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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In Review: Tripwire Superhero Special 2009
Editor and publisher Joel Meadows kindly sent us a copy of the Tripwire Superhero Special, which is now on sale in all good comic shops, Borders UK and Barnes & Noble in the US. Building on the fine work that… Read More ›
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The Last Word on Watchmen?
• Cartoon by Mal Clark
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‘Watchmensch’ Ships This Week
Rich Johnston and Simon Rohrmuller’s Watchmensch — a parody of a certain legendary graphic novel and recent blockbuster movie, as well as a trip through time to the beginnings of superhero comics — ships Wednesday 18th March in the USA… Read More ›
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Talbot Praises Insomnia’s CancerTown
To the delight of new British indie comics company Insomnia Publications, top British comics creator Bryan Talbot (The Adventures of Luther Arkwright, Alice in Sunderland) has written the foreword for their upcoming title Cancertown, written by Cy Dethan with art… Read More ›
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More Commandos Officially Available Online
(With thanks to Jeremy Briggs): DC Thomson’s official Commando web site has been updated again with another free to read strip and more giveaways to promote the popular digest title. Our sources at DC Thomson indicate the Commando web site… Read More ›
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Happy 50th Birthday, Mighty Moth!
(with thanks to “Ian”): The first appearance of “Mighty Moth”, the longest-running strip in Britain’s TV Comic was in Issue 384, dated week ending 14th March 1959. The strip ran every week until the title was cancelled in June 1984… Read More ›
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Alan Davis Expo Print Revealed
The Alan Davis DR and Quinch Britsol EXpo EXclusive Limited Very Edition Print can now be ordered via the Expo site: www.fantasyevents.org Produced only for Expo, which runs from 9-10 May in Bristol, this signed A3 Full Colour Print on… Read More ›
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Tube Surfing: 13 March 2009
• Lucasfilm has published a feature on Dave Gibbons and Alan Moore’s connections to Star Wars, documenting the pair’s early Star Wars work. Alan wrote several Star Wars tales for Marvel UK while Dave’s first contribution was as an artist… Read More ›
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John Higgins Talks Razorjack, Watchmen
Brilliant artist and colourist John Higgins has just completed a new four page comic strip for his collected magnum opus, Razorjack. Published with revived Com.x, the Brit independent comic company that John says “have quality and production values that can… Read More ›
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Cla$$war Returns
This month sees the welcome return of British indie publisher Com.X, whose success was torpedoed by a series of unfortunate events shortly after it launched in the early Noughties. Com.X kicks off its new projects with a hardcover collected edition… Read More ›
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Frazer Irving Goes Orbital
The great Frazer Irving, doodler of the dark and diabolical including Judge Death, From Grace and amazing writer David Hine, currently writing on Spider-Man Noir but whose credits stretch back to the 1980s with strips for Crisis, 2000AD and Doctor… Read More ›
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Electric Sheep Springs on Tainted Love
The all new spring issue of Electric Sheep Magzine, featuring illustrations by Oli Smith, Emma Price and Tom Humberstone and a new comic strip by Mark Stafford, focuses on Tainted Love to celebrate the release of the sweet and bloody… Read More ›
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Simonson On Air and Other Podcasts…
Alex Fitch talks to artist and writer Walter Simonson on Resonance FM which week, the creator whose exceptional four-year run on the Marvel comic The Mighty Thor in the early 1980s remains the most appreciated version of the character since… Read More ›
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Thought Bubble Plans Mass Book Crossing
The Leeds Thought Bubble festival team have announced this year’s event will run from the 20 – 22 November, with a one day convention event on Saturday 21st at Saviles Hall Leeds, England. “Throughout this year’s event we will hold… Read More ›
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Tube Surfing: 8 March 2009
• (via Matt Badham): Space war story Insurrection is currently wowing all those Earthlets who pick up Judge Dredd: The Megazine every month – with many suggesting that it might be one of the best series the Megazine has ever… Read More ›
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ComPal Auction Closes This Week
A quick reminder that the Spring 2009 auction at Compalcomics, which includes offerings of art from TV21 by Frank Bellamy and Mike Noble (see news story) closes this week. Bidding will close on Tuesday 10 March at 8 PM UK… Read More ›
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TV Magician Ali Bongo Dies
downthetubes is sorry to report that TV Magician Ali Bongo — described by friends as “the most influential and respected man in magic” — has died following a stroke, after being taken ill in France last month during a lecture…. Read More ›
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Saturday Morning Watchmen!
If Alan Moore is annoyed about the new Watchmen film, just wait until he sees this — although, actually, this hilarious Saturday Morning Watchmen, the creation of British animator Harry Partridge, is the kind of parody he might just like…… Read More ›
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Watchmen Reviews Round Up
In the absence of getting to the film myself yet — is it really worth putting up with modern cinema goers habits like texting on their mobiles, talking through the film and having the bladder control of fleas to bother?… Read More ›
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Alan Moore on Writing, League and Watchmen
In a new interview for Salon.com that, like other news media features such as this one in The Independent, notes Alan Moore‘s absence from the credits of the Watchmen movie despite being the comic’s co-creator, the Northampton-based writer talks extensively… Read More ›