Dredd Artists

[kcox28]

I'm probably going to open up a can of worms here. but just had a marathon read through of my case files (1-19) and it occurred to me i don't like  Mike McMahon's artwork, yes i know he was an important early artist but to me it seems rough and untidy. I prefer the cleaner style of Brian Bolland in the early days and Ron Smith was good as well my top 5 Dredd artists would be:- Bolland, Smith, Ezqerra, Cliff Robinson, Ian Gibson(Q Twerk Emberton). This is just my opinion but what do others think?

[Jim_Campbell]

You like what you like. I didn't 'get' McMahon for years, and was a staunch fan of the 2000AD artists of the period with 'cleaner' styles, like Bolland and Gibbons. There's an energy in that 'roughness' that speaks to the restless, inventive mind that would show itself as McMahon developed over the years.

I remember liking McMahon's Ro-Busters and ABC Warriors better than the Dredds he did about the same time, but that 1982 Dredd Annual... that was the first eye-opener for me.

Cheers

Jim

[malkymac]

I didn't appreciate him until he was gone after block mania.

[Jim_Campbell]

I didn't appreciate him until he was gone after block mania.

I'll be honest, I think that the sole Dr Who story he illustrated (Junkyard Demon) may have been the first thing of his I saw and just thought: "That's brilliant."

Cheers

Jim

[johnnystress]

I didn't appreciate him until he was gone after block mania.

I'll be honest, I think that the sole Dr Who story he illustrated (Junkyard Demon) may have been the first thing of his I saw and just thought: "That's brilliant."

Cheers

Jim

That is amazing

[steveh]

The production of artwork back in the day was frantic and quite frankly I don't know how regular artists coped with the timescales. I only produced artwork for two futureshocks (the sum of the parts prog 351 and gorilla warfare prog 373)  but not being a professional artist, I found it to be an easier living as an engineering design engineer. I appreciate that everyone will have their favorites but sometimes artists are forced into methods not necessairly reflective of their ultimate abilities due to time constraints. I admire greatly all of the artists and writers who have contributed to the best comic of all. Best Regards, Steve Hatton 

[Frank]

Describing McMahon's Dredd work as employing a single style is problematic. His early Dredd stories were the first published work of a kid straight out of art college, who had been instructed by editorial to conform to the art style established by Dredd's absent creator, the inimitable Carlos Ezquerra. I'd agree with you that some of his first year on the strip just isn't very good, but there are brilliant regular flashes of the bolder graphic style and more assured sense of design which came to characterise his work in touches such as the brilliant and definitive first appearance of Max Normal and Don Uggy's mob, among those early stories.

As Jim and others have noted, McMahon's time away from Dredd working on ABC Warriors and Robusters with Kev O'Neill appears to have made a remarkable difference to his confidence and technique, and the work of the artist who returns to Dredd on Uncle Ump, Barney and Minty (all in Case Files 3) bears little relation to much of what had gone before, in terms of the assured line, mastery of composition and fantastically inventive character design now in evidence. By the time McMahon's creating the Angel gang (including Fink) and investing characters like them and Buggo with an incredible solidity and truly unique energy, I don't think there's anyone in the comic (including Bolland and Smith) who can match him in terms of quality of finish, visual invention or sheer artistry.

Just compare the fantastic clean lines, solid blacks and masterful composition of his Blockmania work to the halting early efforts of his days on the strip, and you could be looking at a completely different artist.

[JOE SOAP]

I assumed you all knew by now that 'Mick McMahon', the person, doesn't exist, and is just a cypher used by different artist trying out new techniques.

[radiator]

It's very common to not like McMahon's work. I get it - it's, heavily stylised, spiky and weird. I'm not going to call anyone who doesn't like his work a philistine. I didn't like his work as a kid, but looking back now I believe he's a bit of a genius. I love pretty much everything he's ever done - even his controversial cubist era work.

Same goes for Carlos - his work is rough and sketchy and not to everyone's taste, and I understand why some don't warm to it.

In that respect they are the quintessential 2000ad artists in my opinion.

[Frank]

I assumed you all knew by now that 'Mick McMahon', the person, doesn't exist, and is just a cypher used by different artist trying out new techniques.

You're thinking of Mike.

[SIP]

I just don't get it......... McMahon is king. Early McMahon even better.

[Spikes]

i don't like  Mike McMahon's artwork, yes i know he was an important early artist but to me it seems rough and untidy. I prefer the cleaner style of Brian Bolland in the early days

I must admit, its the other way round for me.
Mick's looser style of art grabbed me like no other. It made the art infinitely more immediate for me.
Today, i would say he's the one true genius - artwise, to have come from the prog.

That rough and untidy style made me think ' hey - even i can copy that', while Bolland's art, say, just seemed a bit too perfect (and impenetrable) to me back then. Plenty of Mick inspired doodles in my twelve year old self's drawing books, but very few, if any, aping Brian Bolland.

And once an artist becomes your artist, then its a lifelong love affair.

(Not that im hating on Bolland, imo he did produce the greatest ever Dredd art - in the form of Judge Death Lives).

[Beadle68]

Love Mike,s style . thought his early work was outstanding and very stylized, tried copying it and failed miserably.His work on Dredd and Slaine was what made some of the stories stand out although I do agree regarding Bolland's clean lines . I like all artist's as I find each add's there own touch to each story and always wanted to be a comic artist but never had the ability to draw anywhere near the level the gods who provide us with classic panels every year do .I salute them all.

[radiator]

With comic art and animation ill always be drawn to the more stylised, expressive stuff. Just seems to play to the strengths of the medium.

[judgerussell]

I like his early work most. Great detail, amazing skill.  His work in 2000ad over recent years looks like it was drawn by a child. Sorry, but it's true.