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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Jack Lord is Kirk!
With all the excitement over the announcement that there will be a new Star Trek film, casting discussions can begin in earnest. But what about the casting of the original Star Trek series this film will apparently reboot, with new… Read More ›
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Steve Jobs Reinvents… Iran
Since I’m clearly in a silly mood, here’s one of my occasional pastiches of Apple’s Steve Jobs at work re-designing the world, etc.
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Fun while shopping
Okay, nothing to do with comics, but this e-mail joke tickled me, cited as evidence of what can happen if a wife or girlfriend drags her husband or boyfriend along shopping. Sadly, the letter below, allegedly sent by Tesco’s Head… Read More ›
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Greatcoat restored on Wikipedia
I’m delighted to report that The Really Heavy Greatcoat entry on Wikipedia has been restored. While there was apparently no consensus on the debate about its inclusion (now closed), Wikipedia’s editors ruled in favour of restoration on the grounds that,… Read More ›
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Greatcoat Support Grows…
(I amended this entry as the debate has now closed) Some of the great folks over at Forbidden Planet International have just pitched in to the debate over Wikipedia about the proposed deletion of an entry about my cartoon strip,… Read More ›
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One for railway fans…
One of those fun profits from a search of the net while tracking down some eastern European cartoonists: right is a cartoon on the South Eastern Railways Group site by Bobisa Todorovic. It’s one of the winning cartoons of a… Read More ›
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Is the Really Heavy Greatcoat notable?
Note: the debate on the inclusion of the RHG on Wikipedia has closed in the RHG’s favour. I keep this post for its ‘historical’ value! … I ask because last year an entry for my 20-years-and-counting strip The Really Heavy… Read More ›
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Albion Artist Shane Oakley Interviewed
In the third of three exclusive features marking the recent release of Titan and Wildstorm’s Albion collection — interviews with writers Leah Moore and John Reppion, and IPC’s Andrew Sumner were published earlier this month — artist Shane Oakley offers… Read More ›
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Comics International 201 arrives!
New Comics International editor has sent me two spiffy covers for the delayed-but-here-now Comics International #201, which should be on sale soon. Comics International was sold by Dez Skinn earlier in the year and the administrative side of the handover… Read More ›
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Science Fiction stories on your mobile
Interesting find for mobile/cell phone users: www.wattpad.com It’s a very small downloadable app for your phone, compatible with most modern handsets – simply bluetooth it from your PC to your phone and then you can read stories on your mobile…. Read More ›
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The Good Soldier Art for sale
Another lot for ebay, this time a page from a three-part Cyberman story “The Good Soldier”. This page was published in Doctor Who Magazine #177, cover dated 4th September 1991. Written by TV Doctor Who script editor Andrew Cartmel, drawn… Read More ›
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Life on Mars, Who get Saturn nominations
Let’s hear it for the Brits – again. Nominees for the 33rd annual Saturn Awards, which celebrate the best SF&F and Horror movies and TV work, include Doctor Who and Life on Mars, with Daniel Criag’s outing as James Bond… Read More ›
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One for Morecambe fans…
I compered the monthly Spotlight Club at the Yorkshire House, Lancaster on Friday night (yes, it was me who welcomed a bemused audience with “Ladies, Gentlemen and dolphins — you know who you are…”) Finishing the bill, which included four… Read More ›
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Delving into British comics history…
Cartoonist Lew Stringer has just added a cracking tribute to Express Weekly to his increasingly wonderful British comics blog (I just wonder where he’s finding time to do some cartooning!) This near-forgotten title included contributions from Ron Embleton and Mike… Read More ›
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Dalek Cutaway
Here’s another piece of comics art I’m offering via e-bay: a superb Dalek cutaway by Lee Sullivan, commissioned by me while editor of Doctor Who Magazine as a page for Marvel’s Doctor Who Year Book 1993, this cutaway of an… Read More ›
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Doctor Who – Hulk Presents Comic Art for sale
I’m having a spring clean of some of my comics collection and am offering a complete Doctor Who comic strip, drawn by Geoff “Transformers” Senior, on e-bay. Titled “Stitch in Time” and written by me as an affectionate comment on… Read More ›
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Albion Man: An interview with Andrew Sumner
Interview first published 12th February 2007, links updated July 2019 Titan Books have just released their edition of the collected Albion, Wildstorm’s welcome revival of many British comics heroes owned by IPC. The trade offers the complete story – with… Read More ›
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Hookjaw Interview
Well, not Hookjaw himself, which would just be gut-wrenching sounds of gnashing shark teeth, but with the Collected Hook Jaw about to munch its way through the swimming public once more (just when you thought it was safe to go… Read More ›
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2000AD competition over on FPI
Joe Gordon from Forbidden Planet International has just dropped me a quick line to advise of a pretty cool 2000AD competition he’s lined up. “I just can’t let the 30th anniversary of 2000AD at the end of this month pass… Read More ›
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Forever Albion: Leah Moore and John Reppion Interviewed
I’ve just posted the first of three interviews to mark the release of Titan Books Albion collection, the first being with writers Leah Moore and John Reppion. Interviews with IPC’s Andrew Sumner and the project’s brilliant artist Shane Oakley –… Read More ›