Comics

Behind The Art – Will Simpson’s Desperadlands

29th January 2021

A couple of weeks ago, we interviewed both Michael Carroll and Will Simpson about their 4-part Judge Dredd series, Desperadlands, that began in 2000 AD Prog 2213.

Will was kind enough to send over a huge amount of artwork for the series. In his interview, we could only really include the art for the first part of Desperadlands, but this is really wonderful artwork that we really thought you’d appreciate seeing. So, now that Desperadlands has concluded in the Prog, we thought it was a fine time to look back on the incredible artwork Will Simpson has done for the series. Just like this, from episode 1, the final published version…

Just to give you a little context, Desperadlands appeared in Progs 2213-2216 and covered Dredd taking a trip down to the lawless land that is Ciudad Barranquilla, Banana City. Across four parts, Carroll and Simpson gave us a tale of Dredd investigating an ex-Judge on the run, all tying into Carroll’s back-story of former Judge Doya Meekins and young Cadet Judge Odessa. It all began with Dredd and Meekins connecting a body in a field outside Banana City with Syan Hegedos, a former MC1 Judge on the Justice Department’s most-wanted list.

As with so many of Carroll’s Dredd tales, this one plays deep into what he’s written before, whilst still reading perfectly great for anyone not intimately familiar with all that’s gone before.

At the end of it, Desperadlands is a great little Dredd tale, setting so many different possible future tales up to delight us in the future. And of course, no matter how good Desperadlands was, it was always going to be SO much better thanks to the fully-painted artwork of Will Simpson, more than welcome back in the pages of 2000 AD after a near 20-year absence.

Okay then, enough preamble. This is a post here that’s all about Will Simpson’s incredible artwork for Desperadlands, pencils, inks, and various stages of his wonderful colouring.

Be sure to go and check out the Desperadlands interviews with Michael Carroll and Will Simpson, but from here we will simply add loads of great Will Simpson artwork…

Beginning with part 1, from 2000 AD Prog 2213 – only a couple because you’ve already seen these from Will’s interview.

Desperadlands – Part 1 – Prog 2213, page 1, full colours
Desperadlands – Part 1 – Prog 2213, page 6, full colours
Desperadlands – Part 2 – Prog 2214, page 1, thumbnails
Desperadlands – Part 2 – Prog 2214, page 1, full colours
Desperadlands – Part 2 – Prog 2214, thumbnails for two alternative page 1 layouts + page 2
Desperadlands – Part 2 – Prog 2214, page 2, full colours
Desperadlands – Part 2 – Prog 2214, page 3, full colours
Desperadlands – Part 3 – Prog 2215, page 1, thumbnails
Desperadlands – Part 3 – Prog 2215, page 1, full colours
Desperadlands – Part 3 – Prog 2215, page 2, thumbnails
Desperadlands – Part 3 – Prog 2215, page 2, pencils and partial inks
Desperadlands – Part 3 – Prog 2215, page 2, pencils, paints, the whole works!
Desperadlands – Part 3 – Prog 2215, page 4, pencils and inks with masking tape all over pre painting
Desperadlands – Part 3 – Prog 2215, page 4, colours
Desperadlands – Part 3 – Prog 2215, page 5, pencils
Desperadlands – Part 3 – Prog 2215, page 5, colours – including that first glimpse at Dredd’s cute ‘lil socks!
Desperadlands – Part 3 – Prog 2215, page 6, colours
Desperadlands – Part 4 – Prog 2216, page 1, pencils
Desperadlands – Part 4 – Prog 2216, page 1, colours – the socks!
Desperadlands – Part 4 – Prog 2216, page 2, colours
Desperadlands – Part 4 – Prog 2216, page 3, colours
Desperadlands – Part 4 – Prog 2216, page 4, colours
Desperadlands – Part 4 – Prog 2216, page 5, colours
Desperadlands – Part 4 – Prog 2216, page 6, pencil roughs
Desperadlands – Part 4 – Prog 2216, page 6, colours

And that, one and all, is the entirety of what Will Simpson sent along to us. I think he’s the very definition of going above and beyond here!

So THANK YOU to Will Simpson for sharing all of this gorgeous work with us – and remember to check out Desperadlands by Michael Carroll and Will Simpson in the pages of 2000 AD Progs 2213-2216, available from the 2000 AD web shop right now!