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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Alice In USAland
Ansible 240 reports that the Dark Horse version of Bryan Talbot’s excellent Alice In Sunderland has been nominated in the Graphic Novels section of the American Quill Book Awards “the only televised literary prizes”. More details and a full listing… Read More ›
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Paul Gravett Interviewed
Web site Broken Frontier has published the first part of a detailed interview by Dave Hine with London-based freelance journalist, curator, lecturer, writer and broadcaster and comics guru Paul Gravett, one of the creators of the ground-breaking indie comics magazine… Read More ›
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Upcoming British Comic Collections
Just a quick look at a few of the titles that we can expect to see over the coming months… First up is Charley’s War Volume 4, subtitled “Blue’s Story”. Continuing the story of World War One, this time the… Read More ›
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The Super Six
Hard on the heels of 2D, the Northern Ireland Comics Festival in April, comes another Northern Ireland comics project, The Super Six, published by OFMDFMNI:CYPU. Okay, so it doesn’t quite trip off the tongue like IPC or DCT and I… Read More ›
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For Action And Adventure
Those who still labour until the mistaken belief that Commando only covers the Second World War could do worse than checking one of the latest issues. Commando 4015 : Wolves At War concludes the “Log Of The Lairds” sequence of… Read More ›
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ROK Comics seeks hot talent and offers $10K Prize
ROK Comics, the UK-based online and mobile phone creative aggregator and publisher of comics and cartoons have announced a competition with a prize of $10,000 (£5,000) for the best original comic strip or cartoon published it receives between now and… Read More ›
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Spaceship Away #12 blasts off
The latest issue of ace Dan Dare magazine Spaceship Away is now out. Spaceship Away costs £6.99 per issue for UK residents and £9.00 per issue for international subscribers, more details can be found here… http://spaceshipaway.org.uk/ Publisher Rod Barzilay had… Read More ›
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Silver Surfer hits big Wheel
As part of the publicity blitz for the new FF movie (“Rise of the Silver Surfer”) the London Eye was taken over by the Silver Surfer this week when he, literally, flew into it. This is the first time that… Read More ›
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Its not It’s
Everyone who knows me also knows I am one of the world’s worst typists and probably semi-legendary for minor typos. But that doesn’t mean I can’t spot one, and one that constantly annoys me is the misuse of its and… Read More ›
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Deviant Thinkers
Over at Dave Langford’s wonderful SF news site Ansible, he reported last week that Greg Bear and other sf authors — Arlan Andrews, Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle and Sage Walker — were asked to a US Homeland Security conference to… Read More ›
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Lessons in Modern Policing
Heh. Somneone’s been reading the indy reports on the G8. I liked this one.
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Is Google Planning a Digital Comic Archive?
US comics news site Newsarama reports on an interesting development in Google’s ongoing mission to digitize some 10 million books stored in US university libraries. One of the treasure troves being considered for the digital world is Michigan State’s Russel… Read More ›
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El Tigre heads for the UK
Trade magazine Broadcast reports Nickelodeon has picked up hit animation series El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera. A Flash-animated comedy-adventure series created by husband and wife team Sandra Equihua and Jorge Gutierrez, havefollows Manny, the youngest member of the… Read More ›
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Thundercats – Marvel UK days recalled
Variety reports Warner Bros. has optioned a Thundercats script by tyro scribe Paul Sopocy to turn the popular 1980s animated series and toy line into a live action feature. Warner-based Paula Weinstein will produce through her Spring Creek Productions banner, along… Read More ›
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I’m a Marvel, I’m a DC: After Hours with Superheroes
Very funny. Reminds me of those brilliant Toyfare magazine strips — do they still do those?
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Battlestar: The Final Curtain
(Thanks to FG for this item): Several sites, including MediaBlvd Magazine have posted transcripts of the telephone press conference held on Friday, 1st June with Battlestar Galactica producers Ron Moore and David Eick. E! Online’s Kristen also reported on the… Read More ›
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Pig Brother
It had to be done, apparently.
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Teen Titans movie in the pipeline
Hollywood Reporter and ICV2 report Warner Bros. Pictures is working on a live action adaptation of DC Comics’ Teen Titans supergroup comic book. The animated series has been good fun, so let’s hope a live version has the same energy… Read More ›
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Doctor Who exterminated again?
Not the best of sources, but The Sun is reporting that Doctor Who will be exterminated next year after the end of the fourth series. The paper claims producer Russell T. Davies, exhausted by 16-hour days, has decided to axe… Read More ›
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Babylon 5: The Lost tales
Working on Babylon 5 Magazine for Titan was one of the best editorships I ever had, with terrific support from JMS and his team – and I wish them every success with their new venture, Babylon 5: The Lost Tales,… Read More ›