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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Make Your Own Film-Inspired Comic Strip Challenge
(via Andy Diggle and Creative Review): UK indie film magazine Little White Lies is challenging comic creator to re-imagine your favourite film as a six frame comic book story. The best mini-strips will then be featured in the next issue…. Read More ›
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Comic creators to deliver serial killer talk in Edinburgh
Martin Conaghan and Will Pickering, creators ofnew graphic novel Burke & Hare, will be at the Edinburgh Central Library in the Edinburgh Room on 28th January presenting a talk on the history of the serial killers and the production of… Read More ›
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In Memoriam: William Ritchie
Willie Ritchie, sitting at DC Thomson editor Morris Heggie’s desk in DCT Meadowside, Dundee with his beloved “Baby Crockett” in October 2009. Photo courtesy Morris Heggie We’re sorry to report the passing of the popular comics artist William Ritchie, who… Read More ›
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Dying to be dead? Forbidden Planet has the answer…
The top comics and specialist store Forbidden Planet London is offering horror fans an exclusive opportunity to win your own gruesome demise in John Meaney’s (Thomas Blackthorne’s) next Angry Robot title – or to get your hands on a gorgeous… Read More ›
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Accent’s "Fastest Man" one shot goes on sale
Accent UK‘s latest one shot, Whatever Happened To The World’s Fastest Man?, which has picked up glowing reviews from all who read review copies, is now available in all those UK comic stores which ordered it. Co-written and created by… Read More ›
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Thunderbirds Aren’t Go: Sylvia Anderson cancels nationwide tour
Fans of Gerry Anderson’s 1960s cult puppet show Thunderbirds are downhearted that Lady Penelope, aka Sylvia Anderson, has pulled out of a nationwide tour – citing lack of interest. Sylvia, now in her 80s, was to have been in conversation… Read More ›
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Comics @ Glasgow Film Festival
It is a sign of the times in Mark Millar’s career that he has moved from talking to a professional librarian audience in 2008 to the Edinburgh International Book Festival audience in 2009 while in 2010 he will be talking… Read More ›
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ICA threatened with closure?
London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts, recently the hub for many brilliant and much-praised ComICA events, could close later this year due to funding cuts. The Guardian reports the ICA, founded in 1947, could fall victim to recession with costs needing… Read More ›
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Doctor Who-inspired Star Tigers returns as animated fan project
Altered Vistas, an amateur production company dedicated to creating Doctor Who-related features from the “fringes” of the franchise, has just released its twenty-first animated CGI release – the first chapter of an all-new Star Tigers adventure, plucked from the pages… Read More ›
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Commando celebrates Ian Kennedy anniversary
The latest batch of issues of DC Thomson’s long-runing war picture library title Commando includes the first two of four re-issues of classic Ian Kennedy illustrations for the comic. Number 4261 was the first cover he executed and 4262 was… Read More ›
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Bart Simpson tops UK readers poll
In a recent poll to mark the twentieth anniversary of The Simpsons, Bart Simpson has been named the nation’s favourite Simpsons character by the official Simpsons Comics, published in the UK by Titan Magazines and the company’s top-selling title. Simpson’s… Read More ›
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TV21 Turns 45…
— or at least it would have done, had it had the longevity of The Beano! We have Lew Stringer to thank for pointing out that 45 years ago, City Magazines launched the first issue of TV Century 21 –… Read More ›
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Foundry supports Haiti relief effort, comic creators wanted
London’s The Foundry is running an evening to raise money for earthquake victims in Haiti on 27th January – and comic creators are invited to get involved. The event is just part of a joint fund raising campaign by the… Read More ›
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Tube Surfing: Alternative Press, Bryan Talbot, Comic Sales Figure and more Mackie!
• The Alternative Press Fair is back! Taking place in London on 13th February, this is a free event celebrating all things self-published and DIY: Comics and Zines, Radical Literature, Poetry, Printmaking, Book Arts and even a bit of DIY… Read More ›
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Striker bounces back again – into Nuts
Football comic Striker has kicked off its 25th anniversary year by signing exclusively to Nuts, Britain’s biggest-selling weekly mens lifestyle magazine published by IPC. (We’re betting the team mascot might just be a bit racier than its past cheerleader, pictured… Read More ›
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The Dark, Freeman titles from Markosia
(Before any hardcore fans of this blog get hugely excited, we should point out that Freeman is the name of one of the books due soon from Markosia, not the name of one of its creators…) March will see the… Read More ›
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Beezer Blog Launched
Comic creator and Beezer fan Simon Mackie has launched a new blog that aims to chart the history of DC Thomson’s best-known large format humour comic. The Beezer was a large format (tabloid newspaper/A3 sized) weekly published by DC Thomson… Read More ›
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New Biography of Showbiz Legend Lew Grade
A new biography of British media entrepeneur Lew Grade – without whom shows such as Thunderbirds, UFO and The Muppets might never have been made – is to be published by Aurum Press next month. All My Shows are Great… Read More ›
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How to create comics the Steve Whitaker way
The late, great Steve Whitaker drew this guide to creating comics back in the 1990s and it’s available online via Flickr if people want to use it for teaching purposes, published under a Creative Commons license. Printed in the Society… Read More ›
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Arthur Ranson exhibition opens at Orbital
Tonight (Thursday 14th January) sees the opening of an exhibition of art by 2000AD contributor Arthur Ranson at London’s Orbital Comics. The exhibition spans his 30-year comic career: Arthur’s credits are numerous, including, of course, “Button Man”, “Judge Anderson” and… Read More ›