Tag: smash!

2000 AD brings you the galaxy’s greatest stories and art in thrill-powered tales every single week – but who are the droids behind these tales? Well, each month, we’ll sit down with one of the creators who’ve been responsible for keeping the thrill-power set to maximum to get those answers – this is the 2000 AD Creator Files!

Here’s where we’ll tell you more about the artists and writers who keep the Prog and the Judge Dredd Megazine a Thrill-full read! For over 45 years, 2000 AD has been bringing you the best new talent out there and here’s another one of the many talented newer names you’ll have seen in the Prog & the Meg recently – Anna Morozova.

Anna Morozova burst into 2000 AD back in April 2019 with a stunning Future Shock and since then her artwork has been a regular feature of both Progs and the Megazine, her stylings instantly recognisable whether on horrific Terror Tales or the all-ages fare of Lowborn High.

She’s a comics artist and illustrator currently working for 2000 AD and The Treasury of British Comics in the UK plus Glarien in the US. Her published work includes Future Shocks, Terror Tales, Tales from the Black Museum, Judge Anderson, Viva Forever, Lowborn High, and Rocky of the Rovers for Rebellion, plus the creator-owned Star-Nav written by Alan Hebden for the Pandora comic anthology, plus The Treasury of British Comics forthcoming SMASH! series. All of which we’ll be talking about…

Anna, welcome to the 2000 AD Creator Files – it’s a pleasure to speak to you.

ANNA MOROZOVA: The pleasure is mine!

Okay then, let’s begin by going back, back, back – quite simply, who are you and what’s your story?

AM: Quite simply, I am an artist and freelance illustrator. Originally from Russia, I spent a lot of time growing up in Estonia, and then went to Scotland – Dundee – for studies where my artistic career began, so to speak.

I have always enjoyed drawing, but never really thought it was quite realistic to build a viable career out of it. Until, to my surprise, comics had found me, so now I am here, answering questions for 2000 AD Creator Files! How cool is that? Pretty awesome, I would say.

When did you move to Dundee?

AM: In 2013, for studies specifically; although we have become really good friends with the place, and I stayed for a bit after graduation.

At what age did you first become interested in art? And did an interest in comics develop alongside the interest in art?

AM: It feels to me that I have always been interested in art. So much so that I was giving ‘drawing classes’ to my peers at kindergarten. I was essentially showing them how to turn rectangular and triangular shapes into something resembling human anatomical characteristics. The ‘classes’ were pretty popular, and the audience kept asking for more – here goes for my early teaching successes.

I would generally always draw. Especially at school; I remember, I would scribble away throughout lessons. Those could be both random sketches and/or something very theme-appropriate. For instance, my history lesson notebooks were particularly fascinating: the studied material would morph into thematic illustrations on pages, which came in handy for grades.

What else was there?.. I would take commission requests whilst in primary school – some were for actual comic pages of rather non-kid-friendly content. Unfortunately, my entrepreneurial spirit was swiftly suppressed as soon as the teacher found out I was charging my classmates. I can now safely say that my first introduction to the principles of capitalism did not go very smoothly. How typical: that type of thinking there, expecting artists to somehow work for free, out of goodwill. How many times we will encounter such a misconception going forward?..

For as long as I remember, I have always liked imagery that is drawn. Photographs would not excite me nearly as much, but illustrations would always grab my attention. I always wondered what it must be like to be drawing for a living. Comics, of course, were a perfect fit for such an individual. I was not a particularly in-depth reader or anything like that. I did buy comics if they were to appear on my way somehow – especially translated Disney ones, often illustrated by great Italian artists – but calling myself a serious geek would be an enormous exaggeration. Comics, art books, illustrated folklore books… all those were a part of the same pool for me that essentially existed with illustrations as the main attraction at its core.

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One thing you said to me previously when I interviewed you about Lowborn High was that ‘my sequential work is primarily influenced by European comics art,’ so where did this appreciation of Euro comics come from and when did you gain it?

AM: Despite gaining visual understanding and appreciation from the comics I would read from time to time whilst growing up, I only started gaining some more in-depth knowledge about European comics mastery at the university, predominantly during my Postgraduate studies. 

This is when I had a good opportunity to read up on things and research some comics material that would be of interest to me. Slowly but surely, I believe I had gained a decent degree of watchfulness and gain more inspiration from the sources I was now familiar with.

You’ve previously said that, when it comes to 2000 AD, ‘I appreciate the cultural and creative significance of this publication and try my best to deliver the best work I can whilst catching up with the incredible back catalogue of legendary stories that had appeared on the comic’s pages throughout the years.’

What experience of 2000 AD had you had by this stage? I’m assuming that you would have been at least aware of it by now, living in Scotland, but were you a regular reader?

AM: I first became aware (not sufficiently aware though!) of 2000 AD when I saw Karl Urban’s (as it is commonly called) ‘Dredd‘ movie poster. Little did I know about the actual comic that the movie was based on.

Years later, when visiting London for the New Designers show, a good friend of mine, Anthony Howard – who back then was working at Forbidden Planet – first showed me what 2000 AD is actually like as a comic, pointing at the entire dedicated section at the store. With a very ‘grande’ gesture he had referred to that section consisting of multiple shelves highlighting multiple collections, and almost whispered: ‘2000 AD!..’ – so I knew that was important, I just had not known how important yet.

I particularly remember a Sov Judges’ symbol being on one of the collection covers. Then, the same friend mailed me some Prog and Megazine copies to read along with some other comics he considered of importance (and I would trust his judgment).

I particularly remember seeing Simon Davis’ artwork on Sinister Dexter for the first time. Oh, and Phil Winslade’s art on Lawless, of course! I was beyond impressed by those publications – they looked so edgy and so different from everything else (and I don’t mean just the page format!).

Then, of course, I got my proper introduction to ‘Tharg’s comics vaults’ during my Postgraduate studies (which seems to be a pattern by now, when it comes to anything related to my knowledge of comics). That is when I first got familiar with a selection of stories and generally understood the significance of the publication within the comics and graphic novels realm.

What were your favourite strips? Were there any particular stories or creators that really made you want to join in the fun at 2000 AD?

AM: Nemesis the Warlock comes to mind first, I would say. Predominantly, because it broke most of the concepts I could be having about comics at that time. To me, it was something out of this world.

I am desperately trying to find some time to dedicate myself as much as possible to the reading of Nikolai Dante – I know this will require quite a bit of time, for sure, but I am really looking forward to the moment of me getting my hands on the collections and diving in!

In terms of joining the fun at 2000 AD, well, I could not quite believe it when the official invitation came through.

So did you have any ambitions at this point to get your art into 2000 AD?

AM: My primary ambition has been to do good art and improve my skills as time goes by. It came as a huge surprise to find out that my work had been noticed. Since then, I have only been trying to do my best.

After graduating with a BSc in Digital Interaction Design from the University of Dundee, you then went on to study for, and get, a Comics Masters, an MDes.

First of all though, I’m wondering why you went for Digital Interaction Design as an undergraduate degree? Looking at the course’s content, it looks like it goes more towards digital graphic design rather than art itself.

AM: Because I never really considered making a career out of art. I have always been good with mathematics, and physics… technology had been fascinating me. I somewhat was looking for something a bit more hybrid with art and design though, rather than going straight for a degree in IT. Digital Interaction Design seemed like a good option as it combined programming, UX/UI and yes, it indeed required some level of understanding of principles of graphic design to create appealing user experiences and product/application prototypes. It was a perfect mix of the two worlds, really. In addition, such a degree would open up opportunities in a variety of fields, be those more technical, IT-related, or design-oriented. Despite very promising career options in UX/UI design, I managed to end up in a more artistic environment than I could possibly think of at the time.

Was it that you weren’t initially thinking of going into illustration and comics? Or was it simply a very good course to add to skills etc?

AM: Neither illustration nor comics were even on my mind when I was making a degree choice. During my first couple of years at the university, I sort of stumbled across some comic artists’ stories and discussions about their career experiences, which made me recall my partially forgotten hobby – drawing. I kind of thought “Well, I can draw too. Sort of. I used to like it as well.”

This ‘remembrance’, if you will, had then led me to incorporate sequential storytelling into my final degree project. I designed an Augmented Reality experience within the city environment that used storytelling principles of comics as an experience fundament. It was a fully working prototype, too – I got to do a bit of programming, a bit of graphic design, a bit of application building as well as, of course, illustration! When scanning the surroundings at Dundee’s city centre, application prototype users could learn about the dark and tragic story of Grissell Jaffray, the last executed witch in Scotland.

That final BSc project secured me a First degree and a pretty awesome job offer along with a postgraduate admission offer from Phillip Vaughan, who at the time, was the course leader of MDes in Comics and Graphic Novels.

This is how I ended up doing my Master’s degree – quite a gamble, all things considered, but I just had a feeling that somehow this was the right choice for me, and something good would come out as a result of such a decision being made. I set myself a goal: to have a ready portfolio by the time the course finishes and see if it leads anywhere. The backup plan was to go for the DIxD jobs that were available for someone with my skillset in case comics jobs were not to happen.

As for the Masters in Comics, I have to say I’m absolutely fascinated by the idea of it. Was this with Prof Chris Murray?

AM: Prof Chris Murray was responsible for the theory route of the course, MLitt – some students would choose an academic path to comics studies. Phillip Vaughan was leading the MDes route, a more practical version of the university’s postgraduate program. That was a great approach at a great time. Since then, things have vastly changed at the institution, and the program has gone through significant transformations. It is still going as far as I am aware, but it has taken a more fine art, indie direction rather than something commerce and mainstream oriented.

Presumably, there’s an awful lot of art involved, making art, making comics. But were there also elements of the history of comics, business aspects etc?

AM: This used to be an awesome program at the time. Yes, there was a lot of practice involved, and yes, a fair share of theory studies too. Also, the business side of things had received its fair share of attention too.

The practical side of the studies involved projects that were designed in alignment with the industry’s workload and deadline standards so that the ones graduating would be very much prepared for the pressure they are expected to face when working in a real work environment. We had amazing talks from guest speakers who were renowned industry professionals. The course also incorporated projects that involved receiving payment for work. It was truly a quality year. Though again, it is hard for me to assess the state of the matter now. Overall, the institution, the art college, had very much shifted its focus from commerce-oriented programs under the new management.

Looking at the course itself, it’s broken down into three modules, creating comics, comics production, and the major project. Can you take us through what sort of things these involved?

AM: I cannot really speak for how things are these days. When I took part in the programme, then yes, we had started with pretty much comics production basics and quickly moved onto small-scale projects (say, 6-10 pagers) – it is funny to think now that back then many of us thought of it as some sort of enormous illustration workload. Hah! Then the reality hit with the major project of a minimum of 22 pages.

Any particularly fascinating aspects of the course to share? Any visiting lecturers of note?

AM: Oh, absolutely! One of the best parts about the course at the time was having industry professional guests giving us talks! It was incredible to meet Dave Gibbons in real life and receive a personal portfolio check and a ‘blessing’ to keep up drawing so to speak. We had Charlie Adlard, and Ian Kennedy over (in my year of studies, there were obviously more throughout the years) – can you possibly ask for any better? Again, how things are now – I cannot possibly tell.

What was your final project and what was your thinking behind the choice?

AM: I chose to do an adaptation of Mikhail Bulgakov’s Master and Margarita. My favourite book. Not all of it, of course, just selected chapters. This a project I would love to get back to at some point – once my skills are up to the level enough required for tackling such a subject matter, so not very soon, I presume. Adapting material of such sorts requires some implacable professionalism and vision obtained throughout the years.

You graduated from Dundee University with a Masters (MDes) in Comics and Graphic Novels. When was this?

AM: 2018.

You’ve said previously (again, in the Lowborn High interview) that you were in ‘the right place at the right time,’ when it came to comics and also that the opportunity came up and you gave yourself ‘a year to develop a folio of sequential art and, I guess, the stars were aligned in my favour.’

So what was the opportunity that you speak of? Was that during the Masters, before, after?

AM: Joining the postgraduate programme was the right choice, I believe, despite all the odds. It just so happened that towards the end of our year’s studies, Phillip Vaughan had decided to contact Tharg himself to suggest a collaboration for the upcoming year. He sent through the examples of students’ work of the time showcasing what the course was about and what kind of work students were capable of producing.

The idea was that in the upcoming year, there would be a ‘live brief’ between the university and 2000 AD with Tharg providing a script for students to illustrate and then giving professional feedback. An industry experience sort of thing. The legend claims that Matt Smith had agreed to collaborate, but had also noticed my work in particular. After that, my first Future Shock happened and the rest is history.

Yes, were now around the time of your very first bit of published 2000 AD art – the Future Shock: Juncture – written by Andi Ewington – in Prog 2128, April 2019.

Can you remember your thinking with Juncture? What was the feeling of gettng your art into a Prog? I’m guessing, given that you came late (ish) to 2000 AD in your reading, that it wasn’t so much a dream come true moment but, just as valid, a great job with the potential for more work?

AM: The latter, I believe. I was worried, of course, as I was wanting to do the best job possible in the time given. Although this being said, I also tried to not overthink it. I also liked the fact that it was so out of any comfort zone imaginable! I enjoyed working on that script, it was challenging for such a newbie that I was, but I like the challenge.

It is a real joy to be working on diverse scripts with a different level of contextual complexity to them… otherwise, what is the point? I like versatility when it comes to art, and sequential art is an especially brilliant field to challenge your creativity. Juncture was an ideal introduction for an artist like myself, a perfect first gig.

Funnily enough, when I was drawing it, I had most of my social network accounts removed – as I am a little hermit like that – and it was a surprise for me to discover a message from Andi on Behance already after the artwork submission! Ouch! A collaborative way of working was not meant to be, but I hope Andi was pleased with the results nonetheless.  

Juncture was all about a superhero care home, Fortitude, “Caring for the Superheroes of Yesteryear, Today!” and was a great introduction to your artwork, in black and white and tonal work.

AM: The cast was superb to draw! The script provided great space for me to focus on character drawing skills.

Your art instantly made an impression, I remember describing it at the time as having a clean line, with added style and flair. It definitely made for a very attractive Future Shock!

AM: I am glad to hear it! It was also nice to see a reader named Matthew writing a letter to Tharg complimenting the art and asking to see more of my work – it is always nice to see your work being appreciated and somebody actually taking the time to say something nice about it.

One aspect of your art that’s immediately apparent is something of an old-fashioned sense of glamour and style, with smooth linework showing beautiful people, very stylised, and very, very stylish. Is that a look that you’ve consciously developed over the years or is it simply the way you draw and always have done?

AM: The latter, I believe. I have always been more attracted by stylized work. You see, it is very common for many people to think that if somebody can copy a photograph, create a precise copy of a real image, and pretty much transfer every pixel of it onto a sheet of paper, that is the real deal, that is what makes a good artist. Realism.

Despite my belief that understanding anatomy, perspective and all the classical basics of drawing is vitally crucial, I also believe that applying this knowledge to the creation of a stylized piece of work is the actual spark of true creativity and skill. To me, at least. Of course, I appreciate the hard work and all the technical ability that goes into creating a realistic drawing, but I just cannot help but see it as a rather technical skill. My soul along with my creative sensibilities crave style, most preferably, a signature touch. This is what I seek in art I look at, and this is what I demand from myself too.

Indeed, you could say that your art evokes a certain element of old fashioned, for want of a better phrase, ‘girls comics’ – the sort of lush, flowing look that was seen in so many girls’ comic titles in the UK over the 60s and 70s.

Is this something you would acknowledge, or is it simply a coincidence – did you have any knowledge of these comics at all?

AM: The knowledge I had at the time was certainly not enough. Having seen the art, some pages of the comics from that era, I had not yet had a dedicated read, unfortunately. It is a bit of a sad thought: so many great comics to discover, research, and read, but so little time outside work. 

Following that first Future Shock, it was over a year before we saw you in the Megazine with the Black Museum tale, The Obsidian Ingress.

AM: A-ha, it was.

In the time between that first Future Shock and the Black Museum strip, were you busy, busy, busy with other things? Was it simply a question of timing in that you were already working on the next set of strips coming in from 2000 AD and they just didn’t see print for quite a while? Or were you sitting there doing the artist thing of trying to work out what you’d done wrong and why the phone wasn’t ringing off the hook?

AM: Busy, busy, busy, yes. I had been doing some other jobs during that time interval. It took me some time to receive the next script from Matt Smith, and once I got it, it didn’t have a deadline, so the jobs that paid quickly in the short term had to be done first so that my bills could be paid on time.

By the time the next job, The Obsidian Ingress, did see the light of day by landing on a Meg’s pages, it was pretty much a year all in. And I must say, this one is still one of my most favourite works done so far.

Joking aside, it does lead us on to the tricky situation artists find themselves in. That first pro job is over and done and the elation at getting it is finished with. But then it’s always on to the next job. And sometimes the next job takes a while to come. How was the time between the Future Shock and more 2000 AD work?

AM: True that, each story is very unique to an artist. I had been pretty lucky in that respect at the time; the jobs kept coming in. Those were not necessarily exclusively comics jobs, some were illustration, some were application prototypes, and similar… I also did some work for the university, so things were pretty busy, yes. It was not a particularly easy time either, as it was the time for setting some career direction vectors, and the jobs I had been receiving were great training for the things that came next.

Okay, that seems a moment to bring in other, non-comics work – I know you’ve done quite a bit of commercial work for a fair number of clients over the years, including Dundee Odeon – a rather stunning mural.

AM: That was quite an experience. The brief was originally for the mural, yes, then we switched to working on a canvas due to the project’s logistics. Here it is important to mention that I had never drawn on a canvas before that occasion, so my first ever canvas was… 2×3 meters in dimension? I am pretty sure those are the correct numbers.

The whole process of painting took about a week. Phillip Vaughan was kind enough to offer his help in painting the thing. Originally, we started by using a projector that would project the approved art design onto the canvas. The next morning it turned out that the canvas had stretched, so that was the projector out of the process with me going in and manually painting the details with the printed reference in front of my eyes. Needless to say, it was more like a piece of performance art as the painting had to be taking place in front of the live audience passing by to see movies: all whilst the contracted workers were still doing the refurbishment work in the movie theatre itself. We became great pals with the construction supervisor, the workers, and the ODEON staff.

I have to say, after that, drawing in public is no longer an issue. Definitely a recommendation to those who struggle with ‘people watching’ them whilst they draw but would like to get rid of any fears in that respect.  

Then there was the work for the Scottish Government – the Hunners o Scunners illustrations for primary literacy, and the great Wee Jock Cocksparra illustrations and animation for primary music.

AM: Yes, those are fun little projects. My humble contributions to Scots language heritage. Commissioned through Scots Hoose, whose director, Matthew Fitt, does a lot of work on the preservation of the Scots language by doing translations, teaching, and, of course, engaging educational projects like the ones I had been a part of.

Scotland has been a great home for me, and this is me giving back. Again, something quite out of my comfort zone: it is not every day you get a chance to do a funky little animation job for primary school students.

Was it a case of doing commercial work whilst waiting for more comics jobs or pitching for more comics jobs – or is it more the case of doing whatever came up when it came up?

AM: The latter. The jobs had been finding me. I was getting professional experience from working with a variety of clients and on a variety of briefs, just testing my capabilities, really. Plus, I feel like it had been some sort of overcompensation for all that time I hadn’t been drawing before getting into comics. 

So, fast forward to August 2020 and that second strip for 2000 AD, The Black Museum: The Obsidian Ingress.

David talked of seeing your work on The Obsidian Ingress and knowing he wanted to work with you again. He had this to say about what you’d done – ‘She captured a spooky menace and dramatic tension that many veterans struggle with.’ And he went on to say that he was ‘pretty sure she’s going to be a huge star in a few years’ time.’

AM: Working with David is amazing; I have great respect for him. I loved illustrating this script particularly much. It was also the first time I got to draw Judges. The dark, tense theme of the story based around occultism is an interesting material that allows a good amount of room for creativity… I also very much enjoy working in black-and-white, so the subject matter played well in combination with my artistic preferences.

The same stylings were there with this one, but you had that added darkness and, like David said, that ‘spooky menace’ that gave the whole thing a feel of old EC Comics, but wrapped completely in your style. Did this switch in tone to horror require a switch in thinking in your art or was it something you’d always flirted with, mixing beauty and horror in equal measure?

AM: It is a very good question. I have always been under the impression that it is easier to draw darker, horror-y things. At least in my opinion, it is. Darkness flows more naturally, almost with fewer obstacles compared to light. It takes greater willpower and concentration to create something vibrant, positive, and upbeat whereas sadness, spookiness, and tension are easier to transcribe onto a paper sheet or screen or any surface.

Comparing this job to drawing a 2×3 mural, I would say that this was definitely waaay more enjoyable experience-wise. AND it felt more natural. Adapting to commercial requirements and making something ‘fun’ is a difficult, difficult job – I think many would agree with me here. The dark magic element to the Obsidian Ingress story was a gateway into creating something mystical yet beautiful and, well, flowy: something exactly up my alley and something that would come very naturally too.

It wasn’t long before the next project came along, with your first creation for 2000 AD, again with David Baillie, the Viva Forever strip in the Regened Prog 2020, published February 2021. A great strip, but sadly one you’ve never returned to. The adventures of a super thief and champion of the people. It was also set in Dreddworld, Mega-City One, home of Dredd.

Again, your style here was instantly recognisable as you. But the way you detailed MC-1 was superb. But it was also there in the characters, the kinetic motion all the way through, essential for a super thief rushing through the city. And a word about the drapery, the clothing, it’s another aspect of your work that stands out.

As your first created strip it also involved a lot of work in terms of design no doubt? Even though the backdrop is MC-1, it would still have been a case of putting the work in to create the look and the style?

AM: It was quite a challenging script; many of its elements were rather out of my comfort zone, which, again, is, actually, very good. Now, I would approach the whole process differently. Back then, it was my first ever script to be passed for colouring by a professional colourist, Pippa Bowland in this instance; so I think I got a little bit sidetracked by that thought and instead of doing something I was used to, I kept line art especially open.

Once the line art was ready, I could only wait and see what the final thing would look like, it was very unusual. For the first time, the final result was not depending just on myself; I could fully appreciate the sense of teamwork and a full comic production process.  

Hot on the heels of Viva Forever, you then had another Future Shock, this time with John Tomlinson, another gorgeous looking thing of course, but this time dealing with an obnoxious PI investigating a series of suspect deaths at Cato Micronics, run by Seth Lisk, “weirdo tech brainiac,” and absolutely not based on anyone you’d possibly know. Of course.

AM: This script was such a joy to work on! It was so complex and so much fun at the same time! Again, done in black-and-white, so that I could express the grittiness of the atmosphere. Dundee’s central shopping centre, Overgate, makes a guest appearance on one of the pages along with Dundee’s notorious seagulls. There was just so much great material to play with and get my teeth into. Somehow, that strip resonated with me very well and I think (I hope!) it showed…

Going slightly out of order here, we have another tale penned by John Tomlinson. Was this a case of John requesting you or wanting to work with you again – as it was with David Baillie?

AM: I got in touch with John following our first collaboration; we had a friendly email exchange. Later on, following the Foreclosure completion, John told me that he actually asked Tharg if I could illustrate it. Because John himself used to be performing Tharg’s duties, this was a huge compliment – I could not ask for more.

Just like Goodbye to Zane, Foreclosure was a natural fit for me. It was also a very different script in the sense, that, the whole story unravels around a single character, pretty much in the same location, her flat… very much different from Zane’s tale, but so fascinating to draw too!

This is one where you got to show off a very natural style, as it was one that doesn’t, at least not at first, have any sci-fi of futuristic trappings. But the style is still all there, the expressions and the experimentation in panel forms – and again, a note on the clothing, you have a very obvious ability to dress, to drape, to clothe them in a way that can be natural, dynamic, sensual, attractive – is this an aspect of the art that you have a particular interest in or just one that came naturally to you?

AM: I think it is rather natural, as I do enjoy drawing motion; I like flowing, continuous lines. In a way, I like when there is ‘air’ to the art; when the pages ‘breathe’ in a sense. That is partially a reason why I love drawing hair and draping so much, as they can illustrate that sense of motion in such a natural way.

Again, you’re back in black and white here – do you have a preference for your work at all, black and white or colour? Is there any thought of doing your own colour work at all in your strips? Or are you content to leave that to the colourists?

AM: Well, I prefer doing work in black-and-white when it comes to sequential storytelling. If I have an opportunity to, I also prefer doing my own colours rather than this being delegated to a professional colourist. Sometimes, having a colourist on a job is a requirement set by a client, then it is really out of my hands. For Lowborn High, for instance, I did ask to do my own colours, which allowed me to do more precise world-building.

In the middle of those two pieces with John Tomlinson came the 2021 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special – this time with a character that absolutely seems perfectly suited to you – Judge Anderson. Following in the footsteps of some amzing artists and their interpretations of Anderson – Brian Bolland, Arthur Ranson, Mick Austin et al, you were obviously well aware of the step-up in terms of dealing with the character when I interviewed you about the strip in the Sci-Fi Special 2021, saying this…

‘I must admit, it feels quite nice to join the ranks of those lucky art-droids trusted to interpret this legendary character. I only hope that I did Anderson in particular, and Psi-Division in general, justice with the way I visualised their appearances and skills.’

It was part of the bigger storyline of the Sci-Fi special, masterminded by Mike Carroll and Maura McHugh, dealing with an eco-catastrophe affecting Dredd’s world.

In the Anderson strip, your art really did seem to take a huge step forward, there was a litheness and natural flow to Anderson here, again we’re possibly harking back to the sinuous line from old from the Spanish artists who used to fill the pages of the Brit ‘Girls’ comics. And you talked of a more abstract sense of storytelling in your art, with the psi-powers ‘influencing the flow of what takes place in the strip, which in turn allows me to be more fluent and experimental with brush strokes.’

Can you expand on that? How the concept of Anderson influenced the way you told this story?

AM: The supernatural, psychic abilities of Psi-Judges, and Anderson in particular, are truly a great area for experimentation, playfulness and flair. If I were to draw her again, I would certainly put a greater focus on such an aspect and would be even more experimental with page layouts and technical approaches. Again, it is that fluidity and the sense of motion and ‘air’ in the work that the specific character allows a potential for.

Your art here just flowed beautifully – there’s a moment on page 2 where your artwork flows so smoothly, going from panel one to panel three using the device of transitioning from the wheel of Anderson‘s Lawmaster to her hair, whilst also then using Anderson’s profile to create an artificial panel border between panel two and three.

AM: This is probably my favourite moment in this strip. Again, I wish I allowed myself to do more of something like that.

That’s some of the fluency and experimentation you talked of, but it’s all the way through this Anderson strip. But obviously, that experimentation has to go hand-in-hand with clear storytelling. How do you measure how far to go with the experimentation?

AM: Clear storytelling should always be the main focus, I believe. I think the real ‘feeling’ of what is right and what is wrong comes with practice, and, unfortunately, some mistakes are unavoidable in the process. So far I have been mostly relying on my own sensibilities, and I hope that I have managed to keep a fair balance between artistic flow and functionality so far. 

But there was still the perennial artist’s problem rearing its ugly head when you talked of the Anderson strip – ‘I hope my style continues to evolve. It’s quite difficult for me to look at my own work from even a month ago – if it was me drawing the same thing now, in the present moment, it would already look different. Although I guess it’s one of the most common complaints amongst those who draw for a living or even as a hobby: never happy, always evolving, sometimes drifting and trying new styles and techniques, but, (fingers and pencils crossed!) still evolving.’

AM: Yes, the classic!

Is this something that you still feel or have you reached a point where you’re more accepting of earlier work and happy that your work naturally evolves?

AM: I do not particularly like looking at the work that is completed. It is not up to me to judge it, really, but I still do. It is difficult to assess your own evolvement, I suppose. This being said, I believe we have to be appreciative of our older works as without them, we would not be where we are now.

Now, I have to say that I think your artwork is an absolutely perfect fit for Anderson. How much would you like to do more with her?

AM: I very much do hope I will get a chance to draw more Anderson! I loved working on the character and I believe there is potential for some great visuals if I have an opportunity to do more.

Did you already have a love for the character? – it certainly seems so given the love you expressed for her.

AM: She is brilliant, and I am sure as I do more reading, I will fall in love with the character even more. Right now, I have Shamballa on my reading list.

Oh, definitely the place to really see the best of Anderson. Although it’s one that’s best read as presented in the Essential Judge Anderson: Shamballa. In that volume you get all the lead-in tales to Shamballa, and it’s those lead in tales that give such emotional depth to Anderson, explaining who she is, why she’s feeling the way she is. It also includes the heartbreaking, and yet magnificent, Judge Corey: Leviathan’s Farewell with art by Mick Austin.

Obviously Arthur Ranson was just incredible, but what past Anderson artists stand out for you?

AM: Brian Bolland, of course, the original creator of Cassandra’s appearance! I love Enrique Romero’s vision for her. David Roach does a brilliant job, undoubtedly. And, of course, Arthur Ranson, but I have only seen his beautiful art so far and not have read the actual comic just yet!

Oh, you’re in for a sublime treat there!

Now, we’re on to your biggest project with 2000 AD so far, Lowborn High, co-created with David Barnett and featuring in three 2000 AD Regened Progs with your artwork – 40 pages in total.

AM: It came about quite interestingly. The first episode was actually supposed to appear in the same Regened Prog with Viva Forever. The originally listed artist was none other than Philip Bond. I do not know why, but Philip couldn’t do it so, after submitting one of the jobs for 2000 AD (I am pretty sure that was the Foreclosure strip), I asked if there is anything else for me to do. Matt Smith had sent the first episode of Lowborn my way, and so this is how we are here.

Oh yes. In that Lowborn High interview we did, you included a wonderful cartoon you sent along to Tharg asking for more work… this one in fact…

Lowborn High is basically Grange Hill done Hogwart’s style, with the high born Androgeus Frost, surviving son of one of the most prestigious wizarding families, finding himself booted down to Lowborn High, a rundown inner-city comprehensive.

In those first three episodes, you’ve introduced so much, playing with the ideas of the wizarding school on an inner-city budget, the comraderie, the making new friends, the cliques to be found in any school, wizarding or not. Plus there’s a healthy dose of mystery about it all with the witch’s covens, the fate of the Frost family and real hints at something very nasty coming down the line.

AM: Indeed! Lowborn is full of surprises and events and, again, some great material to express yourself artistically: the elements of magic, character and creature design, world building… any artist working on it would certainly find something that would play to their strengths. To me, it was character design I particularly enjoyed.

So, given the fact that you got this one after Philip had to bow out, this first Lowborn High wasn’t really something that you and David could cooperate on, given the timescale of it?

AM: Nope, I believe David would see the final pages as soon as they got published, and then we got in touch to introduce ourselves to one another.

However, we have David on record as being ‘over the moon’ with Tharg’s choice, with him going on to say this – ‘I can’t praise her work highly enough. And it is just perfect for Lowborn High — there’s that almost ethereal quality to the Wychdusk scenes combined with some real down and dirty Lowborn High stuff. It’s the perfect combination and Anna is the perfect artist for this strip.’

AM: Isn’t it incredible when a writer likes the art? As an artist, I just could not ask for more. A happy collaboration is a major contributor to a stable nervous system.

So, can you go into a bit of detail here about the visual decisions you went through in designing the look and feel of Lowborn High?

AM: Keeping in mind the level of expectation (maybe only in my mind, though!) for the first episode, I really wanted it to be appealing in general – not necessarily JUST to the target audience.

It is interesting how some readers had previously described this strip as manga. Yes, there are some elements ‘borrowed’ from Manga, but it is, ultimately, quite far visually from what we would call anime or manga aesthetic. I did want the strip to look quite cartoony though; that is true, especially knowing that Philip was originally planned for the art. So, to me, this was a great playground: I tried to keep the art ‘mine’, but also introduced more cartoonified aesthetics there.

You’ve talked about keeping the visual look modern, casual, humble for the Lowborn High kids and over the top for Wychdusk’s kids and teachers. But still avoiding the ‘clichéd ‘dusty’ aesthetic of sorcery realms.’

AM: True. Even though we do not see much of Wychdusk in those following episodes I did work on.

You had no knowledge of Grange Hill when you started with the strip, did you? Have you properly immersed yourself in the strange world of 70s and 80s kids TV now?

AM: I have heard of it, yes. I also quite like the fact that the opening sequence in the series had been stylized as comics! Though have I had an opportunity to investigate the TV show more in-depth? I am afraid not, unfortunately. It simply comes down to time.

Now, the most recent Lowborn High episode in 2000 AD Regened Prog 2325, another 20 pages, was missing you on the artwork, with Mike Walters on art this time.

AM: Indeed. As far as I know, Mike will be on the art duties for Lowborn instead of me, at least for just now. I had to step back from the strip due to other work arrangements. I believe I had given the story enough building blocks for further construction to continue even without my involvement, at least for now. 

Mike Walters is the winner of the Thought Bubble 2022 competition for 2000 AD‘s new talent entries. I was amongst three judges (the other two were the incredible Steve Yeowell and Liana Kangas) who had selected his work, and I am pleased to see he has taken over Lowborn. I think it may be appropriate to joke that I had pretty much found my own replacement in this case!

And will there be more Lowborn High work from you in the future?

AM: Time will tell!

One good bit of news with Lowborn High is that you’re going to be able to get your hands on the collection of the first load of strips in 2024.

AM: Very true. I have recently submitted a cover for the collection; so please keep your eyes on the relevant updates!

In between the Lowborn High episodes, you and Alan Hebden worked together on acreator-owned project, Pandora, in which you did one of the covers and co-created the strip Star Nav.

What was the attraction of moving into something creator-owned for you?

AM: This job was truly for fun. I have several friends who are huge Alan Hebden fans, so when I received an offer from The77 to illustrate his script, of course, I just could not say no.

And can you give us all the run-down on both Pandora and Star-Nav?

AM: Star-Nav appeared as an episode along with other creator-owned strips in the Pandora anthology, published by The77 through a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. It’s a sci-fi loaded space opera type of a story telling an adventure of girl of one of the rarest talents: navigating starships across galaxies.

It’s a massive bit of sci-fi where you seem to have turned up your artwork to 11 for the storyline.

AM: It was a great strip for doing something quite different, so I went for some stylistic experimentation and decided to go even more cartoony than usual. The art for Star-Nav is generally over-exaggerated throughout the pages, I would say. It is far from reality and it is far from the more usual artistic routes of mine.

How have you found the experience of Pandora and smaller publishing?

AM: Smaller publishing comes with its territory. There are perks and downsides, for sure. I would now say that my expectations and vision of the campaign before agreeing to the job were very much in correlation with the outcomes, so I knew what I was getting into. It was a relatively small piece, a part of an anthology, so it was perfect for being a small side gig. I was not leading the crowdfunding campaign for the project, and I was very much happy with my role as a contributor and observer.

What are the plans for more issues of Pandora and more from Star Nav?

AM: There is potential for more Star-Nav, but I’ll hold off going into detail just now, as only time will tell how things will unravel.  

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Finally, looking at other works you’ve taken on, one of the fascinating ones is the job illustrating Tom Palmer’s Roy of the Rovers books – well, actually it’s Rocky of the Rovers in book 8, Game Changer, published in June 2022.

The rejuvenation of Roy of the Rovers, with both the Tom Palmer books and the Rob Williams written graphic novels, have seen plenty of incredibly talented artists – Ben Willsher, Lisa Henke, Dan Cornwell, Elkys Nova, not to mention David Sque, one of the classic Roy artists.

AM: Yes, a great company to be in indeed.  

What did it mean to you to be part of not just this great group of artists but also part of the history of one of the great characters in British comics?

AM: Well, the job had landed rather quite unexpectedly; the main reason was that one of the artists mentioned above had changes in their schedule, so I got parachuted to the rescue. I have been previously aware of the Roy of the Rovers universe, and yes, it was certainly exciting to be asked to contribute.

Were you a football fan already or was this all new to you?

AM: No no, football is not really my jam, to be honest. Though this being said, I had no problem drawing for a sports-oriented brief, as it is all about motion and action – something that I feel comfortable drawing.

Same with Roy of the Rovers – did you have an idea of the history and importance of the character and the strip before you took on the job?

AM: Yes, indeed, I was very much aware. People in my close circle are huge fans, so I have heard many, many things about the legendary strip and could even investigate the pages from the past – the ones by the great David Sque.

And of course, as this is Rocky of the Rovers, have you any interest in the womens’ game?

AM: Anything football related exists in the parallel universe to mine. Having said that, I hope Rocky is an inspiring character for the female players, both practising and aspiring ones.  

It’s a great thing that they’ve done, both Rob and Tom, bringing Rocky and the womens’ game into Roy of the Rovers lore, given the ever-increasing popularity of the game at every level for women and girls.

AM: Absolutely!

Looking at what you’ve done, I can see that there’s a real dynamism in there, much the same as Lisa Henke brought to things. Is there a particular stylistic shift involved in sports comics, to capture the action so well?

AM: I would not necessarily say that sports comics require a special approach to them. As I have previously mentioned, I do enjoy drawing dynamic sequences: body language, clothing, hair, etc… so no, I did not experience any particular difficulty with the job. The only thing I would say that comes to mind about the stylistic choices is that I tried to keep things quite cartoony, more in alliance with the cover by Elkys Nova and the approaches taken by the stellar cast of artists before myself.

And are you continuing with the series as it moves forwards?

AM: Happy to get involved again if asked!

Finally, nearly bringing us bang up to date with your work – Glarien: Short & Deadly, where you provided the art for Tavern Screams in the book that raised a huge amount on Kickstarter in March 2023.

AM: Yes, I have illustrated a 14-page long story called Tavern Screams that is a part of this hardcover collection. I did traditional pencils for this script, followed by digital inks that were coloured by the talented Fin Cramb.

It’s all part of the White Ash tales created by Charlie Stickney and Conor Hughes, and published by Scout Comics – where Stickney is co-publisher.

Again, how did you get involved here and what was the draw for you?

AM: Charlie discovered me. For this, I have to be grateful to the Pandora crowdfunding campaign that Charlie came across whilst roaming the waves of Kickstarter.

That brings us to your thoughts on Kickstarter and crowdfunding – what do you think of the model, getting the comics and books direct to the fans?

AM: Having been a part of several campaigns by now, I would certainly consider launching a project of my own if things go accordingly to my plans (and that is never a given, let’s admit it).

The model allows a great degree of independence and room for creativity, for sure; though there are multiple risks associated with such an enterprise. Multiple things can go wrong both within the frames of an actual campaign – starting with financial aspects and finishing with delivery and distribution – as well as social aspects too. If the project is being launched in collaboration with someone, it is of crucial importance to find the team that a creator is on the same page with, ensuring a trustworthy, safe and fair environment. Gladly, I have been exceptionally lucky with all my collaborators so far, which makes one very happy creator. Charlie has been an absolutely stellar, incredible collaborator – the level of professionalism he tackles his project with is of the highest standards.

And has the experience of getting involved with such a successful worldwide project raised your profile?

AM: I would say this is the case yes, although I believe that there is more to come once the book is actually out and gets to its funders’ hands before hitting the direct market down the line.

We’ve already talked a little about your style and the look of your work, but what strikes me is that you are able to turn your hand and your art to so many different genres – just within your 2000 AD work, we’ve had sci-fi, horror, drama, and of course the Regened work.

AM: It is necessary for artistic evolution, in my opinion. Yes, having a ‘signature thing’ is important, of course, though I prefer seeing that signature touch when it comes to the atmosphere, the vibe of the artwork, not a genre.

My sincere belief is that a good artist should be able to turn their hand to pretty much anything – which is evident if we look at the works of so many renowned masters of comics and graphic novels craft.

Is that one of the attractions for working at 2000 AD, the variety of works that are showcased in the Prog and the Megazine?

AM: That is definitely the case. The versatility of stories told and the talent involved is incredible, and, I would even go as far as to say that is an inalienable part of 2000 AD‘s core.

One thing I wanted to explore with you is the thing you’ve said previously about your process. You’ve described in the past how you start by sketching the emotions and gestures of characters rather than work on thumbnails and layouts. This is a very different process to many artists I’ve talked to.

Can you expand on what you mean by that?

AM: Yes, we all have something that is uniquely ours. I think that with time, my drawing process has gained more structure to it, though still, I always start my work with the characters and their reaction to whatever is happening and then build up from that. To me, characters along with their emotions and reactions are the essence of a story.

Is it a case of constructing the page around the characters and their movements and then adding in the detail and the connections that flow from panel to panel?

AM: Indeed.

After this, what’s next in the process – do you then move to penciling and inking?

AM: Yes, tightening of pencils is the next step, followed by inks if applicable.

I don’t work just digitally. I often work in a mixed manner; for instance, I can do traditional pencils, scan the pages and ink digitally. The process can also be reversed: me starting with digital pencils and continuing with inking on paper. It really depends on a brief and timings of a given project. I tend to do colour work digitally, but I find it very enjoyable to paint traditionally too.

One issue that I know comes with digital work is the temptation to do, then re-do, and re-do, and re-do, never completely satisfied. Is there a trick you use to minimise this and at what stage do you finally declare a page done and finished?

AM: I think this problem tends to fade a bit with experience. It is something very intuitive to do, especially at the start of a career, but as time goes by, you learn to see the bigger picture. However, I believe such a habit does not go away completely with working digitally. Unless, of course, drawing software developers introduce a limited amount of re-dos in the workflow. Wouldn’t that be nice?

Have you been tempted at all to go to a traditional, pencil and ink on boards, method?

AM: I have, and we are getting there. Fingers crossed, if all goes well, I shall be able to introduce such a project in the relatively near future.

Finally, what have you been working on recently that we’re going to see from you in the near future?

AM: The first issue of the Smash! mini-series is out on October the 25th, 2023. This is an exciting collaboration involving myself as an interior artist on the first issue, Tom Foster as a prologue artist in the same book and the legendary Paul Grist as the writer!

I know that the great talent, Jimmy Broxton, is involved in the upcoming issues, so again, what a great company!

Most of the artwork for the issue on my part is completed traditionally: traditional pencils and inks, digital colours on top. There are a couple of pages in the mix that had to be mostly completed digitally though as I had to commit to some travel during the project completion and could not take my studio with me. I really loved working on this project and I hope readers will find it an enjoyable reading experience too!

There is more that I am not allowed to talk about yet, but I will soon, once the right time comes! It is always nice to have something quite secret to be working on to keep the intrigue going!

And finally, finally, if there was a dream job out there – what would that be and why?

AM: More Anderson, for sure! I believe there are exciting ways this character can be interpreted that I would like to illustrate. Maybe one day! Oh, and a Dredd script, of course – I have not drawn him yet, so this one is certainly on the list, so to speak.

And as if to prove her point, Anna sent over a little more Anderson artwork… a recent Anderson/Judge Death commission in the stages of her process…

A huge thanks to Anna for this, these Creator Profiles take an age to set up and answer and I’m sure you appreciate the time Anna took there!

We’ve spoken to Anna several times about her work in 2000 AD – firstly, she and David Baillie talk Viva Forever here. Then it’s Anna alone talking all things Judge Anderson here for her story in the 2021 Sci-Fi Special. And finally, we talked to Anna and David Barnett on the debut of Lowborn High here.

You can find more of Anna’s work online – Instagram, Twitter, and her website – so many really beautiful pieces of art for you to take in there!  

ANNA MOROZOVA – COMICS BIBLIOGRAPHY

Future Shocks: Juncture (April 2019) 2000 AD Prog 2128 – written by Andi Ewington.
Spellbound: I Don’t Want to Be A Witch (2019) – written by Georgia Standen Battle, Heritage Comics/DC Thomson.
Black Museum: The Osbidian Ingress (August 2020) Megazine 423 – written by David Baillie.
Viva Forever: 9 Amazing Tips (February 2021) 2000 AD Regened Prog 2220 – written by David Baillie.
Future Shocks: Goodbye To Zane (May 2021) 2000 AD Prog 2231 – written by John Tomlinson.
Judge Anderson: All Will Be Judged (July 2021) 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special 2021 – written by Maura McHugh.
Tharg’s Terror Tales: Foreclosure (February 2022) 2000 AD Prog 2269 – written by John Tomlinson.
Lowborn High (May 2022) 2000 AD Regened Prog 2280 – written by David Barnett.
Star-Nav (Summer 2022) Pandora #1 – written by Alan Hebden, The77 Publications.
Lowborn High: Good Sport (June 2022) 2000 AD Regened Prog 2288 – written by David Barnett.
Rocky of the Rovers: Game Changer (June 2022) – written by Tom Palmer, illustrations by Anna, Rebellion/The Treasury of British Comics.
Lowborn High: Old Familiars (March 2023) 2000 AD Regened Prog 2325 – written by David Barnett.
Glarien:Tavern Screams in Glarien: Short & Deadly (March 2023) – written by Charlie Stickney, Kickstarter/Scout Comics.
SMASH! Issue 1 (October 2023) – written by Paul Grist, Rebellion.
Lowborn High: Volume 1 (April 2024) – written by David Barnett, 2000 AD.