John Wagner

John Wagner, is a comics writer who has also written under the pseudonyms John Howard, T.B. Grover, Mike Stott, Keef Ripley, Rick Clark and Brian Skuter. Alongside Pat Mills, Wagner is responsible for revitalising British boys' comics in the 1970s, and has been a leading light in British comics ever since. He is best known for his work on 2000 AD and is the creator of Judge Dredd. He is noted for his taut, violent thrillers and his black humour.

Born in Pennsylvania in 1949, Wagner moved to Scotland as a boy. He started his career as a sub-editor at D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd, where he met Pat Mills, before the pair left to go freelance in 1971. He and Mills wrote for various IPC comics, and Wagner edited the girls comics Sandie and Princess Tina. He briefly left comics in 1974, but returned to help Mills develop Battle Picture Weekly, for which he wrote Darkie's Mob, among others. He edited Valiant, for which he wrote the tough cop series One-Eyed Jack.

In 1976 Mills brought him in as script adviser for the new science fiction title 2000 AD. Wagner created many of its most popular characters, including Judge Dredd, with artist Carlos Ezquerra, and Robo-Hunter, with artist Ian Gibson. He and Ezquerra went on to create Strontium Dog for Starlord, which was later merged into 2000 AD.

For most of the 1980s he wrote in partnership with Alan Grant, and the pair created Ace Trucking Co with artist Massimo Belardinelli. Outside of 2000 AD they worked on Detective Comics (with artist Norm Breyfogle) and Outcasts (with Cam Kennedy) for DC Comics, and created The Bogie Man (with Robin Smith) and The Last American (with Mike McMahon).

Other comics Wagner has created include Button Man (with Arthur Ranson, Al's Baby (with Ezquerra) and The Balls Brothers (with Kevin Walker) for 2000 AD and A History of Violence (with Vince Locke) for DC's Paradox Press imprint. He has also written Star Wars stories, including several featuring Boba Fett, for Dark Horse Comics.

Wagner still writes for 2000 AD and remains the leading writer of 'Judge Dredd'.

Two of Wagner's creations have been filmed: Judge Dredd and The Bogie Man. A Third, A History of Violence, is currently in post-production starring Viggo Mortensen and directed by David Cronenberg.

External links

• 2000 AD profile
• Thumbnail: John Wagner at Ninth Art
• John Wagner at Lambiek.net
• "I Invented Judge Dredd" Interview with BBC News
• Interview with John Wagner at Class of 79