By Christopher Baggett
If you’re itching for 2000 AD merchandise at San Diego Comic-Con, you’re in luck – Rebellion Publishing is bringing some gems to the show floor. Announced via 2000 AD’s official website, the prolific UK line will have free poster tubes, tote bags and digital comics available at Rebellion’s booth, #2121 (located next to Scholastic, METAZOO and Nucleus and adjacent to Image’s booth). Rebellion will also offer a hardcover collection with an SDCC exclusive cover and a new Judge Dredd poster – both of which have some of the event’s most limited quantities.
The hardcover, Judge Dredd: The Darkest Judge, collects a massive crossover event that saw a mutant bounty hunter, Johnny Alpha, face off against zombified versions of 2000 AD characters, including Judge Dredd himself. The zombified Dredd features on an SDCC exclusive cover illustrated by prolific Spawn and Batman artist Greg Capullo. Only 50 copies will be available on the show floor each day of the convention.
The poster itself is a moody art piece by Matt Ferguson, featuring Dredd standing in front of Mega City One, surrounded by neon lights consisting of the names of classic Judge Dredd creators. It’s a gorgeous piece, but you’ll only have a chance at 50 each day. A black & white variant is available in even more limited quantities, with only ten being available each day of SDCC.
Some additional stock will also be available outside of the convention via the 2000 AD webshop, but only to 2000 AD subscribers. According to the official descriptions released by Rebellion:
The brand new hardcover Judge Dredd: The Darkest Judge collection with a thrilling undead Dredd cover by legendary Batman artist Greg Capullo, limited to 300 copies. Fifty copies will be released at 11am each day at the booth, including Previews night.
A stunning 24” x 36” offset litho fine art poster by artist Matt Ferguson, printed on gorgeous 300gsm Accent Recycled stock, with each copy individually numbered and limited to just 400 copies in colour. PLUS the super-limited variant edition – a special ‘black, white and Dredd’ with vivid reds picked out against the monochrome of the nightmare urban noir, in an edition of 100. Sales are limited to 50 copies a day for the colour edition and 10 of the black and white, available from 2pm on each day of the show, including Previews night.
And to make sure 2000 AD fans who can’t make San Diego don’t miss out, the hardcover and prints will be available exclusively to 2000 AD subscribers through the 2000 AD webshop – 200 copies of the Capullo hardcover and 150 copies of the colour art print and 50 of the black and white art print will be available to buy direct through the 2000 AD webshop at shop.2000AD.com from 12pm BST on Thursday 20 July.
The standard release of Judge Dredd: The Darkest Judge releases July 19, 2023, and features work by Arthur Wyatt, Dan Abnett, Gordon Rennie, Ian Edginton, Rob Williams, Emma Beeby, Karl Stock, James Peaty, Kenneth Niemand, Mike Carroll, Liam Johnson, Honor Vincent, Conor Boyle, Boo Cook, D’Israeli, Gary Erskine, Henry Flint, Leigh Gallagher, Neil Googe, Staz Johnson, Steve Yeowell, Dan Cornwell, Nicolo Assirelli, Barbara Nosenzo, Kei Zama, Toby Willsmer, Kieran McKeown, Russell M. Olson, Chris Blythe, Gary Caldwell, Dylan Teague, Peter Doherty, John Charles, Yel Zamor, Matt Soffe, Annie Parkhouse, Jim Campbell & Simon Bowland.
Miss any of our earlier SDCC ’23 coverage? Find it all here!