Stunning 2000AD cover art by Brian Bolland featuring Judge Dredd sold yesterday at auction for just over $50,000.
Auctioned by Hakes, the cover, for 2000AD Prog 197, cover date 31st January 1981, is an amazing image of Judge Dredd being blown from his Lawmaster motorcycle as an atomic bomb explodes in the background, destroying a number of Mega-City One buildings.
Described by the auction house as “one of the best Judge Dredd covers to ever come to auction”, the art is signed by Bolland in red felt tip pen – Brian’s method of confirming the art is not one of a number of his works previously stolen.
The artboard has “2000 AD Featuring Judge Dredd” title stat as well as other cover indicia stats with “Find The Judge Child…Or Mega City One Dies!” subtitle stat at bottom. This was changed for the final published cover to include different text in block at lower right.
2000AD Prog 197 featured the first part of the four-part Judge Dredd story “Pirates Of The Black Atlantic” by John Wagner and Alan Grant. The issue also reported on the status of the planned Dan Dare TV series, as well as featuring episodes of stories such as “Meltdown Man”.
A great piece of 2000AD Dredd cover art from the character’s early years, a fine addition for someone with deep pockets, by one the British comic artists most closely associated with the character.
The final auction price was $51,920 (£39,336). Earlier this year, Heritage Auctions sold Brian’s cover art for 2000AD Prog 77, featuring the Jolly Green Giant, for $55,200.
• You can view the original Hakes auction listing here
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: 2000AD, Art and Illustration, Auctions, British Comics, British Comics - Current British Publishers, Comic Art, Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Other Worlds
I suspect that even JD isn’t tough enough to withstand a real atomic explosion, and there would just be a shadow left on the ground, but … artistic licence!