Happy Birthday, 2000AD! From artist and fan Martin Geraghty

Name: Martin Geraghty 

Blog or web site: Yeah, need to get onto that someday, probably...

Currently working on: 

Knee-deep pencilling my next strip for Doctor Who Magazine, a tight little Eleventh Doctor two-parter by Scott Gray.

Other than that, Storyboarding and Visualising for the advertising business is keeping a roof over my head for the time being.

First memory of 2000AD? 

Buying the first issue in my local newsagents. I'd been bereft ever since ACTION bit the bullet and the rich diet of Dan Dare, Dinos and Dredd seemed the perfect pick-me-up.

It launched with a TV ad -- I'm sure it was an anticipatory purchase rather than an impulse buy.

Favourite Character or Story?

Well, Dredd is, and always will be, the icon of the mag but I'll have to plump for Slaine, as drawn by Mick McMahon. Those stories he illustrated are just some of the most exquisite black and white comic art I've ever seen.

What do you like most about the 2000AD? 

That it's still here, 35 years on. Longevity is a great comfort.

What would you most like to see in 2000AD as it heads to its Forties? 

That it continues to experiment and retain it's place as a breeding ground for peerless home-grown comic-strip talent.

If you worked on 2000AD, do you have an anecdote you'd like to share about your experience of Tharg and his minions? 

Never worked for 'em, Just lots and lots of happy memories of reading it.

• This post is one in a series of tributes to 2000AD to mark its 35th birthday on 26th February 2012. More about 2000AD at www.2000adonline.com

2000AD © Rebellion

Comics and more at the Lass!

(Above: They won! A rather natty promotional image for the Lass O'Gowrie pub in Manchester.)

Word from Gareth Kavanagh of the award-winning Lass O'Gowrie pub in Manchester of various comics-related events that are likely to be of interest to downthetubes readers:

First there's Warriorcon on 2nd July with Dez Skinn and guests. This celebrates cult anthology comic Warrior, the original home of V for Vendetta.

On 3rd July there's Vworp 4, a Doctor Who con that includes some guests from the world of British comics. These are Martin Geraghty, Adrian Salmon and Dez Skinn, all of whom have been closely involved with Doctor Who Magazine's comic strips. The con also features various other figures from the world of Who, such as Katy Manning (Third Doctor companion, Jo Grant) and Andrew Cartmel (the programme's script editor during Sylvester's McCoy's tenure).

And, as part of the Lass's Pub Fiction slot, some comic creators will be giving talks:

On 19th July, John Reppion of the Moore/Reppion writing team (Raise the Dead/Albion) presents a talk on different incarnations of the cities of Liverpool and Manchester, real and imagined, in his own writing, the work of others and beyond.

22nd July sees an audience with Al Ewing, a British comics writer with extensive experience in the small press and 2000 AD.

And on 23rd July, Bryan Talbot discusses his graphic novels Grandville and Grandville Mon Amour and the venerable and on-going tradition of anthropomorphic characters in illustration and comics from which they have emerged.

These events are all part of the pub's annual Lassfest, which runs from 1st July - 1st August. This showcases all aspects of the arts, with live theatre, readings, stand-up comedy and much, much more. Go here and scroll down to see what's on when.