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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DFC Issue One is a Doozy!
The first issue of The DFC – Britain’s first, subscription-only weekly comic, combining humour and adventure strips in one smashing package, has just arrived in the post — and it’s a terrific start for the new title. While an anthology… Read More ›
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Factor Fiction on Facebook
Factor Fiction, the publishing brainchild of Jay Eales and Selina Lock, now has a Facebook group. Check it out here if you’re a Facebook member As previously reported, Factor Fiction’s The Girly Comic and Violent! are now webcomics. Both web… Read More ›
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Gaiman Causes "Nerdgasms"
Well known celebrity gossip newsletter PopBitch has turned its attention to comics and book author Neil Gaiman this week. The newsletter, whose stories are often picked up by the tabloids and celebrity magazines like Heat reports that “Comic fans are… Read More ›
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Dan Dare Cap Badges, Dredd Buckles Released
Following the sell-out success of its Judge Dredd badges, Termight Replicas has announced two new licensed products available for pre-order. Both are full-sized props, with the same gold-plating as the Dredd badge, but this time combining it with coloured hard… Read More ›
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Copyright Theft: A New Weapon?
We’ve on occasion reported on some blatant copyright theft of comic artists’ work, but a new specialist search engine could help creators track down culprits a bit more easily. MicroStock Insider, a guide blog to selling stock photography on the… Read More ›
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Iron Man Art Auction to help Gene Colan
Top British comics artist Jon Haward has pitched in on efforts to raise money to help veteran comics artist Gene Colan who is very ill and has no medical insurance (see news story). Up for sale via eBay are the… Read More ›
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In Memoriam: Beryl Cook
Artist Beryl Cook, a painter with a cartoonists’ sensibility for accurate observation from life, has died aged 81. Her official biography on her web site indicates she was born in 1926 in Surrey, one of four sisters. She left school… Read More ›
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Pratchett Fights On
The Times reports on an interview on BBC Breakfast today, revealing how the onset of Alzheimer’s disease has started to affect the writing of Terry Pratchett’s best-selling fantasy Discworld series. The author vowed to carry on writing despite having the… Read More ›
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Hewlett’s Olympian Task
Comic artist Jamie Hewlett and Blur band member Damon Albarn are to provide visuals for BBC Sport’s marketing campaign and titles for the forthcoming Olympic Games, based on the traditional Chinese folklore Journey To The West. The campaign, which will… Read More ›
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Pig Brother
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Legend of Bill Begins
Cartoonist David Reddick has unveiled his new webcomic and labour of love, Legend of Bill. “It’s a series set in a realm of swords, sorcery and stupidity!,” says David, who I’ve known for a while now since my time editing… Read More ›
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Enter the Vort
(with thanks to Matthew Badham): This week’s 2000AD contained an announcement that ‘Israeli’s latest project, The Vort, will be one of the slew of new stories staring next week in the UK’s weekly SF comic. Over on his blog, ‘Israeli… Read More ›
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DFC Arrival Imminent!
(With thanks to Garen Ewing): Just a quick reminder that the new weekly comic The DFC comic will be pushed through thousands of letterboxes this Friday and here’s a couple of links to keep you going until then… • A… Read More ›
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Bryan Talbot Signings Etc…
Alice in Sunderland artist Bryan Talbot will be signing with Steve Dillon at Books Etc., 421 Oxford Street, London on Saturday 14 June at 2.00pm. More info at 0207 495 8507. He and Mark Stafford have also been talking with… Read More ›
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Nice To Have A Friend
Comic artist James Nash has a new comic available called It’s Nice to Have a Friend Such as Yourself, collecting all the diary drawings that he did in 2007. James started a diary strip “just to explore the idea that… Read More ›
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Ipp, Ipp Hooray for Classical Comics!
Classical Comics all-British graphic novel Henry V has been awarded a Silver Medal at the 2008 Independent Publishers Awards (the “IPPYs”) in America. This year’s contest attracted a total of 3,175 entries and saw the Original Text Henry V, which… Read More ›
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Thunderbirds: Countdown To Action!
As mentioned here earlier in the year, FTL Publications in the USA are publishing the first in a series of new novels based on the Gerry Anderson series Thunderbirds. Written by Joan Marie Verba and with a cover illustration by… Read More ›