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¦ Features ¦ Coming
up in 2006
What have we
got to look forward to in 2006? We got in contact with as many writers/artists
as we could to find out - and it would seem that there is much goodness coming
our way. Here's a small taster of what to expect in their own ords. Thanks to
all those who got in contact, and if anyone has anything to add, let us know...
23/1 - Updated
with more info from Jonathan Oliver and Pat Mills
Pat Mills
I've just finished
writing Book Three of Savage, "Double Yellow", which I guess will be
appearing much later this year (Artist: Charlie Adlard). Savage is a particular
favourite of mine. I wish I'd continued writing him years ago. The potential for
this film noire approach was always there and it's a great tribute to the readers
that they didn't give up on him and wanted him back. Charlie's version is definitive.
"Double Yellow" explores the way the Invaders attempt to win the hearts
and minds of the Invaded through the media . Savage is on the vengeance trail
as he tries to discover the identity of the man who betrayed and killed his brother.
Henry Flint's ABCs
appears after Slaine; as always Henry has done a superb job. I'm getting together
with artist Clint Langley to start work on a new cycle of ABC Warriors stories
shortly which will include aspects of the original Volgan wars, as the Warriors
look back on their origins (which I originally handled at break-neck speed and
are worth another look, I feel). It's also time for Mek-Quake to receive some
professional help. Although Clint and I are both missing Ukko's appalling Carnival
in Slaine, which is almost finished, and wondering when we're ever going to get
back to it. We're both rather addicted to the characters.
In the Megazine, John Hicklenton is drawing a Judge Dredd Satanus epic which I'm
half way through writing. He's doing his all-time best work. This series is very
much down to outgoing Megazine editor Alan Barnes who backed his own vision here.
Same applies to Black Siddha. Artist Simon Davis is working on the third series
of Black Siddha "Return of the Jester" with some villains whom he has
wonderfully depicted: An Indian Godfather gangster in a green pringle top that
cracks me up every time I see it! Uncle David - an appalling gangster with an
interesting philosophy about head-butting. And
the psychotic, mysterious but somewhat tragic Jester himself.
Elsewhere - I'm
writing Requiem Book 7 and other stories for France, notably Broz painted by leading
fantasy artist Adrian Smith. English versions are in the works.
Jonathan Oliver
Lots of exciting
new Graphic Novels are due from Rebellion, including the continuation of our immensely
popular Complete Case Files series for Judge Dredd. Our publication schedule up
to August looks like this:
January
Judge Dredd: The Chief Judge’s Man
Rogue Trooper: To The Ends of Nu Earth
Slaine: Books of Invasions Volume 1
February
Caballistics, Inc.
The Complete D.R. & Quinch
Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files 02
March
Rogue Trooper: Re-Gene
Judge Dredd: Brothers of The Blood
April
Durham Red: Scarlet Cantos
Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files 03
May
Alan Moore: The Complete Future Shocks
Judge Dredd: Big Deal at Drekk City
June
Fiends of The Eastern Front
Judge Dredd: Case Files 04
July
Judge Dredd: The Hunting Party
Slaine: Books of Invasions Volume 2
August
Bec and Kawl: Bloody Students
Rogue Trooper: Realpolitik
Things are pretty
busy for me here at the Nerve Centre what with also setting up the books for Abaddon
Press but it’s great to see the Graphic Novels are being received so well
and it’s really exciting to work with a publication I’ve been a big
fan of since I was a wee lad. Lots more exciting stuff to come post-August. Watch
this space!
Simon Spurrier
Lobster Random
3: Agony and Ecstasy (art: Carl Critchlow)
The curmudgeonly crustacean finds himself mixed up with the Galaxy's weirdest
mobsters when his robotic lover (read: meal ticket) goes missing... But as every
little move he makes reveals dodgier and dodgier opportunites to make cash, Lob
is going to have to protect his avaricious schemes with all of his cunning. Particularly
when it turns out he's not the only Information-Extractor-For-Hire out to make
a fast groat...
Characteristically
unsubtle insanity as the sleepless, painless, patience-less claw-wielding psychopath
tangles with all the wrong people. Plus obese cybernetic apes, the MechaLove that
dares not clang its name, mentally subnormal bounty hunters and a Mob-boss with
an embarrassing congenital condition.
Bec and Kawl: Freakshow (art: Steve Roberts)
The slacker students of the supernatural return in more feckless fannying-about
with Dark Forces. Kawl has somehow achieved the impossible and persuaded Beccy
to come on a date, and takes the opportunity to check out the Sardonicus Circus,
newly arrived in town. It goes without saying that no sooner have the pair arrived
than paranormal pandemonium ensues, but amongst fearful freaks and gibbering jesters
- as a strange serial killer stalks the community - a single question burns brightly:
Will Kawl finally manage to get lucky?
Chiaroscuro (art: Smudge)
A tense, densley-plotted horror set in the plastic world of movie-making...
I'm saying nothing more, but this is one of the most ambitious projects I've ever
worked on, and the one with which I'm most proud.
Plus: a few Dredd stories which should lead into something completely different,
more episodes of The Simping Detective, the obligatory Bits and Bobs, and a spectacular
new series with Boo Cook which I'm not going to say anything about. It probably
won't be in the prog for a while anyway, but... just to vent a little... it's
enormous fun.
Elsewhere:
There are other
irons heating up in the fire - notably a novel for Rebellion's new Abaddon line,
set in a not-too-distant Post-Apocalyptic future - and (fingers crossed) a project
or two with yankee publishers. Oh, and my "own" novel continues to give
my agent headaches... It turns out that, if the publishing industry was a small
circular hole, a mixed-genre manuscript by a first-time author is a Big Square
Peg. Bugger.
Boo
Cook
I'm currently hard
at work on a brand new strip written by the mighty Mr.Spurrier. Imagine Rogue
Trooper's grandpa, in space, with space drugs, drinking earl grey tea and you'll
be halfway there. It's easily the most mental thing I've ever had the pleasure
of drawing: psychedlic brit-fi !
It will appear in a 1 episode teaser coming soon, followed by the first story
arc which we're currently working on - expect that around 2012...
John
Wagner
Origins is kind
of self-explanatory. I could mention 'meet Joe Dredd's mutant relations'.
Button Man might
be slightly delayed. The book is titled 'The Hitman's Daughter', from a story
inspired by Arthur (after the bugger rejected my first version!), a gritty tale
of intrigue and revenge.
Chris
Blythe
Angel Fire is being
launched in France in March, and then Spain, Italy and Belgium later in the year.
It will also be getting a proper paunch in America through NBM publishing, and
will be in the big book shops rather than comic shops.
If we're well received
in Europe, the reality is that our next venture won't even be in English - sad,
but there you go.
John Higgins
I'm in the middle
of a mini series for DC/Wildstorm at the moment called Thunderbolt Jaxon, written
by Dave Gibbons, another graduate of the school of 2000AD, based on an old IPC
character, the company which first published 2000AD. Dave has written a
funny, visceral and exciting adventure of three modern day teens in a hellish
world that has wife beaters, muggers and Norse Gods. An interesting mix. The first
issue will be in the shops March 06.
For The Megazine,
Rob Williams and I have co created a character we hope will become an intermittent
regular of the 2000AD universe called Darren Dead. The intro story appeared in
the January issue of the Megazine, cover done by that stalwart and
superb 2000AD artist Cliff Robinson. Rob has combined all the elements I think
make the best 2000AD/Megazine stories: humour, pathos and drama. It's about a
dead magician who has limited social skills, is not really very nice or bright,
but within his cold and decaying heart there is a spark of humanity and vulnerability
that we can all recognise and, dare I hope, that we will some day come to love.
I think that’s
it. Oh, of course, I completed the digital re-colouring of the Watchmen in 2005
which should be in your shops as we speak in the stylish DC/Wildstorm production
of Absolute Watchmen, The only graphic novel to appear in Time Magazine's top
one hundred list of the best books of the twentieth century.
Dan Abnett
According to Matt,
my big job for the next little while is producing the MOSES WAR, the follow up
to the most recent (and gratifyingly popular) Sinister Dexter saga, AND DEATH
SHALL HAVE NO DUMB MINIONS. Looking forward to that.
Richard Elson and
I have a to be confirmed project to, which I'll happily speak about in more detail
nearer the time.
Beyond 2000AD?
Writing Nova for Marvel (cosmically revamping one of Marvel's endearingly corny
1970's heroes), and writing more novels for the Black Library, including the next
Gaunt's Ghosts novel - THE ARMOUR OF CONTEMPT - and the third Ravenor adventure
- RAVENOR ROGUE. I've just finished the inaugural novel in BL's new 'mythic history'
series too, a chance to explore the dim and distant past of the Warhammer 40,000
universe. That book's called HORUS RISING.
Plus, oh some 'film
and TV work' that I can't talk about just yet.
Steve
Yeowell
All I know for
sure is that I'll be working on The Red Seas: The Hollow Land. Apart from that,
general housework
Rob
Williams
I'm currently writing
a new Low Life story. No Dirty Frank this time. We'll be concentrating on Aimee
Nixon once again, and returning the series to the darker territory of the original
story rather than the more comedic bent of recent Low Lifes. The cool thing about
Low Life is it can handle both storytelling styles, its nice to shake things up
and Aimee's so fucked-up she's a pleasure to write. The talented Mr. Simon Coleby
continues on art.
A Three-part follow-up to Meet Darren Dead is currently in the works for the Meg,
entitled Eats, Shoots... And Kills. There's the murderous ghost of a giant panda
in there somewhere. That'll be sometime this year.
The major upcoming release for me outside of Tooth is Star Wars: Rebellion, a
new series that launches in April from Dark Horse Comics. This is set in the classic
trilogy era and features Luke, Leia and CO on the run from the Empire in the period
between A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back. I've really enjoyed writing it, we've
made a conscious effort to give it the widescreen spectacle and high adventure
that the original Star Wars films enjoyed. And hopefully there's some nice character
stuff in there too, of course. Fantastic art by the up-and-coming Brandon Badeaux.
Richard
Elson
Just done a Young
Middenface cover for the Meg. Nothing concrete in the near future, but I am hopeful
of something new (and very violent) with Dan.
Outside of 2000AD
it's more toy and game stuff and working up samples to try and sell a couple of
(comics) ideas to publishers.
Charlie
Adlard
I will be doing
Savage book 3 this year - Pat's writing it as we speak... I hope to get started
sometime in the spring. Though when I finish is another matter - what with The
Walking Dead and other projects, time is not my friend at the moment... but it
WILL be done - and let's hope before 2006 ends!
Henry Flint
I'm just finishing
ABC's, with some DC work to come.
Simon Davis
So far I'm doing
the next book of Black Siddha with Pat Mills.
Gordon Rennie
The 86ers
Finally running
this year, although I can't complain too much, since I'm still writing it. A 6-part
intro into what will hopefully be a recurring series. It's set in the same universe
as Rogue Trooper, in the Nort-Souther war, but isn't set on Nu Earth. Rogue will
not be appearing in it.
Dredd
I've got a three-parter
coming up called Direct Action with Cam Kennedy, introducing a new Dredd adversary
and bringing out the really ruthless authoritarian side of Dredd. No dying blind
girls or cuddly crack babies in this one. I'm also doing a four-parter in the
Meg, called Regime Change, where Mega-City One flexes its global superpower muscles
and starts intervening in the affairs of a hostile foreign city. There'll probably
be other Dredd stuff by me, but the only thing confirmed so far is a return to
the Planet Gary bar.
Caballistics
Various teasing
story threads are left dangling at the end of the #6, which concludes the series.
Caballistics will probably be taking a sabbatical for a while after that whilst
I recharge the thrill bank generators.
Koburn
Probably taking
a hiatus also, after the end of the current story running in the Meg.
Rogue Trooper
The game's out
in April. I think. It's recognisably the same story as the original tale, beginning
at the Quartz Zone Massacre and following Rogue's hunt for the Traitor General,
although there's a few shortcuts and side diversions along the way. We tried to
incorporate, and remain faithful to, as much as the comic as we could, so look
out for Colonel Kovert, Venus Bluegenes, Admiral Hoffa, the Dix-I Front, the Marauders'
base, the Scum Seas, Nu-Paree etc. I also recently completed work on another Rebellion
game, but a non-2000AD one this time.
Matt
Smith
As far as Rebellion
goes, the big release in the first quarter of 2006 will of course be the Rogue
Trooper videogame, out in the latter half of April for PS2, Xbox and PC. Expect
some Rogue related publications around that time.
There’s also
going to be another variant cover on a 2000 AD prog, though I’m not saying
which one yet...
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