Sam Slade Robo-Hunter #31

Sam Slade: Robo-Hunter originated in the pages of the British science fiction anthology 2000 AD, debuting in 1978. Created by writer John Wagner and artist Ian Gibson, the series was designed as a comedic, noir-inspired satire of detective fiction, transposed into a futuristic world where robots were ubiquitous but prone to malfunction. The character of Sam Slade, a cigar-chomping, cynical bounty hunter, provided a grounded and humorously gritty anchor to the strip's surreal visual aesthetic.

Issue 31, published in 1979, was part of the comic's formative era, during which the narrative solidified its reputation for combining sharp, cynical wit with high-energy action. Ian Gibson’s distinctively detailed and expressive illustration style was instrumental in defining the look of the robotic adversaries and the cluttered, lived-in technology of the series. The strip was well-received by readers for its ability to balance traditional science fiction tropes with a distinctly British sense of irreverent, tongue-in-cheek cynicism.