Tripwire Talks To Writer And Co-Creator Dan Abnett About Thirty Years Of 2000AD’s Sinister Dexter

Lock And Load

Dan Abnett has been writing the long-running 2000AD strip Sinister Dexter for just over thirty years. Our contributing writer Paul N Neal thought this was a good time to ask writer and creator Dan Abnett a few questions about the characters…

TRIPWIRE: Sinister Dexter first appeared in the 2000AD Winter Special in 1995. That is a tiny bit over thirty years ago and their debut in 2000AD itself was in early 1996. My first question is simple. From your point of view, does it feel like three decades have passed since their first appearance?

DAN ABNETT: Not really! But also yes, because I’m aware of how many stories and “eras” of the strip there have been. It’s a very long-running series, with a very high “occurrence” rate in the prog. It’s not up there with Dredd, of course, but it’s certainly got to be one of the longest-running 2000AD series where every episode has been written by the same person.

TW: Backtracking just a tiny bit if I may, in the winter of 1995 where were you in your writing career? At the time did you feel like an established part of the team of creators for 2000AD?

DA: I’d been in the industry since, ’87, and had some writing credits, working mainly for Marvel (UK and US). A lot of British writers start out at 2000AD and then go to America. Somehow I went the other way 🙂

I had read and loved 2000AD since it began, a life-long fan, but I had only just started writing for it (a couple of Dredds, a lot of Vector 13s etc). I was definitely “new”. But the then-Tharg, David Bishop, invited me to pitch my own series. I gave him a list of four or five great ideas and then tacked Sinister Dexter on at the end as a throwaway and a makeweight. Of course, that’s what he picked.  No idea what the other ideas were – they never saw print – though I may still have that pitch doc somewhere.

TW: There is a slight elephant in the room when discussing Sinister Dexter. To what extent would you admit the idea of featuring a duo of hitmen at the time owed a debt to two similar characters from the movie Pulp Fiction? Also, while we are on the subject, what did you think of Pulp Fiction? Was it a film you enjoyed?

DA: Yes, I enjoyed Pulp Fiction (I think that was compulsory in the 1990s). There’s an obvious connection – two hitmen, and the story being as much, if not more, about the stupid conversations that they had rather than the action – and I won’t pretend that it didn’t have an influence. But the Pulp Fiction thing was made a lot more of by 2000AD and Tharg as a selling point than was ever intended by me.

My starting point was that I wanted to focus on a partnership, and that had to be a violent one. So, hitmen. To me, there was also a THIRD main character, the city itself. I wanted to create a weird, rundown setting, sprawling and criminal, with its own slang and customs (and puns, oh boy!) and a real sense of a black market, dirty-dealing underworld. And give it a European slant, to contrast Dredd.

So, I was much more inspired by the (then) collapsing Soviet Union, by Berlin after the Second World War, and so on. And I would cite the “Renko” novels of Martin Cruz Smith (excellent crime stories) as a much bigger influence than Tarantino. There’s also a strong undercurrent of what we might call “Cyberpunk”. Mike Molcher at 2000AD recently said to me that the series (now it’s become Azimuth) is perhaps the most cyberpunk thing 2000AD’s ever done. I replied that it’s “post cyberpunk” because Sinister Dexter always was. William Gibson was another big influence.

TW: I am reluctant to trust every piece of research I find online. Is it true the title Sinister Dexter is a Latin play on words? If that is true, can you explain in your own word how you can to the title?

DA: Sinister is Latin for left, Dexter for right. That is just the first of many, many (many!) jokes and puns that have filled the series.

TW: This leads me to ask: what was the creative process that led to the creation of the characters? Did everything fall into place nice and neatly? When did co-creator David Millgate become involved?

DA: It did all fall into place. The original pitch doc laid everything out in pretty recognisable detail (though things have evolved so much since then). David came on and did a great job visualising it for the first time, though that first run was shared between a lot of artists with sometimes wildly different takes. I think it was when Simon Davis came on board as regular artist, at the start of what I think of as “book 2” that things really accelerated.

TW: Sinister Dexter seemed to become an almost instant hit in the pages of 2000AD. From your perspective ,did it feel like you had struck gold with the strip almost immediately? Or did it catch you by surprise?

DA: It came as a surprise. It was the first series since Slaine to be commissioned for every issue (like Dredd). I suddenly had to find a lot of stories, and that gave me the scope to do everything…. Big multi-parters, one-off “moments”, lots of action, some dumb conversation “bottle” episodes…. even supernatural stories, and, eventually, full SF.

It was a format where you could do almost anything, so I did. And the stories themselves ranged between the stupid, funny and farcical (mostly) to some very serious things. It was also a strip where the leads regularly killed people, so developing (and keeping) a supporting cast became a real project.

TW: The list of artists that went on to illustrate your scripts for the series reads like a who’s who of 2000AD talent. It must have been satisfying to collaborate with so many different artists, but looking back are there any artists old or new you wish you could add to that list? Perhaps Liam Sharp? Or maybe Colin MacNeil? Or given the nourish crime riddled setting, maybe Frank Miller?

DA: I think it’s a strip that anyone can draw, because it’s fluid enough, so everyone’s welcome. Frank Miller would be crazy (and very much appropriate to the strip’s inception point and era). Colin, yes — I’ve worked with him on other 2000AD projects, and he’s fantastic. Daniel Warren Johnson? Adam Warren? Chris Samnee? There are so many possibilities.  And there are some artists (like, for example, Henry Flint) who did a few stories, but I would have loved to see more. There have been some particular fine, long runs by artists – Simon Davis, obviously, Andy Clarke… and I am loving Tazio Bettin. Tazio took the strip on during “Bulletopia” and together we’ve turned the series into “Azimuth”. He is an exceptional talent, and we get on very well.

TW: When it comes to artists that are practically synonymous with the characters, many fans will instantly think of Simon Davis. He illustrated some of the longest and most pivotal or your storylines. How did that partnership come about? Was it by design, or simply a happy accident?

DA: Simon is fantastic. I mean, just a major talent. He was assigned to the strip by Tharg, and we just… carried on for ages together. There’s no doubt in my mind that his work cemented the strip as a favourite. I have some of his original pages on my wall.

TW: I am not suggesting you single out a particular or favourite artist you have collaborated with on Sinister Dexter, that would be unfair, but do you have any particular favourite covers? Or covers you felt encapsulated the characters? For that matter, even at a concept level, did you ever have a hand in designing any of their covers at all?

DA: That’s such a hard question, because there have been so many great covers. Some are great because they’re simply arresting images, others are great because they have tied in so well to a particular story. If I had to pick just one, it would be the Simon Davis cover used on the “Gun Lovin’ Criminals” collection, which is as close to a definitive version of them as you can get. I have to say I think Tazio (Bettin) has done some amazing covers for SinDex and Azimuth in the last few years – amazing composition, detail and impact.

I don’t tend to have much say in covers, though these days Tazio and I often discuss ideas and brainstorm.

TW: Given the strip’s noirish influences do you feel the series (as you have written it) would have ever flourished the same way if presented in black and white? After all, 2000AD has a proud history of publishing some astonishing black and white stories, or do you personally feel colour is essential to your stories on this occasion? Could you picture at the characters in a Sin City style of art for example? How important is colour to Downlode as city?

DA: I think it would work in black and white (and “Malone”, by Simon Coleby was run in black and white to emphasise those noirish tones). But Downlode (and Azimuth) are both such colourful places that a lack of colour would rob us of atmosphere. As I said earlier, in the strip both cities are characters, and I think the series really works when we maximise the visual texture. Colour is a vital part of that.

TW: Just as Mega City One is important to Dredd’s universe, it seems Downlode is also vital to the world of Sinister Dexter. What was the thinking process that went into creating their environment? Was it a deliberate choice that it would be a city with a lot of statues for example? It appears storywise to cover most of Europe.

DA: As I said, absolutely. And I think the artists who have had the most success on the series are the ones who have bought into that richness, statues and all.

TW: Over time the two lead characters had their differences that led to various solo adventures before reuniting again. From your point of view, are they tougher characters to write apart? Do you feel they work better as a pair?

DA: Generally, yes, they shine as a pair. But Sinister worked really well alone in “Malone” (a trick series that readers didn’t realise at first was SinDex). Since the end of “Bulletopia” (spoiler alert), it’s just been Dex, who functions perfectly well alone… and especially as I’ve provided him with a new range of supporting characters to play off, like Suzi Nine Millimetre, Cassandra “Andi” Anderson and so on.

You have to realise that writing the same series for such a long time, I have often needed to shake things up or work hard to find something new.  The status quo has shifted, radically, and by design, many times, just to keep things moving forward. Azimuth – a “post AI apocalypse fantasy” is the latest variation and has breathed massive new life into everything.

TW: If you had to write an absolute and definitive ending to their adventures, do you have a storyline or an idea in mind. Will they ever have a happy ending? Or are they doomed to pay a price for all the chaos around them?

DA:  One day 🙂 Yes I do, no they can’t, and yes they will 🙂

2000

TW: It seems crossovers between different companies’ characters are popular in comics again. Would you enjoy writing a Sinister Dexter meets Batman or Spider-man story? …or perhaps more realistically how about the two gunsharks cross paths with Dredd? Or even Johnny Alpha? Could fans ever expect to see anything along these lines?

DA: It’d be fun, and it would work because of the series’ madcap structure.

And they have met Dredd and Johnny before (briefly). Now, in Azimuth, because of the fracturing nature of reality, we have (a) Judge Anderson and other 2000AD characters, vagrants and strays from other series. That’s huge fun and we have some great ones coming up. I think it’s working because they’re not “random guests” for funsies or gimmick crossovers. They are baked into the story for real.

TW: In recent years, it feels like almost every comic ever written has been adapted for television or the big screen. To your knowledge, has Sinister Dexter ever been optioned for either of these? If so can you provide any tantalising details?

DA: I think it was once. I don’t remember much about it. Sorry! 🙂

TW: Purely for fun, would you be able to please try casting the two leads and any of the supporting cast from the series? Your perspective on this would be fascinating. I’d imagine considering such things is a different prospect now in 2026 compared to thirty years ago when you first created them.

DA: Honestly, I have no idea now. I think I had many different casting ideas in mind back at the start, but the characters have so much become “themselves” over 30 years, I can’t think of them any other way anymore. Worth noting that during Simon’s run, he used his own face for Dex. So back then, Dexter was Simon Davis 🙂

TW: Could I very politely push you just a tiny bit on what may have been your original movie casting ideas please? Maybe not now, after the characters have evolved, but in the early stages thirty years ago, were there any actors’ voices you heard or imagined as you wrote their dialogue? Hypothetically, imagine your own creations insisted at gunpoint, and asked you, “Who is playing us in the movie? And who is directing it?” What would your answer be to them? (I’d suggest the late Tony Scott as an ideal director for example.)

DA: Sorry to push back, but I don’t feel their “voices” came from anyone, and I’ve been writing the series so long, “casting” has long since vanished from my mind. But Wesley Snipes was often cited as a visual ref for Dex in the early days, though I wasn’t convinced of it as a casting choice. At times, Idris Elba and Donald Glover (Lando Calrissian) were potential Ramones, and for Sinister, everyone from Charlie Hunnam to Gary Oldman. As for directors, I’d probably go for the Russo Brothers if they could bring the kinetic choreography they mastered in the “paintball” episodes of Community.

TW: You said you enjoyed inserting puns or jokes (maybe “wordplay”) into your Sinister Dexter scripts. Do you have a favourite joke or pun you have used in their adventures?

DA: Almost every character’s name is a joke or pun (Rex Monday, Suzi Nine Millimetre, Demi Octavo, Nestor Vipers, Missy Solemnis, Wendy Go, Steampunk Willy, Thelema and Louija etc etc)  and almost every story title (“Rush From Her With Love”, “The Salad of Bad Cafe”, “Are You Being Severed”, “The Importance of Fleeing Ernest”, “How To Train Your Dagon” etc etc). As for lines I’m fond of, it would be a tie between an early one:

Butler: “I’ve laid on some sandwiches, sir.”

Sinister: “Don’t expect us to eat them, then.”

And the more recent (discussing exotic fried food):

Papa Legday: “You won’t stay for lunch? This ouroboros isn’t going to eat itself”.

TW: You mentioned the importance of the supporting cast, and obviously when writing a pair of gunsharks characters are inevitably going be dispatched on a semi-regular basis. Do you look back with any regret for killing off any characters too early? Maybe there were characters you were fond of? I guess I am asking in all your storylines do you have any regrets? With the benefit of hindsight, looking back would you change anything?

DA: I do sometimes. But the very basic formula for a simple SinDex story is – set up a colourful character that the guys are hired to kill and then see out the contract. So, the basic mechanism of the story means that guest and support characters seldom endure.

The death of “Nervous” Rex Monday, their long-term “info nark” was a major thing, and the demise of Demi Octavo at the end of the epic “Eurocrash” was such a significant moment, Tharg devoted the whole prog to one big SinDex story, one of the very few times in 2000AD’s history when an entire issue has just been one strip. But new characters come along all the time, and the strip probably has its biggest active supporting cast ever right now. And some characters refuse to die… I’m looking at you, Holy Moses Tannenbaum.

TW: In your travels attending comic conventions, have you come across any Sinister Dexter cosplay that have impressed you?

DA: Rarely, but once or twice. It’s often alarming when it happens 🙂