Rebellion has announced that the late Kevin O’Neill, who passed away last month, will join the growing Apex Edition library of high quality art books in June 2023, reprinting original pages of material produced for 2000 AD.

Perhaps better known in the US for his collaborations with Alan Moore on the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Cinema Purgatorio, Kevin O’Neill was an instrumental part of 2000 AD in its formative years. As assistant art editor he was there on the ground floor when the landmark, now-45-year-old publication began – even working hard to help put together the dummy prototype of the comic together. He designed and co-created many a classic character, not least the universe of Nemesis the Warlock and his archfoe Torquemada; and the Robusters. He even designed Tharg, the allegedly fictional (he could be real!) alien editor of the weekly British anthology. His very last assignment – and work for the comic – will see print in next week’s issue of 2000 AD (the Prog 2312 hundred-page winter special) with the return of long-ago character Bonjo, alongside writer Garth Ennis. The original pages from that work will also be featured.

The 160-page Kevin O’Neill Apex Edition will release June 28, 2023 in both a retail standard and an exclusive special slipcase version, retailing at £100 (~$125) and £160 (~$200) respectively. The standard edition will be available for order via Diamond’s Previews Magazine next year.

The slipcase version will be exclusive to the 2000AD webshop and will include an additional page featuring original art that O’Neill produced especially. 2000 AD webshop preorders are open now but will close 12PM GMT on March 28, 2023. Orders before January 3 will also receive a 10% discount.

According to Rebellion, they had been working closely with O’Neill to curate the book of his original 2000AD art prior to his sudden passing in November.

The PR:

“The contents of this 160-page collection were compiled by O’Neill from his own archive, working closely with Rebellion’s editorial and reprographics teams to curate this unmissable testament to his remarkable career.

“His innovative, iconoclastic, idiosyncratic, and inventive work for 2000 AD will be showcased in an unmissable over-sized art book, featuring high-resolution scans of original artwork by one of comics most unique talents.

“Presented in a deluxe, over-sized facsimile edition, the Kevin O’Neill Apex Edition will reproduce these stunning pages at their actual size – from covers to stunning double-page spreads, from just some of his famous work on Nemesis the Warlock to his final sequential work on Bonjo From Beyond The Stars, giving fans the chance to see these pages in all their glory.”

Editor Oliver Pickles:

“There was and is no-one who draws like Kev O’Neill and this new Apex Edition is ample proof of what an amazing talent he was – whether it was his character design or the incredible energy he brought to every page. It is a shame that he never got to see the finished book that he’d worked so hard on over the past year, right up until the end of October in fact, but I think it is fitting that it stands as a true testament to such a unique talent and such a warm, generous man.”

Rebellion have thus far released two Apex Editions. Debuting with the successful – and sold out – Brian Bolland Apex Edition in May, they have just followed up with hot-shot Dredd artist Mick McMahon’s which only just released November 23.

Material confirmed to be featured in the Apex Edition:

  • Tharg the Mighty head shot concepts
  • 2000 AD Sci-fi Special 1977 cover
  • Judge Dredd: Judges Graveyard pages 1-6
  • Tharg’s Future Shocks: Hunted pages 1-3
  • Mach Zero Star Scan
  • 2000 AD Annual 1979 cover
  • 2000 AD covers – Progs 40, 71, 84, 88, 97 (unused due to strike action), 103, 112, 167 (sketch & cover) 398, 483, 485, 489, 492, 500
  • Ro-Busters cover – Starlord issues 5 & 16 Cover
  • Ro-Busters Star Scan – Starlord issue 19
  • Ro-Busters – 2000 AD Prog 88, pages 1-4, 6
  • Ro-Busters – 2000 AD Prog 90, pages 1-6
  • Ro-Busters – 2000 AD Prog 103, pages 1-6
  • Ro-Busters – 2000 AD Prog 104, pages 1-6
  • Ro-Busters – Ro-jaws, 2000 AD Prog 106 Star Scan
  • Ro-Busters – 2000 AD Prog 111, pages 1-6
  • Ro-Busters – 2000 AD Prog 112, pages 1-6
  • ABC Warriors – 2000 AD Prog 119, pages 3-7
  • ABC Warriors – 2000 AD Prog 123, pages 1-6
  • ABC Warriors – Titan Book One frontispiece
  • ABC Warriors – Prologue pages 1-3
  • ABC Warriors – Epilogue pages 1-3
  • Shok! – Judge Dredd Annual 1981, pages 1-7
  • Judge Dredd: The Law According To Dredd – 2000 AD Prog 474, pages 3-7
  • Judge Dredd: The Law According To Dredd – 2000 AD Page 475, pages 1-2, 4-7
  • Judge Dredd – 2000 AD Prog 521, page 1
  • Nemesis: Terror Tube – 2000 AD Prog 167, pages 1-6
  • Torquemada The God – 2000 AD Prog 520, pages 1-6
  • Torquemada’s Second Honeymoon – 2000 AD Annual 1988, pages 1-6
  • Tomb Of Torquemada Poster Prog, cover
  • Tomb Of Torquemada Poster Prog, pages 1-6
  • Tomb Of Torquemada Poster Prog, poster
  • Nemesis the Warlock: The Final Conflict – 2000 AD Prog 2000, pages 1-6
  • Bonjo From Beyond The Stars – 2000 AD Prog 2312

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