The 2000 AD Thrill-Cast Lockdown Tapes – Arthur Ranson (2018 interview)
7th July 2021
It’s the fascinating sixty-eighth episode of The 2000 AD Thrill-Cast Lockdown Tapes!
An artist who should need no introduction, Arthur Ranson was a stalwart of British comics from the 1970s with work on licensed properties for Look-in before moving to 2000 AD in the 1980s and quickly establishing himself as one of the seminal artists on Judge Anderson’s solo adventures. His meticulously detailed style brought atmosphere and depth to his work, whether it was adding verve to adaptations of TV classics such as Sapphire & Steel or rendering the gritty streets of Mega-City One in Judge Dredd. In the 1990s, he co-created the noir crime thriller Button Man with John Wagner and the fantastical Mazeworld with Alan Grant, while drawing some of the most pivotal and moving moments in Judge Anderson’s life. He has since retired, but collections of his work have brought on re-evaluations of his work for new generations of comics fans, drawn to the rich detail and extraordinary influences of his work. In this interview from 2018, Molch-R chats with Arthur about his life, his work, and his choices both creative and personal.
We then revisit the Thrill-Cast roundtable about Arthur’s career and legacy, when Rebellion Publishing’s Head of Books and Comic Books Ben Smith, geek culture reporter Graeme McMillan, comics journalist John Freeman, and photographer and artist Ellen Rogers join Molch-R to talk about what Arthur’s work for 2000 AD and beyond means to them, why it deserves wider awareness, and the influence it has had on generations of readers and creators.
Over the coming weeks the Thrill-Cast will continue to broadcast every week, with both new episodes and favourite interviews from the past six years – so make sure you’re keeping yourselves and your loved ones safe, and stay tuned for more from the Galaxy’s Greatest Podcast!
Got a theme or interview you’d like to hear? Let us know at thrillcast@2000AD.com
The 2000 AD Thrill-Cast is the award-winning podcast that takes you behind-the-scenes at the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic with creator interviews, panels, and more! You can subscribe to the Thrill-Cast on your favourite podcast app, iTunes, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also listen now at 2000AD.com/podcast or you can watch at youtube.com/2000ADonline