Vector 13 is a comic strip published in the British magazine 2000 AD . It featured the eponymous agency set up to investigate anomalous phenomena and conspiracy theories. It was influenced by American TV drama The X-Files (which was at the height of its popularity at the time) and other events such as the 1995 release of the alien autopsy film; as general interest in the paranormal and parapolitics waned, the series was wound up and replaced by Pulp Sci-Fi as a venue for single issue self-contained stories. In turn it foreshadowed other comics series dedicated to similar agencies, such as Caballistics, Inc.
The format was created by former 2000 AD editor and long-time contributor Alan McKenzie.
Each story was presented by the Men in Black, as being a true file from their cases touching on a whole range of Forteana from Mothman to the Chupacabras and broader conspiracy theories such as those surrounding Project MKULTRA.
In the middle of the series run (and as the interest in such subjects peaked) the MiB broke out of their own strip and took over the running of the magazine from #1014 (appearing as part of the logo from #1015), as editor Tharg was allegedly away dealing with a crisis. This first issue coinciding with a promotion of the X-Files series 2 trading cards.
Cases were not always consistent:
Instalments include:
Paul Johnson is a British comic book artist.
Gordon Rennie is a Scottish comics writer, responsible for White Trash: Moronic Inferno, as well as several comic strips for 2000 AD and novels for Warhammer Fantasy.
Henry Flint is a British comic book artist who has worked mainly for British science fiction comic 2000 AD.
Mark Harrison is a British comic book artist and occasional writer. The bulk of his work has appeared in the magazine 2000 AD.
Siku is the pseudonym of British/Nigerian artist and writer Ajibayo Akinsiku, best known for his work in 2000 AD.
Steve Yeowell is a British comics artist, well known for his work on the long-running science fiction and fantasy weekly comic 2000 AD.
Trevor Hairsine is a British comics artist, whose detailed style has been compared to that of Bryan Hitch.
John M. Burns was an English comics artist, with a career stretching back to the mid-1960s.
Anthony Williams is a Welsh comic book artist.
John Tomlinson is a British comic book writer and editor known for his work on various 2000 AD strips. He has occasionally been credited as Sonny Steelgrave.
Steve White is a British comic book writer, paleoartist, and occasional colourist who has mainly worked with 2000 AD.
John Ridgway is an English comic book artist. He is best known as the first artist of the comic book series Hellblazer, featuring John Constantine.
Simon Coleby is a British comic book artist who has worked mainly for British sci-fi comic 2000 AD and Marvel Comics.
Colin MacNeil is a British comics artist, best known for his work on 2000 AD and in particular on Judge Dredd and other stories within his world like Shimura and Devlin Waugh.
Lee Sullivan is a comic artist who lives and works in the UK.
Nick Abadzis is a British comic book writer and artist.
Mike Perkins is a British comic book artist known for his inking work and full art duties on comic books such as Captain America, Ruse and Stephen King's The Stand.
Simon Davis is a British portraits artist and comics artist. In comics he is known for his fully painted art work for 2000 AD on "Sinister Dexter", "Sláine" and '"Stone Island". Later in his career he became a member of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists and the Royal Society of Portrait Painters, and he has produced prize-winning fine art for the National Portrait Gallery.
Dan Abnett has been writing comics and novels since the mid-1980s.