The original artwork by John Higgins, recently flying the flag for British comics and creativity in Kazakhstan, for a poster presented with Doctor Who Monthly in 1985, is up for sale on World of Superheroes on eBay.
The art, featuring the Sixth Doctor (Colin Baker) and Peri (Nicola Bryant), was utilised as a poster for Doctor Who Monthly No. 100 in 1985, celebrating one hundred issues of the official Doctor Who publication – still published today as Doctor Who Magazine.
The publication of Issue 100, edited by new editor Cefn Ridout coincided with the eighteen month suspension of Doctor Who by the BBC.
John Higgins later provided the art for a poster featuring the Seventh Doctor, offered for sale in Doctor Who Magazine No. 140, and drew the comic strip, “Keepsake”, for the same issue, written by Simon Furman.
Offered for sale for just under £2000, John’s art, measuring approximately 614 x 474mm in size, is painted on Daler Pasteline art board, the seller says this painting is in very good condition with only very light marks in the matting area around the painting.
Catching up with John Higgins
Artist and writer John Higgins is the sole creator of Razorjack and World Without End, with Jamie Delano, and author of Beyond Watchmen & Judge Dredd.
Just a boy when he first crossed paths with comics, little did he know then the impact they’d have on his life and career. He would go on to work on two of the biggest graphic novels of all time – Watchmen and The Killing Joke – as well as drawing 2000AD’s Judge Dredd.
Currently, his work on the Dark Horse Comics project, John Carpenter’s The Thing, published in the early 1990s, is back in the spotlight, featured in a representation of a Limited Edition Cinema Program, produced by DARK Oz for a horror movie festival in 2023.
The reprint of the extremely rare program is being offered as an Add On as part of the Kickstarter for the comics anthology, Retro Sci-Fi Tales #12, published by Darren Koziol.
His career goes back over 40 years as a professional freelance artist, known not only for his colour work on Watchmen, but also Before Watchmen, co-writing and illustrating Curse of the Crimson Corsair in 2012, and Jacked, written by Eric Kripe, the latter published in 2016, also by DC Comics. He’s worked as an artist, and sometimes writer, on such diverse characters as Judge Dredd, Batman, John Constantine and Jonah Hex.
John self-published Razorjack in 1999, which was collected and reprinted in 2009 by Com.x and again in 2013, with new material, by Titan Books.
In 2015, he he was commissioned to illustrate a special set of Royal Mail stamps ready for the 350th Anniversary of the Great fire of London in 2016. This award winning set of stamps designed by Chase Design was a prestigious career high, bringing the comic style formate into the public mainstream with its concept and design.
Earlier this year, he was a guest of the Almaty Geek Games Expo 2024 in Almaty, Kazakhstan, alongside Forbidden Planet cofounder Mike Lake, supported by the British Embassy and the British Trade Office, to talk on how British creativity has had a significant impact on world comics.
The talk was supported by students and staff from De Montfort University Almaty, who had a display of art created by the students, using traditional and modern digital techniques to create stylish and impactful art.
“The Almaty Geek Games Expo 2024 was a resounding success, providing a platform for the exchange of ideas, creativity, and artistic innovation,” the University announced after the event in October. “DMUK is proud to have contributed to this celebration of creative talent and looks forward to future collaborations with the UK Embassy and other partners.”
World of Superheroes has other pieces by John Higgins and other comic artists such as Dave Gibbons, Lee Sullivan and Dave Taylor, including more Doctor Who pages.
• John’s Doctor Who art is for sale here on World of Superheroes
• John Higgins is online at artofjohnhiggins.com
• Check out the Kickstarter for Retro Tales #12
• Cosmic Cube: Watchmen, The Killing Joke in Colour: An interview with John Higgins
• More about Doctor Who Monthly No. 100 on the TARDIS Wiki
• More about Doctor Who Magazine No. 140 on the TARDIS Wiki
- 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.
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