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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Tube Surfing: Monsters, Heroes, Cycling and Moon Hoaxes
I’m really behind with everything. Anyone else behind with their deadlines and work? Oh, dear, it’s all gone a bit Pete Tong… Anyway, a bit of tube surfing always peps me up. What’s out there today? Ace cartoonist Darryl Cunningham… Read More ›
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Vintage British Star Trek pages sold on eBay
Two pages of vintage Star Trek art by veteran British comic artist John Stokes created for British publication have just been sold on eBay. Published in August 1972 in Valiant and TV21, John Stokes was one of several artists to… Read More ›
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Liam Sharp, Gary Erskine and Tim Perkins to attend Malta ComicCon 2010
(via Tim Perkins): The second Maltese Comic Convention has announced its first guests for this year’s line up, who include Liam Sharp (left), Gary Erskine and Tim Perkins (below). Taking place 16th-17th October, the convention will take place in the… Read More ›
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Sci-Fi Art Now Covers Revealed
ILEX Press have released the covers for their UK and US editions of SciFi Art Now – and they look superb. The UK cover, above, is by the brilliant World Fantasy Award winner and Hugo Award-nominated artist John Picacio. This… Read More ›
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Dudley D. Watkins gallery launched as Courier revamps web site
(with thanks to Lew Stringer and the Forbidden Planet International blogs who spotted this first): DC Thomson has just revamped its web site for its Scottish newspaper The Courier – and included a fantastic gallery of comic work by Dudley… Read More ›
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Frank’s Fantastic Send Off – thanks to his fans
We’re pleased to report that the late comedian and comic creator Chris Sievey, aka Frank Sidebottom had the fantastic send off he would have wanted thanks to his fans last week – rather than a pauper’s funeral. The comedian’s financial… Read More ›
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First 2000AD Dredd cover to go under the hammer
Judge Dredd hits the big time
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Bosnian publisher announces Strip magazine for the UK
Bosnian-based comics publisher PrintMedia has announced plans to move into the UK market with a new comic magazine later in 2010. The title, which is still in development, will include new strips by creators such as PJ Holden (2000AD, Battlefields,… Read More ›
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Madame Tussauds Marvel Superheroes 4D Winners
The winners of our Marvel Superheroes 4D competition, run in partnership with SciFiPulse.net, were Yvonne Clark from Bridgend and Andrew Dommett from Tividale, who each won a pair of tickets to the new exhibition at Madame Tussauds in London. Congratulations… Read More ›
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Tripwire returns with Futurama, Straczynski, Cornell and Michael Moorcock goodness
Ace media magazine Tripwire is back with another info-packed issue! The Eagle Award-nominated British-American magazine about comics and genre culture returns this July bringing even more of the quality features you’d expect from their previous issues. Beneath an exclusive Futurama… Read More ›
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Questionable Elephantmen hits comic stores
The latest issue of Elephantmen, written by former Marvel UK staffer Richard Starkings (whose career has simply spiraled upwards ever since) is now on sale, with art by Marian Churchland, Axel Medellin, Moritat & André Szymanowicz. In Issue 26 –… Read More ›
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StripGenerator Revamped, now includes social network features
Slovenia-based ThirdFrameStudios has just released Stripgenerator 1.6, the latest version of its hugely popular online software that enables users to easily create comic strips, share them with friends, rate, comment them and more. The new Stripgenerator brings many useful new… Read More ›
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In Review: The Art of Pho
By Julian HanshawPublisher: Jonathan CapeISBN: 9780224089845Out: 1st July 2010 The Book: The noodle soup called pho is the national dish of Vietnam. When Little Blue – having been dropped by a mysterious man with a red car and being told… Read More ›
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Doctor Who: Silver Scream from Al Davison, Tony Lee, collected
Al Davison and Tony Lee with the new Doctor Who collection at this year’s MCM Expo. Photo: Jeremy Briggs (via Al Davison): A quick reminder that the first collection of IDW’s Doctor Who ongoing series, written by Tony Lee, is… Read More ›
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In Review: Classics from the Comics 171
… and it really is a classic of a comic, with a huge variety of strips from several decades – including some rarely seen examples of picture and text stories from the huge DC Thomson comics archive. The trumpeted ‘superhero’… Read More ›
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Frank Quitely Interview Podcast
As part of the West Port Book Festival on Friday 25th June 2010, David Bishop interviewed artist Frank Quitely at Edinburgh Books second hand bookshop in Edinburgh’s West Port. Since the event was always going to have a small audience… Read More ›
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Tube Surfing: Warren Ellis, the Bulletproof Coffin and the Galaxy’s Greatest Covers!
So, what’s happening down those tubes today… The trailer for the movie adaptation of Warren Ellis-scripted graphic novel Red (art by Cully Hamner) is online to view now. Ellis wrote some interesting notes about the adaptation back on his blog… Read More ›
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Rude Britannia Competition Winners
The lucky winners of our Rude Britannia book competition – marking the launch of the Rude Britannia Exhibition at Tate Britain in London – were Chris Williams from Liverpool; Paul B. Rainey, from Milton Keynes; and David Humphreys from Crawley…. Read More ›
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Spaceship Away Turns 21
The new issue of Spaceship Away, the science fiction comics magazine inspired by and featuring the original Dan Dare, includes some stunning exclusives sure to appeal to fans of the original version of the Eagle space hero created by Frank… Read More ›
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New Eagle Times Continues Celebrations for 60 Years of Eagle
The latest issue of Eagle Times, (Volume 23 Number Two, Summer 2010), is on sale now from the Eagle Society, with highlights that include a photo-illustrated report on the Society’s April 2010 gathering ‘to celebrate Eagle‘s 60th Anniversary in Southport and… Read More ›