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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Writers’ Strike: Show Status
Digital Spy posted a round up of the status of US shows in production affected by the Writers Guild strike at the weekend. 4,000 attended a protest rally on Los Angeles’ Avenue of the Stars as the strike completed its… Read More ›
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Brodie’s Law Art Exhibition
Brodie’s Law artist David Bircham writes to let us know about an exhibition at London’s Animation Gallery that will feature unseen art from the highly acclaimed forthcoming Hollywood movie based on the much-praised and best selling comic. The exhibition will… Read More ›
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In Memoriam: Reverend Dr Chad Varah OBE, CBE
A tribute to the EAGLE and Girl writer, and founder of The Samaritans
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Friday Fun – Mission: Impossible Squirrel
Okay, okay, nothing to do with comics, cult tv (well, apart from the theme tune, surely one of the best ever for an adventure show), but it’s Friday and this Carling Black Label ad is one of the best UK… Read More ›
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The Champions Return
Hollywood Reporter notes that Hellboy director Guillermo del Toro has signed on to write and adapt a big screen version of the 1960s ITC drama The Champions for United Artists. Del Toro will also will produce the film along with… Read More ›
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Steampunk Dalek!
Matthew Badham and the Forbidden Planet International blog have discovered this fab Victorian Dalek via Boing Boing, the creation of Promus-Ka also put this short animated clip on YouTube, complete with silent movie-style caption cards proclaiming “exterminate!”. The artist describe… Read More ›
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Solo behind the Iron Curtain
Just broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Monday this week as an afternoon play was Solo behind the Iron Curtain, Tracy Spottiswoode’s thriller is based on real events. Actor Robert Vaughn, famous at the time as TV spy Napoleon Solo,… Read More ›
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Does Sarah Love Daniel?
The Sarah Jane Adventures, CBBC’s delightfully fun take on the ‘new’ Doctor Who universe, is getting a bit of a reputation for referencing ‘old’ Doctor Who in each story. In the first part of the story Whatever Happened To Sarah… Read More ›
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John Cooper’s Rugby World Cup strip
For the Rugby World Cup final (yes, yes , I know it was a couple of weeks ago but I’m a bit behind) the Guardian newspaper produced a 12 page special full of the usual talikng heads, talking, as it… Read More ›
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In Memoriam: Manny Curtis, Cartoonist and War Veteran
David Lloyd marks the passing of a groundbreaking comic creator
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Comica rounds off with British creator events
Comica in London is coming to a close – with 5 and 6th November evenings polishing off this year’s festival at the ICA in The Mall. On Saturday, Nick Abadzis launches his Laika graphic novel about the world’s first living… Read More ›
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What Editors Really Think
Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been having an email discussion with a few creators about the Joy of Pitching — that dark art of trying to sell a script to an editor. For some years now, downtheubes has… Read More ›
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Cosmogenesis Trailers Released
Ramping up its publicity for a 550 page collection of Adam Grose and Tony Suleri‘s epic SF comic Cosmogenesis: The Chronicles of Quongo, Clown Press have just released several video trailers for the book via YouTube. The book — a… Read More ›
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More cuts to kids TV
Disturbing news from the BBC. SaveKidsTV reports CBBC is being required to make 5 per cent cuts over the next five years — a drop from an annual spend of £108 million now to £98 million in 2012. As a… Read More ›
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More Sound of Drowning released
Comic creator Paul O’Connell, creator of cult comic book The Sound of Drowning, has a brand new issue (#10! double figures! ) out now. “It’s a non-linear comic book inspired by those kids ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ stories,” he says,… Read More ›
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Ian Gibson Column: Mobile Phones and Dan Dare
Ian Gibson goes mobile. Comics, that is…
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The Flying Friar arrives
Thursday 1st November is All Saints Day in the UK. What better date to choose for The Flying Friar to return to print, now in full colour, from Markosia? Created by British gossip columnist Rich Johnston and German illustrator Thomas… Read More ›
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Hippo Fairy Tale in the works
Active Images, the innovative US comics company run by former Marvel UK talent Richard Starkings, has begun promoting an unusual fairy tale – starring hippopotamus hero, Hip Flask. Captain Stoneheart and the Truth Fairy Hardcover by Ben 10 creator Joe… Read More ›
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‘Boring’ writer becomes bestseller
Actor, director and cult guru, Kevin Smith now has another accolade to add to his name, as astonishing sales of his new book My Boring-Ass Life: The Uncomfortably Candid Diary of Kevin Smith (out now from Titan Books) have made… Read More ›
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Murky Depths
A quick plug now for Murky Depths, a quarterly anthology of top quality speculative fiction, including comics, with sprinklings of horror and fantasy that push the boundaries of science fiction. The first issue was released a couple of months ago… Read More ›