Photo by Tony V. Wright
Artist Brett Ewins has passed on this morning, February 17th, after a brief illness.
Brett Ewins began his career with the ill-fated Sometime Stories before creating covers for 2000 AD in the late seventies. His art graced almost every character in the 2000 AD stable, including Judge Dredd, Psi-Judge Anderson, Bad Company, Rogue Trooper, and more. Brett and artist Steve Dillon co-created Deadline Magazine in 1988, bridging the gap between music and comics, and bringing us such classics as Tank Girl and Johnny Nemo. Alongside his friend Peter Milligan, Brett would co-create Skreemer for DC Comics, and the aforementioned Johnny Nemo for Deadline. He had a working friendship with fellow artist Brendan McCarthy, with the pair contributing to many 2000 AD stories.
His output slowed down since 1991, but hardly stopped, with his last published work in 2004 published by Cyberosia. But it wasn’t just comics, as Brett was also a painter featured in many exhibitions. His influence extended well past comics, inspiring street performance artists Mutoid Waste Company. His biggest legacy though will be the many, many friends and collaborators he leaves behind. Brett Ewins was a one of a kind artist with a raw style that practically defined British comics in the early eighties, and he will be missed.
