The 2000 AD Thrill-Cast

Everyone at 2000 AD is still reeling from the news that Carlos Ezquerra has passed away. In this episode of the 2000 AD podcast, we talk to some of the people who knew and worked with him, and just a few of the other 2000 AD creators who were influenced by his incredible work over half a century - Garth Ennis, Matt Smith, Dave Gibbons, Kelvin Gosnell, Jock, Rob Williams, David Baillie, PJ Holden, Simon Fraser and Al Ewing.One of the all-time greatest comic book artists, the Spanish illustrator was one of the titans of 2000 AD. Originally from Zaragoza, Carlos began his career in Barcelona, drawing westerns and war stories for Spanish publishers. Breaking into the UK market on romance titles like Valentine and Mirabelle, he was head-hunted for the new IPC title Battle Picture Weekly where he drew Rat Pack, Major Eazy and El Mestizo.In 1976, he was asked to create a new character, the future lawman Judge Dredd, for a new weekly science fiction comic called 2000 AD. Thanks to his enduring partnership with John Wagner, Dredd was to become one of the world’s most recognisable comic book characters, with Carlos there to apply his inimitable style to some of the biggest stories in the strip’s history, such as The Apocalypse War, Necropolis and Origins.Thanks to Dredd as well as his co-creation of Strontium Dog, created for Starlord in 1978, his adaptation for 2000 AD of Harry Harrison’s Stainless Steel Rat, and thousands upon thousands of comic book pages, Carlos was lauded by readers and creators alike.Modest and unassuming, Carlos was nonetheless a legend whose contribution to the global comic book industry cannot be understated. His distinctive style - characterised by breathtakingly dynamic, high-energy storytelling and the distinctive ridged thick inking that outlined so many key moments - was instantly recognisable.Despite a brush with lung cancer in 2010, he continued to work and, although the cancer returned this year it was believed he was recovering well. His sudden death is a profound loss not just to 2000 AD but to the comic book medium.The 2000 AD Thrill-Cast is the award-winning podcast that takes you behind-the-scenes at the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic! As well as interviewing top creators and famous fans, we bring you announcements, competitions, and much more! You can subscribe to the Thrill-Cast on iTunes or on the podcast app of your choice, or you can listen now at 2000AD.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This fortnight's episode begins on an incredibly sad note, as we say goodbye to Carlos Ezquerra. The next episode of the Thrill-Cast will be dedicated to him and his legacy.One of the highlights of the droids' year, the Thought Bubble convention in Leeds is a celebration of the comic book medium and an ideal opportunity for 2000 AD to engage with readers old and new. This year, host Molch-R welcomed droids Guy Adams (Hope), Lizzie Boyle (Scream! & Misty Special), Laura Bailey (Demarco P.I.), Paul Williams (Future Shocks), Leah Moore & John Reppion (Storm Warning) to the 2000 AD panels to discuss what's in store for readers, their creative processes, and creating new characters for 2000 AD, as well as some announcements about forthcoming Thrills! Plus, Every year, 2000 AD gives new writers and artists the chance to get their first work for the Galaxy's Greatest Comic. Prospective art droids have their work scrutinised while would-be writers must pitch their own original Future Shock in just two minutes! They're not for the faint of heart but the competitions have launched the professional careers of some of the newest talent to grace the pages of 2000 AD. This year, the script competition - judge by former script competition winners Laura Bailey (Demaro P.I.) and Rory McConville (Devlin Waugh) with 2000 AD editor Matt Smith and Rob Williams (Judge Dredd) - got through 12 separate entries, ranging from the wicked to the sublime! There was advice aplenty, as the judges sifted through the entries and chose their favourite. Listen as would-be writers pitch their ideas and discover who this year's winner was!The 2000 AD Thrill-Cast is the award-winning podcast that takes you behind-the-scenes at the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic! As well as interviewing top creators and famous fans, we bring you announcements, competitions, and much more! You can subscribe to the Thrill-Cast on iTunes or on the podcast app of your choice, or you can listen now at 2000AD.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Judge Dredd Megazine hits its 400th issue this week and the 2000 AD podcast sits down with editor Matt Smith to talk about what it's taken to shepherd the Meg to this new milestone, if there were any close-calls along the way, and what's in store for the monthly...Plus, we chat about the forthcoming Thought Bubble convention - from why it's one of the best comics shows in the UK to the new talent we've discovered through our art and script competitions!The 2000 AD Thrill-Cast is the award-winning podcast that takes you behind-the-scenes at the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic! As well as interviewing top creators and famous fans, we bring you announcements, competitions, and much more! You can subscribe to the Thrill-Cast on iTunes or on the podcast app of your choice, or you can listen now at 2000AD.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

He's the mad genius behind Zombo, Damnation Station, and the Zaucer of Zilk - and now he's in the pub, talking to the 2000 AD Thrill-Cast!Bringing a unique new voice to 2000 AD, his vivid imagination and dark humour-tinged stories quickly established him as one of 2000 AD's most popular writers and a regular on Judge Dredd, where he worked with Si Spurrier and Rob Williams on the hugely successful Judge Dredd crossover epic, Trifecta.With his on-going success with Marvel Comics, Ewing sits down with Molch-R to discuss his beginnings as a writer, his preferred version of 'The Marvel Method', his thoughts on continuity, and whether he's coming back to the Galaxy's Greatest Comic.The 2000 AD Thrill-Cast is the award-winning podcast that takes you behind-the-scenes at the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic! As well as interviewing top creators and famous fans, we bring you announcements, competitions, and much more! You can subscribe to the Thrill-Cast on iTunes or on the podcast app of your choice, or you can listen now at 2000AD.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of comics’ rock ‘n’ roll superstars, Simon Bisley’s incredible artwork changed the industry forever in the late 1980s with his work on Slaine: The Horned God and Judge Dredd, producing a myriad imitators and launching a decade-long fad for painted comics art. We round off our coverage of the 2000 AD panels at San Diego Comic Con 2018 with a recording of the 'Spotlight on Simon Bisley' panel as 2000 AD publicity droid Mike Molcher sits down with Simon in front of a live audience to discuss his work, career, and philosophy.A unique and irrepressible talent, Simon’s work has reached far beyond the page to influence mainstream culture, and while he has always evolved, his style remains timelessly recognizable.The 2000 AD Thrill-Cast is the award-winning podcast that takes you behind-the-scenes at the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic! As well as interviewing top creators and famous fans, we bring you announcements, competitions, and much more! You can subscribe to the Thrill-Cast on iTunes or on the podcast app of your choice, or you can listen now at 2000AD.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We continue our special coverage of San Diego Comic Con 2018 with a recording of the 'Judge Dredd: Supercop or Satire?' panel from the Saturday of this year's show.He's the hardline cop bringing justice to the mean futuristic streets of Mega-City One, but is Judge Dredd a hero or a villain? Is he a law enforcement role-model or, in the light of recent years, is he becoming a worrying vision of the future? The expert panelists debating the pros and cons of the lawman of the future Rosie Knight (Nerdist), Meg Downey (CBR, Mark Russell (Judge Dredd: Under Siege,)and Evan Narcisse (io9, Rise of the Black Panther).The 2000 AD Thrill-Cast is the award-winning podcast that takes you behind-the-scenes at the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic! As well as interviewing top creators and famous fans, we bring you announcements, competitions, and much more! You can subscribe to the Thrill-Cast on iTunes or on the podcast app of your choice, or you can listen now at 2000AD.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We continue our special run of episodes recorded at San Diego Comic Con 2018 with a recording of the 'The Treasury of British Comics: Can A Forgotten Archive Teach Us About Comics In The 21st Century?' panel from the Thursday of this year's show.They've influenced some of comics' biggest names, but you've probably never heard of them; this is the hidden history of what was one of the biggest comics industries in the world. From The Leopard from Lime Street to Whizzer and Chips, from horror comics aimed at young girls to warped humor comics for preteens, these weekly anthologies were a unique influence on some of the biggest names in comics and, with their weekly format and cross-genre mashups, form the missing link between American comics, European comics, and manga.Discover the untold story of British comics with moderator Michael Molcher and guests Rosie Knight (Nerdist) Ben Smith (head of books and comic books for Rebellion), Jack Davisson (translator: Devilman & Showa: A History of Japan) and Graeme McMillan (The Hollywood Reporter).The 2000 AD Thrill-Cast is the award-winning podcast that takes you behind-the-scenes at the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic! As well as interviewing top creators and famous fans, we bring you announcements, competitions, and much more! You can subscribe to the Thrill-Cast on iTunes or on the podcast app of your choice, or you can listen now at www.2000ADonline.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

San Diego Comic Con got a much-needed injection of Thrill-power as 2000 AD landed with a booth stuffed with ghafflebette delights! Over the coming weeks we'll be bringing you some of the highlights of the show, as well as all four of our panels - featuring expert opinions on 2000 AD, the Treasury of British Comics, and Judge Dredd. Plus, don;t miss our special chat with the legend himself, Simon Bisley!This week, we speak to Judge Dredd: The Feels artist Babs Tarr and cover artist Lisa Wood about the 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special and what it's like to work for Tharg for the first time.And then it's off to our first panel - the 2000 AD Thrill-Hour! with special guests Rogue Trooper co-creator Dave Gibbons, Tyranny Rex creative team Liana Kangas and Katy Rex, journalists Graeme McMillan and Jimmy Aquino and a brief appearance by writer Paul Cornell! We chat Sci-Fi Special, 2000 AD in America, and the Rogue Trooper movie news, plus there's a special announcement about the Mega-City One TV series!The 2000 AD Thrill-Cast is the award-winning podcast that takes you behind-the-scenes at the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic! As well as interviewing top creators and famous fans, we bring you announcements, competitions, and much more! You can subscribe to the Thrill-Cast on iTunes or on the podcast app of your choice, or you can listen now at www.2000ADonline.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following on from the our two-part interview with artist Arthur Ranson (https://2000ad.com/post/3233), the 2000 AD Thrill-Cast sits down with comics journalists, publishers and artists to discuss Arthur's work and ongoing legacy.Host Molch-R is joined by Rebellion Publishing's Head of Books and Comic Books Ben Smith, Hollywood Reporter geek culture correspondent Graeme McMillan, comics journalist John Freeman, and photographer and artist Ellen Rogers. They chat 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.The 2000 AD Thrill-Cast is the award-winning podcast that takes you behind-the-scenes at the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic! As well as interviewing top creators and famous fans, we bring you announcements, competitions, and much more! You can subscribe to the Thrill-Cast on iTunes or on the podcast app of your choice, or you can listen now at www.2000ADonline.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special 2018 lands next week - the first ever title from 2000 AD with exclusively female creators is on sale on 20 June, with new voices working on some of the Galaxy's Greatest Comics biggest characters, including Judge Dredd, Judge Anderson, Rogue Trooper and more!The 2000 AD Thrill-Cast talks to Emma Beeby, Leah Moore, Katy Rex, Liana Kangas, and Alex De Campi about their stories for the Sci-Fi Special and what it means to have women working on such classic characters, many of them for the first time.The 2000 AD Thrill-Cast is the award-winning podcast that takes you behind-the-scenes at the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic! As well as interviewing top creators and famous fans, we bring you announcements, competitions, and much more! You can subscribe to the Thrill-Cast on iTunes or on the podcast app of your choice, or you can listen now at www.2000ADonline.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.