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Topics - Smiley

#1
(Cont. from http://www.2000adonline.com/?zone=fan&page=messagethread&choice=19989&skipto=-1&Replies=66>Prog 1539 thread.)

McMahon's latest. It'd be easy to say it's just more to do with artdroids always coming back never being as good. Look at O'Neill's final Nemesis or Redondo's ho-hum Missionary Man, or Bolland's uninspired cover for Origins with those cut'n'paste bikes or Sola's recent Flesh doodle, Ewin's final Bad Company series or Hicklenton in the current Meg, the list goes on. (Personally, I always loved Ron Smith's art and hated Simon Bisley's. But neither have done anything in the prog for years and if their art appeared in the next prog I'd most likely think they were both rubbish, so it can't be nostalgia to blame.)

It's not like everyone's being subjective or ignorant all the time because sometimes the off day (or even years) is bleedin' obvious. It's just natural. Heck, artdroids like Ezquerra, Gibson, Higgins who've been around since the start are probably a better indicator of highs and lows. The last generation including Irving, Flint, Jock, Walker and Fraser (sorry, that just sounds like Dad's Army) will go the same way.

But why? Getting slicker and more spontaneous always seems confused with becoming lazy and rushed. Sometimes it's the readers confusing the two, sometimes it's the artists. It cuts both ways. Which side of the fence are you on? If you've met an artdroid, do you think your objectivity is clouded by courtesy or professional mateyness? Or are you a self-appointed expert who just wishes those other self-appointed experts would learn to bloody draw before coming up with their tuppence? Do you think any artdroids have actually improved with age and can you tell us why?
#2
Suggestions / Themed Prog?
22 April, 2007, 04:34:14 AM
I can't remember when we last had a unique Prog with a single theme; like a Robot issue, the daft Sex issue or the bandwagon-jumping Cool Brittania one. Or the themed Winter Specials; Horror, Alternity etc.

The Prog's line-up becomes more of a Trade Paperback schedule with each year, so if scheduling permits (and is that ever likely?) I'd like to see something like, I dunno, a musical prog perhaps (similar to Robo-Hunter's Play It Again Sam, but for a whole Prog encompassing strips that could get away with it, such as Dredd, Robo-Hunter and Sinister Dexter). Or maybe something where five disparate strips carry a single arcing plot in an exciting and unexpected way while avoiding the shared universe formula.

What would YOU like?
#3
Help! / Whatever happened to Lifeboat?
21 June, 2005, 10:39:48 AM
http://www.igibson.demon.co.uk/dini-full-fig-75.jpg>

Always liked the look of this and fancied reading it. Last I heard it was being done by a Dutch publisher rather than 2000AD and that it would be out sometime this year, but haven't heard anything about it since.
#4
General / Evil AD2000
17 February, 2005, 06:08:33 PM
Right, so you've been yoinked through a mirror (or perhaps your time-machine's shot a bolt, or you went and ate that cheese you found under the cooker) and all of a sudden the world's different. There's totalitarian flags hanging everywhere, everyone's got spiky collars, eyepatches or sneers. And the fast-food place has a McHitler's sign. With a gasp you realise this is an evil alternate universe.

Of course, you immediately search for a copy of the prog to see how bad this world could be. It's got AD 2000 on the front. What's in it? You fall to your knees with a "Nooooo!"

(Your turn now.)
#5
Prog / American Gothic
11 February, 2005, 08:42:13 PM
http://westfield2.com/wow/art/large/xx468.jpg>
#6
News / Sinister Dexter
26 January, 2005, 04:49:23 AM
Life's A Beach by Abnett & Yeowell starts soon.
Start yawning. Or bitching. Up to you. Not bothered.

In other news http://www.danabnett.com/>danabnett.com still isn't up yet.

More as it happens.http://westfield2.com/wow/art/large/xx437.jpg">
#7
General / Slamball pic
06 December, 2004, 03:14:58 PM
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/endorphinblocker/ssb.jpg>

Looks like an 80's Eagle leftover, doesn't it? Let's hope there's lots of bone-crunching violence.
#8
General / Who?ray!
06 December, 2004, 03:11:30 PM
Kenny Who? returns for Who? Dares Wins! in Meg 228, apparently, by Wagner & Kennedy.




#9
General / Prog 2005 thrills?
25 October, 2004, 04:53:12 PM
AFAIK there's...

A Wagner Dredd xmas tale, with art by Andrew Currie(?) (if that's correct it's a bit of a z-list artist choice IMHO).

Sl?ine's The Books Of Invasion carries on as usual by Mills & Langley. Latest chapter titled Tara(?).

Nikolai Dante in Agent Of Destruction. John Burns art there. Is this going to be just a few weeks then back to waiting another year, or is Dante finally back on track again?

Caballistics, Inc. is the Q Department one. One-off IIRC.

Samantha Slade: The Davinchy Code by Grant & Gibson.

The start of Second City Blues by Kek-W & Warren Pleece.

An Ace Trucking pin-up by Boo Cook.


Anything else?
#10
General / M.A.C.H. 1 - For better or for worse?
05 October, 2004, 07:38:02 PM
An Extreme Edition of M.A.C.H. 1? Get in! Great to hear this could happen.

I'd like to assume it's going to get a positive response, but as with the previous EE's of Invasion and Ant Wars (and Charley's War in the Meg, too, come to think of it) there'll be the same old moans about relying on the past and how dated and clunky it all is. Fair enough, but IMHO Alan Barnes is right about some of the strip being underrated.

Excuse the pre-emptive tub-thumping for a mo, but stories like The Planet Killers or Colonel Krall are early stone-cold classics of 2000 A.D. Just a shame they were overshadowed by a fair few nonsensical stinkers (as a couple of the covers below will attest.) Midas springs horribly to mind, and another where an Aztec pyramid is-a-spaceship-oh-no-it's-actually-a-dream is unimaginable arse. And you will wish he'd just kill those pesky kids...

http://www.2000adonline.com/covers/2000ad/mediumres/6.jpg> http://www.2000adonline.com/covers/2000ad/mediumres/15.jpg> http://www.2000adonline.com/covers/2000ad/mediumres/16.jpg>

But the thing is, and hence the debate tag, I can't think of another thrill that's suffered more from historical revisionism (the effect of the B.L.A.I.R. 1 parody's most likely to blame.) I mean, Bill Savage has survived any amount of mickey taking because he's a bit of a caricature to start with. But M.A.C.H. 1? Yeah, we know that he's a bit blank, it was a cheap cash-in on The Six Million Dollar Man, that it was just a hook for the casual buyer and really throwaway filler disguised as a lead strip, and it's easy with hindsight to gasp at how Earthlets could be such clueless jerks for sending in voting coupons with this at the top and Dredd at the bottom, and my don't we cringe at how acupuncture is so 70's it's only mercy Probe wasn't powered by Yoga etc etc... but M.A.C.H. 1 isn't actually that bad!.

In fact, as far as a spy thriller about a guy who could punch through walls could go it was really rather good (until the aliens and M.A.C.H. 2 turned up, spoilers ahoy) mostly since Probe was basically a weapon, ordered by a ruthless lunatic to eliminate other ruthless lunatics, and if you can get past the odd clunker (e.g. most bystanders go "I'm glad he's on our side", foreshadowing or what?) the strip is chock full of the kind of despair and bizarre violence that the prog relies on even now.

#11
General / You bought it up 'til then, didn't you.
13 September, 2004, 09:10:00 PM
In the Meltdown Man thread, technics quite rightly pointed out Also quite amusing in retrospect that Stone was able to remember the precise parts of an AK 47 and ammunition etc, but then Stone was also nuked into a future upside-down Earth full of talking animals.

So the question to all is, are you the sort who watches a complete fantasy and then has some minor trivial detail make you snort "That's bollocks. Never happen." Are you that killjoy who watches Star Wars and goes "How do those lasers make noise? You can't bank and turn in an X-Wing, it's in a vacuum for heaven's sake!" etc. Give me instances of your pedantry!
#12
Megazine / Mega City art from Meg 223?
18 July, 2004, 10:38:02 PM
I like the look of this pic. BIG city.

Apparently it's from a forthcoming Alan Grant Dredd tale entitled How To Succedd In Bizness, drawn by Dave Taylor.http://westfield2.com/wow/art/large/xx370.jpg">
#13
General / Flinty ABC's goodness
20 June, 2004, 07:35:05 AM
http://westfield2.com/wow/art/large/xx354.jpg>
#14
General / Low Life
17 June, 2004, 02:34:28 AM
I think what's been bugging me about this strip so far is the lack of a solid team story. The first episode had Rob and Henry proving how ace they are at handling a big bunch of characters in one go, and Dirty Frank's popularity hints at the potential of the wider cast. But instead the focus has been on Nixon and an almost Scooby Doo style villain.

If this runs to a second series I'd like to see less mystery and more of a team. Y'know, guys on a mission type stuff.
#15
Prog / Prog 1394 - Public Enemy
12 June, 2004, 02:20:05 AM
Nice and moody cover.http://www.2000adonline.com/covers/2000ad/hires/1394.jpg">
#16
General / What happened to Judge Gradgrind ...
03 June, 2004, 12:23:06 PM
... was a question posed in Meg 220's Dredd Files.

It was a continuity error tackled in reprints of The Cursed Earth. Pollix's name was replaced with Gradgrind, who then becomes the bearded Judge stabbed by muties in Dark Autumn, while Pollix (who was never introduced as part of the squad alongside Jack and Patton at the start anyway) is erased communist party style from history altogether.

(First one to say "So what happened to Judge Gradgrind is a load off old Pollix?" will be shot.)
#17
Website and Forum / Current poll not working?
10 May, 2004, 01:59:46 PM
Anyone else getting the thumbs up, but no result on refresh?
#19
Off Topic / Lust For A Vampire
30 March, 2004, 07:31:10 PM
This was on last night. Laughed meself sick.

One of the greatest films Hammer ever made, for all the wrong reasons.
#20
Doesn't look that bad.

It's no work of art but miles better than the Meg cover from the same session (the expense of which may have justified this new one, just hope Tharg thinks her phone number was worth it).

http://www.2000adonline.com/covers/megazine/mediumres/4.18.jpg>

(Included these covers for no reason other than it's the return of the black logo and the strong red element.)

http://www.2000adonline.com/covers/2000ad/thumbnails/1349thumb.jpg> http://www.2000adonline.com/covers/2000ad/thumbnails/1360thumb.jpg>