2000 AD Covers Uncovered – Bringing the curtain down with Chris Weston!
3rd December 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!
Don’t forget – the 2000 AD Covers Uncovered Annual 2021 is available to order now >>
You’ll have been having a wonderful time, darlings, with the delights of seeing Sensitive Klegg put on a musical tribute to his hero, Judge Dredd, in the Rob Willams and Chris Weston extravaganza, Judge Dredd: The Musical that started in 2000 AD Prog 2259.
Well, on the cover to Prog 2260 we’ve even more of a treat for you – as Chris Weston takes to the cover to give us the finale to this musical masterpiece…
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So, over to Chris Weston to tell you all about the madness!
CHRIS WESTON: I was tasked by Tharg to create a new cover for the third part of Dredd: The Musical. He asked to see Sensitive Klegg onstage surrounded by a selection of his fellow performers.
There was a panel in the second episode that I thought would make a good starting point; it featured Sensitive Klegg with an ill-fitting Judge helmet perched on his head. It seemed to perfectly capture the theme and tone of the story: an extremely silly illustration of a fool on his life’s errand!
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I expanded the panel and added in his fellow performers, all of whom are modeled on past members of Dredd’s ensemble. I made sure they were all giving an enthusiastic demonstration of Zarjaz-hands!
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Once this was approved by Tharg, I then proceeded to finished inks.
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But it still wasn’t showbizzy enough! Some online research led me to the publicity poster for the show “Chicago”. I was really taken with the spangly-curtain texture used on the title letters.
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I thought it might be fun to do a similar effect on the 2000ad logo. I searched fruitlessly to find a high-resolution spangly-curtain texture I could use, so in the end, I was forced to make my own. That’s probably a good thing.
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I incorporated the 2000 AD logo into the art and set about digitally colouring the page. It took me ages! I have no idea how colourists can afford to make a living! Like Max Normal on this cover, I take my hats off to them, I really do!
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That pretty much explains the full process behind this page, darlings! Bouquets and ten-minute standing ovations will be gratefully received, Earthlets!
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Are we all feeling suitably gorgeous now, darlings? Thanks to Chris for sending along the glorious, surely Emmy Award-winning art along – can art win Emmys if it’s art of a musical? No? Well, when it’s this damn good it should be able to!
Judge Dredd: The Musical began in 2000 AD Prog 2259 and concludes in 2261, with Chris’ perfectly over the top cover of 2000 AD Prog 2260 to be found in all the finest retail establishments and from the 2000 AD web shop.