5 January 2010

Hell-Trek magnetic banner

I wanted something to go on the sides of the minibus on the way up to Inverness just to advertise who the occupants of the vehicle were. So I decided on getting some of those magnetic banners made, like the ones that you see on the side of vans and the likes.
I searched the web and took some advice off fellow boarders (about getting the reflective finish) and finally found a place that was very reasonable. To get two done (they come in pairs) cost just under £80, which I think is okay!

I put the word out on the forum and quick as a flash Michael Carroll ( Yes, the one and only excellent Dredd writer) came back with the following design.


We decided that the Thrill Suckers would be a bit strange for motorists to figure out so ditched that idea. I then asked Michael if he could put some 2000 AD characters heads across the bottom, for ident purposes. He came back with the next design, which is the one we finally went for.


Once everyone said they liked it I sent the jpg off to be made into the actual banners. It took less than 10 days for the finished items to arrive. I unwrapped them and tested them on the car and radiators and they worked a treat.

This is what it looked like on the side of the minibus!



4 January 2010

Why the 'Cellar of Dredd'


I suppose I better explain the title of my blog.
It's the place where I store all my Dredd/2000AD merchandise (I have started putting some stuff in the attic, but it's primarily the cellar) that I have bought over the years.

I've been reading 2000AD since programme 1, which I saw come into the paper shop where I worked as a paperboy. Since then I was hooked and when I left the forces my collecting started, slowly at first until I went online and then it took off.

I frequent both 2000adonline and 2000ADReview's forums where I am known for my addiction to collecting. At the moment I reckon I have 95%> of what's available. I don't go for many T-shirts anymore as most of the designs I don't like and I hardly wear more than a few any more and I only buy the TPB's if one takes my eye as I have all the stories in the comics and they are all easily at hand.

The top picture is of the models that I have and is about 5 years old (I think) and there have been many additions, so I should really take some new pictures.

The one above is the main cabinet and contains numerous items from both the comic and the film. This also has had extra items placed in it. There is another display cabinet just to the right of this and this is quite a mess and needs to be sorted out. It contains my Judge's helmet off Termight Replicas.

The videos on youtube are all out of date now but are worth a look just to see what's available to Dredd/2000AD fans.


The cabinet above is of all the miniatures that I have collected and these are only the painted ones. Again I have many new ones that have swelled the collection.

I also have them all in their original packaging. I always try to buy them when I see them painted, saves me doing a bad job!

I have numerous other items that to start listing would take me for ever, so I reckon I may do a few posts on groupings of items in the future. Some on the ones everyone knows about and then some on the obscure stuff.

3 January 2010

Hell-Trek latest


As of now a lot of effort has gone into the whole Hell-Trek idea. Getting people on board was the main job to begin with and due to the 2000adonline forum being such a friendly place, that didn't take long. People came forward and put there names down straight away. We still have some who are thinking about going but I think they will probably decide closer to the date. We have 11 as of this moment with 3 places to fill but so long as we have 10 then it will be cheap enough for all.

Next I put the feelers out to any of the boarders about a T-Shirt design and also one for the side of the minibus, to be made on those magnetic banners that you see on numerous vehicles.
This is when Mike Carroll stepped up to the breach and came up with designs for both items. Initially we were thinking of a printed design, for the tops but this soon changed to a more robust and classy embroidered design. Not that there is nothing wrong with a printed design but we need to walk before we can run and this is my first attempt at such a venture.

Mike and myself decided on having the Hi-Ex! logo on the top with Hell-Trekker below and I then put the idea onto the forum and after the positive feedback I went about sorting this out.
Lets just say the places on the web wanted an awful lot to just start the project but luckily for me there was one place in my own town that does all this sort of stuff and they took the design in house and produced the stitched design in a few days. I have now paid for two Polo tops to be embroidered and I expect them in the next few days.

Once this is sorted I will be posting the pictures on the forum again and taking orders from Trekkers and a few collectors that I know about who have shown an interest.

This is the design of the embroidery that Mike sorted:-


And this is the actual embroidered sample:


In the next post I will upload the design for the magnetic banner and talk about how that came about.