Landau didn't get that job due to his lack of experience, but he was soon given the same position at IPC Magazines' "Action". When Mills stepped down at "2000 AD" after sixteen issues, replaced by Kelvin Gosnell, Landau was brought in as Gosnell's chief sub-editor. Gosnell was overwhelmed by the amount of work needed to launch "2000 AD"'s new sister title "Starlord", and Landau took up the slack. As Gosnell describes it, "As soon as "Starlord" came on the scene, I lost it. I had to have someone running "2000 AD" and that was Nick Landau. He was halfway between editor and chief sub," and Roy Preston was made a sub-editor to take up the slack and help Landau. With the focus on the launch of "Starlord" (issue No. 1 was cover-dated 13 May 1978), Landau, Preston, and art editor Kevin O'Neill had more creative freedom. As Mills says, "Some of the best decisions on "2000 AD"'s future were made while they were running the show. They were responsible for "The Cursed Earth", credit cards and encouraged talented artists like Garry Leach and Brian Bolland."