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Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog Co-Creator Carlos Ezquerra Dies, Aged 70

Spanish comic book artist, Carlos Ezquerra, best known for co-creating 2000AD's Judge Dredd, where he defined the character, has died, after being diagnosed with lung cancer ten years ago.

Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog Co-Creator Carlos Ezquerra Dies, Aged 70
Photo by Javier Mediavilla Ezquibela

Born in 1947, Ezquerra started his career drawing westerns and war stories for Spanish publishers before he got work drawing girls' romance titles in the UK. Moving to London, he was headhunted by Pat Mills and John Wagner to work on the IPC title Battle Picture Weekly, before designing Judge Dredd for the 1977 launch of 2000AD. The original launch story written by Wagner and drawn by Ezquerra was vetoed by the board of directors for being too violent and another story ran instead. Ezquerra returned to the character constantly through his career and the Judge Dredd that the world knows is his Judge Dredd.

Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog Co-Creator Carlos Ezquerra Dies, Aged 70

He also co-created sci-fi western Strontium Dog with Wagner for Starlord, which was then merged with 2000AD, where he drew the series for decades and  adapted Harry Harrison's Stainless Steel Rat novels. The character Stogie from Robo-Hunter got the full name of Carlos Sanchez Robo-Stogie in tribute to him.

Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog Co-Creator Carlos Ezquerra Dies, Aged 70

Away from 2000AD, he also collaborated with Garth Ennis at DC Comics on Bloody Mary, Adventures in the Rifle Brigade, War Stories, Hitman and Preacher as well as Just a Pilgrim for Wizard.

Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog Co-Creator Carlos Ezquerra Dies, Aged 70

His legacy in the British comics industry is immense and fellow comic creators have been paying tribute. Here are just a few.

 


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Rich JohnstonAbout Rich Johnston

Founder of Bleeding Cool. The longest-serving digital news reporter in the world, since 1992. Author of The Flying Friar, Holed Up, The Avengefuls, Doctor Who: Room With A Deja Vu, The Many Murders Of Miss Cranbourne, Chase Variant. Lives in South-West London, works from Blacks on Dean Street, shops at Piranha Comics. Father of two. Political cartoonist.
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