Alan Langford is a freelance artist and illustrator who today specialises in equestrian subject matter; the painting of horses an occupation he finds both enjoyable and rewarding. But he began his career in comics, and has begun drawing them again, self publishing a graphic novel, The Secret of the Aesir, a stunning work combining SF and Viking mythology, in 2020.
Alan began his artistic career in 1979, working as a full-time illustrator for “Etchmasters” going freelance in the early 1980s, drawing strips for 2000AD, Warlord, New Eagle and Supernaturals, and providing cover art and illustrations for many fantasy game books.
Since then, he’s illustrated history books, encyclopaedias, adventure stories, myths and legend, and worked for the BBC, illustrating the stories of “Romulus and Remus” and “Androcles and the Lion” for the children’s programme Zig-Zag.
In recent years he’s returned to drawing comics, writing and illustrating his own graphic novel, The Secret of the Aesir, and providing a one off story, “The Star-Drake of Dunmonia”, for this year’s SHIFT Comic Anthology Year Book, still available in newsagents and online.
Alan has also worked as an art tutor in adult education, and is frequently asked to demonstrate his drawing and painting techniques for amateur art societies.
• Find Alan Langford online at www.alanlangford.co.uk | thesecretoftheaesir.com
• Alan is among many guests at Fighting Fantasy Fest on Saturday 3rd September 2022 University of West London
Facebook Event Page | Fighting Fantasy Official Site: www.fightingfantasy.com | Official News Blog
ALAN LANGFORD – COMIC AND FIGHTING FANTASY CREDITS
2000AD
“Tharg’s Future Shocks – Once Upon an Atom” – 2000AD Prog 235, cover dated 24th October, 1981 and Prog 236, cover dated 21st October 1981, written by Steve Moore
“Agent Rat – Trouble on Tree-World“, 2000AD Prog 273, cover dated 17th July 1982 and Prog 274, cover dated 24th July 1982, written by Steve Moore – Alan Langford)
“Tharg’s Time Twisters – Dr. Dibworthy’s Disappointing Day“, 2000AD Prog 316, cover dated 14th May 1983, written by Alan Moore
“Tharg’s Future Shocks – Dad” 2000AD Prog 329, cover dated 13th August 1983, written by Alan Moore
“Tharg’s Future Shocks – The Plaque!” 2000AD Prog 347, cover dated 17th December 1983, written by Alan Hebden
“Tharg’s Future Shocks – “The Alteration” – 2000AD Prog 466, cover dated 19th April, 1986, written by Grant Morrison
“Ro-Jaws Robo-Tale – Silicon Soul“, for the 2000AD Annual 1983, written by Gary Rice
New Eagle
“Timeslip“, for Eagle Monthly June 1991, written and drawn by Alan Langford
“Doomlord – Anti-Matter Universe“, Eagle Holiday Special 1987, writer uncredited
Super Naturals
Issue 1 – “Mount of Athos”
Issue 2 – “Mount of Athos”
Issue 3 – “Mount of Athos”
Issue 4 – “Mount of Athos”
Issue 5 – “The Curse”
Issue 6 – “The Curse”
Issue 7 – “The Curse”
Issue 8 – “The Curse”
Issue 9 – “The Curse”
• For more on Alan’s work in Super Naturals, check out the Oink! Blog here
Warlord
“Pawnee Patrol” – Warlord 457, cover dated 25th June 1983 – Issue 470, cover dated 25th June 1983
Trapped behind enemy lines in Burma in World War Two, a squad of American soldiers, all Pawnee, set out to confuse enemy Japanese troops by fighting them in Native American style, aided by Professor Gilpin.
“Convict Commandos” – Warlord 502, cover dated 5th May 1984 – Issue 515, cover dated 4th August 1984
Warlord’s answer to Battle Picture Weekly’s “Rat Pack”, two convicts escape from Dartmoor Prison during World War Two and find themselves in a Commando training camp – and a quick spot of forgery funds them seconded in to the war effort!
(There was an annual story, too, published in the Warlord Book for Boys 1985, but this appears to have been drawn by a different artist).
Alan also recalls briefly drawing a strip featuring “revived Vikings battling Nazis in World War Two” aboard an E-Boat. We’re trying to trace the strip, a fill-in for another artist perhaps for another DC Thomson boys title such as Victor, but it’s proving elusive!
It’s a concept similar to the strip “The Battleberg”, which ran in Victor in 1975, attributed variously to Anthony Coleman and Antonio Garcia, the latter best known for his work on “Morgyn the Mighty”. Might this have been a revival of the Victor story, rebooted?
The Secret of the Aesir
Graphic Novel – more info here: thesecretoftheaesir.com
Set during the 8th century AD amidst the tundra and glacier scarred valleys of northern Scandinavia, The Secret of the Aesir describes the journey of a contingent of Viking warriors, who guided by their knowledge of the far north, discover a mystery that is older than the Aesir, older than Odin himself.
• Read John Freeman’s review of The Secret of the Aesir here
• The Secret of the Aesir by Alan Langford is available here for £12 from Little Knoll Press – signed copies available | Buy it from AmazonUK (£14.49) – Affiliate Link
SHIFT Comic Anthology Year Book 2022
“Star-Drake of Dunmonia” – available here: https://theshift.store
FIGHTING FANTASY
These credits via fightingfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Alan_Langford
Cover Illustrator
Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks
Spellbreaker (Puffin, 1993)
Interior Illustrator
Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks
• Island of the Lizard King (Puffin, 1984)
• Sword of the Samurai (Puffin, 1986)
• Creature of Havoc (Puffin, 1986)
• Battleblade Warrior (Puffin, 1988)
• Portal of Evil (Puffin, 1989)
• Spellbreaker
Warlock Magazine
Issue 4 (Penguin, 1985)
Other Fighting Fantasy
• Out of the Pit (Puffin, 1985)
• Titan – The Fighting Fantasy World (Puffin, 1986)
• The Fighting Fantasy 10th Anniversary Yearbook (Puffin, 1992)
Map Illustrator
• Island of the Lizard King
• Spellbreaker
• Find Alan Langford online at www.alanlangford.co.uk | thesecretoftheaesir.com
• Alan is among many guests at Fighting Fantasy Fest on Saturday 3rd September 2022 University of West London
Facebook Event Page | Fighting Fantasy Official Site: www.fightingfantasy.com | Official News Blog
- About the Author
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The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “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: British Comics, Comic Creator Spotlight, Comics, Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News
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