The ultimate 2000 AD mix-tape has finally arrived – make sure you grab a copy of Best of 2000 AD #0 on Free Comic Book Day this Saturday!
Free Comic Book Day is the annual event day where participating comic book shops around the world give away special comic books – absolutely free! It’s a celebration of comics as an art form and as popular culture, introducing whole new audiences to comics and supporting local comic book stores.
And with longer page-counts and more thrill-power, Best of 2000 AD is the essential gateway to the ‘Galaxy’s Greatest Comic’ .
This BRAND-NEW Issue Zero primer for the highly anticipated quarterly graphic novels series launching in September features A-listers Al Ewing (The Immortal Hulk, We Only Find Them When They’re Dead) and V.V. Glass (The Last Witch, Assassin’s Creed) teaming up for a brand-new and exclusive Judge Dredd adventure! Plus, Nemesis The Warlock by Pat Mills and Kevin O’Neill (Marshall Law), Superbean by John Wagner (History of Violence) and Mick McMahon (Boba Fett), and a Future Shock at the ends of the earth from Batman Inc. and Die! Die! Die artist Chris Burnham! And if that wasn’t enough, this issue features a stunning cover by Star Wars concept artist Ian McQue!
The ultimate 2000 AD mix-tape has finally arrived – make sure you ask your local comic book store to order big on Best of 2000 AD #0 for Free Comic Book Day!
Free Comic Book Day is the annual event day where participating comic book shops around the world give away special comic books – absolutely free! It’s a celebration of comics as an art form and as popular culture, introducing whole new audiences to comics and supporting local comic book stores.
And with longer page-counts and more thrill-power, Best of 2000 AD is the essential gateway to the ‘Galaxy’s Greatest Comic’
This BRAND-NEW Issue Zero primer for the highly anticipated quarterly graphic novels series features A-listers Al Ewing (The Immortal Hulk, We Only Find Them When They’re Dead) and V.V. Glass (The Last Witch, Assassin’s Creed) teaming up for a brand-new and exclusive Judge Dredd adventure!
Plus, Nemesis The Warlock by Pat Mills and Kevin O’Neill (Marshall Law), Superbean by John Wagner (History of Violence) and Mick McMahon (Boba Fett), and a Future Shock at the ends of the earth from Batman Inc. and Die! Die! Die artist Chris Burnham!
And if that wasn’t enough, this issue features a stunning cover by Star Wars concept artist Ian McQue!
Orders to Diamond are now due so make sure there’s a plentiful supply of copies for your local comic book stores’ FCBD – contact them now and ask them to order!
With Free Comic Book Day scheduled for 14 August this year, Earthlets everywhere should be eagerly encouraging their local comic book store to order copies of 2000 AD‘s all-star Judge Dredd special issue!
2000 AD Presents All Star Judge Dredd will be a full colour 32-page issue dedicated to stories from the universe of the iconic future lawman Judge Dredd, with big name creators and previews of this autumn’s hottest graphic novels.
The order period for FCBD titles ends on 30 April. This issue will ONLY be available from participating comic book stores, so make sure you tell your local comic book retailer to order enough copies of 2000 AD Presents All Star Judge Dredd so that you don’t miss out!
This issue will kick off with a bone-rattling all new stand-alone Dredd caper from superstar writer Al Ewing (Immortal Hulk) and artist Caspar Wijngaard (Star Wars) – and you can check out the first few pages of this brand new story below!
This issue will also include teasers for Rebellion’s epic Fall 2021 graphic novels…
Witness the birth of the world of Judge Dredd in an incendiary preview of upcoming prequel graphic novel Dreadnoughts by Michael Carroll, with art by Watchmen’s John Higgins.
And fan-favourite character Judge Hershey leaves Mega-City One and travels to the ends of the earth to dispense her own brand of justice in long-anticipated blockbuster spin-off, Hershey: Disease by Rob Williams (Suicide Squad) and Simon Fraser (Doctor Who).
This year’s event marks the 20th anniversary of Free Comic Book Day, which aims to support and promote specialist comic book stores.
Rather than the usual date in May, this year’s FCBD will take place on Saturday 14 August 14. The event has been moved in the hope that much of the disruption related to COVID-19 will have passed.
Rebellion is delighted to confirm that 2000 AD is returning to Free Comic Book Day in 2021 with an all-star Judge Dredd special issue!
2000 AD Presents All Star Judge Dredd will be a full colour 32-page issue dedicated to stories from the universe of the iconic future lawman Judge Dredd, with big name creators and previews of this autumn’s hottest graphic novels!
This issue will kick off with a bone-rattling all new stand-alone Dredd caper from superstar writer Al Ewing (Immortal Hulk) and artist Caspar Wijngaard (Star Wars)!
Plus, there will be teasers for the epic Fall 2021 graphic novels from Rebellion…
Witness the birth of the world of Judge Dredd in an incendiary preview of upcoming prequel graphic novel Dreadnoughts by Michael Carroll, with art by Watchmen’s John Higgins.
And fan-favourite character Judge Hershey leaves Mega-City One and travels to the ends of the earth to dispense her own brand of justice in long-anticipated blockbuster spin-off, Hershey: Disease by Rob Williams (Suicide Squad) and Simon Fraser (Doctor Who).
This issue will ONLY be available from participating comic book stores, so make sure you tell your local comic book retailer to order enough copies of 2000 AD Presents All Star Judge Dredd so that you don’t miss out!
This year’s event marks the 20th anniversary of Free Comic Book Day, which aims to support and promote specialist comic book stores.
Rather than the usual date in May, this year’s FCBD will take place on Saturday 14 August 14. The event has been moved in the hope that much of the disruption related to COVID-19 will have passed.
The pandemic forced Rebellion to push back the launch of Best of 2000 AD, its brand-new US-sized monthly designed for new readers. But the planned Free Comic Book Day primer is the perfect teaser for what’s in store in 2021 – and it’s out now from all participating comic book stores as part of Diamond Distribution’s Free Comic Book Summer!
Behind a cover by Preacher cover artist, Glen Fabry, this red-hot freebie will sizzle your synapses from the off with comic book A-listers Al Ewing (Immortal Hulk) and Erica Henderson (Unbeatable Squirrel Girl) teaming up for a brand-new and exclusive Judge Dredd adventure!
Plus there’s a Judge Anderson story by Batman legends Alan Grant and Arthur Ranson, and vamp bounty hunter Durham Red by best-selling author Lauren Beukes, Dale Halvorsen and Dredd co-creator Carlos Ezquerra
And then there’s lesson in survival in Rogue Trooper by fan-favorites Gordon Rennie and Richard Elson!
With copies available from today – and only from participating stores – you can check out Best of 2000 AD #0 with this free Previewsworld preview!
Free Comic Book Day 2020 was to have taken place the first week of May but, due to the global Covid-19 pandemic, the event was postponed. Over Free Comic Book Summer, comic book retailers receive five to six Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) titles in their weekly shipments during each week of the promotion. Please be aware that release of these titles may vary from shop to shop.
You do not want to miss Free Comic Book Day this year, Earthlets – Best of 2000 AD #0 is hotter than a meteorite strike! Check out the preview pages below!
Best of 2000 AD #0 is a 32-page bombshell for FCBD, not only heralding the arrival of the brand new 12-issue maxi series but also presenting a brand-new and exclusive Judge Dredd adventure from A-listers Al Ewing (Immortal Hulk) and Erica Henderson (Unbeatable Squirrel Girl)!
Best of 2000 AD is a brand-new US-sized monthly designed for new readers – the essential gateway to the ‘Galaxy’s Greatest Comic’ and readers can get a sneak peek with this #0 primer on Free Comic Book Day!
Free Comic Book Day is the annual event day where participating comic book shops around the world give away special comic books – absolutely free! It’s a celebration of comics as an art form and as popular culture, introducing whole new audiences to comics and supporting local comic book stores.
Best of 2000 AD #0 will also include a Judge Anderson tale by Batman legends Alan Grant and Arthur Ranson; vamp bounty hunter Durham Red by best-selling author Lauren Beukes, Dale Halvorsen and Dredd co-creator Carlos Ezquerra; and a lesson in survival in Rogue Trooper by fan-favourites Gordon Rennie and Richard Elson!
And this is all wrapped in a brand new cover by Preacher cover artist, Glenn Fabry!
Best of 2000 AD #0 will be available exclusively in print from participating comic book stores on Free Comic Day, May 2 2020!
2000
AD returns to Free Comic Book Day in 2020 in a
blaze of glory – and with a thrilling taster for its brand new comic, Best of 2000 AD!
Best
of 2000 AD #0 is a 32-page FCBD bombshell featuring
a new and exclusive Judge Dredd story
by Al Ewing (Immortal Hulk, Loki: Agent of Asgard) and Erica
Henderson (The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl,
Assassin Nation), as well as work by
Lauren Beukes (The Shining Girls),
Richard Elson (Thor) and more!
Featuring some of the best characters from
the legendary weekly anthology by some of its top talent, Best of 2000 AD #0 will
be available exclusively in print from participating comic book stores on Free
Comic Day, May 2 2020.
It’s the perfect introduction to Best of 2000 AD #1, the 100-page
anthology hitting comic book store shelves on 29 April – just in time for Free
Comic Book Day!
Behind a new cover by Glenn Fabry (Sláine, Preacher), the 2000 AD
FCBD issue sees Erica Henderson on her Judge
Dredd debut in Democracy Soon! –
written by acclaimed scribe Al Ewing; there are always plenty of ways to die on
Nu Earth and in Rogue Trooper: Survival
Lesson by Gordon Rennie (Judge Dredd)
and Richard Elson (Thor), the last
blue-skinned Genetic Infantryman tries to save a lone soldier from the worst
this war-torn world can throw at him; will Mega-City One’s favourite psychic
cop, Judge Anderson, find hope in the ruins of New York in ‘Reasons to be
Cheerful’ by Alan Grant (Batman) and Arthur
Ranson (Button Man); and blood-sucking
bounty hunter Durham Red teams up with Johnny Alpha in Durham Red: The Judas Strain by Lauren Beukes (The Shining Girls), Dale Halvorsen (Survivor’s Club) and Carlos Ezquerra (Judge Dredd)!
Free Comic Book Day is the annual event day
where participating comic book specialty shops around the world give away special
comic books – absolutely free! It’s a celebration of comics as an art form and
as popular culture, introducing whole new audiences to comics and supporting
local comic book stores.
Ben Smith, head of publishing at Rebellion,
said: “It’s incredibly exciting to be involved in Free Comic Book Day again,
especially as this year’s 2000 AD
issue is a pitch perfect introduction to the world class storytelling that
readers can get into a monthly basis from the new Best of 2000 AD series, which launches the same month. We’ve been
speaking to new readers and learning lessons from retailers across the US and
this year’s 2000 AD Free Comic Book
Day issue is going to be a bigger event than we have ever had before!”
Every year, the first Saturday in May sees comic stores over the world take part in Free Comic Book Day, a wonderful celebration of all things comics!
And for this year’s FCBD, the best of British funny comic makers will be gathered together in the Treasury of British Comics Funny Pages, featuring the incredible artwork of the likes of Leo Baxendale, Ken Reid, Robert Nixon, and more luminaries of laughter.
Inside the Treasury Of British Comics’ Funny Pages, you’re going to delight to discover, or maybe re-discover, some of the absolute classics of Brit Comics Funny Pages, all part of the incredible Rebellion archive. Featuring the likes of Sweeney Toddler, Grimley Feendish, Faceache, Gums, and many more, it’s going to be the funniest free comic book day of all this May 5th!
Richard Bruton took time to chat comedy and comics with the man behind the funny pages, the Treasury Of British Comics’ Keith Richardson.
This year, Rebellion’s FCBD Comic is slightly different, coming not from 2000 AD but from the Treasury Of British Comics. What was the idea behind putting out Funny Pages?
Keith Richardson: Funny Pages is just a way of highlighting some of the range of incredible work that we have available through The Treasury of British Comics. The largest chunk of what Rebellion purchased to become the Treasury are titles that are humour titles. So, it just seemed like the obvious choice, saying here are some humour titles of yesteryear, but you’re going to love them because they still hold up today.
There are lots of UK collectors, of a certain age who are very excited that we do have the Treasury. But, then again, there’s a hell of a lot of people that don’t know anything about it. We’ve got a lot of characters who are still really cool, really cool, or the concept is absolutely brilliant.
When it came to deciding just which artists, which strips would be represented in Funny Pages, how on earth was it done? There’s just so much material available to you in the Rebellion archive!
KR: First and foremost, I was a child of the 70s, so I grew up devouring this material, mainly the IPC stuff. I wasn’t really a Beano reader. Nutty though, that was a great title. But I’d pick up Monster Fun, Shiver and Shake, Buster, Cor!, I used to have a little box in WHSmiths, full of these.
I had a feel of the strips that were popular back then, such as Frankie Stein, Faceache, always massive draws, Gums was really popular when he was in Buster. So a lot of it is down to things I knew were popular, back in the day. But, also a lot of going online and seeing what sort of things people were talking about. And then, stepping back and asking what would be popular today, what would work today, what would still be seen as funny today? A lot is just a gut instinct, what would work for contemporary audiences.
Looking at the selection of material in Funny Pages, there’s a lot of colour material in there, despite so much of the old material being black and white.
KR: Absolutely, we’ve delved deep in the archives, but a lot of the strips have come from the annuals, simply because I wanted to put as much colour as possible into Funny Pages. It’s just that audiences, especially American audiences, gravitate towards colour and don’t like black and white. Not every strip is from annuals, but a large chunk are. There’s some black and white strips in there as well, but I wanted to populate it, mainly, with colour work. And although some people say that some of the annual strips aren’t quite as good, I made sure I got some really great strips for The Funny Pages.
What are you hoping for with The Funny Pages as this year’s Rebellion Free Comic Book Day comic?
KR: I hope a lot of older readers will pick it up as well, not just for themselves but for their children as well. It’s all about exposure, especially in the States. We just want to let people out there, especially knowing that a lot of FCBD comics are going to the States, that there’s a lot more to Rebellion than 2000 AD. We’ve put 2000 AD out there before for FCBD and people are, hopefully, more aware of it. But, having The Funny Pages out for this year’s FCBD allows us to say, you’ve seen what 2000 AD is like, now check out this other brilliant British material.
We want readers to know that we already have some extremely gorgeous collections of strips which you’ll see showcased in Funny Pages or the Cor!! Buster Special, such as the Faceache collection, Ken Reid’s Creepy Creations, we’ve got a collection of Leo Baxendale’s Sweeney Toddler coming out in July.
How exciting is it for you to be in charge of bringing back so many old favourites with The Treasury of British Comics in general, and the best of the humour comics through Funny Pages and the Treasury?
KR: It’s exciting times. It’s been a lot of fun, an exciting couple of years, and it’s only getting better. Funny Pages and the Treasury is about showcasing British talent that a lot of people haven’t heard of. Because British comics didn’t begin and end with Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, Brian Bolland, and Dave Gibbons. We know how brilliant those guys are, and my God, they were brilliant but we’ve got a much richer history than that. We have artists from the past, like your Ken Reids, your Leo Baxendales, your Tom Patersons, who are just, in their own way, just as great as the guys that the Americans already know.
Ken Reid, for example, his stuff is so beautifully grotesque, but also so contemporary. It feels absolutely timeless. And who inspired Alan Moore? It was Ken Reid. Alan Moore is a massive Ken Reid fan, but you’d be hard pressed to find a lot of Americans who even know who Ken Reid is. Hopefully, we’re able to change that with The Funny Pages and The Treasury.
How about the future, what plans do you have for Free Comic Book Day 2020?
KR: If it goes down really well, next FCBD, we’ll possibly apply for two titles again, and next time round it might be an Action collection from the Treasury, where you might see the likes of The Spider in there, or Robot Archie, or Mytek The Mighty. Maybe the year after that we might try a girls collection for FCBD. The sky’s the limit!
Rebellion is delighted to announce three FREE comics workshops for kids in London, Glasgow, and Dundee this Free Comic Book Day 2019!
Free Comic Book Day on 4th May aims to encourage new readers to visit their local comic book store and Rebellion has a host of titles supporting this global celebration of comics!
To mark the release of its ‘Funny Pages’ and ‘Cor!! & Buster Special’ titles, 2000 AD and Dundee Comic Creative Space are taking over the studio at the Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow and the Vision building on Dundee waterfront with special workshop events on 4th May.
Both running from 1.30pm to 3.30pm on Saturday 4th May, the workshops will give kids of all ages the chance to have a go at creating their own comics based on characters from the legendary titles Cor!! and Buster!
In London, ‘Cor!! & Buster Special’ writer Ned Hartley will also be running a comics workshop for kids at Gosh! Comics on Berwick Street from 10am to 11am.
And to celebrate the release of the ‘2000 AD Villains Takeover Special’, on the same day at Forbidden Planet Megastore on Shaftesbury Avenue in London, three of the creators – Greg Staples, Matt Smith, and Pye Parr – will be signing from 1pm to 2pm.
Phillip Vaughan, Art Director at Dundee Comics Creative Space, said: “We are delighted to support Free Comic Book Day this year, and we are looking forward to facilitating both events in Glasgow and Dundee! Please come along to one of the free events, sharpen your pencils and get creative with the characters from Cor!! and Buster!”
Martin Craig, curator at Glasgow Museums, said: “After the success of the Frank Quitely exhibition in 2017 which featured work from 2000 AD, Glasgow Museums are excited to support another brilliant comic book event in partnership with 2000 AD and the Dundee Comic Creative Space. GoMA’s exhibition, Mark-making: Perspectives on Drawing, which explores how diverse drawing can be is the perfect partner for this event that celebrates the art of drawing in comics. Come explore, create and take away brilliant comics, it is FREE Comic Book Day after all.”
Hitting newsagents and comic book stores on 17th April, the ‘Cor!! & Buster Humour Special’ is packed full of all-ages fun, featuring some of the greatest all-time British comic characters in all-new stories in an outrageously funny special edition!
On the same theme, Rebellion’s title for Free Comic Book Day on 4th May is ‘Funny Pages’, a riotous revisit of classic comic book comedy characters from the heyday of the 1970s and ‘80s! Copies are only available from participating stores, so make sure you get there early to bag your copy!
And to support Free Comic Book Day, 2000 AD’s ‘Villains Takeover Special’ is out on 1st May for the low price of just 99p/99c. The baddies take over the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic with a nefarious new special full of criminal capers and villainous ventures, an ideal shelf-stuffer to tempt roguish readers into the world of 2000 AD!
The dastardly and the iniquitous will be taking over this Free Comic Book Day – and we’d like to present to you the preview of the first ever 2000 AD Villains Takeover! Check out the nefarious pages below!
To coincide with Free Comic Book Day, this new special sees the baddies from some of the 2000 AD’s biggest strips, including Judge Dredd, Strontium Dog, and Sláine, get their moment in the spotlight – all for the low price of just 99p/99c.
The 32-page US-format special will be on sale to coincide with Free Comic Book Day on 4th May 2019 – comic book stores can order their copies now from Diamond Distribution.
It is being published alongside Rebellion’s main title for Free Comic Book Day, The Treasury of British Comics Presents Funny Pages.
Creators involved include Rob Williams (Suicide Squad) and Pat Mills (Marshal Law) with art from the likes of Swedish concept artist Henrik Sahlstrom, Kyle Hotz (Lucifer), Kael Ngu (Justice League), Henry Flint (Judge Dredd) and Chris Weston (The Filth).
Inside, the lawman of the future faces a familiar rictus grin in JUDGE DEATH: THE JUDGE WHO LAUGHS by Rob Williams and Henrik Sahlstrom, and there’s fiendish fantasy with LORD WEIRD SLOUGH FEG: LORD OF THE HUNT by Pat Mills and Kyle Hotz. There’s chem-wreathed criminality in the world of Rogue Trooper in BRASS AND BLAND: THE PROFESSIONALS by Karl Stock and Kael Ngu while malefactory mutant-bountyhunters-turned-bad-guys, The Stix, from Strontium Dog cause trouble in STIX: SLEEPING DOGS LIE by Matt Smith and Chris Weston. And this issue is all rounded off by TERROR TALE: LAST OF THE HELLPHIBIANS by that master of the mendacious Henry Flint!
The 2000 AD Villains Takeover Special will be on sale from 1st May and is available for comic book stores to order in time for Free Comic Book Day from Diamond Distribution using code JAN192056.
