We have just been informed by Pat Mills that John Hicklenton has sadly passed away.
Here are a few words from Pat:
John Hicklenton passed away peacefully last week. His ending was an expected one and he saw it as a triumph over his illness MS. Amongst his final words to me were "MS - you have a week to live, you've met someone you shouldn't have f***** with". A great artist and a true hero.
Pat Mills
Sad news. John was an exciting and unique artist. Should they be reading, condolences to his family.
That's incredibly sad news. MS is something my family has a lot of experience of and by the sounds of it John has passed away in as positive frame of mind as possible and in control of a disease that can remove just that from you.
I can think of no better tribute to the man whose art I enjoyed so much.
Terrible news. RIP, John.
Indeed. A sad loss, but a fuller life than many live in a far greater number of years, from what little I know of John.
Condolences to John's family.
Jim
I'm really sorry to hear this news. His was a unique talent, and in the documentary he came across as a wonderful person too.
Just seen this, a terrible start to the day.
My deepest sympathies to all who knew him.
so sad- sincere condolences to his loved ones
Always sad when we lose someone whom we may not have known personally, but whose creativity brought enjoyment into our lives. A loss indeed. R.I.P.
So sad, what a fantastic talent he was and an absolutely amazing quote.
I'm a teacher and there's a page of his artwork hanging on the wall as children come into my building. I always like to think it shocks 'em into being creative. Perhaps it'll have a more poignant meaning for me now.
This is terrible news, and a such great loss. I'm glad that he is finally free of his illness though. My sincere condolences to his friends and family.
Very sad news.
I can recall how seriously shocking I found his art on Nemesis was back in the day, and it certainly changed my view on what 'kids' comics were about and the power of art.
I saw the documentary on his struggle and hope he is now at last at peace.
http://www.animalmonday.co.uk/
That's a real shame.
Shit! While his art may not have been to everyone's taste but he certainly was one of the most unique talents to grace the pages of 2000ad.
All his friends and family have my sincere condolences.
very sad news.
Such a sad loss. I love his art and his complete determination was inspiring.
RIP John.
He was a truly talented man and, after seeing "Here's Johnny" he seemed to be a nice guy with a great attitude. Condolences to his friends and family.
His Art and his memory will live on. Gone but not forgotten.
John Hicklenton let me interview him for the Megazine a while back to promote the award-winning documentary 'Here's Johnny'. During the couple of hours we chatted over the phone he struck me as fearsome, pragmatic and entirely generous.
He was also a wildly talented artist.
My deepest sympathy to his friends and family.
Really sad news. Only saw the documentary recently and found it very moving.
Very sad news, but as Pat says not unexpected and he stayed his own man to the end.
I'm happy that I did meet him, at the friends and family lauch of Here's Johnny. He had a lot of friends there and I'm sure he'll be sorely missed.
Wakefield
I was just watching Here's Johnny DVD last Thursday and spent Fri & Sat rereading his none Nemesis 2000ad work, this is really quite upsetting.My heartfelt thoughts go out to his family and friends.
filip
Rest in peace. Sad news.
So sad to hear this and I'm sorry for his family's loss. It's safe to say his art could polarize opinion, but that's good, I think, as it helps highlight that something unique in the world has passed from us.
"You like children, animals, and your mum."
Sad news indeed. When I hear John's name it always takes me back to the Black Widow story and how he'd drawn the pages, putting so much into each panel, excellent stuff.
Sad day. Sad news.
Thanks for the art you left us, John. There'll never be another quite like you.
Rest easy, now.
Mark.
Farewell, John.
Very sad news. I did wonder when I saw Clint's "fairwell Johnny" dedication on the cover of prog 1677.
Very sad. He seems to have been a battler and a true original.
- Trout
There should, I humbly suggest, be an Eagle Award in his name for creators who produce work in spite of circumstances that would defeat the rest of us.
Shark, that's a GREAT idea. I've not got HALF the problems JH had and I'm finding life really difficult at the moment, even getting up in the mornings, let alone actually fighting as hard as he did. And producing some top quality work. Most people I know who ARE NOT fans applauded his unique style and approach to his work.
I found that after watching "Here's Johnny" his art, beautiful and strange as it was, was almost the smallest reason I admired him. I liked his honesty in that doc and thought that it was THAT that showed the most courage. I'm going to have a looky at his Nemesis work later and even Heavy Metal Dredd (his work being the sole reason I bought it).
I raise a cup of coffee to you sir. If I'm wrong and there IS an afterlife, I hope you've found a peaceful corner of it to make uncomfortable with your art.
Sad news - will dig out some old progs later.
M@
Very sad news... loved his stuff.
I have forwarded on the link of this page to some of Johnny's close friends and family, I'm sure they really appreciate all your kind words.
xxx
RIP John, an incredibly talented man and an absolute inspiration
This is a blow to me. I literally JUST finished looking over some of his Heavy Metal Dredd stuff before visiting the boards.
He was a one-off. An original.
Sympathies to John's family and friends at this time.
Thanks for your wild, wild work, John. Often it was not to my taste, but what you did, you did with unbelievable moxie. Draw the angels something really scary.
The first time I saw Johns artwork I hated it. Really couldn't stand or understand it. A Nemesis reread 10 years later and I loved it. No idea how that happened, it just all worked so well.
Rest in Peace John, you were a unique talent, and the comic we love is a richer place through your contribution.
Terrible, sad news. The loss of a unique talent.
My sincere condolences to all his friends and family.
When I first saw Torquemada in one of his early incarnations draw that crocodile tear from his eye I fell for the rebellious underdog of whom had depicted it. I felt a bit snubbed when the artist wasn't in again for a while. Like me the comic had become a badass chaotic teenager, angry at everything that thwarted my understanding. I was young and didn't know of the effect MS has on us. And thanks to "Hinkey", (that was my adolescent name for him. Aheh.) two whole new worlds opened up for me. RIP Johnny!
Such a shame. Very sad news.
Sad news indeed. He's a great loss.
Very sad news. His version of Torquemada was by far the most insane of all, all elbows and tongues and tendons, and given the array of artists who have worked to depict that madness, that's a hell of a thing to be able to say.
John's work was totally original, entirely personal, utterly unafraid and completely in-your-face.
Brave art, from a brave artist.
It was great to work with him (and Pat) on Blood of Satanus III. Very sad today.
Alan
It was that story where Thoth goes back to kill all of TdT's incarnations throughout time, Tordel.
The past inquisition, where the original Thomas is about to execute some heretics? I thought John completely nailed the absolutely, vile piety and the sticky tear was a touch of genuine, original thinking.
Rest in peace John.
You were a true original, and will be sorely missed.
That's another favourite moment of mine. Saw that Simon Pegg had twittered about his fondness for John's Torque too so I don't think we're alone in thinking his Torque was one of the greats among a sea of huge talents who've worked on the character.
RIP John.
As many others have said- this is a great loss of an interesting and unique artistic talent.
I have just seen this, very sad news. I watched the documentary he made about living with MS a few months ago, not easy telly to watch but important, and amazing artwork. RIP.
This is very sad news. I for one loved his art and feel that unique artists like him make 2000AD what it is.
Having watched the documentary it was inevitable this would happen sooner rather than later, but knowing that doesn't make it any easier.
He never compromised with his art or his illness and never stopped fighting even right up to the end. That is the important lesson I'll be taking from this.
Plus we still have his body of work which was never less than eye-opening - in modern comics it is difficult to shock and disturb through the pure power of your art (in the same way Francis Bacon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Bacon_(painter)) can), without resorting to cheap and shallow tricks. Kevin O'Neill managed it and so did John Hicklenton, but beyond them it is a very small list. He may not have been here as long as we'd have wished but he left a deep impression - like a punch in the mind's eye.
Our thoughts are with his friends and family at this difficult time.
Ohhhhh that sucks. I manage to get on the forum for five minutes and this is the first thread I see...
Sad news indeed.
Rest in peace, John.
Good to see so many nice tributes in the forum, helps us fans to collectively deal with the loss. I know that his family are being passed on lots of lovely messages from the Animal Monday crew (the makers of that fine docu 'Here's Johnny').
Its really sad that we'll not see any more wonderful art from Johnny but he's left us a fine legacy. And on that positive vein, I'm looking forward to re-visiting his early work soon as my son and I continue to read through my entire 2000AD collection. My son is looking forward to reaching his version of Nemesis soon, so his work lives on, to be enjoyed by the next gen of comic fans.
Thanks Johnny for your unique, wierd, wonderful, grotesque, ikky, splattery, beautifully fine and detailed, visceral versions of our favourite heroes and villains.
Sad news. Rest in peace, John.
Absolutely tragic news, my heart goes out to his friends and family. He was a true one off, and he'll be sorely missed.
News/tributes from other sites:
http://forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/2010/john-hicklenton-passes-away/
www.bleedingcool.com/2010/03/23/john-hicklenton-leaves-us-with-100-months-to-remember-him-by/
http://splashpage.mtv.com/2010/03/23/chris-evans-as-captain-america-rip-john-hicklenton-and-the-nintendo-3ds-in-todays-twitter-report/
http://thrillpoweredthursday.blogspot.com/2010/03/127-john-hicklenton-1967-2010.html
http://hipsterdad.livejournal.com/758489.html
http://progslog.blogspot.com/2010/03/john-hicklenton.html
http://www.hypergeek.ca/2010/03/john-hinckleton-passes-away-after-a-long-battle-with-multiple-sclerosis.html
http://www.imaginarystories.co.uk/2010/03/rip-john-hicklenton.html
http://bristle.wordpress.com/2010/03/23/and-comic-artist-john-hicklenton-has-died-too/
http://www.akirathedon.com/2010/03/rip-john-hicklenton/
http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7928
The MTV Splash Page also includes some tweets:
From Andy Diggle:
QuoteVery sad to hear that artist John Hicklenton has passed away after a long battle with MS: http://is.gd/aU3Ho
http://twitter.com/andydiggle/status/10918009929
From Neil Gaiman:
Quote@andydiggle I'm so sorry to hear it. He illustrated my very first professional comic....
http://twitter.com/neilhimself/status/10918419770
Simon Pegg:
QuoteRIP legendary 2000AD artist John Hicklenton. Loved his Nemesis The Warlock. Drew Torquemada like the ultimate big balled badass. Sad loss.
http://twitter.com/simonpegg/status/10926321282
Neil Gaiman has also retweeted this form our own Legendary Shark:
QuoteRT @LegendaryShark: Eagle Award in J Hinckleton's name for creators working despite circumstances that would defeat the rest of us Please RT
http://twitter.com/neilhimself/status/10926456364
I'll pass it on to the team at the Eagles - nominations are supposed to start next month. There is a Roll of Honour award too I believe.
I another soul I never knew, except through his work.
Even to say that is a lie, As I never bothered with cataloging evey single artist, and espeically all those involved in Nemesis the Warlock.
Was this is only work in 2000AD?
It appears so on his wiki entry.
I do remember a ailing artist who made a few video blogs, regarding his illness, and work. Not sure if it was the same person, but I have a hunch it may be. A few years ago now this was.
Now I feel almost motivated to go reading through the entire Nemesis the Warlock, Case files just to foucs on his work. I beleive I have them all.
Only three volumes OF the Nemesis phonebooks, TS so an easy job. I believe he drew The Two Torquemadas and Deathbringer. Possibly others. He also drew various Dredds - including several of the Heavy Metal Dredd storylines.
His work on Nemesis stands out as one of the most spectacular, distinctive and just plain exciting contributions to 2000AD ever.
Regards
Robin
Very sad news. Such a unique artist. RIP John.
RIP
(http://www.2000ad.org/covers/specials/mediumres/toxic28.jpg)
Bye John, rest in peace. My condolences to all John's friends and loved ones.
QuoteWas this is only work in 2000AD?
2000AD ARTIST: JOHN HICKLENTON
Tharg's Future Shocks
You're Never Alone With a Phone 1
Prog 488
Reprinted
Rebellion: Tharg's Future Shocks The Best of
Quality: Time Twisters 17
The Invisible Etchings of Salvador Dali
Prog 515
Reprinted
Judge Dredd Megazine 264
Rebellion: Tharg's Future Shocks The Best of
Quality: Time Twisters 08
Nemesis the Warlock
The Two Torquemadas (Book 7)
Progs 546 to 557
Reprinted
The Best of 2000AD 108
Rebellion: Nemesis the Warlock Volume 2
Titan: Nemesis the Warlock Book 7
Deathbringer (Book 9)
Progs 586 to 608
Not in Progs 594 - 604.
Reprinted
Rebellion: Nemesis the Warlock Volume 3
Titan: Nemesis the Warlock Book 9
Interviews
Interrogation - The Art of Darkness
Meg 264
Text article
MEGAZINE ARTIST
Judge Dredd
Black Widow
Megs 1.07 to 1.09
Reprinted
2000AD Extreme Edition 4
Resyk Man 1
Meg 2.20
Blood of Satanus III: The Tenth Circle
Megs 257 to 265
Heavy Metal Dredd
The Fan
Meg 2.19
Too Much Monkey Business
Meg 2.21
The Most Dangerous Guitar in the World
Meg 2.22
Mort Rifkind Rises Again
Meg 2.23
The Big Hit
Meg
Graceland
Meg 2.25
Monkey Beat
Megs 2.34 to 2.35
Kiss of Death
Meg 2.36
Mean Machine
Visiting Time 1 episode
Meg 2.82
Pandora
Mural Scream
Megs 2.77 to 2.81
Strange Cases
Skin Games
Meg 1.17
SPECIALS ARTIST
Judge Dredd
Fat Bottom Boys
Judge Dredd Mega Special 1995
The Fear Teachers
The Fear Teachers
Toxic! 28 to 31
Rogue Trooper (Friday)
Circus Daze
Rogue Trooper Annual 1991
Pandora
Pandora
Judge Dredd Mega Special 1994
Third World War
Here be dragons
Crisis 15 to 16
Artist: Angie Kincaid (1), John Hicklenton (2)
The world according to Ryan
Crisis 25
The Dark other
Crisis 29
The rhythm of resistance
Crisis 30
Black man's burden
Crisis 35
Just saw this and had the wind knocked out of me. John was a unique, wild talent and the memory of his Nemesis work was one of the few stories that stuck with me from when I was first reading it as a nipper and hardly glanced at credit boxes. RIP.
What a shame but he isnt suffering anymore.
I havent been exposed to very much of Johns art but what i have seen i like because his art is toally unique and bizarre.
Sad news indeed. RIP
Rest in peace John Hinckleton. My thoughts are with his friends and family.
Very sad news. He was a wonderfully distinctive artist. My condolences to his family and friends.
Wow. Sad news. Unexpectedly this news has hit me for a six. Not one of my fave styles but he was unique to the prog and definitely left his mark
R.I.P. John.
V
Sad news.
I knew about this on Friday - a mutual friend became good friends with Johnny and was able to interview him on Monday/Tuesday of last week for his radio show.
Ill try and get hold of a link to the interview as it was his last- he was also asked by CH4 but turned them down in favour of Henry and Co, as he found the chat show talks with them therapeutic- it was a regular interview with them, about MS and stuff.
Johnny called me up randomly as he'd heard about me through the friend. He didn't have to,( I never even passed on my number) but wanted to say hi and give me some advice on Dredd and Judge Minty. He was a fab bloke through the little I knew him, and he kept in touch by sending me pics of his work on my mobile.
I'll post the link ASAP
I've just seen this, and haven't read all of the thread but I'm very, very sorry to hear the great John Hicklenton is dead. He'll never know how important his Nemesis stories were to my childhood. The man helped shape my dreams. RIP Johnny
Fucking sad news. I was lucky enough to know John, and commissioned him to draw for the Meg during the first half of the 90s when he couldn't get arrested on 2000AD. [He had the misfortune to illustrate a Heavy Metal Dredd script I wrote, but work's work.]
I still marvel at the bonkers shit he came up with on the Pandora series, and how he cheerfully informed me most of it was drawn while on copious amounts of drugs - acid or LSD, can't remember which. John was an utterly unique talent.
I also remember the umbrage he took at Megazine letters page diatribes. He replied with a thoughtful, intelligent rebuttal of the more arse-brained correspondence [hmm, arse-brained correspondents - sounds like something John would draw!].
John was a committed believer in causes and fighting the good fight, which it sounds like he did right to the end with MS.
John Hicklenton, rest in peace? Fuck that shit. He's probably setting fire to whereever he is now. Once the blaze goes out, he'll use the charred embers to start drawing again. Good on you, John.
sad
Sad news, condolencence to his family and friends. His work on Nemesis was incredible.
Cheers
David
That's terrible. A tragic loss.
I wondered why Ro-Jaws had a 'Farewell Johnny' badge on this week's cover.
I can remember reading and re-reading Nemesis book 7(?) as a yoof just to soak up his amazing art. He will be missed.
Nothing to add that hasn't already been said in this fine book of condolence but I'm sure we'll toast his memory at Hi-Ex and try to find those arse headed scribes on the letters page - I've got records!
Really saddened to hear this as I've been a huge fan of John Hicklenton's since I first encountered his art. When John was on form his work was really something else.
For a start, there was such power in what he drew. One of the most impressive pieces of comic art I've ever seen is a double page spread he drew for the "Class of '79". It's a face-off between Dredd and Mean Machine and the thing actually looks like it moves.
He also had an amazing ability to evoke a place. His depiction of Spain under the Inquisition seems so real you can almost smell it, whilst in Book 9 of Nemesis he manages to show a real snapshot of life in Thatcher's Britain.
And of course, nobody drew the grotesque as well as he did. I can remember turning up to a signing as a spotty youth and being amazed to meet a man who looked so normal.
I really hope that 2000a.d. give this talent the tribute he deserves. Hicklenton isn't the first creator to have passed away and I've not been impressed by the tributes we've seen for others who have gone before him. I'm hoping that any retrospective on his work has the very best examples of his work to illustrate it as opposed to the easiest samples to find. Even better would be an "Art of John Hicklenton" supplement with the Meg.
- Huey
"Art of John Hicklenton" supplement with the Meg.
Yes.
I'm not a religious man but heres the Buddihst Prayer from the 'Here's Johnny' DVD
So,with a boundless heart
should one cherish all living beings
radiating kindness over the entire world
upwards to the sky
downwards to the depths
omitting none
may you be happy
may you be at ease
may you be free from danger
may you be loved.
Goodnight Johnny sleep well.
filip
I was sorry to hear the news. I found the film, 'Here's Johnny,' really engrossing, seeing John talk about his drawing and his illness, never having known much about him myself, only his artwork, the stories he drew, and the fan discussions that followed. That film is an important document.
I got used to his artwork on Nemesis after The Two Torquemadas - I really enjoyed Deathbringer when it was first printed at the end of the '80s - but my favourite thing he did was The Invisible Etchings of Salvador Dali. I'll admit the story had a lot to do with it, but the artwork complemented it perfectly.
Yeah, he illustrated some unpopular stories, it may have sometimes been difficult to see what was what, and he may have interpreted the script a bit liberally on occasion, but what he did was never boring, and if it added another layer to interpret on top of the words the writer contributed, then it added to and didn't detract from the reading experience. His drawing was imaginative, expressive, anarchic and dynamic.
I was very saddened to read that John Hicklention passed away.
His Nemesis art really made an impression on me. Knocked me for six. In fact the only time I have ever managed to convince someone to buy 2000AD was specifically because of John's Nemesis art in prog 589, if I recall correctly.
My sinere condolences go to his family and friends.
If you are a member of the facebook group 'Here's Johnny' you will probably have been sent this from the group creator Adam Lavis. For those of you who are not I've copied what he sent for you all to read-
Hello everyone,
this is a hard message to write, but we wanted to let you all know that Johnny died on Friday 19th March 2010 at Dignitas in Switzerland - funny, courageous and wise to the last.
He approached his death as he did his life - like a warrior.
There is much more we could say, but words don't seem enough for a man like Johnny.
We will let his art, and his love for the world, speak for him.
The Ancestral King returns to his Temple...
xxx
Invictus
William Ernest Henley (1849–1903)
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
This is sad news. I will miss him and his art. I've seen what end stage MS can do to people and it isn't nice. Hicklenton never gave up and I can't help but admire his spirit.
Sad news.
RIP John.
QuoteJohnny died on Friday 19th March 2010 at Dignitas in Switzerland
Wow. Just when I thought I could not respect him any more. Hats off to you Johnny.
We were talking about him last night, and the one panel of his that has stuck with me through the years is one of Torquemada from The Two Torquemadas, close up of his face with the chainsaw held up beside it 'Come here you little Dastard!'
I well remember the time on a school trip buying 2000ad (as my newsie hadn't reieved it) while the Two Torquemadas was running - in fact it had a cover by John -and the teachers were
speechless when they saw what was inside. My older bother even thought it was mental, specifically the
Quote from: Whore Richmond Clements on 24 March, 2010, 10:09:59 AMclose up of his face with the chainsaw held up beside it 'Come here you little Dastard!'
It made me feel quite the superior eleven year old!
Loved your work from the start John and have utmost respect for your approach to a fucking awful condition. Like Bish said - fuck rest in peace, shit them up!
M.
Photos of Johnny, all courtesy of Pat Mills:
(http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p147/the_legendary_shark/2000ADonline%20Images/Johnny_Claire.jpg)
(http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p147/the_legendary_shark/2000ADonline%20Images/26536_10150158939845331_594970330_1.jpg)
(http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p147/the_legendary_shark/2000ADonline%20Images/Picture_035.jpg)
(http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p147/the_legendary_shark/2000ADonline%20Images/Sheffield.jpg)
(http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p147/the_legendary_shark/2000ADonline%20Images/IMG_0551.jpg)
Really sad news that he's gone, but fantastic that he never let MS beat him mentally and that he went out completely on his own terms.
Given how he spoke in Here's Johnny I'd suspected he'd have gone to Dignitas and I'm pleased they were able to help him make the great journey. Those photos are great, Shark.
Oddly, days after hearing about the death of a man I never met I'm still a little stunned and awed by the news and his couragous attitude to life and death.
QuoteOddly, days after hearing about the death of a man I never met I'm still a little stunned and awed by the news and his couragous attitude to life and death.
I know what you mean. This is really knocked me for a loop- I've found myself getting a bit tearful this morning thinking about it.
Me too.
I'd like to add my vote for a John Hicklenton Meg supplement too.
And another vote here.
The thing I'd really like to see reprinted is Johnny's work on the Mau Mau storyline in Third World War. That was some haunting and memorable stuff, and has stood me in good stead in table quizzes ever since (it also featured probably the most disturbing boner in all of British comics).
Just noticed Ro-jaws "Fairwell Johnny" badge on this weeks cover.
Quote from: Whore Richmond Clements on 24 March, 2010, 12:21:15 PM
QuoteOddly, days after hearing about the death of a man I never met I'm still a little stunned and awed by the news and his couragous attitude to life and death.
I know what you mean. This is really knocked me for a loop- I've found myself getting a bit tearful this morning thinking about it.
I've felt the same way today, I would also like to see a John Hicklenton Meg supplement.
filip
Article for next Megazine. From Pat Mills.
Here's Johnny
Pat Mills looks back at the career of the extraordinarily talented John Hicklenton who sadly passed away on Friday 19th March 2010.
A year or so ago, I showed some of Johnny's pages from Judge Dredd - The Tenth Circle to my co-creator on Requiem Vampire Knight, artist Olivier Ledroit. He looked at them in awe and exclaimed. "How does he sleep at night?!" If you've seen the Tenth Circle, you'll know what Olivier means. Actually, I took it as a compliment as Requiem is also pretty dark .And Johnny slept very well . His art might be disturbing for some, but never for me , for reasons which I think 2000AD fan Jonathan Fisher has summed up best , "John's work is subversive, sublime and perverse yet beautiful and intriguing."
For me, Johnny is the Jimi Hendrix of comic artists. Easy viewing comic "muzak" he's not. His grotesque images bear comparison with Gerald Scarfe and Ralph Steadman and are not for the squeamish. Yet his elegant thin line work has much in common with Aubrey Beardsley. Internationally rated by artists such as Moebius, let me take you now on a brief tour of some of his creations.
Johnny's first work was a future shock written by Neil Gaiman. (Curiously, the only story of Neil's that 2000AD ever published.) Johnny sent it to me and on the basis of this and other grotesqueries, I asked him to draw Nemesis. He at once brought a scary organic sensibility to the Warlock and a psychotic look to Torquemada . This psycho-look he recreated later in the Inspector Ryan stories from Third World War. The racist deranged Ryan was conceived by my co-writer Alan Mitchell and Alan brilliantly directed Johnny on the story, choosing Angela Kincaid to colour it which she did beautifully without destroying the artist's black line, a common problem with colourists. Many regard the Inspector Ryan series as his finest work and certainly they did in Europe. It was reprinted in graphic album form in German, French and Dutch editions in an elite masterwork series. But never in the UK, alas, although I hope reader requests might persuade Rebellion to follow suit one day.
Then there was our Zombie World Tree of Death saga for Dark Horse USA – about a Satanic cabbalistic map based on the London Underground map which brings demons into our world. It was reprinted recently in the collection "Winter's Dregs". (Johnny is credited as Johnny Deadstock after the band he was a part of.) We went to the catacombs in Kensal Green Cemetery to research the story and had an enjoyable Goth day out wandering underground amongst the Victorian caskets wondering, "What if...?". The black comedy results include exploding coffins with a zombie stuck to the ceiling. The demons featured are also brilliant – my favourite is a wolf with a huge distended belly elevated high above us on tripod-like legs.
The German publisher Extreme , backed by top German band Die Arzte, also loved Johnny's work . They said they wanted extreme, so we produced the graphic novel Torturer for them set in Cathar France. This was a return to the demonic Inquisition world Johnny first captured in Nemesis. His range of demons seems inexhaustible. Many of them have appeared in his Judge Dredds and especially in The Tenth Circle when Dredd visits Dante's Inferno. Reproduction problems may not have shown this story to best advantage but I think that's being looked into now. And who else but Johnny could create man-mountain Hungry Jacko? X Face? Or Darcagis, the demon with stakes through his eyes? And the triple George Bush bleeding oil? I always regretted that Johnny never drew my recent Dredd story "Birthday Boy" about a villain with candles stuck in his face and body. If he had, it would have become as memorable as Pinhead.
Johnny started a biographical novel based on his multi- award winning documentary about his fight against MS. (www.heresjohnnyfilm.com (http://www.heresjohnnyfilm.com)) . It was great, but then he decided to write and draw a fantasy story instead as his final work : 100 months. He completed it just last week. More about 100 months , Pandora and two other Johnny classics – Bedlam and Fearteachers - another time, other than to say they are all fabulous and worth an article to themselves. Once again, it's other countries that often seem to recognize his talent : 100 Months first sold to two countries in Europe, although I've just heard a UK publisher has also picked it up.
But 2000AD was always his first love. His wonderful partner Claire told me, "Please know that Johnny, my beautiful Johnny, was funny, wise and brave to the last - just as he was every other day of his war. The day before 'D-day' he wrote the afterword for Slaine and drew 2 wonderful sketches to sit alongside it." Clint Langley and I intend to feature these sketches and words in a future Slaine volume dedicated to Johnny.
Sleep well, my dear friend.
Pat Mills March 23, 2010.
Cheers Sharky (and Pat Mills), that's made me smile.
Thanks for posting this.
Quote from: The Legendary Shark on 24 March, 2010, 04:36:05 PMJohnny's first work was a future shock written by Neil Gaiman. (Curiously, the only story of Neil's that 2000AD ever published.)
I'm sure it'll get picked up at some stage by editorial but it was only the first of 4 Future Shocks written by Gaiman - it was his first professional comics work (as he mentions above) which is an interesting historical footnote.
Quote from: The Legendary Shark on 24 March, 2010, 04:36:05 PMThen there was our Zombie World Tree of Death saga for Dark Horse USA – about a Satanic cabbalistic map based on the London Underground map which brings demons into our world. It was reprinted recently in the collection "Winter's Dregs". (Johnny is credited as Johnny Deadstock after the band he was a part of.) We went to the catacombs in Kensal Green Cemetery to research the story and had an enjoyable Goth day out wandering underground amongst the Victorian caskets wondering, "What if...?". The black comedy results include exploding coffins with a zombie stuck to the ceiling. The demons featured are also brilliant – my favourite is a wolf with a huge distended belly elevated high above us on tripod-like legs.
I'd definitely recommend people pick Winter's Dregs (the book it is collected in, they are a series of shorter stories all looking at the zombie outbreak from different angles with a suitably Millsian slayfest to top it off) this up but they'd also be wise to grab Champion of the Worms which is the book where Mignola establishes the fictional universe:
www.amazon.co.uk/Zombieworld-Champion-Worms-Pat-McEown/dp/1593074077/
Damn Winter's Dregs is expensive:
www.amazon.co.uk/Zombie-World-Winters-Dregs-Stories/dp/1593073844/
But I'm sure staking it out on eBay would prove fruitful.
Quote from: The Legendary Shark on 24 March, 2010, 04:36:05 PMThe German publisher Extreme , backed by top German band Die Arzte, also loved Johnny's work . They said they wanted extreme, so we produced the graphic novel Torturer for them set in Cathar France. This was a return to the demonic Inquisition world Johnny first captured in Nemesis. His range of demons seems inexhaustible. Many of them have appeared in his Judge Dredds and especially in The Tenth Circle when Dredd visits Dante's Inferno. Reproduction problems may not have shown this story to best advantage but I think that's being looked into now. And who else but Johnny could create man-mountain Hungry Jacko? X Face? Or Darcagis, the demon with stakes through his eyes? And the triple George Bush bleeding oil?
I've always been intrigued by Torturer as whenever it alluded to it sounds far far out there and unlikely to be translated into English (although could the Meg run it serialised?).
QuoteI always regretted that Johnny never drew my recent Dredd story "Birthday Boy" about a villain with candles stuck in his face and body. If he had, it would have become as memorable as Pinhead.
Man has a point. That would have been something.
Sad but inevitable- I wear my Nemesis T-shirt with pride! (I mean I always did, but...)
He always gets brownie points for making Nemesis morph into Jaz Coleman in Deathbringer!
RIP
Reading that honestly made me well up. Maybe I'm tired and emotional and feeling a bit sick at the moment, but I'm pretty certain that'd have happened anyway. A beautiful piece there by Pat - thanks for sharing, Shark.
Really sad news. Great to see how many people have fond memories.
Quote from: UncleBaal on 24 March, 2010, 09:27:11 PM
He always gets brownie points for making Nemesis morph into Jaz Coleman in Deathbringer!
THAT'S who he is!
Twenty years I've said that guy looked familiar!
Damn that's terrible. I really liked his style. RIP John.
Quote from: UncleBaal on 24 March, 2010, 09:27:11 PM
Sad but inevitable- I wear my Nemesis T-shirt with pride! (I mean I always did, but...)
He always gets brownie points for making Nemesis morph into Jaz Coleman in Deathbringer!
RIP
Yeah, noticed that it was Jaz from the album cover of Brighter than a Thousand Suns.
Sad news.
ARt that was so wrong and so right at the same time.
RIP.
A tribute from Renegade Arts, seems his work on Sand was really only at the concept art stage:
www.renegadeartsentertainment.com/news/?p=457
However, 100 Months is done and been snatched up here and on the continent (anyone know any more details?) and the sample images are nice and nasty. I'm in:
www.bleedingcool.com/2010/03/25/jonathan-hicklentons-100-months-to-be-published-posthumously/
There should also be an obit in the Brighton Argus in the next day or so - I got a message from the reporter looking to check facts but never managed to track him down. Pretty much everything is can be picked up by trawling through here anyway (and most sites link to this thread).
If there is going to be a retrospective megazine supplement it'd be great if they could republish the amazing posters he did in Deadline- shapes made out of hundreds of twisted bodies
I remember my metaller mates were blown away by them back in the day. I never saw thme printed anywhere else.
By sheer coincidence Class of '79 #1 arrived from ebay just the day after I heard about Johnny. It featured a fab centrespread. Not sure if this was ever re-printed anywhere and therefore may not have been widely seen. So I took a quick photo (don't have an A3 scanner) and posted it on mediafire. You can find the full size photo (and my other 2000AD stuff) here: www.mediafire.com/Aero2000AD
(http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/8fad3f261f5e8e145ed8f7d15b020e3e5g.jpg)
Amazing spread!!
Not seen that before...
http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/5084731.Brighton_man_dies_at_Swiss_euthanasia_clinic/
Nice report from his local paper here in Brighton
Thanks for that Aero, a real joy to behold.
And it also made the Telegraph:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7527788/Comic-book-artist-ends-life-at-suicide-clinic-after-battle-with-MS.html
That's a perhaps surprisingly intelligent and compassionate article from the Telegraph, all things considered. The Argus one really brings it home though. 42 and going through that door. Fuck.
Back when he was first published in 2000AD i remember John McCrea - then just about to break into the comic himself while running a small comic shop at the top of a rickety flight of stairs - bemoaning the fact that nobody should be as outrageously talented as JH. That sums it up for me. John Hicklenton - Outrageously Fucking Good.
Best wishes at this time for his close family and to say to his mother that the clip of her and him together on the link is unsurpassed as an expression of love and affection as I know. God bless you and your wonderful son.
There's a piece on John at the BBC News site now too.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/sussex/8590231.stm
I loved the documentary when it was on last year and he came across as a very likeable, talented and brave man.
Farewell Johnny, you were an inspiration in your art and in your attitude to a life with a terrible disease.
The ceefax newsflash says right now that the creator of Judge Dredd dies - my heart skipped a beat until you go to the page and it tells the John Hicklenton story...
San news indeed. John shook the genre. Just glad I'm old enough to remember his stuff first time round.
Just saw the story on the BBC website. Joined to register my condolences and offer my thanks for the visceral majesty of his art.
A sad loss.
RIP John
I can only say...shit! As others have said.
All empty words. I know John's art was at times controversial, but I loved it. Extremely powerful, and a unique style that I always looked forward to seeing.
(http://www.bowlandcentral.com/forum/images/dec05smilies/rip.gif)
News of Johnny's departure from the world has today reached MSN News. A very sympathetic, brief and factually accurate article.
Courtesy of Pat Mills:
RYAN STORY. "BLACK MAN'S BURDEN" Story: Pat Mills and Alan Mitchell. (From Third World War. Ryan created by Alan Mitchell) Art: John Hicklenton Colour: Angela Kincaid
In the near future Britain of the Third World War, Ryan is a psychotic, racist cop, who fantasises about, stalks and abuses black women. His apartment is filled with African memorabilia and he even talks to a statue of an African Goddess. This is because of his childhood in Africa when the Mau Mau rebellion had broken out in Kenya. Ryan believes his mother was attacked by the Mau Mau when, in fact, she had a black lover. The story explores the brutality of the British colonists in Kenya , the dubious nature of the Tarzan stereotype and how black culture - notably black music - is interpreted by Ryan as the primal dark subconscious that must be suppressed. Ryan pursues a black resistance leader before meeting a terrible end when he falls from a building.
(http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p147/the_legendary_shark/2000ADonline%20Images/cover.jpg)
(http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p147/the_legendary_shark/2000ADonline%20Images/pic1blue.jpg)
(http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p147/the_legendary_shark/2000ADonline%20Images/pic2diving.jpg)
(http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p147/the_legendary_shark/2000ADonline%20Images/pic3drummer.jpg)
(http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p147/the_legendary_shark/2000ADonline%20Images/pic4_shooting_s.jpg)
(http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p147/the_legendary_shark/2000ADonline%20Images/pic5_tarzan_s.jpg)
(http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p147/the_legendary_shark/2000ADonline%20Images/pic6_ending_s.jpg)
(http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p147/the_legendary_shark/2000ADonline%20Images/pic7_closeup_ending_s.jpg)
If anyone wants to see larger versions of the images Pat sent me to post here, I've put them all into a ZIP file and posted them here:
Ryan Story.zip - 23.72MB (http://www.zshare.net/download/7426603350ea3fa1/)
*edit* Sorry! I posted the large sizes of the first few images instead of the smaller ones. Sorry if this slows your connection :(
That's the very one I was thinking of, thanks TLS! One of the highpoints of TWW, and Crisis as a whole.
Don't thank me, thank Mr Mills - he's the one who emailed me the images and suggested posting them here. I'm just the net monkey.
A big thank you to Mr Mills for suppling the files and the same to you Shark for posting them here.
filip
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).
Ach, I've been thanking Pat for nearly 30 years now, he must be sick of it by now. For all the stick TWW gets for its alleged preachy right-on-ness, as a naive scrote I confess I learnt a lot from it, particularly that superb Mau Mau/Kenyatta sequence. I even ended up in Amnesty International, which was no bad thing. And as a fairly standalone segment the Ryan stuff is crying out for a reprint, starting with the Johnny Hicklenton Meg volume. It seems a bit daft that his Heavy Metal Dredds (which I never liked as stories) are in print, but not this.
This is very sad news. His art was fairly divisive, and I laid into Satanus a lot, but I found the documentary powerful and inspiring stuff which left me with a hunger to explore the rest of his work, and when I did I was blown away. The world just lost a very unique talent, sad times indeed.
Aw crap. Still trying to get my head round this dreadful news.
i would love trades of both
havent seen thats for years ******* amazing
A true legend in illustration-will be sorely missed, we should all tryy to make the best of every moment.
God awful. After John Hicklenton now we get this bad news. RIP Dick Giordano.
http://comicbookmovie.com/fansites/comicbooktherapy/news/?a=16337
Quote from: UncleBaal on 24 March, 2010, 09:27:11 PM
Sad but inevitable- I wear my Nemesis T-shirt with pride! (I mean I always did, but...)
He always gets brownie points for making Nemesis morph into Jaz Coleman in Deathbringer!
RIP
Hi - I got this message from Claire, Johnny's wife, and she asked me to post - quoting the above from UncleBaal:
QuoteYes, that was Jaz Coleman. They subsequently met and had quite a magical connection.
I just wanted to thank you all for your kind comments and tributes. My Johnny lived for his art and, as Pat mentioned, he was still working the day before he died, writing the afterword for Slaine and putting the finishing touches to his graphic novel, 100 Months. He was fierce. But for all the (wonderful) horror, he was a very spiritual, kind and compassionate man. Gentle, funny and brave to the last. He didn't miss a beat. Losing him has ripped my heart out but he saw MS as a demon, with intent, and was always going to take it down. In true Johnny style his work goes on with 100 Months and I know he's still looking after me.
Thanks again.
Big love
Claire x
(http://www.2000adreview.co.uk/news/2010/johnny.jpg)
Ah cool! I heard Johnny had done some drawings in the studio for the next KJ album which would be nice...and yes why haven't the Crisis stories been collected yet? Third World War and New Statesmen at the very least, but Rogan Josh and Dan Dare from Revolver too...
Dare's in Yesterday's Tomorrow's, a fine hardback Rian Hughes retrospective that also includes Really & Truly published by, I think, Knockabout. Well worth your cash. But I agree, get that stuff into print - as Crisis and Revolver stuff was creator owned (I think, at least for the most part), there's no guarantee that Rebellion would be doing the reprinting if this stuff WERE to be coming into print.
Awful news, RIP Sir.
Ed
Quote from: UncleBaal on 28 March, 2010, 11:09:25 PM
Ah cool! I heard Johnny had done some drawings in the studio for the next KJ album which would be nice...and yes why haven't the Crisis stories been collected yet? Third World War and New Statesmen at the very least, but Rogan Josh and Dan Dare from Revolver too...
New Statesmen was:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Statesmen_(comics)#Collected_editions
Rogan Gosh was:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogan_Gosh_(comics)#Collected_editions
Morrison's Dan Dare was:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Dare#Collected_editions
What they need is reprinting plus other goodies like Third World War, Troubled Souls, True Faith, Bible John, the New Adventures of Hitler, etc.
Problem is the rights still seem to be held by IPC and they don't appear to be awfully active on the reprinting front, even though they'd make some tidy cash as a lot of the creators of those stories have become big names and reprinting material with their names on is guaranteed to be worth the effort (other people are reprinting just about anything they've blown their nose on). They must have some kind of plan as they flogged off
LooK and Learn but kept the rights to The Trigan Empire (plus some other comics material published in the mag) and this is another big item on people's wishlists, so to not sort out the reprints would be crazy. Even if they don't want to do it they can always sell the rights to someone else (so they make money by doing very little) - the Dan Dare reprints from Titan Books certainly seem to be doing well and the Trigan Empire would certainly work well in that format.
So it is all rather mysterious.
I would definitely like to see some of Johnny Hicklenton's art reprinted. The paper stock of 2000AD at the time didn't do his earlier work justice, especially having seen some photos of his original art on comicartfans.com.
I actually bought a back issue of the Megazine on Saturday from a local charity shop which has some of his early Dredd art. Uncompromising – as was always the case.
RIP Johnny.
There was a small precise piece on John's passing in the Independent On Saturday if it hasn't been mentioned before.
Just mentioned the basic facts.
Just had a piece on Meridian News about John, very moving bit by his friend who went with him.
Very sad. Produced some of the most unsettling, demented and brilliant artwork that the comic has ever seen.
Not everyone's cup of tea, but then "cup of tea" was probably about as far removed from Hicklenton's artistic style as it is possible to be.
RIP
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.
We haven't really been cursed with that many "just OK" artists on 2000AD, have we?
Another reason to love it.
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.
Quote from: radioschizo on 30 March, 2010, 05:43:53 PM
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?.
Quote from: The Legendary Shark on 23 March, 2010, 11:29:07 PM
"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?
Quote from: Buttonman on 30 March, 2010, 07:22:17 PM
Quote from: radioschizo on 30 March, 2010, 05:43:53 PM
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. )
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 (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/tv-radio-obituaries/7545855/John-Hicklenton.html)
(http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p147/the_legendary_shark/2000ADonline%20Images/prog106_nerve_centre.jpg)
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!
Quote from: Buttonman on 02 April, 2010, 09:31:04 AM
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 (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
[/quote]
Quote from: Buttonman on 02 April, 2010, 09:31:04 AMNice 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.
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.
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.
Quote from: Emperor on 27 March, 2010, 02:38:23 PM
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
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.
I always thought Crisis stuff was all creator owned.
sad to see you go johnny !!
have just gotten the vol 2 megazine and reading heavy metal dredd. so lovely & disturbing. noticed it was lettered by tom frame, which reminds me to post a cheer to all the artists & writers that have filled our lives with such beauty !!
Well said that man. Let's raise our styrofoam cups to em.
Starlord & Tornado were merged into 2000AD so became part of 2000ad, whilst Crisis was a stand alone comic & never mergedso is still owned by Egmont. Finn was also a stand alone story that featured people from another story but was sold to 2000ad as a seperate story, on the same lines that Dicks is a seperate comic owned by the creators, using charectors originally from the troubled souls stories in Crisis.
Well, all right, then. Boo to the lawyers.
Rebellion should pony up for a license from Egmont and reprint it the long way around then.
Quote from: rogue69 on 22 April, 2010, 09:29:34 PM
Starlord & Tornado were merged into 2000AD so became part of 2000ad, whilst Crisis was a stand alone comic & never mergedso is still owned by Egmont. Finn was also a stand alone story that featured people from another story but was sold to 2000ad as a seperate story, on the same lines that Dicks is a seperate comic owned by the creators, using charectors originally from the troubled souls stories in Crisis.
If Rebellion don't own Crisis, then how was Garth Ennis able to get the rights to Troubled Souls (and hence the characters he wanted for Dicks) in return for writing Helter Skelter for 2000AD?
Regards
Robin
Didn't Crisis have "2000ad presents" written on the cover?
Pat Mills said at the recent talk he held in Colchester that he had ask Matt if it was possible to reprint the Inspector Ryan story from Crisis & was told by 2000ad that they couldn't do this as rebellion did not own the rights to any of the stories written for Crisis or Revolver comics & that Egmont still owned their rights
Quote from: rogue69 on 23 April, 2010, 08:14:53 PM
Pat Mills said at the recent talk he held in Colchester that he had ask Matt if it was possible to reprint the Inspector Ryan story from Crisis & was told by 2000ad that they couldn't do this as rebellion did not own the rights to any of the stories written for Crisis or Revolver comics & that Egmont still owned their rights
Not sure if this old thread sheds any light or not (Byron Virgo's post in particular):
http://www.2000adonline.com/forum/index.php/topic,12837.15.html
There are a few other threads in which it's mentioned that Ennis was given the rights to Troubled Souls in payment for Helter Skelter - perhaps it's a forum myth, don't know.
I'd be interested in hearing Rebellion tell us what the situation actually is.
Regards
Robin
a loss to the world of truly unique artists.
"Delighted to say that John Hicklenton's last book - 100 Months - is just on sale. Copies available from
http://www.cuttingedgepress.co.uk/100months.html
Pat Mills"
That does look like an interesting unique story.
Reading the excerpt, I didn't realise he actually took his own life in the end. I guess he knew he was going and decided to go out on his own terms. Sad.
Quote from: Mardroid on 02 November, 2010, 04:30:09 PM
That does look like an interesting unique story.
Reading the excerpt, I didn't realise he actually took his own life in the end. I guess he knew he was going and decided to go out on his own terms. Sad.
It was the most empowering thing to do in those circumstances.
Quote from: Peter Wolf on 02 November, 2010, 06:16:52 PM
Quote from: Mardroid on 02 November, 2010, 04:30:09 PM
That does look like an interesting unique story.
Reading the excerpt, I didn't realise he actually took his own life in the end. I guess he knew he was going and decided to go out on his own terms. Sad.
It was the most empowering thing to do in those circumstances.
Oh, I didn't intend that as a statement of judgement.
There is original art on ebay at the minuite(not mine) and relativly cheap too if there is no reserve.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2000-AD-Nemesis-original-artwork-Complete-episode-/150512581906?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item230b3fbd12 (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2000-AD-Nemesis-original-artwork-Complete-episode-/150512581906?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item230b3fbd12)
David
Quote from: Mardroid on 02 November, 2010, 11:14:21 PM
Quote from: Peter Wolf on 02 November, 2010, 06:16:52 PM
Quote from: Mardroid on 02 November, 2010, 04:30:09 PM
That does look like an interesting unique story.
Reading the excerpt, I didn't realise he actually took his own life in the end. I guess he knew he was going and decided to go out on his own terms. Sad.
It was the most empowering thing to do in those circumstances.
Oh, I didn't intend that as a statement of judgement.
I never thought or said that you did.
(http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p147/the_legendary_shark/2000ADonline%20Images/100_months_london_flyer_001.jpg)
Just recieved an email from amazon to say my copy is on it's way.
filip
just ordered the book.
does anyone know if Here's Johnny can be found on-line ?
impossible to find in the states.
the more i find out about the man, the more i understand why his art moved me so.
das,have you tried the animal monday shop.
http://www.animalmonday.co.uk/shop.php
filip
Quote from: flip-r mk2 on 10 November, 2010, 11:50:04 PM
das,have you tried the animal monday shop.
http://www.animalmonday.co.uk/shop.php
filip
Damn it looks fantastic ! I really want to see it.
but i do not want to buy a copy and have it sent from the uk, and have me watch it once, very wastefull !
and besides it will not work on usa region.
wish netflix had it.
found a copy of this really powerful film;
http://www.cultureunplugged.com/play/3705/Here-s-Johnny
and the book is really brutal & beautiful !
Quote from: das on 11 November, 2010, 02:32:58 AM
Quote from: flip-r mk2 on 10 November, 2010, 11:50:04 PM
das,have you tried the animal monday shop.
http://www.animalmonday.co.uk/shop.php
filip
Damn it looks fantastic ! I really want to see it.
but i do not want to buy a copy and have it sent from the uk, and have me watch it once, very wastefull !
and besides it will not work on usa region.
wish netflix had it.
We don't charge more for international postage! Plus there's lots of extras that have to be seen, plus the amazing artwork on the cover!
Don't think a full version is available online, but a clip is on our website, www.animalmonday.co.uk
and click documentary tab.
Louise
Sorry to partially derail the thread, but im interested in what was said above.
Over here, in the uk, we habitually deregionalise our dvd players so they'll play anything. Do Americans not do this? I ask because when i mentioned this to some canadian friends and relatives, they stared at me like i was mad.
SBT
Quote from: SmallBlueThing on 22 November, 2010, 09:48:20 PM
Over here, in the uk, we habitually deregionalise our dvd players so they'll play anything.
We do?
Yes, we do. Or at least, we do if we're the type who like to watch movies released in foreign climes.
SBT
Quote from: SmallBlueThing on 22 November, 2010, 09:48:20 PM
Over here, in the uk, we habitually deregionalise our dvd players so they'll play anything.
Wuuuh?
yep, here in the states all the media players are locked down to region1
The Here's Johnny DVD is region 0 anyway.
I still have one copy signed left at Termight Replicas (http://www.termight.co.uk/heresjohnny.html).
Just watched my copy of Here's Johnny which arrived today... (Thanks, Wake! Did I buy the very last one?)
It's a fantastic documentary, and a great glimpse into John's life. I admit I wasn't a huge fan of his work when it first appeared in 2000 AD - it was just too bloody scary - but now I can spend hours just pouring over a single panel.
He comes across as one of those guys you just want to be mates with - I wish I'd had the chance to meet him.
If you haven't bought the DVD yet, I urge you to do so. Right now!
-- Mike
Yesterday Clint Langley sent me some never before seen Hicklenton work for the blog, my god it's amazing! I'm waiting on a tiny bit more then it'll be up.
Having seen the 100 Months artwork in the flesh so to speak, I can only say its a godzillion (i.e. lots!) better than the book, even though the book is VERY well produced and should immediately be baught by everyone!
Johhny RIP
Of all the original art I have owned or seen, never has there been a bigger contrast between what it looks like published and what it looks like 'in the flesh' as with Hicklenton. I liked his mad, twisted creations when I was younger, and used to try and draw warped-looking depictions of Torquemada in his style (but obviously without his talent or knowledge of anatomy!) but I won't pretend he was someone I'd have said was one of my absolute favourites. But recently, I got some of his original Nemesis pages, and was genuinely blown away. Those of us who collect original art know the thrill of seeing the additional level of detail in the original pieces... with the Hicklenton pages, the level of detail was truly astonishing. It is really striking just how much was lost in the transition to the printed pages. Up until that point, I'd have said I thought he was a great artist. After that... he pretty much rose to the status of genius in my eyes.
There is a piece in the Herald Scotland:
www.heraldscotland.com/life-style/real-lives/how-2000ad-artist-and-ms-sufferer-john-hicklenton-chose-to-end-his-life-1.1072785
Quote from: Pete Wells on 09 December, 2010, 06:29:40 AM
Yesterday Clint Langley sent me some never before seen Hicklenton work for the blog, my god it's amazing! I'm waiting on a tiny bit more then it'll be up.
Not... (gasp)Tyranny Rex???
Quote from: W. R. Logan on 23 March, 2010, 07:37:54 PMStrange Cases
Skin Games
Meg 1.17
This just popped up online, suitably grotesque:
http://grantbridgestreet.blogspot.com/2011/01/judge-dredd-in-skin-games-by-john-smith.html
Any chance of a Meg supplement of the Strange Cases? Ellis' first work in 200AD and a range of quality creators:
http://2000ad.org/?zone=thrill&page=profiles&Comic=Megazine&choice=STRANGE
Some of it is going to be a bit dated and over the top but I'd be up for it.
I'm sad to see that he has gone.
John's work was unique and passed my acid test for a comic artist remember recently reading his mean Angel and found myself doing the voices of the characters and only a very few artists can do that to me.
He will be missed.
yep, I just loved his artwork. It just jumped right out of the page at you.
I had the pleasure of meeting him way back at a 2000ad book signing way back in 1988, so I have 2 books signed by him and other major artists of 2000ad.
They will be cherished possessions within my collection for a long time to come.
RIP John.
John was truly an amazing artist, the first time I saw his work was in Nemesis and Torquemada and it blew me away. His work was gritty, evil, twisted and gruesome in only the way you could depict Nemesis and Torquemada at their worst and best. John will be greatly missed. R.I.P