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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Starblazer from the Command Deck
DC Thomson editor Bill McLoughlin has kindly given downthetubes his account of the rise and fall of DC Thomson’s 1980s SF digest title Starblazer, which has recently spawned its own Role Playing Game (see our review). Revealing the origins of… Read More ›
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Engines of Enchantment at Cartoon Museum
London’s Cartoon Museum is to host an exhibition dedicated to the work of eccentric genius Rowland Emett this summer. Described in TIME Magazine as “a nostalgic-romantic artist-humorist social commentator-engineer,” this exhibition brings together, for the first time in Britain, the… Read More ›
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Tube Surfing: Comic Cutbacks, San Diego Schedules, Dinsoaurs and Weird Fishes…
• Filming has started on the new series of Doctor Who that will see Matt Smith will take on the eponymous role. Matt is seen here in costume, side by side with Scottish actress Karen Gillan who plays new companion… Read More ›
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2009 Graphic Short Story Competition Launched
UK Sunday newspaper The Observer has just launched this year’s Graphic Short Story competition, part of the activities of the ComiICA Festival. The winner of last year’s Graphic Short Story prize, Julian Hanshaw, is about to publish a book, so… Read More ›
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Graeme Neil Reid: Walking on the Moon
Here’s the latest contribution to our marking of the 40th Anniversary of the first Moon Landing: “Walking on the Moon” by Graeme Neil Reid
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Ian Rankin’s Comics Debut
International bestselling crime writer and recipient of an OBE for his services to literature, acclaimed Scottish author Ian Rankin makes his comics debut with the tense and twisting tale inspired by reality TV, Dark Entries – on sale from Titan… Read More ›
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Nick Abadzis: Apollo Remembered
Here’s a fab image from Nick Abadzis he’s sent us for our Moon Landing Comics Celebration album
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Every Wednesday (Or Thursday If You Are British)
Much has been made by British reviewers of DC’s new tabloid size Wednesday Comics. This is a modern take on the American style of comic based pullouts from the Sunday newspapers which ran multiple stories in colour in the same… Read More ›
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Dave Gibbons to launch Watchmen 3D Graffiti Art Instillation
To celebrate the UK DVD and Blu-ray release of Watchmen, London’s Southbank will stage an art exhibition with a difference on Tuesday 28th July with the comic’s artist Dave Gibbons and acclaimed graffiti artist Chu. Chu will showcase his artistic… Read More ›
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New Century 21 Cover Exposed
Publishers Reynolds & Hearn have just given us a ‘first look’ at the cover of their third collection of comics from 1960s comic TV Century 21. Titled Escape from Aquatraz, it features the submarine Stingray, as realized by the late,… Read More ›
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Panel Borders Goes SciFi Mad!
We don’t often cover every podcast or radio show Alex Fitch and his team are about to broadcast, but he’s got plenty lined up we think downthetubes fans will want to check out, so hold on to your hats… •… Read More ›
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Tube Surfing: Cursitor Doom, Nitro!, More Moon Stuff and Comics in Limbo…
• Bear Alley Books has just published the first inked and colour ‘rough’ for their upcoming Cursitor Doom collection. “I’ve put this together from a low-res scan e-mailed by artist John Ridgway, so this isn’t the final version,” says publisher… Read More ›
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The Doctor Lands on the Moon for the BBC
nderground Comics organiser Oli Smith has penned a new Doctor Who short story for the BBC Doctor Who web site
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Tripwire Goes to San Diego
Fab Brit genre magazine Tripwire continues its yearly San Diego Comic-Con tradition by premiering its third Tripwire Annual at the world’s best-known genre media convention. A stunning Jeff Carlisle full colour original Nick Fury cover sets the tone for the… Read More ›
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Moon Landing Comics Celebration: Andrew Cheverton
This is Andrew Cheverton’s contribution to the downthetubes “Moon Landing 40th Anniversary: A Comics Celebration”
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Comics International Specials Go On Sale
Two Comics International Specials are now on sale in comic shops — but the regular magazine is still in limbo, the next announced as not due until August. The Star Trek Special celebrates the recent released JJ Abrams’ Star Trek… Read More ›
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Mike Battle, Back in Action!
The latest issue of Graham Pearce’s brilliant self-published comic, Sgt Mike Battle: The Greatest American Hero! has just been released – and it’s another brilliant adventure. Anyone who can’t wait for GI Joe to hit the cinema later this year… Read More ›
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In Review: The Starblazer Adventures Role-Playing Game
Rebellion-owned role-playing adventure games and card and board game publisher Cubicle 7 Entertainment recently its new Starblazer Adventures role playing game which avid RPG-er and comics expert Matthew Armitage has kindly reviewed for us… Mention DC Thomson’s Starblazer to some… Read More ›
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Tube Surfing, 11 July 2009: Starblazer Sculptures, Moon Landings and an Oxfam ComicFest
• Dundee-based artist Trevor Gordon has been in touch, to let you us of a collaborative art project going ahead in Dundee at the Mills Observatory. “I am working with archival material from DC Thomsons and creating sculptural pieces influenced… Read More ›
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New Prisoner: Sneak preview at Comic Con
Stars of ITV’s co-produced mini-series The Prisoner, including Jim Caviezel, Jamie Campbell-Bower and Lennie James will be at the upcoming Comic Con 2009 in San Diego at the end of this month, for a panel event and exclusive sneak preview… Read More ›