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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Doctor Who Behind the Scenes Contest Launched
(Via the BBC): Fans of Doctor Who, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures are being offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go behind the scenes at the studios where the shows are filmed. On Saturday and Sunday, 8 and 9 November,… Read More ›
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New Wasteland On Sale
Wasteland #20, the latest issue of the monthly comic book series published by Oni Press is on sale this week, written by Antony Johnston and drawn by Christopher Mitten, with covers by Ben Templesmith. Wasteland takes place one hundred years… Read More ›
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20 Years and Celebrating!
Canterbury comic shop Whatever Comics is holding a grand re-opening celebration on Saturday 18 October to mark its 20th anniversary and relocation to a fantastic new spot on the city’s main high street. Laurence “Punisher” Campbell and comic book writer… Read More ›
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Jeff Hawke’s Cosmos Reached Fifth Year
The latest issue of Jeff Hawke’s Cosmos will soon go to press, featuring the usual splendid assortment of strips from the Daily Express and back up features about the space-faring RAF pilot. Coming in at 84 pages with three complete… Read More ›
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Tube Surfing: 22 September 2008
• One of downthetubes contributor Matthew Badham’s two articles in the new Judge Dredd Megazine (article entitled The Nu Brit Comics Revolution) pimps Blank Slate, The DFC, ROK Comics, Trains are Mint and Garen Ewing’s Rainbow Orchid. You should be… Read More ›
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Thunderbirds: Action Alert!
FTL Publications in the USA have that announced the second of their officially licenced Thunderbirds novels, Action Alert! will be released in November 2008. The previous novel, Countdown To Action!, was published in June 2008 and was the first new… Read More ›
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Tube Surfing: Beano Merchandising
The range of Beano merchandising in this its 70th year continues to expand. While many of the items are aimed at the younger fans there are things of interest for the more mature readers of the title. Fine and Dandy… Read More ›
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In Review: Commando and Starblazer Calendars 2009
Two years ago I began the review of the last Art of Commando calendar with “You wait years for a Commando calendar to come along, and then two arrive at once!” After nothing last year save for the usual Beano… Read More ›
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In Review: Classics From The Comics 149
It has been out for a while but it is still worth giving the latest issue DC Thomson’s monthly reprint magazine Classics From The Comics a hearty pat on the back. Issue 149 includes two sections that are new to… Read More ›
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Solar Wind: The Last Hurrah
The are some constants in life: night follows day, the episode written by Steven Moffat will be the best story in any given season of new Doctor Who, and original Eagle fans will always hate any new version of Dan… Read More ›
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Scotland’s Celebrity Chef
The latest cookbook from Scotland’s newest celebrity chef, Maw Broon, has just been released. Last year’s offering, simply entitled Maw Broon’s Cookbook, sold over 170000 copies and so Mrs Brown has released a second this time entitled Maw Broon’s But… Read More ›
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It’s Talk Like a Pirate Day!
So, let’s celebrate… • Talk Like A Pirate Day Official web site
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EyeCandy iPhone Kids Comic
… an idea which speaks for itself from Paul J. Holden after his content problems with Murderdrome, so let’s let him do the talking about his new iphone app, EyeCandy, available from the iApps Store soon for 99 cents. •… Read More ›
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In Review: The Tripwire Annual 2008
Review by John Freeman Joel Meadows has edited and designed Tripwire since 1992, and, as editor of the magazine and a freelance journalist for newspapers such as The Times, The Indpendent and various other titles, has interviewed almost everyone of… Read More ›
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Comic Timing at Harrods!
Check out this fantastic comics exhibition at Harrods
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Abracadabra! It’s Shaun the Sheep
Baa! Another bunch of great woolly adventures for Shaun, Bitzer, Shirley and the flock, not to mention those troublesome pigs is about to be released on DVD, as they go looking for more sheep thrills. The shear delights in this… Read More ›
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Dreaming Up The DFC: An Interview with Publisher David Fickling
Earlier this year, David Fickling Books and Random House launched The DFC, a new weekly comic in the UK, the first of its kind in terms of the levels of originated, new characters for many years. Packed to the gunnels… Read More ›
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Beano, Dandy Too PC?
Euan Kerr, former editor of The Beano, has hit out at the current content of the comic and the Dandy arguing they have become too politically correct. In an article in the Telegraph, picking up on a report in Scotland… Read More ›
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In Memoriam: Pink Floyd’s Richard Wright
I was sorry to hear that founding Pink Floyd member and keyboardist Richard Wright has died at the age of 65 after losing a short struggle with cancer. Wright performed with the legendary rock outfit from their very early beginnings… Read More ›
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Etherington Brothers ‘Go Nuts!’
After a summer spent diligently producing page after page of comic book nonsense in their Bristol studio, the Etherington Brothers, creators of strips such Monkey Nuts and Malcolm Magic are about to begin an frenetic End of Year appearance schedule,… Read More ›