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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Original Artwork Competition from Stref
Stephen ‘Stref’ White, creator of the upcoming graphic novel Milk is offering his fans the chance to own an original piece of signed artwork from the book. Join the Milk fan group on Facebook then follow the links there to… Read More ›
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Cold Day at Marvel UK: Strip by Strip Feature
As previously noted, Panini UK has just released A Cold Day in Hell, its first collection of Doctor Who strips featuring the Seventh Doctor, played on TV by Sylvester McCoy, in May 2009. downthetubes has now published an in-depth ‘strip… Read More ›
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Comic Expo 2009: Smaller is Beautiful
Following up on our publication of Kev Sutherland’s take on this year’s Bristol Comic Expo, which has generated plenty of comment here, on my Facebook page and in the original Quality Communications forum where the former convention organiser posted his… Read More ›
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London Hosts Centenary Manwha Exhibition
The Korea Creative Content Agency and Korean Cultural Centre UK have announced a celebration of the centenary of Korean comics, known as manhwa, with a host of interrelated special exhibitions, events and film screenings, starting next week. Manhwa: A Language… Read More ›
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Lorenzo Sketch Books Launched
The Etherington Brothers are pushing boundaries again, adding another attraction to their StudioBlinkTwice web site which documents their many fab creations – a new online shop selling Blink Twice professional comic board, Malcolm Magic books and more. The launch coincides… Read More ›
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Tube Surfing: Friday 15 May
• Occasional downthetubes contributor Matt Badham talks to 2000 AD, Marvel Heroes and Judge Dredd Megazine writer Al Ewing in an interview recently posted at the Forbidden Planet International blog. “I’m probably proudest of the comics I’ve written for kids,”… Read More ›
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Kev’s Comic Expo
The 2000AD panel at the Expo, which included an appearance by Tharg. Photo: David Baillie (no, not that David Bailey) Kev Sutherland, who began the Bristol Comic Festival back in 1999 but is now better known for his comics workshops… Read More ›
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Marvelman Special from Alter Ego, Film Touted?
US publisher TwoMorrows Publishing is to release an issue of Alter Ego magazine dedicated to British 1950s hero Marvelman, a character revived by Alan Moore, Garry Leach and others in Warrior magazine in the 1980s. Since then, the character has… Read More ›
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Bryan’s Badger Detective Trailed
The official trailer for award-winning comic creator Bryan Talbot’s next graphic novel, Grandville, has just been released. Bryan, probably best known as the author of Britain’s first ever graphic novel, The Adventures of Luther Arkwright but also creator of The… Read More ›
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Tube Surfing: Saturday 9 May
• During a short interview for an upcoming issue of Star Trek Magazine about his new IDW comic, Alien Spotlight – Romulans, Ian Edginton also gave me a quick run down on his other current projects. As usual, the acclaimed… Read More ›
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Thunderbirds, Project SWORD and More on eBay
I’m having another spate of clearing boxes at downthetubes, and the following items are currently being offered on ebay… Sales help keep us going, especially at present. Pictures of all offered items can be found here on Flickr • 1967… Read More ›
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Titan Launches Star Trek Comic
Marking significant faith in the success of the new Star Trek film, which has already secured over $7 million in box office takings in the US, Titan Magazines has launched an ongoing Star Trek Comic, initially reprinting the Star Trek:… Read More ›
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Expo "Live Blogging" and More Moore
(with thanks to Joe Gordon at FPI): SF fan and 2009 Hugo Nominee Cheryl Morgan who is really active at the science fiction and fantasy conventions but is braving more comics culture to go to Bristol, has set her blog… Read More ›
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Steve Bell in Liverpool
Steve Bell, probably Britain’s most recognisable political cartoonist, joins Writing on the Wall festival in Liverpool next week, to explore this year’s theme: The Outsider. Steve’s original strip Maggie’s Farm appeared in Time Out and City Limits magazines from 1979… Read More ›
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Eagle Awards Announced After All!
There has been a lot of Internet buzz about the 2009 Eagle Awards, following new Eagle Awards organiser Cassandra Conroy announcing that there wouldn’t be an award ceremony at the 2009 Bristol Comic Expo this coming weekend. Many were of… Read More ›
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New British Comics Gets UK Distribution
UK Indie distributor Smallzone is now selling the first issue of New British Comics, an 80-page comics anthology featuring, 13 stories and 17 artists including Dave Thomson, Malcy Duff, Paul O’Connell and Rob Miller. Reviewed by us here last month,… Read More ›
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Muppets, Giant Cuboid Chickens and Other Weird Creatures
Starting an “adaptation and inspiration” month on the Strip! radio show on ResonanceFM, Alex Fitch and Robin Warren talk to two humour cartoonists – Roger Langridge and Hugh Raine (a.k.a. Shug) – about their work. As we’ve previously reported, Roger… Read More ›
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TOXIC Goes Star Trek
The latest issue of Egmont’s TOXIC – out today – comes with free Green Alien Ears and an Outer-space Water Blaster, capitalising on the hype for the new Star Trek film. (We remember Spock having green blood, but not green… Read More ›
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In Review: Western
Reviewed by David Hailwood Well, what can I say? The contributors to Accent UK’s latest anthology must’ve played some very bizarre games of Cowboys and Indians when they were children. In fact, I’m willing to bet their games had almost… Read More ›