John Ridgway (comics)

John Ridgway (born 4 May 1940^[1]) is a British comics artist.

Career

Ridgway began his career initially as a hobby, drawing D.C.Thompson's Commando War Stories alongside professional work as a design engineer. In 1984 Ridgway became a full-time professional, broadening his employment to include 2000 AD, Guttenberghus, Marvel Comics and DC Comics.

Ridgway's full-colour work is immediately distinctive for its unusual realism coupled with a delicate, sketchy pencil line, the two combining to give a slightly old-fashioned look influenced strongly by classic British artist Frank Hampson. This has made him ideal for illustrating strips such as the 1960s set Summer Magic and Enid Blyton's The Famous Five, but it is also a look that lends itself well to large-scale science fiction such as Babylon 5. His portfolio is unusually wide, incorporating Doctor Who, Zoids, the Incredible Hulk and My Name is Chaos.

Ridgway has been responsible for creating the look for a number of series, including Hellblazer,^[2] Luke Kirby and Junker, a sign of the high regard in which he is held by many editors. He was also the artist chosen to depict Judge Dredd without his helmet for the first and only time in the character's 28-year history, in the saga The Dead Man.

He has recently begun experimenting with incorporating computer graphics into his work.

Bibliography

Comics work includes:

• Commando:
  • "Weekend Warriors" (in No. 748, 1973)
  • "Counter Spy" (in No. 864, 1974)
  • "No-Man's Land" (in No. 896, 1974)
  • "Advance!" (in #1490, 1981)
  • "The Line-Shooter" (in #1565, 1981)
  • "Depth-Charges Away!" (in #1654, 1982)
  • "Night of Reckoning" (in #3009, 1996)
  • "Honour!" (in #3362, 2000)
  • "Viking Slave" (in #3471, 2001), continues in;
  • "Free to Fight" (in #3482, 2001)
  • "Mountain Warfare" (in #3530, 2002)
  • "Unexploded Bomb!" (in #3546, 2002)
  • "H-Boat Hunt" (in #3830, 2005)
  • "The Final Flight" (in #3903, 2006)
  • "H-Boat Havoc" (in #3986, 2007)
  • "H-Boat Feud" (in #4035, 2007)
  • "The Axeman" (in #4060, 2007)
  • "H-Boat Hi-Jack" (with Alan Hebden, in #4098, 2008)
  • "The Fighting Fisherman" (with Bill Styles, in #4113, 2008)
  • "Commando versus Kommando" (with Alan Hebden, in #4121, 2008)
  • "The Lost Tanks" (with Alan Hebden, in #4140, 2008)
  • "The Fighting Brothers" (with Mike Knowles, in #4146, 2008)
• The Spiral Path (in Warrior #9–12, 1983)
• Young Marvelman (in Warrior No. 12, 1983)
• The Shroud (in Warrior No. 13, 1983)
• Marvelman Family (in Warrior No. 17, 1984)
• Home is the Sailor (in Warrior No. 17, 1984)
• Tharg's Future Shocks: "Doing Time" (with Alan Hebden, in 2000 AD No. 377, 1984)
• Doctor Who:
  • First Doctor:
    • "A Religious Experience" (with Tim Quinn, in Yearbook 1994)
  • Fifth Doctor:
    • "Blood Invocation" (with Alan Barnes, in Yearbook 1995)
  • Sixth Doctor:
    • "The Shape-Shifter" (with Steve Parkhouse, in Doctor Who Magazine #88–89, 1984)
    • "Voyager" (with Steve Parkhouse, in Doctor Who Magazine #90–94, 1984)
    • "Polly the Glot" (with Steve Parkhouse, in Doctor Who Magazine #95–97, 1984–1985)
    • "Once Upon a Time-Lord..." (with Steve Parkhouse, in Doctor Who Magazine #98–99, 1985)
    • "War-Game" (with Alan McKenzie, in Doctor Who Magazine #100–101, 1985)
    • "Funhouse" (with Alan McKenzie, in Doctor Who Magazine #102–103, 1985)
    • "Kane's Story" / "Abel's Story" / "The Warrior's Story" / "Frobisher's Story" (with Alan McKenzie, in Doctor Who Magazine #104–107, 1985)
    • "Exodus" / "Revelation!" / "Genesis!" (with Alan McKenzie, in Doctor Who Magazine #108–110, 1986)
    • "Nature of the Beast" (with Simon Furman, in Doctor Who Magazine #111–113, 1986)
    • "Time Bomb" (with Jamie Delano, in Doctor Who Magazine #114–116, 1986)
    • "Salad Daze" (with Simon Furman, in Doctor Who Magazine No. 117, 1986)
    • "Changes" (with Grant Morrison, in Doctor Who Magazine #118–119, 1986)
    • "Profits of Doom!" (with Mike Collins and inks by Tim Perkins, in Doctor Who Magazine #120–122, 1987)
    • "The Gift" (with Jamie Delano and inks by Tim Perkins, in Doctor Who Magazine #123–126, 1987)
    • "The World Shapers" (with Grant Morrison and inks by Tim Perkins, in Doctor Who Magazine #127–129, 1987)
    • "Facades" (with Scott & David Tipton), in Prisoners of Time No. 6, 2013
  • Seventh Doctor:
    • "A Cold Day in Hell" (with Simon Furman, in Doctor Who Magazine #130–133, 1987–1988)
    • "Echoes of the Mogor" (with Dan Abnett, in Doctor Who Magazine #143–144, 1988–1989)
    • "Hunger From the Ends of Time" (with Dan Abnett, in The Incredible Hulk Presents #2–3; reprinted in Doctor Who Magazine #157–158, 1990)
    • "Train-Flight" (with Andrew Donkin/Graham S. Brand, in Doctor Who Magazine #159–161, 1990)
    • "Memorial" (with Warwick Gray, in Doctor Who Magazine No. 191, 1992)
    • "Cat Litter" (with Marc Platt, in Doctor Who Magazine No. 192, 1992)
    • "Flashback" (with Warwick Gray, in Winter Special 1992)
    • "Time and Time Again" (with Paul Cornell, in Doctor Who Magazine No. 207, 1993)
    • "Cuckoo" (with Dan Abnett, in Doctor Who Magazine #208–210, 1993)
    • "Uninvited Guest" (with Warwick Gray, in Doctor Who Magazine No. 211, 1993)
• Torchwood
  • "Overture: A Captain Jack Adventure" (with Gary Russell), in Torchwood Magazine No. 25, 2010
• The Liberators (with Grant Morrison, in Warrior No. 26 & the Warrior/Comics International flipbook, 1985 & 1996)
• Transformers: "Man of Iron" pt 1–2 (in Transformers #9–10, 1985, No. 33 [US] 1987)
• Spider-Man and the Zoids #36–37: "Bits and Pieces" (with Grant Morrison, 1986)
• One-Off: "Candy and the Catchman" (with Grant Morrison, in 2000 AD No. 491, 1986)
• Judge Dredd:
  • "The Raggedy Man" (with John Wagner and Alan Grant, in 2000 AD #525-26, 1987)
  • "Twister" (with John Wagner, in 2000 AD #588–591, 1988)
  • "A Night at the Opera" (with John Wagner, in 2000 AD No. 597, 1988)
  • "Alzhiemer's Block" (with John Wagner, in 2000 AD #605–606, 1988)
  • "Radlander" (with John Wagner, in Judge Dredd Megazine #4.16–4.18, 2002)
  • "Damned Ranger" (with John Wagner, in Judge Dredd Megazine #218–220, 2004)
  • "Cursed Earth Rules" (with Simon Spurrier, in Judge Dredd Megazine No. 236, 2005)
• The Journal of Luke Kirby (with Alan McKenzie):
  • "Summer Magic" (in 2000 AD #571–577, 1988)
  • "The Dark Path" (in 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special 1990)
  • "The Night Walker" (in 2000 AD #800–812, 1992)
  • "Sympathy for the Devil Prologue" (in 2000 AD #850–851, 1993)
  • "Trick or Treat" (in 2000 AD 1994 Yearbook, 1993)
  • "The Price" (in 2000 AD No. 972, 1995)
• The Dead Man (with John Wagner, in 2000 AD #650–662, 1989–1990)
• Junker (with Michael Fleisher)
  • "Junker Part 1" (in 2000 AD #708–716, 1990–1991)
  • "Junker Part 2" (in 2000 AD #724–730, 1991)
• Strontium Dog: "The Walking Lady (An Untold Tale)" (with Peter Hogan, in 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special 1992)
• Calhab Justice (with Jim Alexander):^[3]
  • "Calhab Justice" (in Judge Dredd Megazine #2.10–2.13, 1992)
  • "Hogmanay" (in Judge Dredd Megazine #2.18, 1992)
  • "Family Snapshot" (in Judge Dredd Megazine #2.64–2.66, 1994)
• Vector 13:
  • "Case One: Who Was the Mothman?" (with Shaky Kane, in 2000 AD No. 951, 1995)
  • "Case Seven: Are They Cats?" (with Peter Hogan, in 2000 AD No. 957, 1995)
  • "Case One: Berserkers" (with Brian Williamson, in 2000 AD #965, 1995)
  • "Case Six: A Salver in the Heavens" (with Dan Abnett, in 2000 AD No. 970, 1995)
  • "Case Eight: Worlds at War" (with Dan Abnett, in 2000 AD No. 995, 1996)
  • "Case Ten: Video Nasty" (with Pat Mills, in 2000 AD No. 997, 1996)
• Babylon 5 (written by Timothy DeHaas, based on storyline by J. Michael Straczynski, DC Comics)
  • "With Friends Like These..." (in Babylon 5 No. 5, 1995)
  • "Against the Odds" (in Babylon 5 No. 6, 1995)
  • "Survival the Hard Way" (in Babylon 5 No. 7, 1995)
  • "Silent Enemies" (in Babylon 5 No. 8, 1995)
  • "The Psi Corps and You!" (in Babylon 5 No. 11, 1995)
• Darkness Visible (with Nick Abadzis, in 2000 AD #975–979, 1996)^[4]
• Missionary Man: "Place of the Dead" (with Gordon Rennie, in Judge Dredd Megazine #4.9–4.13, 2002)
• Armitage: "Apostasy in the UK" (with Dave Stone, in Judge Dredd Megazine #212–213, 2003)
• Middenface McNulty (with Alan Grant):
  • "Mutopia" (in Judge Dredd Megazine #205–207, 2003)
  • "Killoden" (in Judge Dredd Megazine #224–229, 2004–2005)

Notes

1. Comics Buyer's Guide #1485; 3 May 2002; Page 29
2. Irvine, Alex (2008), "John Constantine Hellblazer", in Dougall, Alastair, The Vertigo Encyclopedia, New York: Dorling Kindersley, pp. 102–111, ISBN 0-7566-4122-5, OCLC 213309015
3. Calhab Justice profiel at 2000 AD
4. Darkness Visible profile at 2000 AD

References

• John Ridgway at the Comic Book DB
• John Ridgway at 2000 AD online
• John Ridgway at Lambiek's Comiclopedia

External links

• David Roberston: An Interview with John Ridgway, Part One and Part Two, The Comics Journal, 22 February 2011