Animated JUDGE DREDD series in development

It's been confirmed - via a concept art and video leak - that a Judge Dredd animated TV series is in development.

Judge Dredd is a British comic book series which has been running continuously in the weekly 2000AD comic since 1977 and the monthly Judge Dredd Megazine since 1990, so an animated series is true to the series' roots. There's already been one animated mini-series, Superfiend, which aired in 2014 as a thank you to fans of the 2012 live-action film starring Karl Urban, who've been campaigning incessantly since then for a sequel.

Rebellion Studios are developing Mega-City One, a live-action TV series about rookie Judges in the titular city, with the possibility of Urban reprising his role as Dredd on a recurring (but not regular) basis (he's very keen on the idea). The project has been in development since 2017, but has not proceeded due to Rebellion not managing to attract a production partner so far.

The animated series, starring Dredd more directly (potentially voiced by Urban, we hope), is a good potential companion piece and will allow for more spectacular adventures than a live-action budget may be able to accommodate. This also strongly suggests that Netflix may be the target partner, as they are keen on having live action shows with animated companion pieces (as with Altered Carbon and The Witcher).

Whether the development pitch gets greenlit is another matter, but an adult-focused Judge Dredd TV show is very much something I never thought I wanted until now. It's a great idea, especially if they adapt the classic stories from the comics run like Apocalypse War and The Dark Judges.

RIP Carlos Ezquerra

The feted comic book artist Carlos Ezquerra has passed away from lung cancer at the age of 70.

Ezquerra was born in Spain in 1947. He started his artistic career drawing for Spanish periodicals, but in 1973 moved to London to work for the British comics market, starting with The Wizard and Pocket Western Library, as well as romance strips. In 1974 he started working on Battle Picture Weekly, a war comic, and gained his first fans for his visceral action scenes and readily-identifiable characters. Ezquerra used a shorthand of basing iconic characters partly on famous actors, basing the character of Major Eazy on actor James Coburn.

In 1977 Ezquerra was asked by editor Pat Mills to help launch his new comic 2000AD. Writer John Wagner had created a new character, a tough lawman of the future, and Ezquerra created the iconic look for Judge Dredd (whose formidable chin was inspiared by actor Clint Eastwood), as well as designing the colourful, insane landscape of Mega-City One. Ezquerra was credited as Judge Dredd's co-creator, but he was unhappy when another artist, Mike McMahon, was chosen to draw the first story proper. Ezquerra

Ezquerra and Wagner reunited in 1978 to create a new character, Strontium Dog, for Starlord comic (which later folded, with its characters moving into 2000AD). Strontium Dog, which was about the adventures of a mutant bounty hunter called Johnny Alpha, proved to be a long-running success with Ezquerra illustrating every story for ten years (until an ill-advised decision to kill off the character led to Ezquerra quitting; he rejoined the strip when the character was resurrected).

Ezquerra's career was dominated by Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog, with him illustrating both characters regularly until the late 2000s. During this time he sometimes guested on other strips, such as DC's Hitman and Garth Ennis's Preacher, but his focus remained on the two characters that defined his career. His contribution to both wound down after 2010, when he had a lung removed from complications arising from a cancer diagnosis. Despite his bullish defence - "who the hell needs two [lungs] for drawing?" - his work rate declined.

Ezquerra was one of the defining creative forces in modern British comics and he will be missed.

Duncan Jones to direct a ROGUE TROOPER movie

Duncan Jones has announced that he is directing a movie based on cult British comic Rogue Trooper. He made the announcement in a slightly oblique fashion via Twitter.

Rogue Trooper was created in 1981 by Gerry Finley-Day and Dave Gibbons, originally appearing in issues of 2000AD alongside characters like Judge Dredd. The series is set on the planet Nu-Earth, originally a paradise-like colony of Earth that was torn apart in a brutal, generations-lasting civil war between the Norts and Southers. This was has made the planet almost uninhabitable, with a toxic atmosphere forcing the people to live in domed shelters.

As promised... pic.twitter.com/6y3pzn2Cn1

— Duncan Jones (@ManMadeMoon) July 15, 2018

The original and most iconic storyline follows Rogue, the sole surviving of a bungled offensive. Rogue is a Genetic Infantryman (G.I.) who has been engineered to survive in the toxic environment, resulting in blue skin and an enhanced immune system. He is assisted by AI chips with notable personalities built into his helmet, gun and backpack. Rogue discovers his unit was sold out to the enemy by a "traitor general" and he sets out to expose and punish this individual in a storyline that lasted four years. Since the conclusion of that story, Rogue has appeared in numerous further adventures in both comics and video games.

British director Duncan Jones is the director of Moon (2009), Source Code (2011), WarCraft (2016) and Mute (2018), and is a director of some skill, although Mute was disappointing. It's unclear how far into development this project is, but we hope to hear more soon.

RIP Steve Dillon

Legendary comic book artist Steve Dillon has passed away at the age of 56.

Dillon was a comic book prodigy. He sold his first professional work at the age of just 16, for the UK Hulk Weekly comic. He later drew the Nick Fury strip in the same comic. In 1980 he designed the iconic Doctor Who Magazine comic character Abslom Daak, Dalek Killer, and went on to draw many of his appearances in the title. He also worked on the 2000AD comic, particularly the Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper and ABC Warriors strips.

In the 1990s Dillon formered a working partnership with writer Garth Ennis, first on a run on Hellblazer and then in their own collaborative title, the enormously popular and critically-acclaimed Preacher (which has recently transitioned to TV as an AMC series). Dillon has also been acclaimed for his long-running work on The Punisher.

Dillon's work was straightforward but packed with character, incident and detail. I'm less familiar with his US work, but I was a big fan of his work on the Doctor Who comic, particularly his creation of Abslom Daak, and his 2000AD period. He will be missed, as he has gone far too young.