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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Crime Writer in the making
Our congratulations to downthetubes contributor and former editor of the critically-acclaimed fanzine Eagle Flies Again Ian Wheeler, who has just been announced as the winner of this year’s Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival competition, which takes place in his… Read More ›
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Commando Shop – Summer Offer
DC Thomson’s official Commando shop is currently offering free postage on all its orders. The Commando Gear shop offers T-shirts and mugs in a variety of different colours and designs with the Commando logo and the familiar F-S fighting knife… Read More ›
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Stealing Dilbert
When the G8 governments met in Japan this week, one of the items on the agenda that has been discussed in secret for months was signing an agreement that could enable customs officers and others to search your laptop or… Read More ›
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Tube Surfing: 9 July 2008
• Jason Wilson has sent me a copy of Smuggling Vacation, now available in all good bookshops. I’ll post a longer review later in the week as I’ve only had chance to flick through it today, but I love the… Read More ›
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Science in Education — or is it…
New Scientist has published a worrying feature focusing on the news that on 28th June, The Science Education Act was passed as law in the State of Louisiana in the US. This piece of legislature now allows teachers in this… Read More ›
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NetFinds: SF in Six Words
A nice little find this evening… back in November 2006, Wired Magazine published the results of an appeal for some very short SF stories – six word stories to be precise. The challenge to sci-fi, fantasy, and horror writers from… Read More ›
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Beano Birthday Publicity Ramps Up
DC Thomson is pulling no punches when it comes to promoting the Beano‘s upcoming 70th issue, running a two page feature in this week’s Sunday Post to promote Wallace & Gromit creator Nick Park’s upcoming guest editorship of the birthday… Read More ›
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Eagle Times Volume 21 Number 2 – Summer 2008
The latest issue of the Eagle Society‘s magazine Eagle Times (Volume 21 Number 2, Summer 2008) is now available by mail order. The magazine includes features on the artists who worked on the “Riders of the Range” strip, a look… Read More ›
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Forbidden Planet Polls its Punters
In 1978, Forbidden Planet opened its first store in London’s Denmark Street (better known to some as “Tin Pan Alley”) and has been at the forefront of all things science fiction, Fantasy, Cult TV and Film, including books, comics, DVDs… Read More ›
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The DFC – Single Issues Now Available
Much has been said over the last few months on the subject of the new British children’s comic, The DFC, and a lot of it has to do with its distribution method. The only way to get hold of it… Read More ›
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Music From The 21st Century
Stand by for musical action!
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The Moment Has Been Prepared For…
It’s tonight. Pull on your Dalek slippers. Get the Doctor Who chocolate from the fridge. Take the phone off the hook because, believe it or not, there may be some people not watching it. And enjoy. 65 minutes of new… Read More ›
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Tube Surfing: 3 July 2008
Steve Holland of Bear Alley reviews Paul Gravett’s Mammoth Book of Best Crime Comics here. He dubs it a ‘must-have collection.’ Over at the Forbidden Planet Blog, Alex Fitch gives us the lowdown on many of the neat podcasts coming… Read More ›
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2000AD Playing Cards For Free
The August issue of SFX, number 172, comes with a nice little freebie of a set of 2000AD playing cards. Nicolai Dante is, appropriately, the Jack of Hearts while Halo Jones is the Queen of Hearts, although that perhaps should… Read More ›
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British Comic Sales
The latest public news stand comic sales figures
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Tube Surfing: Remembering Michael Turner, Virgin’s Dan Dare Collection
Scurrying around the web for comic related news, so you don’t have to
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Manchester Zinefest Returns
Manchester Zinefest returns in 2008 on the 30th August. The venue will be Urbis, slap bang in the city centre. The Zinefest last ran in 2006, the work of a loosely organized group whic attracted some 200 people who viewed… Read More ›
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Dredd goes Dynamite
US publishers Dynamite Entertainment, whose titles include Red Sonja, Xena and Battlestar Galactica, and who recently announced a new Buck Rogers title, have just secured the rights to produce an all-new Judge Dredd comic for the American market, likely to… Read More ›
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It’s A Girl!
Congratulations from all here at downthetubes go to Richard and Alice Sheaf on the safe arrival of their baby daughter. As for her name, well there were plenty to choose from: Bunty, Debbie, Jackie, Jinty, Judy, June, Nikki, Sally, Tina,… Read More ›
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Latest Spaceship Away Now Available
The fifteenth issue of ‘Classic’ Dan Dare magazine Spaceship Away is now on sale direct from the official website or from specialist shops. Behind the Tim Booth cover are the regular Dare strips of Green Nemesis with art by Don… Read More ›