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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Ripper still Go?
Anthony Stewart Head, who plays Giles on UPN’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer, told SCI FI Wire that plans are still in the works for a British spinoff series based on his character, despite reports that the show was on hold…. Read More ›
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Not Just A Bunch of Pretty Faces!
Comicraft founders Richard Starkings and John ‘JG’ Roshell have announced the forthcoming publication of a full colour, 64-page book which provides an insight into the processes and inspirations behind the curtain of the award winning studio. If you’re not… Read More ›
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Pantheon Books to publish “Mythology: The DC Comics Art of Alex Ross”
Pantheon Books, a division of the Knopf Publishing group, is proud to announce plans to publish a coffee table book showcasing Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Justice League, and other DC Comics icons as envisioned by Alex Ross, who at… Read More ›
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Ridley Scott Calls T.I.M.E.
Variety (subscription required) reports that film making brothers Ridley and Tony Scott, better known for directing such big-screen movies as Gladiator and Top Gun, respectively, are developing three drama projects for CBS — one of them a SF project. Under… Read More ›
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Conan the Barbarian cones to Dark Horse
Dark Horse Comics have today announced a new publishing program featuring the legendary adventures of Conan the Barbarian. The monthly ongoing series — which will launch in mid-2003 — will include all new stories based on the classic Robert E…. Read More ›
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Doctor Smith is Dead
We’re sorry to report Lost in Space legend Doctor Zachary Smith — actor Jonathan Harris — is dead. The 87-year old actor died on Sunday of a blood clot. He was a veteran of hundreds of films and TV shows, including… Read More ›
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Walt Simonson signs Exclusive with DC
Walt Simonson, one of comics’ most acclaimed and accomplished writer/artists, has signed a one-year exclusive with DC Comics. “For the past four or five years I’ve worked primarily for DC,” says Simonson. “Partly, it’s because I enjoy the company of… Read More ›
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Smallville Sets US Ratings Records
ICV2.com reports (29/10/02) that Warner Bros. has announced that Smallville is setting new ratings records in its target demographic groups. Two weeks ago, the show delivered 8.9 million viewers and the highest ratings ever for The WB in adults 18-34. It… Read More ›
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Borderline Issue 16
The first pay issue of online comics Borderline Magazine has just been published. The magazine includes interviews with Marvels’ editor-in-chief Joe Quesada and Oni’s boss Jamie Rich, plus much more. Since August 2001 Borderline has been bringing comics fansa professionally… Read More ›
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downtheubes Archive News: October 2002
SCOOBY DOOBY THREE! 15/10/02: Hollywood Reporter (subscription required for full story) has revealed that with a sequel to Warner Bros. Pictures’ Scooby-Doo on the fast track, the studio is already moving forward on a third instalment, hiring scribes Dan Forman… Read More ›
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Unofficial Doctor Who Television Companion Republished
The acclaimed Doctor Who reference book The Television Companion is being reissued next year by Telos Publishing. Rather than being a straight reprint authors David J Howe and Stephen James Walker intend to rework some of the material from the… Read More ›
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Timberwolf Press signs Seven Book Deal with Bill Baldwin
US audio book publisher Timberwolf Press and author Bill Baldwin have reached an agreement to re-launch the best-selling military Science Fiction Helmsman saga. The first six books in the series, The Helmsman, Galactic Convoy, The Trophy, The Mercenaries, The Defenders, and The Siege will be re-released… Read More ›
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Top Tips: Insider’s Guide to creating comics published
Just published by A & C Black, Robin Hall’s Trade Secrets is an excellent book about how to become a successful cartoonist or comics artist, featuring tips from a huge number of professional artists. It also features, with my permission,… Read More ›
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DC Comics Collected Editions
A staggering 200 titles from the DC Comics backlist are showcased online now at www.dccomics.com/collect, each with cover art, three interior story pages, and content descriptions. The newly-posted site updates the previous version of the DC Graphic Novels webpage and… Read More ›
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Stuffed down the back of a filing cabinet…
So I came across some old artwork the other day and wondered “What the heck is this?” Turns out it’s an unpublished first issue of G-Force, a character I created for Marvel UK back in the early 1990s. So… Read More ›
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In Memoriam: Douglas Adams
Author Douglas Adams, who wrote The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, has died suddenly aged 49. Mr Adams died on Friday morning in Santa Barbara, California, following a heart attack, said his spokeswoman Sophie Astin. The author became a household name… Read More ›
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Nicholas Courtney Is God!
Nicholas Courtney (Doctor Who‘s Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart) has taken on the role of God for The Next Seven Days, a new web site. The actor has lent his voice to some cartoons created by designer Daniel Cohen‘s father, stand up… Read More ›
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Classic Captain Scarlet Book Campaign
An online petition has been set up to encourage Carlton Books to produce a Captain Scarlet version of Thunderbirds Classic Comic Strips. You can sign this petition at: www.ipetitions.com/campaigns/scarlet_strips/ • More details of the Thunderbirds Classic Comic Strips can be found… Read More ›
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Dune TV film for the SciFi Channel US – Set Pictures Published
German SF news site sf-film.de features photographs from the shoot of the new $20 million six hour Dune TV film for the SciFi Channel US which started shooting in Prague on 22nd November 1999. The mini-series stars William Hurt as… Read More ›
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Will the Real Captain Britain Please Stand Up?
Comics publisher Dez Skinn has uncovered an unusual piece of comics history – a design for Captain Britain by much-admired artist Tom Kerr. The design was intended for a Captain Britain comic Dez proposed to IPC Fleetway over two decades… Read More ›