Free at last, free at last

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in 2001, the incoming editor of the Judge Dredd Megazine asked me if I'd be interested in writing a few articles detailing the history of 2000 AD, the [self-proclaimed] Galaxy's Greatest Comic. 2000 AD was soon to celebrate its silver jubilee and a look back was needed. I'd edited the weekly for four and a half years, knew nearly all the key players in its history and was a trained journalist. How hard could it be, right? A few articles turned into twelve, and eventually sixteen pieces totalling close to 80,000 words. I interviewed dozens of creators and editorial staff, some of them numerous times. The results were called THRILL-POWER OVERLOAD [TPO for short] ran in the Megazine between 2002 and 2003, to some gentle acclaim.

Fast forward to May 2nd, 2007 - five and half years after that initial conversation with Alan Barnes. [He's just written an animated Doctor Who adventure for the BBC, featuring the voices of David Tennant and co, while I'm still working on bloody TPO - I'll get you for this, Barnes!] I've just finished indexing the revised, updated and massively expanded book version of TPO. The 120,000-word tome will be going off to the printers in the next couple of weeks and should be available from all good Thrill-Merchants not long afterwards. Huzzah.

For the book edition I had to conduct dozens of new interviews, tracked down many people who eluded me last time and bring the history of 2000 AD up to date for this, its 30th anniversary year. Feels like I've been working on this project forever, certainly it's the longest time I've spent on a single book. Obviously, I'd love it to sell by the truckload and make me a fortune in royalties - but right now I'm just looking forward to getting the book in my hands. The long, long journey is nearly at an end. [By the way, never volunteer to index 120,000 word book, it's purgatory.]

After three days spent indoors starring at page proofs and a computer screen while outside's been all glorious sunshine [I swear, the weather's been goading me], I'm giving myself the afternoon off. Grud only knows when I'll get to the eight other things on my To Do list this week, but I need a fecking break. Consider me broken.