Simon Peggwasfamously the visual inspiration for Wee HughieinThe Boyscomic series, and later appeared as the character’s father in the TV adaptation, but what fans of the actor might not realize is that this wasn’t his only superhero genre work. In fact, heplayedStrontium Dogprotagonist Johnny Alpha in a trilogy of audio dramas.
Strontium Dog: Down to Earth,Strontium Dog: Fire from Heaven, and the crossoverJudge Dredd: Pre-Emptive Revenge, are three full-cast audio dramas adapting the long-running comic, publishedin the British anthology2000 A.D.serially between 1978 and 2018.
Pegg, an avowed fan of the series, took on the role of the mutant gunslinger at the heart of the series, Johnny Alpha.
Simon Pegg Starred As Johnny Alpha In A Series Of Early 2000s “Strontium Dog” Audio Dramas
Pegg’s Forgottten2000 A.D.Adaptation, Explained
The audiobooks starring Simon Pegg asStrontium Dog’sJohnny Alpha were released between 2002 and 2004.On the timeline of Pegg’s career, this came after the conclusion of his break-out TV role in the British sitcomSpaced, and just as he was on the verge of becoming an international household name withShaun of the Dead.
Though Pegg might not seem like a natural fit for the character visually,when it came to Johnny Alpha’s voice, Pegg brought energy and passion to the role, having been a fan ofStrontium Dogfor years before he starred in the adaptation.One notableSpacedgag even revealed Pegg’s character was distraught at the death of Johnny Alpha in the comic.
Unlike the similar character Judge Dredd, Johnny Alpha has never fully crossed over into the mainstream; for Simon Pegg fans, though, his early-aughts turn as the character is a great deep cut from his prolific career.
Strontium Dogis one of many examples from the comic anthology2000 A.D.that warrants a film or TV adaptation, but one has never materialized. Unlikethe similar character Judge Dredd, Johnny Alpha has never fully crossed over into the mainstream; for Simon Pegg fans, though, his early-aughts turn as the character is a great deep cut from his prolific career.
Simon Pegg’s Time As Johnny Alpha Was Brief, But It Is A Reminder Of The Character’s Potential
The Actor Was A NotedStrontium DogFan
For context, it wasn’t until 2006 thatThe Boysdebuted, with its central character, stalwart “everyman” Hughie Campbell,obviously based on Simon Pegg’s likeness.Had a version of that series been adapted a decade before the 2019 debut of the Amazon series, Pegg would have been the first, and perhaps the only choice to play Hughie.
[Simon Pegg] isn’t entirely lacking genre bona fides, but other than his brief appearances inThe Boys, a comic book role has largely eluded him over the past twenty years.
Pegg would go on to play Scott in the mid-2000sStar Trekreboots, and to play a critical role in theMission Impossiblefranchise.So, he isn’t entirely lacking genre bona fides, but other than his brief appearances inThe Boys, a comic book role has largely eluded him over the past twenty years.
That is why his tenure voicing Johnny Alpha is noteworthy;theStrontium Dogaudio dramas are a fascinating footnote in the legendary career ofSimon Pegg, one that highlights that his comic book legacy extends beyondThe Boys, just as this classic2000 A.D.series doesn’t deserve to languish in obscurity.
