Enter the Vort

By John Freeman on 28 May 2008

(with thanks to Matthew Badham): This week’s 2000AD contained an announcement that ‘Israeli’s latest project, The Vort, will be one of the slew of new stories staring next week in the UK’s weekly SF comic.

Over on his blog, ‘Israeli (ala Matt Brooker) has posted several designs for the story and reveals the strip is a double first. “It’s a full-colour series for 2000AD,” ge explains, “written by newcomer G. Powell (in other words, it’s not black and white and not written by Ian Edginton. The scar where they had to separate us surgically is still smarting!” he says.

“The Vort is also a departure from my usual 2000AD subject matter. It’s a future war story set on a bizarre alien planet made entirely of water, and permeated by a powerful electromagnetic field that prevents electronics from functioning. This means that all the technology on the Vort is either ultra low-tech (manual typewriters and hand bells for sounding the alarm) or “genekit” (biological rifles and sensor devices). Imagine Apocalypse Now with set dressing by H.R. Giger and you have a rough idea of what we’re aiming for.”

Pictured: The enigmatic Crispy from the forthcoming series The Vort. © 2008 Rebellion Developments/2000AD
The Vort created by G. Powell & ‘Israeli.

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John Freeman

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.