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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Sci-Fi Art Now Creator Interview: Steve Sampson
Steve Sampson, whose art graces the cover of the US edition of SciFi Art Now, was born in the East End of London and now lives and works in Brighton in the UK. After leaving Chelsea Art Collage he worked… Read More ›
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Sci-Fi Art Now Creator Interview: Tim Perkins
A stunning double page spread from Tim Perkins Worlds End Tim Perkins is comic and concept artist, designer and writer who I’ve known since my days at Marvel UK, back when I was editing Doctor Who Magazine and Tim was… Read More ›
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Classic British Movie on DVD
11 October see the release of an over-looked gem of a film on DVD. Three Cases of Murder sounds like a conventional crime movie. However, the film is made up of three individual stories (rather like the classic Dead of… Read More ›
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Super Squirrel Undefeated: The Get-Well Carlos Project
Back in July, comic fans heard the news that the legendary comics artist Carlos Ezquerra was suffering from lung cancer, so they thought it would cheer him up if they sent him a get well card – and that it… Read More ›
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Moleskine Goes Peanuts to mark strip’s 60th anniversary
Here’s one for fans of Charles Schulz ace comic strip creation, Peanuts, which has appeared in many British newspapers down the years, along with many collections – most recently, The Complete Peanuts series published by Canongate Books. Moleskine, makers of… Read More ›
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Eagle Awards Ceremony announced for London MCM Expo
The Eagle Awards fly back to London at the end of this month – with a superb Awards ceremony planned at the MCM Expo. With voting now closed, the announcement of the 2010 award winners is obviously the main reason… Read More ›
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Strip Magazine enlists Warpaint, Lawless
Warpaint by Phil Hester and John McCrea.Colour by Andrew Elder.© 2010 Phil Hester and John McCrea Print Media Productions has announced two more projects for its upcoming Strip Magazine, launching in early 2011 – two brand new creator-owned strips, Warpaint… Read More ›
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In Review: X’ed Out by Charles Burns
By: Charles BurnsPublisher: Jonathan Cape (UK) Pantheon (US)Out: 7th October (UK) 19th October (US) The Book: Meet Doug, aspiring young artist. He’s having a strange night. A weird buzzing noise on the other side of the wall has woken him… Read More ›
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Mystery of the Multiverse…
Could a Comics International-style comics magazine be in the offing? It certainly seems that way, judging by this image that just popped into the downthetubes mailbox…
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In Review: Krazybov Issue 3
Krazybov is a polished, entertaining comic anthology title with a very 21st Century approach to publication. Freely distributed in shops and at events around central London and sent around the world to subscribers, once all the printed copies have been… Read More ›
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Commandos back in action!
Two weeks after the last batch of Commandos comes a new squad of four-action-packed stories. Make these ones last as it’ll be three weeks (yes, three weeks) before the next ones! Comparing the covers of Issues 4334 and 4332, you… Read More ›
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Eagle Times Volume 23 Number Three
The new issue of Eagle Times (Volume 23, Number Three) is available now from the Eagle Society. Autumn 2010 Contents A look at the “Realtime” chronology of the original Dan Dare saga, from the birth of Sir Hubert (1943), to Dan’s… Read More ›
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Mark Beer busy on “Oak Swamp”
SciFi Art Now contributor Mark Beer has been in touch to say that he’s still trying to make it as a comic book cover artist, but in the mean time has been keeping busy in the film industry. “I’m currently… Read More ›
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Crucible: Setting the Scene: Page 3
We’ve been quiet, haven’t we? That’s because we’ve been busy. Smuzz is busy on Page 7 (fight!) and I’ve now got to crack on and get him some more script pages, in between all the other things I have to… Read More ›
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Sci-Fi Art Now really isn’t this expensive to buy…
Artist John Malcolm came across a copy of SciFi Art Now being offered on Amazon.co.uk. We’d just like to assure those waiting for the book to come out that it really isn’t this expensive…
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Malta ComicCon 2010 Update
The second Malta Comic Convention is now only a matter of a few weeks away, with Liam Sharp, Gary Erskine, Tim Perkins, Sean Azzopardi, Claudio Castellini, Renee Witterstaetter and Dave Windett now just some of the confirmed guests. Unfortunately, the… Read More ›
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Last few days for 2010 Northern Sequential Art Competition
You have a few more days to send in an entry if you want to take part in the new Northern Sequential Art Competition hosted by the Travelling Man comic retailer and the Thought Bubble Convention. The deadline of 8th… Read More ›
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Let’s hear it for some Comical Animals!
Bumble Billy by Gary Northfield A quick reminder that Jim Medway’s Comical Animal, a bi-monthly online publication for comic, cartoon and kids books aficionados, is on course for a proper launch in December. Sponsored by Good Grief! and Blank Slate… Read More ›
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Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics plans Superhero Issue
Wonder Woman 2010 – designed by Jim Lee The academic comics publication Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics has issued a call for papers for a special issue of the twice-yearly title that will focus on ‘Gender and Superheroes’. “The… Read More ›