Latest Comic Guest Announcement - MICK McMAHON

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Latest Comic Guest Announcement - Mick McMahon

 

Attending: Saturday & Sunday

 

Artist: 2000 AD (Judge Dredd, ABC Warriors, Ro-Busters, Sláine); The Last American; Sonic the Comic; Tattered Banners; Tank Girl: Carioca

ALTHOUGH John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra created Judge Dredd, the iconic Lawman of the Future's first story appearance was drawn by Mick McMahon, who made his professional debut on the historic five-pager in 1977's 2000 AD Prog 2.

After providing the art for the Dredd strips in the next two Progs, McMahon went on to become the Mega-City One lawman's most frequent artist over the next two years. Embellishing Ezquerra's design, the young illustrator – who has been credited as Mike McMahon throughout his career – provided Dredd with the characteristic look that remains the standard to this day.

In 1979 he took a break from Dredd to illustrate Ro-Busters and then ABC Warriors for the self-styled Galaxy's Greatest Comic. Returning to work on the Lawman of the Future into 1981, he next provided stories to three issues of Marvel UK's Doctor Who Weekly and then drew a 1982 issue of Starblazer: Space Fiction Adventures in Pictures for DC Thomson.

He came back to 2000 AD in 1983 to draw the first Sláine stories but ill health forced him to discontinue the series in 1984.

His return to the medium came six years later and on the other side of the Atlantic. In collaboration with Wagner and Alan Grant, he launched The Last American at Epic Comics, Marvel's creator owned imprint. That 1990 four-parter was followed by a 1991 return to Britain where he contributed to the first seven issues of Apocalypse's short-lived Toxic!.

Then it was back to Epic – where McMahon had already contributed to three issues of Clive Barker's Hellraiser – for 1992's Alien Legion: Jugger Grimrod one-shot. That was followed over a year later by a three-issue Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight serial for DC.

After that his comic work became increasingly more sporadic. Over the next four years he made an occasional return to 2000 AD and to Dredd (in Judge Dredd Megazine) and contributed to a couple of The Big Book of... volumes from DC's Piranha Press imprint.

Then, in 1997, McMahon began a 21-issue association with Egmont Magazines' Sonic the Comic. It was followed in 1998 by Tattered Banners, a four-parter from Vertigo, DC's mature readers imprint.

It wasn't until 2011 that his next storytelling project appeared. Published by Titan, the four-issue Tank Girl: Carioca was followed in 2012 by a contribution to Self Made Hero's Lovecraft Anthology.

A year later he drew a two-issue serial for Dark Horse Presents, Dark Horse's flagship anthology. It was his last project to date.

With his constantly evolving style McMahon is recognised as one of the major artistic talents to emerge from 2000 AD. Despite his low profile since the beginning of the new millennium, he remains a major inspiration to neophyte comics artists.