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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Penguin Books competition for teens
Cynopsis reports Penguin has inked a partnership with Piczo, the UK-based teen targeted social networking website, for MyPenguin, a contest that launches this week on the site. Penguin asked some top bands to select their favorite classic book, which of… Read More ›
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Mattel issues toys recall
WorldScreen.com reports Mattel has announced a recall of 1.5 million Fisher-Price toys made in China featuring Sesame Street and Nickelodeon characters over concerns about lead paint, in a move that is expected to cost the toy giant $30 million. Mattel… Read More ›
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I’m being interviewed!
I’ve been interviewd for an upcoming ‘Nightgig’ podcast about the comics to mobile project I help run at Rok Comics. The interview covers the company’s $10,000 Humour Comic competition which runs until end August 2007 — and the opportunities ROK… Read More ›
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Richard Elson Interviewed
Fansite and webcomic Sonic the Comic Online has published an in-depth interview with artist 2000AD artist Richard Elson, covering the seven years he spent wowing a generation on the 1990s Sega tie-in title Sonic the Comic. The interview includes some… Read More ›
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San Diego: More UK Creator and UK News
The 38th annual Comic-Con took this place this weekend in San Diego, California and many British creators were on hand to talk about their new projects to some 120,000 visitors. Here’s a few more items from what sounds a frenetic… Read More ›
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Yet more Doctor Who, and the return of Nightraven…
Two items from US comics site Newsarama with a UK flavour
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Creepy and Eerie return… but who owns the characters?
I’m a huge fan of Warren’s classic titles Creepy and Eerie — the time travelling ‘Rook’ a particular favourite character — so make mo apologies for a straight as supplied reprint of Dark Horse’s press release about their revival, although… Read More ›
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Dark Shadows Returns
Variety (subscription required) reports Warner Bros. is teaming with Depp’s Infinitum-Nihil and Graham King’s GK Films to develop a film based on the 1960s daytime supernatural TV show Dark Shadows. Notching up a staggering 1,225 episodes, Dark Shadows is something… Read More ›
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Paisley Who
The rather self-explanatory Adventures In Time And Space – An Exhibition Of Doctor Who Memorabilia is currently on in the Paisley Museum and Art Galleries in the Scottish town of Paisley near Glasgow. Free to enter and running until Sunday… Read More ›
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Classic British Comic Creators: Handy Links
Courtesy of downthetubes contributor Jeremy Briggs, here’s a handy list of links to pages about, and featuring the art of, just some comic creators who arguably created some of Britain’s best comics up until the 1990s. I’m sure there are… Read More ›
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Titan Re-Releases "Hammer Story"
Fifty years ago, Hammer Films released their first ‘gothic’ horror movie, The Curse of Frankenstein, beginning a series of films that changed the face of horror cinema. ‘Hammer Horror’ made international stars of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, and inspired… Read More ›
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Danger Diabolik on DVD
Kitsch, cult and seriously cool, Danger Diabolik – out on Region 2 DVD from 13 August – is one of those 1960s weird films that remains impossible to pigeonhole. Based on the comic book adventures written by the sister act… Read More ›
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RedEye Re-scheduled, Donations Sought
The critically acclaimed Redeye 7 has been hit with a number of delays
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Crazy Mary joins ROK Comics
Acclaimed comic Crazy Mary has joined the ranks of a growing number of independently-created comics on the mobile comics website ROK Comics, edited by downthetubes John Freeman. Crazy Mary is a cyberpunk action series about a bounty hunter, Mary, who… Read More ›
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Transformers Comic Signing!
To celebrate the launch of Transformers comic, a special Transformers Comic signing is taking place on Saturday 1st September at the London Film and Comic Convention. All we can tell you at this stage is attending the signing so far… Read More ›
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Fret for the Day! by Nick Miller
Check out “Fret for the Day” by Nick Miller
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Transformers UK #1 Reviewed
Ian Wheeler has reviewed Transformers #1, published by Titan Magazines, for downthetubes. Click here to read the review
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John Freeman interviewed on Nightgig
Heads up everybody! After wrestling with Skype (actually not that hard once I realised my headphones had a volume control) I can confirm that I will be being interviewed for the comics podcast site Nightgig. I don’t think the interview… Read More ›
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David Lloyd at San Diego
David Lloyd just dropped me a line to advise that if any downthetubes visitors are heading for San Diego ComiCon, he’ll be signing there at the DC Comics stand on Friday from 12.30-1.30pm, and Dark Horse stand at 5-6pm. Then… Read More ›
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Casting Call for Watchmen
(via Comics2Film): Film web site MovieHole has laid hands on casting calls for the film adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ seminal Watchmen, with character outlines as follows offered as a guide to agents seeking to work for the… Read More ›