Alan Grant
Encyclopedia
Alan Grant is a Scottish
comic book
writer known for writing Judge Dredd
in 2000 AD
as well as various Batman
titles during the late 1980s and early 1990s. He is also the creator of the character Anarky
.
before moving to London
from Dundee
in 1970 to work for IPC
on various romance magazines.
After going back to college and having a series of jobs, Grant found himself back in Dundee and living on Social Security
. He then met John Wagner
, another former D.C. Thompson editor, who was helping put together a new science fiction
comic for IPC, 2000 A.D., and was unable to complete his other work. Wagner asked Grant if he could help him write the Tarzan
comic he was working on; so began the Wagner/Grant writing partnership.
, a 2000AD spin off, which eventually got Grant noticed within IPC. On a trip to London
, Grant was introduced to Kelvin Gosnell
, then editor of 2000AD, who offered Grant an editorial position on the comic. One of Grant's first jobs was to oversee the merger of 2000AD and Tornado
, an unsuccessful boys adventure comic. Grant also featured as a character in the comic in the form of ALN-1, Tharg's Scottish Robot assistant. Grant found himself in conflict with IPC and resigned to become a freelance writer, writing the occasional issue of Future Shock
and Blackhawk
.
Grant then formed his partnership with Wagner after the pair lived and worked together; the pair eventually co-wrote Judge Dredd. They would work on other popular strips for the comic, including Robo-Hunter
and Strontium Dog
using the pseudonym T.B. Grover. Grant also worked on other people's stories, changing and adding dialogue, most notably Harry Twenty on the High Rock, written by Gerry Finley-Day
.
Judge Dredd would be Grant's main concern for much of the 1980s. Grant and Wagner had developed the strip into the most popular in 2000AD as well as creating lengthy epic storylines such as The Apocalypse War.
Grant also wrote for other IPC comics such as the revamped Eagle
.
called Outcasts
for DC Comics
. Although it wasn't a success, it paved the way for the pair to write Batman
stories in Detective Comics
from issue 583, largely with Norm Breyfogle
on art duties across the various Batman titles Grant moved to. After a dozen issues, Wagner left Grant as sole writer. Grant was one of the main Batman writers until the late 1990s. He has long stated that Wagner left after five issues because the title did not sell well enough to give them royalties, and that Wagner's name was kept in the credits for the remaining seven issues because Grant was afraid DC would fire him.
The pair also created a four issue series for Epic Comics
called The Last American
. This series, as well as the Chopper storyline in Judge Dredd, is blamed for the breakup of the Wagner/Grant partnership. The pair split strips, with Wagner keeping Judge Dredd and Grant keeping Strontium Dog and Judge Anderson
. Grant and Wagner continue to work together on special projects such as the Batman/Judge Dredd crossover Judgement on Gotham.
During the late 1980s, Grant experienced a philosophical transformation and declared himself an anarchist
. The creation of the supervillain
Anarky
was initially intended as a vehicle for exploring his political opinions through the comic medium. In the following years, he would continue to utilize the character in a similar fashion as his philosophy evolved.
, a series co-written by Wagner which was the pair's first venture into independent publishing. The second is Lobo, a character created by Keith Giffen
as a supporting character in The Omega Men.
Lobo gained his own four issue mini series in 1990 which was drawn by Simon Bisley
. This was a parody of the 'dark, gritty' comics of the time and proved hugely popular. After several other miniseries (all written by Grant, sometimes with Giffen as co-writer), Lobo received his own ongoing series. Grant was also writing L.E.G.I.O.N.
(a Legion of Super-Heroes
spin-off) and The Demon (a revival of Jack Kirby
's character) for DC Comics. Grant also wrote the first issues of the new Batman title, Shadow of the Bat
, which also saw him create three new characters, Jeremiah Arkham
, Mr. Zsasz and Amygdala
. This story arc, Batman: The Last Arkham
, was later accompanied by his role as one of the main writers during the Knightfall crossover.
Grant was also part of the creative team for the short-lived weekly title Toxic!
and was a consultant on the Judge Dredd Megazine
. Due to the sheer volume of work he was doing, Grant let a new generation of writers try their hand on strips like Judge Dredd and Robo-Hunter. This often proved to be unsuccessful, however, and Grant found himself again writing for 2000AD.
In the mid 90's, Grant underwent a second philosophical transformation, declaring himself a follower of Neo-Tech, a philosophy created by Frank R. Wallace
. When he was given the opportunity to create an Anarky mini-series, he redesigned the character accordingly. Following the success of the series, he was hired to create an ongoing monthly series for the character. Initially hesitant, he was persuaded to do so by series illustrator, Anarky co-creator, and personal friend, Norm Breyfogle
. Named after the protagonist, Anarky
was mired by what Grant felt was constant editorial interference, became a critical and financial failure, and was canceled after eight issues. Although he dislikes the 1999 series, he considers the original Anarky mini-series to be among his "career highlights."
By the end of the decade Grant had written for virtually every American publisher of comic books, including DC
, Marvel
and Dark Horse
.
cartoons as well as original anime
. He remains the main writer for Judge Anderson and Robo-hunter and has teamed up with Wagner for a new Bogie Man story for the Judge Dredd Megazine. He has also formed his own publishing company, Bad Press Ltd, which released the humour title Shit the Dog, written by Grant and drawn by Simon Bisley.
He is one of the few professional comics writers to contribute to fanzine
s such as FutureQuake
. He provided scripts for the now defunct Scottish underground comic Northern Lightz
. Along with his wife Sue, he organised the annual Moniaive
Comics Festivals.
Grant has written two comic-based novels, The Stone King, (2001) featuring Batman
and the Justice League of America, and Last Sons, (2006) featuring Superman
, Martian Manhunter
and Lobo. Since 1998, Alan has written scripts for Renga Media and now is writing the screenplay for Dominator X.
He has also written Kidnapped, an adaptation of the novel of the same name
by Robert Louis Stevenson
, with art by Cam Kennedy
, published by Waverley Books. It is part of a project revolving around Edinburgh
being the first UNESCO
City of Literature
in 2007 and various editions will be produced some of which will be handed out for free. A version with text adapted for reluctant readers will be published simultaneously by Barrington Stoke
, and a Scots language translation by Matthew Fitt
called Kidnappit is published by Itchy Coo. If things go well more adaptations may be in the works, although a sequel project based on The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was commissioned due to the relatively high profile and warm reception of the Kidnapped adaptation. It is being promoted as part of the One Book - One Edinburgh 2008 campaign.
In November 2008, Grant's Bad Press released the comics anthology
, Wasted. A mixture of drug-themed humour and anarchic cartoon action stories, mostly, but not all, written by Grant. Wasted featured art by many comic artists from the UK underground and mainstream art scene. These included well-known industry figures like Frank Quitely
, Jamie Grant, Jon Haward
, and Mark Stafford. The comic also showcased many underground artists like Zander, Colin Barr, Tiberius Macgregor, Alan Kerr, and Curt Sibling. Wasted was seen as the heir to the previous Northern Lightz
comics, but gained mixed reviews upon release.
Grant has also set-up his own comics publishing company Berserker Comics, the first title was The Dead: Kingdom of Flies with another, Church of Hell, due in 2009. Both have Simon Bisley
on art duties. He is also a part of Renegade Arts Entertainment which, with Berserker Comics, is co-publishing Channel Evil, a four-issue mini-series with art by Shane Oakley
.
themes. Much of his work for the Judge Dredd
comic series was informed by his political leanings. Select writings also acted as vehicles for his personal meditations on philosophy, including the 1997 and 1999 Anarky
series. He has also written scripts for television and film, and two novels for DC Comics.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
writer known for writing Judge Dredd
Judge Dredd
Judge Joseph Dredd is a comics character whose strip in the British science fiction anthology 2000 AD is the magazine's longest running . Dredd is an American law enforcement officer in a violent city of the future where uniformed Judges combine the powers of police, judge, jury and executioner...
in 2000 AD
2000 AD (comic)
2000 AD is a weekly British science fiction-oriented comic. As a comics anthology it serialises a number of separate stories each issue and was first published by IPC Magazines in 1977, the first issue dated 26 February. IPC then shifted the title to its Fleetway comics subsidiary which was sold...
as well as various Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
titles during the late 1980s and early 1990s. He is also the creator of the character Anarky
Anarky
Anarky is a fictional character appearing in books published by DC Comics. Co-created by Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle, he first appeared in Detective Comics No.608 , as an adversary of Batman...
.
Early career
Alan Grant first entered the comics industry in 1967 when he became an editor for D.C. ThomsonD. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd
D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd, is a publishing company based in Dundee, Scotland, best known for producing The Dundee Courier, The Evening Telegraph, The Sunday Post, Oor Wullie, The Broons, The Beano, The Dandy and Commando comics...
before moving to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
from Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
in 1970 to work for IPC
IPC Media
IPC Media , a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Inc., is a consumer magazine and digital publisher in the United Kingdom, with a large portfolio selling over 350 million copies each year.- Origins :...
on various romance magazines.
After going back to college and having a series of jobs, Grant found himself back in Dundee and living on Social Security
National Insurance
National Insurance in the United Kingdom was initially a contributory system of insurance against illness and unemployment, and later also provided retirement pensions and other benefits...
. He then met John Wagner
John Wagner
John Wagner is a comics writer who was born in Pennsylvania in 1949 and moved to Scotland as a boy. Alongside Pat Mills, Wagner was responsible for revitalising British boys' comics in the 1970s, and has continued to be a leading light in British comics ever since.He is best known for his work on...
, another former D.C. Thompson editor, who was helping put together a new science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
comic for IPC, 2000 A.D., and was unable to complete his other work. Wagner asked Grant if he could help him write the Tarzan
Tarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
comic he was working on; so began the Wagner/Grant writing partnership.
2000AD
Wagner asked Grant to write a strip for StarlordStarlord
Starlord was a short-lived weekly British science fiction comic published by IPC in 1978 as a sister title to 2000 AD, which had been launched the previous year in anticipation of a science fiction boom surrounding Star Wars....
, a 2000AD spin off, which eventually got Grant noticed within IPC. On a trip to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Grant was introduced to Kelvin Gosnell
Kelvin Gosnell
Kelvin Gosnell is a British comics writer and editor. He was involved in the founding of the long-running comic 2000 AD in 1977.-Biography:...
, then editor of 2000AD, who offered Grant an editorial position on the comic. One of Grant's first jobs was to oversee the merger of 2000AD and Tornado
Tornado (comic)
Tornado was a short-lived weekly British comic published for 22 issues by IPC Magazines between March 1979 and August 1979. After the cancellations of the Starlord and Action titles IPC launched Tornado as a way to use up stories already commissioned for the other titles. Like Action it was a mixed...
, an unsuccessful boys adventure comic. Grant also featured as a character in the comic in the form of ALN-1, Tharg's Scottish Robot assistant. Grant found himself in conflict with IPC and resigned to become a freelance writer, writing the occasional issue of Future Shock
Future Shocks
Future Shocks is the name given to a long running series of short strips in the weekly comic 2000 AD in 1977. The name originates in a book titled Future Shock, written by Alvin Toffler, published in 1970.-Publishing history:...
and Blackhawk
Blackhawk (UK comic)
Blackhawk was a Tornado comic strip created by Gerry Finley-Day that was one of three strips to transfer to 2000 AD after the two merged.-Plot synposis:...
.
Grant then formed his partnership with Wagner after the pair lived and worked together; the pair eventually co-wrote Judge Dredd. They would work on other popular strips for the comic, including Robo-Hunter
Robo-Hunter
Robo-Hunter is a recurring strip in the British Comic 2000 AD, initially written by John Wagner and illustrated by Ian Gibson. The series starred Sam Slade, a laconic, ageing, cigar-smoking bounty hunter of robots that have gone renegade. Though action orientated, the series was noted for its...
and Strontium Dog
Strontium Dog
Strontium Dog is a long-running comics series featuring in the British science fiction weekly 2000 AD, starring Johnny Alpha, a mutant bounty hunter with an array of imaginative gadgets and weapons....
using the pseudonym T.B. Grover. Grant also worked on other people's stories, changing and adding dialogue, most notably Harry Twenty on the High Rock, written by Gerry Finley-Day
Gerry Finley-Day
Gerry Finley-Day was a prolific British comics writer from the 1960s to the 1980s, best known as the creator of Rogue Trooper.He started out at D. C. Thomson & Co., before becoming the editor of IPC's girls' title Tammy in 1971, for which he wrote strips such as "Ella on Easy Street" and "The Camp...
.
Judge Dredd would be Grant's main concern for much of the 1980s. Grant and Wagner had developed the strip into the most popular in 2000AD as well as creating lengthy epic storylines such as The Apocalypse War.
Grant also wrote for other IPC comics such as the revamped Eagle
Eagle (comic)
Eagle was a seminal British children's comic, first published from 1950 to 1969, and then in a relaunched format from 1982 to 1994. It was founded by Marcus Morris, an Anglican vicar from Lancashire. Morris edited a parish magazine called The Anvil, but felt that the church was not communicating...
.
American work in the 1980s
By the late 1980s, Grant and Wagner were about to move into the American comic market. Their first title was a 12-issue miniseriesMiniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
called Outcasts
Outcasts (DC Comics)
Outcasts is a 1987 twelve-issue limited series written by John Wagner and Alan Grant and drawn by Cam Kennedy and Steve Montano.-Plot :The series takes place in the dystopian future: a bleak world ruled by mega-corporations and corrupt politicians that prey on the weak and poor members of society...
for DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
. Although it wasn't a success, it paved the way for the pair to write Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
stories in Detective Comics
Detective Comics
Detective Comics is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics since 1937, best known for introducing the iconic superhero Batman in Detective Comics #27 . It is, along with Action Comics, the book that launched with the debut of Superman, one of the medium's signature series, and...
from issue 583, largely with Norm Breyfogle
Norm Breyfogle
Norman Keith "Norm" Breyfogle is an American comic book artist, fine artist, illustrator, and writer. He was involved with the character of Batman consistently from 1987-1995. Breyfogle has worked on many different characters for most comic book publishers at one time or another...
on art duties across the various Batman titles Grant moved to. After a dozen issues, Wagner left Grant as sole writer. Grant was one of the main Batman writers until the late 1990s. He has long stated that Wagner left after five issues because the title did not sell well enough to give them royalties, and that Wagner's name was kept in the credits for the remaining seven issues because Grant was afraid DC would fire him.
The pair also created a four issue series for Epic Comics
Epic Comics
Epic Comics was a creator-owned imprint of Marvel Comics started in 1982, lasting through the mid-1990s, and being briefly revived on a small scale in the mid-2000s.- Origins :...
called The Last American
The Last American
The Last American is a four-issue comic book mini-series released by Marvel's Epic imprint in 1990. It was written by John Wagner and Alan Grant with art by Mike McMahon.-Publication history:Wagner wrote the first two parts and Grant the last two...
. This series, as well as the Chopper storyline in Judge Dredd, is blamed for the breakup of the Wagner/Grant partnership. The pair split strips, with Wagner keeping Judge Dredd and Grant keeping Strontium Dog and Judge Anderson
Judge Anderson
Judge Cassandra Anderson is a fictional character that started as a supporting player in the comic story Judge Dredd of 2000 AD and eventually rose in prominence and became the star of her own series, which is entitled Anderson: Psi-Division. It was created by writer John Wagner and artist Brian...
. Grant and Wagner continue to work together on special projects such as the Batman/Judge Dredd crossover Judgement on Gotham.
During the late 1980s, Grant experienced a philosophical transformation and declared himself an anarchist
Anarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
. The creation of the supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
Anarky
Anarky
Anarky is a fictional character appearing in books published by DC Comics. Co-created by Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle, he first appeared in Detective Comics No.608 , as an adversary of Batman...
was initially intended as a vehicle for exploring his political opinions through the comic medium. In the following years, he would continue to utilize the character in a similar fashion as his philosophy evolved.
1990s
Grant's projects at the start of this decade included writing Detective Comics and Strontium Dog, but two projects in particular are especially notable. The first is The Bogie ManThe Bogie Man
The Bogie Man is a comic book series created by writers John Wagner and Alan Grant and artist Robin Smith. The main character is Francis Forbes Clunie, a Scottish mental patient who suffers from the unusual delusion that he is Humphrey Bogart, or rather a composite of the characters he played in...
, a series co-written by Wagner which was the pair's first venture into independent publishing. The second is Lobo, a character created by Keith Giffen
Keith Giffen
Keith Ian Giffen is an American comic book illustrator and writer.-Biography:Giffen was born in Queens, New York City....
as a supporting character in The Omega Men.
Lobo gained his own four issue mini series in 1990 which was drawn by Simon Bisley
Simon Bisley
Simon Bisley is a British comics artist best known for his 1990s work on ABC Warriors, Lobo and Sláine. His style, reliant on paints, acrylics, inks and multiple-mediums, is strongly influenced by Frank Frazetta, Bill Sienkiewicz, Gustav Klimt, Salvador Dalí, Egon Schiele, and Richard Corben...
. This was a parody of the 'dark, gritty' comics of the time and proved hugely popular. After several other miniseries (all written by Grant, sometimes with Giffen as co-writer), Lobo received his own ongoing series. Grant was also writing L.E.G.I.O.N.
L.E.G.I.O.N.
L.E.G.I.O.N., is a team of fictional extraterrestrial superheroes, a science fiction comic book published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Invasion! #1, and were created by Keith Giffen, Bill Mantlo and Todd McFarlane...
(a Legion of Super-Heroes
Legion of Super-Heroes
The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
spin-off) and The Demon (a revival of Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....
's character) for DC Comics. Grant also wrote the first issues of the new Batman title, Shadow of the Bat
Batman: Shadow of the Bat
Batman: Shadow of the Bat was a comic book series featuring Batman, published by DC Comics. The series ran for 96 issues, from 1992 to 2000. The stories took place in Batman's then-current continuity along with Detective Comics and Batman, in contrast to Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, which...
, which also saw him create three new characters, Jeremiah Arkham
Jeremiah Arkham
Jeremiah Arkham is a fictional character in DC Comics' Batman comic books, in which he serves as the current head of Arkham Asylum, an institution for the criminally insane. He debuted in 1992 in Shadow of the Bat #1 during the four-part story arc, Batman: The Last Arkham, that kicked off the new...
, Mr. Zsasz and Amygdala
Amygdala (comics)
Amygdala is the alias of DC Comics character Aaron Helzinger, who is a sometime opponent of Batman. He has reduced mental capacity, is prone to outbursts of violence and has super-strength due to medical experimentation on his brain, chiefly the removal of his amygdala.As demonstrated in...
. This story arc, Batman: The Last Arkham
Batman: The Last Arkham
"The Last Arkham" was a four-part Batman story arc that started the Shadow of the Bat comic book series in mid-1992. The storyline began in Shadow of the Bat #1 , and finished in Shadow of the Bat #4 . DC Comics later compiled the four issues into a trade paperback in 1996...
, was later accompanied by his role as one of the main writers during the Knightfall crossover.
Grant was also part of the creative team for the short-lived weekly title Toxic!
Toxic!
Toxic! was a British weekly comic book published by Apocalypse Ltd. A total of 31 issues were published from March 28-October 24, 1991.-History:...
and was a consultant on the Judge Dredd Megazine
Judge Dredd Megazine
Judge Dredd: The Megazine is a monthly British comic magazine, launched in October 1990. It is a sister publication to 2000 AD. Its name is a play on words, formed from "magazine" and Dredd's locale Mega-City One.-Content:...
. Due to the sheer volume of work he was doing, Grant let a new generation of writers try their hand on strips like Judge Dredd and Robo-Hunter. This often proved to be unsuccessful, however, and Grant found himself again writing for 2000AD.
In the mid 90's, Grant underwent a second philosophical transformation, declaring himself a follower of Neo-Tech, a philosophy created by Frank R. Wallace
Frank R. Wallace
Dr. Frank R. Wallace was an American philosopher, author, publisher, and mail-order magnate. He is known as the originator of the philosophy of Neo-Tech. He was convicted of income tax evasion in 1997.-Education and career:Wallace graduated from Colby College in 1954...
. When he was given the opportunity to create an Anarky mini-series, he redesigned the character accordingly. Following the success of the series, he was hired to create an ongoing monthly series for the character. Initially hesitant, he was persuaded to do so by series illustrator, Anarky co-creator, and personal friend, Norm Breyfogle
Norm Breyfogle
Norman Keith "Norm" Breyfogle is an American comic book artist, fine artist, illustrator, and writer. He was involved with the character of Batman consistently from 1987-1995. Breyfogle has worked on many different characters for most comic book publishers at one time or another...
. Named after the protagonist, Anarky
Anarky (comic book)
Anarky was a short-lived American comic book series published by DC Comics, as a limited series between May and August of 1997, and as an ongoing series May and December of 1999. It was written by Alan Grant, with pencils by Norm Breyfogle, and inks by Josef Rubinstein...
was mired by what Grant felt was constant editorial interference, became a critical and financial failure, and was canceled after eight issues. Although he dislikes the 1999 series, he considers the original Anarky mini-series to be among his "career highlights."
By the end of the decade Grant had written for virtually every American publisher of comic books, including DC
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
, Marvel
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
and Dark Horse
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
.
2000s
Grant had become involved with writing scripts for animation as well as his comic work, notably working on Action ManAction Man
Action Man is an action figure boys' toy launched in Britain in 1966 by Palitoy as a licensed copy of Hasbro's American "moveable fighting man": G.I...
cartoons as well as original anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
. He remains the main writer for Judge Anderson and Robo-hunter and has teamed up with Wagner for a new Bogie Man story for the Judge Dredd Megazine. He has also formed his own publishing company, Bad Press Ltd, which released the humour title Shit the Dog, written by Grant and drawn by Simon Bisley.
He is one of the few professional comics writers to contribute to fanzine
Fanzine
A fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...
s such as FutureQuake
FutureQuake
FutureQuake is a British small press comic book founded by Arthur Wyatt, and edited from issue 5 onwards by Richmond Clements, David Evans, Mark Woodland and Edward Berridge. Issue 4 was edited by Clements, Evans and James Mackay...
. He provided scripts for the now defunct Scottish underground comic Northern Lightz
Northern Lightz
Northern Lightz was a Scottish adult humour underground comic that ran from 1999 to 2005. Primarily based around drug humour, the title featured underground cartoonists Dave Alexander, Pudsy, Jim Stewart, Jamie Grant John Miller and many others, and could be seen as a partial successor to Electric...
. Along with his wife Sue, he organised the annual Moniaive
Moniaive
Moniaive is a village in the south of Scotland in Dumfries and Galloway, near Thornhill, on the A702 road and B729 road. Population 520 . The name is from Gaelic monadh-abh and means "Hill of Streams". It is situated at the northern end of the very scenic and tranquil Cairn Valley...
Comics Festivals.
Grant has written two comic-based novels, The Stone King, (2001) featuring Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
and the Justice League of America, and Last Sons, (2006) featuring Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
, Martian Manhunter
Martian Manhunter
The Martian Manhunter is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in publications published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #225...
and Lobo. Since 1998, Alan has written scripts for Renga Media and now is writing the screenplay for Dominator X.
He has also written Kidnapped, an adaptation of the novel of the same name
Kidnapped (novel)
Kidnapped is a historical fiction adventure novel by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. Written as a "boys' novel" and first published in the magazine Young Folks from May to July 1886, the novel has attracted the praise and admiration of writers as diverse as Henry James, Jorge Luis...
by Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....
, with art by Cam Kennedy
Cam Kennedy
Campbell Kennedy is a Scottish comics artist. He is best known for his work on 2000 AD, especially the flagship titles Judge Dredd and Rogue Trooper.-Biography:...
, published by Waverley Books. It is part of a project revolving around Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
being the first UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
City of Literature
City of Literature
UNESCO's City of Literature program is part of its Creative Cities Network which was launched in 2004. The Network was born out of UNESCO's Global Alliance for Cultural Diversity initiative which was created in 2002...
in 2007 and various editions will be produced some of which will be handed out for free. A version with text adapted for reluctant readers will be published simultaneously by Barrington Stoke
Barrington Stoke
Barrington Stoke is a children's book publisher based in Edinburgh, Scotland.The company was founded in 1997. It publishes fiction and non-fiction adapted to a reading age of 8 for reluctant, underconfident and dyslexic readers aged 9–16....
, and a Scots language translation by Matthew Fitt
Matthew Fitt
Matthew Fitt is a Lowland Scots/Lallans poet and novelist. He was born in 1968 in Dundee, Scotland. Previously writer-in-residence at Greater Pollok in Glasgow, he is currently National Scots Language Development Officer....
called Kidnappit is published by Itchy Coo. If things go well more adaptations may be in the works, although a sequel project based on The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was commissioned due to the relatively high profile and warm reception of the Kidnapped adaptation. It is being promoted as part of the One Book - One Edinburgh 2008 campaign.
In November 2008, Grant's Bad Press released the comics anthology
Comics anthology
Comics anthologies collect works in the medium of comics that are too short for standalone publication.- U.S. :- UK :British comics have a long tradition publishing comics anthologies, often weekly...
, Wasted. A mixture of drug-themed humour and anarchic cartoon action stories, mostly, but not all, written by Grant. Wasted featured art by many comic artists from the UK underground and mainstream art scene. These included well-known industry figures like Frank Quitely
Frank Quitely
Vincent Deighan, better known by the pen name Frank Quitely, is a Scottish comic book artist. He is best known for his frequent collaborations with Grant Morrison on titles such as New X-Men, We3, All-Star Superman, and Batman and Robin, as well as his work with Mark Millar on The...
, Jamie Grant, Jon Haward
Jon Haward
Jon Haward is a comics artist. He has illustrated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Judge Dredd, Sinister Dexter and Biker Mice From Mars, among other strips.-Reference:...
, and Mark Stafford. The comic also showcased many underground artists like Zander, Colin Barr, Tiberius Macgregor, Alan Kerr, and Curt Sibling. Wasted was seen as the heir to the previous Northern Lightz
Northern Lightz
Northern Lightz was a Scottish adult humour underground comic that ran from 1999 to 2005. Primarily based around drug humour, the title featured underground cartoonists Dave Alexander, Pudsy, Jim Stewart, Jamie Grant John Miller and many others, and could be seen as a partial successor to Electric...
comics, but gained mixed reviews upon release.
Grant has also set-up his own comics publishing company Berserker Comics, the first title was The Dead: Kingdom of Flies with another, Church of Hell, due in 2009. Both have Simon Bisley
Simon Bisley
Simon Bisley is a British comics artist best known for his 1990s work on ABC Warriors, Lobo and Sláine. His style, reliant on paints, acrylics, inks and multiple-mediums, is strongly influenced by Frank Frazetta, Bill Sienkiewicz, Gustav Klimt, Salvador Dalí, Egon Schiele, and Richard Corben...
on art duties. He is also a part of Renegade Arts Entertainment which, with Berserker Comics, is co-publishing Channel Evil, a four-issue mini-series with art by Shane Oakley
Shane Oakley
Shane Oakley is a British illustrator and comic book artist from Stoke-on-Trent, England.-Biography:He began his career contributing to the alternative comics review Deadline Magazine in the 1980s . In 1989 Shane worked as the penciller on issues 1 to 6 of Mister X volume two...
.
Work
Alan Grant has written many comics of various publishing houses, mostly expressing science fictionScience fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
themes. Much of his work for the Judge Dredd
Judge Dredd
Judge Joseph Dredd is a comics character whose strip in the British science fiction anthology 2000 AD is the magazine's longest running . Dredd is an American law enforcement officer in a violent city of the future where uniformed Judges combine the powers of police, judge, jury and executioner...
comic series was informed by his political leanings. Select writings also acted as vehicles for his personal meditations on philosophy, including the 1997 and 1999 Anarky
Anarky (comic book)
Anarky was a short-lived American comic book series published by DC Comics, as a limited series between May and August of 1997, and as an ongoing series May and December of 1999. It was written by Alan Grant, with pencils by Norm Breyfogle, and inks by Josef Rubinstein...
series. He has also written scripts for television and film, and two novels for DC Comics.
See also
- List of comic creators
- List of Comics Journal interview subjects
- List of Scottish writers
- List of science fiction authors
External links
- Moniaive Festival homepage
- Alan Grant at 2000AD Online
Interviews
- Alan Grant interview, Sept 2002
- Alan Grant interview by 2000AD Review, 2004
- Alan Grant interview by Andy Diggle for Fusion, 2004
- Alan Grant interview for Dark Horse
- Alan Grant interview for Lobo Brazil
- Klaehn, Jeffery. Alan Grant on Batman and Beyond, Graphic Novel Reporter, December 2009.
- Alan Grant interview by DC Leaguers, Aug 2011