I thought this landmark anniversary would be a good opportunity to write about our long history together; the weekly instalments of Thrill-Power I experienced as a kid, the multiple rejections and everything that followed.

My earliest memory of the UK’s foremost weekly science-fiction comic is the spectacle of two giant demolition robots smashing each other to pieces in the middle of an English town.

Ro-Busters - The Terra-Meks, art by Dave Gibbons © Rebellion

I was 9 then, and the comic has continued to excite and inspire me ever since. For example, here’s an ‘Influence Map’ I did last year, nearly half taken up by 2000AD artists and writers.

I wouldn’t be doing what I do now if not for 2000AD’s weekly proof that slamming words and pictures together can make a very big bang!
As a small boy I didn’t think much about who drew Batman or wrote Spiderman. But the distinctive art styles rubbing shoulders in 2000AD’s anthology format made me pay attention. I wanted to know more about these amazing artists. Like many others, I was a Bolland fan first, and then a McMahon fan for life.

Slaine - Sky Chariots, art by Mick McMahon © Rebellion

As for writers, 2000AD gave me my first exposure to one of the all-time greats – Alan Moore. His Ballad Of Halo Jones inspired my first art submission to 2000AD’s ‘Nerve Centre’. My portrait of General Luiz Cannibal resulted in 2000AD rejection no.1, it never made it to the readers’ letters page.
A year later, in 1987, I was lucky enough to visit the studio of Don Lawrence, a giant of European comics (and one-time 2000AD contributor). In one corner, working hard on a Rogue Trooper page, was Don’s apprentice Chris Weston who would go on to become one of the comic’s major artists – here’s his glorious art for this week’s cover.

Prog 1771 - Front cover (variant 1) by Chris Weston © Rebellion

Visiting Don and Chris added fuel to my ambition. One day I wanted to work for Tharg, the comic’s alien editor! But it wasn’t until I came out the other side of higher education, six years later, that I plucked up the courage to send portfolio samples to 2000AD. My 2nd rejection made me think twice. Was I really cut out to be an art droid? Although 2000AD continued to be an enormous influence on my illustration, I looked elsewhere for work. Another 5 years passed, and rejection no. 3 came from then Assistant Editor Andy Diggle. It was all I deserved for ringing to say I ‘just happened to be in the area with my folio, can I come up?’
By this time the internet had happened and I was in regular contact with other aspiring 2000AD artists and writers. Some, like Frazer Irving, were starting to get work. I kept hoping and even started to contribute to the small press scene and draw the sample scripts used for submissions – the two things I should have done years before!

Cover art for a small press comic about reanimated woolly mammoths ©Simon Gurr

Appropriately enough, the year 2000 saw the first 2000AD-themed convention – DREDDCON. One of the events was Pitch-Fest – a script-pitching contest. The prize was irresistible – the winner would have their story published in 2000AD’s Future Shocks slot! I worked on a script with my brother Pete and, taking inspiration from Alan Moore’s classic Future Shock A Cautionary Fable, wrote it in rhyming couplets. Pete and I presented our pitch on stage with the aid of 12 big illustrations I’d drawn, but despite these gimmicks we still only managed to scrape a draw with teenage prodigy Si Spurrier and his Space Whale entry. Luckily for us, Tharg was magnanimous and both stories went into 2000AD. Even better, I got to draw the strip. I finally got to draw for 2000AD!

Future Shocks - The Enhancer, art by Simon Gurr ©Rebellion

In a curious career move, I followed my professional debut by becoming a more active fan. I provided the wraparound cover for the debut issue of 2000AD fanzine Zarjaz.

I set up a fan website for Mick McMahon, (now obsolete because he has his own site and blog).

I even wrote and drew a bizarre fan strip involving Tharg himself, in time for Dreddcon 2.

In the following decade I only drew one more Future Shock, but having 2000AD on my CV became a real help in job interviews – a lot of my prospective employers turned out to be readers!

Future Shocks - Head, art by Simon Gurr ©Rebellion

I’ve always liked the idea of one day going back to The Galaxy’s Greatest Comic. Last year I finally decided to send a fresh batch of samples to the Nerve Centre. I was delighted when editor Matt Smith sent me a script written by none other than Si Spurrier, my one-time Pitch-Fest rival! I won’t say too much about it before it’s published but it is one of the best (and hardest) scripts I’ve drawn.

So, that’s the story so far for me and a comic that’s been part of my life since the 1970s. A very happy birthday to 2000AD, you’ve meant a lot to me personally and creatively for more than 3 decades. Splundig vur thrigg!

January

An ELT illustration for Oxford University Press. This year I tried to use texture more carefully, and with greater consideration.

February

February saw the first Cardiff Comic Expo. Thanks to Rob Davis, I came away with a beautiful Don Quixote print for my boy’s room.

March

In March I realised a long-held ambition to work for Doctor Who Magazine, which was a big influence on me in its earlier incarnation Doctor Who Weekly. (This job was also thanks in part to Rob Davis).

April

We finally saw a clear improvement in the health of the vixen which regularly visited the studio, after giving her a course of mange treatment. Later, during my six months working away, she stopped coming.

May

My first full month producing storyboards for The Adventures of Abney and Teal at Ragdoll.

June

Doctor Who continued to be an inspiration, this vector image inspired by Lily Cole’s appearance in The Curse Of The Black Spot.

July

Sadly, the art world lost Lucian Freud in July.

August

One of the highlights of the summer was the three-day 60th birthday party of the luthier Phil Davidson. This portrait of Phil was his birthday present from us.

September

This month my large watercolour group portrait Some More Who Have Made Bristol Famous was unveiled. It is now on public display at the Spielman Centre, Arnos Vale.

October

In October I started a tumblr. I’ve enjoyed posting on it.

November

At November’s BristolCon 11, I met writer Simon Barnard and we’re now working together on something I’m very excited about.

December

This portrait of Solzhenitsyn is one of the most recent drawings I made with a Pentel brushpen. More than anything this year, I have enjoyed using brushpens. I love the speed of the brush contact with paper and the expressive potential of the strokes. It has really felt like a breakthrough, and I’m looking forward to pushing it further next year.

Merry Christmas and best wishes for 2012,
Simon & Julia,
Gurr Illustration

Portrait of Salome & Kukeña by Simon
Western lowland gorilla Salome gave birth to Kukeña at Bristol Zoo on 27th September.
Gurr Illustration contributes to Kukeña’s upkeep through the zoo’s virtual adoption scheme, http://www.bristolzoo.org.uk/adoptions