The fabled British comics anthology A1 is returning and it’s got a pal: Deadline, another fabled British publication. A1 DEADLINE is coming back with a Kickstarter from original co-editor Dave Elliott (Atomeka) and Chris Northrop (Horrible Future). The initial 80-page special will feature comics, culture, music, and art from an array of top talents.
A1 and Deadline were two of the most influential UK comic magazines of the ’90s – and you can learn more about them in a little side project of mine, Comics Will Kill You, a podcast interview series with Elliott. It’s a very colorful tale and I’ll have more to say about it soon. But so much history to cover.
A1 (created by Dave Elliott and Garry Leach in 1986, launched in 1989) was a creator-owned anthlogy that featured Moebius, Alan Moore, Eddie Campbell, and Bill Sienkiewicz. DEADLINE (created by Brett Ewins and Steve Dillon in 1988) mashed comics, youth culture, and indie music into a punk-fueled magazine that gave the world TANK GIRL.
And now they are together in a new mash up for 2025:
No algorithmic storytelling. No censorship. No compromise. No AI.
Real voices from legends alongside new stories, the book revisits classic material while bridging the anarchic energy of the originals with the next wave of creators pushing the medium forward.
“The last few years have been a hell-hole for creators, publishers, and retailers. So we decided not to take a traditional publisher/distributor route,” says Dave Elliott, co-creator of A1DEADLINE. “Working with Horrible Future and building this Kickstarter ourselves lets us put the artists first, creating a space to make art and tell stories without censorship, in a place where everything between the covers is creator-owned. A place where they can truly feel free. With A1DEADLINE, a new or unknown talent can have their work sandwiched between a TANK GIRL and a Bill Sienkiewicz strip. We’re just here to elevate and amplify. Comics need a magazine like this. Since we started talking to creators, the project has grown massively — beyond anything we could have imagined.”
“This isn’t just a book I’m proud to work on — it’s fearless, loud, and alive,” adds Chris Northrop, the project manager and designer. “A1DEADLINE Special Edition is a place to mouth off, push back, and speak to the world we’re living in, just like DEADLINE did in the ’90s.”
Contributors include
- Shaky Kane (BULLETPROOF COFFIN)
- Rufus Dayglo (LAST GANG IN TOWN)
- Alison Sampson (WINNEBAGO GRAVEYARD)
- Alan Martin (TANK GIRL)
- Mark A. Nelson (ALIENS/THUNDER HUNTERS)
- Steve Pugh (HOTWIRE/FLINTSTONES)
- Ed Hillyer “ILLYA” (DEADLINE, ROMO)
- Eryk Donovan (MEMETIC)
- Alice Pasquini (CROSSROADS)
- And more
Contents include:
- All-new comics from today’s most daring voices
- Classic bangers restored and presented in full colour for the first time
- Comics, articles, and features exploring the intersection of comics, music, and culture
- Over 15 stories to be revealed.
You can sign up for the Kickstarter here, for when it launches later this fall. but in the meantime here’s a preview:
And they even have a trailer: No they don.t
If the 90s seem cool today, A1 and Deadline are part of what made them cool. Let’s see if they can get the band back together.
