John Ridgway
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John Ridgway (born May 4, 1940) is a artist's artist from Britain, who has worked for many companies including Marvel Comics in both the UK and US. His most notable works include a long run on Doctor Who Magazine, the early issues of Hellblazer (which he didn't enjoy)[1], and The Journal of Luke Kirby and several Judge Dredd stories (including The Dead Man) for 2000 AD
His Transformers work includes the first two chapters of "Man of Iron" (the plot was his idea; a rural England plot meant less clashes with the US stories!) and the first chapter of "The Enemy Within!". In addition he drew many covers for the UK comic in its early years. He got the job via Alan McKenzie, then editing Doctor Who Magazine, who passed his name onto Sheila Crenna, and McKenzie commissioned him and Steve Parkhouse to do "Man of Iron" on the strength of their Who work.[2]
Ridgeway's Transformers look exactly like the toys, because that's all he had to work with: Marvel UK had no character reference pictures![3]
Sammy Harker from "Man of Iron" was modelled on his own son. He would do this again for Luke Kirby, and cited this fact in interviews as a reason he disputes Alan McKenzie's claim to be the sole creator of the strip.[4]
References
- In the Big Finish Doctor Who audio The Maltese Penguin, a villain boasts about his art collection and that it includes a Ridgway piece.
References
- ↑ Interview with Ridgway in the Doctor Who: Voyager trade
- ↑ The Transformers Classics UK Volume 1 page 11 and 12
- ↑ The Comics Journal: An interview with John Ridgeway
- ↑ Thrill Power Overload! page 125-6
