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John Wagner (born 1949) is an American-born British
comics writer A script is a document describing the narrative and dialogue of a comic book in detail. It is the comic book equivalent of a television program teleplay or a film screenplay. In comics, a script may be preceded by a plot outline, and is almost al ...
. Alongside
Pat Mills Patrick Eamon Mills (born 1949) is an English comics writer and editor who, along with John Wagner, revitalised British boys' comics in the 1970s, and has remained a leading light in British comics ever since. He has been called "the godfath ...
, he helped revitalise
British comics A British comic is a periodical published in the United Kingdom that contains comic strips. It is generally referred to as a comic or a comic magazine, and historically as a comic paper. As of 2014, the three longest-running comics of all time w ...
in the 1970s, and continues to be active in the British comics industry, occasionally also working in American comics. He is the co-creator, with artist
Carlos Ezquerra Carlos Sanchez Ezquerra (; 12 November 1947 – 1 October 2018) was a Spanish comics artist who worked mainly in British comics. He is best known as the co-creator of ''Judge Dredd''. Biography Early work Born in Ibdes, Zaragoza (province), prov ...
, of the character
Judge Dredd Judge Joseph Dredd is a fictional character created by writer John Wagner and artist Carlos Ezquerra. He first appeared in the second issue of the British weekly anthology Comic book, comic ''2000 AD (comics), 2000 AD'' (1977). He is the magazi ...
. Wagner started his career in editorial with D. C. Thomson & Co. in the late 1960s before becoming a freelance writer and a staff editor at
IPC IPC may refer to: Businesses and organizations Arts and media * Intellectual Property Committee, a coalition of US corporations with intellectual property interests * International Panorama Council, an international network of specialists in ...
in the 1970s. He has worked in children's humour and girls' adventure comics, but is most notable for his boys' adventure comics; he helped launch ''
Battle Picture Weekly ''Battle Picture Weekly'' (at various times also known as ''Battle and Valiant'', ''Battle Action'', ''Battle Action Force'', ''Battle'' and ''Battle with Storm Force'') was a British weekly boys' war comic published by IPC Magazines from 8 ...
'' (1975), for which he wrote "Darkie's Mob", and '' 2000 AD'' (1977), for which he created numerous characters, including Judge Dredd,
Strontium Dog ''Strontium Dog'' is a long-running British comics series starring Johnny Alpha, a mutant bounty hunter who lives in Earth's future. The series was created in 1978 by writer John Wagner (under the pseudonym T. B. Grover) and artist Carlos Ezquer ...
,
Robo-Hunter ''Robo-Hunter'' is a recurring comic strip, strip in the British Comic ''2000 AD (comics), 2000 AD'', initially written by John Wagner and illustrated by Ian Gibson (artist), Ian Gibson. The series starred Sam Slade, a laconic, ageing, cigar-smoki ...
and Button Man. In the 1980s, he and co-writer Alan Grant wrote prolifically for IPC's ''2000 AD'', ''Battle'', ''
Eagle Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...
'', '' Scream!'' and ''
Roy of the Rovers ''Roy of the Rovers'' is a British comic strip about the life and times of a fictional association football, footballer and later Manager (association football), manager named Roy Race, who played for Melchester Rovers. The strip first appeared ...
''. They also wrote for
DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
' ''
Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
'' in the U.S., created a series of Batman and Judge Dredd team-up comics, and started the British independent comic '' The Bogie Man''. Judge Dredd has twice been adapted for film, and
David Cronenberg David Paul Cronenberg (born March 15, 1943) is a Canadian film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. He is a principal originator of the body horror genre, with his films exploring visceral bodily transformation, infectious diseases, and ...
adapted Wagner's graphic novel ''
A History of Violence ''A History of Violence'' is a 2005 action thriller film directed by David Cronenberg and written by Josh Olson. It is an adaptation of the 1997 DC Comics, DC A History of Violence (comics), graphic novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke. The fi ...
'' into the 2005 film of the same name. Wagner continues to write for ''2000 AD'' and ''
Judge Dredd Megazine ''Judge Dredd: The Megazine'' is a monthly British comic magazine, launched in September 1990. It is a sister publication to '' 2000 AD''. Its name is a play on words, formed from "magazine" and Judge Dredd's locale Mega-City One. Content L ...
''.


Biography


Early life and career

Wagner was born in
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
, U.S., in 1949,Colin M. Jarman and Peter Acton, ''Judge Dredd: The Mega History'', Lennard Publishing, 1995 the product of a war marriage. When Wagner was twelve his parents separated and his mother returned to
Greenock Greenock (; ; , ) is a town in Inverclyde, Scotland, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. The town is the administrative centre of Inverclyde Council. It is a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, and forms ...
in Scotland with the children.Jack McKeown
"Dredd 3D fans owe a debt to the Wormit Thrill Shed
, ''The Courier'', 4 September 2012
Wagner describes himself as "a pretty badly adjusted youth" in America, fighting and getting into trouble, and says he "benefited a lot from the added discipline of life in Scotland." When he left school he joined a printing company, going to college on day release, until his aunt showed him an advert for editorial assistants at D. C. Thomson & Co. in Dundee.W. R. Logan
Interview with John Wagner
, Class of '79 (undated)
He got the job, starting in the Fiction department, and went on to become chief sub-editor of the romance comic ''
Romeo Romeo Montague () is the male protagonist of William Shakespeare's tragedy ''Romeo and Juliet''. The son of Characters in Romeo and Juliet#Lord Montague, Lord Montague and his wife, Characters in Romeo and Juliet#Lady Montague, Lady Montague, he ...
'', and also wrote horoscopes.David Bishop, "Interrogation: Alan Grant Part One", ''Judge Dredd Megazine'' #266, 8 January 2008, pp. 16–22 He and
Pat Mills Patrick Eamon Mills (born 1949) is an English comics writer and editor who, along with John Wagner, revitalised British boys' comics in the 1970s, and has remained a leading light in British comics ever since. He has been called "the godfath ...
, a fellow sub-editor, left to go freelance in 1971, and began submitting scripts to London's
IPC IPC may refer to: Businesses and organizations Arts and media * Intellectual Property Committee, a coalition of US corporations with intellectual property interests * International Panorama Council, an international network of specialists in ...
,David Bishop, "Blazing Battle Action" part 1, ''Judge Dredd Megazine'' No. 209, 28 August 2003, pp. 72–78 working from Mills' garden shed in
Wormit Wormit is a village on the south shore of the Firth of Tay in north-east Fife, Scotland. It is located at the southern end of the Tay Rail Bridge and together with Woodhaven and Newport-on-Tay, Wormit is a part of The Burgh of Newport-on-Tay. T ...
, Fife.David Bishop, "John Wagner: The Quiet American", ''Judge Dredd Megazine'' #250, 17 October 2006, pp. 24–30 Starting with humour titles like ''
Cor!! ''Cor!!'' was a British comic book launched in June 1970 by IPC (International Publishing Corporation), their sixth new comic in just over a year. ''Cor!!'' was edited by Bob Paynter. The comic had 32 pages and included full-colour front and b ...
'' and '' Whizzer and Chips'', they also went on to write for girls' and boys' adventure comics, including strips like "Yellowknife of the Yard", about a Native American detective in London, drawn by
Doug Maxted Doug is a male personal name (or, depending on which definition of "personal name" one uses, part of a personal name). It is sometimes a given name (or "first name"), but more often it is a hypocorism (affectionate variation of a personal name) whi ...
, for '' Valiant''; "Partridge's Patch", about a friendly rural policeman and his dog, drawn by Mike Western, for ''Jet''; "The Can-Do Kids" for ''
Lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body (biology), body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the ...
'',Dean Simons, "The Father of Judge Dredd", ''Tripwire'', November 2012, pp. 13–16 and boarding school serial "School for Snobs" for '' Tammy''. IPC managers John Purdie and John Sanders began to take notice. After nine months their writing partnership broke up, and Wagner moved to London to join IPC's staff, editing girls' titles ''Sandie'' and ''
Princess Tina ''Princess Tina'' (also known as ''Princess Tina and Penelope'' and ''Tina'' at various points) was a British comics, British weekly British girls' comics, girls' comic anthology published by Fleetway Publications and IPC Magazines from 23 Sept ...
'' until 1973, when both were merged into other titles. After that he quit comics for a time, taking a variety of jobs, including as caretaker of an estate in the Scottish Highlands and dredging on a barge.David Bishop
John Wagner talks about ''Battle Picture Weekly''
Vicious Imagery, 30 January 2007


''Battle'', ''Valiant'' and ''Action''

In the autumn of 1974 Pat Mills had been tasked with developing ''
Battle Picture Weekly ''Battle Picture Weekly'' (at various times also known as ''Battle and Valiant'', ''Battle Action'', ''Battle Action Force'', ''Battle'' and ''Battle with Storm Force'') was a British weekly boys' war comic published by IPC Magazines from 8 ...
'', a new war-themed title for IPC to compete with D. C. Thomson's ''
Warlord Warlords are individuals who exercise military, Economy, economic, and Politics, political control over a region, often one State collapse, without a strong central or national government, typically through informal control over Militia, local ...
''. He asked Wagner to join him and help develop characters. Mills and Wagner were dissatisfied with the sanitised nature of boys' comics and wanted to make them harder-hitting, with more working-class heroes. They devised the opening line-up themselves, with the assistance of
Gerry Finley-Day Gerry Finley-Day (born 1947, in Broughty Ferry, Dundee) is a Scottish comics writer, prolific from the 1960s to the 1980s, best known as the creator of "Rogue Trooper". Career He began his career at D.C. Thomson & Co., before becoming the ...
, before farming the stories out to other writers. The title was launched with a cover date of 8 March 1975, and was a hit. Wagner continued to write for girls' comics, including scripting gymnastics strip "Bella at the Bar" for '' Tammy'', and was appointed editor of the ailing boys' weekly '' Valiant''. Characters he created for this title included the tough New York City cop "
One-Eyed Jack This list of playing card nicknames shows the nicknames of playing cards. Some are generic while some are specific to certain card games; others are specific to patterns, such as the court cards of the Paris pattern and the Tell pattern for exam ...
", drawn by John Cooper, which was inspired by the film ''
Dirty Harry ''Dirty Harry'' is a 1971 American action-thriller film produced and directed by Don Siegel, the first in the Dirty Harry (film series), ''Dirty Harry'' series. Clint Eastwood plays the title role, in his first appearance as San Francisco Polic ...
'' and became the comic's most popular character,"I invented Judge Dredd"
BBC, 28 February 2002
and "Soldier Sharp", drawn by
Joe Colquhoun Joe Colquhoun (7 November 1926 – 13 April 1987) was a British comics artist best known for his work on '' Charley's War'' in ''Battle Picture Weekly''. He was also the first artist to draw ''Roy of the Rovers''. Biography Born in Harrow, Midd ...
, about a cunning coward in
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Both strips transferred to ''Battle'' when ''Valiant'' was merged into it in 1976, with One-Eyed Jack leaving the police and becoming a spy.David Bishop, "Blazing Battle Action" part 2, ''Judge Dredd Megazine'' No. 210, 23 September 2003, pp. 72–79 Wagner then quit editorial and returned to freelance writing. In 1976–77 he wrote " Darkie's Mob" for ''Battle'', a violent series about a renegade British captain leading a group of lost soldiers in a personal war against the Japanese in
Burma Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...
during World War II, drawn by Mike Western, which became one of the comic's most popular strips, although Wagner has since said he regrets "some of the jingoistic, racist language" used.Ian Wheeler, "John Wagner: The Story Man", ''Eagle Flies Again'' issue 11, Winter 2004, pp. 5–6 A collected edition was published by
Titan Books Titan Publishing Group is the publishing division of the British entertainment company Titan Entertainment, which was established as Titan Books in 1981. The books division has two main areas of publishing: film and television tie-ins and cine ...
in 2011. Other strips he wrote for ''Battle'' included "Joe Two Beans" (1977), about a mute Native American soldier in the Pacific Campaign, drawn by
Eric Bradbury Eric Bradbury (4 January 1921 – May 2001) was a British comic artist who primarily worked for Amalgamated Press/IPC from the late 1940s to the 1990s. He studied at Beckenham Art School from 1936, and served in the RAF as a rear gunner o ...
, and the naval series "HMS Nightshade" (1978–79), drawn by Western. For Mills' short-lived, controversial title ''
Action Action may refer to: * Action (philosophy), something which is done by a person * Action principles the heart of fundamental physics * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video gam ...
'' he scripted the boxing strip "Blackjack". During this time he shared a flat on Camberwell New Road in London with future '' 2000 AD'' editor
Steve MacManus Steve MacManus (sometimes credited as Ian Rogan; born 1953) is a British comic writer and editor, particularly known for his work at '' 2000 AD''. Biography Born in London and educated in Devon, MacManus joined IPC in 1973, aged 20, as a sub- ...
.


''2000 AD''

In 1976 Mills brought Wagner in as script adviser for the new science fiction comic he was developing, ''2000 AD''. Wagner suggested the new title needed a cop story, and his proposal, "
Judge Dredd Judge Joseph Dredd is a fictional character created by writer John Wagner and artist Carlos Ezquerra. He first appeared in the second issue of the British weekly anthology Comic book, comic ''2000 AD (comics), 2000 AD'' (1977). He is the magazi ...
", took the ''Dirty Harry'' archetype further, imagining a violent lawman, empowered to dispense justice on the spot in a future New York. Artist
Carlos Ezquerra Carlos Sanchez Ezquerra (; 12 November 1947 – 1 October 2018) was a Spanish comics artist who worked mainly in British comics. He is best known as the co-creator of ''Judge Dredd''. Biography Early work Born in Ibdes, Zaragoza (province), prov ...
was asked to visualise the character, but Wagner initially hated the elaborate look Ezquerra came up with, thinking it "way over the top". When a proposed buy-out of ''2000 AD'' that would have improved creators' terms and conditions fell through, Wagner walked away from the comic,David Bishop, ''Thrill Power Overload'', Rebellion, 2002–2009 leaving Mills to develop the character by commissioning stories from freelancers. The first published episode appeared in issue 2, based on a script by Peter Harris, rewritten by Mills and drawn by Mike McMahon, which alienated Ezquerra. Wagner returned to write the character from issue 9, and has written the majority of Judge Dredd stories since. Ezquerra returned in 1982 to draw the "
Apocalypse War Judge Joseph Dredd is a fictional character created by writer John Wagner and artist Carlos Ezquerra. He first appeared in the second issue of the British weekly anthology Comic book, comic ''2000 AD (comics), 2000 AD'' (1977). He is the magazi ...
" storyline, and continued to draw the character semi-regularly until his death in 2018. Wagner created two long-running series in 1978. One, "
Robo-Hunter ''Robo-Hunter'' is a recurring comic strip, strip in the British Comic ''2000 AD (comics), 2000 AD'', initially written by John Wagner and illustrated by Ian Gibson (artist), Ian Gibson. The series starred Sam Slade, a laconic, ageing, cigar-smoki ...
", a private detective-style character who specialised in robot-related cases, was initially drawn by José Ferrer, but his pages were partly redrawn by Ian Gibson, who became the strip's regular artist. The other, "
Strontium Dog ''Strontium Dog'' is a long-running British comics series starring Johnny Alpha, a mutant bounty hunter who lives in Earth's future. The series was created in 1978 by writer John Wagner (under the pseudonym T. B. Grover) and artist Carlos Ezquer ...
", a sci-fi western about a bounty hunter in a future where mutants are an oppressed minority forced into doing such dirty work, was created by Wagner and Ezquerra for '' Starlord'', a short-lived sister title to ''2000 AD'' with higher production values. ''Starlord'' was later merged into ''2000 AD'', bringing "Strontium Dog" with it.


''Doctor Who''

During their writing partnership, Wagner and Mills had submitted story ideas to the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
for the TV series ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...
'' in the 1970s,Dave Gibbons, Pat Mills, John Wagner and Steve Moore, ''Doctor Who: The Iron Legion'', Panini Books but Wagner eventually dropped out, tired of the endless rewrites requested, an experience which turned him off TV writing. Mills' involvement came to an end when the show's script editor changed. Artist
Dave Gibbons David Chester Gibbons (born 14 April 1949) is an English comics artist, writer and sometimes letterer. He is best known for his collaborations with writer Alan Moore, which include the miniseries ''Watchmen'' and the Superman story " For the M ...
was aware of this, and when he was offered the chance to draw the lead strip in '' Doctor Who Weekly'' in 1979, he suggested them as writers. The pair wrote four eight-part serials, based on their unmade TV scripts. They adapted them separately, Wagner scripting "City of the Damned" and "Dogs of Doom", and Mills scripting "The Iron Legion" and "The Star Beast", although all were credited to "Mills & Wagner".


Partnership with Alan Grant

From 1980 to 1988 he wrote in partnership with Alan Grant, an old friend and former D. C. Thomson and ''2000 AD'' sub-editor with whom he was sharing an old farmhouse in Essex, although most stories were credited to Wagner alone (under one of his pseudonyms) or Grant alone – whichever of them typed the script up got the cheque.David Bishop, "Interrogation: Alan Grant" part 2, ''Judge Dredd Megazine'' #267, 5 February 2008, pp. 16–22 Wagner (as John Howard or T. B. Grover) was credited with "Judge Dredd", and Grant with the less frequent "Robo-Hunter", "Strontium Dog", and the Judge Dredd spin-off " Anderson, Psi Division", while some strips, like the CB-inspired space haulage comedy " Ace Trucking Co.", were credited to "Grant/Grover". "Judge Dredd" was credited to "Wagner/Grant" starting in 1986. Other pseudonyms were created, at the insistence of publisher John Sanders, to disguise how prolific the two writers were. For the revived ''
Eagle Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...
'' they wrote "
Doomlord Doomlord is a British comic character, appearing in strips published by IPC Magazines. The character featured in British comic stories published in the weekly anthology ''Eagle'' from 27 March 1982 to 14 October 1989. The strip was initially a ...
", "Joe Soap", "Rebel the Police Dog", " Computer Warrior", "The Fists of Danny Pyke", " Manix" and " The House of Daemon"; for '' Scream!'' they wrote "
The Thirteenth Floor ''The Thirteenth Floor'' is a 1999 science fiction film written and directed by Josef Rusnak and produced by Roland Emmerich’s Centropolis Entertainment. Loosely based on Daniel F. Galouye’s 1964 novel, '' Simulacron-3,'' it is a remake o ...
", for ''
Roy of the Rovers ''Roy of the Rovers'' is a British comic strip about the life and times of a fictional association football, footballer and later Manager (association football), manager named Roy Race, who played for Melchester Rovers. The strip first appeared ...
'' they wrote "Dan Harker's War", and for ''Battle'' they wrote "Invasion 1984". During this time Wagner wrote the documentary strip "Fight for the Falklands" for ''Battle'', without Grant who had no interest in war stories, and "
Dan Dare Dan Dare is a British science fiction comic hero, created by illustrator Frank Hampson who also wrote the first stories. Dare appeared in the ''Eagle'' comic series ''Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future'' from 1950 to 1967 (and subsequently in ...
" with
Pat Mills Patrick Eamon Mills (born 1949) is an English comics writer and editor who, along with John Wagner, revitalised British boys' comics in the 1970s, and has remained a leading light in British comics ever since. He has been called "the godfath ...
for ''Eagle''. Wagner and Grant became part of the so-called "
British Invasion The British Invasion was a cultural phenomenon of the mid-1960s, when Rock music, rock and pop music acts from the United Kingdom and other aspects of Culture of the United Kingdom, British culture became popular in the United States with sign ...
" of American comics during the 1980s. In 1987 their first title, a mini-series called '' Outcasts'', was published by
DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
with
Cam Kennedy Campbell "Cam" Kennedy is a Scottish comics artist. He is best known for his work on '' 2000 AD'', especially the flagship titles ''Judge Dredd'' and ''Rogue Trooper''. Biography Following work in commercial art in his hometown of Glasgow, Ke ...
as artist. ''Outcasts'' was well received, though it never sold in great quantities, and this success led to the pair writing
Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
in the pages of ''
Detective Comics ''Detective Comics'' (later retitled as ''Batman Detective Comics'') is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is ...
'' from issue 583, largely with
Norm Breyfogle Norman Keith Breyfogle (; February 27, 1960 – September 24, 2018) was an American artist, best known for his comic book art on DC Comics's Batman franchise from 1987 to 1995. During this time, he co-created the villains Ventriloquist and Ratc ...
on art duties. Grant and Wagner introduced the
Ventriloquist Ventriloquism or ventriloquy is an act of stagecraft in which a person (a ventriloquist) speaks in such a way that it seems like their voice is coming from a different location, usually through a puppet known as a "dummy". The act of ventrilo ...
in their first Batman story and the Ratcatcher in their third. The pair also created the bleak nuclear dystopia '' The Last American'' for
Epic Comics Epic Comics (also known as the Epic Comics Group)Shooter, Jim. "Bullpen Bulletins: The Truth About the Epic Comics Group!" Marvel comics cover-dated November 1982. was an imprint of American publishing company Marvel Comics, active from 1982 to ...
with longtime Dredd artist Mike McMahon. Arguments over the direction of that title and the ending of the Judge Dredd story " Oz" led to the end of their writing partnership and they split their work between them: Wagner kept "Judge Dredd", while Grant continued "Strontium Dog" and "Anderson, Psi Division" and became the sole writer of ''Detective Comics''. Although the two continued to collaborate from time to time, they never resumed a full-time partnership.


Creators' rights

In 1987, IPC's comics division was sold to
Robert Maxwell Ian Robert Maxwell (born Ján Ludvík Hyman Binyamin Hoch; 10 June 1923 – 5 November 1991) was a Czechoslovakia, Czechoslovak-born British media proprietor, politician and fraudster. After escaping the German occupation of Czechoslovakia, ...
as
Fleetway Publications Fleetway Publications was a magazine publishing company based in London. History It was founded in 1959 when the Mirror Group acquired the Amalgamated Press, then based at Fleetway House, Farringdon Street, London. It was one of the companies ...
. John Davidge was appointed as publishing director in 1989, and within a matter of weeks was confronted by Wagner, who emptied a large bag of Judge Dredd merchandise onto his desk, pointed out he had received no royalties for any of it, and threatened a creator walk-out over the issue. Davidge, whose background was in magazine and book publishing, was shocked, and introduced written contracts and royalty payments for comic creators.


''The Bogie Man'' and the 1990s

One series Wagner and Grant did continue writing together was '' The Bogie Man'', about an escaped mental patient who thinks he's
Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart ( ; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American actor. His performances in classic Hollywood cinema made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film Institute selected Bogart ...
, or rather a composite of the characters he played, and constructs imaginary cases by associating random events with events in Bogart films. They had previously pitched the series, unsuccessfully, to DC before writing ''Outcasts''. It was first published as a four-part miniseries by the Scottish independent Fat Man Press in 1989, intending to tie in with
Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
's position as European City of Culture in 1990, and further stories followed from other publishers. Wagner and Grant were named as consulting editors on a new title, the ''
Judge Dredd Megazine ''Judge Dredd: The Megazine'' is a monthly British comic magazine, launched in September 1990. It is a sister publication to '' 2000 AD''. Its name is a play on words, formed from "magazine" and Judge Dredd's locale Mega-City One. Content L ...
'', in 1990. Wagner did most of the development work, and wrote three of the five strips in the opening line-up, including "
America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
", illustrated by
Colin MacNeil Colin MacNeil is a British comics artist, best known for his work on '' 2000 AD'' and in particular on ''Judge Dredd'' and other stories within his world like '' Shimura'' and ''Devlin Waugh''. MacNeil has illustrated cards for the '' Magic: ...
, which examined the totalitarian nature of the Judge system through the story of a young woman who becomes a pro-democracy terrorist, and "Young Death: Boyhood of a Superfiend", with art by Peter Doherty, which told the origin of Dredd's arch-enemy
Judge Death This is a list of characters in the British comic strip ''Judge Dredd'' appearing in '' 2000 AD'', ''Judge Dredd Megazine'' and related publications. They are listed alphabetically by surname, in categories. (Major characters have their own art ...
in humorous style. While his efforts were concentrated on Dredd in the ''Megazine'', Wagner took a break from writing the character in ''2000 AD'', replaced by
Garth Ennis Garth Ennis (born 16 January 1970) is a Northern Irish-American comics writer, best known for the Vertigo series ''Preacher'' with artist Steve Dillon, his nine-year run on Marvel Comics' ''Punisher'' franchise, and '' The Boys'' with artist Dar ...
,
Grant Morrison Grant Morrison (born 31 January 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer, screenwriter, and producer. Their work is known for its nonlinear narratives, Humanism, humanist philosophy and counterculture, countercultural leanings. Morrison has writt ...
,
Mark Millar Mark Millar (; born 24 December 1969) is a Scottish comic book writer who first came to prominence with a run on the superhero series ''The Authority (comics), The Authority'', published by DC Comics' Wildstorm imprint. Millar has written ext ...
and others. He did not resume writing for ''2000 AD'' for more than three years. Wagner was initially involved in ''
Toxic! ''Toxic!'' was a British comics, British comic that was published weekly from March 28 to October 24, 1991, by Apocalypse Ltd, with a total of 31 issues. History ''Toxic!'' was the idea of Pat Mills, Kevin O'Neill (comics), Kevin O'Neill, Mike ...
'', an independent weekly anthology launched in 1991, but, aside from two ''Bogie Man'' serials co-written with Grant, most of his proposed stories were rejected and he withdrew from the project. One such proposal, "Al's Baby", a comedy about a male mob hitman who becomes pregnant, drawn by
Carlos Ezquerra Carlos Sanchez Ezquerra (; 12 November 1947 – 1 October 2018) was a Spanish comics artist who worked mainly in British comics. He is best known as the co-creator of ''Judge Dredd''. Biography Early work Born in Ibdes, Zaragoza (province), prov ...
, ran in the ''Judge Dredd Megazine'' in 1991. Another, " Button Man", a contemporary urban gladiator thriller drawn by
Arthur Ranson Arthur James Ranson (born 1939) is an People of the United Kingdom, English Comic book creator, comic book illustrator, known for his work on ''Look-in'', ''Judge Anderson, Anderson: Psi Division'', ''Button Man'' and ''Mazeworld''. His work on C ...
, was published in ''2000 AD'' in 1992. Both spawned sequels. Wagner and Grant reunited in 1992 for '' Judgement on Gotham'', a hit graphic novel teaming up Judge Dredd and
Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
, co-published by Fleetway and DC and featuring painted art by
Simon Bisley Simon Bisley is a British comic book artist best known for his 1990s in comics, 1990s work on ''ABC Warriors'', ''Lobo (DC Comics), Lobo'' and ''Sláine (comics), Sláine''. Early life Simon Bisley began drawing when he was six years old. He is ...
. Further team-ups between Dredd and Batman followed, but were beset by production delays.David Bishop, "Interrogation: Alan Grant" part 3, ''Judge Dredd Megazine'' #268, pp. 16–22 In the mid-1990s Wagner worked on a number of licensed properties for
Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, manga and Artist's book, art book publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon, by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, O ...
in the US, including ''
Aliens Alien primarily refers to: * Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country ** Enemy alien, the above in times of war * Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth ** Specifically, a lifeform with ext ...
'', ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'' – notably solo stories starring
Boba Fett Boba Fett ( ) is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. First appearing in the '' Star Wars Holiday Special'' (1978), where he was voiced by Don Francks, he is an armored bounty hunter featured in both the original and prequel ...
and the comics strand of the multimedia project '' Shadows of the Empire'' – and '' Xena: Warrior Princess''. In 1997 he wrote his first original
graphic novel A graphic novel is a self-contained, book-length form of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and Anthology, anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comics sc ...
, ''
A History of Violence ''A History of Violence'' is a 2005 action thriller film directed by David Cronenberg and written by Josh Olson. It is an adaptation of the 1997 DC Comics, DC A History of Violence (comics), graphic novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke. The fi ...
'', a contemporary thriller about an unassuming small-town man whose background in gang crime comes back to haunt him, drawn by
Vince Locke Vincent Locke () is an American comic book artist known for his work on '' Deadworld'' and ''A History of Violence'' and for his ultraviolent album covers for death metal band Cannibal Corpse. Biography Locke began work in 1986 illustrating '' ...
for the
Paradox Press Paradox Press was a division of DC Comics formed in 1993 after editor Mark Nevelow departed from Piranha Press. Under the initial editorship of Andy Helfer, Andrew Helfer and Bronwyn Carlton, the imprint was renamed. Paradox was best known for pu ...
imprint of
DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
. It was nominated for the
Angoulême International Comics Festival Prize for Scenario Angoulême (; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Engoulaeme''; ) is a small city in the southwestern French department of Charente, of which it is the prefecture. Located on a plateau overlooking a meander of the river Charente, the city is nicknamed th ...
in 2006.


21st century

In 2000 Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra revived "
Strontium Dog ''Strontium Dog'' is a long-running British comics series starring Johnny Alpha, a mutant bounty hunter who lives in Earth's future. The series was created in 1978 by writer John Wagner (under the pseudonym T. B. Grover) and artist Carlos Ezquer ...
" (main character Johnny Alpha had been killed off in 1990 in a story written by Alan Grant), based on a treatment Wagner had written for an abortive TV pilot. Initially, stories were set before the character's death in a revised continuity, but 2010's "The Life and Death of Johnny Alpha" brought Johnny back from the dead. Wagner has continued to be the main writer of "Judge Dredd" in ''2000 AD'' and the ''Judge Dredd Megazine''. In 2003 he co-wrote the Judge Dredd/
Aliens Alien primarily refers to: * Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country ** Enemy alien, the above in times of war * Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth ** Specifically, a lifeform with ext ...
crossover, "
Incubus An Incubus () is a demon, male demon in human form in folklore that seeks to have Sexuality in Christian demonology, sexual intercourse with sleeping women; the corresponding spirit in female form is called a succubus. Parallels exist in many c ...
", with
Andy Diggle Andrew Diggle is a People of the United Kingdom, British comic book writer and former editor of the weekly anthology series ''2000 AD (comics), 2000 AD''. He is best known for his work on ''Adam Strange'' and ''Green Arrow: Year One, Green Arr ...
, which was co-published by Dark Horse Comics and ''2000 AD''. Since 2005 he has shared the character with other writers, including
Gordon Rennie Gordon Rennie is a Scottish comics writer, responsible for ''White Trash: Moronic Inferno'', as well as several comic strips for '' 2000 AD'' and novels for '' Warhammer Fantasy''. In May 2008, he announced he was leaving comics to concentrate ...
,
Robbie Morrison Robbie Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer known for his work in the weekly anthology '' 2000 AD'', where he co-created the long-running serial '' Nikolai Dante'' with artist Simon Fraser. Career Morrison began his career in '' 2000 ADs ...
,
Si Spurrier Simon "Si" Spurrier (born 2 May 1981) is a British comics writer and novelist, who has previously worked as a cook, a bookseller, and an art director for the BBC. Getting his start in comics with the British small press comics, British small pr ...
,
Al Ewing Al Ewing ( ; born 12 August 1977) is a British comics writer who has mainly worked in the small press, for '' 2000 AD'', and for Marvel Comics. Career Al Ewing began his career writing stories in the four-page '' Future Shocks'' format for '' ...
and Michael Carroll. Major storylines he has contributed include "
Origins Origin(s) or The Origin may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Comics and manga * ''Origin'' (comics), a Wolverine comic book mini-series published by Marvel Comics in 2002 * ''The Origin'' (Buffy comic), a 1999 ''Buffy the Vampire Sl ...
" (2006–2007), exploring how the Judge system was established, and "
Day of Chaos Judge Joseph Dredd is a fictional character created by writer John Wagner and artist Carlos Ezquerra. He first appeared in the second issue of the British weekly anthology Comic book, comic ''2000 AD (comics), 2000 AD'' (1977). He is the magazi ...
" (2011–2012), in which many of the institutions of Dredd's world are destroyed, leaving a more dangerous city. In 2016 Wagner teamed up with Grant to create a new comic for ''BHP Comics''. Drawn by Dan Cornwell, ''Rok of the Reds'' tells the story of a dangerous intergalactic outlaw, Rok of Arkady, who, while on the run, hides on the planet Earth by taking over the body and life of troubled football star Kyle Dixon. A father of two, Wagner lives with his wife near
Shrewsbury Shrewsbury ( , ) is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire (district), Shropshire, England. It is sited on the River Severn, northwest of Wolverhampton, west of Telford, southeast of Wrexham and north of Hereford. At the 2021 United ...
, Shropshire.


Style and influence

Pat Mills describes Wagner's writing as "romantic but not emotional". His depictions of violent action, from "Darkie's Mob" to "Judge Dredd" to ''A History of Violence'', are unsentimental and laced with mordant humour. Other strips, like "Robo-Hunter", "Ace Trucking Co." and "The Balls Brothers", reveal a more overt comedy side to his writing. He is well known for writing terse scripts, described by artist
Dave Gibbons David Chester Gibbons (born 14 April 1949) is an English comics artist, writer and sometimes letterer. He is best known for his collaborations with writer Alan Moore, which include the miniseries ''Watchmen'' and the Superman story " For the M ...
as being like "exciting telegrams". He says he does not think visually, but rather "in terms of plot developments nddialogue", preferring to leave the visual decisions to the artist.Laura Sneddon
Comic Studies: Dundee Comics Day
Comic Book Resources, 2 November 2011
Described by
Warren Ellis Warren Girard Ellis (born 16 February 1968) is an English comic book writer, novelist, and screenwriter. He is best known as the co-creator of several original comics series, including ''Transmetropolitan'' (1997–2002), ''Global Frequency'' ...
as "probably the single most influential writer in British comics", Wagner is named as an influence by writers such as Alan Grant, who says he "taught me almost all I know about comic writing",
Garth Ennis Garth Ennis (born 16 January 1970) is a Northern Irish-American comics writer, best known for the Vertigo series ''Preacher'' with artist Steve Dillon, his nine-year run on Marvel Comics' ''Punisher'' franchise, and '' The Boys'' with artist Dar ...
,
Andy Diggle Andrew Diggle is a People of the United Kingdom, British comic book writer and former editor of the weekly anthology series ''2000 AD (comics), 2000 AD''. He is best known for his work on ''Adam Strange'' and ''Green Arrow: Year One, Green Arr ...
and Rob Williams.
Alan Moore Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including ''Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', ''The Ballad of Halo Jones'', Swamp Thing (comic book), ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman: The Killing Joke' ...
was inspired by the work of Wagner and Pat Mills in ''2000 AD'' to try and express his ideas in mainstream comics. Wagner's own influences include the comics of D. C. Thomson & Co. of the '60s and '70s. Outside of comics, authors he admires include
John Steinbeck John Ernst Steinbeck ( ; February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer. He won the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social percep ...
,
Patrick O'Brian Patrick O'Brian (12 December 1914 – 2 January 2000), born Richard Patrick Russ, was an English novelist and translator, best known for his Aubrey–Maturin series. These sea novels are set in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and ...
and
Michael Connelly Michael Joseph Connelly (born July 21, 1956) is an American author of Detective fiction, detective novels and other crime fiction, notably those featuring Los Angeles Police Department, LAPD Detective Harry Bosch, Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch and cr ...
.


Awards


Awards won

* 1979 Eagle Award for Favourite Comicbook Writer — U.K. (as T.B. Grover) * 1980 Eagle Award for Favourite Comicbook Writer — U.K. (as John Howard) * 1981 Eagle Award for Favourite Comicbook Writer — U.K. (as T.B. Grover) * 1992 UK Comic Art Award for Best Writer * 1992 UK Comic Art Award for Best Original Graphic Novel (''Judgment on Gotham'') * 1992 UK Comic Art Award for Best Graphic Novel Collection (''Judge Dredd in America'') * 1992 Career Achievement Award (UK Comic Art Awards) * 1994 UK Comic Art Award for Best Original Graphic Novel (''Vendetta in Gotham'') * 1999 National Comics Award for Best Writer * 2001 National Comics Award for Best Writer in Comics Today (for '' Button Man'' and
Judge Dredd Judge Joseph Dredd is a fictional character created by writer John Wagner and artist Carlos Ezquerra. He first appeared in the second issue of the British weekly anthology Comic book, comic ''2000 AD (comics), 2000 AD'' (1977). He is the magazi ...
; both in '' 2000 AD'') * 2002 National Comics Award for Lifetime Achievement * 2003 National Comics Award Roll of Honour


Nominations

* 1978 Eagle Award for Favourite British writer * 1984 Eagle Award for Favourite Comicbook Writer — U.K. * 1985 Eagle Award for Favourite Comicbook Writer — U.K. * 2002 National Comics Award for Best Writer in Comics Today * 2002 National Comics Award for Best Writer Ever * 2002 National Comics Award Roll of Honour * 2010 Eagle Award for Favourite Writer * 2011 Eagle Award for Favourite Writer


Bibliography

See also Comics by John Wagner


Screen adaptations

A TV film of '' The Bogie Man'' was made in 1992 by
BBC Scotland BBC Scotland is a division of the BBC and the main public broadcaster in Scotland. Its headquarters are in Glasgow, employing approximately 1,250 staff as of 2017, to produce 15,000 hours of television and radio programming per year. BBC Scotla ...
starring
Robbie Coltrane Anthony Robert McMillan (30 March 195014 October 2022), known professionally as Robbie Coltrane, was a Scottish actor. He gained worldwide recognition in the 2000s for playing Rubeus Hagrid in the ''Harry Potter'' film series. He was appointe ...
, but was not well received and a series was never made. Wagner and Grant made very little money out of it. Wagner felt that the screenwriter did a poor job adapting it, and Coltrane did not understand the character. 1995 saw the release of ''
Judge Dredd Judge Joseph Dredd is a fictional character created by writer John Wagner and artist Carlos Ezquerra. He first appeared in the second issue of the British weekly anthology Comic book, comic ''2000 AD (comics), 2000 AD'' (1977). He is the magazi ...
'', a big budget version of the comic directed by
Danny Cannon Daniel John Cannon (born 5 October 1968) is a British film and television producer, director and writer, known for executive producing the 15-season '' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'' series franchise (and directed multiple episodes including ...
and starring
Sylvester Stallone Sylvester Gardenzio "Sly" Stallone (; born July 6, 1946) is an American actor and filmmaker. In a Sylvester Stallone filmography, film career spanning more than fifty years, Stallone has received List of awards and nominations received by Syl ...
. Wagner was unhappy with the result, feeling they had filmed "the wrong script" and that "Stallone was badly advised". A second attempt at adapting the character to the screen, entitled ''
Dredd ''Dredd'' is a 2012 science fiction film, science fiction action film directed by Pete Travis and written and produced by Alex Garland. It is based on the ''2000 AD (comics), 2000 AD'' comic strip ''Judge Dredd'' and its eponymous character ...
'', was released in September 2012, directed by
Pete Travis Pete Travis is a British television and film director. His work includes ''Cold Feet'' (1999), '' The Jury'' (2002) and ''Omagh'' (2004) for television and '' Vantage Point'' (2008), '' Endgame'' (2009), '' Dredd'' (2012) and '' City of Tiny Li ...
from a script by
Alex Garland Alexander Medawar Garland (born 26 May 1970) is an English author, screenwriter, and director. He rose to prominence with his novel '' The Beach'' (1996). He received praise for writing the Danny Boyle films '' 28 Days Later'' (2002) and '' Sun ...
, and starring
Karl Urban Karl-Heinz Urban (born 7 June 1972) is a New Zealand actor. His career began with appearances in New Zealand films and television series such as '' Xena: Warrior Princess''. His first Hollywood role was in the 2002 horror film ''Ghost Ship''. ...
. This time Wagner was consulted over the script, was involved in the promotion of the film, and has described it as "unlike the first film, a true representation of Judge Dredd".Karl Keily
"John Wagner discusses 35 years of Judge Dredd"
Comic Book Resources, 31 July 2012
In 2005 his graphic novel ''
A History of Violence ''A History of Violence'' is a 2005 action thriller film directed by David Cronenberg and written by Josh Olson. It is an adaptation of the 1997 DC Comics, DC A History of Violence (comics), graphic novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke. The fi ...
'' was adapted into a film, directed by
David Cronenberg David Paul Cronenberg (born March 15, 1943) is a Canadian film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. He is a principal originator of the body horror genre, with his films exploring visceral bodily transformation, infectious diseases, and ...
and starring
Viggo Mortensen Viggo Peter Mortensen Jr. (; born October 20, 1958) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has received nominations for three Academy Awards, three BAFTA Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. Mortensen made his film debut with a small role in ...
and
Ed Harris Edward Allen Harris (born November 28, 1950) is an American actor and filmmaker. His performances in '' Apollo 13'' (1995), '' The Truman Show'' (1998), '' Pollock'' (2000), and '' The Hours'' (2002) earned him critical acclaim and Academy Awa ...
. Wagner had backed the film once he saw the group of actors Cronenberg had gathered. The film was nominated for the
Palme D'Or The (; ) is the highest prize awarded to the director of the Best Feature Film of the Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festiv ...
at the
Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...
in May 2005, and the script, by Josh Olson, was nominated for an
Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay The Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best screenplay adapted from previously established material. The most frequently adapted media are novels, but other adapted narrative formats include stage plays, mus ...
in 2005. It was reported in May 2012 that Danish director
Nicolas Winding Refn Nicolas Winding Refn (; born 29 September 1970) is a Danish film director, screenwriter, and producer. He directed the ''Pusher'' trilogy (1996–2005), the crime drama '' Bronson'' (2008), and the adventure film '' Valhalla Rising'' (2009). I ...
was in talks with DreamWorks about a possible '' Button Man'' film.Mike Fleming
Nicolas Winding Refn In DreamWorks Talks For 'Button Man: The Killing Game'
Deadline New York, 31 May 2012
The 2023 Tamil movie, LEO, an official remake of the novel “A History of Violence” has put a thank you card at the beginning of the movie. There are rumours that the author Mr. Wagner nor the producer of the initial adaptation are not aware of this remake. The movie is a smash hit and crossed 50 million dollars worldwide in 7 days.


References


External links


John Wagner's official website


a
August 2005 interview with The NexusJohn Wagner on Dredd
2000AD Review, 19 January 2010


Online reference

* *
John Wagner
at 2000 AD online *

a
Lambiek.net
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wagner, John Living people 1949 births Scottish comics writers Writers from Pennsylvania Writers from Greenock Inkpot Award winners