Bits 'n' Pieces
2000 AD & Judge Dredd related posts
There’s a possibility of some new visitors thanks to Matt Smith and Karl Stock mentioning Secret Oranges at the end of a certain Robo-Cook, interrogation in this month’s Judge Dredd Megazine #477, (nicely designed by Sam Gretton and Gemma Sheldrake). If that’s the case… Welcome!
With this in mind, I thought I’d take a break from my regular posts and cut ‘n’ paste a few vintage 2000 AD and Dredd related Substack articles, and list them here for easy reading. Here goes…
Judge Dredd & The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
In the Summer of 1988, Richard Burton, the editor of 2000 AD asked me if I would be interested in designing a new title called the Judge Dredd Mega-Special. Well, I had no hesitation in saying yes, so with that in mind he asked me to think about how I wanted to design the cover. It had to look different from the regular 20…
Breeze & The Brain
I thought I’d share a few of the ads that I was asked to design and illustrate for 2000 AD’s weekly publication back in the late eighties and early nineties.
Nerve Centres & Command Modules
For those interested in how Tharg’s 2000 AD Command Module changed location over the years, I thought it time to share some unseen moments from my own negative files.
Shamballa
When I was asked to design the Judge Anderson, Shamballa Graphic Novel for Fleetway back in 1991, I thought it would be good to get away from the usual full-figure leather-clad Judge Anderson images that Titan had on their book covers. Not that I had anything against them; they were beautifully rendered by Garry Leach and they looked incredible, but I j…
Blow-Up! #2
Following on from my previous post, more production art from the collection, plus enlarged scans to show all of the glorious detail. First up 2000AD Prog #173 - 16th August, 1980. Art by Brian Bolland. Letters by Tom Frame. It’s highly likely Tom coloured these as well.
A 2000 AD Ad
The brilliant and always groovy, Audrey Wong otherwise known as Cybaud; our fellow Droid in Tharg's 2000 AD Command Module back in the day. Here she's seen modeling a TDG (Thrill-Power Display Garment). c.1988.
Classic 2000 AD Covers #3
Todays first piece of classic 2000 AD production art from my collection is 43 years old, but it stood the test of time.
Classic 2000 AD Covers #4
This week’s first piece of vintage 2000 AD production art is a 38 year old classic by Brett Ewins.
Classic 2000 AD Covers by Dave Gibbons
Having recently bought and thoroughly enjoyed reading Confabulation: An Anecdotal Autobiography, the new book by Dave Gibbons, (primed for my bookcase, below), it reminded me that I had scans of some of his amazing 2000 AD covers that I brought with me from London to California, that I can share with you here.
A Day with Biz
It doesn’t seem possible, but - Yikes! It was actually 30 whole years ago, that I had a call from one of the editors of Women on Top magazine, a fairly new British publication for women. They had a bit of a fixation with the artist, Simon Bisley, and were intereste…
Modelling For Comics
Updated, but originally posted on the Secret Oranges Blog: Saturday, 24 March 2012
The Cuttings File #1. Brian Bolland
In the late seventies I was so into Marvel and DC comics, that I didn't really notice the British artists until I saw Brian Bolland's artwork. Firstly on the paper bags for the Forbidden Planet comic shop that I’d visit, during my time as a student at college in the Charing Cross Road, London.
Kevin O'Neill
Last week we heard of another shocking and dreadful loss of a comics legend, so I thought I would make a short pictorial tribute to honor Kevin O’Neill, and share some of the amazing covers he did for the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic.
David Hine and the Marvel UK Migration
Continuing with the New Statesmen thread, here's a terrific piece that David Hine did for the title in 1988. Dave seems to be known primarily for his writing skills these days with The Bulletproof Coffin, Spider-Man Noir, Spawn, District X, The Darkness
The Road to Deadline
Many moons ago, I decided to leave my job at Marvel UK and go freelance. Robert Sutherland, Marvel’s MD, very kindly offered me a studio space in the basement as an incentive to carry on working for them in some capacity. This was a very helpful gesture and made the leap of faith into the precarious world of the freelancer a far more secure option.
Shaky Kane & The Call of the Kraken
While I’m on the subject of Lighthouses… one week before Christmas in 2010, I stayed in a lighthouse called The Lizard, on the Cornish coast of England. This was partly inspired by Arthur the Lighthouse Keeper, (my previous post) who I’m pretty sure had been stationed there long before it became ful…
On the Road with Grant Morrison for the Total Solar Eclipse
April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, United States, and Canada, but 25 years ago, Grant Morrison and I took a road trip to Cornwall for a different solar eclipse.
Thanks for tuning in!
Before I sign off, here’s something I’ve never mentioned before. Secret Oranges first saw the light of day on the 4th November 2011, and before it transferred over to Substack, recorded an incredible 1,179,950 hits.
Please spread the word!