Diceman (comics)

Diceman

Cover of Diceman no. 5 (painted by Hunt Emerson)

Publication information
Publisher| Fleetway
Schedule| Every 2 months
Format| Comics anthology
Publication date| Feb. 1986 – Oct. 1986
No. of issues| 5
Editor(s)| Simon Geller

Diceman was a short-lived British comic which ran for five issues in 1986. It was a spin-off from 2000 AD and was devised by Pat Mills, who also wrote almost all of the stories. It was edited by Simon Geller, but purported to be edited by a monster called Mervyn. The stories were designed to be played like gamebooks. Each issue contained two or three such stories and was published every two months.

## Stories

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The comic mostly contained stories based on characters who already appeared regularly in 2000 AD. Its eponymous character Diceman, also known as Rick Fortune, was created specially for the comic (by Pat Mills and Graham Manley), but did not appear until the second issue. Fortune was a "psychic investigator", a 1930s American private detective with psionic powers. He also had a pair of stone dice, recovered from the ruins of Atlantis, which he could use to summon various powers including a three-headed lizard demon called Astragal to assist him. The Diceman strip was different from the others in that the reader not only had to avoid being killed, he also ran the risk of being driven insane (if his "sanity score" dropped to zero).

The only other story in the comic which was not derived from 2000 AD was "You are Ronald Reagan in: Twilight's Last Gleaming", a satirical spoof in which the reader, playing the part of the American president, must prevent nuclear war breaking out. In contrast to the strip Diceman, this strip also had a sanity score, but if it got too high, then the Secret Service assume that the president must have been replaced with an imposter (a comment on Reagan's perceived intellectual limitations). This game was exceptionally difficult compared with the others in the comic, as the player must make irrational decisions to avoid arrest and execution, while trying to make the right decisions to prevent a nuclear launch by either side. In fact the player transpires to have very little control over the outcome, and almost every option inevitably results in World War III, suggesting that nuclear diplomacy is very difficult to control once Cold War tensions have begun.

The other strips which appeared in Dice Man were Judge Dredd, Nemesis the Warlock, Sláine, Rogue Trooper, Torquemada and ABC Warriors.

## Creators

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### Writers

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* Pat Mills: Diceman, Nemesis, Sláine, Rogue Trooper, ABC Warriors, Judge Dredd (with John Wagner), You Are Ronald Reagan!
* Simon Gellar: Rogue Trooper
* John Wagner: Judge Dredd (with Pat Mills)

### Artists

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* Steve Dillon: Diceman, ABC Warriors, Rogue Trooper
* Bryan Talbot: Judge Dredd, Nemesis
* Kevin O'Neill: Nemesis
* David Lloyd: Sláine
* Nik Williams: Sláine
* Mark Farmer: Sláine
* Graham Manley: Diceman
* John Ridgway: Diceman
* Mike Collins: Rogue Trooper
* Hunt Emerson: You Are Ronald Reagan!

## List of stories

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Judge Dredd
House of Death
Issue: 1
Pages: 20
Story: John Wagner
Game: Pat Mills
Art: Bryan Talbot
Dated: February 1986

Nemesis The Warlock
The Torture Tube
Issue: 1
Pages: 19
Story/Game: Pat Mills
Art: Kevin O’Neill
Dated: February 1986

You Are Torquemada: The Garden of Alien Delights
Issue: 3
Pages: 20
Story/Game: Pat Mills
Art: Bryan Talbot
Dated: June 1986

Sláine
Cauldron of Blood
Issue: 1
Pages: 19
Story/Game: Pat Mills
Art: David Lloyd
Dated: February 1986

Dragoncorpse
Issue: 2
Pages: 19
Story/Game: Pat Mills
Art: Nik Williams
Dated: April 1986

The Ring of Danu
Issue: 4
Pages: 28
Story/Game: Pat Mills
Art: Mike Collins / Mark Farmer
Dated: August 1986

Diceman
In The Bronx, No-one Can Hear You Scream!
Issue: 2
Pages: 24
Story/Game: Pat Mills
Art: Graham Manley
Dated: April 1986

Dark Powers
Issue: 3
Pages: 19
Story/Game: Pat Mills
Art: John Ridgway
Dated: June 1986

Bitter Streets
Issue: 4
Pages: 29
Story/Game: Pat Mills
Art: Steve Dillon
Dated: August 1986

Murder One
Issue: 5
Pages: 28
Story/Game: Pat Mills
Art: Steve Dillon
Dated: October 1986

ABC Warrior
Volgo The Ultimate Death Machine
Issue: 2
Pages: 11
Story/Game: Pat Mills
Art: Steve Dillon
Dated: April 1986

Rogue Trooper
Killothon
Issue: 3
Pages: 19
Story/Game: Pat Mills
Art: Steve Dillon
Dated: June 1986

Space Zombies!
Issue: 5
Pages: 15
Story/Game: Simon Gellar
Art: Mike Collins
Dated: October 1986

You Are Ronald Reagan!
Twilight’s Last Gleaming!
Issue: 5
Pages: 17
Story/Game: Pat Mills
Art: Hunt Emerson
Dated: October 1986

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## References

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* Diceman profile at 2000 AD
* Diceman profile at 2000 AD

* v
* t
* e

Judge Dredd

Setting and characters|

* List of characters
* Judge Anderson
* Mega-City One

Publications|

* 2000 AD
* Diceman
* Judge Dredd Megazine
* Zarjaz
* Judge Dredd (IDW Publishing)
* Judge Dredd: The Mega Collection
* 2000 AD: The Ultimate Collection

Spin-offs|

* Armitage
* The Dead Man
* Low Life
* Red Razors
* The Simping Detective

Crossovers|

* Batman/Judge Dredd: Judgment on Gotham
* Judge Dredd versus Aliens: Incubus
* Mars Attacks Judge Dredd
* Predator vs. Judge Dredd

Other media|

| Films|

* Judge Dredd
* Dredd
* soundtrack

|

Games|

| Video|

* Judge Dredd (1986)
* Judge Dredd (1991)
* Judge Dredd (1995)
* Judge Dredd (1997)
* Dredd vs. Death

|

Other|

* 1982 board game
* Block Mania
* Mega-Mania
* Role-playing games
* Games Workshop
* Mongoose Publishing
* Pinball

Novels|

* Bad Moon Rising
* Black Atlantic
* Cursed Earth Asylum
* Deathmasques
* Dread Dominion
* Dreddlocked
* Eclipse
* The Final Cut
* The Hundredfold Problem
* Kingdom of the Blind
* The Medusa Seed
* Psykogeddon
* The Savage Amusement
* Silencer
* Swine Fever
* Wetworks
* Whiteout

Radio plays|

* Wanted: Dredd or Alive
* Death Trap
* Strontium Dog: Down to Earth

* v
* t
* e

Amalgamated Press / Fleetway / IPC / Rebellion Developments comics

Pre-War humorous comics|

* Comic Cuts
* Film Fun
* Funny Wonder
* Illustrated Chips
* Knockout (stories)
* Radio Fun

Post-War humorous comics|

* Buster
* Cheeky Weekly
* Cor!!
* Jackpot
* Knockout
* Krazy
* Monster Fun
* Nipper
* Oink!
* School Fun
* Shiver and Shake
* Whizzer and Chips
* Whoopee!
* Wow!

Power Comics|

* Wham!
* Smash!
* Pow!
* Fantastic
* Terrific

Adventure comics|

* 2000 AD
* Action (stories)
* Battle Picture Weekly (stories)
* Boys' World
* The Champion
* The Comet (stories)
* Crisis (stories)
* Diceman
* Eagle
* Eagle (1982 version) (stories)
* Hurricane
* Jag
* Jet
* Judge Dredd Megazine
* Lion (stories)
* Look and Learn
* M.A.S.K.
* Ranger
* Revolver
* Roy of the Rovers
* Scorcher
* Scream!
* Sonic the Comic
* Speed
* Starlord
* Sun (stories)
* Supernaturals
* Thriller Comics
* Thunder
* Tiger (stories)
* Tornado
* Valiant (stories)
* Vulcan
* War Picture Library
* Wildcat

Girls' comics|

* Girl
* Girls' Crystal (stories)
* Jinty
* June (stories)
* Marilyn
* Misty
* Poppet
* Princess (stories)
* Princess Tina (stories)
* Roxy
* Sandie
* School Friend (stories)
* Serenade
* Tammy
* Tina
* Valentine

Pre-school comics|

* Jack and Jill
* Playhour

Comic strips|

* The 10,000 Disasters of Dort
* The 12½p Buytonic Boy
* Ace Trucking Co.
* Action Force
* Adam Eterno
* The Amazing Three
* Anderson, Psi-Division
* The Astounding Adventures of Charlie Peace
* The Astounding Jason Hyde
* Baker's Half-Dozen
* The Ballad of Halo Jones
* Battler Britton
* Bessie Bunter
* Bible John - A Forensic Meditation
* Big Dave
* Billy Bunter
* Billy's Boots
* Birdman and Chicken
* The Black Archer
* Black Beth
* Black Max
* Black Hawk
* Bloodfang
* Bobby's Ghoul
* Bookworm
* The Bootneck Boy
* The Bumpkin Billionaires
* Buster Capp
* Captain Condor
* Captain Hurricane
* The Cat Girl
* Chalky
* Charley's War
* Clash of the Guards
* Cliff Hanger
* Computer Warrior
* Cursitor Doom
* D-Day Dawson
* D.R. & Quinch
* Dan Dare
* Danny Doom
* Dare
* Darkie's Mob
* Death Game 1999
* Death Squad
* Death Wish
* Defoe
* Doomlord
* The Dracula File
* Dredger
* Durham Red
* The Dwarf
* End of the Line...
* Ernie
* Faceache
* Fiends of the Eastern Front
* Fight for the Falklands
* Finn
* Fishboy
* For a Few Troubles More
* Gadgetman and Gimmick-Kid
* Goldtiger
* Grimly Feendish
* Harlem Heroes
* Hellman of Hammer Force
* Hook Jaw
* Hot Shot Hamish and Mighty Mouse
* The House of Daemon
* The House of Dolmann
* The Indestructible Man
* Invasion!
* Invasion 1984!
* Ivor Lott and Tony Broke
* Jack o' Justice
* Jane Bond
* Jet-Ace Logan
* Joe Alien
* Johnny Red
* Joker
* Judge Dredd
* Junior Rotter
* Karl the Viking
* Kid Chameleon
* Kids Rule O.K.
* Kitten Magee
* Lazy Bones
* The Leopard from Lime Street
* Loner
* Look Out for Lefty!
* Luck of the Legion
* M.A.C.H. 1
* Major Eazy
* Manix
* Master Mind
* Mazeworld
* Memory Banks
* El Mestizo
* Mind Wars
* Monster
* Mustapha Million
* Mytek the Mighty
* Nemesis the Warlock
* The New Adventures of Hitler
* New Statesmen
* The Nightcomers
* Nikolai Dante
* Odd Ball
* One-Eyed Jack
* The Phantom Viking
* Rat Pack
* Really & Truly
* Richie Wraggs
* Ro-Busters
* Rob Riley
* The Robo Machines
* Robot Archie
* Rogan Gosh
* Rogue Trooper
* Roy of the Rovers
* School Belle
* Sexton Blake
* Sid's Snake
* The Silent Three
* Sinister Dexter
* Skid Kidd
* Skizz
* Sláine
* The Spider
* The Steel Claw
* Steel Commando
* Store Wars
* Strontium Dog
* The Suicide Six
* Sweeny Toddler
* Sweet Tooth
* Terror of the Cats
* Tharg the Mighty
* Tharg's Future Shocks
* Third World War
* The Thirteenth Floor
* Thunderbolt Jaxon
* Time Flies
* Tom Thug
* Tomboy
* The Tower King
* Tricky Dicky
* The Trigan Empire
* Troubled Souls
* True Faith
* Turbo Jones
* The Vigilant
* Watch Out Beagle's About
* Whacky
* Wonder Wellies
* X-Ray Specs
* Zenith

Notable staff|

* Leo Baxendale
* Massimo Belardinelli
* Jesús Blasco
* Brian Bolland
* Eric Bradbury
* Kenneth Bulmer
* Sid Burgon
* Reg Bunn
* Mike Butterworth
* Geoff Campion
* Joe Colquhoun
* John Cooper
* Ted Cowan
* Carlos Ezquerra
* Gerry Finley-Day
* Dave Gibbons
* Ian Gibson
* Scott Goodall
* Alan Grant
* Yvonne Hutton
* Ian Kennedy
* Tom Kerr
* Don Lawrence
* Brian Lewis
* Steve MacManus
* Leonard Matthews
* Mike McMahon
* Trevor Metcalfe
* Pat Mills
* Grant Morrison
* Robert Nixon
* Kevin O'Neill
* José Ortiz
* Frank S. Pepper
* Ken Reid
* Jerry Siegel
* Francisco Solano López
* Lew Stringer
* Barrie Tomlinson
* Tom Tully
* John Wagner
* Keith Watson
* Mike Western

See also|

* Albion
* Egmont
* Toxic!
* Treasury of British Comics
* List of AP, Fleetway and IPC Comics publications
* List of D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd publications

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