Button Man

Morbid, moody, adult and English. All things people don't associate with comics are all the things you'll find represent this acclaimed graphic novel set in the underworld of London and originally run in 2000AD Magazine.

Written by John Wagner (of Judge Dredd, Batman, Aliens and Boba Fett fame) and illustrated by my favourite Arhur Ranson. Always a more serious type of illustrator, Ranson's style perfectly matched Wagner's non-American writing and 2000AD most successful non-science-fiction story. If you want to know more, I'm not wikipedia, so go there instead...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Button_Man

Monkeys in Space

Trawl through enough science fiction and this theme will occur again and again. It hit full swing in the 1970's of course with the Planet of the Apes movies and TV shows but it doesn't stop there. This Arthur Ranson pic from a Judge Anderson graphic novel is one such novelty. Such a weird concept, but it's got it's roots in reality. The US, the French and the USSR all put monkeys into space at some point. In fact, monkeys were in space before humans. Sadly though a lot of these animals were lost in returning in the atmosphere or through parachute failure. It's all pretty interesting, although slightly sad. Have a read though. I've chucked a link below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monkeys_in_space

More on Arthur Ranson

The above is another favourite drawing from one of my favourite artist type guys, Arthur Ranson. Taken form a strip called Shamballa published by 2000AD sometime in the 90's (I'll chuck a link below so I don't get sued by anyone). I'm pretty sure it's based on some Tibetan temple somewhere. Probably in Tibet I guess. The way this guy worked was with a light-box that could change the size of the pictures he was working from and inks. He got a lot of flak from 'tracing' stuff, but it takes skill make something look this good. The ends justifies the means, unless it's war or a road trip to Slough. 

http://www.2000adonline.com/books/judge-anderson-shamballa.php

Arthur Ranson

Search for this guy and all you'll seem to find are a couple of links to info sites, adverts on Amazon and a orthodontist in California with the same name. No-one apart from the most serious comic book store guys no-one seems to have heard about him. Starting his career drawing Danger Mouse in the 70's this guy has got a serious amount of amazing work. I'm gonna try throw a few more scans of his work up on my blog so that at least the four people who read them will have an idea this guy's genius.