Posted on July 15, 2025

2000AD Progs 2202-2400

It’s been around for over 48 years as of this writing. Not only is 2000AD NOT slowing down, it’s speeding up. This run of progs in particular demonstrates how a comic can be vital, innovative, and relevant while staying true to its core concepts.

Classic characters still led the charge. Judge Dredd confronted a morass of disinformation, toxic media, an experiment in defunding the police, and rebellious AI while still dealing with crazy future crimes, monsters, and aliens. Rogue Trooper returned to his original form and mission, requiring no updating at all to achieve modern appeal. Strontium Dog character Durham Red upped her vampire game, ABC Warriors character Joe Pineapples had a new mission, Robo-Hunter himself came face to face with Dredd, and Judge Death’s origin story continued.

New strips ran the gamut of lush SF (Void Runners, The Out), dark horror (Portals & Black Goo, Hope, Fiends of the Eastern Front, Herne & Shuck), action comedy (Noam Chimpsky, Feral & Foe, Intestinauts), immigration drama (The Devil’s Railroad), and much more.

After five more rounds, the all-ages 2000AD Regened concept was retired in favor of a semi-regular “bumper issue” that offered a jumping-on point for new readers.

Wins were balanced by losses, however. Within the pages of the prog, longtime Dredd character Judge Hershey got an emotional sendoff, and in the real world we saw the passing of some true creative giants. Founding artists Kevin O’Neill, Ian Gibson, and John M. Burns all passed on, along with writer Alan Grant. As the chief co-writer of Judge Dredd and originator of many other key characters, Grant personally embodied the anti-establishment spirit of 2000AD. He was sent off with a special Dredd story in which he himself gave the judge a dose of 2-fingered reality.

As a reader since 1983, I can truthfully attest that no other comic on Earth engages or challenges me more than this one. The comics I create today are informed by many things, but in the back of my mind there is always the thought that I want to make something worthy of 2000AD. I’ll continue reaching for that bar as long as I’m able to create words and pictures.