comics – Page 2 – Afterwards

2000AD ART – Dredd by Gary Erskine

From LSCC 2013 I think it was…

Ive met a few 2000ad artists at con’s over the last few years and one of the nicest chaps was Gary Erskine. He has done Dredd, Dan Dare, Flesh and other pieces for 2000AD and tons of stuff for other comic houses and also did a brilliant set of digital Star Wars pieces which I have prints of somewhere. He was really engaging and happy to talk for ages as he drew and did the Dredd you see below. It was great to see him do it from scratch, and he took such care – producing first a sketch and then doing the final piece from that. I asked him if I could also have the sketch which he reluctantly agreed to (being a thoroughly fabulous chap) despite not wanting to as he didn’t like the idea of something so rough being out there. I am glad he did though because I think the two pieces side by side look amazing.

If you like a good read you should take a look at his Roller Grrrls stuff. Pretty cool and something he was so passionate about.

My Dredd Tattoo

Revisiting this as it got messed up by the WordPress shenanigans a while back…

I think you know I love Judge Dredd by now, and a couple of years ago I decided to add to my tattoos with a Judge Dredd piece. I don’t quite recall how this piece was selected exactly but the cover of megazine 302 was just so brilliant and it was one that really struck me with the wonderful character of Dredds face and the Artist that did my piece, Lee Reynolds, really took to it.

The artwork was done by Simon Bisley and Glenn Fabry for the 20th anniversary edition of the megazine. This is the original.

I actually think I have one Simon Bisley piece of artwork tucked away somewhere but I’m not currently lucky enough to own a Glenn Fabry piece but it’s on my list of things to buy. Glenn Fabry’s Slaine work is particularly gorgeous and I’m pretty sure something that I will be covering in a future blog.

It took about 5 hours to do as I recall and the worst thing about it was not the pain of the needle but rather having to sit there lying forward with my left arm extended behind me for that amount of time.

I actually rather enjoy the pain and it certainly take your mind off everything when you’re sat there for that amount of time and in a weird sort of way it’s a quite fabulous way to relax and get away from everything else that might be on your mind.

Certainly well worth the time and money and a piece I just absolutely love. I have 2 other 2000AD pieces I will show you another time.

20180701_094330(0)5082702017456487395.jpg

2000AD Script – T B Grover (John Wagner / Alan Grant) and art by Cliff Robinson

From Prog 434 7th September 1985

I have been very excited about this for a number of reasons. I buy a lot of my comic art from eBay and over the weekend was perusing the site when I saw a 2000AD comic script. I had never seen one of these before so was excited by the piece (well pieces there were two but you only get to see one today).

Within moments my pulse was racing as I realised just what it was. Not only was it a script from a story that I remember from 1985 but it was the script from a Prog that I read so many times and was THE most memorable one from my childhood. I remember reading this prog over and over and loving the two gangs featured – the Zits and the Sharks. The art work is amazing and the story was brilliant – a musical!

Well I just had to have and a quick bid and it was all mine.

The story is that the seller’s brother went to school with Alan Grant’s daughter or son and I believe it because the other script is signed by Alan Grant and John Wagner and I have both of their signatures on stuff from a Con a few years ago. All checks out and to be honest it didn’t cost enough to be worth creating a forgery.

Anyway, if this is your thing check it out. Me and my youngest had a read of it tonight – me on the script and him on the comic and it was almost exactly the same.

2000AD Prog 10

30th of April 1977

Okay, so this one matter s for a number of reasons. Prog ten was the first ever multi part Dredd story and importantly was the first where John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra worked together. Their work would become some of the finest to fill the pages of 2000ad and Robot wars was a sign of things to come. Inside is a wonderful double page Dan Dare spread. The cover was drawn by the unmistakable Carlos Ezquerra (I will show you my Ezquerra piece another time) and inside you will also find the following:

Dan Dare by Kelvin Gosnell and Massimo Bellardinelli
M.A.C.H.1 by pat mills and Enio
Judge Dredd by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra
Invasion by Gerry Finley Day and Eric Bradbury
Flesh by Studio Giolitti and Ramon Sola
A Tharg 2000AD vehicle testing thingy
Harlem Heroes by Tom Tully and- Dave Gibbons
On the back is the Flesh Card Game cut out

A freaking amazing prog!

2000AD ART – Nikolai Dante – Charlie Adlard

From Prog 481 in 1986.

Charlie Adlard is probably best known these days for his work on ‘The Walking Dead’. He draws a lot of the current stuff but he has also done stuff for 2000Ad in the past and this is one of those pieces.

Its from ‘Them Masque of Dante’ story and is a signed piece that has the acetate lettering overlay as well as what I think is a note from the editor indicating where to put some of the lettering.

It shows you how the lettering can be added and is obviously different from the one I posted a few days ago here

where the lettering is cut out and pasted on. Here you can just lift it off.

2000AD ART – ACE TRUCKING CO. – Massimo Belardinelli

From Prog 481 in 1986.

I have more comic art work than I have walls, and I do not have nearly enough of it framed and on display and the piece below really should be hanging on the wall somewhere.

This is a piece by Massimo Belardinelli who’s most notable 2000AD work was surely ACE TRUCKING CO. He did do some Dredd, Flesh, Slaine and others but the space haulage comedy was one of the strips from my youth that I still remember with fondness. I love this piece especially because of the lettering. I will show you how they do acetate lettering another time but in this one if you look closely you can see how the lettering has been cut out and glued on afterwards.

Love it love it love it.

2000AD Dredd the Movie – Schematic

Just because I thought it was cool. that’s why/

There are two Dredd films, and I actually love them both. Yes the first is awful for many reasons but seeing Dredd on screen still thrills me. Karl Urban’s Dredd was more to the liking of most than Stallone’s and I agree – that was a fabulous film. I don’t plan to go into all that though. what I wanted to show you was a schematic for a corridor.

More specifically a design sketch for a corridor in the Karl Urban Dredd film.

I just thought it was cool so I bought it…

2000AD Prog 71

1st of July 1978

I wrote about the banned Ronald McDonald storyline here, well here is another fantastic colour double spread from the story printed in Prog 71. A thing of real beauty drawn by Mike McMahon and written by pat Mills.

I’ll tell you about the time I met Mike another time, but he is a thoroughly pleasant chap.

2000AD Prog 78

12th of August 1978

Last week I showed you the 2000AD Ronald McDonald v Burger King episode from 1978 that will never see a reprint due to it’s copyright infringement. Today I will bring you another from 5 weeks later. This time they featured the Jolly Green giant and again, you’ll never see a reprint I am certain.

The prog also features Dan Dare, Ant Wars, a Future Shock and Ian Gibson’s unmistakable ROBO HUNTER art. Love it muchly! The back cover has a series of what were intended to be cu out cards that formed part of a board game that would be printed over a 6 week period. I’m rather glad the person who had mine originally did not!

2000AD Glimmer Rats – Comic Art

Gordon Rennie and Mark Harrison bring you Glimmer Rats.

One of my all time favourite 2000AD strips is Glimmer Rats. Written by the legend that is Gordon Rennie and drawn by Mark Harrison it really is a great story and a feast for the eyes.

I picked up a couple of pieces of the art from it on EBAY somehow a few years ago and they are gorgeous sketches what have been water coloured in black and grey. I think. Take a look I hope you like them and if you can you should pick up a copy of it because it is freakishly gorgeous.

2000AD Comic Art by Boo Cook

A couple of pieces by Boo Cook.

Last time out I shared this fantastic Boo Cook piece, and I said I would share more so here you go. These are pieces I picked up at a con in 2013 and the minute I saw them I had to have them. I’d just walked into the place and my entire budget was blown in the first 5 minutes. These are A3 pieces and they really show Boo’s wonderful sketching and I adore all the fine details which I hope the photos show. He was such a sound bloke and so friendly and I certainly treasure the pieces.

2000AD Prog 72

8th of July 1978

There are a number of issues of 2000ad which will never see a reprint because they infringed copyright, and Prog72 is one of those. It featured the ‘Burger Wars’ story which sees Ronald McDonald and The Burger King take centre stage. It has a gorgeous colour centre spread by Mike McMahon which still looks great now even after thirty years.

You can still get your hands on the originals fairly easily if you’re willing to spend a few quid, it certainly won’t break the bank. Old Ronnie hasn’t changed much over the years as you can see though the King does look somewhat better now than then I think. Inferno, Dan Dare, Ant Wars and Mach Zero also feature in the prog.

Elephantmen Comic Art

Hey, if you like comics and comic art then this is the post for you.

Here’s something rather beautiful. If you like comics and you haven’t ever read Elephantmen then you need to. It is a glorious tale of bio engineered animals and war and private detectives and…Look just trust me okay, I haven’t let you down yet.

The art in the header photo is a piece I picked up at a con in 2013. You can see the original sketch below and then the version that made it into the actual comic book. I also managed to get the artist, Boo Cook, and the Writer, Richard Starkings, to sign my copy of the graphic novel. My art work is also signed by Boo Cook.

I do adore Boo Cook’s work and have a few other pieces that I will share at some point because his work is just fantastic. No one draws creepy crawlies like Boo Cook. Richard Starkings story is a masterpiece and you know what, I think I am going to read them again this weekend.

2000AD Prog 1

26 February 1977

I have written about 2000AD previously and my love for what is most definitely the most marvelous comic in the galaxy, but unfortunately the blog I posted them all to was deleted in a nasty WordPress accident a while back so I figured I’d start posting again on the subject. Rather than waffling on about how and why I love this comic so much let’s just jump straight in to the very first issue published in 1977.

These are photos of my actual copy. For A comic over forty years old even now it still looks amazing. I don’t have the red space spinner that came with it and whilst many collectors would be crazy about the copy with it attached I’m not overly fussed I just love being able to read it even if it isn’t in the best of conditions.

Judge Dredd was not actually in the very first copy and you can see in one of the photographs below it says he’s coming next week.

ART – Dredd and the Dark Judges by Carlos Ezquerra

All hail King Carlos!

Think of 2000AD and you think of Judge Dredd. Think of Dredd and you have to think of John Wagner’s writing and the art work of Carlos Ezquerra.

Today I am going to share with you one of my most prized possessions, my Carlos Ezquerra piece.

For as long as I can remember there has been something so appealing and compelling about his work. Some of my earliest memories are of his Dredd and Strontium Dog art and as I started to build my collection I knew I needed to find one of his.

A few years back I managed to pick up what you can see here in pictures. Cost a pretty penny at £500 but god I love it. It comes from Prog 734 published in 1991 and below you can see a photo of the weekly Prog next to the original artwork used for publication.

It features not only Dredd but all 4 of the dark Judges in Death, Fear, Fire and Mortis and also includes the acetate with the lettering which is overlaid over the artwork. I keep it hidden away mostly and dont like to get it out apart from now and again when I like to just stare at it and smile…

ART – Rogue Trooper by Mike Collins

This is a piece I picked up at Thought Bubble in Leeds a couple of years ago. I think it set me back a hundred pounds and was well worth every penny. Its from the ‘Boneyard’ story line written by Gordon Rennie and illustrated by Mike Collins.

Rogue first appeared in Prog 228 in 1981, created by Gerry Finley-Day and Dave Gibbons he continues to feature to this day. Such a fan am I that I actually have a Rogue inspired tattoo that I will have to write about sometime.

I just love the piece and how it captures Rogue plus all 3 of his Bio Chip buddies Bag, Helm and Gunner.

Though I continue to search for a Cam Kennedy Rogue to add to my collection they are a rare thing so I shall stick with this wonderful piece until then.

Prog 3 – 12th of March 1988

I have a fair collection of 2000AD progs. Okay by a fair amount I mean them all, or at least all of the weeklies at least going all the way back to 1977. I didn’t collect them all each week myself and will write more about my acquisition another time but for today I thought I would share Prog3. Why 3? Well because I wanted to keep 1 and 2, which featured Dredd for the first time, for another time.

I am no student of these things and cannot truly do justice to the history of this most wonderful work but what I am most happy to do is to share from the huge piles of them scattered around my home.

It was published on the 12th of March 1977 costing 8p, and the stories featured can be seen below. With a Colour front and back cover and double page middle spread it is still a thing of beauty to hold even today. It smells amazing too and has lasted so well for something forty years old. Sadly my copy doesn’t have the ‘Red Alert’ free gift but I don’t really mind, I collect them to read them and am less concerned with condition and such. Click on the pictures below to take a look.HARLEM HEROES

Featuring Pat Mills’ FLESH, INVASION, M.A.C.H. 1, John Wagner’s Dredd and DAN DARE from Frank Hampson it packed a real punch. Interesting, at this early stage there was no credit given with the now familiar credits to artist, writer and letterer only appearing in later progs.

2000Ad, Elephant Men and Batman

Just a few pieces from my collection

I have a bit of a thing for original comic artwork. Whether pages bought on the internet, usually from the pages of 2000AD or bits and pieces I pick up at comic conventions, I have amassed something of a collection over the last few years.

To hold in your hands the original drawings that make it into the comics you love is quite something and since I picked up my first piece about 8 years ago it remains a real passion. Below are a few pieces I actually found in the cellar that I forgot about. They were picked up at a Comic convention in Leeds and another in London in 2013. I put them in a box when we started house renovations 18 months ago and discovered them this week.

A quite magnificent Dredd by Gary Erskine. He was kind enough to also let me have the sketch he did. It was amazing to stand and watch him create this and just talk to him about Dredd and Roller Grrrls and all sorts.

A Mike Collins Rogue Trooper. A real prize possession and a thing of Beauty.

A John Mcrea Dredd from LSCC which I just adore.

A much treasured Elephantmen page by Boo Cook. So so good. Below are a few more, some by boo cook and a Batman by Dave Taylor. I have piles more but thought I would just share a few tonight.

Me and Judge Dredd

Happy borthday Judge Dredd, 41 years and going strong!

If I count the things that are particularly precious to me 2000ad is right up there. I mean right up there, perhaps not above the kids but definitely well ahead of a number of the members of my wider family.

Not sure what it is?

Well 2000AD is a weekly British Science fiction comic, first published in 1977 and probably most famous for bringing us Judge Dredd.

From my earliest age I loved the characters and the artwork and a thread throughout my life for as long as I can remember. I remember first reading it in the early eighties growing up in South Africa and the impact it had was huge, feeding my love of science fiction and it is something that has never left me.

When we had our first child we had very little and only £600 in the bank and the opportunity to buy the entire 30 year back catalogue presented itself. Price? You guessed it. £600. I remember driving 200 miles to Bristol in a battered old Vauxhall Corsa with the last of our savings and loading them into the car from floor to roof. You any idea how many comics that is? Well now I have 40 years worth plus some others and believe me, storing more than 2500 comic books is no easy feat. That is every issue from number 1 in 1977.

Ive also developed a love of comic artwork over the years, and will write about it again in a future post but to feed my love of all things 2000Ad I have amassed a pretty sizeable collection of original comic art which I absolutely adore. The photo below shows A Clint Langley original above the printed version.

Have I ever mentioned my tattoos? No? Well this is one of my 2000ad themed ones. A quite gorgeous Judge Dredd on my left arm done by Lee Rudeboy Reynolds at Rude studios in Leeds. A truly marvellous artist. I have another on my right that I will show you another time,

My love gets worse though. I have two children, and both have middle names named after things that really matter to me. I will tell more about my eldest’s some other time but I can confirm that my youngest’s middle name is Joseph, named after Judge Joseph Dredd.

So as you can see, a real influence in my life and there is still nothing as fabulous as the most recent copy dropping through my letter box each week…