Which Apex Editions would you like to see?

[IndigoPrime]

So we've now had these Apex Editions: Zenith Phase I, Brian Bolland, Judge Dredd by Mick McMahon, and the 2000 AD Art of Kevin O'Neill. Upcoming is the 2000 AD Art of Mick McMahon, which will include some of his work on Sláine, Ro-Busters, ABC Warriors, VCs and, um, Superbean.

I succumbed to the first McMahon book recently, primarily because it was half-price in Forbidden Planet. I left the book the first time I saw it, but then was in London with TCR being on my route home. Clearly, this was fate. And they had ONE copy left. So. And now Near Mint Condition's review of the Kev book has be counting the pennies to buy that too.

But what should come next? We know a second McMahon volume's on the way, but what would people ideally love to see after that, and also what do you think is a realistic proposition for Rebellion to release? These books are complicated by multiple factors: access to art; popularity of the artist; perhaps also the style being distinct enough.

I'm a big fan of art that's stylised more than great draughtsmanship. So while I appreciate, say, Brian Bolland, I don't feel upset at having missed out on his book. And I'm not sure I'd go for one by Steve Dillon, for similar reasons. But also, I'm not overly enamoured by Bisley, who'd presumably be a sure-fire Apex candidate if Rebellion could get its hands on all of the Horned God pages to scan.

Belardinelli for me would make an interesting Apex, but I suspect it would (sadly) be a shelf-warmer. So the perhaps inevitable name I come to myself, in terms of what I'd like to see and something that seems commercially viable (although I don't know how easy securing art would be) is the wonderful Carlos Ezquerra. His work could easily be split between Dredd and other strips, or just a single best-of volume containing key pages from his amazing stint on the Prog.

[Trooper McFad]

Carlos Esquerra
Cam Kennedy
Dave Gibbons

From the classic period

And from the "new" kids

Henry Flint
Simon Fraser
Dan Cornwell

However there's a couple of things that stick out how do the "new" kids format each page - is it always just Digital or are some old school paper. If it's all digital is it a "rough" copy with notes or the final page?
I like the "rough" copy and the workings as it adds something to that version rather than it's just an oversized version of what we already have.
Second thing I don't know how I'd sneak 6 oversized Apex editions into the house without the wife going mental 😂

[IndigoPrime]

There'll be a tipping point with most artists where the art is increasingly or exclusively digital. So I imagine we could expect the majority of these books to focus on 'classic era' artwork. That said, IIRC the Kev one has his final art for the Prog and the McMahon one had a couple of relatively recent pages.

[Colin YNWA]

Trooper McFad includes all of mine. As mentioned elsewhere would love Cam Kennedy and Henry Flint. Add Simon Fraser to that list and I'm a happy man.

Dan Cornwell certianly deserves a mention too, but possibly a little early in his career?

As to how work is produce by those artists they all have done work physically, at least until recently, as I'm lucky enough to own work by the 'new' kids listed from the past 10 years, so plenty of phyiscal art I'm sure.

Another way of approaching this is by series. So for example an Apex edition Nikolai Dante could include art from Simon Fraser, John Burns, Henry Flint, Steve Yeowell, Charlie Adlard and more. Devlin Waugh to include Sean Phillips, Steve Yeowell, Colin MacNeill, Mike Dowling, Patrick Goddard and more. Similarly a Sinister Dexter volume could include a host of brilliant and richly varied artists. How stunning would they be! Not sure how easy these would be to market however, but since this is a wish list and all.

Finally as I've typed this my favourite one is a combination of the two a Phil Winslade - Lawless Apex edition I'd chew my own knee cap for that one! I'm pretty sure Phil Winslade has kept the art as well so would be relatively easy to compile the art - sure there's a lot more involved, but that aspect at least would be covered.

[karlos]

All cracking choices, chaps.

Off the top of my head, I'd have to go with The Black Hole, and the Nemesis books by David Roach and the much missed John Hicklenton.

By gum, they'd all look great.

Oh, and the Colin Wilson Rogue stuff.

And plenty of others, once I've thought about it!

[Colin YNWA]

Oh, and the Colin Wilson Rogue stuff.

Oh GREAT call.

[13school]

I know there's supposedly an O'Neill Nemesis collection coming (day one purchase there), but wasn't there a mention somewhere or other that a Gibbons volume was also being planned? I've grabbed all the others, but a Gibbons collection would probably be the first where I'd want to know what stories were being collected before pulling the trigger there (I'd love to see Chronocops that size).

Otherwise, definitely there for a Colin Wilson / Rogue book, though I expect that'd be a tough one to shift. Staying on war, I know Ewins often worked on panels he pieced together rather than full pages but an Apex Bad Company would look great.

If there was any possible way to put together an Apex collection of Halo Jones - especially book 3 - that'd be incredible to see in the larger format.

[nxylas]

I can't really afford these books, but I'm going to put in a vote for a Belardinelli Apex Edition anyway.

[pauljholden]

Wouldn't mind a Brendan McCarthy one.

[Swerty]

I'd like to see The V.C.s given this treatment

[hellscrape]

Brendan McCarthy, Bret Ewins, John Hinkleton, and Bryan Talbot would be fantastic!

[Max Headroom]

I was always a big fan of Ron Smith's art...

[Le Fink]

I like the 'by series' concept - Nemesis with Kevin, Bryan and John H would be terrific.

[Le Fink]

a Phil Winslade - Lawless Apex edition 

Didn't I read somewhere he draws on A4?

[Jim_Campbell]

Didn't I read somewhere he draws on A4?

Yep. Actual size. He draws that stuff actual size.

No... I couldn't believe it, either!