Lawless Bound: Andrw Sawyers

By John Freeman on May 4, 2026 • ( 0 )

Richard Sheaf chats with artist Andrw Sawyers about his upcoming appearance at Lawless, alongside a host of comic creators that include Doug Braithwaite, Silvia Califano, Glenn Fabry, Sam Hart, Liam Sharp, John Wagner and many others…

You’ve been to Lawless a few times now – what draws you back each year?

It’s professional run and highly friendly, inclusive at the same time – equal footing is given to the attending fans as much as the creators. In fact, it puts the attendees in a position to socially engage with creators like no other event.

It’s a true labour of love by the organisers and in the years I’ve been attending I’ve made firm friends with many of the other patrons, and essentially that’s why I’m returning this year as it’s an opportunity to catch up with everyone.

There’s a strong 2000AD influence at Lawless – were you a 2000AD reader as child? Or did you come to it later in life?

1981, Prog 236 was my first! I was five years old and my father brought home several copies and I’ve been a fan
ever since – in some shape or form it always been there, and particularly around 2012 was, again, instrumental to my return to illustration

If you have one… who’s your favourite 2000AD character (and why)?

Judge Dredd, he’s the Boss! To quote John Wagner: “He’s a good guy, but a bad ass!” Whilst the Justice Department and its ethos is highly, highly questionable, I see Judge Dredd as a good guy, and don’t necessarily subscribe to the antihero theme others promote. He’s actually a very clever plot device, essentially the full stop to the whole saga – but yeah, he’s my favourite!

I recall seeing him for the first time at the age of five, and as terrifying as his appearance was, took him as good guy in a very terrible situation, a very dangerous place (the first time I saw him was in 1981 the opening salvo of “Block Mania”) and he was the answer. To elaborate, I think that’s what both Wagner and McMahon intended!

Dredd aside, the charm of 2000AD, and the loyalty it invoked, was the ensemble of strips the appeared alongside Judge Dredd. “Rogue Trooper”, Gibbons naturally but anything Cam Kennedy drew, “Nemesis”, the Kev O’Neill stuff, “Ace Garp”, McMahon’s “Slàine”… Later, “Halo Jones”, “Metalzoic”… It was seamlessly from Progs 200 to 500 unstoppable and its influence visually and thematically resonates can still be seen today… It is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic after all!

You’ve produced a few “sketchbooks” over the last couple of years – do you enjoy making these? They’re certainly amongst the highest quality artist sketchbooks that I’ve seen.

This 100 page Annual Sized Hardback is the third and final volume, not to say there will not be others but I’d look to see someone else put ‘em out and I’d imagine that would be some way off … I do enjoy assembling them, they’ve proved to be a great way of collecting the last six years vast amount of work I’ve produced. It’s a little stressful, or certainly a lot of work pulling these together but it’s been worth it, and I think as regards to these, it’s good to go out with a bang!

Recently you’ve linked up with the publisher of the Shift comics anthology and your artwork adorns the cover of the latest issue (Volume 3, Issue 4) – how did that come about? And are you looking forward to going into all those branches of TG Jones and seeing your artwork staring back at you from the shelf?

I’ve previously worked with Shift, specifically Simon Furman and Geoff Senior, on their To The Death series, creating the character Lupex with Simon Furman.

Fun fact: Geoff offered me a job back in 1994-95, but I turned ‘em down! This time around, Adrian Clarke, the editor simply reached out and asked if I was up for doing something and was given free rein to do whatever I wanted. The natural choice here was Dan Abnett, Steve White and Gary Erskine’s “Hypersonic”. I was meant to submit prelims, but essentially pitched the idea verbally, which got signed off and went straight in drawing and painting the cover in four to five days.

Are there guests who you’re particularly looking forward to seeing at Lawless and, if so, why?

Dan Cornwell, John Higgins if only for the fact we’ve enjoyed each other’s company at previous years events and their gregarious easy going friendly conversation makes for an always memorable event. Purely from a fan perspective, it’ll be great see and catch up with Jock, I’m pretty big on collecting his stuff and his approach to illustration was a key driver in my return to artwork and comics.

What can folks expect to find on your Lawless table? Sketches? Prints? Original art? Comics?

I’m not officially, or exactly tabling this year – I’ll have a small run of some older books with me, copies of the German anthology Feral, both of which I’ve strips in a one of which I did the cover for. I’ll have a handful of the new book
with me, too, and there’s some other stuff that’s gone to print… Fingers crossed I’ll have those before the event!

What projects are you currently working on? Anything that folks might get a sneak peak of at Lawless?

I’ll be working on some more stuff for Feral, I’ve got several covers lined up for UK based independents and that aside I’ve always got a healthy plate of commissions to work through. I’m bringing a fully painted Elvira piece to auction off in the bar at the event, too. This is being ran in conjunction with Jo Alexander and 100% of the process are going to the events chosen charity this year.

Where can people find you on the internet?

Quite simply, I’m on most of the social platforms, but this Linktree will take people to all the relevant accounts.

Andrw, thank you for talking to us. Enjoy Lawless!

• Lawless Comic Convention 9th – 10th May 2026 Doubletree by Hilton Hotel, Bristol, BS1 6NJ | Tickets for 2026 are on sale | Web: lawlesscomiccon.co.uk

About the Author
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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.