#randy stradley

[legends-expo]

Photos by Thor Parker / Bekah Marie Photo

We had such a great time with all of you a year ago today in Burbank, CA! We'll be back in the Los Angeles area in 2025 for another convention celebrating the Expanded Universe!

[the-gershomite]

Aliens vs. Predator #4 -December 1990-

cover art by Dave Dorman

written by Randy Stradley

art by Chris Warner

inked by Robert Campanella

letters by Pat Brosseau

colors by Monika Livingston

[cccovers]

Dark Horse Presents #25 (December 1988) cover by Leopoldo Durañona and Randy Stradley.

[jiff01]

[rachaelmayo]

Set the wayback machine to 1995! Though this is not the first Predator I drew (far from it - my sister and I studied the early TPBs drawn by Chris Warner and Randy Stradley to the point that they fell apart, and I still have quite a few of the old doodles and studies laying around), it is one of the early, better efforts. I can't remember (lo these nearly-30 years later) if this was something I drew by looking at a comic book panel or cover, or if I winged it. Given the relatively accurate musculature and armor, I'd guess that I was using one or more comic panels as direct references.

What materials was I using back in those halcyon days of high school...? Pilot fineliners for the inkwork, I think, and Berol Spectracolor pencils for the colors. The paper I filched from Dad's printer.

[cursedjewel]

star wars, the crimson empire saga

this is a cover for a comic book collection/anthology by Mike Richardson, Paul Gulacy, and Randy Stradley

[marvelman901]

Aliens Vs. Predator - Duel (1995)

Written by Randy Stradley

Penciled by Javier Saltares

Inked by Jimmy Palmiotti

Colors by James Sinclair

Lettered by Steve Dutro

Cover by Chris Warner

[omniversalobservations]

Star Trek: The Next Generation/Aliens: Acceptable Losses (2017?)

Star Trek: The Next Generation/Aliens: Acceptable Losses was a cancelled limited crossover comic book series that was to be published by IDW Publishing and Dark Horse Comics from April 2017. It was to have been written by Scott Tipton and David Tipton, and illustrated by J. K. Woodward. The comic was announced at the MCM London Comic Con on October 28, 2016. Dirk Wood of IDW and Matt Parkinson of Dark Horse took the opportunity to announce a new crossover series for April of 2017. In addition to the Xenomorphs, the comic was to feature familiar Star Trek alien races such as the Borg and the Romulans, which were described as playing a vital role in the plot. However, in late December 2016, Randy Stradley announced via his Facebook account that the comic series had been cancelled. Source: Xenopedia

(image via J.K.Woodward Gallery)

[legends-expo]

Happy 22nd release anniversary to Republic #77, the final issue in the Siege of Saleucami arc! This was the the last storyline of the series before the events of Revenge of the Sith, and was the ultimate test of Quinlan Vos's loyalties!

Love Star Wars comics? Buy tickets now on Eventbrite, and join us for a celebration of all things Expanded Universe at LegendsCon on September 9th & 10th in Burbank, California! Featured comics guests include Randy Stradley and Corinna Bechko!

[the-gershomite]

Aliens versus Predator War #4 of 4 -August 1995- Dark Horse Comics

written by Randy Stradley

art by Mark G. Heike

inked by Ricardo Villagran

letters by Steve Dutro

colors by Chris Chalenor

cover art by RIchard Corben

[rolledspinepodcasts]

Dark Horse Presents

The Abyss (1989)

The Abyss #1-2 by Randy Stradley & Michael William Kaluta

also: Alien: Romulus (2024)

[subbyfoxelf]

[comic review] aliens vs. predator (1989-91)

writer: randy stradley artists: phil norwood & karl story 

as the story goes, the first alien vs. predator comics were the result of a brainstorming session between writers and executives at dark horse comics. they were apparently initially discussing doing some sort of crossover with dc comics, and as we’ll see in part 2 of this review that would eventually end up happening. but during the meeting they apparently realized that they could get started with a pretty big crossover between two entities they already owned. it would be simpler to pull off, and more profitable for them if it worked out.

the first alien vs. predators stories appeared as in issues 34-36 of the dark horse presents anthology series in 1989. with the success of this trial balloon, dark horse would move on to give alien vs. predator its own 4-issue miniseries in 1990, with the previously anthologized short story collected as alien vs. predator #0. the last story considered part of this run was another short that appeared in the dark horse presents fifth anniversary special in 1991. collectively, the two short stories acted as a sort of prologue and epilogue to the miniseries.

the story here is understandably quite straightforward, but considering some of the media tie-in comics i’ve slogged through recently (robocop vs. terminator…) i was pleasantly surprised by just how well-executed the whole thing is. i’m on record as a paul w.s. anderson stan and an unironic fan of his avp movie in particular, but i gotta say i actually think the story in this comic makes a lot more sense and i’d love to see a movie somewhat closer to this. (i still want the paul w.s. anderson movie though. i’m greedy.)

i appreciate the setting being alien’s futuristic one rather than predator’s contemporary one. the mechanics of getting the xenomorphs and yautja to fight each other are pretty similar between this and the movie, with the yautja dropping some xenomorph eggs on a world to hunt them for sport. and machiko being adopted by broken tusk–the yautja she befriends–is also echoed in the movie with lex being adopted by scar.

so the broad strokes are similar, it’s mostly just the setting and details that are different. plus the comic was able to be a bit less restrained with huge clashes between multiple xenomorphs and yautja. i’m really glad this crossover is as good as it is, and it’s got me looking forward to further stories set in this continuity.

b-rank

[chernobog13]

I’m going on record here right now and stating, unequivocally, that this is the greatest Godzilla comic ever created in the USA!

Not only do we get 40 pages of spectacular Art Adams artwork,

AND Godzilla battling the Daimajin stand-in Gekido-jin,

AND the introduction of G-Force before Toho used a similar concept with the same name in the films,

AND the first Dark Horse Godzilla comic in three years,

but - for the first time since Dark Horse began publishing Godzilla comics in 1987 - we get to see the Big G’s adventures presented in glorious color!

The reason it’s called the “color special” is because, up until around that time (1992), Dark Horse had primarily been a publisher of black-and-white comics. 

[dswcp]

Happy (?) Clone Wars Friday!

So what did the clones get up to when the Clone Wars ended? While the clones that the cartoons focus on, such as Rex and Hunter, turned into proto-Rebels, most clones apparently continued to serve the government’s military, even under its scary new name.

This comic’s propagandistic broadcast shows how the public was supposed to perceive of the new Empire. I wonder how different it felt to the ordinary person?

“Dark Times 6: Fire Carrier,” Issue 1. Dark Horse. February 6, 2013. Writer: Randy Stradley. Penciller: Gabriel Guzman. Colorist: Garry Henderson.

[legends-expo]

Panel Announcement: How to Write Star Wars Good Star Wars greats Randy Stradley, Jason Fry and Henry Gilroy will share their insights on what makes a Star Wars story special. This panel will occur on Sunday, September 10th at the Marriott Convention Center in Burbank, CA. Buy tickets by 8/29 and join us for a celebration of all things Expanded Universe Legends Con the weekend of September 9th & 10th! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/legends-consortium-2023-tickets-541786186067

[the-gershomite]

Aliens versus Predator War #0 of 4 -May 1995- Dark Horse Comics

written by Randy Stradley

art by Chris Warner

letters by Steve Dutro

colors by James Sinclair

cover art by RIchard Corben