Sam Slade Robo-Hunter #17

Sam Slade, Robo-Hunter first appeared in the pages of the British science fiction weekly 2000 AD in 1978. Created by writer John Wagner and artist Ian Gibson, the series was conceived as a satirical take on hard-boiled detective fiction, transplanted into a futuristic world saturated with robots. The narrative follows Slade, a cynical, pipe-smoking bounty hunter tasked with tracking down malfunctioning or rogue machines, blending gritty noir tropes with the anarchic, darkly humorous tone characteristic of 2000 AD's editorial style during its formative years.

Issue 17 of the Robo-Hunter series continues the strip's focus on the absurdity of human dependence on robotics. Ian Gibson’s clean, expressive linework became a hallmark of the strip, grounding the outlandish, gadget-heavy environment in a recognizable visual language. The character of Sam Slade resonated with readers due to his pragmatic, blue-collar approach to a high-tech profession, helping to cement the series as a staple of British comics and ensuring its enduring legacy alongside other 2000 AD mainstays like Judge Dredd.