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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Commando Webbing
The backroom boffins on the Commando Mag website have been adding to the site and trying a few new tactics to entice readers to enter on a regular basis. The ongoing series of Commando cover wallpapers chosen by editor Calum… Read More ›
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Name, Rank and Issue Number!
In 1992, Scott Montgomery was at the Glasgow Comics Convention listening to writer Alan Grant as he gave advice on how to get into comics. Today, Scott is chief sub-editor on DC Thomson’s Commando comic, having previously worked on The… Read More ›
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Cartoon Art Trust Award Winners Announced
The 14th Cartoon Art Trust Awards were presented at an entertaining fundraising dinner at The Mall Galleries in London yesterday, an event which celebrates and coincides with the opening of Giles – One of the Family exhibition at The Cartoon… Read More ›
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Oliver Frey at ComICA
Exciting news just in: outstanding illustrator Oliver Frey, whose work includes The Trigan Empire has agreed to join the Great British Comics panel at ComICA next Sunday (23rd November), London to discuss his work, which is featured in David Roach’s… Read More ›
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DFC in Tescos Next Week!
The DFC, the weekly British comic until now only available on subscription is to be trialled in a major British supermarket next week. The DFC is normally only available by subscription, but for one week only (26th November to 2nd… Read More ›
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Tube Surfing: 18 November 2008
• Happy Birthday, Alan Moore. The comics legend and mage, writer of Top Ten, Lost Girls, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Swamp Thing, Doctor Who, Maxwell the Magic Cat, Watchmen and much, much more is 55 today. • (via Kasterborous): Would… Read More ›
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Grab yourselves some The Beano and The Dandy collectables
If you’re looking for something a little bit special for the British comic fan in your life this Christmas, how about one of these limited edition The Beano and The Dandy figurines from Robert Harrop Designs?
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Kev’s Comic Art MasterClass: 2009 Dates
Beano comics artist Kev Sutherland has been in touch to say he has a fair cluster of his Comic Art Masterclasses in 2009 that will be open to the public, rather than just being in schools and colleges. Wednesday 18th… Read More ›
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Creature Comforts USA Released on DVD
Creature Comforts USA: Complete Series 3 has just been released on DVD in the UK by 2Entertain, offering more unscripted voices of the great American public hilariously brought to life with animated animals and wildlife. Based on Aardman Animation’s original… Read More ›
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Star Trek XI Official Trailer
… do I need to say more? Response as always is mixed so far from fans but it looks superb…
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Lloyd in London – New Exhibition Announced
The work of Kickback and V for Vendetta artist David Lloyd will feature in an exhibition in London in December. “Kickback – An Exhibition of the Dynamic Sequential Art of David Lloyd” runs from 4th until the 23rd December at… Read More ›
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Gaiman’s "Coraline" Strangest Film Ever?:
(with thanks to Chris Taormina): FilminFocus, an editorial site on film culture recently launched by Focus Features, has published an article on the upcoming animated adaptation of the Neil Gaiman novella Coraline, which was adapted into a graphic novel by… Read More ›
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Thought Bubble This Saturday
The Thought Bubble One Day Comic Convention is tomorrow (Saturday 15th November) in Leeds. If you didn’t buy a ticket yet don’t worry, there will be plenty on the door. Price will be £6/£4.50 concession. Cosplayers get in free! Guest… Read More ›
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Dayglo joins Mutated Britain!
(with thanks to Matthew Badham): Comics artist Rufus Dayglo (whose credits include 2000AD, the new Tank Girl comics from IDW) is taking part in the Mutoid Waste Exhibition in London from 21st November. “I’ve been asked by the good people… Read More ›
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Win Tickets To New Wallace And Gromit Film Preview
Leonard Cheshire Disability and Aardman Animations are offering one lucky winner two tickets to preview the new Wallace and Gromit film, A Matter of Loaf and Death, at the Aardman studios in Bristol on 22 December. The competition is part… Read More ›
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Macbeth wins Book Award
This week’s ceremony for the British Book Design and Production Awards 2008 was a great success for Classical Comics. Macbeth: Original Text, drawn by Jon Haward, was the winner of the Secondary Education category and was also Highly Commended (2nd… Read More ›
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In Review: The Leather Nun and Other Incredibly Strange Comics
It’s not just leather nuns that provide the strange fare that makes up this fun title from Paul Gravett & Peter Stanbury (released as Holy Sh*t! by St. Martins Press in the US): for just under ten quid you can… Read More ›
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Marvel Reveals some Digital Costs
The Paid Content website recently reported that Marvel Comics plans on investing upwards of $10 million in the digital media aspect of their company, including digital comics. Despite the initial investment’s affect on their current profit loss, Marvel forecasts a… Read More ›
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Tube Surfing: 12 Novmber 2008
• Over on Bear Alley, Steve Holland reports that Tim Pilcher’s Erotic Comics: A Graphic History, Volume 1: From Birth to the 1970s book, published by Ilex in the UK, has been banned by Australian customs from entering the country…. Read More ›