I’ve been asked more than a few times to draw in one of my old styles but have always reckoned that it couldn’t be done. And going by this drawing I was right!
This was supposed to look like my Dredd art from the Judge Child serial, but it still looks the same as my recent Dredd posts. Hopeless.
1 February 2013 at 09:00
‘Gaze into the really, really wee fist of…etc’ Great stuff.
1 February 2013 at 09:11
It’s my latest thing, drawing small hands. No idea why, just feels ‘right’. I’m sure it will lead to problems, these things always do…
1 February 2013 at 20:05
It’s Judge Beadle!
1 February 2013 at 11:36
Well, as I learned from Father Ted, there’s ‘small’ and ‘far away’ :-) Maybe that fist will look a lot bigger when connected with the head of a perp…
I can appreciate people wanting you to mimic your style from a particular period, but one of the things I most appreciate about your artwork is that it never sits still for too long. For me, your constantly evolving style is one of the artistic wonders of the world (along with the workings of the brains of Brendan McCarthy and Henry Flint).
1 February 2013 at 15:42
Yet another superb commission. These are ALL looking just incredible, Mick.
1 February 2013 at 16:10
Thanks very much.
1 February 2013 at 16:17
It just shows there’s no going back! Beautiful though….
1 February 2013 at 19:54
I agree with David. Your style is always evolving, that’s what’s so interesting about it. I love how much your style has changed from your early ‘Carlos impression’ Dredd strips. It’s actually quite tricky to say how many different versions of him you’ve drawn. 3? …4? To be honest I’m not too keen on the more simplistic geometric ones (but hey,what do I know?) but your most recent Commission Dredd pictures are indeed very fine pieces. I love the scratchy linework and the dynamic bold blacks.
1 February 2013 at 21:09
Mike, when I think of your “style” my brain always defaults to your work on The Last American. I can’t help it, but I do.
2 February 2013 at 08:36
The past is another country and all that, great pieces coming through
6 February 2013 at 13:18
I too agree with David Rees. I remember a lad at school piping up ‘The huge feet and hands’ when your name came up. That’s one reason I like the small hands now, you are going with the flow….and that morphic anatomy is just a blast. As far as I can tell it’s quite uncommon for an editorial dept to allow too much variation in treatment of a character between artists. They will show an artist an acceptable style and expect them to match it (as with yourself and Carlos Ezquerra on Prog 2). Not sure if it was intentional or just out of their control, but 2000AD hosted so many variations on the theme that it resulted in a much more entertaining collection. More importantly the constant comparison and contrast has probably broadened a number of young minds on the many approaches an artist can take. That freedom to be restless and find new ways is its energy. Personally thought Howler brilliant. But then I once tried a wild new technique on a client and was promptly told to xxxx xxx….so I’m perhaps not the best judge….yes, the ‘past is another country’ best not to go there, besides, who’s got the air miles?