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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Tube Surfing: 21 October 2008
• Titan is to release a collection of Jane strips from the Daily Mirror later this week and over on Bear Alley Steve Holland has cast his expert eye over the various stories which made up the strip’s run. The… Read More ›
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Insomnia’s Beastly New Signing
Upcoming British indie publisher Insomnia Publications have just announced its first signing following the Birmingham International Comic Show: Unbelievable (The Man Who Ate Daffodils) written and drawn by Welsh comics creator Simon Wyatt. In the remote mining village of Bryn… Read More ›
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Stan Lee Signed Comic Must be Won!
Marking the impending release of Iron Man on Region 2 DVD, downthetubes and SF web site scifipulse have teamed up with Paramount Home Entertainment UK to offer readers the chance to win a Marvel Legends comic signed by Stan “The… Read More ›
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New Eagle Times Available Now (Volume 21 Number Three)
The latest issue of Eagle Times, (Volume 21 Number Three), the quarterly journal dedicated to Britain’s national picture strip weekly Eagle, features 50+ A4 pages (of which 20 are in full colour) of all sorts of things to do with… Read More ›
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Splendid Chaps, All Of Them!
Slipping for this post into first person mode, I had a wonderful time on Saturday at Vworp! Vworp!, a one day event at Manchester’s Lass O’Gowrie pub organised by landlord Gareth Kavangah and his dedicated team, in partnership with the… Read More ›
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Commando Webbing
A new interview with Commando and Dan Dare artist Keith Page has been posted on the official Commando website. In the interview Keith, who is currently working on his 144th Commando issue answers questions posed by Commando readers on his… Read More ›
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Free Hunt Emerson Comic
Following up the recent downthetubes piece on Hunt Emerson and his work with Phil Stamp Covers, Emerson fans may like to check out the comic that he has produced for the BBC RaW adult literacy campaign. The 16 page full… Read More ›
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Jon Haward Interviewed
Artist Jon Haward, who is busy working on the superb Classical Comics books as the series Art Director, has been interviewed by Terry Hooper over on www.comicbits-online.com. “The photo of me was taken in Mark Burrell’s studio,” says Jon. “The… Read More ›
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The Art of War
On sale now in all good bookshops is the simply gorgeous The Art of War by David Roach, featuring almost 1000 fabulous full-colour artworks created for the covers of Fleetway/IPC’s classic War, Battle, Air Ace and War at Sea Picture… Read More ›
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Emerson Stamps His Mark
Cartoonist Hunt Enerson has been busy updating hiw website, Largecow.com and has added somne some news about his band The Hound Dogs, and added a new Phil Stamp Gallery featuring his First Day Stamp Covers. “Phil Stamp Covers are colourful… Read More ›
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Tube Surfing: 16 October 2008
• Orang Utan Comics have begun to serialize Young Gods on ROK Comics. You can read it on ther web site or via WAP subscription (wap.rocomics.com). • Talking of phones: the iphone, which is beginning to feature more and more… Read More ›
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Templesmith joins MCM Expo Line Up
(via Tony Lee): Comics artist and writer Ben Templesmith has joined the massive line up of guests attending the MCM London Expo on 25-26th October in London’s Docklands. Ben, whose credits include 30 Days of Night and Fell, and who… Read More ›
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Lee Sullivan Interviewed
Doctor Who and Transformers comics artist (and muscian) Lee Sullivan has just been interviewed by Ian M. Cullen over on scifipulse.net, talking candidly about how he got into the business and his work on comics such as TekWorld and his… Read More ›
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Gears of War Prview Online
From downthetubes.net news blog (via Digital Comics News): The Gears of War mini-series from Wildstorm Productions, drawn by top British artist Liam Sharp has preview pages online for those of you still foolish enough not to go out an buy… Read More ›
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Panini Launches Marvel Heroes
Available now in all good British newsagents is the first issue of Panini’s Marvel Heroes, which launched last week. The first issue kicks off with two new stories featuring the Hulk and Iron Man respectively. The title’s editor Ed Hammond… Read More ›
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Tube Surfing: 13 October 2008
COMICS AND ‘ZINES • Radio 4 will be airing four 15-minute programmes on comics and cartoonists with Phill Jupitus, broadcasting on the back of a favourable response to his previous comics programme. The first one with Doonesbury creator Gary Trudeau… Read More ›
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The Seven Doctors
Various news sources are reporting that BBC Children in Need will be featuring a special Doctor Who episode this year featuring all seven surviving Doctors. Here’s what the Telegraph has to say about it: “The actors are getting together for… Read More ›
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Creating Tammy: A True Story
Many years ago, British newsagents were awash with all sorts of comics: boys’ adventure, children’s titles, educational comics and more. But while humour comics reigned supreme in Britain, and still do, girls comics regularly outsold most of the more famous… Read More ›
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Hulk versus Death’s Head!
Apart from a cameo confrontation between Death’s Head II and the Incredible Hulk in Marvel UK’s Shadow Riders #1 (a little in joke on the part of myself and co-writer Brian Williamson, at the expense of the often maddening demands… Read More ›
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Giant-Size Band-Thing!
You know, now I’m even more annoyed that I missed out on the Birmingham International Comic Show last weekend (the result of circumstances beyond my control). If I’d been able to make it for the whole weekend and known they… Read More ›