Happy Birthday, Mike Allwood!

By John Freeman on 30 April 2026

Today we celebrate an incredible milestone as Mike Allwood turns 70 — and what a legacy he’s built along the way.

*Mike Allwood and Friends. Photo courtesy Susie Evans*

For decades, Mike has been a driving force behind UK comic shows, especially in the South West, giving fans, creators, and small-press artists a place to come together long before conventions became mainstream.

From nurturing grassroots events to helping establish shows that became fixtures of the British comics calendar, his passion, energy, and sheer hard work have shaped the scene in ways that countless people still benefit from today.

Happy 70th Birthday to Mike Allwood! Photo courtesy Susie Evans

More than just an organiser, Mike has been a champion of comics culture and community, and his influence can be felt in every artist alley, panel, and fan meetup that followed.

Happy 70th birthday, Mike — and thank you for everything you’ve given to comics and the people who love them!

With thanks to Susie Evans

About the Author
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John Freeman

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.