention), Roll… Read More ›
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Crucible: Truuglub Vanderpatz, the Daunting – Colour Notes
Here’s another of Smuzz’ wonderful colour guides we’ve bombarded poor Kris Carter with. This is the oddest member of the Expeditioners in our story…
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Cesar to release Judge Dredd costume, ideal for would-be vigilantes
The new Judge Dredd costumefrom Cesar. Solid helmet and Lawgiver not included! Costumed vigilante “The Statesman” may be gaining press coverage battling intoxicated baddies and wannabe burglars on the streets of Birmingham, as reported by papers such as the Daily… Read More ›
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Comics Grid web blog on the move
The Comics Grid, a collaborative, peer-edited and authored blog dedicated to comics scholarshiphas moved its website to www.comicsgrid.com Although the main focus of the Comics Grid is on the analysis of specific comics page layouts and panels, the site also… Read More ›
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Comics Launchpad initiative kicks off to help British comic creators
Orgnaisers who brought us the British International Comic Show have announced Launch Pad, a one-day conference aimed at comic professionals, aspiring professionals and those with a serious interest in the business of making comics, promising it will be “an enlightening… Read More ›
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Comics @ Edinburgh International Science Festival
Edinburgh’s many festivals often offer comics events but they do tend to happen during the Book Festival or the Film Festival so it is unusual to see something turn up at the Science Festival. This year Paul Collicutt, author and… Read More ›
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Sci-Fi Art Now Creator Interview: Nelson Evergreen
Flight of the Cosmicby Nelson Evergreen Nelson Evergreen’s work is mainly geared towards childrens’ publishing, but he tells us he likes to do a fair bit of slightly more adult/peculiar small press comics stuff on the side. His more recent… Read More ›
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WebFinds: Chris Weston, Movie Star
Today’s WebFind: ace British artist Chris Weston has re-plugged some ‘motion comics’ created to promote last year’s Book of Eli film directed by the Hughes brothers and starring Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman. It looks like two comics were published,… Read More ›