David Bishop (writer)

New Zealand screenwriter and author

For other uses, see David Bishop (disambiguation).

David Bishop

Born| New Zealand
Occupation| Editor, comic book writer, novelist
Nationality| New Zealander
Period| 1991–present
Genre| Comic book, science fiction
Website
viciousimagery.blogspot.com

David Bishop (born 27 September 1966), also D. V. Bishop, is a New Zealand comic book editor and writer of comics, novels and screenplays. In 1990s he ran the UK comics titles Judge Dredd Megazine (1991–2002)[1][2] and 2000 AD (1995–2000).[3]

He has since become a prolific author and received his first drama scriptwriting credit when BBC Radio 4 broadcast his radio play Island Blue: Ronald in June 2006. In 2007, he won the PAGE International Screenwriting Award in the short film category for his script Danny's Toys,[4] and was a finalist in the 2009 PAGE Awards with his script The Woman Who Screamed Butterflies.[5]

## Biography

[edit]

Bishop was sub-editor of the Judge Dredd Megazine and of Crisis,[6] before becoming the editor of the Megazine from 1991 to 2002. He became the editor of 2000 AD just before Christmas 1995, staying four and a half years before resigning to become a freelance writer in the summer of 2000.

Bishop was responsible for discovering many new British talents, including:

* Andy Diggle[7]
* Robbie Morrison[8]
* Siku
* Frank Quitely[9]
* Dean Ormston
* Chris Halls (comics pseudonym of video director Chris Cunningham)
* Simon Fraser[10]
* Jim Murray[11]

He also edited Judge Dredd – Lawman of the Future and, with collaborator Roger Langridge, contributed the insane asylum-set strip The Straitjacket Fits in the Megazine.

Since leaving 2000 AD in the year 2000, Bishop has enjoyed a successful career as a freelance writer, working on novels of Doctor Who,[12] Judge Dredd, Heroes[13] and Nikolai Dante, as well as comic strip adventures of The Phantom.[14] His Doctor Who novel Who Killed Kennedy, a journalist's point-of-view on the early Third Doctor stories, is highly popular with fans.[citation needed] Although most of his novels to date have been science fiction, in 2021 his first historical fiction novel was published under the name D. V. Bishop.

Despite his successes as a comics editor and as a writer of prose, Bishop scripted many extremely unpopular comic strips in 2000 AD and the Megazine, including the comics adaptation of A Life Less Ordinary, with art by Steve Yeowell. The Spacegirls, a badly executed parody of the Spice Girls, is on the list of 2000 AD's 20 Worst Strips as chosen by fan rating on the official website.[15] His most recent effort — a Fiends of the Eastern Front series for the Megazine — has proven much more popular with readers.[citation needed]

Away from British comics, his work on The Phantom has won awards for the "Best Phantom story of the year" for Egmont on several occasions. Bishop introduced several new important characters to the Phantom mythos, such as the pirate queen Kate Sommerset, which grew so popular with readers that Bishop was able to make her the main character of five stories.

In 2006, Bishop also signed on to participate in the writing of stories for American publisher Moonstone Books' two collections of Phantom short stories, called Phantom Prose Anthologies.

Bishop's history of 2000 AD, in a series of articles under the banner name of Thrill Power Overload, is the most comprehensive currently available.[citation needed] A revised, expanded and updated book version was published in the summer of 2007 to coincide with the 30th anniversary of 2000 AD. After that sold out, a paperback edition was issued in February 2009. An expanded edition with new material by Karl Stock was released in 2017.[16]

In 2008, he appeared on 23 May edition of the BBC One quiz show The Weakest Link,[17] beating eight other contestants to win more than £1500 in prize money.

In 2010, Bishop received his first TV drama credit on the BBC medical drama series Doctors, writing an episode called A Pill For Every Ill, broadcast on 10 February.[18]

In 2021 he released his first historical fiction novel under the name D. V. Bishop,[19] "City of Vengeance".

## Bibliography

[edit]

### Comics

[edit]

* The Straitjacket Fits (with Roger Langridge):
* "The Straitjacket Fits" (in Judge Dredd Megazine #1.09-1.20, 1991–1992)
* "The Final Fit" (in Judge Dredd Yearbook 1993 1992)
* Soul Sisters (with co-writer Dave Stone and artist Shaky Kane, in Judge Dredd Megazine vol.2 ##2-9 & 1993 Judge Dredd Yearbook, 1992)
* Strontium Dogs: "Hate & War" (pseudonymous rewrites, in 2000 AD ##993-999, 1996)
* Vector 13: "Case Ten: Case Closed?" (uncredited, with Simon Davis, in 2000 AD #1032, 1997)
* B.L.A.I.R. 1: "B.L.A.I.R. 1" (with co-writer Steve MacManus and artist Simon Davis, in 2000 AD #1034, 1997)
* Dan Dare: "Dan Dare 3000AD" (with co-writer Steve MacManus and artist Kev Walker, in 2000 AD #1034, 1997)
* Flesh: "Flesh 3000AD" (with co-writer Steve MacManus and artist Carl Critchlow, in 2000 AD #1034, 1997)
* Harlem Heroes: "Hike Harlem Heroes" (with co-writer Steve MacManus and artist Jason Brashill, in 2000 AD #1034, 1997)
* Invasion: "Invasion! 3000AD" (with co-writer Steve MacManus and artist Henry Flint, in 2000 AD #1034, 1997)
* The Spacegirls (development & uncredited co-writer, with Jason Brashill, in 2000 AD ##1062-1066, 1997)
* A Life Less Ordinary (uncredited, with Steve Yeowell, in 2000 AD ##1063-1070, 1997)
* Pulp Sci-Fi: "Water of Life" (as "James Stevens", with David Bircham, in 2000 AD #1098, 1998)
* Past Imperfect: "Nixon Must Die!" (as "James Stevens", with Neil Edwards, in 2000 AD #1315, 2002)
* Dead Men Walking (as "James Stevens", with Boo Cook, in 2000 AD ##1362-1370, 2003)
* The Phantom (Swedish Fantomen magazine #26/2001, ##15 & 22/2002, ##8, 16 & 26/2003, ##7, 12, 16, 23, 24 & 26/2004, ##1, 10, 13, 17 & 18/2005, ##8, 9, 16, 19, 20 & 25/2006, ##1, 10, 16, 20 & 26/2007, ##1, 4, 9, 13, 20 & 24/2008, ##1/2009)
* Fiends of the Eastern Front: "Stalingrad" (with Colin MacNeil, in Judge Dredd Megazine 245–252, 2006)

### Novels

[edit]

#### As David Bishop

[edit]

* Judge Dredd:
* The Savage Amusement (Virgin Books, August 1993, ISBN 0-352-32874-6)
* Cursed Earth Asylum (Virgin Books, December 1993, ISBN 0-352-32893-2)
* Silencer (Virgin Books, November 1994, ISBN 0-352-32960-2)
* Bad Moon Rising (Black Flame, June 2004, ISBN 1-84416-107-2)
* Kingdom of the Blind (Black Flame, November 2004, ISBN 1-84416-133-1)
* Doctor Who:
* Who Killed Kennedy (with "James Stevens", Virgin Books, April 1996, ISBN 0-426-20467-0)
* Amorality Tale (BBC Books, April 2002, ISBN 0-563-53850-3)
* The Domino Effect (BBC Books, February 2003, ISBN 0-563-53869-4)
* Empire of Death (BBC Books, March 2004, ISBN 0-563-48615-5)
* Nikolai Dante:
* From Russia with Lust: The Nikolai Dante Omnibus (672 pages, March 2007, ISBN 1-84416-454-3) collects:
* The Strangelove Gambit (January 2005, ISBN 1-84416-139-0)
* Imperial Black (August 2005, ISBN 1-84416-180-3)
* Honour Be Damned (March 2006, ISBN 1-84416-324-5)
* A Nightmare on Elm Street: Suffer the Children (Black Flame, May 2005, ISBN 1-84416-172-2)
* Fiends of the Eastern Front:
* Fiends of the Eastern Front (672 pages, February 2007, ISBN 1-84416-455-1) collects:
* Operation Vampyr (December 2005, ISBN 1-84416-274-5)
* The Blood Red Army (April 2006, ISBN 1-84416-325-3)
* Twilight of the Dead (August 2006, ISBN 1-84416-384-9)
* Fiends of the Rising Sun (July 2007, ISBN 1-84416-494-2)
* Warhammer Fantasy:
* A Murder in Marienburg (416 pages, Black Library, May 2007, ISBN 1-84416-474-8)
* A Massacre in Marienburg (416 pages, Black Library, December 2008, ISBN 978-1-84416-670-1)

#### As D. V. Bishop

[edit]

* City of Vengeance (416 pages, Pan MacMillan, February 2021, ISBN 978-1-52903-877-4)
* The Darkest Sin (Pan MacMillan, 2024)
* Ritual of Fire (Pan MacMillan, 2024)
* A Divine Fury (Pan MacMillan, 2024)

### Audio dramas

[edit]

* Sarah Jane Smith: Buried Secrets (2006, Big Finish Productions)
* Sarah Jane Smith: Snow Blind (2006, Big Finish Productions)
* Sarah Jane Smith: Fatal Consequences (2006, Big Finish Productions)
* Sarah Jane Smith: Dreamland (2006, Big Finish Productions)
* Sarah Jane Smith: Test of Nerve (2002, Big Finish Productions)
* Doctor Who Unbound: Full Fathom Five (2003, Big Finish Productions)
* Doctor Who – Enemy of the Daleks (2009, Big Finish Productions)
* Sapphire and Steel: All Fall Down (2005, Big Finish Productions)
* Judge Dredd — Wanted: Dredd or Alive (Big Finish Productions)
* Judge Dredd — War Crimes (Big Finish Productions)
* Judge Dredd — Death Trap! (Big Finish Productions)
* Judge Dredd — The Big Shot! (Big Finish Productions)
* Judge Dredd — Get Karter! (Big Finish Productions)

### Books

[edit]

* Thrill Power Overload (Rebellion Developments, 260 pages, June 2007, ISBN 1-905437-22-6)

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Barber, Nicholas (15 July 1995). "I was a teenage Dredd head". The Independent.
2. ^ Jarman, Colin M.; Acton, Peter (1 January 1995). Judge Dredd: The Mega-history. Lennard. ISBN 9781852911287.
3. ^ Sims, Chris. "The Best Stories From 2000 Issues Of '2000 AD', By The Editors". Comics Alliance.
4. ^ "2007 Screenplay Contest Winners | PAGE International Screenwriting Awards: Screenplay Contests". pageawards.com. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
5. ^ "2009 Finalists | PAGE International Screenwriting Awards: Screenplay Contests". pageawards.com. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
6. ^ Crisis #54, editorial, January 1991
7. ^ "Winning And Losing: An interview with Andy Diggle". ninthart.org. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
8. ^ Molcher, Michael (2 December 2015). 2000 AD: The Creator Interviews – Volume 05. 2000 AD Books. ISBN 9781849979870.
9. ^ "Flashback February: Frank Quitely Part Two – TRIPWIRE". TRIPWIRE. 20 February 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
10. ^ Molcher, Michael (18 November 2015). 2000 AD: The Creator Interviews – Volume 03. 2000 AD Books. ISBN 9781849979856.
11. ^ "Robbie Morrison And Jim Murray, Stripped". Bleeding Cool Comic Book, Movie, TV News. 29 August 2013. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
12. ^ "Writing a Tie-In Novel". International Association of Media Tie-In Writers. 23 June 2013. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
13. ^ Robbins, Caryn (22 September 2015). "Official Tie-In Book Series Released for NBC's Heroes Reborn". Retrieved 9 April 2017.
14. ^ "Best of the Year: David Bishop's picks – Forbidden Planet Blog". Forbidden Planet Blog. 21 December 2009. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
15. ^ "2000AD Online – thrill zone". Archived from the original on 15 July 2009. Retrieved 29 April 2007.
16. ^ Miller, Andy (25 March 2017). "A genial green guide to 2000 AD". The Spectator.
17. ^ Robinson, Anne; Briggs, Jon; Bishop, David (23 May 2008), Episode dated 23 May 2008, retrieved 8 April 2017
18. ^ "David Bishop". IMDb. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
19. ^ "D. V. Bishop – Pan McMillan". Retrieved 20 February 2021.

## References

[edit]

* David Bishop at 2000ad.org
* David Bishop at the Grand Comics Database
* David Bishop at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)

## External links

[edit]

* David Bishop's blog
* David Bishop at IMDb

Preceded by

Steve MacManus

|  Judge Dredd Megazine editor
1991–1996  | Succeeded by

John Tomlinson

|
|

Preceded by

John Tomlinson

|  2000 AD editor
1996–2000  | Succeeded by

Andy Diggle

Preceded by

John Tomlinson

|  Judge Dredd Megazine editor
1996–2000  | Succeeded by

Andy Diggle

Preceded by

Andy Diggle

|  Judge Dredd Megazine editor
2000–2002  | Succeeded by

Alan Barnes

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* United States
* Netherlands
* Israel

Artists|

* MusicBrainz

Other|

* IdRef