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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Bellamy, Beano and Buster comic art up for grabs in latest ComPal auction
The Autumn 2010 auction at British comics auction site Compalcomics has just opened, with 315 lots in the catalogue including a magnificent Beano front cover artwork drawn by Dudley Watkins and some rare Thunderbirds artwork from TV Century 21 by… Read More ›
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Phoenix to rise from Insomnia’s ashes
Comics collective The Sleepless Phoenix is now taking pre-orders for its 192-page black-and-white anthology on creative seed site Kickstarter.com. The planned collection – born from the demise of British publisher Insomnia Publications – will feature the work of more than… Read More ›
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Birmingham’s International Comic Show guest list shapes up
This year’s British International Comics Show over the weekend on 16th-17th October is getting closer and 2010’s incredible international guest list is the largest since the show began in 2006. Some of the most renowned artists and writers from all… Read More ›
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Now it’s Time for Hammer… beer?!?!
Hammer Films have promoted themselves in some pretty inventive ways over the years with DVDs, a board game, T-shirts, mugs and poster based on the famous horror films. Now we can look forward to three new Hammer Beers which look… Read More ›
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Crikey! No More
The publishers of British comics magazine Crikey! have reluctantly decided to close the magazine. “We tried until the last minute to keep going,” editor Tony Ingram told downthetubes, “but unfortunately a couple of guys who seemed serious about buying into… Read More ›
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2010 Lulu Award Nominations close next week
(With thanks to Richard Caldwell): The Lulu Awards Nominations – which aim to recognise amazing comic and cartooning work by and/or about women worldwide – close next week. The categories include: Kim Yale Award for Best New Talent Lulu Of… Read More ›
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Titan Books seeks book cover artists
Titan Books has put out an open call to recruit book cover illustrators for their future fiction titles. The call appeared this week on the new blog of Titan’s revamped website and Twitter feed asking if their fans and readers… Read More ›
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Titan Books seeks book cover artists
Titan Books has put out an open call to recruit book cover illustrators for their future fiction titles. The call appeared this week on the new blog of Titan’s revamped website and Twitter feed asking if their fans and readers… Read More ›
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First Leeds Alternative Comics Fair set for September
The first Leeds Alternative Comics Fair takes place on the 18th September 2010, 12 noon-6.00pm, at A Nation of Shopkeepers bar (behind Leeds City Art Gallery). The event is being organised by comic creators Steve Tillotson of banal pig comics… Read More ›
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Gerry Anderson’s ‘Protectors’ gets DVD release
It’s not Gerry Anderson’s best-loved series – even though it was his most expensive to date – and it certainly isn’t the kind of science fiction that made his name, such as Thunderbirds and UFO. But The Protectors – out… Read More ›
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Draw the World Together Art Auction
Comic creator charity Draw the World Together is running a series of three eBay auctions, the the first starting at 11pm GMT on the 26th August. Draw the World Together is an organisation that has been created to unite arts… Read More ›
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Temple APA moves web home
The Temple APA – a group of some of Britain’s most enthusiastic comic creators, most of them on the indie press scene – has moved homes on the internet after the closure of its ning site, after that community hosting… Read More ›
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Mills, Langley Signing in London in Sptember
Forbidden Planet London will host a signing by Pat Mills and Clint Langley on Thursday 16th September (6 – 7pm), signing ABC Warriors: The Volgan War Volume 3. Pat Mills is one of the founding fathers of 2000AD, while artist… Read More ›
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Tube Surfing: Alan Moore, web/hyper/small press/all types of comics and events aplenty too!
Alan Moore guests on Utter Shambles, a podcast hosted by comedians Robin Ince and Josie Long. Pete Ashton will be talking about the emergence of the British small press comics scene in the early eighties at the Birmingham Zine Festival… Read More ›
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Cal-Hab Droids Infiltrate Megazine 301
The latest issue of the Judge Dredd Megazine, Meg 301, has a distinctly Scottish flavour to its art and script droids. Behind a lovely Judge Inspector Inaba cover by Frank Quitely, from Cal-Hab’s west coast, comes the Dredd story The… Read More ›
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Dan Dare Ray Guns, Card Games and Radios, Oh My…
Following up on our past stories on new Dan Dare merchandise, a mention for UK toy company Russimco’s Dan Dare retro toy line is long overdue here, so let’s redress that right now. All the toys – due for release… Read More ›
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Bristol and London Small Press Expos for 2011
Next year’s Bristol International Comic and Small Press Expo will be on Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th May 2011. With 3 extra exhibitor and trading spaces and 8 extra event areas this is now the largest independent and small press… Read More ›
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Reality Check: Comics versus Film
Cartoonist Woodrow Phoenix This year’s cinematic interest in comic book adaptations shows no sign of slowing down with adaptations of Scott Pilgrim vs. the world and Tamara Drewe hitting screens over the next few weeks. To coincide with this, the… Read More ›
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Exercises in Instant Gratification: An interview with Tom Humberstone
Tom Humberstone is a cartoonist and editor. As the man behind such comics as Art School Scum, My Fellow Americans and the Eagle Award-winning How To Date A Girl In 10 Days, he’s had critical plaudits aplenty. In this interview,… Read More ›
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Sequart’s Watchmen Book details
Sequart Research and Literacy Organization’s Minutes to Midnight: Twelve Essays on Watchmen is now available for order through comic shops (use Diamond order code AUG101288). The book, edited by Richard Bensam, is currently listed in the books section of August’s… Read More ›