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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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 ›
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Tube Surfing: Behind the Scenes, Adults Only and Travelling in Japan
A fairly short tube surf today as I’m in deadline hell… Fans of The Rainbow Orchid by Garen Ewing can get a peek behind the scenes of that comic over at the Forbidden Planet International blog as the cartoonist takes… Read More ›
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Corel’s Quest for the Best Challenge
‘The Calm Before the Storm‘, SciFi Art Now contributor John Malcolm’s entry for Corel’s contest. Illustrators in North America, the UK and Germany still lhave time to both enter software maker Corel’s Quest for the Best Creativity Challenge. The challenge… Read More ›
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Eagle Awards partners with MCM Expo
After two years of nomadic existence, the Eagle Awards will take up residency at London’s hugely popular MCM Expo at Excel, where the 2010 awards will be announced. As of 2011 and going forward, the awards will become part of… Read More ›
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In Review: The Chimpanzee Complex – Civilisation
The Chimpanzee Complex has been something of a revelation since it began three books ago. Near future, hardcore science fiction with a mature storyline, Cinebook chose to publish the title in the full European size rather than the American size… Read More ›
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Wasted 5 Out Now
The latest issue of adult humour title WASTED is now on sale. It features the usual mix of madcap strips, including 10 pages of Alan Grant and Jon Haward’s Tales of the Buddha, Kevin Eastman and Kevin O’Neill and Simon… Read More ›
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Classic British strip Wulf The Briton to be collected
There’s some great news for fans of cracking British comics artist Ron Embleton with the announcement of an impending collection of his superb comicstrip, Wulf the Briton, from Book Palace Books – fronted by an introduction from Dave Gibbons. Longtime… Read More ›
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Celebrity Comics Challenge!
Comic artists are being asked to design a ‘Celebrity Comic’ cover for the latest downthetubes forum art challenge. What would the news stand be like if Alan Titchmarsh produced “Titchmarsh Comics”? How would Eamon Holmes present his comics persona? (Best… Read More ›
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Commando: New Issue Gen
The new batch of Commando titles commemorate V-J Day, the victory over Japan and the ending of the Second World War 65 years ago this month with stories all set in the Far East and Pacific Theatre of Operations. The… Read More ›
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Tube Surfing: Cartoonists, Writers, Conventions (well, one) and the end of 2000 AD Review
• Joe Gordon of the Forbidden Planet International blog makes us aware that cartoonist and illustrator David Baillie has just uploaded a large PDF portfolio online. You should have a look! David, who has been published in 2000AD and the… Read More ›
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Yes, they’re really calling it CLiNT
Comics by two of the UK’s most outspoken TV personalities and burgeoning writing talents – Jonathan Ross and stand-up comedian Frankie Boyle – will feature in CLiNT Magazine, a new joint venture between Kick Ass creator Mark Millar and Titan… Read More ›
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Erskine in Essex for comic art masterclasses
Comics artist Gary Erskine (DC and Marvel Comics, Dark Horse, Virgin Comics and Titan Books) and Alan Batson (an official Disney artist, Pixar, Hanna Barbera, Warner Bros, the BBC) will be teaching master classes in how to draw the successful… Read More ›
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Mad Scientists storm Caption 2010
(cross posted from Bugpowder with the kind permission of Daniel Fish): The Mad Scientists have retired back to their mountain core fortresses following another successful Caption in Oxford this past weekend. I had a fun time, meeting up with the… Read More ›