The Hand That Holds the Pen

Fanboy geek-out moment: Johnny Hicklenton is one of the greatest comic artists you have never heard of. The British artist introduced a vicious style to the staid world of British comics and split the fan base of top-selling UK comic 2000AD in half. He's also here in Austin, sketching in the Convention Center and promoting Here's Johnny, the film about the impact of his brittle, angular, anarchic style and his on-going battle with multiple sclerosis.

Hicklenton has also been a controversial figure in British comics, for his unrelenting portrayal of the iconic Judge Dredd (the real deal, not the Stallone monstrosity) as a vicious thug, rather than an anti-hero. He has his own explanation, as shared with him by Dredd writer Pat Mills: "He's a state sanctioned killer."

Here's Johnny screens at 11am, Thursday March 13 at the Alamo Lamar.

Hicklenton's also scheduled to do a signing of re-prints of his work on Nemesis the Warlock at Austin Books on Wednesday