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Undiscovered Work by Countdown artist Jon Davis MBE rediscovered – but it’s not comics…

By John Freeman on 12 September 2026 • ( 0 )

The late Jon Davis MBE is well known and much admired as an illustrator and comic artist, but did you know he made short films, too?

Jon, who passed in 2020, received an MBE for Services To Children’s Literature in 2013, had been an illustrator since 1960, working on book jackets, and magazine illustration, and drawing for British comics that included Boys’ World, Lady Penelope, TV21 and annuals, and, later, Countdown. He also illustrated various “Bancroft Tiddlers” books, and created his own children’s book, Fantastic Adventures of Trevor & Eric.

Artist Jon Davis receiving his MBE. Photo courtesy Jon’s family — *Above: Artist Jon Davis receiving his MBE, photo courtesy Jon’s family, and a still from “Mission 090”*

Mission 090 - a short film by Jon Davis MBE — *Above: Artist Jon Davis receiving his MBE, photo courtesy Jon’s family, and a still from “Mission 090”*

But he also enjoyed tinkering with film, and created this recently rediscovered short science fiction film, utilising only physical effects in the 1990s, which I’ve titled Mission 090, which his son, Ethan, has kindly given me permission to post on YouTube.

You can read my full tribute to Jon, who passed in 2020, here on downthetubes.

My thanks to Ethan for permission to post Jon’s work.

Head downthetubes for…

• Jon Davis web site is at: wixsite.com/jondavistv21

• Fantastic Adventures of Trevor & Eric, his children’s novel, is available from Authorhouse or as an eBook download from Kobo

• Bancroft Tiddlers – A Checklist

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.