It was announced today that Carlos Ezquerra, the late co-creator of Judge Dredd, Strontium Dog and other classic comics, will be commemorated with a street named after him in his home town of Zaragoza, Spain. The decision was made by the Zaragoza regional government.
According to regional newspaper Heraldo [translated by DeepL]:
“At its meeting this Thursday, the Zaragoza regional government approved the naming of up to nine different streets in the city’s street map, as well as approving the Public Employment Offer (OEP) for the year 2023, subject to the provisions of the General Budget and the municipal staffing table.
“With regard to the new street names, the Deputy Mayor’s Office, Culture and External Projection Department has initiated different applications to designate different streets in the Aragonese capital. In this way, four newly opened streets will be designated, specifically to the Zaragoza municipality of Sestrica, to the actress Laura Gómez-Lacueva, to the cupletist and singer Corita Viamonte, and to the cartoonist Carlos Sánchez Ezquerra.”
Carlos’ wife Sandra Ezquerra took to Facebook to share the news [translated by DeepL]:
“Dear friends.
“It is with great emotion and gratitude that I address you today to thank you for the incredible honour you have bestowed upon us by naming one of our streets in Zaragoza after Carlos Ezquerra.
“As many of you know Carlos was an exceptionally talented Artist and a wonderful person who dedicated his life to his passion for Art and Comic Art.
“The dedication and hard work that Carlos put into his Art never went unnoticed and it is wonderful to see that his legacy will live on.
“This recognition means a lot to my family, friends and fans and I am sure I speak for all of them when I say that we are deeply touched and grateful for this very special tribute. It is a fitting finale to his entire career in the world of comics.
“On behalf of all of us, I want to sincerely thank everyone involved in making this possible. Your commitment honours Carlos and his legacy.
“Thank you again for your time, efforts and consideration.
“If Carlos could speak I am sure he would say!
“Thank you, it was worth it!
“Sincerely yours. Conchita and family.”
Carlos Ezquerra – who passed away in 2018, aged 70, following a battle with lung cancer – was considered a titan of British comics, most famously for co-creating and designing the character of Judge Dredd for new publication 2000 AD in 1977. His partnership with fellow Dredd co-creator, the writer John Wagner, was legendary and spawned other landmark characters including Johnny Alpha and the cast of the Strontium Dog series – which Ezquerra continued to work on up to the time of his death, and which Wagner has previously stated he will not continue without Carlos. Other projects Ezquerra worked on are numerous but include Fiends of the Eastern Front (with Gerry Finley-Day), Third World War (with Pat Mills), Al’s Baby (with Wagner), and Battlefields (with Garth Ennis for Dynamite).
Last weekend saw the forty-fifth anniversary of the short-lived British scifi anthology weekly Starlord which saw the first serialisation of Wagner-Ezquerra’s Strontium Dog before the publication was merged with 2000 AD – which current owner and publisher Rebellion marked with new merchandise and making the earliest Strontium Dog story free on their website.
