2000 AD Prog 2224 is out now, with more new Judge Dredd, Thistlebone and Tharg’s 3rillers, plus all new Feral & Foe!
BORAG THUNGG, EARTHLETS – Prog 2224 is OUT NOW!
We trust your circuits are fully prepped and your diodes double-shielded, Terrans, as we launch into another zarjaz issue of the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic.
While we have the final episodes of both Who Killed Captain Cookies? and Nakka of the S.T.A.R.S — be here in seven for the start of Judge Dredd: A Penitent Man by Ken Niemand and Tom Foster, and the return of Kek-W and Dave Kendall’s Visions of Deadworld — this prog features the double-length opening chapter of the second series of Feral & Foe from the Abnett and Elson droids.
The previous arc ended with Wrath, Bode and Krodgun making a last stand against the forces of Haggart Morn, and Bode released his malchemical energy, causing a huge explosion. They’ve been missing assumed dead since… find out what happened inside!
Fantasy has the occasional place in these pages, but it’s rarely done straight — Sláine, of course, takes its nod from Celtic myths, and Kingmaker mixes its sword n’ sorcery with SF.
Feral & Foe’s irreverent, humorous approach to the genre’s tropes is typical of how my creator-meks like to come at something from a fresh angle — it’s the 2000 AD way!
2000 AD Prog 2224 is out now from all good newsagents and comic book stores, plus digitally from our webshop and apps! Don’t forget that if you buy an issue of 2000 AD in the first week of its release then postage in the UK is free!
JUDGE DREDD // WHO KILLED CAPTAIN COOKIES? // Part Four!
Mega-City One, 2143 AD. Home to over 160 million citizens, this urban hell is situated along the east coast of post-apocalyptic North America. Crime is rampant and only the zero-tolerance Judges can stop total anarchy. Toughest of them all is JUDGE DREDD — he is the Law! Now the benevolent do-gooder Captain Cookies has been murdered, and super-intelligent ape Noam Chimpsky has discovered the gang responsible…
FERAL & FOE II // Part One!
It is five years after the Last-of-All-War, when the Monarchy succeeded in defeating the Malign Lord. With their leader dead, his minions are scattered, fleeing retribution from the Wretchfinders. Necromancer Bode and warrior Wrath are two such beings, and were offered a deal — hunt and kill their own kind or be declared FERAL & FOE. Now, they were thought dead in a last stand against Haggart Morn, when Bode released a malchemical bomb…
THARG’S 3RILLERS // NAKKA OF THE S.T.A.R.S // Part Three!
Three episodes, one complete, self-contained story — a condensed hit of super-charged Thrill-power beamed to you directly from the Nerve Centre! The UK, sometime in the near future. Inspector Nakrosky is a veteran law-enforcement officer of the Space Taskforce Armed Response Squad, a grizzled hold-out from an age before robots, aliens and clones. Now, he’s investigating a murder at the Wisteria Tea Rooms, and has been attacked Father Chippin…
THISTLEBONE // POISONED ROOTS // Part Four!
Britain, 2020. It’s been over a year since journalist Seema Chaudry accompanied cult survivor Avril Easton back to the village of Harrowvale, the site of her terryifying experiences at the hands of Jasper Hillman’s THISTLEBONE worshippers, a crazed occult group that believed in an ancient woodland deity. Scarred by the experience, Seema refuses to return, even when skeletons have been found amongst tree roots…
2000 AD Prog 2223 is out now, with more new Judge Dredd, Durham Red, Proteus Vex, Thistlebone and Tharg’s 3rillers!
BORAG THUNGG, EARTHLETS – Prog 2223 is OUT NOW!
Welcome once again, Thrill-seeking Squaxx, to your latest salvo of high-octane excitement, courtesy of the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic.
Within these pages you’ll find the zarjaz finales to both Proteus Vex and Durham Red, plus the latest instalments of Judge Dredd, Thistlebone and Nakka of the S.T.A.R.S. But scrotnig new series await — make sure you’re in here in seven for the double-length opening of Feral & Foe II from the Abnett and Elson droids!
You also don’t want to miss Judge Dredd Megazine 430, which beams into Thrill-merchants this very week. There’s a complete Dredd story by Rory McConville and Karl Richardson, the start of a new Devlin Waugh arc by Aleš Kot and Mike Dowling, the latest chapters of Deliverance and Megatropolis, and the concluding chapter to The Returners: Heartswood.
Everyone in the Command Module was very sad to learn that scriptwriter Si Spencer passed away last month, and there’s a moving obituary also in this issue, featuring Gordon Rennie, Garth Ennis and more paying tribute to this unique scribe. Our condolences to his family and friends.
2000 AD Prog 2223 is out now from all good newsagents and comic book stores, plus digitally from our webshop and apps! Don’t forget that if you buy an issue of 2000 AD in the first week of its release then postage in the UK is free!
JUDGE DREDD // WHO KILLED CAPTAIN COOKIES? // Part Three!
Mega-City One, 2143 AD. Home to over 160 million citizens, this urban hell is situated along the east coast of post-apocalyptic North America. Crime is rampant and only the zero-tolerance Judges can stop total anarchy. Toughest of them all is JUDGE DREDD — he is the Law! Now the benevolent do-gooder Captain Cookies has been murdered, and super-intelligent ape Noam Chimpsky is investigating who was behind it…
DURHAM RED // SERVED COLD // Part Eleven!
Late 22nd century. Of all the mutants that have operated as Search/Destroy agents, perhaps the most feared is vampire DURHAM RED, who requires blood to survive. Mistrusted by both the criminals she hunts and her fellow Strontium Dogs, Red has a formidable reputation that precedes her. Now, while imprisoned in the Hawks-Carpenter Holding Station, the father of one of her victims plans to get his revenge…
THARG’S 3RILLERS // NAKKA OF THE S.T.A.R.S // Part Two!
Three episodes, one complete, self-contained story — a condensed hit of super-charged Thrill-power beamed to you directly from the Nerve Centre! The UK, sometime in the near future. Inspector Nakrosky is a veteran law-enforcement officer of the Space Taskforce Armed Response Squad, a grizzled hold-out from an age before robots, aliens and clones. Now, he’s investigating a murder at the Wisteria Tea Rooms…
PROTEUS VEX // THE SHADOW CHANCELLOR // Part Eleven!
Another galaxy, the far future. The centuries-long war between the Alliance and the Obdurate people is over, a conflict brought to an end with the deaths of billions when the Alliance teleported a dying white dwarf star into the Obdurate system. Imperium agent PROTEUS VEX was charged with finding Chancellor Rho 7 Baryon, and when the flesh-pilot that controls Vex entered Baryon’s body he absorbed some of his memories…
THISTLEBONE // POISONED ROOTS // Part Three!
Britain, 2020. It’s been over a year since journalist Seema Chaudry accompanied cult survivor Avril Easton back to the village of Harrowvale, the site of her terryifying experiences at the hands of Jasper Hillman’s THISTLEBONE worshippers, a crazed occult group that believed in an ancient woodland deity. Scarred by the experience, Seema refuses to return, even when skeletons have been found amongst tree roots…
2000 AD Prog 2222 is out now, with more new Judge Dredd, Durham Red, Proteus Vex, Thistlebone and brand new Tharg’s 3Rillers!
BORAG THUNGG, EARTHLETS – Prog 2222 is OUT NOW!
Welcome to Prog 2222, in which you might say we have all our ducks in a row — there’s ape investigations in Judge Dredd: Who Killed Captain Cookies?, sinister intrigue in folk-chiller Thistlebone, sci-fi excitement in Proteus Vex: The Shadow Chancellor and bullet-sprayed bad-assery in Durham Red: Served Cold.
Yep, you can’t argue with that zarjaz line-up — but where, we can hear you Terrans imploring, is Sláine: Dragontamer? Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of the Manco art-droid — smoke pouring from his outlet vents as he raced to reach the deadline — we have had to put the climax of the Celtic warrior’s adventures back by a few weeks to allow for the pages to be finished.
So in its place you’ll find the start of a scrotnig 3riller from Brendan McCarthy and Roger Langridge, a retro-future police procedural called Nakka of the S.T.A.R.S, introducing Inspector Nakrosky of the Space Taskforce Armed Response Squad. Expect murder, clones, killer robots and cream teas in the heart of this green and pleasant land!
Be here in seven, loyal Squaxx, for the explosive finales to both Vex and Red!
2000 AD Prog 2222 is out now from all good newsagents and comic book stores, plus digitally from our webshop and apps! Don’t forget that if you buy an issue of 2000 AD in the first week of its release then postage in the UK is free!
JUDGE DREDD // WHO KILLED CAPTAIN COOKIES? // Part Two!
Mega-City One, 2143 AD. Home to over 160 million citizens, this urban hell is situated along the east coast of post-apocalyptic North America. Crime is rampant and only the zero-tolerance Judges can stop total anarchy. Toughest of them all is JUDGE DREDD — he is the Law! Now the benevolent do-gooder Captain Cookies has been murdered, and super-intelligent ape Noam Chimpsky is investigating who was behind it…
DURHAM RED // SERVED COLD // Part Ten!
Late 22nd century. Of all the mutants that have operated as Search/Destroy agents, perhaps the most feared is vampire DURHAM RED, who requires blood to survive. Mistrusted by both the criminals she hunts and her fellow Strontium Dogs, Red has a formidable reputation that precedes her. Now, while imprisoned in the Hawks-Carpenter Holding Station, she’s been captured by mercenaries, who plan to auction her off…
THARG’S 3RILLERS // NAKKA OF THE S.T.A.R.S // Part One!
Three episodes, one complete, self-contained story — a condensed hit of super-charged Thrill-power beamed to you directly from the Nerve Centre! The UK, sometime in the near future. Inspector Nakrosky is a veteran law-enforcement officer of the Space Taskforce Armed Response Squad, a grizzled hold-out from an age before robots, aliens and clones. But despite being an anachronism, he’s still a good copper…
PROTEUS VEX // THE SHADOW CHANCELLOR // Part Ten!
Another galaxy, the far future. The centuries-long war between the Alliance and the Obdurate people is over, a conflict brought to an end with the deaths of billions when the Alliance teleported a dying white dwarf star into the Obdurate system. Imperium agent PROTEUS VEX was charged with finding Chancellor Rho 7 Baryon, and when the flesh-pilot that controls Vex entered Baryon’s body he absorbed some of his memories…
THISTLEBONE // POISONED ROOTS // Part Two!
Britain, 2020. It’s been over a year since journalist Seema Chaudry accompanied cult survivor Avril Easton back to the village of Harrowvale, the site of her terryifying experiences at the hands of Jasper Hillman’s THISTLEBONE worshippers, a crazed occult group that believed in an ancient woodland deity. Scarred by the experience, Seema refuses to return, even when skeletons have been found amongst tree roots…
2000 AD Prog 2221 is out now, with more new Judge Dredd, Durham Red, Proteus Vex, Sláine andbrand new Thistlebone!
BORAG THUNGG, EARTHLETS – Prog 2221 is OUT NOW!
Welcome back to your regular progamming, Terrans, after last week’s Regened divergence (Joko-Jargo will return in May for the second of the all-ages specials), and we kick off this issue with two new stories — Dredd is tracking down the killer of Captain Cookies, courtesy of the Niemand and Holden droids, and T.C. Eglington and Simon Davis bring us Poisoned Roots, the follow-up to acclaimed folk-horror nerve-jangler Thistlebone (the GN collection of which is out next month).
Add to that more zarjazness with Proteus Vex, Durham Red and the penultimate episode of Sláine, and you have another pulse-pounding prog!
Busy, busy times here at the House of the GGC — available now from Penguin Random House to download from Audible are five audio adaptations of 2000 AD series — America, The Pit, The Horned God, Brink and The Ballad of Halo Jones — featuring the vocal talents of Joseph Fiennes, Colin Morgan, Sheila Atim, Richard Armitage and more.
And don’t miss School’s Out Forever, the first feature from Rebellion Film & TV, available to rent or buy from Sky, Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play and others!
2000 AD Prog 2221 is out now from all good newsagents and comic book stores, plus digitally from our webshop and apps! Don’t forget that if you buy an issue of 2000 AD in the first week of its release then postage in the UK is free!
JUDGE DREDD // WHO KILLED CAPTAIN COOKIES? // Part One!
Mega-City One, 2143 AD. Home to over 160 million citizens, this urban hell is situated along the east coast of post-apocalyptic North America, with the irradiated wasteland known as the Cursed Earth to the west. Unemployment is rife, boredom universal and crime is rampant. Tensions rest on a knife-edge and only the zero-tolerance Judges can stop total anarchy. Toughest of them all is JUDGE DREDD — he is the Law!
DURHAM RED // SERVED COLD // Part Nine!
Late 22nd century. Of all the mutants that have operated as Search/Destroy agents, perhaps the most feared is vampire DURHAM RED, who requires blood to survive. Mistrusted by both the criminals she hunts and her fellow Strontium Dogs, Red has a formidable reputation that precedes her. Now, while imprisoned in the Hawks-Carpenter Holding Station, she’s been captured by mercenaries…
SLÁINE // DRAGONTAMER // Part Nine!
Albion. Celtic warrior SLÁINE united the tribes of the Earth Goddess Danu and became the first High King of Ireland, but is now a wanderer, seeking adventure where the Goddess directs him. Following Sláine’s slaughter of Trojans at Beal An Atha in an ongoing battle for Albion’s freedom, Emperor Brutus sent Dragon Squadrons to dispose of him at Inniscrone, but the barbarian defeated them. Now, Sláine battles Brutus’s half-dragon son Alban…
PROTEUS VEX // THE SHADOW CHANCELLOR // Part Nine!
Another galaxy, the far future. The centuries-long war between the Alliance and the Obdurate people is over, a conflict brought to an end with the deaths of billions when the Alliance teleported a dying white dwarf star into the Obdurate system. Imperium agent PROTEUS VEX was charged with finding Chancellor Rho 7 Baryon, and when the flesh-pilot that controls Vex entered Baryon’s body he absorbed some of his memories…
THISTLEBONE // POISONED ROOTS // Part One!
Britain, 2020. It’s been over a year since journalist Seema Chaudry accompanied cult survivor Avril Easton back to the village of Harrowvale, the site of her terryifying experiences at the hands of Jasper Hillman’s THISTLEBONE worshippers, a crazed occult group that believed in an ancient woodland deity. Intended as a cathartic experience, both women were changed forever by what they were confronted with…
We’re super excited to unveil a preview of The Mean Arena Volume 1: All To Slay For ahead of its release in a couple of weeks, the latest title in our brand new series of digital-only 2000 AD collections for 2021!
Created by Tom Tully and John Richardson, and debuting in 2000 AD Prog 178, in this Rollerball-meets-Roy of the Rovers game, the highly gifted striker of Slater’s Slayers, Matt Tallon, isn’t just after championship glory – he wants to avenge his brother’s death!
Each team playing this dystopian, brutal sport combining rugby, football and all out street brawls, have their own unique names and gimmicky costumes – with fans of the strip having the chance to write in with their suggestions for team names, which were then written in. Richardson was later replaced by Steve Dillon, who gave the series a cool dynamism straight out of The Running Man; Johnny Johnstone also contributed art to the strip.
You can check out the first four pages of The Mean Arena Volume 1 below, and it’s out on March 3rd – available from the 2000 AD app, as DRM-free download from the 2000 AD webshop, and on Amazon Kindle devices.
The new digital releases will be available from the 2000 AD app for Apple, Android, and Windows 10 devices, as DRM-free PDF/CBZ downloads from the 2000 AD webshop, and on Amazon Kindle devices.
We have more brilliant digital releases coming in this series of collections, the full list includes:
7 April Flesh: Midnight Cowboys – Pat Mills (w) James McKay (a)
5 May Time Flies – Garth Ennis (w) Philip Bond, John Beeston, Roger Langridge (a)
2 June Slaughter Bowl – John Smith (w) Paul Peart (a)
7 July Aquila Volume II: The Burning Fields – Gordon Rennie (w) Paul Davidson, Patrick Goddard (a)
4 August Bad City Blue – Alan Grant (w) Robin Smith (a)
1 September Firekind – John Smith (w) Paul Marshall (a)
6 October – Dark Justice: Torture Garden – David Hine (w) Nick Percival (a)
3 November – Tales from the Black Museum: Volume One – including John Wagner, Al Ewing, Dan Abnett, Simon Spurrier, John Smith, Alan Grant (w) Shaun Thomas, John Ridgway, Dylan Teague, Rufus Dayglo, Dean Ormston (a)
1 December Durham Red: Born Bad – Alec Worley (w) Ben Willsher, Lee Carter (a)
2000 AD Prog 2219 is out now, with more new Judge Dredd, Durham Red, Proteus Vex, Sláine and Hershey!
BORAG THUNGG, EARTHLETS – Prog 2219 is OUT NOW!
In this lockdown era, you Terrans have become accustomed to relying more and more on home deliveries — whether it’s your groceries, entertainment, or a vital replacement spunglefloot valve, now they can all be ordered with a single click without the need to venture outside. But what if you lived in a vast metropolis like MC-1?
Who delivers a customer’s supplies then? Find out this prog in Against the Clock, a zarjaz complete Dredd thriller from the Niemand and Goddard droids! Plus we have the finale of The Brutal, and the latest instalments of Sláine, Proteus Vex and Durham Red.
They’ll be back in two weeks’ time — joined by Thistlebone: Poisoned Roots, the follow-up to last year’s acclaimed folk-horror strip by T.C. Eglington and Simon Davis — for in seven days Tharg’s nephew Joko-Jargo returns to take over the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic with another of his bumper all-ages Regened progs.
Within its forty-eight pages, alongside a new Cadet Dredd adventure and a Future Shock there’s no less than three brand-new stories featuring debuting characters: Action Pact, Viva Forever and Mayflies. Check ‘em out, humes!
2000 AD Prog 2219 is out now from all good newsagents and comic book stores, plus digitally from our webshop and apps! Don’t forget that if you buy an issue of 2000 AD in the first week of its release then postage in the UK is free!
Cover Art by Patrick Goddard / Cover Colours by Dylan Teague
Script: Ken Niemand / Art: Patrick Goddard / Colours: Dylan Teague / Letters: Annie Parkhouse
JUDGE DREDD // AGAINST THE CLOCK
Mega-City One, 2143 AD. Home to over 160 million citizens, this urban hell is situated along the east coast of post-apocalyptic North America, with the irradiated wasteland known as the Cursed Earth to the west. Unemployment is rife, boredom universal and crime is rampant. Tensions rest on a knife-edge and only the zero-tolerance Judges can stop total anarchy. Toughest of them all is JUDGE DREDD — he is the Law!
DURHAM RED // SERVED COLD // Part Eight!
Late 22nd century. Of all the mutants that have operated as Search/Destroy agents, perhaps the most feared is vampire DURHAM RED, who requires blood to survive. Mistrusted by both the criminals she hunts and her fellow Strontium Dogs, Red has a formidable reputation that precedes her. Now, while imprisioned in the HawksCarpenter Holding Station, a team of mercenaries were sent in to extract her…
Albion. Celtic warrior SLÁINE united the tribes of the Earth Goddess Danu and became the first High King of Ireland, but is now a wanderer, seeking adventure where the Goddess directs him. Following Sláine’s slaughter of Trojans at Beal An Atha in an ongoing battle for Albion’s freedom, Emperor Brutus sent Dragon Squadrons to dispose of him at Inniscrone, but the barbarian defeated them. Now, Sláine ventures into Brutus’s vaults…
Script: Mike Carroll / Art: Jake Lynch / Colours: Jim Boswell / Letters: Simon Bowland
PROTEUS VEX // THE SHADOW CHANCELLOR // Part Eight!
Another galaxy, the far future. The centuries-long war between the Alliance and the Obdurate people is over, a conflict brought to an end with the deaths of billions when the Alliance teleported a dying white dwarf star into the Obdurate system. Imperium agent PROTEUS VEX was charged with finding Chancellor Rho 7 Baryon, and when the flesh-pilot that controls Vex entered Baryon’s body he absorbed some of his memories…
Script: Rob Williams / Art: Simon Fraser / Letters: Simon Bowland
HERSHEY // THE BRUTAL // Part Eight!
Judge Barbara Hershey was one of Justice Department’s most respected and capable young officers before she became Chief Judge. Leading the city through numerous challenges, she only occasionally clashed with Dredd — until the ‘Small House’ affair and the revelation of Judge Smiley’s clandestine operations on her watch. Now, seriously ill from a microbial virus, she’s faked her death to deal with Smiley’s legacy…
2000 AD Prog 2218 is out now, with more new Judge Dredd, Durham Red, Proteus Vex, Sláine and Hershey!
BORAG THUNGG, EARTHLETS – Prog 2218 is OUT NOW!
It’s time once again, Terrans, to have your frontal lobes blasted with pure excitement as this week’s issue of the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic drops into your reality.
Alongside the latest instalments of Durham Red, Proteus Vex, Sláine and the penultimate chapter of Hershey: The Brutal, there’s another complete case for Judge Dredd, this time from Rob Williams and Simon Coleby.
You’ll also find within Toby Willsmer’s winning entry in the Robo-Hunter Art Stars competition — if you fancy trying your hand at having a pin-up published in this Mighty Organ (and receive a lovely bunch of groats for it, to boot), then head over to 2000AD.com where you’ll find all the entry details.
Next subject is the ABC Warriors — we’re looking for bold and exciting interpretations of these classic characters so go wild, proto-pencilbots!
Meanwhile, we’re just two weeks away from the first of 2021’s Regened issues. Regular Squaxx will know the drill by now, but for the uninitiated, Tharg’s nephew Joko-Jargo takes control of four progs a year, collating a batch of all-ages stories in bumper 48-page specials. Steel your circuits for Prog 2220!
2000 AD Prog 2218 is out now from all good newsagents and comic book stores, plus digitally from our webshop and apps! Don’t forget that if you buy an issue of 2000 AD in the first week of its release then postage in the UK is free!
Script: Rob Williams / Art: Simon Coleby / Colours: Len O’Grady / Letters: Annie Parkhouse
JUDGE DREDD // HEALTH & HAPPINESS
Mega-City One, 2143 AD. Home to over 160 million citizens, this urban hell is situated along the east coast of post-apocalyptic North America, with the irradiated wasteland known as the Cursed Earth to the west. Unemployment is rife, boredom universal and crime is rampant. Tensions rest on a knife-edge and only the zero-tolerance Judges can stop total anarchy. Toughest of them all is JUDGE DREDD — he is the Law!
DURHAM RED // SERVED COLD // Part Seven!
Late 22nd century. Of all the mutants that have operated as Search/Destroy agents, perhaps the most feared is vampire DURHAM RED, who requires blood to survive. Mistrusted by both the criminals she hunts and her fellow Strontium Dogs, Red has a formidable reputation that precedes her. Now, she’s trapped in the Hawks-Carpenter Holding Station and Stillwater’s extraction team are closing in on her…
Albion. Celtic warrior SLÁINE united the tribes of the Earth Goddess Danu and became the first High King of Ireland, but is now a wanderer, seeking adventure where the Goddess directs him. Following Sláine’s slaughter of Trojans at Beal An Atha in an ongoing battle for Albion’s freedom, Emperor Brutus sent Dragon Squadrons to dispose of him at Inniscrone, but the barbarian defeated them. Now a Drune Lord aids Brutus…
Script: Mike Carroll / Art: Jake Lynch / Colours: Jim Boswell / Letters: Simon Bowland
PROTEUS VEX // THE SHADOW CHANCELLOR // Part Seven!
Another galaxy, the far future. The centuries-long war between the Alliance and the Obdurate people is over, a conflict brought to an end with the deaths of billions when the Alliance teleported a dying white dwarf star into the Obdurate system. Imperium agent PROTEUS VEX was charged with finding Chancellor Rho 7 Baryon, and when the flesh-pilot that controls Vex entered Baryon’s body he absorbed some of his memories…
Script: Rob Williams / Art: Simon Fraser / Letters: Simon Bowland
HERSHEY // THE BRUTAL // Part Seven!
Judge Barbara Hershey was one of Justice Department’s most respected and capable young officers before she became Chief Judge. Leading the city through numerous challenges, she only occasionally clashed with Dredd — until the ‘Small House’ affair and the revelation of Judge Smiley’s clandestine operations on her watch. Now, seriously ill from a microbial virus, she’s faked her death to deal with Smiley’s legacy…
2000 AD Prog 2217 is out now, with more new Judge Dredd, Durham Red, Proteus Vex, Sláine and Hershey!
BORAG THUNGG, EARTHLETS – Prog 2217 is OUT NOW!
Welcome, Squaxx, to your latest salvo of circuit-shattering excitement, courtesy of our crack squad of creator droids, beavering away under the toughest of social-distancing restrictions.
Script and art-bots have been programmed to stay well out of each other’s way (always a good idea, even when there’s not a pandemic on), and Mek-Quake has been fitted with an extra-long electro-lash to ensure punishments can continue to be delivered safely and responsibly.
Tharg is, after all, an employer that cares for his minions — unless, of course, they fail me, in which case we are reliably informed he will CRUSH THEM! CRUSH THEM UNTIL THEIR DIODES SQUEAK!
If that still doesn’t satiate your hunger for sci-fi excitement, make sure you don’t miss this month’s Judge Dredd Megazine, which features a complete Dredd thriller from Ken Niemand and Patrick Goddard alongside the latest chapters of Megatropolis, Dreadnoughts, The Returners and Deliverance.
Anyway, all these precautions are undertaken so you humes can enjoy your weekly prog, and as ever we have another zarjaz issue for you, with scrotnig instalments of Hershey, Proteus Vex, Durham Red and Sláine joined by a rather saucy complete case for Judge Dredd from Ken Niemand and Dan Cornwell.
Remember, if the lockdown is interfering with your 2000 AD experience, do the smart thing and take out a subscription — you’ll find all the info at shop.2000AD.com!
2000 AD Prog 2217 is out now from all good newsagents and comic book stores, plus digitally from our webshop and apps! Don’t forget that if you buy an issue of 2000 AD in the first week of its release then postage in the UK is free!
Script: Ken Niemand / Art: Dan Cornwell / Colours: Jim Boswell / Letters: Annie Parkhouse
JUDGE DREDD // NAKED CITY
Mega-City One, 2143 AD. Home to over 160 million citizens, this urban hell is situated along the east coast of post-apocalyptic North America, with the irradiated wasteland known as the Cursed Earth to the west. Unemployment is rife, boredom universal and crime is rampant. Tensions rest on a knife-edge and only the zero-tolerance Judges can stop total anarchy. Toughest of them all is JUDGE DREDD — he is the Law!
Script: Alec Worley / Art: Ben Willsher / Letters: Jim Campbell
DURHAM RED // SERVED COLD // Part Six!
Late 22nd century. Of all the mutants that have operated as Search/Destroy agents, perhaps the most feared is vampire DURHAM RED, who requires blood to survive. Mistrusted by both the criminals she hunts and her fellow Strontium Dogs, Red has a formidable reputation that precedes her. Now, she’s trapped in the Hawks-Carpenter Holding Station and Stillwater’s extraction team are closing in on her…
Albion. Celtic warrior SLÁINE united the tribes of the Earth Goddess Danu and became the first High King of Ireland, but is now a wanderer, seeking adventure where the Goddess directs him. Following Sláine’s slaughter of Trojans at Beal An Atha in an ongoing battle for Albion’s freedom, Emperor Brutus sent Dragon Squadrons to dispose of him at Inniscrone, but the barbarian defeated them. Now his fight continues…
Script: Mike Carroll / Art: Jake Lynch / Colours: Jim Boswell / Letters: Simon Bowland
PROTEUS VEX // THE SHADOW CHANCELLOR // Part Six!
Another galaxy, the far future. The centuries-long war between the Alliance and the Obdurate people is over, a conflict brought to an end with the deaths of billions when the Alliance teleported a dying white dwarf star into the Obdurate system. Imperium agent PROTEUS VEX was charged with finding Chancellor Rho 7 Baryon, and when the flesh-pilot that controls Vex entered Baryon’s body he absorbed some of his memories…
Script: Rob Williams / Art: Simon Fraser / Letters: Simon Bowland
HERSHEY // THE BRUTAL // Part Six!
Judge Barbara Hershey was one of Justice Department’s most respected and capable young officers before she became Chief Judge. Leading the city through numerous challenges, she only occasionally clashed with Dredd — until the ‘Small House’ affair and the revelation of Judge Smiley’s clandestine operations on her watch. Now, seriously ill from a microbial virus, she’s faked her death to deal with Smiley’s legacy…
2000 AD Prog 2216 is out now, with more new Judge Dredd, Durham Red, Proteus Vex, Sláine and Hershey!
BORAG THUNGG, EARTHLETS – Prog 2216 is OUT NOW!
Another week, another jaw-droppingly zarjaz issue of the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, guaranteed to energise your diodes and keep your imaginations firing during these lockdown days.
Within these scrotnig pages you’ll find the latest instalments of Sláine, Proteus Vex, Durham Red and Hershey, plus the ghafflebette climax to Dredd’s current case, Desperadlands!
If that still doesn’t satiate your hunger for sci-fi excitement, make sure you don’t miss this month’s Judge Dredd Megazine, which features a complete Dredd thriller from Ken Niemand and Patrick Goddard alongside the latest chapters of Megatropolis, Dreadnoughts, The Returners and Deliverance.
In addition to that there’s the third part of the serialised 2000 AD Encyclopedia (covering F-G), and a fascinating interview with former IPC Youth Group head honcho John Sanders to coincide with the publication of his memoirs King’s Reach: 25 Years at the Top of Comics.
One of Tharg’s first contacts upon arriving on Earth in 1977, the Sanders humanoid was instrumental in getting 2000 AD into Terrans’ hands!
2000 AD Prog 2216 is out now from all good newsagents and comic book stores, plus digitally from our webshop and apps! Don’t forget that if you buy an issue of 2000 AD in the first week of its release then postage in the UK is free!
Script: Mike Carroll / Art: William Simpson / Letters: Annie Parkhouse
JUDGE DREDD // DESPERADLANDS // Part Four!
Mega-City One, 2142 AD. Home to over 150 million citizens, this urban hell is situated along the east coast of post-apocalyptic North America. Crime is rampant, and only the zero-tolerance Judges can stop total anarchy. Toughest of them all is JUDGE DREDD — he is the Law! Now, outside Ciudad Barranquilla, Dredd has been captured by former Judge Syan Hegedos, who plans to sell him to the highest bidder. But he’s broken free…
Script: Alec Worley / Art: Ben Willsher / Letters: Jim Campbell
DURHAM RED // SERVED COLD // Part Five!
Late 22nd century. Of all the mutants that have operated as Search/Destroy agents, perhaps the most feared is vampire DURHAM RED, who requires blood to survive. Mistrusted by both the criminals she hunts and her fellow Strontium Dogs, Red has a formidable reputation that precedes her. Now, she’s trapped in the Hawks-Carpenter Holding Station and Stillwater’s extraction team are closing in on her…
Albion. Celtic warrior SLÁINE united the tribes of the Earth Goddess Danu and became the first High King of Ireland, but is now a wanderer, seeking adventure where the Goddess directs him. Following Slaine’s slaughter of Trojans at Beal An Atha in an ongoing battle for Albion’s freedom, Emperor Brutus has sent a Dragon Squadron to track him down at Inniscrone, but the barbarian has a plan…
Script: Mike Carroll / Art: Jake Lynch / Colours: Jim Boswell / Letters: Simon Bowland
PROTEUS VEX // THE SHADOW CHANCELLOR // Part Five!
Another galaxy, the far future. The centuries-long war between the Alliance and the Obdurate people is over, a conflict brought to an end with the deaths of billions when the Alliance teleported a dying white dwarf star into the Obdurate system. Imperium agent PROTEUS VEX was charged with finding Chancellor Rho 7 Baryon, and when the flesh-pilot that controls Vex entered Baryon’s body he absorbed some of his memories…
Script: Rob Williams / Art: Simon Fraser / Letters: Simon Bowland
HERSHEY // THE BRUTAL // Part Five!
Judge Barbara Hershey was one of Justice Department’s most respected and capable young officers before she became Chief Judge. Leading the city through numerous challenges, she only occasionally clashed with Dredd — until the ‘Small House’ affair and the revelation of Judge Smiley’s clandestine operations on her watch. Now, seriously ill from a microbial virus, she’s faked her death to deal with Smiley’s legacy…
The annual 2000 AD writer and artist talent search at Thought Bubble Comic Art Festival 2019 took place in November, where potential new script and art droids threw themselves on the mercy of the Mighty Tharg in a desperate attempt to get a chance to work at the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic!
Well, actually, the competition entrants had the onerous task of either pitching their Future Shock script or getting a grilling on their art in front of a distinguished panel of judges. This year it was Leah Moore, Mike Dowling, and Frazer Irving judging the artists, and Matt Smith, Andy Diggle, and Leah Moore (pulling a double shift!) judging the writers.
This year, this unique opportunity for new writers and artists to break into the house of Tharg was won by writer Liam Johnson and artist Robin Henley. You can expect to see their first 2000 AD work hitting the pages of the Prog sometime in 2020, but before then Richard Bruton sat down to talk to them about the competition and just what winning means to them…
Liam, Robin… congratulations to you both on winning the 2000 AD talent search contests at this year’s Thought Bubble.
Now that your wins have had chance to sink in, what does it all mean for you?
Liam Johnson: Firstly, thanks for the congratulations. It still hasn’t sunk in yet!
It’s probably poor form for a writer to say I can’t think of the words to truly describe how it felt! I’ve wanted to be a writer forever. To get something published, in a comic that is so near and dear to my heart, voted for by three judges that I greatly admire… it’s literally a dream come true.
My wife and I recently had our first child and a lot of people joked that it signalled the end of my aspirations of being a writer. Instead, I’ve used it as the reason to be more focused on my writing and set myself clear and achievable goals. Winning this year’s competition is proof that it’s working.
Robin Henley: It’s been a real confidence boost. I have an annoying tendency to be quite self-conscious about showing my work, so to get such a positive response from the judges was really good for me. Also, the feedback I’ve received online since the win was announced has been incredible.
(The Art search judges and winner left to right; Leah Moore, Mike Dowling, Frazer Irving, Robin Henley)
How did you first hear about the 2000 AD talent search, what convinced you to enter, and was this your first time entering the contest?
LJ: I can’t actually remember the first time I heard of the search. It may have been from the podcast or possibly the website?
I’ve been a fan of 2000 AD and have attended Thought Bubble for so long that it feels like something I’ve always been aware of. I decided to enter having been unsuccessful in the annual written submissions to 2000 AD several times. I felt that pitching a script in person would achieve two things, firstly helping my anxiety of public speaking and secondly, it would get me some much-needed feedback on my work.
I can’t stress enough how amazing it is that 2000 AD is so open to new talent. I hope it never goes away and Matt Smith and his team should be applauded for their amazing generosity in regards their open submission policy.
As I say, I’d previously entered the written submissions. But, with a bit of distance, I know I was probably leaning too heavily on inspiration from previous published works and my submissions just weren’t up to scratch. Last year was my first time entering the Thought Bubble talent search competition and I learned a lot doing it and it really informed my writing this time around. I don’t think I’d have won this year if I hadn’t gone through that experience of submitting and losing! So, if anyone feels dejected after this year’s contest, I encourage you to brush yourself off, take everything that was said on-board and have another go.
(Liam Johnson – winner of the script contest)
RH: This was my first time entering the Thought Bubble competition, but I’d been vaguely aware of it as a thing since I heard people excitedly talking about the then winners at Thought Bubble in 2017. I heard about this year’s competition via twitter, and apart from the exciting prize of a chance to work for 2000 AD, I think what really convinced me to have a go was the fact that I didn’t want to draw anything in the script! Drawing a bus interior, a nighttime setting, a skeleton bus driver and a load of fog sounded like a nightmare, so I thought it would be a great opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and really push my drawing.
For those who don’t know, the writers are asked to live pitch a Future Shock script in front of the judges and artists are asked to submit samples but also to complete a sample script for judging. This year, the sample was the 2018 Tharg’s Terror Tale from Prog 2090, The Ticket, by Paul Tobin and Dan Cornwell.
Once you’d decided to enter the contest, what was the actual pitching or portfolio review like at Thought Bubble?
RH: I decided quite late that I was going to take the plunge and enter, so I didn’t have long to work up my strip and was still drawing on the Thursday before the con! Thankfully this meant I didn’t have too much time to get nervous and overthink it, and also as it was my first time entering I had no idea what to expect. However, waiting in line to get an on the spot critique from editor Matt Smith at the 2000 AD table and find out whether or not I was going to be a finalist was a nerve-wracking experience.
As for the actual judging panel, I was one of the last to be called up, so I’d built up a lot of nerves while watching all of the other amazing entrants being critiqued on stage while their work was shown on the projector. But, when I got up there I was blown away by the positivity from the judges. It was an amazing event, and even if I hadn’t won, I think I would have been really happy to have taken part.
LJ: I went over a lot of my favourite Future Shocks to learn the techniques of how to pull off the twists, set up the payoffs, show character in a short space of time etc. In past years I borrowed too heavily on them. Who would have thought pitching ideas that were fresh and creative 30 years are now cliched? Ha! This year I then took a step back, looked at the world around me and pitched a story that was unique to my voice.
I rehearsed my pitch a few times, timing myself so I came in comfortably under the two minutes, and had my notes prepared for the day. Nerves did take hold on the day, you can certainly hear the tremble in my voice, but clearly the judges saw past that.
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 next year?
RH: Focus on your storytelling. Read the script you’re given very carefully, and spend the time getting your thumbnails and pencils right. Ask yourself what you’re trying to say with each drawing, and what the focus is. If your composition and visual storytelling doesn’t work then no amount of beautiful inking, hatching or painting is going to save it, so don’t skimp on the fundamentals.
LJ: I feel slightly patronising giving advice to people that are really only 4 pages behind where I find myself now. Instead, I’m going to echo advice that infinitely more talented creators shared with me:
Read a lot. Not just comics, everything.
Try to reverse engineer your favourite comics into script form. And then do it with comics you don’t think are written that well. You can learn just as much, if not more from them.
And do your thing every day. I’ve written religiously at the crack of dawn before work for about ten years now.
Liam, as for the FS pitch that you and Robin will be bringing to life in a future Prog, without giving too much away, what can we expect from the story?
LJ: It’s set in a world that’s just over the horizon, about the risks of our over-reliance on technology and the increasing intelligence these handheld devices contain.
If I may add, having seen Robin’s winning submission and her artwork, she is going to make me look way better than I actually am. It really feels like winning the competition twice.
Robin, can you go into a little detail about what sort of art you brought to the session, what style(s) of artwork you work in and pitched, and what your process for your art is?
RH: I completed the six-page terror tale script, ‘The Ticket’, which was supplied for the competition. My work is fairly stylised, and I worried it would be a little too cartoony for the judges’ tastes, but thankfully I was wrong.
I do my pencils in Photoshop, which I find helps me try out lots of options, and be a bit more daring than if I was working straight on to the page. I then print out a blue line and ink by hand at A3 size with a couple of different brush pens. Then I scan the pages, clean up the inks and, for this comic, I added some grey tones and textures in Photoshop.
This might be your first time in 2000 AD, but has there been other work out there from you before this?
RH: I’ve completed a few short comics for competitions and anthologies, and have some other uncompleted projects. My dream has always been to work in comics, but I’ve taken a few detours, meaning my professional background is actually in illustration and graphic design. I’ve been a freelance illustrator for nearly two years, and before that I worked as an in house illustrator/designer in a London studio, specialising in packaging design.
LJ: This will be my first published work. I’ve worked on a number of other projects which didn’t reach the finish line for one reason or another. I really hope this is the start of something and encourage any artist who may want to work with me to reach out. At worst, it’s a new comic book friend and at best, perhaps we can create something awesome! I’ve also made a number of short films, to various degrees of success and accolades.
Now, as it’s your first time here on the 2000 AD news site, we’re going to hit you with a couple of old favourites!
When did you first come across the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic?
LJ: Ashamedly, I came to comics quite late. A long story short (perhaps one to share at a later date) but at the age of fifteen I suddenly found myself with nothing but spare time. Having devoured pretty much every book, TV show and film I could find (this was pre-streaming, now this would be an impossible task) I was in desperate need of something new. And that’s when I discovered comics.
I suddenly realised so much of what I loved growing up either originated from or was heavily inspired by comics. Then I read every single comic book I could find. Weirdly, even though I’ve been reading for sixteen years now, I still feel like a newbie.
RH: Despite always having been aware of it, I came quite late to 2000 AD, and initially got into it by reading the collections rather than the magazine. I started off with older stuff like The Ballad of Halo Jones by Alan Moore and Ian Gibson and the Complete Alan Moore Future Shocks, and then got into newer titles like Brass Sun by Ian Edginton and Ian Culbard.
And now that your 2000 AD journey has begun, what would you see as a dream character or strip to work on?
LJ: Is Dredd too obvious an answer? I would love to write not so much him but about the characters who live in the gutters of his world. I’m drawn to the stories where he’s a presence that can serve as either antagonist or protagonist (or both). I think the minutiae of his universe has infinite possibilities.
RH: Well, I’d love to draw an original series for 2000 AD, but if I was going to work on an existing character, I’d like it to be for a female-led strip, perhaps a Judge Anderson story. And then outside of 2000 AD, my dream would be to work on revivals of other Rebellion titles, like Misty, or Tammy and Jinty.
(A recent Robin Henley Halo Jones)
When it comes to your own work, where do your influences come from?
RH: My introduction to and journey through comics has been quite varied. When I was a kid my Dad had stacks of Mad Magazine paperbacks from the 60s which he used to let me read, and artists like Dave Berg definitely influenced my work and sparked a love of clean inks and solid blacks that I still have now.
Then when I was a little bit older I discovered manga through finding a single issue of a Urusei Yatsura comic. As a teenager, manga eventually led me to UK indie comics, although I’d say that now most of my comics reading comes from graphic novels.
Some of my favourite graphic novels include David Mazzucchelli’s Asterios Polyp, Glyn Dillon’s Nao of Brown, Emil Ferris’s My Favourite Thing is Monsters and The Black Project by Gareth Brooks, and I’m continually inspired by artists like Christophe Blain, Jaime Hernandez, Alberto Breccia and Darwyn Cooke.
LJ: I find this a tough question as I don’t necessarily think my influences display in my work and I’m inspired by new material each and every new comic book day.
If you pushed me, Brian Michael Bendis will always be a favourite. I just love his dialogue, even though it breaks every rule on word count. I know Steven Spielberg isn’t in comics but I certainly aim to emulate the way he tells stories from the common man looking up at epic situations beyond their comprehension. It goes without saying that Alan Moore is a genius. I find Grant Morrison fascinating, not just his outstanding concepts, but how experimental he is with the format. And Terry Pratchett was the first author who made me realise you could read for pleasure. I read his work way too young, not understanding any of the subtext and themes until much later in life, but I fell in love with reading because of him.
And I haven’t even touched on artists! I think Liam Sharp, Christian Ward and Marcos Martin are on top form right now. I could really list a thousand artists. I admire them so much, probably because my drawing ability peaked at eight years old. The amount of creativity in the form displayed over the last ten years or so has been outstanding. No two books look the same these days and nothing excites me more.
With the contest over, what’s coming up for you in the near, or not so near future?
LJ: I’m working on a four-issue mini-series with entitled Missing Persons with co-creator Bernardo Vieira. It’s a time-travel heist story I wrote a couple years ago that should be ready for publication next year.
I’ve been working on a novel for a while now, starting as a passion project for my own amusement, but I hope to start shopping that around next year. And finally, while I can’t announce it yet, I do have something on the horizon that may keep me chained to the computer for most of next year. I hope next time we speak I can give more definite answers but there’s lots of exciting things coming up!
RH: Well, the most exciting thing coming up for me is undoubtedly getting to work on a 2000 AD strip! But aside from that, I’m going to be focusing on trying to get some other paid comics work and perhaps work up a pitch for an original graphic novel.
Congratulations once more to Robin and Liam for their wins and we’ll be looking forward to seeing their Future Shock when it appears, sometime in 2020. In the meantime, you can follow them on Twitter at @LiamJohnsonType and @RobinHenley.
And of course, 2000 AD will be at Thought Bubble 2020 with yet another fabulous talent search, looking for the very best new writers and artists of the future!
Finally, just because it’s a fascinating thing to do, here’s the original Dan Cornwell published art for ‘The Ticket’ page one and page two and Robin’s winning artwork based on the same script that so impressed the judges…