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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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 ›
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Magic Moves
Warner Bros. has announced it is moving up by two days the release date of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in the US and Canada, from Friday 13th July to 11th July. (It opens 12th July in… Read More ›
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Blog Notes
Matthew Badham just sent me this link to ‘Nemesis Fleet‘, which he feels is perfect reading for anyone into comics/self-publishing comics. It’s a blog for a comic in development by a cartoonist called Abigail Ryder, who describes herself as “a… Read More ›
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New Characters for ROK Comics Creator Tool
Been busy last week with ROK Comics – several new faces have joined the beta and behind these scenes there’s some revamping going on that looks fantastic. British creator Dave Windett (Simpsons Comics, Daffy Duck, The Dandy) has created another… Read More ›
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Stardust Competition
Forbidden Planet London has 20 pairs of tickets to be won for the special preview screening of the movie Stardust, based on the novel by Neil Gaiman, on Monday 4th June at 6.00pm for a 6.30 start. The screening of… Read More ›
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Happy Birthday, Batman!
How old is Batman? Bruce Wayne varies in age between 15 and 50, depending on the retelling. But (and forgive me for not spotting this earlier, but you’ll have noticed by now the focus of down the tubes is generally… Read More ›
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McBride tribute in The Guardian
Following my news item on the sad death of illustrator Angus McBride recently, The Guardian published a full obituary to Angus yesterday 26 May, written by Steve Holland. In it, William Shepherd of Osprey, the Oxford-based publisher of military history… Read More ›
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Ellis has new novel on the way
Warren Ellis, who recently swept the boards in the 20007 Eagle Awards, the writer behind Transmetropolitan, Planetary, and Marvel’s hot new Thunderbolts, has put his uniquely deranged imagination to work on a brand-new series, Doktor Sleepless, from Avatar Press this… Read More ›
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The Aesthetics of Trash?
A major academic conference on comics and animation is to take place in Manchester in August, and a call has gone out for papers. Taking place from 28th – 29th August 2007 the event, titled The Aesthetics of Trash?: Reassessing… Read More ›
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Natural Born Thriller
You usually have to buy books, but not if it’s 2000AD creator Simon Spurrier’s debut novel Contract. The Times reported earlier this week that his tale of a morally repugnant yet charismatic hitman named Michael Point is being released free… Read More ›