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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Comics International Returns to Action!
After a prolonged absence from comic shops, Comics International is finally about to return to the stands — and is offering its readers the opportunity to win a ClanDestine original specially drawn for the competition by British writer/artist Alan Davis,… Read More ›
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Crossovers That Never Happened: The Two Doctors
… The Two Doctors in question being Doctor Who and Marvel’s Doctor Strange. It was TV Doctor Who script editor Andrew Cartmel who proposed a Doctor Who/ Doctor Strange crossover and submitted a plot to me around 1991/92, about the… Read More ›
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Let’s Do the Timewarp Again…
CAPTION, if you aren’t aware, is a long-running comics festival dedicated to the British independent and small comics press — and also the longest running comics festival in Britain by many years. A week before the 2008 ‘Timewarp’ themed event,… Read More ›
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Happy Birthday Beano: The Dandy’s Better!
One last word from the Happy Birthday Beano exhibition in the Lamb Gallery in Dundee. One of the first things you see on entering the exhibition gallery from the stairway is a comments book for the exhibition and it has… Read More ›
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Ron Smith in Book and Magazine Collector
The long running series of articles on Great British Comics Artists by David Ashford and Norman Wright in Book and Magazine Collector has reached part 28. This time the subject is Ron Smith and it is the first time that… Read More ›
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In Review: Happy Birthday Beano Event At Dundee University
GASP! Would you believe it? The Beano is 70! Taking place on 30 July 2008, which was The Beano’s 70th birthday date, this event had been billed as the official opening of the Happy Birthday Beano exhibition in the University’s… Read More ›
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The BeONEo Show!
Thanks to iplayer, there’s still time to catch an appearance by Beano writer and artist Kev F. Sutherland on the BBC’s The One Show, which featured an item on the 70th birthday of the comic on Wednesday. With a mix… Read More ›
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Space Raoul Heads Stateside
(via Blimey! It’s A Blog About Comics): Jamie Smart’s Space Raoul strip, which has featured in The Dandy, appears in its own comic this October in a new comic from US publisher Slave Labor Graphics. Part adventurer, part explorer, part… Read More ›
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Digital Publisher Relaunches
US publisher Platinum Studios has announced the global relaunch of the ad-funded e-book distribution service WOWIO (www.WOWIO.com), which was recently acquired by the company that also runs the web comics portal DrunkDuck.com. WOWIO was founded with the vision of giving… Read More ›
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Keeping up with The Wizard!
May 2008 was an important month for British comics artist Tim Perkins and his company, Wizards Keep. Making an appearance at their first major British comics convention, this year’s Bristol International Comics Expo, their stand caused quite a stir. Lots… Read More ›
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Harrods Art Appeal
In his latest regular Lying in the Gutters column on Comic Book Resources Rich Johnston reports that the world famous London department store Harrods is running a comics exhibition in September, showcasing the best in British created comics artwork. “They’ve… Read More ›
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New Online Kids Comic Launches
A Birmingham-based company has launched Taymai Comic+, a new online comic which its makers hope will enable which enable the owners of new and existing characters to build fan bases by using the internet. Described as the first ever internet… Read More ›
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Online Comic Creator Tools
I posted this list of Online Comic Creator Tools on the ROK Comics Creator Forum some time ago, but I think it may well be of interest to folks here… I’ve been having a dig around on the Internet and… Read More ›
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Respect The Authority!
Forbidden Planet London has just announced a one of a kind event by Ian Edginton, Andy Lanning, Dan Abnett and Simon Coleby, who will be signing comics from US publisher WildStorm’s World’s End mini series, including The Authority No 1… Read More ›
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Rare Eagle Dummy Online
In Spring 2008, Cirencester-based Dominic Book Auctions offered ten volumes (1950-60) of Eagle and Girl of unknown provenance, which were bought by London’s Cartoon Museum in Little Russell Street. Unknown to the Museum (or the auctioneer) the lot also contained… Read More ›
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Mama, We’re All Connected Now…
Good news for online comic creators comes via research from KenRadio.com (registration required) that nearly a quarter of the world’s population – roughly 1.4 billion people – will use the Internet on a regular basis in 2008. This number is… Read More ›
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Comics Art at Oxford’s Jam Factory
The Caption Comics Collective will be running an exhibition at the Oxford Jam Factory with a launch party this Thursday (31st July) from around 6:30pm and another the evening before the Caption alternative comics convention on 8th August. In attendance… Read More ›
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Gears of War
Former Marvel UK artist and these days a publisher in his own right of a range of high quality indie titles from Mam Tor Publishing , (along with partner, Christine), Liam Sharp is busy working on a new six-part story… Read More ›
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Happy 70th Birthday, Beano!
As Britain’s top weekly humour comic The Beano celebrates its 70th birthday, downthetubes asked comic creators to offer their birthday wishes, and the first received have now been published in a special tribute section on the main downthetubes site, including… Read More ›
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If You Go Down to the Woods Today…
You’ll find Malcolm Kirk has used ROK Comics to promote an appeal for creators for his new Scream-inspired project… and a fab little story it is too! • Check out the Back from the Depths web site