R.I.P. ‘Halo Jones’ Co-Creator Ian Gibson (1946 – 2023)
by Olly MacNamee
While Ian Gibson may not be an instantly recognisable name to many outside the UK, his artwork on 2000 AD’s Robo-Hunter with John Wagner and Alan Grant, and his seminal work on The Ballad of Halo Jones with Alan Moore, were part of every comic book readers’ DNA growing up at the end of the 20th century, including my own. And, I dare say, many a comic book creator too, if this loving post by Mike Perkins on Facebook is anything to go by in his remembrance of his passing:
“R.I.P Mr. Ian Gibson
I was a Robo Hunter fanatic – filling 8 exercise books with my own Robo Hunter tales. I loved the writing (thankyou John and Alan). I loved the settings and I absolutely adored the artwork. Astounding, world building work with such character and verve… I truly admired it. But it wasn’t until the panel below (in Halo Jones Book 3) that I realised that I truly wanted Ian Gibson as part of my artistic DNA.”
Born just after WW II in 1946, Gibson would grow up to work firstly in fanzines before getting his first professional work in titles such as The Bionic Woman annual here in the UK as well as providing art for Valiant many a House of Hammer title too, before becoming a mainstay at 2000 AD.
It was at 2000 AD where he would become synonymous with Robo-Hunter as well as The Ballad of Halo Jones, the latter being a title much revered even to this day. He also worked on many more strips including Judge Dredd, Tharg’s Future Shocks and many, many more.
Like many a UK creator, Gibson had his time in America in the eighties where he illustrated DC Comics’ relaunch of Mister Miracle during his time as a member of the Justice League International in 1989, written by J. M. DeMatteis. While working for American publishers, he even got to draw Star Wars for Dark Horse Comics too while pursuing other avenues, including a series, Meta 4, that never came to past after First Comics folded.
Thanks to UK indie publishers The77, we finally got to see Gibson’s long-awaited graphic novel Lifeboat be published, as reported on at the time by our 2000 AD expert, Richard Bruton, who will have far more to say and share on his passing later this week.
For now then, we will keep it brief but offer up our deepest condolences to Ian’s surviving family members.
—- Ian Gibson – 1946 – 2023 RIP —-