Name: Ant Mercer

Currently working on:

Various freelancing projects, currently animated videos for the corporate websites and drawing in exchange for money.

First memory of 2000AD?

1985 (maybe?) On the return leg of the school run: an old school friend hands me a copy of 2000AD to shock me out of my Whizzer and Chips childhood. It’s prog four-hundred-and-something, where Nosferatu the spider-alien is storming it around Mega-city one biting citizens and draining their innards – superb. Horrific. Brilliant. I spent the rest of the night drawing spider-aliens.

Managed to talk my Mum into getting an order placed at the newsagents, weekly progs supplemented by the monthly collections. So really it’s her fault that her attic is full of 2000AD’s.

Favourite Character or Story?

Bad Company, Nemesis, Strontium Dog…. Zenith. Favourite story is probably “Judge Death Lives” – caused me to have the most vivid apocalyptic nightmare I’ve ever had.

What do you like most about the 2000AD?

The crazy-bubbles that come out of a Krool’s eye, the fact that it genuinely took me 25 years to realise that “Ro-Jaws and Hammerstein” was a pun, a good old 80’s Fabry warp-spasm, and “Gaze into the fist of Dredd” (the greatest comic panel ever drawn.)

If you worked on 2000AD, do you have an anecdote you’d like to share about your experience of Tharg and his minions?

Not worked on 2000AD, but I did once give Bryan Talbot a cigarette

• This post is one in a series of tributes to 2000AD to mark its 35th birthday on 26th February 2012. More about 2000AD at www.2000adonline.com 

2000AD © Rebellion

John Freeman

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: 2000AD, British Comics

Tags: Ant Mercer