Steve MacManus
Encyclopedia
Steve MacManus is a British
comic
writer and editor, particularly known for his work at 2000 AD
.
Born in London and educated in Devon, MacManus joined IPC
in 1973, aged 20, as a sub-editor on the boys' weekly comic Valiant, until 1975 when he moved to Battle Picture Weekly
under editor David Hunt. While working on Battle he also freelanced on Action, appearing as the title's mascot "Action Man", who performed and wrote up stunts and activities such as exploring London's sewers or flying a hot air balloon, as well as writing "The Running Man", "Sport's Not For Losers", and episodes of "Dredger".
In 1977 he was taken off Battle to sub for Kelvin Gosnell
on a new science fiction title, Starlord
. When it was cancelled later the same year, he became Gosnell's sub on 2000 AD, replacing Nick Landau
who was moved to Battle. He wrote scripts for "M.A.C.H. 1
", and was the main writer for its spin-off "M.A.C.H. Zero", as well as contributing episodes of "The V.C.s
", and also wrote "The Lawless Touch" for another of Gosnell's titles, Tornado.
In 1979 he was promoted to editor of 2000 AD
, a job he held until 1987. This period is widely regarded as the title's "golden age", during which John Wagner
, Alan Grant, Pat Mills
and Alan Moore
produced some of their best work, and new talents like Peter Milligan
and Grant Morrison
joined the lineup. MacManus had a hand in the creation of one of the comic's most enduring characters, "Rogue Trooper
", alongside writer Gerry Finley-Day
and artist Dave Gibbons
, and he co-wrote the character with Simon Geller
in 1986.
The one-off story story "Shok!", created with Kevin O'Neill
for the 1981 Judge Dredd Annual, was the basis of Richard Stanley's 1990
film Hardware. Only after a court case, which Stanley lost, were the two given writing credits on the film. Hardware is now considered the first 2000 AD story to be adapted into film.
MacManus gave up editing 2000 AD in 1987 to become Managing Editor of the 2000 AD Group, during which time he launched Crisis, a politically-aware comic which introduced Garth Ennis
, John Smith
, Sean Phillips
and Duncan Fegredo
, among others. After IPC's comics division became Fleetway
, he quit Crisis after 50 issues following problems with censorship under new owner Robert Maxwell
.
In the early 1990s he edited the first twelve issues of the Judge Dredd Megazine
, and co-edited the Batman
/Judge Dredd
crossover Judgement on Gotham with DC Comics
' Denny O'Neil. Other titles he oversaw in the 2000 AD Group included Revolver and Dice Man. In 1995 he became Managing Editor of the Pre-School Group of Fleeway's new owners Egmont
, editing Sonic the Comic
and overseeing titles such as Toxic and Ben 10
.
In 1997 he returned to 2000 AD to write their 3000 AD twentieth anniversary special with David Bishop
. After Egmont sold 2000 AD to Rebellion Developments
in 2000, MacManus moved out of comics and into Egmont's magazine editorial. He announced he was stepping down in 2011.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
comic
Comics
Comics denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual and verbal side in...
writer and editor, particularly known for his work at 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...
.
Born in London and educated in Devon, MacManus joined IPC
IPC
IPC may refer to:*International Poverty Centre, of the United Nations Development Programme*IPC International, a shopping center security company*Ikano Power Centre, a shopping mall in Mutiara Damansara, Selangor, Malaysia...
in 1973, aged 20, as a sub-editor on the boys' weekly comic Valiant, until 1975 when he moved to Battle Picture Weekly
Battle Picture Weekly
Battle Picture Weekly, at various time also known as Battle Action Force, Battle and Battle with Storm Force, was a British war comic published by IPC Magazines from 8 March 1975 to 23 January 1988, when it merged with Eagle...
under editor David Hunt. While working on Battle he also freelanced on Action, appearing as the title's mascot "Action Man", who performed and wrote up stunts and activities such as exploring London's sewers or flying a hot air balloon, as well as writing "The Running Man", "Sport's Not For Losers", and episodes of "Dredger".
In 1977 he was taken off Battle to sub for 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:...
on a new science fiction title, Starlord
Starlord
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....
. When it was cancelled later the same year, he became Gosnell's sub on 2000 AD, replacing Nick Landau
Nick Landau
Nick Landau is a British media figure, currently co-owner of the Titan Entertainment Group, which publishes Titan Magazines and Titan Books.-2000 AD:...
who was moved to Battle. He wrote scripts for "M.A.C.H. 1
M.A.C.H. 1
M.A.C.H. 1 was a comic strip that ran in the British science fiction comic 2000 AD. The strip was created by writer Pat Mills and illustrator Enio...
", and was the main writer for its spin-off "M.A.C.H. Zero", as well as contributing episodes of "The V.C.s
The V.C.s
The V.C.s was a future war series that appeared in the science fiction comic 2000 AD #140 - 178 . Written by Gerry Finley-Day, the first episode was drawn by Mike McMahon who designed the craft and the main characters. The main series artists were Cam Kennedy, Garry Leach and John Richardson...
", and also wrote "The Lawless Touch" for another of Gosnell's titles, Tornado.
In 1979 he was promoted to editor of 2000 AD
Tharg the Mighty
The Mighty Tharg is a recurrent character in science fiction comic 2000 AD, one of only two characters to appear in nearly every issue of the comic...
, a job he held until 1987. This period is widely regarded as the title's "golden age", during which 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...
, Alan Grant, Pat Mills
Pat Mills
Pat Mills, nicknamed 'the godfather of British comics', is a comics writer and editor who, along with John Wagner, revitalised British boys comics in the 1970s, and has remained a leading light in British comics ever since....
and Alan Moore
Alan Moore
Alan Oswald Moore is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell...
produced some of their best work, and new talents like Peter Milligan
Peter Milligan
Peter Milligan born in London, a British writer, best known for his comic book, film and television work.-Early career:Milligan started his comic career with short stories for 2000 AD in the early 1980s. By 1986, Milligan had his first ongoing strip in 2000AD called Bad Company, with artists Brett...
and Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer, playwright and occultist. He is known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings, as well as his successful runs on titles like Animal Man, Doom Patrol, JLA, The Invisibles, New X-Men, Fantastic Four, All-Star Superman, and...
joined the lineup. MacManus had a hand in the creation of one of the comic's most enduring characters, "Rogue Trooper
Rogue Trooper
Rogue Trooper is a science fiction strip in the British comic 2000 AD, created by Gerry Finley-Day and Dave Gibbons. It follows the adventures of Rogue, a G.I. and his three comrades' search for the Traitor General...
", alongside writer 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...
and artist Dave Gibbons
Dave Gibbons
Dave Gibbons is an English comic book artist, writer and sometime letterer. He is best known for his collaborations with writer Alan Moore, which include the miniseries Watchmen and the Superman story "For the Man Who Has Everything"...
, and he co-wrote the character with Simon Geller
Simon Geller
Simon Geller was an American classical music station radio personality who ran a one-man radio station in Gloucester, Massachusetts.- Radio career :...
in 1986.
The one-off story story "Shok!", created with Kevin O'Neill
Kevin O'Neill (comics)
Kevin O'Neill is an English comic book illustrator best known as the co-creator of Nemesis the Warlock, Marshal Law , and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen .-Early career:...
for the 1981 Judge Dredd Annual, was the basis of Richard Stanley's 1990
1990 in film
The year 1990 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* CGI technique is expanded with motion capture for CGI characters, used in Total Recall .* The first digitally-manipulated matte painting is used, in Die Hard 2....
film Hardware. Only after a court case, which Stanley lost, were the two given writing credits on the film. Hardware is now considered the first 2000 AD story to be adapted into film.
MacManus gave up editing 2000 AD in 1987 to become Managing Editor of the 2000 AD Group, during which time he launched Crisis, a politically-aware comic which introduced Garth Ennis
Garth Ennis
Garth Ennis is a Northern Irish comics writer, best known for the Vertigo series Preacher with artist Steve Dillon and his successful nine-year run on Marvel Comics' Punisher franchise...
, John Smith
John Smith (comics)
John Smith 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...
, Sean Phillips
Sean Phillips
Sean Phillips is a British comic book artist.He is best known in the American comic book industry for his work on DC Comics' Sleeper, WildC.A.T.s, Batman and Hellblazer.-Career:...
and Duncan Fegredo
Duncan Fegredo
Duncan Fegredo is a British comic book artist born in Leicester in 1964.-Career:Fegredo first managed to get into comics after showing his portfolio around UKCAC in 1987 and meeting Dave Thorpe. Together they worked on a strip for a short lived British magazine called Heartbreak Hotel...
, among others. After IPC's comics division became Fleetway
Fleetway
Fleetway, also known as Fleetway Publications and Fleetway Editions, was a UK publishing company which mainly produced comic magazines. For a time owned by IPC Media, they are now a division of Egmont Publishing....
, he quit Crisis after 50 issues following problems with censorship under new owner Robert Maxwell
Robert Maxwell
Ian Robert Maxwell MC was a Czechoslovakian-born British media proprietor and former Member of Parliament , who rose from poverty to build an extensive publishing empire...
.
In the early 1990s he edited the first twelve issues of 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:...
, and co-edited the 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...
/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...
crossover Judgement on Gotham with 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...
' Denny O'Neil. Other titles he oversaw in the 2000 AD Group included Revolver and Dice Man. In 1995 he became Managing Editor of the Pre-School Group of Fleeway's new owners Egmont
Egmont
Egmont or Egmond may refer to:* Egmond family , an influential Dutch family, lords of the town of Egmond* Egmond , a town in North Holland, the Netherlands...
, editing Sonic the Comic
Sonic the Comic
Sonic the Comic, known to its many readers as STC, was a UK children's comic published fortnightly by Fleetway Editions between 1993 and 2002...
and overseeing titles such as Toxic and Ben 10
Ben 10
The Omnitrix was originally created by a Galvan named Azmuth. The Omnitrix was intended to allow beings to experience life as other species in order to bring understanding and foster peace in the universe....
.
In 1997 he returned to 2000 AD to write their 3000 AD twentieth anniversary special with David Bishop
David Bishop
David Bishop is a screenwriter and author. Born in New Zealand, he was a UK comics editor during the 1990s, running such titles as the Judge Dredd Megazine and 2000 AD, the latter between 1996 and the summer of 2000....
. After Egmont sold 2000 AD to Rebellion Developments
Rebellion Developments
Rebellion is a British computer games company, based in Oxford, who are most famous for the first Aliens vs. Predator computer game. It has published comic books since 2000 and launched its own book imprint, Abaddon Books, in 2006.-History:...
in 2000, MacManus moved out of comics and into Egmont's magazine editorial. He announced he was stepping down in 2011.