Rennie’s New Prescription

By John Freeman on 23 November 2007

Judge Dredd and console game writer Gordon Rennie divulges trade secrets in his new column about writing computer game scripts.

Rennie, a former music journalist turned comics writer whose credits include strips for 2000AD such as Necronauts, Caballistics, Inc and Judge Dredd, and Warhammer novels, has been working more in the computer games industry of later, with comics writing becoming a sideline.

The BAFTA-nominated games writer has always maintained links with comics fans, and the blog offers some useful insights into the business from an insider’s viewpoint, although it might not encourage some into the business when he reveals that although he writes comics for a living “unless you’re a character in a Kevin Smith movie, it’s definitely not ever going to get you laid.”

One reader has already responded with surprise, apparently under the impression comic creators were part of Britain’s cultural elite these days. Poor, misguided, fool…

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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.