Comics

Interview: The wilds of CalHab revealed – the art of Harrower Squad with Steve Yeowell

4th July 2024

Time to head north of Brit-Cit again, as we’re back on patrol with CalHab’s Harrower Squad who’ve returned for a second series and find themselves on Urban Rotation – running right now in Judge Dredd Megazine – out now!

We chatted to writer David Baillie about CalHab Country and Urban Rotation last week and now we’re sitting down with 2000 AD legend and artist on Harrower Squad – Steve Yeowell.

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CalHab’s the wild area north of Brit-Cit where the world dumps its radioactive waste, turning everything outside the major conurbations such as Glascal into an inhospitable wasteland populated by mutant tribes. Responsible for patrolling the Radlands are the heavy-weapons Judge teams like the Harrower Squad. It’s a dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it.

We’re now into the second Harrower Squad series, Urban Rotation, which hits its second part in the new Megazine 469 and has followed straight on from CalHab Country (Megazine issues 464-467). We’ve seen the nightmare of the Radlands, found out that the CalHab Justice Department is far from perfect, and seen CalHab Judge Brontide barely make it out alive, unlike the rest of her squad. Now, Brontide, leading her new Harrower Squad, is on Urban Rotation, patrolling the mean streets of Glascal and finding out just how high up the corruption goes.

So, time to speak to a genuine legend of 2000 AD about what it’s like in the wilds of CalHab with Harrower Squad… Steve Yeowell…

Hi Steve, welcome! How the devil are you?

STEVE YEOWELL: Doing as well as can be expected, thanks for asking.

How did you get involved in Harrower Squad?

SY: I got an email from Tharg which said, quote: “…are you interested in drawing a Dreddworld series for the Meg? It’s about a Heavy Weapons team that deal with the mutants in the Calhab radlands…” I read through the first script and jumped at the opportunity.

This is the first time I’ve worked with David and the experience is a real pleasure. I’m thoroughly enjoying the screenplay quality of his scripts.

Steve, we’ve already chatted with David about the strip itself, so I’d love to talk about art with you, both on Harrower Squad and in general. Are you still working the same way, that combination of physical and digital? And can you give us some idea of what your process is these days and what you use to make your art?

SY: At the moment my process seems, apart from the digital delivery, to have drifted back to being entirely analogue. I’m drawing on heavyweight cartridge paper using blue pencil for the preliminary stages and breakdowns, then graphite to tighten everything up. When inking I use rapidographs and markers of various sizes for technical stuff, dip pen and brush for figures and the organic. 

As far as your art on Harrower Squad is concerned, what was your thinking when approaching it?

SY: Harrower Squad themselves came over to me as a single multi-faceted character, so on as many occasions as I could I tried to get all of them (or whoever remained of them…) into a panel.

At this point, let’s share with you some of the art for the development of Harrower Squad that Steve sent over, just three of the character studies of the squad…

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The colours here on both Harrower Squad stories have come from Chris Blythe. I said it to David, and I’ll repeat it here, I think he’s brought a real richness and depth to your art that really elevates the whole thing. What do you both think of his work?

SY: I’ve worked with Chris on and off for years and love what he does. What you’ve said sums his contribution to Harrower Squad up perfectly.

Over on your Wikipedia page, your artistic style is described as ‘Yeowell’s work is noted for delicate penmanship and lifelike facial expressions, with a notable economy of style.’

Fair? Or would you take issue with that? Personally, I think that’s pretty good, although with this work on Harrower Squad I’d question the economy of style bit – seems to me you’ve put a hell of a lot into this, expressive characters, a lot of work going into both foreground character stuff and backgrounds to set the scene.

SY: I’m flattered by that description. I started working harder on the character’s acting when I was drawing Three Little Wishes (written by Paul Cornell) and I’ve tried to continue that working with David on Harrower Squad.

How would you describe your particular artistic style? Personally, I’d go so far as to say it’s something immediately recognizable, unlike anything else we’ve ever seen in 2000 AD, simple lines, strong storytelling, confident and bold and at home equally in colour or in black and white.

Again, how does that sound and how would you say it’s changed over the years?

SY: Thanks for the kind words.

I guess my style is rooted in tradition in so far as I’m influenced by the creators whose work I grew up looking at, so anybody who was anybody in the sixties and seventies. My particular favourites way back then were Ian Kennedy and Jack Kirby; I’ve added many others since then, way too many to list.

I now prefer formal page layouts for storytelling and if anything they’re getting more formal – I find I’m using the six panel grid, two across by three down, repeatedly. 

And now, just as an example of what Steve’s talking about with his process, he sent across several pages of pencils and inks from Harrower Squad: CalHab Country Part 2… (and don’t worry, we’ll post full-size versions of these beauties at the end!)

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You’ve been in 2000 AD now for some 27 years – unbelievably Zenith was back in 1987!

Despite having worked all over (and can I personally say thank you for two of my faves, The Invisibles and 67 Seconds?) is 2000 AD something of a spiritual home for you now?

SY: You’re very welcome; The Invisibles and 67 Seconds were both great projects to work on. Mighty Tharg has been particularly kind to me over the years with both the stories he’s asked me to work on and the creators he’s given me the opportunity to work with.

Just for fun, you’ve been responsible for work on so many iconic 2000 AD characters and strips – Zenith, Sinister Dexter, Dredd – but what’s the one strip/character you’ve always had a hankering to write/draw?

SY: Anything with apes and/or tigers.

Finally, what can we look forward to from you both? Either for Tharg or elsewhere?

SY: More of the same I hope!

So that’s where we left it, imagining just how we could find someone to write Steve a script packed with loads of apes and tigers – you just know it would be so good!

We shall leave you with just a little sneak peek at the troubles Judge Brontide’s facing in Harrower Squad: Urban Rotation Part 2, out right now in the new Megazine…

Thank you so much to Steve for sending along both answers and art here. You can find Harrower Squad: Urban Rotation right now in the latest Judge Dredd Megazine, available everywhere the Galaxy’s Greatest is sold, including the 2000 AD web shop!

And as promised, here’s the full-sized pages of Steve’s art process that he sent along… all from Harrower Squad: CalHab Country Part 2 in Megazine 465. First there’s Steve’s pencils, then inks, and then the finished version with all those great colours from Chris Blythe…