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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Festival Time In Edinburgh
As the Edinburgh Festivals kick into full swing for August 2008, there are several UK comics related items worth mentioning. After gingerly dipping their toes into the flood of graphic novels last year, the Edinburgh International Book Festival have made… Read More ›
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‘Watchmen’ Races Towards The Top Of The Amazon.Co.Uk Book Chart
Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ ground-breaking Watchmen has raced towards the top of the Amazon.co.uk book chart as sales rise by over 3000% and excitement builds around 2009 film release. Its trailer is currently running before screenings of The Dark… Read More ›
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Revamp Vampirella!
Get ready to Vamp it up as Project: Rooftop, where cartoonists and illustrators bring their costume design skills to task in tribute to the superheroes and villains they’ve grown up with, joins forces with Harris Comics for their newest drawing… Read More ›
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Rare Anderson Comics up for auction
Copies of Lady Penelope — the comic created by the publishers of the best-selling TV Century 21 but aimed at girls — are just some of the rare items up for auction from British company Compalcomics this autumn. Bids will… Read More ›
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Tube Surfing: 12 August 2008
• (via Forbidden Planet International): The Observer, ComICA and Jonathan Cape have teamed up again this year for a second graphic short story competition following the success of the first such endeavour last year (which was won by Cathy Brighton’s… Read More ›
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Resonance FM Stands Up for Comics
(via Bugpowder): On Thursday 14th August at 5.00pm, Resonance FM will broadcast “Stand Up Comics: Music and Performance by Small Press Artists and Writers” as part of the weekly comics programme, ‘Strip’. Tune in for poetry, stories, music and dialogue,… Read More ›
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IndieReview Revamped
IndieReview, the UK indie comics and manga portal has had a new revamp, focusing on sharp dynamic content with lots of great images and up to date news from the world of comics. The team behind the site have also… Read More ›
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Fungus versus Arkwright!
Just a quick reminder that this Saturday (9th August) will see the the first ever, truly historical encounter, between Bryan Talbot and Raymond Briggs, two giants of the British graphic novel. The ComICA event starts at 2.30 at London’s ICA… Read More ›
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ROK Comics Launches New Competitions
ROK Comics has just announced the launch of not one but two great competitions – open to everyone using the ROK Comics comics-to-mobile service, so pass it on! Both offer the chance to win a top of the range Nokia… Read More ›
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James Bond Theme Spoof
Fun parody from one Joe Cornish, who would like to offer this song to the makers of the new James Bond movie ‘The Quantum of Solace’, entirely free, for use over the opening credits of their forthcoming movie. — with… Read More ›
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Doctor Who Part Work in the Offing
(with thanks to Jeremy Bentham and Tony Clark): Alerted by a posting on the web site of Blackpool’s Who shop, it seems plans are afoot to release a Doctor Who DVD Files Magazine. Part works publishers GE Fabbri, publishers of… Read More ›
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Doctor Who’s Brief Encounter!
Colin Baker, who played the Sixth Doctor Who in the 1980s, is visiting Carnforth, Lancashire for a special bank holiday event. Colin will meet and greet fans of the series at Carnforth Station‘s Doctor Who-themed shop ‘The Tardis’ on Monday,… Read More ›
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Marvel Revenues Double
US comics publisher Marvel Entertainment has reported a huge growth in its operating results for its second quarter and six months ended 30th June 2008, with licensing and film revenues helping to swell its coffers – but comic sales have… Read More ›
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Eleventh Hour Vol 1 hits WOWIO!
Eleventh Hour Volume 1, the latest installment in the Eagle Award Nominated anthology series produced by Orang Utan Comics Studio and published by AAM/Markosia has joined the digital revolution in comics this week. The full 80-page trade paperback is now… Read More ›
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Moggy in the TARDIS
Liking a) Doctor Who and b) cats is obligatory for all downthetubes contributors – and anyone disliking either of these two things is asked to leave pretty quickly, I can tell you. The team was therefore thrilled to see this… Read More ›
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Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Computer Adventure!
With Wallace & Gromit creator Nick Park in the news as guest editor of the 70th Birthday Beano, Telltale, Inc., the leader in interactive episodic entertainment, have just released a cinematic teaser trailer and new details about the Wallace &… Read More ›
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Narnia by Night
British film fans, families and kids are getting a unique opportunity to relive the magic of The Chronicles of Narnia movies at close quarters at a one-off, Narnia-themed Wow Night on Thursday, 14th August 2008. ‘The Wonderful World of Weta… Read More ›
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Exclusive Hand Made Transformers Figures Up-For-Grabs!
Transformers — a robot toy range that has spawned several successful comics across the globe down the years and will see the launch of a new UK comic title from Titan in October — has a massive collector fan base,… Read More ›
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Unico Launches Collections Title
After a two-year gestation period, indie British publisher Unico Comics is soon to publish a special annual collecting a number of strips from some of the best amateur comics talent in the UK. Unico Collections was started in 2007 by… Read More ›
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New Anti Doping Comic from UNESCO
Just launched on the UNESCO Social and Human Sciences website is a new weekly comic by Mychailo Kazybrid which aims to promote the battle against doping in sport. Published by UNESCO in partnership with EDGE G3 Ltd., The Case of… Read More ›