Rebellion announces new 2020 publishing schedule due to Covid-19 restrictions

[IndigoPrime]

2000 AD and Treasury of British Comics publisher responds to virus lockdown pressures with graphic novel rescheduling - but weekly and monthly comics to continue

The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented challenge to the comic book industry but as a publisher Rebellion is determined to support creators, readers, and retailers as best it can at this difficult time.

With the safety of printers, distributors, and staff in mind, Rebellion has revised its 2020 graphic novel schedule to ensure readers can still enjoy the best collections in comics, making sure we are able to support retailers that remain open while also helping those that are closed by staggering new releases through to 2021.

Printing and distribution of our periodicals will continue - this includes the weekly 2000 AD, the monthly Judge Dredd Megazine, and the range of Rebellion specials. These are available from open retailers, such as newsagents and selected grocery chains, as well as in print and digital from 2000 AD and the Treasury of British Comics webshop, and the 2000 AD app.

Due to the closure of many book and comic book stores, unfortunately some graphic novel collections will now be delayed by a few months while others have been completely rescheduled for 2021.

Some graphic novels due for release in May, June, July, and August 2020 will go digital-first, with standard print editions postponed until later in the year. Webshop-exclusive print editions of some titles will still go ahead. This means readers can still enjoy collections while in lockdown, while avoiding a glut of titles hitting retailers when they reopen.

Ben Smith, Head of Publishing, said: "Due to the challenges facing the book and comic book industry in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have revised Rebellion's 2020 publishing schedule, pushing back some graphic novel releases until later in 2020 or 2021.

"We won't be going on hiatus - the periodical comics will continue while some book collections will go digital-first so we can continue to share and shout about the amazing work our creators and editors are putting together while we're all in lockdown. Where special hardback editions have already been printed we will release these from our webshop on the planned dates.

"We look forward to getting back to normal service, but in the meantime our mission to deliver to best in new and classic comics continues."

Digital titles will be available from the 2000 AD and Treasury of British Comics webshops, as well as from the 2000 AD app. By registering with the same details on the webshop and app, readers will be able to purchase and read titles in both.

The revised Rebellion graphic novel schedule:


The Complete Johnny Future
• Digital and standard print edition - 30 April

Judge Dredd Case Files 35
•  Digital release - 14 May
• Standard print edition postponed to 1 October 2020

Smash! Special
• Print and digital release - 27 May

Sláine: The Horned God Collector's Edition
• Digital and webshop-exclusive edition - 28 May
• Standard print edition postponed to 3 September 2020

Strontium Dog: Search and Destroy
• Digital and webshop-exclusive edition - 11 June
• Standard print edition postponed to 12 November 2020

2000 AD Summer Sci Fi Special: Twenty Years of Rebellion
• Print and digital - 24 June

Concrete Surfer
• Digital and webshop-exclusive edition - 25 June
• Standard print edition postponed to 17 September 2020

War Picture Library: Battler Britton
• Digital - 9 July
• Standard print edition postponed to June 2021

Judge Dredd: Control
• Digital - 9 July
• Print edition postponed to 10 December 2020

Tammy & Jinty Special
• Print and digital - 29 July 2020

Hope Book 2
• Digital - 20 August
• Print edition postponed to 21 January 2021

Essential Judge Dredd: America
• Print and digital - 3 September 2020

Battle Special 2020
• Print and digital - 16 September 2020

Misty & Scream Special 2020
• Print and digital - 30 September 2020

The Dracula File paperback edition
• Print edition - 1 October 2020

The Thirteenth Floor Vol.2
• Print and digital - 15 October 2020

Thriller Picture Library Special
• Print and digital - 11 November 2020

Faceache Vol.1 paperback edition
• Print edition - 12 November 2020

Death Squad
• Print and digital - 26 November 2020

Misty Creepy Christmas Special
• Print and digital - 2 December 2020

Sláine: Web of Weird
• Print and digital - 10 December 2020

Sugar Jones
• Print and digital - 24 December 2020

Cor! Buster Collection
• Print and digital - 24 December 2020

King's Reach: John Sanders' Twenty-Five Years at the Top of Comics
• Print and digital - 7 January 2021

2000 AD Regened Collection
• Print and digital - 7 January 2021

Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files Vol.36
• Print and digital - 4 February 2021

The Vigilant
• Print and digital - 1 April 2021

Thistlebone
• Print and digital - 29 April 2021

Devlin Waugh: Blood Debt
• Print and digital - May 2021

Ken Reid Football Funnies
• Print and digital - July 2021

The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire Vol. 2
• Print and digital - July 2021

Essential Judge Dredd: Origins
• Print and digital - September 2021

Fiends of the Eastern Front
• Print and digital - October 2021

Black Max Vol.2
• Print and digital - October 2021

Please note: this list does not include all graphic novel titles slated for release in 2021, just new dates for titles that have been postponed from the 2020 schedule.

[TordelBack]

A measured and organised response. Good on them.

Also, holy sheet, how much stuff they're pumping out these days!  Amazing times, for the good for once.

[sheridan]

Pleased to see they're making good use of the Treasury material - hope the news gets to the right audience!

[CalHab]

A sensible approach.

What is the Strontium Dog: Search and Destroy book? Is that a reprint of the Agency Files phone books?

[IndigoPrime]

It's this: https://2000ad.com/news/new-strontium-dog-hardcover-to-restore-colour-to-classic-series/

In short, a hardcover of the Starlord stories. Quite handy if you've been buying the Hachette books, so you can be completist again and offload your paperbacks!

[Colin YNWA]

That they keep on keepin' on in these circumstance is aa credit to them all. That they are sending good comms like this is indicative of the thought they have to fans and others.

Well done again Rebellion.

[Richard]

It's amazing how much stuff they're releasing. That they're continuing to do so through the lockdown is impressive. I'm glad the prog is in safe hands.

[Max Headroom]

Looks like there will be no hardcover for 'The Thirteenth Floor' volume 2. Shame.

[Tjm86]

The thing is, the hardcover's don't always get listed in the release schedule.  They just sort of 'pop up'.

That said, and apologies for sounding like a stuck record here, but it is the one thing that really gets my back up regarding Rebellion's publishing policy.  It almost seems like its a personal whim or the result of throwing a dart at a board. 

It's a real job to know whether to commit to a potential series if all of a sudden they drop the hardback format.  I know we're talking about a niche of a niche here but when you look at the speed with which some of these hardback specials sell out at times ...

[IndigoPrime]

Last time, the HC was a webshop-only thing. No reason to think they won't offer the same again.

[Rogue Judge]

Those Dredd Case Files just can't come out fast enough...too bad those are delayed. Triagan Empire v.2 and Fiends of the Eastern Front are so far away too!

Look at all that good stuff though Next year looks awesome!

[73north]

I also think the TRIGAN EMPIRE Vol 2 release date is too far away , why can't they bring it forward to November 2020 , and get a bump of sales for Xmas 2020 ??

I will add , I am seriously looking forward to Battle Special 2020
• Print and digital - 16 September 2020 - I just hope it has a lot of pages
and has a Panzer G Man or a Darkies Mob story  !

[Magnetica]

Just went to order Search and Destroy. It's sold out already and it hasn't even come out yet 😬.

I note the price on the store was £29.99 but the ad in last week's Prog said £19.99. Not sure what Is going on there.

Does anyone know if the standard edition due in November will be a hardback or a soft cover?

[Max Headroom]

Magnetica - I am pretty sure the standard 'Strontium Dog: Search and Destroy' is also a hardcover (price £19.99). Bad luck on missing out on the exclusive version, but the content inside should be exactly the same.

[Dark Jimbo]

Just went to order Search and Destroy. It's sold out already and it hasn't even come out yet 😬.

Wow! I ordered mine at lunchtime - must have been one of the last ones!