Kelvin Gosnell

Kelvin Gosnell is a comics writer and editor who is best known for his work at IPC in the 1970s when, while writing stories such as Dredger for Action, he originated the idea of a weekly science fiction title, which eventually became 2000AD. When IPC approved the idea and gave it to Pat Mills to develop, he brought Gosnell on staff since the title had been his idea initially. Gosnell effectively invented 2000AD's alien editor, Tharg, and dressed up as him for some early photos and photo-strips using a modified neanderthal mask bought from a joke shop, and also co-wrote Dan Dare, Project Overkill and Judge Dredd and wrote episodes of Flesh, Joe Black and Tharg's Future Shocks. Gosnell succeeded Mills as editor after 2000AD's 16th issue, and also oversaw the launch of companion title Star-Lord, as well as Star-Lord's eventual merge with 2000AD. He resigned as an editor in early 1979 during the launch of Tornado because of issues between himself and managing editor Bob Bartholomew, being replaced by sub-editor Steve MacManus. Gosnell continued to write on a freelance basis for 2000AD, however, serialising three of Harry Harrison's Stainless Steel Rat books in 1979, 1980 and 1984 and co-writing an installment of Black-Hawk with Alan Grant and a Ro-Jaws Robo-Tale. He later went on to write Storm for the Dutch publication Eppo, and, among other things, a two page Wonder Woman text story for the 1983 edition of London Editions Magazines' The Super Heroes Annual.