Ian Gibson 1946-2023

 

Ian Gibson's art was always in the weirder spectrum of 2000ad - not as far down the scale as O'Neill's Nemesis or latter McMahon, but definitely closer to them than the straight laced action of Bolland or Gibson. (Carlos Ezquerra, of course, was all things at all times.) 

But it was always a welcome sight in the galaxy's greatest comic, or when he made the rare foray into American comics. His line was smooth and exaggerated, and because he never sweat the small stuff, it was always vibrant, always alive. 

He drew some of the most beautiful women in comics, but his Dredd was always huge and rock solid. The Daily star strips were, by necessity, packed with information, but Gibson still putt the style into every single panel. He created a whole universe for Halo Jones to roam through, and brought a levity to Robo-Hunter that has never, ever been replicated.

Very few artists in the glory days of the mid 1980s could ever do the 'It Pays To Be Mental' story in Judge Dredd as well as Gibson did, and none of them could do what Gibson did a few weeks later, when he went full EC horror in 'Paid With Thanks'. I Was A Teenage Tax Consultant didn't work at all, but his Taxidermist stories really did. He did some incredibly underrated Mr Miracle comics - Barda never looked softer, even if she was still massive and could literally kill you with her eyebrow. 

He hadn't made an appearance in 2000ad for a while, but was still drawing his weird space operas to the end, using Kickstarter to publish Lifeboat this year. His exquisite talents will be greatly missed.