Judge Dredd seeks the Judge Child in new collection

2000AD continues its popular run of pocket-sized black-and-white reprints of Judge Dredd classics with The Judge Child - as the lawman leaves Earth on an intergalactic mission to save Mega-City One!

When Justice Department’s oldest psychic has a terrifying vision of the future, Dredd and a select group of Judges are sent on a mission to find The Judge Child - an adolescent named Owen Krysler who may be the only being powerful enough to stop the foretold apocalypse. But at what cost?

Featuring some of the most iconic moments in the strip’s history, Dredd encounters a galaxy stranger than anything you could imagine - from alien voodoo priests to spaceship-eating planets and diseases that make their victims disappear piece by piece! The Judge Child truly is Judge Dredd at its insane, imaginative best.

Referenced in both Judge Dredd films, this epic story also introduced the famous Angel Gang – including headbutt-happy Mean Angel, whose dial controls his level of aggression.

With incredible artwork by the greatest names to have drawn Judge Dredd - Brian Bolland, Mick McMahon, and Ron Smith - the latest in 2000AD’s line of Dredd stories in B-format is an all-time classic, a must have that will appeal to old readers and those unfamiliar with the world of Mega-City One.

Happy Birthday, 2000AD! from artist Rob Davis

Name: Rob Davis

Blog: http://dinlos.blogspot.com

Currently working on:

Writing and drawing second Volume of Don Quixote and working on strips for The Phoenix.

First memory of 2000AD?

I bought prog 1 of 2000AD from the newsagents on Ashley Road in Parkstone, lost the spinner down the back of Chris Morrel's fridge. I couldn't read very well as an eight year old, but I loved Belardnelli's Dan Dare art. Space Hyper Hero!

I probably read most of the first 100 issues more by the pictures than the words. Within a year or so I was doing my own 2000AD style comic called "Space". I still have issue 3.

Favourite character or story?

Favourite character as a child was Robo Hunter. Halo Jones stands out to me as a writer because it spun everything around, made writing about anything seem possible. Dredd is the great icon of the comic and contains all the cleverest and most witty writing, it's what 2000AD is all about.

Artwise Mick (then Mike) McMahon's work surpassed, and surpasses, anything else in British comics and waking up one Saturday and rushing to the newsagent to get my hands on Prog 335 to see the first pages of McMahon's Slaine work on 'Warrior's Dawn' is the No. 1 art experience of my life. Not sure I'll ever recover from the moment I saw that opening page.

Having said all that, my personal favourite read ever was the first book of Nemesis. Genuinely alien and familiar, futuristic and historical, mythical and satirical. Top stuff!

What you like about 2000AD?

2000AD tricked me into thinking this is how thinks are; there's a 12p newsprint rag I could pick up every in the same shop that sells my dad his fags and it contains more invention, creativity, peerless art than I'd ever encounter in one place again. I thought that is what we should expect, it's what I intended to do with my life - keep that illusion going, make the world seem that impossibly giving to kids so they'd grow up as bursting full of imagination as I was.

Sadly the comic wanted to grow up with me, but it grew up to be a retarded, heavy metal fan who thought women smelt of magazine paper. I didn't want to be its friend anymore.

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

We don't keep in touch, but I'm assured it did grow up and sort itself out. It keeps the best of company now, so it must have turned out ok, I've seen D'Israeli's marvelous Stickleback for example! We probably just grew apart and we've gone our separate ways. 

 

Part of me harbours an ambition to do something for the comic, but it would have to be an homage to one of the great inspirations of my life and therefore would have to be startling original and staggeringly good.

If you worked for 2000AD, do you have an anecdote to share about Tharg and his minions?

And here's the rub. I did draw Judge Dredd for a while in the 1990s, in Lawman of the Future, and I found the experience draining and soul destroying. I had nothing to add to Dredd that could improve upon what Mick McMahon had done. I could do something different, for the sake of it, but nothing better. This didn't appeal to me. I had no kids or mortgage in those days so I just walked. I didn't like the scripts or the ideology or the lack of ambition. Sadly the very thing that had made me want to make comics ultimately made me give them up as a career.

• 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

2000AD Celebrates 35 Years of Thrillpower!

In 1977, something amazing happened. All across the land the first issue of 2000AD, dated 26th February, arrived in British newsagents. And your world has never been the same since.

35 years on and The Galaxy’s Greatest Comic is still going strong, still packed with top-notch Thrills by some of the world’s greatest comic book artists and writers, and still bringing intense weekly bursts of Thrill-power to the starving masses.

To celebrate this milestone, this Wednesday sees the anniversary edition, Prog 1771, hit newsstands in the UK (7th March in North America) with the choice of two amazing variant covers - one by Chris Weston (The Filth, The Twelve), riffing on a classic image by Brian Bolland and showing some of the classic characters of the past 15 years.

The second cover by 2000AD legend Mick McMahon shows the alien editor, Tharg the Mighty, surrounded by his loyal editorial droids!

This week will also see 2000adonline.com give away some exclusive prizes to Squaxx Dek Thargo everywhere, including:

• Copies of Kingdom: The Promised Land signed by New York Times bestselling writer Dan Abnett
• Copies of dinosaurs-farmed-by-cowboys-from-the-future classic Flesh: The Dino Files signed by 2000AD’s creator and first editor, Pat Mills
• Copies of the hilarious mobster comedy Al’s Baby signed by Judge Dredd creators John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra

Thanks to Planet Replicas, they’ll also be giving one lucky Earthlet the chance to get a custom made Judge badge – featuring their own surname! These high-quality fully licensed badges are a must for budding agents of the law, and the winner will get one embossed with their own name.

And as we head toward 2000AD’s official birthday, 2000ADonline have the pièce de résistance – an exclusive Mongrol figure from Ashley Woods’ threeA Toys. Yes – one of the most hotly desired piece of 2000AD merchandise in recent years. Standing over 11-inches high and over 13-inches wide, this fully articulated 1:6 scale figure has been drooled over by fans since its release last year and you’ll get the chance to try and win this stunning figure.

Keep your glues glued to 2000adonline.com, as well as the comic's official Twitter and Facebook feeds, as we gear up to mark 35 years of Thrill-powered awesomeness!

Happy birthday, 2000AD – it’s going to be a zarjaz week!

Happy Birthday, 2000AD! From writer and fan Benjamin Dickson

Name: Benjamin Dickson

Currently working on:

The Kestrels with Mick McMahon, a creator-owned children's adventure story set on the home front in World War 2. There's no publication date yet - mainly because we don't yet have a publisher on board - but more about this story will be made public soon.

In the meantime you can see some of Mick's concept sketches here: http://tuggingyourcoat.com/2011/06/08/kestrels/

The first part of a much more adult book, Unfinished City, should be published through Scar Comics later this year. Co-written by me and Jelena Stanovnik and illustrated by Robert Solanovic, it's the story of a woman's journey through the criminal underworld of a city in Former Yugoslavia to find justice for her murdered sister.

But that's already written - right at this moment I'm co-writing a book about the history of protest with Sean Michael Wilson.

First memory of 2000AD?

Reading a friend's copy in his bedroom after school, and marvelling at some awesomely bizarre Nemesis artwork by Kevin O'Neill.

I didn't really read 2000AD so much myself as a child, I read Eagle instead, but I picked up the Best of 2000AD fairly regularly, so I guess I've always been a collected edition reader more than a weekly reader.

I particularly remember reading "The Midnight Surfer" in that format - it was a hell of a ride.

Favourite Character or Story?

Judge Dredd is by far my favourite recurring character, but my favourite story published in 2000AD has to be Button Man.

Pretty much every "how to write" book you ever read will tell you that Button Man shouldn't work. Harry Exton is a central character with absolutely no redeeming features whatsoever, yet Wagner makes you root for him anyway. That alone is a great lesson in storytelling.

What do you like most about the 2000AD?

That it's adapted itself over time to ensure it never became outdated, yet never lost touch with the core principles of what Pat Mills set out to create in 1977. It must be a difficult balancing act. But more recently I've been really impressed with the line of graphic novels that have been coming out, particularly the chunky Dredd trades. It's been great to revisit the bits I knew and to read the stuff I missed.

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

Primarily I just want to see it keep going! In terms of specifics, I'd like to see James McKay being given a full colour strip to draw, as his painted work is really extraordinary.

I won't say I want to see X or Y return, as to me the point of 2000AD is to keep looking to the future and developing new stuff. So yeah, I guess that's what I'd like to see.

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

I've not yet had the pleasure of being Tharg's bitch, but I'd like to be at some point. You never know, it might happen!

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

2000AD © Rebellion

Cursed Earth Mega-epic kicks off new 2000AD book range

One of the all-time greatest Judge Dredd stories ever told is returning in a brand new pocket-sized format.
The Cursed Earth, the first ‘mega-epic’ featuring the famous Lawman of the Future, is being published in B-format for the first time.

A deadly plague is ravaging the futuristic metropolis of Mega-City Two on the American West Coast. To deliver a life-saving vaccine to the city, Judge Dredd and his crew of Judges, war droids and the lawbreaking biker, Spikes Harvey Rotten, must travel across ‘the Cursed Earth.’

This hellish radioactive wasteland is filled with hate-filled mutants, flying rats, rampaging monsters and crazed war robots. Many men have attempted to cross it and most have failed, but Judge Dredd has a duty to perform – even if he has to crawl all the way himself!


Written by Pat Mills and John Wagner, with art by Mick McMahon and Brian Bolland, The Cursed Earth is the early classic that cemented Dredd’s reputation as the legendary hard man of British comics.

These stylish new B-format editions bring the classic Judge Dredd stories from the best-selling Complete Case Files series to open up the world of Dredd to new readers and fans at a low price.

• The Cursed Earth is released next week, 2nd February in the UK. ISBN 978-1-781080-08-5 , £6.99

2000AD launches 'Creator Interviews' ebook

2000AD has launched its first ebook collection of interviews with some of the biggest names in the comic book industry.

This first collection includes a three-part interview with the co-creator of Judge Dredd, Carlos Ezquerra, as well as pieces on the creator of 2000AD, Pat Mills, and two of the artists who fundamentally defined the look of Dredd – Mick McMahon and Ron Smith.

In a new experiment for 2000AD, the series is being made available in ebook format, firstly for Kindle only – available through Amazon for just £1.99.

These long-form interviews from the monthly Judge Dredd Megazine offer a unique insight into the life and work of seminal figures in British comics history, covering everything from their childhoods, to their time with 2000AD and their work elsewhere. Later volumes will include interviews with more top flight talent from the world of Tharg.

“These interviews are one of the highlights of the Judge Dredd Megazine and give unprecedented insights into the creative minds behind 2000AD and its characters,” said Matt Smith, editor.

“Nowhere else will you find this long-running series of long-form interviews, and these collections will allow fans to get an in depth look at the people who made 2000AD what it is today.”

Don’t be a mug – obey the law!

A top-quality mug lovingly wrapped in classic Judge Dredd artwork from one of the greats of 2000 AD – the latest merchandise from The House of Tharg is perfect for sitting back and sipping your synthi-caff!

This limited edition Mega-City One Justice Department-approved beverage holder features the stunning wraparound cover from Prog 169 in 1980, drawn by legendary Judge Dredd artist Mick McMahon. It shows Dredd leading a charge of Mega City forces in one of the most iconic images from the early years of 2000 AD.

Exclusive to the 2000 AD online shop for just £7.99, this new mug joins a host of 2000 AD merchandise from t-shirts and action figures to badges and sketch books.

The new mug is available from http://shop.2000adonline.com

2D Preps for Take-Off

The cream of the world’s comic talent will touch down in Derry/Londonderry next week for 2D, the Northern Ireland Comics Festival.

The free event – hosted annually by the Verbal Arts Centre – runs from 2nd - 4th June and is the biggest of its kind in Northern Ireland as well as being a unique and engaging celebration of comic book culture.

It marks the fifth time the event has run in the city and organisers have pulled out all the stops to ensure that this year’s event is the biggest and best to date, having secured some of the biggest and most respected names in the comics industry for this year’s programme.

Guests include legendary artists such as Mick McMahon (Judge Dredd), Glenn Fabry (Preacher, Slaine) and Mike Collins (Doctor Who, Superman) as well as host of other comic creators who have worked on properties and titles such as Transformers, Batman, Star Wars, Spider-Man, Gorillaz, Game of Thrones and The Beano.

One of the highlights of the festival is the 2D Comics Fair on Sat 4th June and those attending can buy comics, meet top comic creators, get free sketches of their favourite character, have a Robot version of themselves drawn at the ‘Hi Robot’ booth, or get their face painted as a fun character.

Attendees can also enter in the Mario Bros and Moshi Monsters drawing competitions, the Fancy Dress competition or have a go on our ‘Robot Drawing Wall’, with great comic prizes for the best efforts. Festival goers can also have their photo taken with the Star Wars Stormtroopers, as the fantastic Emerald Garrison will be in attendance.

This year one of the most influential men in Comics, Mark Chiarello (DC Comics VP Art Direction), will be attending to give an insight into the industry and host a series of portfolio reviews for aspiring creators, where he’ll be looking out for new talent. These portfolio reviews are notoriously hard to arrange, so please get in touch if you would like to take advantage of this great opportunity to get your skills noticed and possibly get a foot in the door of the comics industry.

The festival caters for all ages with workshops and fun drawing events for all the family during the daytime and panel talks in Sandinos bar for the older audience on Friday 3rd and Saturday 4th June evenings from 6.30pm.

• All events are completely free of charge. For more details contact the Verbal Arts Centre on 02871266946, email davidAT2dfestival.com check the website  www.2dfestival.com
Twitter: @2dComicsFest.

Crikey! No More

The publishers of British comics magazine Crikey! have reluctantly decided to close the magazine.

"We tried until the last minute to keep going," editor Tony Ingram told downthetubes, "but unfortunately a couple of guys who seemed serious about buying into the mag ultimately didn't come back with anything in time and Glenn Fleming feels that he cannot afford to continue it alone.

"To just drift along until we run out of money and then disappear without a proper final issue would be doing a disservice to our readers," he adds.

Crikey! 16 features an exclusive interview with none other than 2000AD artist Mick McMahon, the magazine takes a peek at the Look-In strip you never saw, dtb contributor Ian Wheeler shares his thoughts on Action Force and Rab Smith entertains with a nostalgic look at the fab Sparky character 'I Spy'.

There's also a feature on Alan Moore and Steve Parkhouse's The Bojeffries Saga, Jamie Hailstone remembers Stingray in TV Century 21, Cranston McMillan speaks softly about his Grandma and Glenn B Fleming gives us his tribute to the late Joe Colquhoun. And as if that isn't enough, apart from the four extra pages the publishers have thrown in at no extra cost, Tony Ingram is caught on his knees again looking through a certain lady's keyhole before setting a few things straight with Rogue Trooper.

Plus, John Devaney concludes his 'Spooks' feature and Tony pops up again with the latest report on the 20th century's least favourite dictator, Adolph Whatshisname. And finally, Crikey's resident cartoon character 'Hatch', who graces the cover of this final issue, looks like he's heading for trouble as usual but we're told he may be appearing in other places soon.

Crikey! was side swiped by the loss of its major distributor last year and, despite numerous attempts to secure new sales routes, it did not recover. Sadly, some potential distributors simply considered the magazine nothing more than a fanzine.

"It was never that for Tony and I," Glenn told downthetubes. "Crikey!'s passing is a very sad moment for me. I've had a great time working on it, meeting people in the industry and more."

The Crikey! team are thanking their loyal readers and promoters for their help, noting the Crikey! website and will continue.

"I hope it was as good a product as I thought it was, and that it was as much fun to read as it was to write/edit," says Tony. "It is the single thing I am most proud of having been a part of."

Here at downthetubes, where our raison d'etre is the promotion and support of British comics talent old and new, we're very sorry to hear this news: we know from publishing a smaller-run title, Eagle Flies Again, some years back, how hard it is to publish this kind of title. It will be much missed.

• Check out the Crikey! website