Comics

2000 AD Covers Uncovered – Alex Ronald Gives Us The Vamp In Hell On Judge Dredd Megazine 435

23rd August 2021

Every week, 2000 AD brings you the galaxy’s greatest artwork and 2000 AD Covers Uncovered takes you behind-the-scenes with the headline artists responsible for our top cover art – join bloggers Richard Bruton and Pete Wells as they uncover the greatest covers from 2000 AD!

This week – time to check out the devilishly good cover to Judge Dredd Megazine issue 435 – out on 18 August! The incredibly talented Alex Ronald supplies the Devlin Waugh cover, as everyone’s favourite bon vivant vamp has a date with the devil…

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Devlin Waugh‘s latest adventure, The Reckoning, reaches episode four, with the scandalously louche lothario finding himself in deep trouble as he and the Devil settle down for a little chat. Devlin Waugh: The Reckoning comes to you courtesy of Ales Kot and Mike Dowling, and Alex has taken inspiration for the cover straight from Mike Dowling’s incredible work inside, giving us a cover that’s the epitome of everything Devlin.

Alex Ronald had his start at 2000 AD back in Prog 984 on Judge Dredd, with his first cover coming on Prog 1869. His earlier work included Dredd, Vector 13, Rogue Trooper, and Sinister Dexter, before heading off for pastures new, including working in the CG industry as both illustrator and 3D modeller. His return marked a very different style that’s seen him work exclusively on 2000 AD and Megazine covers, giving a gorgeous look to some of the most stylish covers of recent years.

Now, over to Alex to tell us about having Devlin come face to face with the Devil…

ALEX RONALD: Matt was looking for a cover depicting the conversation between the Devil and Devlin In Hell.

I opted for something that was a mix between two panels in the comic, one which had an armless Devil leering over the smoking hero and another where we saw the Devil’s arms...

As usual with my covers I initially sculpt the figures in Z brush. I already had a full figure Devlin model from 2017 so I just had to repose and create the new clothing. The Devil itself was a new sculpt.

I set the models up in a 3D scene with lights and once I found a good camera angle, saved out the image to sketch over.

On approval it was down to my favourite part – the paint over.

I hope the readers like what I’ve done with it!

Oh, we’re sure they will!

Thanks so much to Alex for sending along the artwork – you can catch his Megazine cover, featuring the vampiest of vamps possibly meeting his devilish match, on the front of issue 435, available everywhere the best comics are sold, including in the 2000 AD web shop.

Now, if that wasn’t enough… a little more of Alex’s work on our beloved vampire dandy, with his cover to Devlin Waugh: Blood Debt, the essential collection of recent Devlin tales from Rory McConville, Ales Kot and Mike Dowling.

And now a few of those great Alex Ronald moments from 2000 AD past… beginning with his very first work for Tharg, 2000 AD Prog 984…

And then his very first 2000 AD cover – Prog 1869…

Now a few more recent covers – first the 2019 Christmas 2000 AD Prog 2162 – and you can see more of that one in Alex’s Covers Uncovered for that Prog here.

Next, covering the great Full Tilt Boogie for 2000 AD Prog 2191 – again, read his Covers Uncovered for this one here.

And finally, his latest Regened cover to 2000 AD Prog 2206, with another great Covers Uncovered here.