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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Robert Culp 16 August 1930 – 24 March 2010
downthetubes was sad to learn of the death of Robert Culp, an actor with a number of cult TV and film credits to his name. Culp was perhaps best known for his role in I Spy, the American espionage series… Read More ›
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Bohze Moi! Scotch Corner Recruits Simon Fraser
The Scotch Corner daily art blog has added its sixth and final regular member in the shape of Nikolai Dante artist Simon Fraser. Simon has taken on the previously vacant Saturday slot on the blog which also features other Scottish… Read More ›
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Doctor Wii?
It looks as though we can expect a new Doctor Who game for the Nintendo Ds and Wii. The Newsround website is reporting that the game should be released in time for Christmas. At this early stage, the baddies in… Read More ›
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Girly Comic Website Returns
Via the Forbidden Planet blog, we’re pleased to report that the Girly Comic website is once again back in business and being updated. A hacker attack back in 2009 caused severe setbacks for the website, but now it’s back in… Read More ›
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Den of Geek Celebrates B Movies
The Den of Geek website is taking a week long look at the phenomenon that is the American B movie. Today, Karla Helion presents an overview of B movies, examining the circumstances under which they emerged, and over the next… Read More ›
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UK Web And Mini Comics Thing 2010 – This Saturday
With the mighty juggernaut that is Hi-Ex’s pre-publicity machine careering down those twisty Highland roads, it would be easy to miss the altogether quieter affair that is also on this Saturday coming. The UK Web And Mini Comics Thing 2010… Read More ›
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Chris Evans Cast as Captain America?
The Hollywood Reporter is suggesting that actor Chris Evans has been cast as Captain American in the upcoming film featuring the famous Marvel character. (This does not of course refer to the Radio 2 DJ of the same name, the… Read More ›
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Bubo Bobblehead!
Sometimes an item of fantasy or sci-fi memorabilia just catches your eye and makes you think ‘I want one of those!’ This rather adorable character is Bubo, mechanical owl and Perseus’ guide from the 1981 version of the movie Clash… Read More ›
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Evans Above! It’s a Zarjaz interview!
Illustrator-turned-writer Paul L Mathews has been in touch to say that his blog Paul L Mathews: Struggling On has a mini-interview with Dave Evans, the editor/publisher of 2000AD fanzines Zarjaz and Dogbreath and other titles such as FutureQuake and Something… Read More ›
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New UK Spider-Man Comic?
Is Panini about to launch a new Spider-Man comic? As every self-respecting comics fan knows, the company currently publishes several comics for the UK market based on the US Marvel titles, including the hugely successful The Astonishing Spider-Man, Spectacular Spider-Man… Read More ›
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Big Finish Baker!!
It looks as though Tom Baker, the 4th and arguably most popular Doctor Who, may soon be working for Big Finish, the company who have produced audio adventures based on Doctor Who for the past decade. According to the Big… Read More ›
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New Flash Gordon Collection
(Updated 1 April 2010): downthetubes has a bias towards comics of British origin but one American character of great interest to many British sci-fi/comic fans, Flash Gordon, is appearing in a new archival collection from Dark Horse, to be published… Read More ›
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The DFC LIbrary goes on air!
Between May 2008 and March 2009, children’s book publisher David Fickling launched a bold experiment in creating a new kids comic – The DFC – for the British market, which on a weekly basis featured new stories in a variety… Read More ›
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It’s Official: BICS is back for 2010!
The British International Comic Show – Britain’s largest and most popular event devoted solely to comics and graphic novels of all kinds – returns to Birmingham in October, with a truly international flavour as the organisers welcome renowned creators from… Read More ›
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Reviving The Driver
YouTube fan ‘thegreyman’ has put a strip from the 1980s version of Toxic! (not to be confused with Egmont’s TOXIC of today) and put it to music. Written and drawn by Jeremy Banx and David Leach the greyman says he… Read More ›
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Tabella releases ‘Ghost’
Ghost Volume 1, the work of husband and wife team Phoebe Reeves-Murray and Daniel Scott Gabriel Murray – the latter described by one reviewer as “the new Alex Ross” – will be published soon by British publisher Tabella Publishing. Ghost… Read More ›
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Attention! New Commandos on Sale
Four new Commandos are now on sale in all good newsagents in the UK from publishers DC Thomson… Commando No 4275: The Camouflage KingsStory: Alan Hebden Inside Art: Vila Cover: Ian Kennedy During World War II, Randolf King, a civilian… Read More ›
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Mad Science Theme for Caption 2010
Independent comic creators festival Caption has been confirmed for Saturday 31st July and Sunday 1st August at the East Oxford Community Centre, Oxford. The theme is Mad Science and all ideas based around the theme welcome, so get those pencils… Read More ›
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Small Press Creators: Badham wants to hear from you!
Matthew Badham, a contributor to downthetubes, perhaps best known as a feature writer for Judge Dredd: The Megazine (and other outlets), is writing a 4000 word piece about the British indie/small press comics scene – and wants views from small… Read More ›