Created by 2000 AD artists Brett Ewins and Steve Dillon, Deadline featured a mix of comic strips and written articles aimed at adult readers.

The magazine's origins lie in the earlier publication Strange Days, an anthology title created by Ewins, Brendan McCarthy and Peter Milligan.

Alongside original material, Elliott and Wynne also introduced reprints of American alternative comics such as Love and Rockets, Bob Burden's Flaming Carrot and Evan Dorkin strips such as Milk and Cheese.

Deadline enjoyed the patronage of those who would not normally purchase comics and the support of several key bands of the time, with Blur making regular appearances in the Tank Girl strips (Tank Girl artist Jamie Hewlett was good friends with Blur's Damon Albarn), and covers including Ride, Curve, Carter USM and the Senseless Things.

However, the commercial failure of the Tank Girl film and the crossing over of the alternative scene into the mainstream (around the time of Britpop, a movement it had helped to champion) saw the magazine eventually fold at the end of 1995.