thought bubble Archives

Posted on 20th November 202420th November 2024 by Michael Molcher

Who won the 2000 AD talent search at Thought bubble 2024?

What a weekend! The 2000 AD droids have only just recovered from the best Thought Bubble yet!

Held amid the genteel tearooms and healing spa waters of Harrogate, Thought Bubble is the annual celebration of the comics medium – and this year was bigger and better than ever. As well as expanding the show floor and selling out of tickets, the show featured many of Tharg’s greatest creators, plus gave prospective droids that chance to get work with the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic!

Virtually cleared out of books over the course of the weekend, the 2000 AD booth was brimming with the best collections and comics in the universe and, hosted by PR droid Steve Morris, the 2000 AD panel featured two veteran and two brand creators – Judge Dredd artists Mick McMahon and Silvia Califano, Judge Dredd and Proteus Vex writer Michael Carroll, and the winner of last year’s Thought Bubble talent search competition, Sinu Senan.

*Scream* editor Chiara Mestieri, artist Silvia Califano, artist Sinu Senan, writer Michael Carroll & artist Mick McMahon

And once again, Thought bubble played host to the famous (infamous?) talent searches. The prize – paid work with 2000 AD! This year there were an incredible 38 entrants for the script competition, would-be writers vying for the chance to get just two minutes to pitch their idea for a Future Shock to a top panel of creative talent – writers Ned Hartley, Rob Williams, and former script competition winner Laura Bailey – in front of a live audience!

After subjecting ten randomly-selected entrants to the nerve-wracking experience, the judges chose Evie Roebuck as the winner! She’ll now work with 2000 AD editor Matt Smithy to turn her idea into a fully-fledged script that will appear in a future issue of 2000 AD.

Panel judges (from left to right) Ned Hartley, Rob Williams & Laura Bailey with script competition winner Evie Roebuck (second from right)

The art competition was no less hotly contested, with six entrants selected by 2000 AD graphic novel editor Oliver Pickles to go through to the final panel, with artists Jock, Alison Sampson, and DaNi on the judging panel. All the entrants had drawn the same story, and the panel gave them advice in front of a live audience.

And the winner chosen by the judges this year was Adam Stone!

But, for the first time, Tharg the Generous decreed that due to the incredibly high standard of this year’s entries a SECOND winner should be announced. The judges’ pick was Lucas McCoy, who at just 23-years-old is one of the youngest winners ever!

Congratulations to Adam and Lucas, and well done to all our finalists! The standard this year was incredibly high and the audience may well have witnessed the beginning of some illustrious careers!

Alba Ceide

Daniel Saywell

Jason Measures

Yaya

Posted on 15th October 202416th October 2024 by Steve Morris

2000 AD Crashes Harrogate for Thought Bubble 2024!

The Galaxy’s Greatest Comic is returning to Thought Bubble this November!

The annual celebration of comics and comic culture is taking place at the Harrogate Convention Centre from 16th-17th November, and 2000 AD will be there with a packed table, alongside our famous artist and writer talent searches!

This year is a truly special weekend, as Thought Bubble will have a featured exhibition of comics art by the late, great Steve Dillon at this year’s Festival. Curated by Steve’s family, over 50 original pages dating back as far as 1978 will be on display, including his work on Judge Dredd, 2000 AD, Punisher, Preacher and more. We are proud to have worked with Steve’s family to help ensure that special prints and T-shirts will be available to buy, with all proceeds going towards keeping the exhibition touring for his fans.

In fact, everywhere you look at this year’s Festival you’ll be able to find Tharg’s Finest, including: Al Ewing (Zombo) Alex Paknadel (Rogue Trooper) Cam Smith (Bad Company) Fernando Blanco (Judge Dredd) Jock (Judge Dredd) Laura Helsby (The English Astronaut) Lee Milmore (Herne & Shuck) Mike Perkins (Judge Dredd Megazine) Ned Hartley (Department K) Nick Brokenshire (Blue Skies Over Deadwick) Paul Cornell (The English Astronaut) Pye Parr (Intestinauts) Rob Williams (Judge Dredd) Roger Langridge (Pandora Perfect) Rufus Dayglo (The Devil’s Railroad) Silvia Califano (Judge Dredd) Simon Furman (Kelly’s Eye) Steve White (Hookjaw) Tom Eglington (Thistlebone) Tom Foster (Judge Dredd) and more!

2000 AD will be featured across tables A19-21 in DSTLRY Hall, with both classic and brand new collections available – including mega-early copies of some forthcoming titles, freebie comics, discounts on selected graphic novels, and a back issue longbox for the dedicated collector! Who knows what you’ll find?

On Saturday at 11:30-12:30pm in we’ll bring together a host of 2000 AD talent on the Dead Northern Stage for The Galaxy’s Greatest Panel with Mick McMahon, Mike Carroll, Silvia Califano, Chiara Mestieri and last year’s 2000 AD Talent Search winner Sinu Senan all taking to the stage. Expect announcements and secrets from The Galaxy’s Greatest!

And of course, speaking of Talent Searches, our Writer and Artist Contests will be returning to Thought Bubble again this year. The 2000 AD Writer Talent Search is being held in Panel Room 2 on Saturday from 3:15-4:15pm, with the Right Honourable Judges Rob Williams, Ned Hartley and Laura Bailey presiding over proceedings. Then on Sunday, The 2000 AD Artist Talent Search kicks off in Panel Room 2 between 2-3pm, overseen by our Judge Department members Jock, DaNi and Alison Sampson!

Make sure to check out the application page for the contest ahead of time, to ensure you’re fully prepared and ready when you get to Harrogate! You need to attend the 2000 AD table to register in each case, so check terms and conditions in advance!

Don’t miss this Thrill-powered weekend, Earthlet – make Thought Bubble your mission!

THE 2000 AD THOUGHT BUBBLE SCHEDULE:

SATURDAY 16 NOVEMBER

2000 AD – THE GALAXY’S GREATEST PANEL!

11:30AM – 12.30PM // DEAD NORTHERN STAGE
Join Tharg’s Droids as they cover the latest happenings in 2000 AD, Battle Action, Scream, Misty and more! Featuring Mick McMahon (Slaine) Mike Carroll (Dreadnoughts) Silvia Califano (Judge Dredd) Sinu Senan (2024 Talent Search Winner) and Chiara Mestieri (Scream) as well as announcements and surprises!

2000 AD ARTIST TALENT SEARCH – FINALISTS SELECTION

12PM – 1.00PM // 2000 AD TABLES A19-21, DSTLRY HALL
Artists wishing to enter the 2000 AD Artist Talent Search should bring their entries to the 2000 AD booth, where finalists will be selected for Sunday’s judging panel. See how you can enter here.

2000 AD WRITER TALENT SEARCH

3:15PM – 4:15PM // PANEL ROOM 2, QUEEN’S SUITE
Join aspiring comic writers as they make their pitch to our judging panel of Rob Williams (Judge Dredd), Ned Hartley (Department K) and Laura Bailey (Demarco P.I.), with the prize being paid work with the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic! See how you can enter here.

SUNDAY 17 NOVEMBER

2000 AD ARTIST TALENT SEARCH

2PM – 3PM // PANEL ROOM 2, QUEEN’S SUITE
Join aspiring comic artists as they submit their work to the scrutiny of our top judging panel, featuring Jock (Judge Dredd), DaNi (Black Beth) and Alison Sampson (The Department of Truth) with the prize being paid work with the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic! See how you can enter here.

Posted on 18th June 202418th June 2024 by Steve Morris

How To Take Part in 2000 AD’s Writer and Artist Talent Searches at Thought Bubble 2024

The 2000 AD writer and artist talent searches return for Thought Bubble 2024!

Do you have what it takes to be a 2000 AD creator?

The 2000 AD talent search is BACK at Thought Bubble Comic Convention 2024! The search for the next generation of talent offers the prize of paid work with 2000 AD, where legendary creators such as Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, Mark Millar, Jock, Brian Bolland, Frazer Irving, Charlie Adlard, and many more got their big break.

Previous winners like Rory McConville, Laura Bailey and Will Morris have all gone to regular work with the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic and beyond – and you could be joining them! Whether you’re into sci-fi, horror, fantasy or anything in between: everyone is welcome, and we’re especially looking for pitches from women and creators from marginalised communities.

Click the link below to find full details of how to enter – for writers, we’re looking for you to bring a pitch to the 2000 AD booth ahead of the judging session on Saturday 16th November; while for artists we have a trial Future Shocks comic script from the fantastic Ned Hartley for you to download and pencil, before bringing to our booth ahead of the judging session on Sunday 17th November.

Good luck, Earthlets!

Read the full competition details and terms & conditions here!

Posted on 15th November 202315th November 2023 by Steve Morris

2000 AD at Thought Bubble 2023: All Our Announcements, Talent Search Winners, and More!

The Galaxy’s Greatest Comic soared back into Harrogate this past weekend for Thought Bubble Comics Festival 2023, with the return of our Writer and Artist Talent Searches – the only contests of their kind anywhere in the country, offering new creative talent the chance to be published in the Prog! We also ran The Galaxy’s Greatest Panel, revealing secrets and surprises for everything that our editor Tharg the Mighty has planned in 2024 and beyond…

2000 AD: The Galaxy’s Greatest Panel!

Panellists (l-r): El Sandifer, Anna Morozova, Rob Williams, Laura Bailey and Tom Foster

Featuring the all-star creative lineup of 2000 AD droids El Sandifer (Tharg’s Future Shocks), Anna Morozova (Lowborn High), Rob Williams (Judge Dredd) Laura Bailey (DeMarco, PI) and Tom Foster (Judge Dredd), The Galaxy’s Greatest Panel looked at some of our recent stories, and what Earthlets can expect from 2024!

For a full read-through of everything discussed by our panellists, head to Popverse, who live-blogged the entire panel! For anyone who is interested in future art contests in particular, there’s some zarjaz hints and tips – both Laura and Tom started their 2000 AD careers through the Thought Bubble Talent Search, so there’s plenty of great advice!

But for now – onto the future…

With Dredd currently closing in on his target in Judge: Dredd Poison by Rob Williams, PJ Holden, Peter Doherty and Simon Bowland, his life isn’t going to get any easier in the new year. Even with Hershey’s killer discovered, there are plenty of other problems rising up in Mega-City One. The Williams Droid revealed that in 2024 he will be teaming up with Arthur Wyatt and Henry Flint for Judge Dredd: A Better World, continuing Judge Maitland’s interest in funding education and social reform. Would it actually improve Mega-City One if the Judge Department were de-funded as a result?

That isn’t everything Dredd will be contending with in the new year, however! Judge Dredd: Rend & Tear with Tooth & Claw pairs Williams with artist RM Guera (Scalped) and Giulia Brusco (The Goddamned) for a multi-part survivor horror story! Dredd and his team head out into the wilderness for a mission, only for things to go wrong in the snowy wilderness of the territory which once was called Alaska…

If it’s horror you’re looking for, then make sure you’re picking up the Prog in January! T.C. Eglington and Simon Davis‘ acclaimed folk horror story Thistlebone will be returning next year for the third book in the series, called “Thistlebone: The Dule Tree”.

And finally at the panel, artist Tom Foster announced that next year the trilogy of stories featuring former Judge Asher will be collected into a huge collection, called Judge Dredd: A Penitent Man. Written by Kenneth Niemand, this story follows Kyle Asher as he returns from the Titan penal colony, determined to find new ways to serve the city he once swore his oath to. Is Asher truly penitent, or will this all end in disaster? The collection will be released on 12th March 2024, with pre-orders available from our webshop now!

The 2000 AD Writer Talent Search 2023!

Judges Laura Bailey and Leah Moore with winner Ed Whiting and 2000 AD’s Trusty Droid Mike Molcher

Every year at Thought Bubble we run a Writer Talent Search, where new creative talent have the chance to vie for a place in the Prog! Presided over by writers Laura Bailey, Leah Moore and Andy Diggle, this year saw us return to the pitching room, as writers were challenged to stand in front of the room and pitch their idea for a Tharg’s Future Shock. These five-page stories were the way into 2000 AD for many legendary talents in the comics industry: from Alan Moore to Al Ewing, Neil Gaiman and more. So mastering the Future Shock is key to finding Tharg’s favour!

There were some ghafflebette pitches at this year’s contest, but congratulations ultimately go to Ed Whiting, who was chosen as the winner for his pitch “Essence of the Piece”. Look out for Ed’s debut in the Prog in the near future, Earthlets!

The 2000 AD Artist Talent Search 2023!

Across the weekend we also held portfolio reviews for our 2023 Artist Search, with entrants challenged to draw Al Ewing’s script for The Gifts of The Magi, a Tharg’s Future Shock originally drawn by Lee Townsend and colourist Chris Blythe. After whittling down the huge lineup of entrants to a few finalists, the artists progressed through to our Talent Search Panel, presided over by judges Jock, Anna Morozova, and Tom Foster.

Each entrant got to hear feedback from the judges, giving them all some real experience from some of the most talented artists in the industry today, before the very deserving winner was chosen: massive congratulations to the judges’ choice Sinu Senon!

Here are Sinu’s pages which won the contest this year – and will now lead to him working directly with Tharg in 2024!

Andrei:

Lucas M:

Rose Plaxton:

Russ Dobson:

Tom Crielly:

Posted on 25th October 202325th October 2023 by Michael Molcher

2000 AD heads to Thought Bubble 2023!

The Galaxy’s Greatest Comic is returning to Thought Bubble this November!

The annual celebration of comics and comic culture is taking place at the Harrogate Convention Centre on 12th and 13th November, and 2000 AD will be there with a packed booth and its famous artist and writer talent searches!

This year’s show features a veritable Nerve Centre of 2000 AD talent, lead by the legendary John Wagner and Mick McMahon, as well as Rob Williams (Judge Dredd), Steve Yeowell (Zenith), Charlie Adlard (Savage), Andy Diggle (Lenny Zero), D’Israeli (Scarlet Traces), Ian Edginton (Scarlet Traces), Al Ewing (Zombo), Jock (Judge Dredd), Roger Langridge (Pandora Perfect), John McCrea (Judge Dredd), Leah Moore (Storm Warning), Anna Morozova (Lowborn High), Sean Phillips (Devlin Waugh), John Reppion (Black Shuck) and more!

The 2000 AD booth will be located in the main Redshirt Hall, with both classic and brand new collections – including mega-early copies of some forthcoming titles – as well as freebie comics, discounts on selected graphic novels, and a back issue longbox for the dedicated collector!

And as well as “The Galaxy’s Greatest Panel” on the Sunday – with writers Rob Williams and El Sandifer and artists Anna Morozova and Tom Foster – the 2000 AD writer and artist talent searches return with would-be droids battling it out in front of two panels of top creative judges deciding who wins paid work with the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic! See how you can enter now!

Don’t miss a Thrill-powered weekend, Earthlet – head straight for Thought Bubble!