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Hang on... Austin Dibble???

It's the back cover of prog 456

Gah, I must have looked at every prog in the 400's except that one. Cheers!

Mark Dunn, yeah, that's the guy I was thinking of. His Future Shock was in prog 479 (19th July 1986, so my late-80's guess was a bit off). It was at the time Sooner Or Later was on most of the back pages so I guess his Slaine illustration is tucked away inside another prog.

Martin Griffiths. He illustrated a couple of future shocks - including mine - as well as doing the DVD cover art for the X-Men animated series from way back. I met him at MCM Birmingham a few years ago. A decent bloke

Ah cool, thanks. Weirdly his Slaine Star Scan doesn't seem to be on Barney's Star Scan page. Last night I had a look at the back covers of all my progs from that era and couldn't see it. Couldn't be bothered going through the inside pages - is that where it was, does anyone know?

I'm sure someone will know this - there was an artist who was hyped up in a Nerve Centre some time around the late 80's, got one Slaine Star-Scan and a Future Shock to his name then was never seen again...

Not sure what to think. Gonna have to give that frame another once-over.


Cover: It's OK, good pose, but the background colours are a bit too similar to AG's colour scheme to make him really stand out.

Dredd: This story's been a cut above. The final frame is good but the opening frame is phenomenal.

The Order: After all the fuss last week, AG's contribution is a bit underwhelming. But then it's only a robot that goes 'ANNIHILATE!' so the I guess possibilities are limited.

Thrill3r: Plodding.

Mechastopheles: If Karl Richardson draws areolae like that again we'll have to rip out his fingernails.

Grey Area: Exquisite art and colouring, though Grell looked a bit sketchy. A pain collar! Sometimes you can't beat a good old-fashioned SF staple.

Hitman and Bear from Gibbons era Dan Dare in an episode of Sinister Dexter as rival/fellow kill team. If Dave Gibbons agreed to draw it, well I'd kiss a skunk

With 'Pilot' Polanski as the getaway driver!

Next week's Armoured Gideon cover by Kei Zama looks the business, but its a missed opportunity that the Jacob Droid wasn't reactivated to draw it

Or that it wasn't John Burns!

Following the shock reappearance this week of [redacted] in [redacted], which other characters from 2000 AD's past should make a shock reappearance in current stories?

I'd quite like to see Rick Random make a shock appearance in Skip Tracer.

Er. Wow. Yeah, as reveals go that was pretty unexpected - especially as The Order is a story that's really forged its own identity over its previous three books, creating a unique world and an extremely individualised tone. Having said that, the idea of a colossal mechanoid patrolling the interdimensional boundaries is very in-keeping with its themes. And it's a phenomenal piece of art from John Burns. Surely there's a cover on the way?

(BTW can anyone remind me which progs contained the AG story where strips from 2000 AD's past became intertwined in the narrative?)

As for the rest of the prog I've only read Dredd and M. Stopheles so far; the former is a great continuation of a fine story while the latter is... well, also a great continuation of a fine story.

Cover: Nice work, but would have preferred something by Dave Kendall.

Dredd: Not quite sure why cits thought being mauled by a huge spider would give them superhuman abilities (yes I get the Spiderman joke) but that aside I'm enjoying the story and like the fact it has a few episodes to build. The profile shot of the gangster with the shark swimming behind him was great.

The Order: Maybe not quite as good as previous books - yet - but a fantastic read all the same.

Grey Area: A really warm come-down from events of the previous two-parter. Special kudos to Mark Harrison here - it's one thing making an action-packed episode featuring enormous alien creatures visually arresting but another, and arguably harder, to do the same with a dialogue-heavy installment like this. I particularly like the range of expressions shown by the officer talking to Bulliet in the bar (forget her name sorry), they really do suggest she's slightly cracking up. Top stuff.

Mechastopheles: Loved the 3riller, loving this already. Obviously a bit of backstory for newcomers but I'm sure from next week it'll be underway in earnest.

Damned: Hmmm... not sure it really needs the Sov involvement; yes, there's a rationale for them taking advantage of the situation but the series has been working perfectly well so far without needing to take a world view. Oh well, we'll see how it goes!

Starlord gave 2000AD Strontium Dog and Ro-busters.

Tornado gave us... a story about a Roman gladiator kidnapped by aliens

Which to be fair, metamorphosed into one of the weirdest and most wonderful (and brilliantly illustrated) series the prog has ever given us. 

I bought the first two editions of Starlord but only two other editions after that so I had a sort of detached attitude to it, since I'd only seen tantalising fragments of the stories. Being ten at the time it was the Ro-Busters stories that grabbed me most with their strong visual impact, adventurous storylines and sly humour.

I did like the 'Star Troopers' aspect and was another proud but skateboard-less member of the Skateboard Strike Force.

Cover: Nice, reminds me of those 1930's travel posters

Dredd: An enjoyable one-shot, tonally a bit different to the usual craziness

The Order: Rattling along brilliantly. Is it me or does John Burns' art look a tiny bit more rushed than in previous books? Even so, gotta love that crooked finger.

Terror Tale: Bit sketchy. Think it should be expanded into a ten-part series so we get more depth.

Deadworld: Exquisite

Grey Area: Haven't read it yet - didn't start on the prog 'till late last night and got a bit sleepy. It'll be brilliant though.

Horrible. Why did he draw it?