Jump to content

Mike McMahon (comics)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mike McMahon
BornMichael McMahon
1954 (age 69–70)
United Kingdom
NationalityBritish
Area(s)Penciller,Inker
Pseudonym(s)Mick McMahon
Notable works
Judge Dredd
Sláine
ABC Warriors
The Last American

Michael McMahon(/məkˈmɑːn/mək-MAHN;born 1954) is a Britishcomicsartistbest known for his work on2000 ADcharacters such asJudge Dredd,SláineandABC Warriors,and the mini-seriesThe Last American.

His influences includeVíctor de la Fuente,Hugo Pratt,Gino d'Antonio,Don Lawrence,Joe ColquhounandHarvey Kurtzman.[1]

McMahon's illustration ofJudge Dreddfrom2000 ADprog 2, (1977) shows his early style, influenced byCarlos Ezquerra.
Sláine,2000 ADprog 336 (1983).

Career

[edit]

Judge Dreddwas created forIPC's newscience fictioncomic2000 ADin 1977 by writerJohn Wagnerand artistCarlos Ezquerra,but problems in pre-publication led to both creators walking out, and the first published story was written byPeter HarrisandPat Mills,and drawn by an inexperienced young artist called Mike McMahon. Mills, who was editor at the time, chose McMahon because he could do a passable imitation of Ezquerra's style, but the more he drew the more his own style emerged. When Wagner returned to his creation, McMahon became the character's most regular artist. Other artists, such asIan GibsonandBrian Bolland,followed his lead, putting their own spin on the way McMahon was developing the character and his world.

McMahon's early work was characterised by a quick, spontaneous approach that verged on the messy. His figures were lean and loose, his pen lines thrown down with verve and energy, and hatching was done with a fully charged brush. He drew the bulk of the first long-formJudge Dreddstory, "The Cursed Earth",with the slower, more meticulousBrian Bollandcontributing occasional episodes.

In 1979 McMahon took some time off from Dredd to drawPat Mills's robot disaster squadRo-Bustersand its spin-offABC Warriors,alternating withKevin O'Neilland others, and under O'Neill's influence his work became tighter and his figures chunkier. He returned to Dredd the following year for the next long story, "The Judge Child",with a different, more considered style, and rotated with Bolland andRon Smith.WritersJohn WagnerandAlan Grantgave McMahon the spookier, more atmospheric episodes to draw.[citation needed]

Following "The Judge Child" his art took a high contrast black and white direction, and in colour stories in annuals, explored patterns of flat colour. In 1981, when he began theJudge Dreddstory "Block Mania", which he was slated to draw all nine episodes of, his drawings were tight and precise with well-defined areas of black and white. They were taking an increasingly long time to draw, especially with all the crowd scenes the scripts called for, and McMahon bowed out after only two episodes.

McMahon moved to Mills' newCelticbarbarianfantasy,Sláine,another story with a fraught pre-publication history, and all but disappeared from publication for nearly two years (He did draw a couple of stories forDoctor Who Magazineduring this time). When he did return in 1983, it was with a radically different style, all sinuous figures, tangled pen lines, and incompletely filled in areas of black. Freed from sterile science fiction environments, he went to town on texture and tone, lashed together technology and organic backgrounds.

After his last work onSláinein 1984, McMahon re-emerged in 1991, after a long illness that prevented him from drawing, withThe Last American,written by Wagner and Grant, forMarvel Comics'sEpicimprint, and another radical change in drawing style.

Since then he has worked in computer game design and his work in comics has been sporadic. A couple ofHellraiserstories, anAlien Legionone-off, the unfinishedMutomaniacin the short-lived weeklyToxic!,a handful ofJudge Dredd-related stories, and a futuristicBatmanstory inLegends of the Dark Knight,saw him progressively simplify and flatten his style, then find new ways of introducing depth inSonic the Comic,the miniseriesTattered BannersforDC Comics'sVertigoimprint, a return toABC Warriorsand a shortBatman Black and Whiteback-up story. During this time, he also produced two 6 page strips for the Marvel UK/Panini fully originated fortnightly comicRugrats(he would have been commissioned to draw more, but the comic was canceled). His latest work, a Judge Dredd episode, appeared in2000 AD#1539.

In 2011-2012 McMahon drewTank Girl- Carioca,a six-part mini series withTank Girlco-creator toAlan Martinfor Titan Books.

Bibliography

[edit]

Comics work includes:

  • Jaws of Death(inStarblazer#71 1982)
  • Judge Dredd(in2000 AD#2-4, 6-7, 12, 15-16, 18, 20, 23-24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34-35, 37, 39, 43-44, 58-85, 89-91, 96-97 & 100, 1977–79)
  • Ro-Busters(withPat Mills,in2000 AD#103-115, 1979)
  • ABC Warriors(with Pat Mills, in2000 AD#121-22, 125-26, 129, 132-33 & 137-39, 1979)
  • The V.C.s(withGerry Finley-Day,in2000 AD#140, 1979)
  • Judge Dredd(in2000 AD#144-45, 147, 160-61, 162, 166, 170-71, 176-78, 183-85 & 193-96, 1979–80)
  • Doctor Who(inDoctor Who Monthly#58-59, 1981)
  • Judge Dredd(in2000 AD# 236, 1981)
  • Slaine(with Pat Mills, in2000 AD# 335-336, 343-360, & 1846, 1983–84)
  • Muto Maniac(inToxic!# 1-7, 1991)
  • The Last American#1-4 (withJohn Wagner/Alan Grant,4-issuemini-series,Epic,1991)
  • Hellraiser#10, 16 (Epic, 1991)
  • "Alien Legion:Jugger Grimrod "(withChuck Dixon,prestige formatone-shot,Epic, August 1992, collected in tpb,Alien Legion: Tenants of Hell,Titan Books,April 2004,ISBN1840238119)
  • Batman:
  • Judge Dredd(inJudge Dredd Megazine(vol.2) #53-56, 1994)
  • Judge Dredd(inJudge Dredd Megazine(vol.3) #3, 1995)
  • Rugrats(#13, 1997)
  • Tattered Banners#1-4 (withAlan GrantandKeith Giffen,Vertigo Comics,September 1998 - February 1999)
  • ABC Warriors(with Pat Mills, in2000 AD#1240-42, 2001)
  • Judge Dredd(with John Wagner, in2000 AD#1308, 2002)
  • Judge Dredd(with Robbie Morrison, in2000 AD#1539, 2007)
  • Tank Girl:Carioca(withAlan Martin,3-issue mini-series,Titan Magazines,November 2011 - January 2012, hardcover, Titan Books, October 2012,ISBN0857687433)
  • Hellboy"Hellboy Gets Married" (withMike Mignola,inDark Horse PresentsVol. 2 #31-32,Dark Horse Comics,December 2013 - January 2014)
  • Tharg(in 2000 AD #2000, 1-page story, September 2016)
  • Judge Dredd(with Rory McConville, in2000 AD#2054, October 2017)

References

[edit]
  1. ^Mike Taylor,interview with the artistinMasters of Infinity(fanzine) #7, 1980

Sources

[edit]
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mike_McMahon_(comics)&oldid=1218890479"