When Frank Bellamy died in 1976, artists were asked to submit samples if interested in taking over newspaper strip Garth. Martin Asbury got the job. Here are a couple of panels from the strips submitted by John M Burns. Can't show more than these due to nudity.

Coming to Kickstarter in April from Chinbeard Books. Eartha Hardback Collection! Written by Donne Avenell and illustrated by John M Burns. "Eartha" will be a unique, luxury, landscape hardback; containing over 90% of the original unlettered artboards, as well as the full strips alongside them.

A year ago today, the Zetari Kickstarter campaign was launched. Here's an illustration that couldn't be fitted in - an unpainted page from The Monastery of Dreams. I wish John had taken copies of all the pages from this book before painting them like he did for The Bright Face of Death.

Psycops was a daily newspaper strip appearing in The Sun 1996-99. Collection still available. Cover shown here not used. www.planetstriker.com/product-page...

Remembering John M Burns today on what would have been his 88th birthday.

Just a reminder for those of you who have not taken a punt on Lost Treasure 2 yet - there are about 80 copies left of this treasure trove of art. Full colour art by Don Lawrence, Ron Embleton and Jesús Blasco- only available here www.hiberniacomics.com Grab a copy while you can!

There's a rare chance to buy a piece of original art by John from Wrath of the Gods in this auction. There are many other great examples of vintage British comic art in the same auction. www.andersonandgarland.com/auction/lot/...

Before the Wuthering Heights adaptation for Classical Comics, John illustrated Jane Eyre for the same publishers in 2008. Here's a look at his process.

Book Palace Books has opened preorders for its Limited Edition collection of the Biggles strips published in TV Express Weekly, featuring stories credited to the character’s creator, W. E. Johns, with art by… https://downthetubes.net/book-palace-books-tv-express-biggles-collection-flying-your-way/

May 2026

While Wuthering Heights divides cinema audiences, here's a reminder that John M Burns illustrated two adaptations of the novel. In 1963, a 9 part version appeared in the weekly comic Diana. In 2011, a 144 page graphic novel was published by Classical Comics. www.classicalcomics.com/products/wut...

Here's one of the earliest sightings of George and Lynne drawn by John in the British tabloid The Sun from 1976 until 1984. He left it to work on Zetari and it continued for many years after drawn by Josep Gual.

Happy Valentine's Day!

One last look at Modesty Blaise for now. Between 1987 and 1986, John M Burns illustrated 13 book covers (11 novels and 2 short story collections) for the Swedish publishers Berghs. Presented here in no particular order. 6x Modesty plus cover rough plus similar pose 4/4

One last look at Modesty Blaise for now. Between 1987 and 1986, John M Burns illustrated 13 book covers (11 novels and 2 short story collections) for the Swedish publishers Berghs. Presented here in no particular order. 3/4

One last look at Modesty Blaise for now. Between 1987 and 1986, John M Burns illustrated 13 book covers (11 novels and 2 short story collections) for the Swedish publishers Berghs. Presented here in no particular order. 2/4

One last look at Modesty Blaise for now. Between 1987 and 1996, John M Burns illustrated 13 book covers (11 novels and 2 short story collections) for the Swedish publishers Berghs. Presented here in no particular order. 1/4

Bluesky can be quite limiting for showing images. For fans of John's work who also use Facebook, I run a group which lets me show a lot more including unpublished work, audio interviews, albums, photos from his studio, Q & A and even a rare video of him drawing. www.facebook.com/groups/57891...

In case you don't know, I love the work of John M. Burns. Sadly, I lost virtually all my research/writing/scans on a book I was making on his life. I found an old hard drive with some scans, and have just found a way to access it.

In 2011, John M Burns proposed illustrating Modesty Blaise in colour. He used existing strips from the story "Top Traitor" drawn by Jim Holdaway (whose work he admired - he had a Holdaway original framed in his studio) in lieu of a script. Here are his examples alongside the Holdaway strips.

Even though John M Burns was sacked from the Modesty Blaise newspaper strip, he was the go to guy for subsequent covers, commissions and sketches. These are the covers he did for the first Titan reprint series. 2/2

Even though John M Burns was sacked from the Modesty Blaise newspaper strip, he was the go to guy for subsequent covers, commissions and sketches. These are the covers he did for the first Titan reprint series. 1/2

There will be a birthday sale of my art @splashpageart.bsky.social from midnight tonight until midnight tomorrow, buy 3 get 1 free! Only sale we do all year!

Latest design work - novella and CD layout for ‘Sir Sherlock - The Red Letter Day’, starring Tom Baker & John Leeson as Holmes and Watson. Everything you need to know about it is on Kickstarter, where you can also back the project on a number of different tiers - rb.gy/2ij0b9

This edition of the 2000AD Thrill-Cast was a tribute to John M Burns featuring @kershed.bsky.social @seanphillips.bsky.social @robbiemorrison.bsky.social, Tim Quinn and was moderated by Michael Molcher. Youtube version www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2Na... Audio version 2000ad.com/news/a-tribu...

Between 1975 and 1977, John M Burns drew many illustrations for Strangest Stories, a Saturday feature in the London Evening News. The Wild Man of the West was published on July 24th 1976. Original art and published page.

20% off everything birthday sale at seanphillips.bigcartel.com for all of January. Use code JAN2026 at checkout.

John M Burns. 11th March 1938 - 29th December 2023. Two years ago today. C'mon @mrbensmith.bsky.social , any chance of 2026 bringing us a collection / compilation of John's work?

A card John painted for the John M Burns Facebook group in 2022. Happy Christmas!

I REALLY hate to ask - and normally I don't - but our boiler died this morning so any purchases you could make through either Bandcamp or Vinted wld be much appreciated, thx. (The money's a moot point as I suspect we won't be able to get a plumber out this side of New Year. Gonna be a cold Xmas,,,)

Book Palace have a discount deal ahead of Yuletide see alt text for full info | 30% OFF our Sale Section! - mailchi.mp/8b93e6f02890...

Judge Anderson.

A character John M Burns said he wished he'd been able to do (he submitted a sample strip after Frank Bellamy died) - Garth. Martin Asbury got the job.

Illustrators 49, the latest in Book Palace Books brilliant series of quarterly publications, is available now, a special giant-size issue that includes a fascinating history of the original comic that inspired… https://downthetubes.net/illustrators-49-spotlights-the-art-of-frank-cho-the-eternaut/

Book Palace Books are running a special online auction “From the Vaults of The Book Palace” in partnership with Catawiki, ending later today (Tuesday 2nd December 2025) https://downthetubes.net/book-palace-books-exclusive-original-art-auction-ends-tonight/

Giant-Size Criminal #1 is out on Wednesday, with variant covers from @panelsyndicate.bsky.social @duncanfegredo.bsky.social and @jhwilliams3.bsky.social

Out next week! Giant Size CRIMINAL #1 is a new story, a great refresher/intro to the Brubaker and Phillips world of crime stories, in anticipation of the new Pr!me show. If you get it from OK Comics you could win a piece of original art by @seanphillips.bsky.social . okcomics.co.uk/products/pre...

Glory Knight, Time Travel Courier was a weekly strip running in June and Schoolfriend 1970-71 drawn by John M Burns. @davidmcdonald.bsky.social of Hibernia Comics has announced that the strip will be collected late next year! www.hiberniacomics.com

This year has been our busiest year yet- we published three very different books. Stock of The Editors Cut and The Running Man is now less than thirty of each left, and Lost Treasures is less than 90. Get these now while you can, because they will sell out. Buy them here now- hiberniacomics.com

A 2017 Modesty Blaise commission by John M Burns - pencils and inks. Even though he was sacked from drawing the daily newspaper strip after two and a bit stories and professed to hate the character, he did dozens of book covers, commissions and sketches for decades afterwards.

I reposted @davidmcdonald.bsky.social's post about the found copies of Lost Treasures earlier but didn't have time to eloborate on them. Children of the Stars was drawn by John M Burns in 1970. The book also contains The Long Way Home drawn by Jesus Blasco. www.hiberniacomics.com?fbclid=IwY2x...

I found a box with a literally a handful of Lost Treasure 1, with art by John M Burns and Jesús Blasco! I'm offering them for sale as a pack with our newly released Lost Treasure 2, with art by Don Lawrence, Ron Embleton and Jesus Blasco, they are available to buy here - www.hiberniacomics.com

The VERY limited reprint of the Tower King is available now here - www.hiberniacomics.com Reprinted from the new Eagle, this classic story by Alan Hebden and José Ortiz is our most requested reprint and here it is. Grab it now!