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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Dandy Celebrations begin
Britain’s The Independent newspaper features a five page tribute to The Dandy on its 70th anniversary today (info via Lew Stringer, cheers!).
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Haining Tribute
(via the FPI blog and Dave Langford’s Ansible) The family of the writer Peter Haining, who died recently will be celebrating his on Thursday 6 December at noon at Colney Wood Burial Park, Watton Road, Colney, Norwich.“Family flowers only but… Read More ›
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Crackdown on comics piracy begins
With their digital comics offerings now up and running, the big US publishers such as Marvel and DC Comics are beginning to crack down on comics piracy — the online uploading of complete scans of new US comics almost as… Read More ›
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TV Continues in Comics
Fans of American TV are in a tailspin. The current writers strike means The Office, How I Met Your Mother, and even new shows like Pushing Daisies and Chuck are either out of fresh episodes or quickly running out. Well,… Read More ›
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Happy 70th Birthday, Dandy!
Over on Lew Stringer’s always wonderful Blimey! It’s Another Blog About Comics, he notes that the world’s longest running comic The Dandy is 70 years old any day now. Issue Number 1 was cover dated 4th December 1937, which means… Read More ›
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The growing pains of the New Media…
This comic from Hijinks Ensue elaborates changes in new media, and will for many be a fantastic and encouraging statement on the future: that media is becoming more. Becoming less about directly monetized intellectual content and instead focusing on the… Read More ›
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The World Needs More Teddies
At this festive time for many religions, perhaps it’s time to start spreading some love so I’ve gone all fuzzy and am proposing a Send a Teddy Campaign. So, if you’re concerned by religious intolerance (Catholic groups bemoaning The Golden… Read More ›
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Blog Readability Test
(with thanks to Gad Sir! Comics). According to this simple Blog Readability Test from the Critics Rant web site, you apparently have to be a genius to read the downthetubes blog. It appears to work on some HTML based sites… Read More ›
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Your Office Anywhere Man
If proof were needed of the enduring appeal of comics as a medium, it’s the way companies the world over continue to use the form in their marketing. Last year, Doctor Who artist and writer Mike Collins and I began… Read More ›
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Survivors Returns
The Forbidden Planet International web site reports the BBC has confirmed that it has concluded a deal with the estate of the late Terry Nation to create a new version of the cult 70s science fiction show Survivors. Nation, well-known… Read More ›
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Thy Will Be Done Launches
The first few pages of a new SF comic title, Thy Will Be Done, have been posted at Broken Voice Comics and are just waiting for you to go and enjoy them. Thy Will Be Done is written by Alexandre… Read More ›
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Orange Superman
Northern Ireland seems to be having a bit of a fad for superhero characters this year. After the CPYU educational comic The Super Six comes an as yet unnamed superhero produced for the Grand Orange Lodge Of Ireland. Sporting an… Read More ›
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Verity Lambert OBE 1935 – 2007
Sad news of the death of original Doctor Who producer, Verity Lambert
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Eagle Times Volume 20 Number 3 Released
The latest issue of the Eagle Society’s magazine Eagle Times (Volume 20 Number 3) is now available by mail order. Contents Frank Hampson’s pre- and post-Dan Dare Art (part 2) Some thoughts on Dan Dare’s ‘Operation Saturn’ Jack o’Lantern in Wiltshire,… Read More ›
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Rennie’s New Prescription
Judge Dredd and console game writer Gordon Rennie divulges trade secrets in his new column about writing computer game scripts. Rennie, a former music journalist turned comics writer whose credits include strips for 2000AD such as Necronauts, Caballistics, Inc and… Read More ›
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Friday Fun: Talking Cats
You may have seen the original “Talking Cats” … … but now someone has kindly provided a Babelfish provided translation for those of us who don’t speak cat. The original cats, Stina and Mossy usually fight instead of talk, so… Read More ›
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Top Books of 2007
Publishers Weekly has posted a listing of the comics chosen for the print magazine’s “Best Books of 2007”. The books chosen for the Comics section include British creators Bryan Talbot’s Alice in Sunderland and Nick Abadzis’s Laika, along with Adrian… Read More ›
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One Dandy Of An Accident
Not your typical comics related news story but on Wednesday morning the flat bed trailer of an articulated lorry carrying steel beams crashed through the wall of D C Thomson’s Guthrie Street printing plant in Dundee used for printing annuals… Read More ›
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In Memoriam: Peter Haining
Award-winning journalist and author Peter Haining, perhaps best known for his Doctor Who books, has died suddenly at the age of 67, reportedly of a heart attack. Haining, who lived in Suffolk, wrote a number of books about Doctor Who,… Read More ›
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Thor heading for the UK
Marvel’s recently-revived Thor character (now being written with aplomb by J. Michael Straczynski) may be heading to the UK – but not in the comic. The Daily Mail reports that after enjoying a successful British production on Neil Gaiman’s Stardust,… Read More ›