Alan Grant: Batman, Judge Dredd comic book writer dies aged 73 - what happened, where in Bristol was he from

Acclaimed comic book writer Alan Grant, who delivered classics such as Batman and Judge Dredd, has died at the age of 73.

The news was shared on social media platforms, leading to outpours of emotional tributes from the Bristolian writer’s many friends and fans.

Here is everything you need to know about Alan Grant and his tragic passing; such as what happened, what are some of his renowned comics and tributes paid to him.

Who was Alan Grant?

Alan Grant was a highly-successful comic book writer that was born in Bristol in 1949.

He was married to Susan Grant, where they lived in Moniaive in Dumfriesshire.

Grant was renowned for writing Judge Dredd comics that were featured in 2000 AD, which was a well known comic magazine.

He was also the mind behind various Batman titles throughout the late 1980s and early 2000s.

Fans of the caped crusader renown Grant for being one of the creators of iconic DC characters such as Victor Zsasz and Ventriloquist.

The writer, who spent a large portion of his life in Scotland living in places like Midlothian  and Dundee, first entered the comic book industry in 1967.

He started what ended up being a thriving and successful partnership with fellow-writer John Wagner, who asked Grant to help him finish a Tarzan comic.

This led on to the pair co-writing a popular franchise in Judge Dredd, developing it as one of the most groundbreaking strips on 2000 AD.

After further success in the comic book industry where he wrote for DC, Marvel and Dark Universe, Grant ventured out to writing for cartoons such as Action Man as well as original Anime.

Alan Grant was recognised for his contributions to the comic book industry when he won an Inkpot Award in 1992.

When did he die and how was it announced?

The tragic news was made public when his wife posted on Facebook in the morning of Thursday, 21 July 2022.

The post read: “I have no words, Alan died this morning”.

How did Alan Grant die?

The specifics of how Alan Grant passed away are yet to be made official.

However, it is believed by many that the Batman writer had been battling an undisclosed illness recently.

Friends close to Grant had confirmed in various messages and posts that he had been ‘sick for some time’.

What tributes have been paid to the writer?

Tributes have been pouring out after the passing of Alan Grant, with many friends, family members and fans showing their support and love for the acclaimed writer.

2000 AD, the comic magazine that Grant worked for four decades ago, posted the following on Twitter: “We are

devastated to hear the news that we have lost Alan Grant, a giant of comics whose wit, humanity and talent made 2000 AD what it is”.

Fellow writers for the Batman universe such as Tom King posted: “Horribly saddened to hear of the passing of Alan Grant. Lobo, LEGION, Batman—these books questioned what super hero comics could be and do: they were sharply, cooly cynical and yet oddly—and wonderfully—they contained a powerful, warm undercurrent of hope. Hell of a writer. RIP.”

Here are some examples of emotional and touching tributes from fans published on Twitter:

John Chalmers, a friend of Alan Grants, shared a tribute to the writer which was shared by Ms Grant on Facebook. It read: “[Alan was] a lovely man, down to earth and generous with his knowledge and experience, one of the nicest people in comics that we have met.”

“His achievements in modern comics speak for themselves and he was a fantastic ambassador for Scottish comics.”