The Scottish Connection
There has, and almost certainly always will be, an inextricable link between Scotland and the Galaxy's Greatest Comic™ you only have to look at the vital writers and artists that have contributed to the comic's foundation, development and success over the past 38 years, to realise this. So let's start there...
Creators: John Wagner - US-made naturalised Scots script droid, responsible for the creation of dozens of the comic’s favourite strips, including of course Judge Dredd, Strontium Dog, Ace Trucking Co., Button Man, M.A.C.H 1, Robo-Hunter & many, many more..
John Wagner Pops Into The Boil's Head
Alan Grant - Dundee-built creator of Durham Red, Judge Anderson, Helltrekkers, Kenny Who?, Mazeworld and much more!
A Rampaging Alan Grant Comes To Tharg's Rescue
Cam Kennedy - Glaswegian art droid, best known for his work on Rogue Trooper, The V.C’s and, of course Judge Dredd, particularly his best known character Kenny Who?: a semi-autobiographical parody regarding the lack of comic creator credits & artists’ ownership rights; a particular bugbear of many 2000AD artists in the late seventies to early/mid eighties, and something that was close to his heart.
A Cam Kennedy Convention Sketch feat. Kenny Who?/Self Portrait..perhaps?
Jim Baikie - Assembled in the beautiful Orkney Island of Hoy, the Baikie art droid, co-created the hilarious, but touching, classic strip, Skizz with Alan Moore, which was a cross-between E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and 70's tragi-comic drama, Boys From The Blackstuff, with more laughs and pathos, than either original! Baikie also drew several Judge Dredd strips including the final episode of mega-epic, Oz
Jim Baikie's Skizz Bemoans The Accommodation At The 1993 Glasgow Comic Art Con!
. Grant Morrison: The superstar comics writer/creator, was responsible for one of the most popular strips ever, and the Prog's only true superhero series, Zenith. But Morrison never reached those heights again in the comic, and along with another young Scot (see below) was perhaps given too much rope...
Grant Morrison Holds His Many Creations And Updated Comic Book Heroes In His Hands
Mark Millar: Although the man responsible for such smash-hits as, Kick Ass, The Ultimates & Wanted (the book, not the terrible movie!), the Coatbridge-born youngster's true talent only partially emerged at 2000AD, seemingly more intent upon shock-value, with strips like the controversial Big Dave, Babe Race 2000 & Maniac 5, but minor successes were scored - Canon Fodder (thanks to some startling artwork from Chris Weston); Sov-Blok perp-turned-East-Meg Judge, Red Razors, and with mentor, Grant Morrison, some decent Dredd strips, e.g: Purgatory and follow-up, Inferno, featuring disgruntled ex-Judges from Titan, who return to invade and conquer Mega-City One, was a high point, as well as Janus Psi-Division, MC-1's top telepath, (with Anderson off-planet!)
A Modest Young Mark Millar, Interviewed At The Start Of His Career!
Colin MacNeil - An obviously talented art droid from his first ever Future Shock, a two-parter with Grant Morrison, starring the recently revived Ulysses Sweet, back in Progs 508-09 (7-14Feb'87). MacNeil has gone from strength to strength ever since, drawing such classic strips as America, in the Megazine (Megs1.01-07,1Oct'90-1Apr'91), and the death of Johnny Alpha in ‘The Final Solution’ (Progs683-87,16Jun-14Jul'90). MacNeil is now one of the regular Judge Dredd artists, and his art continues to impress
Colin MacNeil's Stunning Masterwork: "America", For The Judge Dredd Megazine
Jim Alexander: creator of Cal-Hab Justice (& O'Rork) for the Judge Dredd Megazine, as well as several Dredd and other writing credits - still working regularly today! Check out his blog..
Ed MacBrayne Of Calhab Justice, written by Jim Alexander
Frank Quitely (Vincent Deighan): Perhaps one of the purest art droid finds since Brian Bolland, or Simon Bisley, Quitely immediately impressed with his work on Hondo-City Justice, and of course later his seminal work co-creating, Missionary Man. Unfortunately, Quitely never drew anything else for the Judge Dredd Megazine (or ever in the weekly Prog), except a special Inaba cover celebrating the Meg's 300th issue, having been quickly head-hunted by talent scouts across the pond; striking up a special partnership with former 2000AD alumni, Grant Morrison.
Quitely's Immaculate Inaba Cover For The Megazine's 20th Anniversary
Gordon Rennie - Riveted together in Edinburgh, the prolific Rennie script droid has creator credits on many recent classics, including: Glimmer Rats, Missionary Man, Necronauts, Caballistics, Inc., Cursed Earth Koburn, Absalom, Jaegir, and lots more!
Gordon Rennie's Latest Thriller - Jaegir - feat. A Nort Heroine!
Alex Ronald: Always gifted, art droid, Alex Ronald has drawn some superb Judge Dredd stories, particularly memorable - the Dredd/Mean-Machine team-up, Headbangers, set deep in the Cal-Hab Wastes, radioactive parts of Northern Scotland, all but destroyed in the Great Atomic War of 2150, but still home to some mutant clans, that brew a particularly potent whisky..
His style has radically altered in recent years, and is now one of the most respected digital artists in the medium today. Like this recent choice CG cover - Prog 1897 - feat. Mega-City One & tyrannical space bullies, the Lawlords!
Alex Ronald's Cracking CG Cover Art feat. Invasion-Happy Space-'Judges', the Lawlords - Prog 1897
Gary Erskine - Maybe not as well-known as some of his fellow art droids, he did some fantastic work during his run on the revitalised time-travelling, cowboys vs. dinosaurs strip, Flesh: Chronocide (Progs973-79,5Jan-16Feb'96), now more often used for his dynamic inking skills.
Dynamic Diving Dinos! Colourful cover Art By Gary Erskine
Robbie Morrison: Another young talent, assembled in various small towns & villages near the industrial city of Paisley, to emerge battle-weary, but unscathed through the mess that was the 1990's. Script droid, R. Morrison perhaps contributed to the new wave of Thrill-Power™ more than any other, with exciting new series that matched the Prog during it's mid-eighties heyday; creating suave swashbuckler, Nikolai Dante, and the enigmatic alien avenger, Shakara ; Judge-Inspector-turned-ronin, Shimura & protégé Inaba/Hondo-City Justice; DeMarco/De Marco P.I. for the Megazine - giving another gifted Scot - Frank Quitely - his first break; as well as numerous top-notch Judge Dredd strips, that he still regularly writes.
Simon Fraser: Co-creator of Nikolai Dante, Fraser was an integral part of the new direction the comic needed to take in the late '90s, in preparation for the new millennium. Also co-creator of Megazine hit. Shimura, Fraser's eye for technology, coupled with tradition made him ideal for the New Imperial Russia, the setting for rakish rogue, Nikolai Dante.
Jaunty Self-Portrait Of Nikolai Dante co-creator, Simon Fraser!
As the new millennium dawned, 2000AD had been bought by video games developers: Rebellion, and a rash of new talent were to join the Galaxy's Greatest Comic™, from North of the border!
Jock (Mark Simpson): If Robbie Morrison & Gordon Rennie were Scottish scripting saviours, then this art droid was responsible for revamping the look of the comic's featured hero, and ushering Judge Dredd into the 21st century (or should that be 22nd?!).t it was his updating of Dredd's uniform & weaponry, that really caught the eye - even making Dredd's Lawmaster bike look meaner, and perfecting the upgraded Lawgiver MkII handgun. Jock also introduced Lenny Zero, an undercover - or 'Wally Squad' - Judge-turned rogue.
There have been more talented Scots to join 2000AD in recent times, like Graeme Neil Reid, and David Baillie, so it seems there will always be a strong connection between the Galaxy's Greatest Comic™ and our Scottish brethren, no matter the politics of our two inextricably linked countries!
However the link between the two countries is more than just creators, some of our comic's best-loved characters hail from 'Bonnie' Scotland, unfortunately the future looks anything but 'Bonnie' for our neighbours to the North: the majority of the many Northerly isles have been obliterated, and much of the Highlands are now an irradiated wasteland, inhabited only by the toughest and most-heavily mutated Clans.
But many do survive and thrive, although there is constant fighting between the warring Clans, perhaps having built up a tolerance to the high levels of radiation through their own special brand of tainted, potent, bootleg whisky, the banned, Spirit Of The Moors!
Other characters to hail from the North; some forgettable - Psi-Judge Schiehallion of the CalHab Justice Dept., who destroyed GlasCal during 'The Flux'; Andy Nunn aka 'The Chieftain', a former Highlands hitman who retired with his family to the irradiated Northern Wastes - until his past caught up with him & he had to chase some Mega-City gangsters that murdered his wife and kids back to the 'Big Meg', to wreak his revenge!
But others we will always remember like Strontium Dog: Archibald 'Middenface' McNulty, Judge Ed MacBrayne, the star of CalHab Justice; and of course, the little man with big dreams, aspiring comic artist, Kenny Who?
Even Slaine got in on the act, when he joined legendary Scottish hero, William Wallace, in "King Of Hearts"
Finally, there has also been some cracking cover art celebrating all things Scottish, featuring characters, locations and lifestyles, inspired by the heavy influence of writers, artists and their heroic creations hailing from the Caledonian region..
JINGS! The First Appearance Of Plucky Scot In The Big Meg, Comic Artist, Kenny Who? Prog 477 by Cam Kennedy
JINGS, AGAIN! Middenface McNulty Makes The Cover Of The Megazine In His Own Series (& His Dug!) - Meg 1.20 by John McCrea
The Tartan Terror Returns, In Strontium Dugs - I Mean Dogs! Prog 993 by Sean Phillips
So, to all our readers, creators, fans, et al, North of the Border - we couldn't have done it without you, so Thank You, everyone, and....
Happy Burns' Night!
N.B. Apologies to Dom Reardon and Frazer Irving for mistakenly believing them to be Scottish, and forgive me Scotland for getting it so wrong - Mek-Quake certainly won't!
Art droids, Reardon & Irving are, of course, 'Soft Southeners', like myself, and definitely not Scottish! Extreme regrets for any undue offence or discomfort to anyone - or anywhere!
Yours electric-sheepishly,
Tmblr-JM x
