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: The Prison
Reviewed by David Hailwood Recently made available to buy at Lulu.com is Adam Grose’ The Prison. As the description on the back of the collection states, ‘The Prison is an array of stories, prose, poetry and soapbox ramblings based on… Read More ›
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No Heroics Creator Interviewed
Top comics podcast service Geek Syndicate has just published its interview with Drew Pearce, the creator/writer of the upcoming ITV2 superhero comedy No Heroics, the first ever original sitcom for the channel. The six-part series is brand new for 2008… Read More ›
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Tube Surfing: 10 September 2008
• Catching up with comics news after a (very wet) short break, Bryan Talbot’s re-released The Tale of One Bad Rat has just had a rightfully glowing review in The Times, describing it as “an incontrovertible and blazing masterpiece.” There’s… Read More ›
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Masters Of Fun And Thrills
Here on downthetubes we regularly promote the articles by Norman Wright and David Ashford which appear in the monthly magazine Book and Magazine Collector. The longest running of the various series that the duo write for the magazine is The… Read More ›
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Tube Surfing: 5 September 2008
• There’s an excellent interview with David O’Connell, the writer and artist behind science fiction comic Tozo, over at Garen Ewing’s website. David’s art is very much in the tradition of ligne claire (clear line) artists such as Belgium’s Herge… Read More ›
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Northern Ireland’s Verbal Arts Centre Launches Comic Art Courses
The Verbal Arts Centre in Bishop St Within, Derry, has created a series of new, accredited Comic Art courses which will commence in September 2008. These short courses have been developed in response to the success of the various comic… Read More ›
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Elephantmen Joins Clickwheel
ipod comic publisher Clickwheel has announced a new addition to its premium roster with the arrival of top British creator Richard Starkings’ Elephantmen. True to its Sci-Fi themes, Elephantmen and Starkings are eager to help Clickwheel, which is owned by… Read More ›
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Complicated Chrome Comic from McCloud
(with thanks to Leon Hewitt): This comic by Understanding Comics author Scott McCloud certainly won’t be for everyone, but it’s great to see comics being used in a way to explain the workings of a new product — in this… Read More ›
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Smuggling Vacation creator banned from comic fairs?
(Updated 4/9/08): Jason Wilson’s recently-released graphic novel Smuggling Vacation, a comedy tale of two hopeless accidental drug smugglers and the gang of criminals hot on their tails, has been greeted with calls for it to be banned in prisons from… Read More ›
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Top Shelf Sale!
To celebrate The Surrogates movie wrapping principal photography, surviving San Diego ComicCon, and all the cool new summer and fall releases, for the next ten days — through Friday 12th September — Top Shelf, a regular US retailer and publisher… Read More ›
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Derek the Sheep Unleashed!
Gary Northfield’s popular Beano (and first creator owned) strip Derek the Sheep is out this week as a fab 64-page hardback from publishers Bloomsbury. A day in the life of Derek the Sheep is no forage in the field. Oh… Read More ›
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Thrill Powered Paperback!
Former 2000AD and Judge Dredd: The Megazine editor, author and comics writer David Bishop reports that his massive book about the history of 2000AD, Thrill-Power Overload, will be released in paperback next year. “Steady reorders mean Rebellion is down to… Read More ›
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Win Forbidden Planet T-Shirts!
On Saturday and Sunday 6-7 September 2008 Forbidden Planet (London, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Coventry, Croydon, Liverpool, Newcastle, Southampton) celebrates its 30 years of ‘Geek Chic’ with parties, including giveaways. The fun starts at opening time and the first 30 people… Read More ›
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Goodbye, Ken, and thanks for all the fun…
Updated (earlier picture from Doctor Who audition tapes was not, apparently, Ken Campbell): The brilliant Ken Campbell — improv actor, writer and man of experimental theatre — has died, aged just 66. His stage shows were simply incredible, always full… Read More ›
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British Comic Heroes: The Return of Garth
In August 2008, after a long gestation period, adventure hero Garth returned to British newspaper The Mirror – albeit, for now, only on the publication’s web site. Here, artist Huw-J talks to John Freeman about the new strip and his… Read More ›
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The Return of Garth
Earlier this month, after a long gestation period, adventure hero Garth returned to British newspaper The Mirror – albeit, for now, only on the publication’s web site. Now, in an exclusive interview for downthetubes, artist Huw-J of Hayena Studios talks… Read More ›
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How Much Is A Fanzine Worth?
Just how much is a fanzine worth? For the buyer, in theory, it is worth the amount of money that he has just paid for it. If it wasn’t that good and the buyer believes that it is worth less… Read More ›
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Book And Magazine Collector 299
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 30. After last issue covered Ron Smith, this issue’s subject is Frank Humphris. Humphris was… Read More ›
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Abnett, Swallow To Appear at October GamesFest
Top British comic writer and author Dan Abnett and Star Trek author James Swallow are among several writers, including Stan Nicholls and James Barclay, who will be appearing as part of an impressive line up of creative talent, game demonstrations… Read More ›
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Tube Surfing: 30 August 2008
• A quick reminder about Jonathan Cape,, The Observer and Comica’s Graphic Short Story Competition of which the winner will receive a tasty grand and their story across two pages of The Observer. Follow this link for more info and… Read More ›