John Smith (comics writer)

John Smith (born 1967) is a British comics writer best known for his work on 2000 AD and Crisis.

Smith's work is characterised by intricate, sometimes obscure plots and an interest in taboos and the occult, told in an elliptic, fractured narrative style reminiscent of Iain Sinclair or the cut-up technique of William S. Burroughs. Other notable influences include Michael Moorcock, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Alan Moore and Noël Coward.

His best-known character is Devlin Waugh, a flamboyantly gay exorcist, assassin and vampire working for the Vatican of the future, co-created with artist Sean Phillips for the Judge Dredd Megazine.

Biography

His earliest work was for D. C. Thomson's science fiction comic Starblazer in the mid-1980s. He wrote his first script for 2000 AD in 1986 and wrote the political superhero series New Statesmen for Crisis in 1988.

Many of his series for 2000 AD were tied into the same continuity, under the umbrella of Indigo Prime. Indigo Prime was a multi-dimensional organisation that policed reality, recruiting recently dead people as its agents. The climax of the series was Killing Time, in which agents Winwood and Cord pursued a demon that had hitched a ride on a Victorian time machine, one of the legitimate passengers of which turned out to be Jack the Ripper.

Other series for 2000 AD include Revere, a post-apocalyptic occult story with artist Simon Harrison, which was reprinted in its entirety in the 2000 AD Extreme Edition title in February 2007, and Firekind (1993), an anthropological science fiction story involving alien cultures and dragons, illustrated by Paul Marshall. He has also written Rogue Trooper and Judge Dredd.

For DC Comics' Vertigo imprint, he has written a fill-in on Hellblazer,^[1][2] and an eight-part series called Scarab, which started out as a revamp of Doctor Fate.^[3]

Smith has also written a run of Vampirella for Harris Comics.

The Smithiverse

Examples of John Smith's cross-referencing of characters throughout his oeuvre include:

• Renegade Indigo Prime agents Fervent and Lobe originally appeared in Tyranny Rex. Although Indigo Prime had only appeared in the Future Shock "A Change of Scenery" at that point, Smith said he always had the Smithiverse in mind: "They were both part of the same tailor-made Universe. That was intended right from the start."^[3]
• Characters from Pussyfoot 5 originally appeared in Devlin Waugh.^[4]
• The character Mr Cheetl originally appeared in Firekind^[5] and Mr Vathek, another member of his species the Chadarisq-Khan,^[6] appears in Pussyfoot 5.^[7]
• Two members of Indigo Prime, Dazzler and Creed, appear in Scarab No. 7, "by that time I was probably just so sick of the thing I thought – 'Fuck it. I'll rip off my own story' – and stuck in 'Indigo Prime' as a lazy way out.".^[3]
• Winwood and Cord appear in the last few pages of Dead Eyes uploading Danny's soul into a cloned body after the human race in his place (Reality 377) are killed.^[8]

Bibliography

Comics

Comics work includes:

• Starblazer:
  • "Head Hunter" (with Segura, Starblazer No. 163, 1985)
  • "Timeslay" (with Enrique Alcatena, Starblazer No. 168, 1986)
• Tharg's Future Shocks (collected in The Best of Tharg's Future Shocks, 160 pages, November 2008, ISBN 1-905437-81-1):
  • "Time Enough to Tell" (with Barry Kitson, in 2000 AD No. 473, 1986)
  • "Video" (with Geoff Senior, in 2000 AD No. 478, 1986)
  • "A Change of Scenery" (with Nik Williams, in 2000 AD No. 490, 1986)
  • "No Exit" (with Simon Harrison, in 2000 AD No. 559, 1988)
  • "One Man's Meat" (with Massimo Belardinelli, in 2000 AD No. 563, 1988)
  • "The Osmotic Man" (with Horacio Lalia, in 2000 AD No. 605, 1988)
  • "Opening Moves" (with Mick Austin, in 2000 AD No. 629, 1989)
  • "Earthsong" (with Steve Parkhouse, in 2000 AD #1480, 2006)
• "Perfect Vision" (with Carol Lay, in Tales of Terror No. 11, Eclipse Comics, 1987)
• Tyranny Rex:
  • "Tyranny Rex" (with Steve Dillon, in 2000 AD #566-558, March 1988)
  • "Under Foreign Skies" (with Steve Dillon, in 2000 AD #582–584, 1988)
  • Untitled (with Steve Dillon, in 2000AD Sci-Fi Special 1988)
  • "Soft Bodies" (with Will Simpson, in 2000 AD #595–604, 1988)
  • "Systems of Romance" (with Dougie Braithwaite, in 2000AD Sci-Fi Special 1989)
  • Untitled (with Steve Sampson, in 2000AD Winter Special 1989)
  • "Shadowground" (illustrated text story, with Duncan Fegredo, in 2000AD Annual 1991, 1990)
  • "Touched by the Hand of Brendan" (illustrated text story, with Mark Buckingham, in 2000AD Sci-Fi Special 1991)
  • "A Twist in the Tale" (with Paul Marshall, in 2000AD Sci-Fi Special 1993)
  • "Bitter Fruit" (with Paul Marshall, in 2000AD Yearbook 1994, 1993)
  • "Deus ex Machina Book I" (with Mark Buckingham (#852–855) and Paul Marshall (#856–859), in 2000 AD #852–859, 1993)
  • "Deus ex Machina Book II" (with Paul Marshall (#873–878) and Richard Elson (#879–880), in 2000 AD #873–880, 1994)
  • "The Comeback" (with Steve Yeowell, in 2000 AD #1395–1399, 2004)
• New Statesmen (tpb, 240 pages, Fleetway Quality, November 1990, ISBN 1-85386-217-7):
  • "Halcyon Days" (with Jim Baikie, in Crisis, No. 1, September 1988)
  • "Perspectives" (with Jim Baikie, in Crisis, No. 2, 1988)
  • "Behind the light" (with Jim Baikie, in Crisis, No. 3, 1988)
  • "Shadowdancing" (with Jim Baikie, in Crisis, No. 4, 1988)
  • "Downtime" (with Sean Phillips, in Crisis, No. 5, 1988)
  • "Holding the fist" (with Sean Phillips, in Crisis, No. 6, 1988)
  • "Where the railroad meets the sea" (with Duncan Fegredo, in Crisis No. 7, 1988)
  • "Memories on Ice" (with Duncan Fegredo, in Crisis No. 8, 1988)
  • "All doors lead to the Minotaur" (with Jim Baikie, in Crisis, No. 9, 1989)
  • "Life during wartime" (with Jim Baikie, in Crisis, No. 10, 1989)
  • "Riding the tiger" (with Jim Baikie, in Crisis, No. 11, 1989)
  • "The power and the glory" (with Jim Baikie, in Crisis, No. 12, 1989)
  • "White Death" (with Sean Phillips, in Crisis, #13–14, 1989)
  • "Epilogue" (with Jim Baikie, in Crisis, No. 28, 1989)
• Rogue Trooper: "Cinnabar" (with pencils by Steve Dillon and inks by Kev Walker, in 2000 AD #624–630 & 633–635, 1989)
• Inside Moves (with Chris Weston, in 2000 AD No. 631, 1989)
• Order of the Beast (with Dave D'Antiquis, in 2000 AD No. 632, 1989)
• The Complete Indigo Prime (collects all graphical Indigo Prime and Fervent and Lobe stories, Rebellion, 168 pages, 2005 ISBN 1-904265-42-1):
  • Fervent and Lobe (with Mike Hadley):
    • "Issigri Variations" (in 2000 AD #642–649, 1989)
    • "Holiday on Ice" (in 2000 AD Winter Special 1990)
  • Indigo Prime:
    • "Indigo Prime" (with Chris Weston, in 2000 AD No. 678, 1989)
    • "Winwood and Cord" (with Chris Weston, in 2000 AD #680–681, 1990)
    • "Fegredo and Brecht" (with Chris Weston, in 2000 AD No. 682, 1990)
    • "Almaranda: Solstice" (with Mike Hadley, in 2000 AD #720–721, 1991)
    • "Killing Time" (with Chris Weston, in 2000 AD #735–744, 1991, collected in Killing Time: Featuring Winwood and Cord, Mandarin, 64 pages, 1992 ISBN 0-7493-1462-1)
• Indigo Prime (uncollected):
  • "Requiem" (illustrated text story, with Chris Weston, in 2000AD Winter Special 1990)
  • "The Loa in the Machine" (illustrated text story, with Mick Austin, in 2000AD Winter Special 1992)
  • "Weird Vibes" (text only, 2000AD Yearbook 1993)
  • "Everything and More" (with Edmund Bagwell, in 2000 AD #1750–1753, September 2011)
  • "Anthropocalypse" (with Edmund Bagwell, in 2000 AD #1756–1763, October–December 2011)
• Mega City-One: "Resyko" (with Sean Phillips, in Judge Dredd Annual 1991, 1990)
• Danzig's Inferno (with Sean Phillips, in 2000 AD #718–719, February 1991)
• Rogue Trooper (Friday):
  • "Hollow Town" (with Simon Coleby, in 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special 1991, July 1991)
  • "Enfleshings" (with Chris Weston, in 2000 AD Yearbook 1993, September 1992)
  • "Shock Tactics" (with Chris Weston, in 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special 1993, June 1993)
• Revere (with Simon Harrison, collected in Extreme Edition No. 20, February 2007):
  • "Book I" (in 2000 AD #744–749, August–September 1991)
  • "Book II" (in 2000 AD #809–814, 1992)
  • "Book III" (in 2000 AD #867–872, 1993–1994)
• Strange Cases: "Skin Games" (with John Hicklenton, in Judge Dredd Megazine (vol. 1) No. 17, February 1992)
• Doctor Sin: "The Strange Case of the Wyndham Demon" (with John Burns, in 2000AD Action Special, March 1992)
• Hellblazer: "Counting To Ten" (with Sean Phillips, Hellblazer No. 51, Vertigo, March 1992, collected in John Constantine, Hellblazer, Volume 6: Bloodlines, 400 pages, September 2013, ISBN 978-1401240431)^[2]
• Tales from Beyond Science (with Rian Hughes, tpb, 88 pages, Image Comics, January 2012, ISBN 1-60706-471-5) includes:
  • "The Eyes of Edwin Spendlove" (in 2000 AD #778, April 1992)
  • "Secrets of the Organism" (in 2000 AD #779, April 1992)
• Devlin Waugh:
  • Swimming in Blood (224 pages, 2004 ISBN 1-904265-17-0) collects:
    • "Swimming in Blood" (with Sean Phillips, in Judge Dredd Megazine (vol. 2) #1–9, May 1992)
    • "Brief Encounter" (with Sean Phillips, in Judge Dredd Megazine (vol. 2) No. 26, 1993)
    • "A Love like Blood" (illustrated text story, with Sean Phillips, in Judge Dredd Mega-Special 1993, 1993)
    • "Body and Soul" (illustrated text story, with Sean Phillips, in Judge Dredd Yearbook 1994, 1993)
    • "Mouthful of Dust" (with Michael Gaydos, in Judge Dredd Megazine (vol. 3) #72–73, 2000)
  • Red Tide (264 pages, 2005, DC ISBN 1-4012-0578-X, Rebellion ISBN 1-904265-29-4) collects:
    • "Chasing Herod" (with Steve Yeowell, in 2000 AD #1149–1157, 1999)
    • "Reign of Frogs" (with Steve Yeowell, in 2000 AD #1158–1167, 1999)
    • "Sirius Rising" (with Steve Yeowell, in 2000 AD #1168–1173, 1999)
    • "Red Tide Prologue" (with Colin MacNeil, in Judge Dredd Megazine No. 201, 2003)
    • "Red Tide" (with Colin MacNeil, in Judge Dredd Megazine #202–213, 2003)
  • "Vile Bodies" (with Colin MacNeil, in Judge Dredd Megazine No. 227, 2005)
  • "All Hell" (with Colin MacNeil, in Judge Dredd Megazine #231–235 and 237, 2005)
  • "Innocence & Experience" (with Peter Doherty, in Judge Dredd Megazine #253–256, 2007)
• Robo-Hunter: "Something for the Weekend, Sir?" (with Chris Weston, in 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special 1992, June 1992)
• Tales from Mega-City One: "Animal House" (with Chris Weston, in 2000AD Sci-Fi Special 1992, June 1992)
• Firekind (with Paul Marshall, in 2000 AD #828–840, 1993, collected in Extreme Edition No. 8, 2005)
• Slaughterbowl (with Paul Peart, in 2000 AD #842–849, 1993)
• Scarab (with pencils by Scot Eaton and inks by Mike Barreiro, 8-issue limited series, Vertigo, 1993–1994)
• Judge Dredd:
  • "The Jigsaw Murders" (with Xuasus, in Judge Dredd Megazine (vol. 2) #27–29, May 1993)
  • "Ladonna Fever" (with David Millgate, in Judge Dredd Megazine (vol. 2) No. 30, June 1993)
  • "Roadkill" (with Peter Doherty, in 2000 AD #856–858, October 1993)
  • "Ballad of Cindy Crawlskin" (with Ashley Sanders, in Judge Dredd Megazine (vol. 3) No. 12, 1995)
  • "Killing Grounds" (with Dean Ormston, in Judge Dredd Megazine (vol. 3) No. 13, 1996)
  • "Mondo Simp" (with Paul Marshall, in Judge Dredd Megazine (vol. 3) #15–16, 1996)
  • "Darkside" (with Paul Marshall, in 2000 AD #1017–1028, November 1996 – February 1997)
  • "Fetish" (with Siku, in Judge Dredd Megazine (vol. 3) #26–30, 1997, collected in Devlin Waugh: Swimming in Blood)
  • "Survivor Type" (with Simon Davis, in 2000 AD #1190, April 2000)
  • "New Model Phoord" (with Paul Marshall, in 2000 AD #1197–1199, June 2000)
  • "Meatmonger " (with Siku, in 2000 AD #1365–1370, November–December 2003)
  • "Bite Fight!" (with John Burns, in Judge Dredd Megazine #224–225, 2004)
  • "Jumped" (with Simon Fraser, in 2000 AD #1491–1494, 2006)
  • "Old Wounds" (with Peter Doherty, in Judge Dredd Megazine #287–288, August–September 2009)
• "Red Shift" (with pencils by Rob Haynes, in Ultraforce No. 2, Malibu Comics, November 1995)
• Holocaust 12 (co-writer Chris Standley):
  • "Skyfall" (with Jim Murray, in Judge Dredd Megazine (vol. 3) #20–23, 1996)
  • "Storm Warning" (with Clint Langley, in Judge Dredd Megazine (vol. 3) #29–33, 1997)
• Vector 13: "Graven Images" (with Cliff Robinson, in 2000 AD #1064, 1997)
• Pulp Sci-Fi: "Feast of Skin" (with Chris Weston, in 2000 AD #1163, 1999)
• Pussyfoot 5 (collected in Pussyfoot 5: Alien Sex Fiend supplement to Judge Dredd Megazine No. 281, March 2009):
  • "Fast Breeder" (with Nigel Raynor, in 2000 AD #1184–1188, 2000)
  • "Alien Sex Fiend!" (with Steve Yeowell, in 2000 AD #1251–1256, 2001)
• A Love Like Blood (with Frazer Irving, in 2000 AD #1243–1249, 2001, tpb, Storming Heaven: The Frazer Irving Collection Rebellion, 144 pages, January 2007, ISBN 1-904265-77-4, Tharg's Terror Tales Presents Necronauts and Love Like Blood, 128 pages, Simon & Schuster, October 2011, ISBN 1-907992-51-0)
• Vampirella #4–12, 19–21 (Harris Comics, 2001–2003)
• "Triptych" (with pencils by David Finch, in X-Men Unlimited No. 35, Marvel Comics, July 2002)
• Leatherjack (with Paul Marshall, in 2000 AD #1450–1467, 2005, tpb, 128 pages, July 2007, ISBN 1-905437-31-5)
• Tales from the Black Museum:
  • "Burn!" (with Adrian Salmon, in Judge Dredd Megazine No. 247, 2006)
  • "Feeders and Eaters" (with Vince Locke, in Judge Dredd Megazine No. 250, 2006)
• Dead Eyes (with Lee Carter, in 2000 AD #1577–1588, 2008)
• Cradlegrave (with Edmund Bagwell, in 2000 AD #1633–1644, 2009, tpb, October 2011, ISBN 1-907992-46-4)

Fiction

• "Passion" (in Red Stains, edited by Jack Hunter, 144 pages, Creation Books, 1992, ISBN 1-871592-08-9)^[9]

Notes

References