Interview: Paul Starkey & James Newell – on 2000 AD Terror Tales and Thought Bubble wins
20th August 2021
Every year, pandemic or no pandemic, 2000 AD and Thought Bubble put together a Thrill-powered contest with a stunning prize – the chance for the winner to see their work published as a strip in the Galaxy’s Greatest comic!
Back in November 2020, under Covid conditions, writer Paul Starkey and artist James Newell faced the panels of expert judges and came out triumphant.
Now, you’ve already seen James’ work for Tharg in this years’ 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special but we’ll finally get to see their work together in 2000 AD Prog 2245, out on 18 August with the Tharg’s Terror Tale; The Torturer’s Apprentice, a black and white tale of greed and consequences when you mess with forces beyond comprehension!
First of all, James and Paul, congratulations to you both on winning the 2000 AD talent search contests at the 2020 Thought Bubble Festival. It might have been a little bit different this year of course, but the prize remained the same – seeing your work in print in the pages of 2000 AD.
Your strip, the Tharg’s Terror Tale, The Torturer’s Apprentice, sees print from August 18 in the pages of 2000 AD Prog 2245. Have you had the chance to see your work in print yet?
PAUL STARKEY: No not as yet, unfortunately. I obviously did get to see James’ great artwork in the Sci-Fi Special and I’m looking forward to seeing what he does with my story.
JAMES NEWELL: I haven’t seen the Terror Tale in print yet but I got my comp copies of the Sci-Fi Special and was thrilled with Jim Boswell’s colours & Simon Bowland’s letters and I felt really honored to draw the wrap up story with Maura McHugh & Mike Carroll scripting.
What does it mean to you to be there in the pages of 2000 AD?
JN: It’s been nearly a year now since Thought Bubble 2020 and I still can’t believe it’s really happening!
PS: It’s hard to put into words. As someone who’s been reading 2000 AD since the early 1980s (with a hiatus in the early 2000s) it just feels amazing to finally have written for a publication I’ve read and loved for so long, it’s huge, one of my greatest writing achievements.
Obviously, James, you’re a slight anomaly in the annals of 2000 AD & TB winners in that you’ve already seen your work published in 2000 AD before this, with the final strip in this years’ Sci-Fi Special. But it must still be rather special to see your name there in a regular Prog?
JN: Yes, it’s something special for me to be in the pages of 2000 AD, and a black and white strip at that! As a reader, I do love to see the one-off stories; you never know what you’re going to get, a new creative team or a 2000 AD veteran, and sometimes a tease of what might be a new series – it’s great to be a part of that.
Your Terror Tale‘s entitled The Torturer’s Apprentice – can you both give us your take on what it’s all about?
PS: Obviously I don’t want to give the twist away but I suppose it’s about how inventive and downright cruel the devil might be and about how people see what they want to see and make certain assumptions.
JN: A member of the police force sees an opportunity to line her own pockets, but inadvertently locks herself into a gruesome fate.
I was watching the pitches on YouTube and I felt Paul’s was the strongest and I could see it in my head from his description, not to mention the mood of his vid pitch; dim lighting, soft-spoken, perfect and creepy, it all set me up for the final look of the Terror Tale!
I’m sure Paul Starkey is going to be a 2000 AD staple!
James, we’ve already heard from you about the Thought Bubble contest this year when we interviewed you about the 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special, but we want to hear from Paul as to the writer’s point of view.
So Paul, as far as the contest itself, was this your first time entering the contest?
PS: Well, I’d heard about the 2000 AD & Thought Bubble contest before obviously, but this was my first time entering. The fact it was virtual helped.
Yes, the virtual nature of the competition was the big change this year – down to Covid obviously – making it different from other years where it was more of a gladiatorial forum-style affair!
Whereas artists had the brief of drawing their own version of Chris Burnham’s Journey to the Edge of the World from 2000 AD 2184, which were then narrowed down to six by Tharg before the final winner was chosen by an all-star judging panel, writers had to send in a 2-minute video pitch. Tharg narrowed down the 150 entries to just 12, which were then judged by 2000 AD writers Rory McConville, himself a previous 2000 AD & TB script contest winner, Maura McHugh, and Ian Edginton.
So, how did you find the pitching and judging process this year? Was it an advantage that you were doing it all virtually, or did it just add to the pressure?
PS: I found it easier to talk to my phone than I might have found it talking to the panel in person! There was some pressure as I hadn’t realised the first video I did would be too big to send so I had to redo it at the last minute, but I’d practiced it so many times this wasn’t too hard thankfully.
Having gone through the process and come out the other side victorious, what advice would you give to those who may be reading this thinking about entering this year? (Hopefully, we’ll be back to doing things in person for Thought Bubble 2021!)
PS: I’ve lost count how many Future Shocks I’ve sent through to Tharg over the last 10+ years, but I never gave up hope and it just goes to show how important persistence is for writers and artists!
I’d say work on your pitch a lot, rewrite it and refine it until it’s the best it can be (though it can always be better, feedback from one of the panel members over my ending encouraged me to rework it and the new ending is definitely an improvement.) Proofreading is essential! It’s easy to miss things, even when you’ve been through it a few times. Beyond this, practice your pitch; it’s no good having a great idea if you stumble during the pitch itself. Knowing your pitch inside and out won’t mean you’re not nervous, but it’ll definitely help.
Now, a couple of old favourites to end with – when did you first come across the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic?
PS: The first Prog I remember buying, or having bought for me, was 219, July 1981. I was ten! I must have read some issues before because I was confused that Dredd wasn’t fighting Cal anymore, but I couldn’t point to specific previous issues. Prog 219 was when the love affair started though, I didn’t miss a Prog after that for many, many years.
JN: I was an Eagle comic reader and a friend loaned me Judge Dredd: Apocalypse War & Rogue Trooper and that was it, I had to catch them all… and I did. I’m one of that group of readers who knows just how much space every 2000 AD and Judge Dredd Megazine takes up!
And now that your 2000 AD journey has begun, what would you see as a dream character or strip to work on?
JN: I would love to draw Dredd and Anderson again, ABC Warriors would be a blast! Department K looks like lots of fun to draw, and Kano & Bad Company – since we’re dreaming here!
PS: Clichéd I know, but Dredd obviously. Other than him I’ve always been a huge fan of Rogue Trooper so that’d be next on my list, and I like some of the expanded universe stuff that’s been coming out in recent years, especially Jaegir, and though it’s quite dated and could never work nowadays, I loved the original Mean Arena!
When it comes to your own work, where do your influences come from?
PS: In comics terms I’m going to be very obvious, Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, John Wagner and Grant Morrison, but more recently Dan Abnett and Rob Williams. Too many to list really.
JN: Oh, all the 2000 AD greats, McMahon, Bisley, Hicklenton, Kennedy, Hairsine and many, many more! I’m spoilt for choice!
Finally, with the contest over, what’s coming up for you in the near, or not so near future?
JN: Working away on my own sci-fi comic strip Skeleton Crew which started out as a drawing exercise and slowly developed into A.I. robot vs human conflict story.
PS: I’ve written a Tales from the Black Museum story which I’m hoping will be in the Judge Dredd Megazine soon, the other big thing coming up is a story that’s hopefully being published by the US science fiction magazine Analog in the new year.
Well there you go – thanks to both Paul and James for speaking to us. Congratulations to both of them once more for their wins. You can see the final judging videos below and remember, there’s going to be another chance to win the 2000 AD & Thought Bubble script and art contest at this years’ Thought Bubble festival – more news in the coming months!
You can find Terror Tales: The Torturer’s Apprentice on the shelves of your local comic shop and newsagent, or digitally from the 2000 AD web shop from 18 August.
Okay, to end with, first a couple of great process images sent over by James – his blue pencil pages for page one and two of his Terror Tale, followed by the finished pages.
And finally, just to give you an idea of what Paul and James went through to get here… the judging videos from this years’ 2000 AD & Thought Bubble contest…
