2000 AD Covers Uncovered: Jake Lynch Delivers A Widowmaker for Prog 2348
6th September 2023
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, we have more Zarjaz Dredd from the pen of Jake Lynch for the cover of 2000 AD Prog 2348, out everywhere from 6 September.
We recently talked to Jake for the Creator Files, a huge interview that you really should carve out half an hour to read. It’s the Lynch Droid like you’ve never heard him before – with one of the new greats of Dredd art talking through his life and work.
But first, there’s his latest stunning cover to break down, one he’s calling ‘Widowmaker‘ after the Colt M2000 Widowmaker SMG Shotgun, the replacement for the Lawrod that first got an outing during Judgement Day. You know, the one Dredd described as ‘Effective.‘
As usual, Lynch was pretty laid back about the whole thing, sending over his process video and a little note… ‘not really sure what I can add other than, doodle to tone to colour!?’
Well, as you’ll see from both the process video and the screenshots we’ve included here, there’s a hell of a lot more than that that goes into putting together yet another incredible Lynch creation for the cover of the Prog!
Here’s the video in full for you – a minute and a half breaking down days worth of drawing…
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It all starts with what the Lynch Droid describes, in full technical jargon, as a ‘doodle’.
That would be this…
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Then there’s some tones to be added to the rough doodle…
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Then there’s the worst moment for any art droid, the sending to Tharg for His Mightiness’ approval.
Following hours of tense, nervous pacing the floor, wondering if this is the time Tharg finally tells him it’s all over (the art droids, even ones as superbly talented as Jake, are always paranoid and a psychiatrist’s case study in imposter syndrome), it’s approved.
Sitting in a pool of sweat and tears, Jake picks himself up and heads back to the computer again, ready to get started.
The toned doodle is added to the 2000 AD cover template to make sure it all works – Tharg is never too impressed with a cover that cuts Dredd’s head off. That’s a guaranteed Rigellian Hotshot right there.
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Next comes greywash and inking.
And although it looks like a simple stage, the Lynch droid would like to point out that there’s hours of work here, building up the image digitally, adding more and more detail to the cover – what Lynch has previously described to us as ‘trying to work out how it will ‘pop’.
Hours later, something emerges that makes the art droid feel okay. I was going to say happy or satisfied but I’ve talked to enough of them now to know that the art droids aren’t really ever happy or satisfied with what they produce – all part of that imposter syndrome we mentioned. Plus the constant pressure from Tharg demanding to know where the hell the art is!
Next we have the equally painful, painstaking, and time-consuming process of adding in the colours. This would be the moment where the Lynch droid wonders why the hell he ever agreed to colour his own covers.
The first step is just to get the basic colours on – that’s the simple bit…
But after that, the Lynch Droid knows there’s more hours of toil ahead. Because, just like the inking, it’s not really a case of slapping a layer of paint on and having it done. No, this is digital and digital means many, many, many hours of adding in the digital paints, add a splash of colour, add some tones and shadows, look at the screen, change it, delete stuff, add stuff, delete stuff, add stuff, delete stuff, have the third or fourth big cry of the day, pick yourself up from the floor and repeat.
Or, as Lynch has told us before… ‘I wish it was as simple as just ‘washing’ colour over the toned artwork (though that is the starting point) – it’s a little more long-winded and often feels like reworking the whole pic over again, hardening it out.’
Slowly, painfully, through a veil of sweat and tears, it comes together. There’s tones and shadows, effects, detailing all added and the hours keep rolling by…
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Finally, there’s the briefest moment of joy when the artist can sit back and consider it all done.
Now, all they have to do is summon up the courage to hit send and get the verdict from The Mighty One.
And that, one and all, is how the latest bit of brilliance from Jake Lynch all came together. Thanks so much to him for sending that along and letting us in to his world.
You can find Jake’s latest Dredd on the shelves of your local newsagents and comic shop, not to mention from the 2000 AD web shop,from 6 September 2023.
But this time, he wasn’t finished yet – he also sent along another bit of process video for us, working in black and white this time…
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There’s plenty more of Lynch’s excellent Covers Uncovered available – for Progs 2017 , 2172, 2181, 2203, 2297, 2339, plus Megazine 446. And be sure to have a look at a trio of great interviews with Jake – The Red Queen’s Gambit (with Arthur Wyatt) and The Hard Way (with Arthur and Rob Williams), and then there’s talk of Dredd, Y-fronts, and more to do with his wonderfully daft Dredd & Zombo strip, The Immigrant, in the 2020 Sci-Fi Special. And finally, we recently talked to Jake for the Creator Files, a massive interview talking through his life and his art.
Finally, for more behind-the-scenes videos and info from Jake, be sure to go and sign up to his Patreon and follow him on Twitter.