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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The latest issues of Eagle Times (the quartely journal of the EagleSociety, dedicated to the memory of Britain’s National picture stripweekly – Eagle) is now out. 50+ A4 pages (of which 20 are in colour, including beautiful full colour Frank… Read More ›
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43 Years in the Third Form
(with thanks to Graeme Neil Reid) via dtbNing): Girls comics? Eh what’s that? Starting on Monday 23rd July on Radio 4 is a five part dramatization about girls’ comics, the episodes following directly on from Woman’s Hour. Here’s the Radio… Read More ›
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New discussion board for downthetubes
I’ve just added a new element to downthetubes which I’m hoping offers a lot more flexibility to discussion and shared information: http://downthetubesforum.ning.com In addition to a forum, this service allows me to include several blog RSS feeds on its home… Read More ›
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Bond Back at Pinewood
James Bond will not be returning to the Czech Republic. Variety reports that because of the lack of financial incentives in the country, 007 production company Eon has informed Prague’s Barrandov it will not be using the studios for “Bond… Read More ›
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The Return of Captain Babylon!
An obscurity revived!
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Prince Caspian at Comic Con
Walt Disney Pictures is joining the throng of film producers at this year’s San Diego Comic Con at the end of this month to offer exclusive footage and panel discussions with the filmmakers of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian… Read More ›
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Who Artist Interviewed
Doctor Who and Dan Dare illustrator Andrew Skilleter is the focus of a 15-page, full colour, highly illustrated, wide ranging interview covering highlights of his career, in the August edition of Book & Magazine Collector, a glossy pocket size monthly… Read More ›
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Dirk Gently heads for Radio 4
The BBC has announced that Douglas Adams’s Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency will make his UK broadcast debut on BBC Radio 4 this October, with Harry Enfield in the starring role. The show is an Above The Title Production for… Read More ›
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Dandy – weekly no more
Over on the official DCT website there is confirmation of a recent rumour, yes the Dandy is going from being a weekly comic to a fortnightly one…. http://www.dcthomson.co.uk/subscriptions/default.asp?pageName=productDetails&productID=62 While the Dandy has been fortnightly before (during WWII) it’s a slippery… Read More ›
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More fantasy films on the way
Everyone seems to be chasing the next Harry Potter, and Warner Bros., who produce the box office-busting films (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix took in an estimated $44.2 million in its first full day in the US… Read More ›
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Tin Tin under fire again
I don’t understand why there’s all this sudden fuss about Tin Tin in the Congo from the Commission for Racial Equality. I’m all for racial equality, but it’s not as if this book has just gone on sale, and it’s… Read More ›
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Doug Marlette killed in car crash
The Pulitzer Prize-winning and sometimes controversial cartoonist Doug Marlette, who the Washington Post reports recently turned his incisive wit toward a budding career as a novelist, died on Tuesday 10 July in a car accident in Mississippi. Marlette, who was… Read More ›
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Art Attack TV show cancelled
Art Attack, the long-running children’s ITV show, has been cancelled after an 18 year run – which could be bad news for Panini UK’s tie-in magazine which has been a staple of the company’s line for a long time. UK… Read More ›
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New fantasy dramas on BBC3
BBC3 has just announced six new drama projects, two with comics and SF TV connections. Being Human, by Doctor Who and Torchwood writer Toby Whithouse, centres on three young flatmates – a vampire, a ghost, and a werewolf. Produced by… Read More ›
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James Reddington dies
I was very sad to hear of the death of British small press activist and Portent Comics activist James Reddington, who died last week aged, I’m told, just 28. I met him only a couple of times, but he came… Read More ›
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FAB Makeover
The new issue of Fanderson’s fanzine FAB, (Number 57), has just been released. With Chris Bentley’s retirement as editor, Fanderson have taken the opportunity to redesign the 56 page glossy colour A5 zine and bring in new features, intended to… Read More ›
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Omnivistascope Hat Trick
It has been available for a while, but SFX have just made Omnivistascope 3 their Fanzine Of The Month, giving Paul Scott’s big 78 page A4 zine a hat trick with each of the three issues receiving the title. His… Read More ›
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It’s grim being a writer
Well, that explains a lot… apparently, clinical depression and the prospect of a shortened lifespan are some of the joys successful scriptwriters are more likely to face, according to TV psychologist Raj Persaud. UK media magazine Broadcast reports that speaking… Read More ›
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Captain Jack Is Indestructible…
…you are not. Do not attempt to imitate him. With all this talk of “homage” in New Who perhaps one has been missed – the juvenile Face Of Boe himself. To misquote the voice over from the original Captain Scarlet… Read More ›
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Who’s bothered by homage?
There’s been plenty of debate about this elsewhere, much of it far more erudite than anything I could contribute. But now they’ve been drawn to my attention, I’d just like to say how much I’ve enjoyed spotting the television and… Read More ›