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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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 ›
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Erotic Comics, Round Two
Picking up from where the international best-selling Erotic Comics: A Graphic History (Volume 1) left off, Ilex press have just announced Volume 2 will reveal how European, American and Asian artists have explored the possibility of the form in the… Read More ›
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In Review: Charley’s War Volume 5 – Return to the Front
In the week of Armistice 90, the arrival of the latest collection of Pat Mills and Joe Colquhoun’s brilliant First World War series Charley’s War, first published in Battle Picture Weekly in 1981, seems more than apt. Return to the… Read More ›
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Moore’s ‘Beat Poem’ Finally Published
US publisher Avatar Press has announced publication of Light of Thy Countenance, an adaptation of Alan Moore’s damning poem/essay on television, fully painted by Felipe Massafera, five years after the script was written. Moore wrote might best be described as… Read More ›
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Cosmos Fireworks
The latest issue of the Jeff Hawke magazine Cosmos is now available from the Jeff Hawke Fan Club (www.jeffhawkeclub.com) Issue One of the fifth volume of the magazine edited by William Rudling features several stories, including Uncanny Deep, plus features… Read More ›
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Tube Surfing: 9 November 2008
• Forbidden Planet International has posted up a new competition to win one of five copies of the new Vertigo Encyclopedia. “It’s pretty good,” feels FPI’s Joe Gordon, “obviously no in depth on each series, but it’s a good a-z… Read More ›
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Andy Capp, Jane and More Now Available Online
Newspaper strips from a range of British daily newspaper strips are now available to view online as part of the newly launched UK Press Online web site, a vast subscription-based PDF archive. The archive features PDF versions of the Daily… Read More ›
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Dave Stevens Bio Gets Publication Date
After the untimely death of iconic US comics artist Dave Stevens earlier this year (see news story), there was some doubt his planned collection of his work, tentatively titled Dave Stevens: A Creative Life, would see publication. There was no… Read More ›
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Daleks: Invasion Leicester 2008AD
(Report originally filed by Jeremy Briggs): The National Space Centre in Leicester will be opening a new exhibition next Friday, 14 November 2008, running until 11 January 2009 entitled Invasion: The Fact Of Fiction, which will look at the science… Read More ›
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Foss First for Compalcomics Auction
Rare triptych cover art by acclaimed science fiction illustrator Christopher Foss for 2000AD is just one item in the Winter 2008 auction of London-based Compalcomics that also includes Dan Dare and Desperate Dan art and a number of first issues… Read More ›
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In Review: Watching the Watchmen
Fans of the seminal graphic novel Watchmen, written by Alan Moore and drawn by Dave Gibbons, first released in 1987, are sure to enjoy this new celebration of the series just released by Titan Books. Watching the Watchmen by Dave… Read More ›
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Catch up on the Clone Wars Comic
With the latest issue of Titan Magazines’ Star Wars Comic firmly moving to Clone Wars mode (it’s a giant-sized issue with two cover variants available, coming with a free Star Wars sweatband), Star Wars fans might also be interested in… Read More ›
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Crikey! to Continue
(via Forbidden Planet International): Crikey!, the comics magazine devoted to British comics of yesteryear and today, is set to continue, despite rumours to the contarary. In a posting on the Forbidden Planet International blog, editor Glenn B Fleming has announced… Read More ›
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Two Chance to Meet the author of Nemi
Norwegian superstar comic creator Lise Myhre will be signing copies of her new book Nemi Volume 2 on Thursday 13th November in Forbidden Planet, 179 Shaftesbury Ave, 6-7.00pm and on Saturday 15th November in Borders, 120 Charing Cross Road, 1-2.00pm…. Read More ›
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Mine’s A Paul Temple!
Crime novelist and detective Paul Temple made his first appearance on BBC Radio in 1938 and went on to appear in novels, film, television and a daily newspaper strip. Now, there’s even a cocktail named after him – and an… Read More ›
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Dan Dare part of new London Exhibiton
(With thanks to Richard Sheaf): A new exhibition organised by London-based Chris Beetles gallery featuring work by Dan Dare creator Frank Hampson – which is also for sale – opens next week. The Illustrators: The British Art of Illustration 1800… Read More ›
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Baillie debuts in 2000AD
Comics artist and writer David Baillie, creator of indie strips such as Writer and Monkey and already a contirbutor to titles such as Judge Dredd: The Megazine, Tripwire and Accent UK’s anthologies Zombies, Robots and Westerns, has his first ever… Read More ›