![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Zn3CBsdF79SmfLrliYlHNg2rxQBkcb6FW2pfqOtT9N1Ot7LdCxPxFWxT8B0-SSTfNXq87hgeXOY_zqy65nDjaGFzBX0Dka_5ctIOjg2uJq6IbhW3Ruo8fxDVqorl7vb92UJQvn-ayBU_/s400/boris+5.jpg)
Ben, who's back on Dredd very soon, has been kind enough to send some excellent images and a fascinating commentary of the cover's creation. Over to Ben...
"The original concept for the cover was simply to feature Borisenko , the Sov terrorist cell leader.
I initially thought it would be nice to try a more stylistic minimal image of the ‘presence’ of Borisenko looming over Dredd. I wanted Borisenko’s face to capture the spirit of the traditional image of soviet Russia and the Sov-Block of 2104, and drown his face in a pool Bright red-As a rather throw away idea, I added the Hammer and Sickle motif into his blank eyes."
I have to say, I REALLY love this image, it's terrifying!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDnvS1kAJA24iK4jzu5ipgdgfPb8YytNX5ihpcblP49_0uObPBTMV4xBntBQHYGLYetUFpEtlEPE3YS7twRTUu0HbA8uaPpSQvyNX1TPMnEg__eSTWiEIrj-oAYM-uqlF0EzDHJ9YNA3Ed/s400/boris1.jpg)
Ben continues "Tharg liked the image of Borisenko menacingly hanging over the image, but thought it might be better to drop Dredd, and replace it with “lots of MC-1 citizens clutching their throats and dying” from the gas attack.
This gave me a chance to increase the threat of Borisenko and his agents, by having him looming over the entire city, instead of just Dredd; and emphasize that they could be anywhere in the vast metropolis!" Creepy!
"I offered 2 potential colour choices: One with the Red face again (I opted to drop the H&S motif this time, as thought it was too much) and one with a more gaseous form to Borisenko’s face."
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjahy9DrpbAUovQ3EKw3A_Chaw8ozVoiw-TTeAhRb3E-NyeFj7yu_II3eE8J1g2CXI4i8GsVNCjpy3aRwz70nfGmR_Mxj1dm1KXuaubtPHbdGqokHXZAOSg1O5Lz3Qu8KkJsz9SOU16kGDL/s400/boris+2.jpg)
"Tharg preferred the “half strength” gaseous version, so I started to draw the image up ready to be coloured.
As I started, I realised that despite the fact Dredd had been dropped from the image, it would still benefit from having some judicial presence. So I replaced the generic Citizen at the front, with a gasping Judge. No sooner had I done this, than my ‘Fan alarm’ went off inside my head, telling me other fans may pick up on the fact that he hasn’t used his respirator! So I quickly added another Judge in the background with their respirator pulled down (obviously, they had more chance to react or have faster responses than the poor judge in the foreground-haha)."
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2kiSQkq9bbf7nUnJOXKoXDjLQQPgiV6D7rOZ_yJ64cVSaDubD8K4IJ_R7InQzro0nnBxcnnTKZpcC_vcMitYpZnmuS59hwqfGQGjlyDR9m5CMeOtwh-c7hvDp52cAa7DFbfNWoE0vblSq/s400/boris+3.jpg)
"The next stage was colouring the image. I chose not to bring out the face in the Background in quite the same manner as I had in the colour rough (see image 2), as this looked too ghost like, and I really wanted to get across that it was a sense of foreboding as background to the attack, rather than a spectral attack."
Note the Block names here - TB Grover, Jon Haward and Willsher. There's a rather cool haulage company sign too...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_D-ahvwBJGSYhThaAZV2soIYBeSB6P6Lz5Gh0bolOfYHnvPITqOPekGY6Nc3JTIYdYziY1hofHejq1UJOaSabSp_MYJhfuVmd2-oXSBivGZkBPIZCMV-FI3rA2VI2gr4exHcgk9KzzB9O/s400/boris+4.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghuPB1K1-g6V92d-0a0ULKTw140qe6HQ32rxNPt4ubWGCV5XVJ3K8PRMqb7b-vfvFtmGiV9sIGpEd5GSNrCJs07GnHfGgVV77Uca9z9zHGXm8BG9YL-bjHNf46y5eanOjUhGplO44KoZVz/s400/boris+5.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGBAmSOTA-TbF0euqxNzjZ8ZZew3ds8j8LRWE_j3MA_FEaQ0-590V0ykmcmrdnHe2WJTD-wkiiC4DKNjRm7eAqbgkC2l3eWnu_zMIrhHM1f1M6rR7bjpRFBxECZu40QGCfsWVJmYk4xR7J/s400/boris+6.jpg)
One more time...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghuPB1K1-g6V92d-0a0ULKTw140qe6HQ32rxNPt4ubWGCV5XVJ3K8PRMqb7b-vfvFtmGiV9sIGpEd5GSNrCJs07GnHfGgVV77Uca9z9zHGXm8BG9YL-bjHNf46y5eanOjUhGplO44KoZVz/s400/boris+5.jpg)
Wow, an excellent cover and a brilliant commentary from one of my favourite Dredd artists. Thanks to Ben for sending the fantastic images (I still firgging LOVE image 1!) I can't wait to see him back in the prog.
Check out Ben's cool website here.
i haven't read this weeks Dredd yet, which could answer my question, but i'm intrigued by the significance of the curious occult secret society symbols on the city blocks - is there something the Willsher droid is trying to tell us? should i alert the Illuminati?!
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