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 War Libraries
To give it its full title The Fleetway Picture Library Index Volume 1: The War Libraries makes this reference book sound very grand, perhaps a little foreboding and even rather dry. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. Compiled… Read More ›
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In Memoriam: Phil Frank
downthetubes is sorry to report the death of San Francisco cartoonist Phil Frank, whose cartoons graced the pages ofthe city’s The Chronicle and other newspapers for more than 30 years. He was 64. Paying tribute to Phil, The Chronicle reports… Read More ›
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Creator Interview: The Mysterious Mr George Low…
This month sees a major change at DC Thomson with the retirement of long-serving but, perhaps, little-known editor of Commando George Low, who joined the company from school in 1963 and has worked on the digest title ever since. downthetubes caught up… Read More ›
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Pauline Murray penetrates Mauretania celebrations
Legendary singer Pauline Murray of Pentration will read a chapter from Humfrey Jordan’s ‘Mauretania: Landfalls and Departures of Twenty-Five Years‘ to open the RMS Mauretania Maiden Voyage Centenary Exhibition in Newcastle. The exhibit features paintings and comic art by Stuckist… Read More ›
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Sweatdrop Studios releases ‘Rising Stars of Manga’ podcast.
This month’s Sweatdrop podcast, published by UK manga publisher Sweatdrop Studios, is a special event, as each of the four presenters were previously winners of Tokyopop’s “Rising Stars of Manga” competition. The creators talk about how they prepared and planned… Read More ›
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More Spectacular Spidey from Sony
Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures Television have doubled the original episode order for the new animated TV series The Spectacular Spider-Man, for a total order of 26 thirty minute episodes. The series is currently in production at Culver Entertainment, which… Read More ›
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Bryan Talbot – Guardian today
The Guardian newspaper listings magazine, ‘The Guide’, features a Bryan Talbot cover and three pages of interior art as he introduces a history of British comics (part of the build-up to Comics Britannia on BBC4 on Monday night at 9pm).
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The Bumper book of Look and Learn
The Bumper Book of Look and Learn is now out! Sub-titled the best of the classic children’s magazine this lavishly produced volume (produced by Century Books) is available in the shops for £18.99. Featuring an array of pages from just… Read More ›
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Mauretania Exhibitions and events announced
ROK Comics creator Chris Reynolds is one of several artists involved in events marking the centenary of the maiden voyage of the RMS Mauretania. Chris has published several strips under his Mauretania Comics imprint. An exhibition featuring comics and paintings… Read More ›
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Nick Abadzis Interview
A quick plug for a brilliant interview with Hugo Tate creator and long-time-ago Marvel UK co-worker Nick Abadzis over on the Comics Reporter site. Nick talks about one of his latest projects, Laika, one of the first books announced for… Read More ›
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Prisoner remake abandoned
(with thanks to Lew Stringer for the link): A top Sky boss has admitted the much-touted The Prisoner remake, rumoured at one time to have starred Christopher Eccleston, has been dropped. In a recent interview for news site Digital Spy,… Read More ›
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Andersonic
The fourth ‘episode’ of Richard Farell and Vincent Law’s Gerry Anderson fanzine is now out. Amongst the articles and reviews of the Gerry Anderson series Captain Scarlet, Joe 90, UFO and Space:1999, are articles on the comic strips associated with… Read More ›
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Comic Book Postal Auction News
The latest Comic Book Postal Auction is underway with bids now being accepted, the closing date is 8pm on the 11th of September. Malcom Phillips has highlighted a few choice items…the Beano is represented by a near complete run of… Read More ›
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Comics Britania
There’s been some interesting repsonses to the upcoming BBC4 series Comics Britannia on various comics boards. As usual, anything like this is bound to be dissected and judged before it has even aired but in general, response seems positive, which… Read More ›
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Sweeney Todd from the Titan Squad
Titan Books has acquired the worldwide publishing rights for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, the new Tim Burton movie slated for UK release on 25 January 2008. The film, which stars Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter… Read More ›
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Dalek Invasion of Earth Art Auction
Doctor Who and Dalek fans reading this blog might like to know I have just begun an ebay auction of Alister Pearson’s original artwork for the 1990 Target Book and BBC Video Dalek Invasion of Earth. The painted artwork measures… Read More ›
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Keanu plays Klaatu
The classic 1951 SF film The Day the Earth Stood Still is to be remade, with Keanu Reeves playing noble alien Klaatu. Variety reports that Michael Rennie’s distinct performance in the original is so revered that finding the right actor… Read More ›
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New broom at Doctor Who Magazine…
— I’m sure the power won’t go to Mr Spilsbury’s head, after all it never affected me!
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Young Indy on DVD
George Lucas’ live-action series The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones Volume One, the first of three, will finally make its way to Region 1 DVD from Lucasfilm Ltd., CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment on 23rd October, 2007, so… Read More ›
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Here come the Copyright Police!
It had to happen – while fuddy duddy Britain enforces copyright protection through dull sounding organisations such as the Federation Against Copyright Theft, the Chinese government has gone all 21st century and introduced animated copyright police characters that will patrol… Read More ›