John Wagner

Born in 1949, John Alexander Wagner is an American-born British comics writer whose decades-long career has left a permanent mark on the medium on both sides of the Atlantic. He entered the industry through editorial work at D. C. Thomson & Co. in the late 1960s before transitioning to freelance writing and a staff editorial role at IPC during the 1970s.

Wagner was among the architects of a significant renewal in British comics, working alongside Pat Mills to help launch *Battle Picture Weekly* in 1975 — where he wrote the strip "Darkie's Mob" — and then *2000 AD* in 1977. That science-fiction anthology became the primary stage for his most enduring work. In collaboration with artist Carlos Ezquerra, he co-created Judge Dredd, the lawman of a dystopian future Mega-City One who remains one of British comics' most recognizable figures. Wagner also originated *2000 AD* characters Strontium Dog, Robo-Hunter, and Button Man.

Through the 1980s, he and co-writer Alan Grant produced a substantial body of work across *2000 AD*, *Battle*, *Eagle*, *Scream!*, and *Roy of the Rovers*, while also writing Batman for DC Comics and launching the British independent title *The Bogie Man*. Wagner's graphic novel *A History of Violence* was adapted by David Cronenberg into the acclaimed 2005 film. He remains active, continuing to write for *2000 AD* and *Judge Dredd Megazine*.