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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Tube Surfing: 20 January 2009
• On the eve of Barack Obama’s inauguration as 44th president of the United States, surely only a warped mind like The Guardian‘s Steve Bell could come up with a cartoon like this, published in yesterday’s paper. Well, it made… Read More ›
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Sleeze Brothers Owes Much to Archie Goodwin
Over on his Elephantmen blog, Active Images’ Richard Starkings has posted a fascinating insight into the history of Marvel UK’s early attempts to publish US-style comics, which led to publication of titles such as Dragon’s Claws and the about-to-be-remastered The… Read More ›
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Marvel UK Book Author seekes final imagery
Author Rob Kirby, who has been working on a history of Marvel UK since, well, the company folded back in the 1990s if not earlier (all right, I’m probably exaggerating but that’s how it feels!), is on the hunt for… Read More ›
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Bristol Comics Expo News
Michael Allwood, organiser of the Bristol Comics Expo, has been in touch to update downthetubes on this year’s event, which takes place at the Ramada Plaza Hotel on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th May 2009. The event, which features the… Read More ›
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The Sleeze Brothers Return!
The Sleeze Brothers are back! Those anarchic, lunatic and downright shady PIs, the creation of John Carnell and Andy Lanning back in the 1980s, are being given a brush up (and probably, a good spanking) just in time for their… Read More ›
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Grant Talks Church of Hell
It seems to have been a day for demons and devilry, because just as we plug Cy Dethan’s Falk project (see news story), Alan Grant pops up, talking about his new comic Church of Hell, which is on sale this… Read More ›
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Good News on Comic Sales?
While this report primarily concerns US comics, news that the US comic book industry, boosted by the success of films such as The Dark Knight has helped maintain growth for graphic novel sales is welcome with 2009 looking otherwise gloomy…. Read More ›
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Tube Surfing: 16 January 2009
• The Cybermen have taken over and ‘upgraded’ Doctor Who Adventures. Issue 98, out now in newsagents, features an extra-tall cover, a free set of Cyberman figures and the second part of a double-sided poster. There’s plenty more Cyber-stuff inside,… Read More ›
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Watching the Watchmensch
Lying in the Gutters’ Rich Johnston’s parody of — well, you can guess from the cover — is to be be published by Brain Scan Studios, an alternative media company based out of Boston in the US that publishes a… Read More ›
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Fox, Warner Cut Watchmen Deal
Warner Bros. and Fox have settled their very public battle over upcoming movie adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ Watchmen, which means its planned 6 March release will now proceed. Variety reports a deal following a legal dispute over… Read More ›
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Dealing with the Devil
Comic book writer Cy Dethan reports that work is well underway on his latest project, The Case Files of Harlan Falk, the story of a man who, literally, makes deals with devils. Whether you’re involved in a territorial dispute with… Read More ›
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Keith Page Interview Planned – Your Questions Wanted
We will soon be interviewing British Comics artist Keith Page for a feature on downthetubes and would welcome questions about his career and work from fans. Please send any questions to us by 31st January 2009 johnfreeman6-downthetubes@yahoo.co.uk – do not… Read More ›
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Wilson Talks Dredd
Artist Colin Wilson looks set for a busy year, with a new, still secret, Star Wars project in the works, along with his new Judge Dredd strip, his first Dredd work for nearly ten years. We previously reported on writer… Read More ›
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Temple APA Issue 2 Online
A team of indie British creators, banded together for some time now as the Temple APA, has just released a second issue of comics with the same name, available free in both low and hi-res PDF format. The collection, which… Read More ›
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In Review: Thomas Wogan is Dead
Back in 2004 British indie creator Dave Hughes, who hails from Barrow but in now based in Lancaster, self-published his first comic story, The Immeasurable Adventures of Gorky Park (see news story). Reaction was positive but sales were not what… Read More ›
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The (Comic) Art of War
Last year, Matthew Badham interviewed Christian Dunn, ex-editor of Warhammer Monthly, for an article about the comic published in the Judge Dredd Megazine. Although he used several quotes from Christian in the finished article, there was still a lot of… Read More ›
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In Memoriam: Patrick McGoohan
downthetubes is sorry to report the passing of legendary American actor, writer and director Patrick McGoohan, star of the 1960s secret agent series’ Danger Man, playing John Drake, and. later, The Prisoner, starring as the rebellious Number Six — a… Read More ›
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Commando Webbing: 14 January 2009
Putting the lie to the idea that Commando only covers World War II and only has one-off stories issue 4163, currently on sale, tells of Jimmy Ramsey resurrecting his Special Raiding Force to go into battle in Korea in Raiders… Read More ›
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EU Comics Competition
A competition offering the chance to win some 6000 euros launched by the European Commission last year, designed to promote European citizenship, is still up and running. All young arts students are invited to take part by drawing a one-page… Read More ›
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DFC Previews Site Launched
The DFC starts 2009 with a bang, with all-new Mirabilis, Frontier (see news story, below), Lazarus Lemming, and Mezolith, plus all of your other favourites! The susbscription-only comic continues to expand its online presence with a brand new DFC Previews… Read More ›