Nick Percival - Dand Rough? Use Dead Dand Shoulders!

Yikes, try not to lose your head over the grisly cover to the Prog 1827! The cover is by veteran 2000AD artist Nick Percival, who has been producing scrotnig artwork for Tharg for over 22 years! Nick is an inspired choice of artist for this cover as he is renowned for horror work, providing covers titles such as Clive Barker's Hellraiser, Lovecraft's The Dulwich Murders, Steve Niles' City of Dust and celebrated horror magazine Fangoria.

The artist was given a challenge with this cover, he says "Bit of a weird one for me this because I knew nothing about the character, I actually thought it was a new series!" Not a new challenge for Nick who was tasked with creating a cover for Brass Sun featuring 'The Station Master' before he'd even seen the character! However, Nick took it in his stride stating that "Painting a headless guy beating up on some old style robot policemen is always good fun!"

If you're wondering who the foppish Dr Spartacus Dandridge is, or indeed his headless manservant Shelly, then head over to writer Alec Worley's rather excellent blog to find out. As mentioned by Dandridge himself in this interview, Alec is the chosen biographer for the fancy phantom!

Here's how the cover looks on your newsagent's shelves:

"Shelly Smush!"

Having provided several covers for comic publisher IDW, Nick was asked to contribute to their Judge Dredd series. Below are his stunning results...

 She knows what you're thinking...

He IS the law!

 He is in trouble!

Here is the no nonsense Dredd cover for Prog 1723...

Break the law and he'll break you!

And Dredd facing off against the Macro Zone Alpha's Rehabilitation Supervisor Joe, from the brilliant story Rehab from Al Ewing and Karl Richardson.

And Orlok the Assassin's cold dead hand, from the Jumped story of Progs 1490-1494, brining us nicely back to the horror...

I spy with my bionic eye, something beginning with 'H.'

Here's Nick's fiery cover for Si Spurriur and Smudge's Chiaroscuro.

What happens when you burn the Stallone Dredd movie.

And the shuffling Zombie horde from Defoe

The Last of the Summer Wine Cast Reunion 2013

Nick produced this wonderfully disturbing cover for Shakara...

"Shakara!" 

He was artdroid for several strips in 2000AD and the Megazine including Dredd (most notably Goodnight Kiss), Vector 13, Slaine, Brit-Cit Brute, Sleeze and Ryder and Judge Edwina's Strange Cases.

Let's have a look at some of that early work, starting with a couple of splashes from Goodnight Kiss and a cover from the Complete Judge Dredd.

Enter Jonni Kiss...

Dredd, Jonni and a Cursed Earth Marshial have a grimace-off.

  

The daddy of the Case Files, The Complete Judge Dredd

Here is some of Nick's Slaine work, the first a Starscan from 1995 and secondly a, quote 'rough speed painting image of Slaine,' sheesh!

Kiss my axe!

This is a speed painting!!!

Not only is Nick a talented artist, he is an excellent writer too. In 2010 saw the release of Legends: The Enchanted, written and illustrated by Percival. This excellent graphic novel (available very cheaply on the Comixology App) tells the story of twisted versions of your favourite fairytale characters in a dangerous, steampunk world. I'm a big fan of this book and heartily recommend it. Don't just take my word for it though, the book is being made into a movie by none other than Ron Howard.

Werewolf hunter Red

The Hag, or Mrs Pete as I like to call her

Nick has a new graphic novel coming out in May called 'The Family.' The story is set in a world where bad feelings and negative emotions have taken on terrifying physical shape (sounds like a 2000AD messageboard meet up to me!) Four seemingly unrelated individuals cross paths and form a special bond in order to survive. They are, The Family.

There's a chapter preview and interview with Nick in Comic Heroes magazine #18 on sale soon!

Hammertime!

Many, many thanks to Nick, who has long been a supporter of this blog. Please be sure to check out his website and Deviantart page for more eye-popping art and be sure to pick up Legends and Family!