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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Saturday Morning Watchmen!
If Alan Moore is annoyed about the new Watchmen film, just wait until he sees this — although, actually, this hilarious Saturday Morning Watchmen, the creation of British animator Harry Partridge, is the kind of parody he might just like…… Read More ›
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Watchmen Reviews Round Up
In the absence of getting to the film myself yet — is it really worth putting up with modern cinema goers habits like texting on their mobiles, talking through the film and having the bladder control of fleas to bother?… Read More ›
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Alan Moore on Writing, League and Watchmen
In a new interview for Salon.com that, like other news media features such as this one in The Independent, notes Alan Moore‘s absence from the credits of the Watchmen movie despite being the comic’s co-creator, the Northampton-based writer talks extensively… Read More ›
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Captain Britain Podcast News
It’s the start of ‘classic heroes’ month on Strip!, the fab radio show and podcast presented by Alex Fitch. This week, Alex is talking to two of the creators of stories featuring Britain’s very own superhero – Captain Britain. First… Read More ›
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Tune in for Channel Evil!
Renegade Arts Entertainment have released more information about Channel Evil, a stunning black and white title from the fevered imaginations of Alan Grant and Shane Oakley, which launches in April. Co-published with Belfast-based Berserker Comics, publishers of The Dead, the… Read More ›
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Comic Book Alliance Petitions Government
A petition to the British Government to clarify new legal powers which may impinge on comics creation and fandom has just been launched, urging the Prime Minister to ensure that the future of the medium of Comic Art in the… Read More ›
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Tube Surfing: 4 March 2009
• This is the 1500th Post to the downthetubes blog! Some sort of milestone. downthetubes itself has been going in varied forms since 1999. Special thanks to all our contributors, old and new! • Erik Salholm has just posted a… Read More ›
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Hope Falls Trade in the Pipeline
Hope Falls, the five-part miniseries that AAM/Markosia released in 2007/2008 is, hopefully, to be released as a trade paperback, depending on trade orders through comic shops. The title is an enigma. In many ways, it’s known as the ‘little train… Read More ›
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DFC Up For Sale
Sad news for British Comics: David Fickling’s wonderful weekly subscription comic experiment, The DFC, is up for sale, following a decision by The Random House Group to cease publication. If no buyer is found, the title will close on 27th… Read More ›
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BBC’s Culture Show Celebrates 30 Years Of Viz
It almost sounds like a headline that the staff of Viz made it up for their comic but BBC2’s Culture Show travelled to Gateshead for the Tuesday 3 March programme. While there, as well as taking in Yoko Ono’s exhibition… Read More ›
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176 Festival Secrets Revealed!
Those comic-creating, no-holds-barred devils at London Underground Comics are back for 2009 with an epic event at London’s fantastic 176 Art Gallery in Chalk Farm on Saturday 27th June, from 12 Midday until 7.00pm. Playing host to over 40 creators… Read More ›
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Tube Surfing, 2nd March 2009 – New TV21 Collections and more
• The Century 21 hardbacks — TV Century 21 and Lady Penelope comic collections lovingly put together by British publisher Reynolds & Hearn (see news story) featuring art by the likes of Frank Bellamy, Mike Noble and others — are… Read More ›
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Tales of the Buddha: A Wasted Gem (Among Others!)
Classical Comics and Panini artist Jon Haward has a new blog, Haward Art House, where he’s posting many a splendid piece of art from his burgeoning and impressive portfolio, including this cartoon featuring his “Tales of the Buddha” character that… Read More ›
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Space Age Exhibition on Tour
You know how these things happen when you’re surfing the ‘net. While researching some imagery for a comic strip I’m working on with Ross Dearsley, completely by fortuitous accident I came across information about a touring exhibition organised by the… Read More ›
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Crikey! scores with new Creator Interviews
The ninth issue of British comics magazine Crikey! is on sale now in all good comic shops and via its web site (www.crikeyuk.co.uk), featuring interviews with Enrique Romero on his Axa and Modesty Blaise newspaper strips, V for Vendetta and… Read More ›
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Young Gods Arrive for Seconds
The second part of Orang Utan Comics sci-fi action/adventure comic Young Gods is now available free online via the digital publishing site myebook.com. “We’ve had a great response to the release of Part One and interest in the book is… Read More ›
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Can Yuo Tell Who It is, Yet?
This is a fun little app: jigsawplanet lets you upload an image — in this case, a spread from a 1970s Doctor Who strip from Countdown — and turn it into a virtual jigsaw. You’re then timed as you try… Read More ›
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Off Topic: Goodbye Colorado
• Final Edition from Matthew Roberts on Vimeo.This is nothing to do with comics, and yet everything to do with all those who have ever worked in any creative medium. As someone who has written and edited news for over… Read More ›
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Draw the World Together gets a Makeover
Draw the World Together, an organisation of creatives who have been raising huge amounts of money for street children around the world for the past four years, aiding the work done by the UK based charity EveryChild, has a new… Read More ›
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Best of Bulldog Finally Released
Jason Cobley has finally released his mammoth trade paperback colection, The Greatest Adventures of Captain Winston Bulldog, featuring the ‘greatest hits’ of his much-acclaimed indie title BAM, ranging from issue 1 all the way through to issue 28, covering something… Read More ›