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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Cool Gadgets?
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Spider-Man Controversy Makes UK Papers
[WARNING Spoilers for One More Day #4 released by Marvel 28 December] Controversy surrounding Marvel’s decision to separate Spider-Man’s alter ego Peter Parker from his beloved Mary Jane thanks to a deal with demonic Mephisto to save the life of… Read More ›
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New Airfix Doctor Who Kits
Airfix, the British model kit manufacturer, had many problems last year attempting to get the first of their new Doctor Who kits, Welcome Aboard, into shops in time for Christmas. The saga was even detailed on the BBC TV series… Read More ›
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007 Exhibitions
With the Royal Mail’s James Bond stamps already with us, the centenary of the birth of Bond creator Ian Fleming is continuing to be being celebrated with two separate exhibitions. For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond will… Read More ›
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Comics Grow Up!
The National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh will be putting on an exhibition on the historical development of comics and graphic novels from their earliest beginnings to their modern contemporary diversity entitled Comics Grow Up! Running during April and May… Read More ›
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One Book – One Edinburgh 2008
One of the most successful original graphic novels of 2007 was the Alan Grant and Cam Kennedy adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Kidnapped. This was created for the One Book One Edinburgh reading campaign in Scotland’s capital in February 2007…. Read More ›
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Jeff Hawke Back Issues
Back issues of Jeff Hawke’s Cosmos and one of the special editions are now available from the SF strip’s fan club. These are as follows: Volume 1: Numbers 1, 2, 3 availableVolume 2: Numbers 1, 2, availableVolume 3: Numbers 1,… Read More ›
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Titan’s Dan Dare books to continue
Contrary to reports on some web sites, the upcoming Titan Dan Dare book, Reign of the Robots, is not the last Titan collection. downthetubes spoke with the head of Titan Books this morning and the company is all set to… Read More ›
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New Torchwood Magazine features official comic
The first ever official Torchwood comic strip debuts in the first issue of Titan’s Torchwood magazine, on sale 24 January. Written by Transformers legend Simon Furman, and drawn by SL Gallant (Marvel Adventures), The Legacy of Torchwood One sees a… Read More ›
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More from Moore-Reppion Duo
Hot on the heels of the release of Space Doubles #1 from US publisher Th3rd World Studios (a five-issue mini-series in a flipbook format, emulating the old Ace doubles paperbacks) and the Raise the Dead hardback from Dynamite Entertainment which… Read More ›
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Read Yourself Raw Updated
The latest update of UK-based comics site Read Yourself Raw includes previews of new book, comic and manga releases for March 2008, including Kafka’s The Trial, adapted by David Zane Mairowitz & Chantal Montellier and The Complete Terry & The… Read More ›
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Thunderbirds: End Of The Road
Redan’s Thunderbirds comic has been cancelled with the current issue 89 being the last. The final issue comes with a free gift of a water pistol. With no repeats of the Thunderbirds series on British terrestrial television screens for some… Read More ›
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Spider-Man: Agent of SHIELD
The latest issue of Panini UK’s Spectacular Spider-Man, #162, brings Peter Parker’s search for information on his parents to Edinburgh. In Local Hero, writer Ferg Handley and penciller Andie Tong have Spidey swinging through the Edinburgh skyline trying to find… Read More ›
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IDW Goes Junior
Perhaps taking a leaf from UK Publishers such as Titan and Panini, US comics house IDW, best known as a publisher of horror, action, and SF comic books including Star Trek and Doctor Who, is launching a kid’s division titled… Read More ›
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Primeval: Less Pants
Primeval actress and and former SClub 7star Hannah Spearritt has put a stop to “panty scenes” in the show’s second season. The actress, who plays reptile expert Abby Maitland in the ITV1 drama (but spent much of the first episode… Read More ›
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Jeff Hawke’s Cosmos
The latest issue of Jeff Hawke’s Cosmos, Vol 4 Number 2, is now available. Bill Rudling’s 72 page A4 fanzine continues to provide full length reprinted Jeff Hawke stories from the Daily Express newspaper. The cover comes from The Helping… Read More ›
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Billy’s Birthday
A belated tribute to the first Doctor of Doctor Who, William Hartnell. Had he lived, this fine actor would would have been 100 on Tuesday, 8th January. Born in London on 8th January 1908, Hartnell began acting professionally in 1924… Read More ›
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MamTor Music
Not content with publishing some pretty cutting edge comics in the past few years, UK Publisher MamTor, run by my old mucker artist Liam McCormack Sharp (you’ll remmber him as now has its own music divsion via amazingtunes.com. “Mamtor” is… Read More ›
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Get Wasted!
Comics writer Alan Grant (Batman, Judge Dredd) wants you to get Wasted! Grant is one of the big names behind Wasted, a new independent comic. It’s Earth’s new comic-book for today’s Youth gone wild!* Wasted features a cracking cover from… Read More ›
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Who writer Gary Russell Interviewed
With a new Doctor Who comic book on its way from IDW Publishing (and reprints of the Marvel UK/Panini Who strips already on sale only in the US via the company), comics site Broken Frontier has an interview with its… Read More ›