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Jam-packed Zarjaz 20 released, packed with great 2000AD-inspired strips

By John Freeman on March 6, 2014

Lurking behind a simply stunning Bad Company cover by Mick Cassidy, Peeps the droid delivers some truly brilliant thrills lifted directly from the cortex of The Mighty One Himself in Zarjaz Issue 20 – the latest issue of the brilliant 2000AD-inspired fanzine from Futurequake Press.

“A.B.C. Warriors – Mongrol Handfuls of Smush”

It’s a jam-packed issue, but standouts for me this time around have to be “A.B.C. Warriors – Mongrol Handfuls of Smush”, a seven-page story by writer Mark Hobby and artist James Newell; an awesome tale of man versus mutant alligator, “DownlodeTales- Sewer Side”, by writer Tom Proudfoot and artist George Coleman; and perhaps my favourite, script wise on first reading, “Judge Dredd – Dead Soldiers” by writer Karl Stock and artist Tom Bonin.

Fabulous art from George Coleman in “Sewer Side”

Which is by no means dismissing the other great strips in this smartly-edited, well presented anthology, which are “BAD Company – From Mud To Murder” by writer Shaun Avery and artist David Broughton; “M.A.C.H. 1 – Mach Of Lies”, a ten page story by writer Mark Howard and artist Matt Herbert; and a great-looking story, “Tales of Mega-City 1-Meg-Way Blues” by writer Umar Ditta and artist Nathan Webb.

A panel from “Tales of Mega City 1 – Meg-Way Blues” by Nathan Webb

This is an excellent homage to 2000AD, well deserving of your galactic groats. And it’s still only £3.00, you don’t deserve it!

• Buy Zarjaz Issue 20 NOW from http://www.futurequake.co.uk/shop.php

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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.