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When did 2000ad get good again.

Started by BPP, 04 July, 2019, 11:38:40 AM

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radiator

I really liked Strontium Dogs (at the time, probably doesn't hold up great). Again, mainly for the art - Dobbyn's hand painted stuff was absolutely beautiful - kind of cutesy but with an edge.

Leigh S

I disliked the disbanding under Ennis, thought Hogan was slooooowly putting things right, then bam! you snooze you lose Hogan!  :lol:

Colin YNWA

Quote from: IndigoPrime on 18 July, 2019, 07:29:25 PM
As for Strontium Dogs, I think it warrants a re-read at some point, when I get through the pile of doom. As I've said elsewhere, I've really grown to like Hogan's work (Resident Alien is wonderful, for example), and suspect some of his 2000 AD output would read better to me now I'm an old git.

Yeah Hogan's Resident Alien is great. I'm also a BIG fan of his (and Rian Hughes) Robo-Hunter. Such a step up from Millar's

Quote from: MumboJimbo on 18 July, 2019, 09:12:12 AM
...I very much like what I've read so far of Brigand Doom.

Yeah its a good strip with great art. Does suffer from diminishing returns, at times, but is never less than entertaining.

Tjm86

Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 17 July, 2019, 07:31:56 PM
Quote from: Tjm86 on 17 July, 2019, 06:52:02 PM
Ah, maybe I'm just turning into a GKOS!

Gallumphing King Of Shite...?!

Grumpy, Knackered Old Sod ...

Close though.

Can I just check before I take offence, was it intended to be insulting or just a bit of baiting?

AlexF

I like the whimsical Hogan of Timehouse and RoboHunter very much.
Less keen on the portentous Hogan of Dragon Tales and Strontium Dogs.
(I retain a soft spot for the villainous Alphabet Men, though)

I've not read any of his post-2000AD work, but get the feeling that a) I should have and b) Bish-Op was wrong to throw him out with the bathwater!

Jim_Campbell

Quote from: Tjm86 on 19 July, 2019, 06:44:08 AM
Can I just check before I take offence, was it intended to be insulting or just a bit of baiting?

Neither! I just couldn't work out what it stood for! Reading it back, I can see why you might have thought that, though. My apologies — no insult intended.
Stupidly Busy Letterer: Samples. | Blog
Less-Awesome-Artist: Scribbles.

IndigoPrime

Quote from: AlexF on 19 July, 2019, 08:08:48 AMI like the whimsical Hogan of Timehouse and RoboHunter very much.
Yep: Hogan/Hughes Robo-Hunter was solid. I'd have liked to have seen that in the Hachette run, but in colour.

JayzusB.Christ

Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 19 July, 2019, 08:50:30 AM
Quote from: Tjm86 on 19 July, 2019, 06:44:08 AM
Can I just check before I take offence, was it intended to be insulting or just a bit of baiting?

Neither! I just couldn't work out what it stood for! Reading it back, I can see why you might have thought that, though. My apologies — no insult intended.

Either way up, I love the expression Galumphing King of Shite and will be using it in the near future.
"Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest"

Tjm86

Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 19 July, 2019, 08:50:30 AM
Quote from: Tjm86 on 19 July, 2019, 06:44:08 AM
Can I just check before I take offence, was it intended to be insulting or just a bit of baiting?

Neither! I just couldn't work out what it stood for! Reading it back, I can see why you might have thought that, though. My apologies — no insult intended.

Fair enough and fair point.  I wasn't sure so I thought it might be an idea to check on the intention rather than setting fire to the thread as so often tends to be the case.

I would agree with Jayz that the offered expression is a quality one to which I doff my cap sir.

JayzusB.Christ

Quote from: AlexF on 19 July, 2019, 08:08:48 AM
I like the whimsical Hogan of Timehouse and RoboHunter very much.
Less keen on the portentous Hogan of Dragon Tales and Strontium Dogs.
(I retain a soft spot for the villainous Alphabet Men, though)

I've not read any of his post-2000AD work, but get the feeling that a) I should have and b) Bish-Op was wrong to throw him out with the bathwater!

That's the thing though, Hogan was a good writer. I'd take his Strontium Dogs over Garth's any day (I am preparing myself to forgive the latter for demystifying and [spoiler]slaughtering[/spoiler] the Lyrans, as well as giving Feral a silly and predictable backstory.)

Didn't Peter Hogan write that Steel Claw in the excellent Action Special? Between that the Cursitor Doom story, it showed that two writers whose normal stuff was just ok were capable of brilliance when given the right characters.
"Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest"

Magnetica

Quote from: radiator on 17 July, 2019, 10:03:07 PM
For me, quintessential 2000ad strips tend to follow a particular formula, generally having the following qualities;

1) some kind of unique/interesting hook (or at least a twist on an established premise)

2) generally revolve around a strongly defined central character, usually a titular character (and if they have one or more memorable catchphrases, all the better)

3) have a very simple premise than can effectively be summarised in one single short pitch line.

The catchphrase thing is kinda interesting. I think it's certainly true that a catchphrase can't make a poor character into a good one, but with the best characters a good one can help reinforce a sense of who they are. The best 2000AD ones include "I am the Law", "Kiss My Axe", "He didn't think it too many", "Be Pure, Be Vigilent, Behave" , "I'm too cool to kill", "bojmoi", "Credo", "you can not kill what doesn't live", "the sentence is death" and "Get Whet".

BTW what's Johnny Alpha's catchphrase? Does "number 3 / number 4 cartridge" count?

TordelBack

I think it does!  Mind you, Wulf handles the catchphrase side of things, Johnny mainly does laconic, with a side-order of "Ma'am".

Funt Solo

++ A-Z ++  coma ++

Frank


Magnetica