Judge Dredd takes on Zombies in new App Game

Fuse Powered Inc. and Rebellion, the owners of 2000AD, have just released Judge Dredd vs. Zombies for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.

In Judge Dredd vs. Zombies, players are the Law, taking on the role of one of the world’s most famous comic book heroes as Judge Dredd declares a (second) death sentence on invading zombies. Using simple, “single-stick” controls, players shoot up zombies across thirty levels of over-the-top undead mayhem, unlocking weapon and equipment upgrades as justice is served. Judge Dredd vs. Zombies is available now on the App Store for $.99.

“When we met with Rebellion to discuss bringing their Judge Dredd brand to iOS, we saw right away that Judge Dredd vs. Zombies was a winning formula,” said Jon Walsh, CEO at Fuse Powered.

“In one corner, you have an iconic character from one of the most-loved comic book series of all time, and in the other corner – an endless horde of zombies. Rebellion is a proven world-class independent console developer and we’re thrilled to bring The Law to the iTunes App Store.”

Judge Dredd is of course none too pleased when zombies invade Mega City One and player s can help him punish these unlawful undead invaders with their Lawgiver and a devastating arsenal of powerful weapons. (You can increase your “Law Meter” by slaughtering the zombie horde and earn credits to unlock new guns and upgrades).

"From our first meeting with Fuse we realized that there was strong potential for a great partnership. Their analytics, marketing tools and expertise are invaluable assets for iOS developers." said Jason Kingsley, CEO of Rebellion. “It’s a great cultural fit. We get to do what we do best - make great games - and Fuse does what they do best - maximize each game’s chance of success.”

Key features include:

• 30 levels packed full of zombies to slay, set across three different episodes
• Single-stick controls – minimal learning curve equals maximum excitement
• Upgradeable weapons from the Judge Dredd universe - including the Lawgiver, the Spitgun, the Scattergun and the Hi-Ex Launcher
• Equipment upgrades, from Body Armour to Iron Will – each with a different combat advantage
• Star and commendation system – players are recognized for their shoot-em-up skills
• Game Centre support with 16 achievements to collect!

• Download Judge Dredd vs. Zombieson the iOS App Store for $.99: http://bit.ly/vH5EDQ

Mazeworld collection set for 2011 release

Rebellion (the publishers of 2000AD) are to release a collection of Mazeworld, the acclaimed story written by Alan Grant, later this year.

The creator-owned comic series ran in 2000AD between 1996 and 1999. With the tagline "Is Death the Door to Another World?", it's a fantasy story about Cadman - the first person hanged in Britain since 1964 transported to the Mazeworld.

Only ever collected by in the US by Caliber Comics and in three black and white volumes, Mazeworld is well overdue a full-colour collected edition. Fans who started a campaign to get it back into print in 2010 felt that with Ranson's collaboration with John Wagner, Button-Man, having its option renewed by Dreamworks, it might not take much more than some demand from the public to see Mazeworld finally reprinted.

Talking about the collection over on his official web site last October, Arthur Ranson said there was "No way to measure what effect the ‘Let’s get Maze World back in print’ campaign had on Rebellion’s decision but a coincidence seems unlikely."

Fans will have to wait until November 2011 to see the collected edition, which is being edited by Keith Richardson.

• Pre-order Mazeworld from amazon.co.uk

• Info on Mazeworld on amazon.com

Countdown to Comics Launch Pad Begins

2000AD editor Matt Smith, photographed at
Bristol UK Comics Festival, 2004,
holding a copy of small press
comic FutureQuake

Add a Caption

This summer, a unique event takes place at The Studio, Birmingham, bringing together seasoned professionals and aspiring creators from around the world with one thing in common: a passion for comics.

The first event of its kind, Launch Pad, taking place 18th June and organised by the team behind the International Comic Show, includes a full programme of workshops and seminars designed to inform and inspire budding writers and artists, along with opportunities for portfolio reviews and face-to-face feedback.

Speakers at the one day conference include legendary US comic creator Klaus Janson, DC Comics Senior Editor Joey Cavalieri and 2000AD Editor Matt Smith, and the event is officially supported by Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Rebellion Entertainment, Diamond Distribution and a host of other major publishing companies worldwide.

The Conference is limited to 300 delegates and includes an option to attend the exclusive after event roof garden party with complimentary food and drink.

• To find out more or to book your place go to: www.comicslaunchpad.com

In Review: Nikolai Dante - Amerika

Writer Robbie Morrison's roguish Nikolai Dante character has been a success for 2000AD from his first appearance in Prog 1035 in March 1997 and with Amerika the Rebellion reprint books of his ongoing adventures have reached number 9.

It is the 27th Century and the Earth is dominated by the Russian empire of Tsar Vladimir the Conqueror. Despite their considerable differences in the past, Dante is currently the Sword Of The Tsar, operating as a trouble shooter for the Empire. Of course this being Nikolai Dante he is more likely to cause the trouble than to shoot it. The book reprints the ongoing story of Dante from the Amerika story itself up to An Army Of Thieves And Whores and adds a shorter spin-off story, Lulu's War, at the end.

Amerika is set again a backdrop of unrest in New York in which suicidal rebels take strength enhancing drugs to attack their Russian occupiers. These drugs give then superhuman abilities and Morrison, along with artist Simon Fraser, have fun in creating perverse versions of familiar superhero characters from the Captain America styled character on the cover to the Incredible Hulk and even the Watchmen. This is not that unusual in the Dante stories as Morrison has previously incorporated his versions of British comics characters such as Janus Stark, Luther Arkwright and even Lord Peter Flint from Warlord into his stories. Along with his love interest, the Tsarina Jena Makarov, Dante's task is to stop the violence from the terrorist groups and get them to declare a truce to allow elections to take place. Simon Fraser, as artistic creator of Dante, draws him with his usual dynamicism and uses his surprisingly rare splash panels to good effect.

The art chores on Dante are regularly split between the Fraser's traditional comics style and veteran John M Burns fully painted stories. As different as they are they both work just as well for the character and Burns paints the middle section of the story as Dante, sickened by what he has seen and had to do in New York, finally snaps and turns against the Tsar. This is a more sober storyline of torture and repression and Burns moody style fits it well before Fraser returns to art duties as the story opens out into an all out revolution against the Tsar's regime.

The extra story in the book is a short spin-off tale set during the uprising and involves perhaps the darkest of all Dante's siblings, Lulu Romanov. Lulu's ability is the creation of supernatural demons and her battle is set in Venice against the vampiric Nightstalkers. The art by Paul Marshall, who has previous illustrated tales of the vampire Durham Red, is not as polished as Fraser or Burns however, in a story that could so easily been too dark visually as well as plot wise, Harrison ensures that the panels tell the fairly vicious story clearly.

Dante is a fan favourite in 2000AD but, as these stories show, the world that he inhabits is coming to an end, with Morrison portraying him as less of the happy-go-lucky swashbuckler than he once was while John M Burns in particular is beginning to portray him as an older man.

All good things come to an end but Amerika shows that the tale of Nikolai Dante is not there quite yet.

There are more details of Nikolai Dante: Amerika on Rebellion's 2000AD Online website.

Simon Fraser has a "semi-official" Nikolai Dante site as part of his own website and he will be a guest at the Hi-Ex comics convention in Inverness on 27/28 March 2010.

Tube Surfing: Ro-Jaws, Rebellion, Crikey!, Rankin, Road and Comic Fairs!

Ro-Jaws returns to 2000AD this week, making a comeback in the A.B.C. Warriors strip by Pat Mills and Clint Langley, who also provides the cover for Prog 1667, right.
Originally designed by Kevin O'Neill for the Ro-Busters strip in Starlord weekly over 30 years ago, this is something of a blast from the past - and if Ro-Jaws beahves like eh used to, we're sure it will be a blast. More info: www.2000adonline.com

• Talking of 2000AD, parent company Rebellion is undergoing something of a restructure, and part of the move puts the staff at its Derby studio under consultation as the lease on that studio expires. Develop Daily reports the firm is still committed to growing the staff at its Oxford HQ and expand its Runcorn base.
Rebellion Derby had most recently worked on completing Bethesda's Rogue Warrior. Its sister studios are hard at work finishing the new Alien vs Predator for Sega. Expect more news in coming weeks as to what this will mean for the games company.

• Novelist Ian Rankin was presented with West Lothian Libraries' Scot Scriever Award on 12th January. At his presentation ceremony he talked about how the local library in his native Fife had been a big draw for him as a youngster before he went on to talk about his career and take questions from the audience. When he was asked what he was reading at the moment he immediately said the latest Broons book and went go to give the examples of Granpaw Broon getting an ASBO and the wind turbine that now overlooks their But An' Ben holiday cottage as how the Sunday Post's strip, that has been running for almost three quarters of a century, was remaining contemporary.

• Sgt Mike Battle #14 is out now and sees the whirlwind romance between Roger Knightly and Shapely Charms reaches its thrilling finale. Can you really afford to miss the most shocking and heart-wrenching story in the history of comics? Do not worry about crying your eyes out as you read the comic because for a limited period you will get a free tissue with every issue!
Priced at £1.50, you can order your issue via the Sgt Mike Battle Fan Club on Facebook. For more information, visit www.sgtmikebattle.co.uk

• Good news from the publisher of Crikey! After concerns that the Borders collapse would damage the format of the title, we can report that despite earlier concerns it might have to black and white throughout, Crikey! 13 will have a centre section of eight pages in full colour. Discussions about expanded distribution through other retail outlets is also looking more positive.

• British Comic Creator Eddie Sharam got in touch with us lately, drawing our attention to the webcomic ROAD over on Zuda, which he writes and draws and will soon pass an impressive a 100 page milestone. He's been at it for over a year, with another year planned out. You can read ROAD on Zuda.com for free at zudacomics.com/road and Eddie would welcome feedback.

• And finally... here's a list of upcoming Golden Orbit comic fairs, which I hope to get chance to add to the events listing soon. All events start at midday apart from Leeds.

• Saturday, January 16, Birmingham - The Nautical Club, Bishopsgate Street, off Broad Street and a short walk from Smallbrook Queensway.
(Future date: February 20)

• Saturday, January 23, Manchester - Sachas Hotel, Tibb Street, Piccadilly
(Future date: March 13)

• Sunday, January 24, Liverpool - The Liner Hotel, Lord Nelson Street, off Lime Street
(Future date: March 14)

• Saturday, January 30, Leeds - Leeds Town Hall, The Headrow - from 11.00am
(Future date: March 6)

• Saturday, February 6, Sheffield - The Showroom, Paternoster Row, Sheaf Square (opp Railway Station)
(Future date: March 20)

• Saturday, February 13, Nottingham - Comfort Hotel, George St, off Upper Parliament St & Broad Street
(Future date: April 10)

• Saturday, February 27, Newcastle - University of Northumbria, Rutherford Hall, Ellison Place, off College Street

More details, map directions etc. at www.goldenorbit.co.uk

ABC Warriors Animated

2000AD ABC Warriors from Firestep Films on Vimeo.

Found on Vimeo by Paul Eldridge, this is an animation trailer for ABC Warriors, created by Firestep with the full cooperation of Rebellion Games, the Rights Holders to the 2000AD catalogue.

Impossible Pictures animation subsidiary Firestep have announced plans to develop full motion comics for TV in collaboration with Rebellion back in April (see press release here on 2000AD Forum)

Then, Jason Kingsley, CEO and creative director of Rebellion said he was delighted to be working with Firestep. "Whilst we are at the top of our field in developing computer games and in comics publishing, Impossible and Firestep are at the top of theirs in TV production where they have an enviable level of success, expertise and experience.

"We sincerely hope that we can create a new generation of fans for 2000AD’s iconic characters and make great TV too.”

The innovative concept of a full motion comic aims to bring 2000AD to a broader, younger audience whilst still engaging its core fan base.

“We have an enviable creative challenge ahead of us in translating the extraordinarily diverse visual and narrative worlds of the 2000AD originals into animation," said Firestep’s Steve Maher.

"Beyond that, we also want to structure the series in a way that mirrors the comic book - several short fully animated TV episodes of ongoing adventures, each starring a different 2000AD hero, each contained within a single show – a full motion comic.”

Impossible Pictures and Firestep MD Jonathan Drake adds “Step one is about selecting properties that can chime with a whole new generation whilst satisfying existing fans.”

There's no indication which other characters are being developed, although both Judge Dredd and Nemesis the Warlock were mentioned in the initial release.

Tube Surfing: Cursitor Doom, Nitro!, More Moon Stuff and Comics in Limbo...

• Bear Alley Books has just published the first inked and colour 'rough' for their upcoming Cursitor Doom collection. "I've put this together from a low-res scan e-mailed by artist John Ridgway, so this isn't the final version," says publisher Steve Holland, "But I probably won't change much. I was going to try and do something clever with the original logo but it's not something I ever particularly liked and I do like the elegant simplicity of the type."
You can now pre-order both Phantom Patrol (which features a cover by Chris Weston) and Cursitor Doom, due for relase in August, from the Bear Alley Books web site.

• UK publisher Future is to re-launch its UK boys 5-13 targeted Official Jetix Magazine as Nitro! in September. The first issue will feature kid-related news, toys, comic strips and features, covering characters from TV, movies and games. It's expected to have a 45,000 copy launch run and will offer at least four 'covermounted' gifts per foil-bagged issue.

• More Moon stuff: The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum has created a website that allows visitors to relive the flight of Apollo 11 and the Moon landing. Called We Choose the Moon, you can follow the mission from pre-launch to blast-off to the actual Moon landing on Monday.

• BleedingCool has a another feature on Comics We Just Can't Wait For – But Have To, including Warren Ellis and Colleen Doran’s Stealth Tribes – a sci-fi cloudsourcing cyberpunk original graphic novel Collen is still apparently drawing it for Vertigo - but has been for five years; and Warchild by Alan Moore, a series script bought by Rob Liefeld, he hasn’t progressed publication because he says he hasn’t found an artists who is up to the script.

• The Forbidden Planet International blog reports that comics creator Simon Gurr, who collaborated with Eugene Byrne on the special (and well received) Darwin graphic biography for the great scientist’s 200th anniversary earlier this year, has been chosen for a high profile public artwork celebrating famous Bristolians.
Bristol Festival of Ideas and Bristol Cultural Development Partnership recently announced that Simon Gurr, Bristol artist and illustrator, has been chosen to create a new permanent artwork on the theme of Some Who Have Made Bristol Famous, following a citywide call for ideas and submission of proposals. The commission, worth £10,000, is funded by donations from two Bristol patrons. Read the full FPI piece here

• Good news for Futurama fans. Not only is it be returning to our small screens, but more toys are on the way. io9 reports KidRobot is coming out with this cute line of Futurama dolls, due for release next month.

• Gaming news site Kaoktu reports that 2000AD owners Rebellion have been picking through the remains of games company Vivendi’s old portfolio of intellectual property, discarded amidst the company’s merger with Activision, and have found a number of bargains. Among the unwanted, unloved IPs now obtained are Ground Control, Evil Genius, Empire Earth, Lords of the Realm and Lords of Magic. They just can't seem to stop buying stuff, can they? But surely they must now have enough cool properties to launch a game title-based comic as well as 2000AD?

Mindjammer is first Starblazer Adventures game add-on

Rebellion-owned role-playing adventure games and card and board game publisher Cubicle 7 Entertainment has just announced Mindjammer, a self-contained campaign setting designed to bring the transhuman space theme to its new Starblazer Adventures role playing game, just released in the UK.

The UK release of Starblazer Adventures caught even Cubicle by surprize after their UK distributor unexpectedly brought the release date forward, but early response to the game has been positive, with the new release already attracting plenty of press interest.

Mindjammer, set for release in November, is a sourcebook for the Starblazer Adventures game inspired by the 1980s DC Thomson comic and is set in the strange and distant future of our own planet Earth, "a cool yet believable science-fiction setting of lost worlds, incredible technologies, and clashing civilizations," according to the company. It draws upon the "far future" works of writers like Cordwainer Smith, Larry Niven, Iain M. Banks, Dan Simmons, and Peter F. Hamilton for inspiration, with nods to the pulps, space operas, and planetary romances of writers like Edgar Rice Burroughs, Harry Harrison, and Leigh Brackett.

"It was the Second Age of Space, the Rediscovery of Mankind. The light of human civilization, which had flickered and threatened to die, suddenly burned bright again with contact with the thousand worlds of space. Humankind laughed, filled with the joy and power of a new-found youth, and strode forth to bring its message of hope and regeneration to the stars..."

The Mindjammer setting, which provides everything needed to play using only the Starblazer Adventures rules, introduces the New Commonality, the nascent interstellar state attempting to dominate the Rediscovery Era, a time when ultra-advanced technologies rub shoulders with lost and regressed worlds. Offering a unique and action-packed setting of epic high adventure, Cubicle 7 describe it as "something a little different from more conventional space opera settings."

"Were we on the brink of extinction? I'd say so, yes. Three or four centuries ago, no one had any interest in anything. It was like everything worth knowing had already been known, everything worth doing already done, and a million times over. We were happy enough, with our drugs and our slaves, and our endless diversions. But we were on our way out: something had gone, some zest, some spice, that made it all worthwhile.Now you get to live as long as you want, as long as you don't get killed. Life is dangerous again. And, somehow, that suddenly makes it all worth living."

Mindjammer contains exotic races and new careers, sentient starship characters, far future technologies including the interstellar "Mindscape" and technological psionics, new skills and stunts, new starships, rules for interstellar cultures and cultural conflict, starmaps, worlds and a detailed background of a huge Star Empire and its allies and foes.

There's also a complete campaign of four linked scenarios, "The Black Zone", including some spectacular Starblazer action with combat walkers, mass battles, and terrifying alien technologies.

Mindjammer is the work of a passionate industry writer Sarah Newton, whose work includes post-apocalyptic, horror, and techno-fantasy material for Chaosium's Basic Roleplaying and soon-to-be-published short Lovecraftian fiction. She's also working with Starblazers' Chris Birch on the forthcoming Starblazer Adventures: Chronicles Of Anglerre fantasy RPG and is currently writing several adventure supplements for Mindjammer.

"Mindjammer and Starblazer is a match made in heaven for me," said Sarah. "Starblazer has the rules, the flexibility, and the sheer gaming vision to allow for truly up-to-date, 21st century science-fiction with its hyper-advanced technologies and transhuman themes. It's a game which gives you tools for some spectacular action, and with Mindjammer we've really tried to take full advantage and blaze some new trails through the stars!"

It's a busy time for Cubicle 7 whose games include not only Starblazer Adventures but Victoriana and SLA Industries. Last week, they announced joined the Rebellion Group of companies.

Founded in 2006 Cubicle 7 Entertainment was set up by Angus Abranson and Dominic McDowall-Thomas, two gaming entrepreneurs who wanted to create a games publisher fostering some truly iconic brands. The company joins 2000AD, Abaddon Books, Mongoose Publishing (another British RPG publisher) and Rebellion itself, the massive UK based video games developer established in 1992 by brothers Jason and Chris Kingsley.

The company will be now based out of Rebellion Group offices in Swindon, UK and spokesperson Chris Birch told downthetubes Rebellion's support will allow Cubicle 7 to focus on a major, as-yet-unannounced licensed mainstream release later this year as well as a busy monthly release schedule.

"This is a great move for the company and one that will certainly benefit the fans of our games.” feels Angus Abranson of Cubicle 7. "It allows us the time and resources to fully support our existing lines as well as giving us the backing to bring new ideas – and licenses – to the marketplace."

“It places us firmly were we wanted to be in several years time, right now,” added Dominic.

Jason Kingsley felt Cubicle 7 was a great addition to the Rebellion Group’s circle of creative companies. “We have been aware of Cubicle 7's ambitions and enthusiasms for some time and approached them with a view to combining resources to make a good thing great. Rebellion is very excited to be welcoming C7 into its family. Wonderful things await!”

• The Starblazer Adventures game is on sale now in the UK and available from the Cubicle 7 online store: it goes on in the US in July.

• The 160 page Mindjammer supplement is due to be released in November with further supplements due in 2010. Mindjammer has its own dedicated website at www.mindjammer.com

• You can find out more about the Mindjammer supplement by downloading the Introduction To Mindjammer free pdf over at www.mindjammer.com or www.rpgnow.com where you can also find the free introductory adventure Escape From Venu.

Tharg's Head Revisited

In October 2008, occasional downthetubes contributor Matthew Badham interviewed freelance writer Andy Diggle (who is also the ex-editor of 2000AD). An edited 2000 word version of that interview was published in the February edition of the Judge Dredd Megazine.

Now, with the kind permission of Andy and Megazine editor Matt Smith, the full, un-edited transcript of the interview has been posted at Citizen Badham, Matthew's blog.

In the interview, Andy talks about writing comics and video games, editing 2000AD and gives his thoughts on the future of comics and the British comics scene:

"Yeah, I've always enjoyed telling stories. I tend to think very visually, and I was always more drawn to script writing than prose. I remember when I was a kid, back before we had a VCR, I recorded The Empire Strikes Back on audio tape off the TV and then transcribed the asteroid field sequence in screenplay format. Just to get a feel for the medium, I guess.

"Weeding through the submission pile was always grim, but you made up for that when you found the occasional ruby in the dust. Guys like Jock and Frazer Irving were sending me unsolicited submissions; now we're not only working together, we're good mates. A lot of great talent came out of that slush pile: Mike Carey, Ben Oliver, Si Spurrier, Boo Cook, Rob Williams, Ian Edgington, Al Ewing...

"As for British comics, there seems to be quite a thriving small press scene at the moment. So much so that I've been seriously considering setting up a small comic con. Watch this space."

• Read the full interview at Matthew's blog here.

2000AD Owners Interviewed

Game site Develop reports that British independent developer Rebellion, publishers of the Rogue Trooper and Judge Dredd games and also owners of cult comics 2000AD and Judge Dredd: The Megazine, has hit out at reports saying that the UK is the most expensive place to develop a game.

Asked in a Develop-exclusive interview whether the studio struggles as a work-for-hire developer when it's pitching against other teams in less costy locations such as the US, CEO Jason Kingsley said: "No - the UK is nowhere near as expensive as it is in California. Although we're not that far behind, I would say Britain is the best place to get a game made."

"There are some horror stories other studios will tell you about going to low-cost places to get a game made," he continues. "There is a risk/reward situation for publishers when it comes to paying for that. We've been around 16 years, and we've not got a reputation to maintain, which I think is one of the things that helps us attract work. The same goes for other UK studios."

Jason Kingsley has also suggested that the team are in the business for the long haul, with no prospect soon of the company being bought out, which might ultimately affect 2000AD and its other print publishing ventures.

"We’ve never said never to [accquisition], but it’s not something on our roadmap," says Jason. "We’re not planning to cash out because I like the lifestyle of running and owning a company."

Among other recent success stories for the highly-rated independent game developer, The company recently announced that Reef Entertainment has confirmed it has agreed an exclusive deal to launch 2000AD character Rogue Trooper videogame globally on Wii.

• For more from the Kingsleys check out the full interview here.

2000AD Online Makeover Nears Completion

The 2000AD Online web site seems to have almost completed its month-long makeover, with a cleaner layout that integrates more obvious links to some of Rebellion's other services such as ipod comic site Clickwheel.

"About a year ago, we had a sit down and a discussion with regards to the future of the website," explains Julian Hall, one of the 2000AD web team in a post about about the changes on the site's forum, "and decided that we loved the content, but we wanted to make changes to the structure and the design. The main problem was time."

Time indeed -- the site has been in transition for a while, but the results speak for themselves, with the final version set to offer the latest news on 2000AD, Judge Dredd: The Megazine and the Rebellion graphic novels, an expanded community forum and an online history to the comic.

Not yet live at time of posting are updated versions of the familiar character and creator sections, which are still in progress, as are more news and community watch features.

Julian says there's still time for registered users of the 2000AD Online Forum to offer suggestions for new features.

"I stress that nothing can be too big or too small a request to ask for. While we can’t guarantee that ever single request will get added, we’ll be working on the basis of doing the most important or the most asked for requests to be added first and work from there."

He also urges fans concerned by the transition to be patient. "While change can be dramatic, we’re hoping that you’ll all want to contribute to shaping the site the way you all want it!"