2000 AD Covers Uncovered: The return of John Higgins on the return of Dreadnoughts… Megazine 455
19th April 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!
With Dreadnoughts: The March Of Progress it’s time to dive back into one of the most exciting debuts of recent years – and it all starts in Megazine issue 455, just look for the fabulous cover by John Higgins.
From the very first episode in the 30th Anniversary Megazine, issue 424, Dreadnoughts: Breaking Ground was exciting, gripping, and genuinely horrific. Michael Carroll and John Higgins took us right back to the earliest days of the Justice Department, 2035 AD, with Fargo’s Judge’s moving into every level of law enforcement.
Following new Judge Veranda Glover, Dreadnoughts tells an all too possible tale of a nation giving away its democracy and descending into fascism as the world of the Mega-Cities, the Justice Department, and Judge Dredd comes to pass.
So, over to John who was good enough to send along the process art for a stunning cover… all starting with this, the very first rough idea…
JOHN HIGGINS: I was just getting into the final episode and couldn’t spend too much time on the cover, so this was the very first rough idea that came to mind and that I sent to Matt/Tharg.
I suppose it is the classic Judge pose, dispensing justice. The cover will be a direct part of the first scene, with the Judges going into the night raid, amidst snow flurries against the rising weak wintery sun.
Next, an un-retouched scan of the painted artwork, I was thinking of doing “justice served” lettering around the bottom of the spent shell, but it was too small...
And then another version of the cover just marking the main areas digitally tweaked...
Finally, the digital enhanced cover artwork, added snow and strengthening the light sources, tweaking the highlights...
Thanks so much to John for sending it along – a beautiful cover to mark the beginning of what should be a magnificent series.
Dreadnoughts: The March Of Progress begins in Megazine issue 455, out on 19 April, available everywhere Thrill Power is sold, the 2000 AD web shop.
For more on Dreadnoughts, be sure to take a look at another striking image with John’s Covers Uncovered for Megazine issue 429. We also interviewed Michael Carrol and John not once but twice… sort of. There’s an interview with the creators of Dreadnoughts in Megazine issue 425 that ended up with far too much fascinating material cut for print. Luckily, we were able to put up all the extras right here.
Finally, you can (and should) get a copy of the first volume of Dreadnoughts: Breaking Ground – get it from the 2000 AD web shop!
