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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City of Heroes Sketchbook Auctioned
Draw the World Together, an organisation created to unite arts communities in providing possibilities for children who live in communities where they do not have the opportunity for basic healthcare and education, is auctioning a limited edition City of Heroes… Read More ›
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Captain Britain Cancelled
Marvel has cancelled Captain Britain and MI:13 with #15, writer Paul Cornell reports. “As you may have noticed, there’s no solicitation today for #16 of Captain Britain and MI-13,” he notes on his blog. “That, unfortunately, is because #15 is… Read More ›
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Commando Hits The Beach!
Thinking of hitting the beach this summer? Why not go Commando? Nearly 50 years after it first invaded British news-stands, DC Thomson’s pocket digest title Commando celebrates the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings in June 2009 with the publication… Read More ›
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Is The Dandy the World’s Oldest Comic?
Mooching through some piles of old comics over the weekend, one of our readers noticed a 2007 issue of The Dandy (Issue 3007) proudly proclaimed the title was now a “record breaking longest running comic ever!” Thanks to The Dandy‘s… Read More ›
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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 ›