RIP John Hicklenton

[Mike Gloady]

I'd rather an artist who wasn't everyone's cup of tea and who elicited "genius" and "yuk" from various readers than someone who everyone thought was "ok".  Apart from anything else, you might have thought "yuk" but you'd know his stuff a mile away.

I confess, happily, to be in the "genius" camp.  I'm glad he was able to work so well for so long and look forward to 100 months with interest.

[brendan1]

We haven't really been cursed with that many "just OK" artists on 2000AD, have we?

Another reason to love it.

[radioschizo]

I've just joined to post my memories.
John was a childhood friend. I remember introducing him to the delights of punk, and him showing me how pulling the tendons in a chickens foot ( which he'd got from the local butchers ) would make it move and freak out the girls in the recreation ground. I remember him taking me into the newsagents in the village to show me a copy of 2000AD which had printed a drawing he'd sent in.

I went on to do my thesis on Judge Dredd, he went on to draw him. Top man. A sad loss.

[Buttonman]

I remember him taking me into the newsagents in the village to show me a copy of 2000AD which had printed a drawing he'd sent in.

Megazine 53/V2.33 has the only 'John Hicklenton' entry but that was a letter - I do have a J Hickinson from Holt Pound in Prog 106 but that was a letter too - might it have been in Starlord or some other comic?.

[mogzilla]

"Art of John Hicklenton" supplement with the Meg.

Yes.

thinking that myselfor hows about a full GN with a percentage of the profits going to ms charity?

[radioschizo]

I remember him taking me into the newsagents in the village to show me a copy of 2000AD which had printed a drawing he'd sent in.

Megazine 53/V2.33 has the only 'John Hicklenton' entry but that was a letter - I do have a J Hickinson from Holt Pound in Prog 106 but that was a letter too - might it have been in Starlord or some other comic?.

As it was around 30 years ago, it must have been the letter ( Prog 106 ) as he did live in Holt Pound.
He could have had a drawing published elsewhere, but my memory recalls 2000AD. ( Although the fact that it's a letter, and not a drawing, shows how reliable my memory is. )

[Buttonman]

I'll try and dig out the Prog 106 entry to see what it was - the Letters Beast isn't flawless, despite all evidence to the contarary!

Nice 1/5th page Obid for Johnny in today's telegrapgh complete with a picture of him and his Dredd. Mentions Ro-jaws badge which made me realsie that Tharg must have had prior warning of the assisted suicide so he could get it in the right Prog - top planning gents!


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/tv-radio-obituaries/7545855/John-Hicklenton.html

[The Legendary Shark]

[Buttonman]

The Beast triumphs again! - thanks Shark saved me a trip to the attic of er Dredd.

Strange they spelt John's name wrong but that's teenage handwriting for you.

Great poem rhyming 'kettle' with 'rattle' when 'metal' was there for the taking!

[gavhanly]

Nice 1/5th page Obid for Johnny in today's telegrapgh complete with a picture of him and his Dredd. Mentions Ro-jaws badge which made me realsie that Tharg must have had prior warning of the assisted suicide so he could get it in the right Prog - top planning gents!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/tv-radio-obituaries/7545855/John-Hicklenton.html

Just in case anyone wanted to read the full interview where quite a few of the quotes came from, here it is: http://www.2000adreview.co.uk/features/interviews/2006/hicklenton/john-hicklenton.shtml





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[Dandontdare]

Nice 1/5th page Obid for Johnny in today's telegrapgh complete with a picture of him and his Dredd.

Aha - that explains how my mum knew about it. She surprised me the other day when I was telling her about Hi-ex and she said "didn't one of your cartoonists [sic] die recently?". I was amazed she'd heard about him.

[toysdream]

Just wanted to thank everyone for sharing their memories of John Hicklenton, whether personal ones or just their experiences as a reader (like me). His work had a tremendous impact on me as a young 2000 AD reader, and every time I look through those Nemesis collections his joy and energy hits me as strongly as it ever did.

I'd love to see more collections of his work as people have suggested here. For that matter, the Nemesis t-shirt I grabbed at San Diego Comic-Con last year draws admiring comments every time people see it. I think Johnny was far ahead of his time.

[o1s1n]

I am only after reading about this now in the letters page of 2000AD. Can't believe I didn't know about it sooner. I'm shocked and gutted.  

About a month ago I bought a page of Johnnys from The Two Torequemadas and have had it hanging proudly on the wall in my games room. Every time I walk passed it, it makes me smile. His Nemesis artwork really had a huge influence on me when I was younger and helped begin my own love affair with drawing, which eventually led me on to art college and a fine art degree. Words really cant express how special and important his work is to me.

Thanks for all the wonderful art Johnny. My condolences to family and friends during this hard time.

[rogue69]

Why is Third World War not in a nice shiny trade? Ditto a new new Statesmen trade and quite a few others from Crisis (and not to overlook Toxic! too).

their publishing rights are still owned by egmont not 2000ad

[Grant Goggans]

See, that's a bone of contention with me.  Surely if Rebellion got the rights to the Starlord strips with Ro-Busters and Stronty Dog, and the Tornado strips with The Mind of Wolfie Smith (maybe - an Extreme Edition was announced before they canceled the line), then surely they'd get Third World War because Finn was in it, right?

New Statesmen, sure, that still belongs to Fleetway, but 3WW should be Rebellion's to reprint.