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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China Now! Comics Exhibition
China Now, the UK’s largest ever festival of Chinese culture, has announced the first ever major exhibition in Britain to explore Manhua – the powerful narrative art form of comics and graphic novels in China – and will include the… Read More ›
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House of Usher Sale
Brilliant comics artist Shane Oakley is currently selling; three pages from The Fall of the House of Usher at £55 each, which includes p&p and a signed print. More details and imagery on his blog, where you can also find… Read More ›
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Steve Whitaker: Online Memorial Site Launched
A livejournal gommunity and a flickr group devoted to the late, already-much missed artist and colourist Steve Whitaker, who died last week have now been launched
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Doctor Who Experiment
Purely for research purposes of course, given that ROK Comics, which I edit, has a comic creator too, I had a go at using the BBC’s Doctor Who Comic Maker. Have to say I wasn’t 100 per cent impressed: the… Read More ›
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DFC – Ask The Editor
I’m interviewing the editor of new, originated, British comic DFC for downthetubes.net to tie in with the launch of the title, so if you have any questions you’d like to ask, fire them my way asap. Needless to say, this… Read More ›
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Phoo Action gets series order
Almost passing me by, just a quick note that BBC3 has ordered a full run of tongue-in-cheek kung-fu drama PPhoo Action. Series creator Jamie (Tank Girl) Hewlett is working on six sixty minute episodes (which will hopefully be a lot… Read More ›
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The Flash Gordon story retold
Comics International editor Mike Conroy is one of many contributors to a Flash Gordon documentary being screened on the the UK Sci-Fi Channel tonight (Monday 25 February) at 8.00pm. Scheduled to air ahead of the series pilot, the programme provides… Read More ›
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Aye Write!
The third Aye Write! Book Festival takes place in Glasgow’s Mitchell Library from 7 to 15 March 2008. Included this year in the programme are talks by Scottish science fiction authors Iain M Banks and Ken MacLeod who will be… Read More ›
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In Memoriam: Comic Artist and Colourist Steve Whitaker
British artist and colourist Steve Whitaker is, I am deeply sorry to report, no longer with us.
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Spaceship Away #14 counting down
Spaceship Away, the glossy magazine that is home to new Dan Dare adventures as well as reprints of classic sci-fi strip Journey Into Space and Sydney Jordan’s new Hal Starr strip, is nearly out again. Issue 14 (cover seen left,… Read More ›
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Steve Whitaker
I have just learnt that British artist and colourist Steve Whitaker is no longer with us
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A golden Oldie
In celebration of his 100th birthday Willaim Geoge Bunter, better known of course as Billy Bunter, features proudly on the cover of the Oldie magazine this week. The Oldie promises “…Deliciously politically incorrect, the Bunter stories were nevertheless underpinned by… Read More ›
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Iron Legion Reprinted Again!
The Iron Legion, perhaps the most reprinted Doctor Who strip ever, is to be collected again, this time as a collection of several strips currently being published as a monthly comic by Idea & Design Works (IDW) for the US… Read More ›
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Titan scores with Roy of the Rovers
In an extensive deal for worldwide book publishing rights, Titan Books has acquired a licence to publish an exciting range of classic comic strip collections from Egmont UK, in what promises to be the beginning of a winning range of… Read More ›
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Johnston’s Dead Space
British writer Anthony Johnston‘s latest project is Dead Space, a new comic book series from Electronic Arts and Image Comics based on the upcoming survival horror video game. The new six-book series is set in the Dead Space universe is… Read More ›
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Star Trek Online and Streaming
In a major expanison of its online offerings, classic episodes from the US network CBS archive, including Star Trek and The Twilight Zone, are being made available online on CBS.com and across the 300 websites that make up the network’s… Read More ›
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More War Toys from Starkings and Moritat
Elephantmen: War Toys #2 (or 3), from US publisher Active Images, goes on sale next week (27 February) in all sensible (and some insensible) comic shops. Written by former Marvel UK head honcho and First Tiger Richard Starkings (he who… Read More ›
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Chat Show Horror?
No stranger to celebrity appearances, the fourth season finale of Doctor Who is to feature Paul O’Grady, according to The Sun. The TV presenter will play himself discussing “strange goings-on” during his chatshow as David Tennant’s Doctor departs on a… Read More ›
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Mr T in GB (Books, that is)
Preceding the worldwide launch of their Mr. T graphic novel in summer 2008, British publisher Mohawk Media has announced that they are celebrating with a special Limited Advance Edition. With a total number of only 4,000 copies, Mr. T: Limited… Read More ›
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Under the Eagle
Under the Eagle, a new play from author, script writer and former Doctor Who script editor Andrew Cartmel has just begun a three week run at the White Bear Theatre, London. Directed by Conrad Blakemore, Andrew says the play is… Read More ›