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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Hammer Films Bray Studios Faces Demolition
Bray Studios – considered the spiritual home of cult British films and the home of Hammer Film Productions for years – could be turned flattened and turned into homes, unless a new campaign to save it succeeds. Earlier this month,… Read More ›
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Glory Be! creator joins Who actors for Harlow Sci-Fi weekend
Writer and artist David C Hill will be attending the renowned Comic Book & Sci-Fi Weekend at the Harvey Centre in Harlow, Essex to sign copies of his esteemed yet off-beat comic, Glory Be! – and is offering fans the… Read More ›
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VV Brown’s City of Abacus launches in May
downthetubes readers may be familiar with the music or modelling work of British singer-songwriter and model VV Brown, whose single releases include “Shark In The Water” and “Crying Blood”. But what you might not know is that she’s also a… Read More ›
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Visual treats included in latest Writers of the Future collection
The 25th anniversary coffee table edition for the L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future (www.writersofthefuture.com) will feature a year by year pictorial overview of its winners with sidebars highlighting those whose careers continued to blossom. Publishers say the… Read More ›
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New Commandos Hit the News Stand
The latest four Commandos from DC Thomson, on sale one week earlier than is traditional, are available now from all good newsagents… Commando 4287: Guided MissileStory: Bernard Gregg Inside art: Vila Cover art: Ian Kennedy Over the Austrian mountains in… Read More ›
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Shrewsbury gears up for magical cartoon mayhem!
The Shrewsbury International Cartoon Festival 2010 takes place this coming weekend (22nd – 25th April) and this year’s theme is Magic, Myth and Mystery. This wonderful Festival offers unique opportunities to see artists at work: 20 of them on huge… Read More ›
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Time’s Almost Up for There’s No Time Like the Present
Part 12 of Paul Rainey’s comic, or serialised ‘graphic novel’, There’s No Time Like The Present is now available priced £2.50. “It’s an exciting issue because it’s the penultimate part to the story that I began back in 2004,” says… Read More ›
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New Abslom Daak, Dalek Killer story released
Following the release of Star Tigers Chapter One at the beginning of the year, Doctor Who fan film makers Altered Vistas have just announced the DVD not-for-profit release of Chapter Two: With Friends Like These, based on the classic Doctor… Read More ›
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60 Years of Eagle Celebrated
Eagle Society member Phil Daniels has posted the first part of his video report on the 60th Anniversary of the Eagle in Southport on youtube. (The whole video will be split into at least three parts). “The Eagle was the… Read More ›
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Vaughn to Jonathan Ross’ Turf
Various web sites have picke up on the information that Turf, the prohibition-era mash-up of gangsters, vampires and aliens written by TV presenter Jonathan Ross and drawn by Tommy Lee Edwards for Image Comics may be headed to the big… Read More ›
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That Alan Moore, He Likes to Draw
The Forbidden Planet Blog Log has just posted this fab wraparound cover for esoteric comics-magazine-thing Dodgem Logic #3 (courtesy of Knockabout Comics), featuring artwork by none other than Alan Moore himself, who as older readers will recall, once drew the… Read More ›
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John Watkiss’ Sherlock Holmes Art on Sale
Quality Communications is offering a limited edition portfolio of Sherlock Holmes art by John Watkiss
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Windett Joins Comic Book Mafia!
Preston-based comics artist Dave Windett – whose credits include work on a variety of animated characters from Fox and Warner Bros. and his illustrations for the Norwegian book series, Magic – has joined the Comic Book Mafia. Lest you think… Read More ›
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Blast from the Past: SCAN, with added Alan Moore
A quick guide to the “legendary” British comics zine (accoriding ton its editor)
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Ron Jobson In Book And Magazine Collector
The latest issue of the A5 size monthly Book and Magazine Collector is now in the shops and it has reached Issue 320. This issue has an article by Norman Wright and David Ashford on the artist Ron Jobson. While… Read More ›
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Panini’s Marvel Deal Under Threat?
Back when Disney bought out Marvel Comics, here at downthetubes we speculated Panini, which reprints Marvel titles across Europe, may find their titles under threat. Now, news site Bleeding Cool reports that as Disney has now finally taken charge of… Read More ›
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LifeSupport: Change Through Art Competition
What has the recession meant to you? LifeSupport: Change through art, a project of online guide to life, is challenging comic creators to express their view on the Globalization Crisis. Creators are being encouraged to create a photograph, film or… Read More ›
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Time Leech: Time Bomb!
The final instalment of a Doctor Who comic strip, Time Bomb, is live on the Doctor Who fan site, Kasterborous.com. Written by Christian Cawley, with art and lettering by Rick Lundeen, this is the concluding episode of the Time Leech… Read More ›
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Sci-Fi London Lines Up Comic Creator events
Garry Leach, Rian Hughes, Dez Skinn, Gary Erskine, Emma Vieceli and Simon Furman are just some of the comic creators who will be appearing at this year’s SCI-FI-LONDON event on Saturday 1st May. At last year’s SCI-FI-LONDON (www.sci-fi-london.com) the organisers… Read More ›
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Southport College Celebrates Eagle Anniversary
Southport College is hosting to a Dan Dare exhibition celebrating 60 years of Eagle