December – 1975, a new wave of science fiction films were about to be released. IPC magazines approached Pat Mills (Slaine, Nemesis the Warlock, ABC Warriors), in order to develop a science fiction themed comic title. Together, Pat Mills and John Wagner (Judge Dredd, Robo-Hunter, Strontium Dog) developed the characters and serials that would contribute to the comic’s success and achieve cult status.
Tharg and His Droids
The title 2000 AD was chosen as an in house joke, as nobody expected the publication to last. Another tongue in cheek gag was the creation of Tharg, a green skinned totalitarian alien who edited the publication and became the face of 2000 AD. Writers and artists contributing to the stories were dubbed Droids. Humorous stories were often developed which featured Tharg and his droids promoting Zarjaz Thrill Power across the galaxy.
Satirical social commentary, violence and chaos become staple themes amongst the core titles published in the magazine. The science fiction, action and horror genre was often mixed, producing excitingly dark and mature content. The artwork also pioneered a new era of graphic detail, particularly once published in full colour. Each issue contained up to five or more serials, stories broken into parts that ran for weeks. This structure offered the reader variety and kept them coming back for more, much like the cliff hanger shorts in old movie theatre.
Contributing Talent in 2000 AD
Today’s popular comic book writers and artists began with 2000 AD. These include Garth Ennis (Punisher:MAX, The Boys, Hellblazer), Simon Bisley (Lobo, TMNT, Hellblazer), Neil Gaiman (Sandman), Alan Grant (Batman titles) and Alan Moore (V for Vendetta, Watchmen).