2000 AD Summer Special 2021

Thanks to Tharg’s chief editor, Matt Smith, for giving me and Michael Carroll the opportunity to ‘showrun’ the 2000 AD Summer Special this year!

We wrote the overall narrative and then worked with three other writers – David Baillie, Liam Johnson, and Karl Stock – to shape the six-story, 48-page Special.

We even had a Zoom call with all the writers to trash through the stories: imagine, 2000 AD writers conferring. It was zarjaz! We also kept everyone up-to-date on all the stages of the process.

Here’s the blurb:

Do not miss this mega summertime storytelling event as characters from different ‘Dreddworld’ series all crossover into one epic adventure! Plotted by acclaimed writers Michael Carroll and Maura McHugh, this is epic storytelling from the galaxy’s greatest comic!

Judge Dredd meets up with Cursed Earth Koburn in ‘Biohazard’ by Carroll and Ben Willsher, while over in Oz legendary skysurfer Chopper is a wanted man in ‘Dreamgazer’ by David Baillie and Tom Foster.

Brit-Cit detective Armitage seeks out vampire exorcist Devlin Waugh in Brit-Cit in ‘Natural Fern Killer’ by Liam Johnson and Robin Smith. Plus Judge Anderson deals with a paranormal threat, by Maura McHugh and Anna Morozova, and Hondo-Cit Judge Inaba has trouble on her turf, courtesy of Karl Stock and Neil Googe!

This is all wrapped-up in ‘Apotheosis’, by Carroll and McHugh, and drawn by Thought Bubble 2000 AD art competition winner James Newell!

First up is ‘Biohazard’ by Mike with artist Ben Willsher (who also colours this piece) and Annie Parkhouse on lettering duty.

Then it’s over to Oz for a Chopper story, ‘Dreamgazer’, written by David Baillie and drawn by Tom Foster. It’s coloured by John Charles and lettered by Jim Campbell.

Dashing up to Brit-Cit, the next story features Armitage with Devlin Waugh in ‘Natural Fern Killer’, written by Liam Johnson and drawn by Robin Smith. This is coloured by Matt Soffe and lettered by Annie Parkhouse.

After a long jaunt across the irradiated globe it’s touchdown for a Hondo City Justice tale, ‘Daughters of Uranium’, written by Karl Stock and drawn by Neil Googe. Dylan Teague colours and Simon Bowland letters.

It’s back to The Meg for an Anderson: Psi-Division story, ‘All Will be Judged’, written by me, with art by Anna Morozova, colours by Pippa Bowland and letters by Jim Campbell.

And it wraps up out in the Cursed Earth with a Dredd / Anderson story, ‘Apotheosis’. Co-written by Mike and me, with art by James Newell, colours by Jim Boswell and letters by Simon Bowland.