Jim Murray — Judge Dredd: Lawman of the Future #6 Cover, “Death Trap!” (1995)

Artist: Jim Murray

Title: Judge Dredd: Lawman of the Future #6 — “Death Trap!” Cover

Year: 1995

Publisher: Fleetway

Published: October 6, 1995

Medium: Watercolor and ink

Size: Approx. 11.8 × 16.5 inches (30 × 42 cm)

Original published cover artwork by Jim Murray for Judge Dredd: Lawman of the Future #6, published by Fleetway on October 6, 1995.

Entitled “Death Trap!”, the dramatic composition presents Judge Dredd at the center of an explosive Mega-City One action scene, demonstrating Murray's distinctive combination of powerful anatomy, exaggerated perspective and richly rendered science-fiction detail.

Judge Dredd: Lawman of the Future was launched in 1995 as a fortnightly companion title to 2000 AD, coinciding with the release of the Sylvester Stallone Judge Dredd movie. Although inspired visually by the movie, the comic developed its own stories and interpretation of Dredd's world. The series proved relatively short-lived, running for just 23 issues, making surviving original cover paintings from the title a finite body of work.

Jim Murray is a British comic artist and illustrator whose highly distinctive work combines detailed draftsmanship with an energetic, often painterly approach to action and anatomy. He worked extensively within British comics during the 1990s, including Judge Dredd and Judge Dredd: Lawman of the Future, before establishing a significant career in the American comics industry. His credits include work for DC Comics and Marvel, with titles and characters including Batman, Catwoman, Hellblazer, Spider-Man and The Punisher.

Murray subsequently became particularly associated with Batman, including his acclaimed painted work with writer Doug Moench on Batman/Demon: A Tragedy, further demonstrating the dark, atmospheric style already evident in his Judge Dredd imagery.