Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 19, 2026

Dominator (comics)

Dominator is a British comic character created by Tony Luke. The character debuted in the British heavy metal music magazine Metal Hammer in 1988, before being serialised in the Japanese seinen manga magazine Monthly Afternoon in 1993. It was adapted into a 2003 computer-generated animated feature film directed by Luke. The story chronicles the ongoing adventures of the eponymous "Demon God of Rock & Roll" in many different forms.

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Jul 19, 2026
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Dominator
Promotional film poster
Directed byTony Luke
Screenplay byAlan Grant
Based on
Dominator
by Tony Luke
Produced byJim Brathwaite
Starring
Edited by
  • Doug Bradley
  • Tony Luke
Music byPeter Haycock
Production
company
Distributed bySalvation Films
Release dates
  • 21 May 2003 (2003-05-21) (Cannes)
  • 20 September 2003 (2003-09-20) (Brighton)
Running time
74 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget£20,0001

Dominator is a British comic character created by Tony Luke. The character debuted in the British heavy metal music magazine Metal Hammer in 1988, before being serialised in the Japanese seinen manga magazine Monthly Afternoon in 1993. It was adapted into a 2003 computer-generated animated feature film directed by Luke. The story chronicles the ongoing adventures of the eponymous "Demon God of Rock & Roll" in many different forms.

It holds the distinction for being the first manga made by a British artist, and the first British computer-generated animated film, albeit made on a series of relatively simple programs on Mac computers, hence the overly primitive animation and unrefined graphics.

Film synopsis

Lord Desecrator has defeated Lucifer as the ruler of Hell, but Desecrator's general, Dominator, has rebelled and stolen the Key to Hell to prevent Desecrator gaining control of the realm. On Earth, the daughters of an exorcist by the name of Dr. Payne accidentally summon Dominator to Earth by playing the forbidden Lost Chord. Dominator is soon followed by three of Lord Desecrator's soldiers; Decimator, Extricator, and his former lover, Lady Violator. Dominator must prevent Lord Desecrator coming to Earth at all costs, while battling the many demons that are emerging from the hole that has been torn between the two realms.2

Voice cast

Production

Origins and Metal Hammer (1988–1990)

Tony Luke came up with the ideas for Dominator while working as a caretaker in the East End of London after moving there in the late 1980s. The idea and design for the titular character was inspired by "kabuki dancers who had very long hair with masks".3 Originally slated to appear in the music magazine Kerrang!, Luke instead went to Metal Hammer magazine to serialise his comic after falling out with Kerrang!'s editor, where it ran for six months in 1988.3 Making up half-a-page, it featured black-and-white artwork, and plots that often involved the leading rock stars of the time.45 Luke moved back home to Brighton after its conclusion, in the meantime working with writer and long-time friend Alan Grant on various comics in 2000 AD and Judge Dredd Megazine, as well as a joint American-Japanese comic titled Psychonauts, illustrated by Motofumi Kobayashi and printed under Epic Comics.3

In late 1990, Tundra Publishing had gained the rights to create a new comic adaptation of Dominator with Luke; nothing materialised from this, and the rights eventually expired.3

Development under Kodansha (1991–1994)

In 1991, Tony Luke visited San Diego for a comic convention where he met with a number of publishers, including Japanese company Kodansha. After they showed interest in his work on Dominator, Kodansha offered Luke a contract to obtain the rights to the comic and serialise it in one of their manga magazines.36 Luke signed the contract to create twelve episodes in December 1992.67 Luke noted that Kodansha were actively searching for artists with unusual art styles when he approached them, saying that the "style I was doing things in at the time – which was cut-and-paste montage – they really liked that because they'd never seen anything like it. Almost every publisher we took it to in the [W]est said, 'No, this won't work. No-one will go for this style. No-one's interested.' One publisher in particular, who I won't mention by name, said, 'No, the Japanese will hate this.'"3

Dominator was serialised in full colour in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Monthly Afternoon from 24 July 1993,a to 25 May 1994.10b Alan Grant wrote the scripts, which were then translated to Japanese.36 It made use of blending photos of human models with miniature latex models, distorted with a colour photocopier, and then painted on.613 It was the first manga series ever created by a British artist.1141516

The manga found an audience in Japan, particularly with its local alternative scene, and allowed Luke to come in contact with fellow manga artist Yasushi Nirasawa.57 Luke was also commissioned by Kodansha to create a one-shot crossover with Tsuyoshi Shikkari Shinasai for sister magazine Weekly Morning.3 It was published under the title Dominator in Tokyo (ドミネーターinトーキョー) in November 1993.17c

Comparing the 1988 Metal Hammer comic to the 1993 Afternoon version, Luke stated that "the Metal Hammer version was very much a jokey thing, as it was very difficult to tell an ongoing story in half a page every two weeks […] For the Japanese version, we made a lot of punk references in the script and the art – there's a lot of Clash and Sex Pistols on the karaoke machines out there – and introduced the other three demons: Extricator, Decimator and Lady Violator. The tone was semi-serious, but was offset by the comedy provided by Extricator and Decimator."19

Renga Studios and hiatus (1995–2000)

After the manga's conclusion, Tony Luke and Alan Grant were approached by various film companies to buy the rights to Dominator for a potential film adaptation.519 Not wanting to lose control of their work, Luke and Grant established Renga Studios (later called Renga Media) in 1995 to put their characters, such as Dominator, under copyright. Yasushi Nirasawa and actor Doug Bradley also joined in.1920

During that time, Luke moved on to other projects, such as Sin 7, Hellkatt for Manga Entertainment, and Renga! for DC Thomson.72122 Luke, through Renga Studios, would also produce a low-budget short film for the fledgling Sci-Fi Channel titled Archangel Thunderbird in 1998, where it became a surprise hit.5

Film production (2000–2003)

Tony Luke and Alan Grant would return to work on Dominator for an animated adaptation. With technology rapidly becoming more advanced by the late 1990s, they thought it was more feasible to produce it through computer-generated imagery, instead of using stop motion like with Archangel Thunderbird.19 Although the original plan was to make an episodic web series available for download on the Renga Studios website, it was decided to instead make a straight adaptation of the 1993 Afternoon manga series.23

In the summer of 2000, the Sci-Fi Channel approved to co-produce the project with Luke and Grant.19 Luke was also given £10,000 from the Sci-Fi Channel for production, following the success of Archangel Thunderbird on their network.5 During that time in August, Luke was diagnosed with mesothelioma in his lungs, forcing him to halt work for a few months whilst receiving treatment to surgically remove the cancer.24

Production officially began in November 2001 and finished in April 2003, with both British and Japanese artists being involved.24 It was animated using Cinema 4D, Poser, Bryce and LightWave 3D software on Mac computers.1923 Footage was edited using Adobe After Effects and Final Cut Pro.19 Noting his recent experience of having cancer, Luke stated that "in many ways it was making the film that helped me keep my focus in the darkest days. In some ways it was very therapeutic and I certainly used some of my negative feelings in creating some of the bad characters."24 It was the first British computer-generated animated film.524

Dani Filth was cast as Dominator, as he was approached for permission to use his band's music, Cradle of Filth, in the film, and because it was decided to have an established rock star to play Dominator. Doug Bradley, who was also executive producer, was cast as Dr. Payne and Lord Desecrator, and he suggested Ingrid Pitt to play Lady Violator. Alex Cox was cast as Bishop, as he and Luke were co-presenters in a previous BBC Two documentary.19 Yasushi Nirasawa redesigned Lady Violator for the production.2 Other bands that had their music featured included local bands like Digitalis, Killing Mode, and the Guillotines.24

In a forum post on the Sweatdrop Studios website in 2010, Luke clarified on the timeline of production for Dominator; having originally planned it as a web series, about 40 minutes of animation were completed in 2000 before Luke was diagnosed with cancer. The plan for it being a feature film instead of a web series was at the Sci-Fi Channel's behest in exchange for their support the following year, and thus the existing footage had to be "blown up" for broadcast, exposing the unpolished textures. Luke was also unhappy with Dominator being labeled a "Brit-manga animation" by the Sci-Fi Channel, claiming the misleading term was forced on the film due to it being based on the 1993 Afternoon manga.23

Release

Dominator premiered at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival on 21 May 2003, where it was positively received initially.1525 It was screened at the Duke of York's Picture House in Brighton on 20 September 2003, released for home video on 6 October by Salvation Films,26 and was broadcast on the Sci-Fi Channel later that year.523

Reception to the film was mostly negative due to its apparently poor animation, and partially due to it being mislabeled as "Brit-manga animation" and an anime film by the Sci-Fi Channel and its home video distributor, Salvation Films, giving the false impression it was a Japanese production. However, it has received some positive reviews, including from CJ Lines of Meltdown magazine and M. J. Simpson of SFX magazine,2728 and the determination of director Tony Luke, who was reportedly struggling with depression after his bout with cancer and an unforgiving work schedule, has been praised.29

Legacy

Two short films following the Dominator film were produced by Renga Media: A Brief History of Hell in 2004, and Heavy Metal vs Dominator in 2005, the latter of which was a crossover with characters from the Heavy Metal universe.29

In late 2006, Renga Media revealed Dominator X, which was going to be an entirely new revamp for the series. This bigger-budget remake was going to run as a manga illustrated by Masanori Shino, as well as a downloadable series and film.30 Dominator X was slated for a release in 2007, but was later canceled two years later due to financial and rights holder conflicts.29 Renga Media was liquidated by the late 2000s, with its staff moving to Renegade Arts Entertainment, co-founded by Tony Luke.2931 Luke has since died after a long battle with cancer on 17 February 2016.3222

See also

See also

Notes

Notes

  1. Debuted in the magazine's September 1993 issue,8 released on July 24 of that year.9
  2. Finished in the magazine's July 1994 issue,11 released on May 25 of that year.12
  3. Published in the magazine's 49th issue of 1993, cover dated November 25.18
References

References

  1. Murphy, Charles EP (24 January 2020). "Comics Of Infinite Earths: Renga!". Sea Lion Press. Archived from the original on 8 December 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  2. Cotter, Robert Michael (2010). Ingrid Pitt, Queen of Horror: The Complete Career. McFarland & Company. pp. 105–106. ISBN 978-0-78646-189-9.
  3. Simpson, MJ (28 March 2016). "interview: Tony Luke (1996)" (Interview). Archived from the original on 19 May 2026. Retrieved 5 July 2026 – via Blogger.
  4. "Renga Media - Metal Hammer's Dominator". Renga Media. Archived from the original on 16 August 2003. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  5. Rose, Steve (5 September 2003). "Eight months to live". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 24 January 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  6. Bellos, Alex (8 January 1993). "Tony's determined to dominate Japan". The Argus. Brighton. p. 21. Retrieved 28 June 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. Carter, Ian (23 March 1995). "Luke who's talking to you". The Argus. Brighton. p. 29. Retrieved 28 June 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Contents". Monthly Afternoon (in Japanese). No. September 1993 issue. Kodansha. Table of contents. Retrieved 5 May 2026. [01] 新連載 ドミネーター [(01) New series: Dominator]
  9. "Contents". Monthly Afternoon (in Japanese). No. July 1993 issue. Kodansha. Table of contents. Archived from the original on 5 May 2026. Retrieved 5 May 2026. […] アフタヌーン9月号(7月24日発売)誌上にて。 [(…) in the September issue of Afternoon magazine (on sale July 24th).]
  10. Kinsella, Sharon (2000). Adult manga : culture and power in contemporary Japanese society. Honolulu, Hawaii: University of Hawaiʻi Press. p. 196. ISBN 0-8248-2317-6. OCLC 42603226. A photo-montage series entitled Dominator by British artist Tony Luke was published in Afternoon magazine from 1993.
  11. "Contents". Monthly Afternoon (in Japanese). No. July 1994 issue. Kodansha. Table of contents. Retrieved 5 May 2026. [39] ドミネーター [(39) Dominator]
  12. "Contents". Monthly Afternoon (in Japanese). No. May 1994 issue. Kodansha. Table of contents. Archived from the original on 11 March 2026. Retrieved 5 May 2026. […] アフタヌーン7月号(5月25日発売)誌上にて。 [(…) in the July issue of Afternoon magazine (on sale May 25th).]
  13. "Renga Media - Kodansha's Dominator". Renga Media. Archived from the original on 14 October 2003. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  14. Ramesh, Randeep; Dutta, Robi (6 August 1993). "Away in a Manga". The Guardian. London. p. 35. Retrieved 28 June 2026 – via Newspapers.com. The first Manga strip in Japan to be designed by a British duo, Dominator, will be out later this year. The artist is 35-year-old [sic] Tony Luke who worked on Judge Dredd.
  15. Greuet, Christophe (2004). Coupez: Ces films que George Clooney, Nicole Kidman, Jean Reno, Kim Basinger aimeraient oublier (in French). Carnot. pp. 152–153. ISBN 2-8485-5073-2.
  16. Murray, Chris (2017). The British Superhero. University Press of Mississippi. p. 236. ISBN 978-1-49680-740-3.
  17. "Renga Media - Manga". Renga Media. Archived from the original on 18 October 2003. Retrieved 6 July 2026.
  18. "Contents". Weekly Morning (in Japanese). No. 49. Kodansha. 1993. Table of contents. Retrieved 7 July 2026. [09] ドミネーターinトーキョー [(09) Dominator in Tokyo]
  19. Simpson, MJ (28 March 2016). "interview: Tony Luke (2003)" (Interview). Archived from the original on 20 May 2026. Retrieved 5 July 2026 – via Blogger.
  20. "Renga Media - About Us..." Renga Media. Archived from the original on 3 November 2006. Retrieved 6 July 2026.
  21. Freeman, John (30 June 2015). "Roads Not Taken: Renga, DC Thomson's Abandoned Rival to 2000AD". downthetubes.net. Archived from the original on 13 February 2026. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
  22. Osmond, Andrew (18 February 2016). "Tony Luke Passes Away". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 17 May 2026. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  23. "Dominator: The Demon Lord of Dead Rock Stars!". ukanimation.blogspot.com. 16 April 2010. Archived from the original on 3 August 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2026 – via Blogger.
  24. Crump, Helen (8 April 2003). "Film came out of my darkest hour". The Argus. Brighton. p. 14. Retrieved 28 June 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. "Renga Media - News June 2003". Renga Media. Archived from the original on 18 December 2003. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  26. "Index". Salvation Group. Archived from the original on 5 December 2003. Retrieved 10 July 2026. This autumn sees some major releases for us including on October 6th Tony Luke's amazing animation epic Dominator which features the voices of, amongst others, Dani Filth, Mark & Lard, Doug Bradley Ingrid Pitt and a blistering soundtrack by Cradle of Filth, Synthetic, Digitalis and Eileen Daly's Jezebel.
  27. "Renga Press". Renga Media. Archived from the original on 28 July 2004. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  28. Simpson, MJ (6 April 2013). "Dominator" (Interview). Archived from the original on 19 May 2026. Retrieved 10 July 2026 – via Blogger.
  29. "Dominator - Series overview". Forgotten Junk. Archived from the original on 12 August 2009. Retrieved 6 July 2026.
  30. "Renga Media News". Renga Media. Archived from the original on 5 October 2007. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  31. "About us". Renegade Arts Entertainment. Archived from the original on 17 February 2009. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  32. Freeman, John (18 February 2016). "In Memoriam: Tony Kuroizumi-Luke". downthetubes.net. Archived from the original on 13 February 2026. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
External links