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.
-
Trripwire Returns!
Top comics magazine Tripwire returned to comic shop shelves this week with its eagerly-awaited second annual issue, an extravagant 144-page smorgasbord of pop culture content kicked off by an original Doctor Who cover painted by Tommy Lee Edwards. The magazine… Read More ›
-
It’s Not Comics, But…
As a show of solidarity with the Dalai Lama and Tibet, 20 artists have come together to release a historic double album on the eve of the Beijing Olympics, The Art of Peace. These recordings – some original for the… Read More ›
-
Murderdrome Comes to the iphone
Top British comic creators Al Ewing and PJ Holden have developed an iphone version of their new comics project Murderdrome. Find out more by watching the video below or visiting their blog. While comics on phones are not a new… Read More ›
-
Alison Carroll is Tomb Raider
Meet Alison Carroll – actress, gymnast and arguably the greatest living embodiment of Lara Croft so far. There have been several memorable real-life incarnations of England’s first lady of adventure over the last decade, but few have managed to capture… Read More ›
-
Exhibition celebrates the life of Beano cartoonist, Robert T Nixon
-
TMNT: Back to the Sewer on its way to the UK
4Kids Entertainment has completed deals with several broadcasters, including CITV in the UK, for a new series based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, which celebrates its 25th anniversary next year. TMNT: Back to the Sewer will be launched… Read More ›
-
In Memoriam: Pauline Baynes
by John Freeman I’ve just been catching up with some recent email and read that Pauline Baynes, whose illustrations gave life to Narnia, as well as appearing in books by J.R.R. Tolkien, Mary Norton, Richard Adams and countless others, passed… Read More ›
-
British Comics Sales Down Again
• Bad news for British comics publishers. As reported over on Bear Alley by comics expert / writer Steve Holland, sales are down on almost every title (see table compiled by Steve), as much as 16 per cent in some… Read More ›
-
Tube Surfing: 20 August 2008
• Comics artist Dave McKean was one of the guests at the very damp last night and despite the weather the event was sold out and went very, very well., according to Joe Gordon at Forbidden Planet International, who has… Read More ›
-
MGM Options British online comic for TV series
Seizing an opportunity to leverage the current wave of popularity and notoriety surrounding the new digital graphic novel sensation The Many Worlds of Jonas Moore, MGM Domestic Television Distribution has acquired an option to develop the Factory Publishing property created,… Read More ›
-
ITV Announces Zombie Invasion
by John Freeman ITV has announced a new one off zombie drama, Renaissance, which will star Kelly Brook (School for Seduction, Smallville) and Alan Dale (Ugly Betty, The OC, 24). The show is integrally linked to the second season of… Read More ›
-
Under the Eagle Returns
by John Freeman Under the Eagle, a satirical play by comics writer and Torchwood script writer Andrew Cartmel, is to have another run in London. LS1 Productions will be staging the much-praised show at the White Bear on Kennington Road… Read More ›
-
Garth Returns!
Sneaked onto the Daily Mirror web site with very little publicity is something pretty momentous for British comics fans — the return of the adventure strip Garth! Artist Huw-J called us earlier last week to tell us of its long-awaited… Read More ›
-
Tube Surfing: 17 August 2008
• Warren Elllis notes the completion of the first book his ace online webcomic drawn by Paul Duffield, FreakAngels, which will be released as a nice cleaned-up print edition from Avatar Press in time for Christmas, in three flavours: hardback,… Read More ›
-
Star Wars invades San Francisco…
… literally, it seems. Thanks to Frank Garcia for the link (via Gizmodo, Current – the original source, I think – and presurfer among others)…. Informed by the Bush Administration that a Rebel base is located in the heart of… Read More ›
-
Scalpel! Glue! Paint! Coffee?
In the last few years the revitalised plastic kit manufacturer Airfix has been re-releasing some of their classic kits in addition to creating new ones on such modern subjects as Wallace And Gromit and new Doctor Who. After some years… Read More ›
-
Festival Time In Edinburgh
As the Edinburgh Festivals kick into full swing for August 2008, there are several UK comics related items worth mentioning. After gingerly dipping their toes into the flood of graphic novels last year, the Edinburgh International Book Festival have made… Read More ›
-
‘Watchmen’ Races Towards The Top Of The Amazon.Co.Uk Book Chart
Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ ground-breaking Watchmen has raced towards the top of the Amazon.co.uk book chart as sales rise by over 3000% and excitement builds around 2009 film release. Its trailer is currently running before screenings of The Dark… Read More ›
-
Revamp Vampirella!
Get ready to Vamp it up as Project: Rooftop, where cartoonists and illustrators bring their costume design skills to task in tribute to the superheroes and villains they’ve grown up with, joins forces with Harris Comics for their newest drawing… Read More ›
-
Rare Anderson Comics up for auction
Copies of Lady Penelope — the comic created by the publishers of the best-selling TV Century 21 but aimed at girls — are just some of the rare items up for auction from British company Compalcomics this autumn. Bids will… Read More ›
