Congratulations are very much in order for comic writer John Wagner, co-creator of Judge Dredd, Doomlord and Rok of the Reds this weekend who has been awarded an MBE in the King’s birthday honours “for services to British Comic Books and the Comic Book Industry”.
John, now 76, who lives in the Shropshire Hills, near Shrewsbury, not only spearheaded a revival in British comics in the 1970s alongside Pat Mills and others, but has continued to delight generations of comic fans with his many stories, including the much-cited graphic novel A History of Violence, drawn by Vince Locke.
Born in the US to a Scottish mother, John moved with his mother to Scotland, following the separation of his parents. After leaving school he took on an apprenticeship at a printing firm, before joining Dundee-based comic publisher DC Thomson as an editorial assistant, where he met Pat Mills.
They left the publisher of the BEANO (and, back then, many other weekly comics), to go freelance in 1971, but after nine months Wagner moved to London to work for publisher IPC. His partnership with Pat resumed in 1974, when Pat asked Wagner to help him develop characters for a new war comic, Battle Picture Weekly. Their gritty characters revived interest in a fading market, and Wagner was appointed editor of ailing boys’ weekly Valiant, where he created the tough New York city cop One-Eyed Jack and the cunning World War Two coward, Soldier Sharp.
When Pat launched 2000AD in 1977 Wagner was in board, co-creating his best known anti-hero, the ruthless Judge Dredd with Carlos Ezquerra.
Wagner has recalled how, in his first script, Dredd punished a man caught jay-walking by running him down in his car.
“They never used that script. In fact, the story’s been toned down a lot since those heady early days, and quite rightly, but Dredd is still a man you wouldn’t want to mess with.
“My children used to think Judge Dredd was based on me.”
He has been a fierce champion for creators rights through his career. In 1987, when IPC’s comics division was sold to Robert Maxwell as Fleetway Publications. John Davidge was appointed as publishing director in 1989 and, as noted in Judge Dredd: The Mega History, within a matter of weeks was confronted by Wagner, who emptied a large bag of Judge Dredd merchandise onto his desk, pointed out he had received no royalties for any of it, and threatened a creator walk-out over the issue. Davidge, whose background was in magazine and book publishing, was shocked, and introduced written contracts and royalty payments for comic creators.
Needless to say, numerous creators have congratulated John on his MBE honour, joining a small number of comic creators who have received Royal honour for their work and dedication. downthetubes is more than happy to join them, and congratulations, too, to children’s authors Malorie Blackman and Julia Donaldson, who have been made dames, whose much deserved recognition has received wider attention.
Bryan Talbot next, right?
• John Wagner MBE is online at johnwagner.co.uk
• Birthday Honours List 2026 PM List
• BBC News: Rugby star Sinfield and authors Blackman and Donaldson lead honours list
Royal Honours for Comic Creators
• Raymond Briggs, the creator of The Snowman and When the Wind Blows was made a CBE in 2017, for services to literature
• Writer Grant Morrison (All-Star Superman, The Invisibles, Zenith) was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2012 Queen’s Birthday Honours List
At his investiture, Prince Charles (now King Charles III), reportedly told Morrison that he used to read the classic British comic Eagle in the 1950s. Known for their subversive, counter-culture early work,msuch as St. Swithin’s Day, Morrison joked that being accused of “joining the Establishment” by critics made them feel like they had signed up for the “Secret Society of Super-Villains”
• The celebrated political cartoonist Chris Riddell, perhaps best known for his work for the Observer and UK Children’s Laureate was appointed an OBE in 2019 for his services to illustration and charity
• The late, prolific satirical cartoonist Bill Tidy (9th October 1933 – 11th March 2023), known for The Cloggies and The Fosdyke Saga was awarded an MBE for services to journalism in 2001
- About the Author
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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.
Categories: British Comics, Comics, Creating Comics, downthetubes News, Other Worlds
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