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.
-
Adventures in Wonderland
downthetubes is pleased to announce an interview by Matt Badham with Dracula and Sherlock Holmes writers Leah Moore and John Reppion. Leah and John are the husband and wife writing team behind Doctor Who: The Whispering Gallery, The Complete Dracula,… Read More ›
-
WexWorlds Sci Fi and Fantasy Fiction Festival Invades Wexford
Artemis Fowl creator Eoin Colfer, Darren Shan (The Saga of Darren Shan) and Hugo Award-winning author Ian McDonald (Brasyl, Desolation Road) are among the many creators who will be attending the first WexWorlds Festival, in Wexford, Ireland from Friday 20th… Read More ›
-
Tube Surfing: Eternal Warrior, Enid Blyton and Kit Williams
• It’s about time we re-plugged the Eternal Warrior, Paul Grist’s pastiche on British comics hero Adam Eterno, who first appeared in Thunder back in the early 1970s. Over on the Bleeding Cool forum, some Americans have started screaming that… Read More ›
-
Omnivistascope 5 Now Available
“Omni-Vista-Scope” 1. A device upon which all things may be viewed.2. The Omnivistascope Corporation, a universal broadcaster.3. A high quality science fiction comic anthology written by Paul Scott. The latest issue of Paul Scott’s excellent annual Omnivistascope has been released…. Read More ›
-
Take A Dump For 99p
David Robertson has sent us details of his new small press title Dump which follows on from the two issues of Berserkotron, his previous title. Dump is a 24 page US size anthology with colour covers and black & white… Read More ›
-
Garth in Colour for Spaceship Away: Exclusive Sneek Peek!
Spaceship Away, the British science fiction comic anthology publishing all-new adventures of the original Dan Dare, adds Daily Mirror action hero Garth to its line up next issue. First published in 1943, Garth’s time-travelling adventures lasted for over 50 years… Read More ›
-
GI Handley: Rise of the Writer
-
CBBC Revamps Short Form Animation Portal
The award-winning British channel CBBC has reinforced its commitment to British animation, announcing its online portal Cartoon Works is expanding to become a new destination to premiere short-form content from the UK animation industry. CBBC has also commissioned brand new… Read More ›
-
Jonathan Ross Reveals His New Comic Title
In a podcast for top cult news site Geek Syndciate, the often controversial DJ and major celebrity comic fan Jonathan Ross (who has also even appeared in a few, such as The Beano!) has revealed the upcoming four issue mini… Read More ›
-
Temple Seeks Drawing, Writing Devotees!
Just a quick reminder that there’s just under a month to go until the deadline for contributing to the next Temple (18th September), the e-comic of British small and indie press work that’s the brainchild of the Temple APA. Everyone’s… Read More ›
-
Amazon, Uclick, Launch International Comic Strip Superstar Competition!
Amazon.com and Andrews McMeel Universal have announced the launch of the first Comic Strip Superstar, the international competition in search of the next popular comic strip artist. The winner will receive a publishing contract from Andrews McMeel Publishing, a $5,000… Read More ›
-
Who Wants To Be A Zombie?
Rich McAuliffe and Mark Chilcott, the slightly unhinged creators of Insomnia Publications’ Damaged Goods, are currently on the prowl for victims… umm…I mean willing volunteers… to immortalise within the pages of the dark and twisted story The Bride. All you… Read More ›
-
Tube Surfing: Dave Gibbons, Digital Awards and Zombies!
downthetubes has been having some behind-the-scenes computer woes: we apologize for the lack of posts in recent days. We’re grateful to Jeremy Briggs for his review of Cinebooks’ Rameses’ Revenge. Digital Artist 2009 Masterclass #1 – Dave Gibbons from Intel… Read More ›
-
Nick Abadzis Torchwood comic strip reaches finale
The latest Torchwood magazine, on sale tomorrow in the UK, features the final part of award-winning British comic book creator Nick Abadzis‘s story for the title. Abadzis, creator of the acclaimed graphic novel Laika and a contributor to The Times… Read More ›
-
TOXIC Wednesday
The latest issue of Egmont UK’s TOXIC is on sale today in all good newsagents, with a cover promoting the new GI Joe film. This issue comes with four free gifts, cool Bakugan stickers, super disc blaster, funny photo frame… Read More ›
-
Matters of Convention – The Bristol Expo
Continuing our series of interviews with British comic convention organisers, for this fifth instalment Matthew Badham talks to longtime convention organizer Mike Allwood, the man tasked with the unenviable job of keeping Britain’s perhaps highest-profile annual comic convention, the Bristol… Read More ›
-
Friday Fun: The New Iron Man
WebFind by Paul Eldridge: OK, we’d all thought of it, but look at the effort this Comic Con attendee went to! • more daft costumes, including this one, here on this French web site
-
In Review: The Rainbow Orchid
We plugged The Rainbow Orchid enthusiastically after its Foyles launch (see news story), but David Hailwood has just sent us this review, so here’s another plug for the book! The Plot: The Rainbow Orchid is an ambitious blend of classic… Read More ›
-
Brits in Baltimore!
A small contingent British comic creators – including Wolverine: Origins artist Dougie Braithwaite – will be in Baltimore for the Baltimore Comic Con in October. The Baltimore Comic-Con staff tell us they’ve been busily working on arranging the Harvey Awards… Read More ›
-
Alan Moore’s Hip Hop Collaboration
Watchmen and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen writer and co-creator Alan Moore is collaborating on a new graphic novel project with art rap musician Doseone. Partly inspired by Radiohead’s deluxe version of In Rainbows, the Moore project, tentatively titled Unearthing, tries… Read More ›