BORAG Thungg, Earthlings, are you ready to celebrate? 2000AD, “The Galaxy’s Greatest Comic” will celebrate its 45th birthday this month. A new book, The 2000AD Encyclopedia, has just been published to commemorate the event and a bumper birthday issue of the comic is out soon.
2000AD is still going?
It is indeed. And it’s now one of Britain’s longest-surviving comics. Only The Beano and Commando Picture Library can claim to have been around for longer on the news stands.
Is Judge Dredd still in it?
He is, of course. Having first appeared in the second issue, he remains the most popular character, though there are many others including Rogue Trooper, Slaine and Proteus Vex. There’s an exhibition about Dredd currently on show at the Cartoon Museum in London.
Why should we be celebrating a comic?
Because it has been a hugely influential publication that has shaped British pop culture. It has inspired movies and pop songs (The Human League as well as Suggs and Chas Smash from Madness recorded songs inspired by the comic) and 2000AD writers and artists have gone on to work for both Marvel and DC and for Hollywood studios and the likes of Netflix. The V&A even held an exhibition dedicated to 2000AD at the start of the century.
And that’s before we talk about the Scottish connection.
The Scottish connection?
Yes, Scots have been hugely influential in the history of 2000AD. John Wagner, who was born in the US but brought up in Greenock from the age of 12, is the creator of Judge Dredd along with artist Carlos Ezquerra. Wagner later teamed up with fellow Scottish author Alan Grant, and they worked together on 2000AD strips Robo-Hunter and Strontium Dog as well as Dredd.
Other Scottish writers who have worked for 2000AD include Grant Morrison (now best known for his work for Marvel and DC), Mark Millar (who is working with Netflix) and Robbie Morrison, whose debut novel Edge of the Grave won the Bloody Scotland Crime Debut of the Year in 2021.
The comic has also been home to the work of such Scottish artists as Frank Quitely, Jim Baikie, Colin MacNeil and the late Ian Kennedy, who sadly died on February 5.
How is 2000AD going to celebrate?
The comic’s publisher Rebellion has a number of books planned for this year celebrating the best of 2000AD’s history. The Best of John Wagner will be published next month.
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