Ian Kennedy’s Dan Dare cover for new 2000AD collection revealed

2000AD Dan Dare Volume Two

Here’s Ian Kennedy‘s specially commissioned cover for the second collection of the “Dan Dare” strips from 2000AD, which will be released on 3rd November 2016.

Ian drew just one “Dan Dare” strip featuring the 2000AD incarnation, for the 1979 Dan Dare annual, the first of two spin-off annuals, which featured in Dan Dare: The 2000AD Years Volume One.

This Dan Dare: The 2000AD Years collection – the second of two bringing together all the 2000AD Dan Dare stories (read Steve Winders review of Volume One here) – sees Dan Dare and the crew of the Eagle One continue their journey through deep, uncharted space, where they encounter a host of evil alien tyrants, including dare’s arch-nemesis the Mekon.

Dan Dare from 2000AD Prog 114 (cover date: 26 May 1979). Art by Dave Gibbons. Dan Dare © Dan Dare Corporation

Dan Dare from 2000AD Prog 114 (cover date: 26 May 1979). Art by Dave Gibbons. Dan Dare © Dan Dare Corporation

This volume of Dan Dare concludes the iconic British hero’s adventures within the pages of 2000AD, a story, which as we’ve related in the past, came to an abrupt halt due to changes at then-publisher Fleetway as a possible Dan Dare TV series loomed, in Prog 126, just before 2000AD merged with Tornado.

The story ended with Dan on the run and trying to clear his name but was never to be resolved and he never returned to 2000AD, but he would resurface in an all-new incarnation in the new Eagle, which featured a number of strips drawn by Ian, one of which was recently reprinted in Hibernia’s Eagle Adventure Special.

Credited creators on the cover of this second volume are Christopher Lowder, also known by the pseudonyms Jack Adrian, Jack Hamilton Teed, Bill Henry, James R. Montague and T. G. Cribbling, whose comic credits include scripts for “Adam Eterno” for Thunder and, subsequently, Lion, in the 1970s, “The Man on the Road” for Valiant, “Day of the Eagle” for Battle and “Kids Rule OK” and “Blackjack” for Action. He also wrote “Timequake” and “Ro-Busters” for Starlord, “Victor Drago” for Tornado, and “Invasion”, “Judge Dredd”, “Tharg’s Future Shocks” and “Time Twisters” for 2000AD.

A mainstay of 2000AD whose comics career includes originating editor for the girls comic Tammy and who helped Pat Mills develop characters for Battle Picture Weekly, Gerry Finley Day‘s credits for the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic include “Invasion”, “Ant Wars”, “Harry Twenty on the High Rock”, “Fiends of the Eastern Front”, “The V.C.s”, and, of course, “Rogue Trooper”.

Artist Dave Gibbons many credits include strips for DC Thomson, Doctor Who Weekly, 2000AD, Marvel, DC Comics and Dark Horse, re-shaped the look of 2000AD‘s Dan Dare and some of the stories he drew have already featured in Volume One.

Dan Dare - Journey Through Time by Gavin Aslett:

Although Dan Dare’s 2000AD adventures never had a proper conclusion, a fan of the series, Gavin Aslett, created his own ending to the incarnation with a 36-page strip, “Journey Through Time”. Now based in Rome, Gavin – a hugely talented photographer, television graphic designer, video producer (he’s worked with bands such as Suzerain on their promotions) storyboard artist and more.

“The story took over a year to complete,” Gavin told us back in 2014, “as I referenced original artwork by Dave Gibbons to keep the continuity of the strip and try to give the story a conclusion. “I think after 35 years it deserved one!”

Planet Replicas Ltd 2000AD MekonTying in with the publication of these Dan Dare collections, Planet Replicas have released a stunning figure of the 2000AD Mekon.

Web: www.2000adonline.com

Massimo Bellardinelli Facebook Group

• Follow Dave Gibbons on Twitter @davegibbons90

• You can read Gavin’s full “Journey Through Time” story and find out more about his work by following through to his site here: http://gaslett.wix.com/gavinaslettwebreboot#!untitled/c12j7

• He’s also at  http://www.youtube.com/gaslett and www.saatchiart.com/GavinAslett 

2000AD © Rebellion. Dan Dare © Dan Dare Corporation



Categories: 2000AD, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News

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2 replies

  1. I must say, I’m very excited to see this. I half feared the second volume wouldn’t see the light of day, and we’d be left in Dan Dare limbo again, just like in 1979! It’s also fun – if a bit strange – to see the 2000AD ‘superhero’ version of Dare – which I associate so strongly with Dave Gibbons’ art – illustrated by Ian Kennedy, who is very much aligned with the Dare of the new Eagle.
    One thing puzzles me, though – wasn’t Tom Tully the writer of the 26-episode ‘Servant of Evil’ storyline? How come he’s not credited on the cover?

  2. I’m so very, very pleased to see Ian Kennedy doing a new Dan Dare cover. I admire many comics artists but my two favourites ever are Gerry Embleton and Ian Kennedy. Ian is a legend and his work has brought me so much pleasure over the years.

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