Journalist Precious Matson arrives in The Desolation of Paisley to meet with an old friend of Alpha’s and to clear up one or two details regarding the erstwhile Strontium Dog’s demise…

2000AD Prog 1689, featuring episode 1 of The Life And Death Of Johnny Alpha  is in stores now!

JUDGE DREDD GOES INTO PRODUCTION FALL 2010
RELIANCE BIG PICTURES TO FINANCE

Reliance BIG Pictures, together with IM Global, the international sales company that Reliance acquired only last week, will finance DNA’s 3D production of JUDGE DREDD, a $45 million film adaptation of the iconic 2000 AD comic-book character created by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra.

Filming will take place over the fourth quarter of 2010 in Johannesburg.

JUDGE DREDD is being made by the writer/producer partnership behind The Beach, 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later, Sunshine, and Never Let Me Go. Alex Garland, Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich will produce a script written by Garland.

Pete Travis, director of Omagh, Vantage Point, and Endgame will direct.  Wagner will be a creative consultant on the film.

DNA has engaged Michael Murphy (District 9) as South African co-producer.

Jason Kingsley and Chris Kingsley, owners of Rebellion/2000 AD, will co-produce.

Said John Wagner: ‘Alex Garland’s script is faithful to the original concept that made Judge Dredd a favourite bad-ass hero.  It’s a high-octane slay ride through the dark underbelly of the vast future city. A fan pleaser. With their track record, I have every faith in Alex Garland, Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich.’

Said Alex Garland: ‘I grew up reading Judge Dredd. The incredible writers and artists of 2000 AD were formative influences on me. Andrew, Allon and I have developed this adaptation of Judge Dredd with an emphasis on adrenaline and realism, but with all the scale and spectacle of Mega-City One. We think Pete’s propulsive, edgy style is a perfect match for the project.’

The deal was negotiated on behalf of Reliance by IM Global CEO Stuart Ford assisted by attorneys Strook and Strook with DNA principals Macdonald and Reich, DNA head of business affairs Jo Smith, and Miles Ketley of Wiggin & Co. Ford’s IM Global will handle international sales on the project.

About Reliance Big Entertainment:
Reliance BIG Entertainment Ltd. (RBEL) is the flagship media and entertainment arm of India’s Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, with a significant presence in film entertainment (film production, distribution, and exhibition), broadcasting and new media ventures.

RBEL’s motion picture brand, Reliance BIG Pictures (www.reliancebigpictures.com) has built an impressive film production slate in Hindi, English & other Indian languages, which it markets and distributes worldwide. Following Reliance BIG Pictures’ association with IM Global, the company now benefits from an international sales team with an excellent reputation and global presence dedicated to selling its Bollywood and regional language slate.

In Hollywood, Reliance BIG Pictures has partnered with Steven Spielberg and Stacey Snider on the formation of DreamWorks Studios and has development deals with Nicolas Cage’s Saturn Films, Jim Carrey’s JC 23 Entertainment, George Clooney’s Smokehouse Productions, Chris Columbus’ 1492 Pictures, Tom Hanks’ Playtone Productions, Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment, Jay Roach’s Everyman Pictures, Brett Ratner’s Rat Entertainment, Julia Roberts’ Red Om Films and Brian Gazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment.

RBEL’s group company, Reliance MediaWorks Limited (www.reliancemediaworks.com), is India’s fastest growing film and entertainment services company and a member of the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group.  It operates BIG Cinemas, India’s largest cinema chain with over 525 screens spread across India, US, Malaysia, Nepal and Netherlands. Reliance MediaWorks has a dominant and comprehensive presence in Film Services: Motion Picture Processing and DI; Visual Effects; Film Restoration and Image Enhancement; Animation; 2D to 3D Conversion; Digital Mastering: Studios and Equipment rentals with presence across at US, UK, Japan and India. Reliance MediaWorks’ television venture, BIG Synergy, is among the top players in the television programming industry.

The Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (www.relianceada.com) is amongst India’s top three business houses and has interests in telecommunications, energy, financial services, infrastructure and media and entertainment.

About IM Global:
IM Global was founded in March 2007 by former Miramax International head Stuart Ford. The company quickly established itself as one of the leading sales agents in the international community handling a wide variety of mainstream commercial, arthouse and genre fare.

The company is one of the most prolific players in the international arena, and its slate currently has in post production Oren Peli’s Area 51, Will Ferrell starrer Everything Must Go, The Astral from SAW director James Wan, The Company Men with Ben Affleck and Tommy Lee Jones, and John Cusack thriller The Factory. In active pre-production are Halle Berry starrer Dark Tide, Kevin Costner starring and directing vehicle A Little War Of Our Own, Protection starring Dwayne Johnson, and Madonna’s directorial debut W.E.  In May of 2010 it was announced that Reliance Big Pictures had acquired a majority interest in the company.

Zarjaz 09 and Dogbreath 22 are now available to buy in the FutureQuakePress webshop. Click the frankly stunning Neil Roberts artwork to find out more!

The latest Strontium Dog Collection, Blood Moon is now available to buy from all good thrill-merchants!

JOHNNY ALPHA IS OUT FOR BLOOD!

Late 22nd century. After the Atomic Wars, many survivors were warped by the Strontium 90 fallout. These ‘mutants’ became a victimised underclass, and the only job open to them was bounty hunting. One such Strontium Dog is Johnny Alpha, who played a vital role in the mutant wars. Now, he’s been given a mission by the fanatical William Moon…

Written by John Wagner (A History of Violence) with art by Carlos Ezquerra (Preacher), this Thrill-packed tome brings you 2000 AD at its very best!
Strontium Dog: Blood Moon

John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra

£13.99
208 pages
Paperback, 7½” x 10¼”
ISBN-13: 978-1-906735-24-1

Issue 21 of the world’s premier Strontium Dog fanzine is now available from FutureQuake Press. Here’s the gen:

DOGBREATH 21 allows you norms the chance to read the latest dispatches from the mutant underground. DOGBREATH 21 brings you 48 pages of top quality entertainment that you are not fit to read! See just what Johnny Alpha does on a quiet day, Gape at the sheer spectacle of a Gronk with a big gun and be agog at the thought of Mr Sun & Mr Moon chasing a nazi through time! Marvel at the astounding knowledge on show in the Search/Destroy case files and wonder why no-one has bought Butch a spell checker yet. Only £3.00
ALSO FOR THIS ISSUE WIN A COPY OF THE LATEST S/D COLLECTION FROM REBELLION. SEE INSIDE FOR DETAILS.

The second volume of Wagner & Ezquerra’s “lost cases” is available now. 2000AD books offers the following information:

Traitor’s fate!

Johnny Alpha – the mutant bounty hunter with the X-ray eyes – has been given his toughest job to date. The mutant underground have kidnapped King Clarkie The Second and the British government want Alpha to secure his release.

Finding himself working for the norms, Johnny must venture deep into the mutant ghetto and deep into his own past. As Johnny unravels a plot to start a new war with the mutants he must ask himself the toughest question. In order to save his own kind can Johnny Alpha betray them?

Written by John Wagner (A History of Violence) with art by Carlos Ezquerra (Preacher), this Thrill-packed tome brings you 2000 AD at its very best!
Strontium Dog: Traitor to His Kind
John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra

£14.99
208 pages
Paperback, 7½” x 10¼”
ISBN-13: 9781906735036

2000AD Prog 1635 contains a sneak preview of upcoming Strontium Dog tale The Mork Whisperer. Make sure you don’t miss out by placing a regular subscription here!

The longest running 2000ad fanzine returns for it’s latest edition. 48 pages for a mere £3.00!

Available now from the FutureQuake Press shop.

The first of the “Untold Tales” collections is due for release later this month. Here’s the details:

STRONTIUM DOG: THE KREELER CONSPIRACY
By John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra

Back with a Vengeance!

Warped by the mutating effects of radioactive Strontium 90 fallout, many mutants have to take the only job open to them – the one job too dirty for norms – bounty-hunting. Feared and despised by norms, these Search/Destroy Agents hunt the criminals too dangerous for the Galactic Crime Commission. One such Strontium Dog is Johnny Alpha, who, with his norm partner Wulf Sternhammer, fights injustice and prejudice wherever he finds it!

£13.99
208 pages
Paperback, 7½” x 10¼”
ISBN-10: 1905437781
ISBN-13: 978-190543778