New issues of 2000AD (Prog 2376, with a cover by RM Guera) and Monster Fun No. 18 (with a cover by Dan Boultwood) are on sale from today in all good comic shops and newsagents. After last week’s bumper edition of the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, it’s full steam ahead for a new “Judge Dredd” story by the Rob Williams and RM Guera, plus we’re treated to a complete “Terror Tale” from Jon Lock – making a very welcome debut, at last! – and artist Richard Elson, alongside the latest instalments of “Full Tilt Boogie“, “Indigo Prime” and “Proteus Vex“.

For those unfamiliar, Jon Lock, who says he’s honoured to be part of the 2000AD family has been making comics and games for over 10 years and is a hugely talented comic creator, perhaps best known as the writer and creator of Afterlife Inc, available to read online here. His clients also include Campfire, Lego, Retroware and Troma.

You may remember we plugged a crowdfunder last year for his Comic Writer’s Journal, a customisable journal designed to help comic writers of all skill levels bring their stories to life, now available from his web shop.

2000AD has published an interview with Jon about his new strip here.

The latest issue of Monster Fun has a another full lineup of comedy and adventure for younger readers, as chaotically as ever. Kid Kong is given the daunting task of mowing the garden, Hell’s Angel tackles environmental issues at home, while in Frankencritter the world ’s meanest bird-thing, Critzilla, terrorises a local forest. Plus, hapless shark Gums finds himself lost in the deep, dark ocean. The action ramps up in “Rex Power“, and details of the final heist emerge in “Peaches’ Creatures“. Oh, and Zorthrax the Unforgivable returns after his disastrous dining experience at Garzag’s Galactic Guzzle-Pit!

2000AD Prog 2376
UK and DIGITAL: 3 April £3.60
NORTH AMERICA: 29 May $25.50 (per pack)
DIAMOND: FEB241663
COVER: RM Guera

In this issue:

NEW THRILL: JUDGE DREDD // REND & TEAR WITH TOOTH & CLAW
by Rob Williams (Writer) RM Guera (Artist) Julia Brusco (Colourist) Annie Parkhouse (Letterer)

Mega-City One, 2146 AD. Home to over 200 million citizens, this urban hell is situated along the east coast of post-apocalyptic North America, with the toxic Black Atlantic to the east and the irradiated Cursed Earth to the west. Crime is rampant, and only future cops the Judges — empowered to dispense instant justice — can stop total anarchy. Toughest of them all is JUDGE DREDD — he is the Law!

NEW THRILL: TERROR TALES // ANTUMNOS
by Jon Lock (Writer) Richard Elson (Artist) Simon Bowland (Letterer)

Experience the terrifying side of Thrill-power with these one-off tales from beyond the veil of sanity. Whether they be ghostly goings-on that send shivers up the spine or splatterfests that sear the retina and paralyse the mind, nothing is what it seems in these glimpses of a realm beyond our own. Sharpe is a member of Herne, a specialist governmental division investigating unusual phenomena and disappearances…

• Interview: Talking Terror Tales, Antumnos, and ‘old, cold folklore’ with debut droid Jon Lock

FULL TILT BOOGIE // BOOK TWO
by Alex de Campi (Writer) Eduardo Ocana (Artist) Eva De La Cruz (Colourist) Annie Parkhouse (Letterer)

Out in the deep reaches of the cosmos, teenager Tee — together with her grandmother and cat — is a bounty hunter/hired help, operating from her spaceship the FULL TILT BOOGIE. Tee was paid to rescue the Luxine Prince Ifan from his debtors’ prison. In the process, she encountered a resurrected Anubite warrior, a member of the enemy race with whom the Luxine Empire was at war. Now, they’ve sought refuge on Tanzagar…

INDIGO PRIME // BLACK MONDAY
by Kek-W (Writer) Lee Carter (Artist) Jim Campbell (Letterer)

The multiverse. There is an infinite number of parallel realities, and all need managing in case of dimensional instability. This is where INDIGO PRIME came in, the multiverse ’s troubleshooters, whose agents are trained to deal with space/time catastrophes. Now, IP’s HQ has been destroyed in a cataclysmic event, and its assets acquired by the company ICP. But Clive Vista has a plan, involving Tyranny Rex…

PROTUES VEX: DEVIOUS
By Michael Carroll (Writer) Jake Lynch (Artist) Jim Boswell (Colourist) Simon Bowland (Letterer)

The far future. The centuries-long war between the Alliance and the Obdurate people is over, a conflict ended when the Alliance teleported a dying white dwarf star into the Obdurate system. Imperium agent PROTEUS VEX — who is operated by a flesh-pilot — became an enemy of the Alliance when he released info about past war crimes. In the wake of the war with the Scorchers, Vex is missing, presumed dead…

Available in print from: newsagents and comic book stores via Diamond | Available in digital from: 2000AD webshop, 2000AD apps for Apple & Android

Monster Fun #18
UK and DIGITAL: 3 April £3.99
NORTH AMERICA: 8 May $8.99 (per pack)
DIAMOND: FEB241665
COVER: Dan Boultwood

In this issue:

• GUMS by Stacey Whittle (Writer) Brett Parson (Art and Letterer)
• KID KONG // KID KONG GOES ON SAFARI by Alec Worley (Writer) Karl Dixon (Art and Letterer)
• HELLS ANGEL by Chris Garbett (Writer, Artist and Letterer)
• SPACE INVADED // MURPH CONTAINS MULTITUDES by John Lucas (Writer and Artist) Barbara Nosenzo (Colourist) H.A. O’Millar (Letterer)
• PEACHES’ CREATURES // THE WEREWOLF OF WALL STREET by Ned Hartley (Writer) Dan Boultwood (Art and Colour) Sarah Fimm (Letterer)
• DRACULASS // RARE BATS by Dave Bulmer (Writer and Letterer) Abigail Bulmer (Art and Colour)
• ZORTHRAX THE UNFORGIVABLE by Alec Worley (Writer) PJ Holden (Art and Colour) Ozwaldo Sanchez (Letterer)
• REX POWER by Ramzee (Writer) Claude TC (Art and Colour) Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou (Letterer)
• FRANKIE STEIN // FRANKEN CRITTER by Steve Roberts (Script and Art) Harvey Caldarone (Art and Letterer)

Available in print from: newsagents and comic book stores via Diamond | Available in digital from: 2000AD webshop, 2000AD apps for Apple & Android

Coming Soon…

• 2000AD Prog 2377 – 10 April

Joe Pineapples: Tin Man (A.B.C. Warriors)
by Pat Mills (Writer), Simon Bisley, Clint Langley (Arists)
Out: 10th April 2024
Hardcover, 96 Pages
ISBN: 978-1786184931

Stranded for millions of years on an asteroid is hard work – especially when you only have a sewage droid for company! Joe Pineapples, the hotshot robotic sniper who never misses and former member of the A.B.C. Warriors – a team of war robots sent to first conquer and then protect Mars – looks back over his life as he seeks to unravel the mystery behind an I.D. plate that he has carried around since his days as an X-terminator fighting in the Volgan War.

This brand-new, stand-alone A.B.C. Warriors story marks the return of Simon Bisley (Lobo, Batman/Dredd: Judgement on Gotham) to the characters for the first time with 1988’s classic Black Hole story, which kickstarted his comic career, but now in glorious painted colour reminiscent of Bisley’s work on Slaine: The Horned God. Clint Langley, who has drawn A.B.C. Warriors stories for the last 15 years, completes this final tale of Joe Pineapples in his own unique style.

Pat Mills is the creator and first editor of 2000AD. He developed Judge Dredd and is the writer-creator of many of 2000AD’s most popular stories such as Sláine, Nemesis and A.B.C. Warriors. Amongst his credits are Marshal Law (Marvel and DC Comics), co-created with Kevin O’Neill, the French graphic novel series Requiem, Vampire Knight with artist Olivier Ledroit, and Be Pure! Be Vigilant! Behave! The Secret History of 2000AD and Judge Dredd. His current projects include Joe Pineapples: Tin Man, illustrated by Simon Bisley and Clint Langley, Spacewarp, and Kiss My Axe! The Secret History of Sláine the Warped Warrior.

Simon Bisley occupies an almost unique place in 2000AD history, as one of the first UK artists to popularise the fully-painted style pioneered by Argentinian artist Alberto Brecchia. His highly dynamic artwork made his two major series in the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic — A.B.C. Warriors: The Black Hole and Sláine: The Horned God — very popular, as they remain to date. He also illustrated Heavy Metal Dredd in the Megazine, an ultra-graphic, adults-only take on the lawman, before going on to pencil the hugely successful first Batman/Judge Dredd crossover story, Judgement on Gotham. Bisley has provided countless pin-ups and short pieces across an astonishing variety of comics, from legendary fantasy anthology Heavy Metal to anarchic DC superhero series Lobo, and has an even more extensive CV in Europe, where his painted style enjoys enormous success.

Clint Langley began his 2000AD career with the fully painted artwork of his co-created series Dinosty. He quickly went on to illustrate Judge Dredd, Nemesis the Warlock, Outlaw, Sinister Dexter and Tales of Telguuth. His striking mixture of fully painted art and digital manipulation on Sláine and the ABC Warriors has made him a firm favourite with fans. As well as working for 2000AD Langley has produced covers for Games Workshop and Marvel (with striking covers for The Punisher, Wolverine and Ghost Rider, amongst others), produced art for World of Warcraft and Magic: The Gathering, and is the winner of the 2007 Inquest Gamer Fan Award.

Lowborn High: Volume 1
by David Barnett and Anna Morozova
Out: 20th April 2024
Paperback, 112 Pages
ISBN: 978-1837861095

For as long as anyone can remember, Wychdusk Manor has been the school to which all the top magical novices are sent, where they are trained to become the world’s greatest wizards. Androgeus Frost, part of one of the wizarding worlds’ most esteemed families, always thought it was a sure thing he’d get in, but somehow finds himself dumped at Lowborn High.

David Barnett is a novelist, comic writer and journalist, based in the North of England. He has written “Chopper”, “Lowborn High” and other strips for 2000AD, Books of Magic for DC, and Punks Not Dead and Eve Stranger for IDW — the latter being developed by BBC Studios for television. His novels include The Handover, Alien: Colony War, and, in 2023, There Is A Light That Never Goes Out. He writes features for The Guardian, The Observer, Independent, Tortoise, BBC Culture and many other outlets.

Anna Morozova is a Russian-born freelance comics artist and illustrator from Estonia, who now lives and works in Scotland. Following graduation from a Comics Masters in Dundee, she’s produced work for various comics publishers, including Commando stories for DC Thomson, and commercial clients. As well as co-creating “Viva Forever” with David Baillie, Anna’s contributions to 2000AD so far include illustrating “Future Shocks” and a “Black Museum” episode for the Judge Dredd Megazine.

40 Years of Scream!
Writers: Gerry Finley-Day, Simon Furman, Alan Grant, Alan Moore, Ian Rimmer, Tom Tully, John Wagner et al
Artists: Eric Bradbury, Cam Kennedy, Jose Ortiz et al
Out: Thursday 25th April 2024
Hardcover, 464 Pages
ISBN: 978-1837861071

Check out our exclusive previews of 40 Years of Scream! here and here

40 Years of Scream!, offered through Rebellion’s Treasury of British Comics imprint in slipcase and standard formats, the new celebratory collection of the entirety of Scream!, includes every single strip published in 1984 from issues 1-15 of the original run. 

• Order 40 Years of Scream! Slipcase Edition direct from the Treasury of British Comics web site

• Order 40 Years of Scream! Standard Edition direct from the Treasury of British Comics web site

• Order 40 Years of Scream! St

Out in May…

• Essential Judge Anderson: Satan – 8th May
• Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files 44 – 8th May
• Robot Archie and the Time Machine – 29th May 2024
• War Picture Library – The Iron Fist – 29th May 2024

Out in June…

• Best of 2000AD Volume 6: The Essential Gateway to the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic – 4th June 2024
• The Steve Dillon Apex Edition – 19th June 2024
• Judge Dredd by Brian Bolland: Masterpiece Edition – 20th June 2024
• Kelpie the Boy Wizard: 60th Anniversary – 20th June 2024

John Freeman

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.

Categories: 2000AD, British Comics, Comic Previews, Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News

Tags: 2000AD, Dan Boultwood, downthetubes News, Joe Pineapples, Jon Lock, Judge Dredd, Lowborn High, Monster Fun, Richard Elson, RM Guera, Rob Williams, Scream, SF Comics