The art of Judge Dredd: 20 killer 2000 AD covers

Prog 199 - Pirates of the Black Atlantic (Part 3)

Pirates of The Black Atlantic threw up a classic Dredd cover from Bolland

Pirates of The Black Atlantic threw up a classic Dredd cover from Bolland
  • By Brian Bolland

"When I saw the script, I thought: ‘Fun story, but 18th century pirates – never again in the future.’ Well, how wrong can you be? The Far East is full of them, with ropes, hooks and 21st century firearms. 2000 AD has always been ahead in this field." - Ron Smith, Artist

Prog 225 - Judge Death Lives (Part 2)

Do comic covers get much more heavy metal than this? No, they don't.

Do comic covers get much more heavy metal than this? No, they don't.
  • By Brian Bolland

"The ultimate Dredd story represented by the ultimate Dredd artist – Brian Bolland. As a guy that loved comics, horror and of course heavy metal, these issues spoke to my core nerd. The cover of 225 to me is
not just the best 2000 AD cover but one of the best comic book covers of all time."
- Scott Ian, Anthrax

Prog 328 - Cry of the Werewolf

Often overlooked, Steve Dillon brought his own style to the world of Dredd

Often overlooked, Steve Dillon brought his own style to the world of Dredd
  • By Steve Dillon

"Steve Dillon gets a bit forgotten as a Dredd artist these days, but I always thought he was a terrific fit for the character. His take on the classic ‘something really bad and apparently irreversible is happening to the main character’ cover is simple but brilliant – the whole transformation summed up by that bursting glove." - D’Israeli, Artist

Prog 473 - Riders on the Storm (Part 1)

A great example of 2000 AD's willingness to push the boundaries

A great example of 2000 AD's willingness to push the boundaries
  • By Brendan McCarthy

"The ‘Rain’ cover remains one of my favourite pieces for 2000 AD. Quoting the obscure Beatles’ B-side to one of their Rubber Soul-era singles, this was the first time I was able to get creative control of the
colouring and lettering of the artwork... Even the logo was messed about with. The editor at the time, the very wonderful Steve McManus, encouraged me to go for it... and so I did!"
- Brendan McCarthy, Artist

Prog 494 - Phantom of the Shoppera

Robinson was 'more dangerous' than Bolland according to Scott Ian of Anthrax

Robinson was 'more dangerous' than Bolland according to Scott Ian of Anthrax
  • By Cliff Robinson

"No list of classic Dredd covers would be complete without some mention of Cliff Robinson, the heir apparent to Brian Bolland. Over the decades, Cliff has ceaselessly brought us a cavalcade of classic Dredd images, all bearing his trademark clean line and bold designs." - Chris Weston, Artist

Prog 511 - The Beating Heart (Part 1)

As we needed another reasong to watch Spaced, this image makes a brief appearance

As we needed another reasong to watch Spaced, this image makes a brief appearance
  • By Cliff Robinson

"This image has been used for a good few pieces of Dredd merchandise over the years – T-shirts, bubble gum wrappers, etc. A poster version of it appeared in an episode of the excellent comedy series Spaced: it can be clearly (but briefly) seen on the back of Simon Pegg’s bedroom door." - Cliff Robinson, Artist

Next: The Painted Years (1987-1999).

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