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2000AD & Judge Dredd: The Secret History by Pat Mills.

Started by The Legendary Shark, 08 June, 2017, 07:27:53 AM

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Tomwe

Quote from: AlexF on 02 August, 2017, 12:00:35 PM
I'm suprised people aren't talking more about the content of this book - which I haven't read. I'm curious to know if it's worth buying, or if it mostly retells stories that Mills has told before on his blog or on the Future Shock documentary. It's always worth lsitening to what Pat Mills has to say about 2000AD, but he does like to flog the same horses a lot of times...

My friend Dan has read the kindle edition and described it as "250 pages of Pat swearing and plugging his new novel [Serial Killer]"

JLC

Quote from: Tomwe on 02 August, 2017, 12:12:09 PM
Quote from: AlexF on 02 August, 2017, 12:00:35 PM
I'm suprised people aren't talking more about the content of this book - which I haven't read. I'm curious to know if it's worth buying, or if it mostly retells stories that Mills has told before on his blog or on the Future Shock documentary. It's always worth lsitening to what Pat Mills has to say about 2000AD, but he does like to flog the same horses a lot of times...

My friend Dan has read the kindle edition and described it as "250 pages of Pat swearing and plugging his new novel [Serial Killer]"
Well that is incorrect.

Jim_Campbell

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Leigh S

Not being a religious reader of his blog, can't tell how much is recycled info from there, but it is certainly Pat Mills, jumping about until settling on a bugbear to air before remembering there was a story being told when the chapter began! (Just be be clear, I find as this enjoyable as I find it in his strip work so it works for me most of the time)

There is new info (to me) about such things as "Mekomania" and generally it is good to see Pat's memories all in one spot.  Just really want to see the Burton, McKenzie, Bishop/Diggle books now - Did I imagine talk of a Burton book?

Richard

I'm only three chapters in so I can't say yet. But it's certainly being marketed as containing stories we haven't heard before. And it's straight from the horse's mouth instead of an interview.

JOE SOAP

Quote from: Leigh S on 02 August, 2017, 09:08:51 PM
Did I imagine talk of a Burton book?


I believe it's a work diary. Not sure if it is really intended to be published.

Frank

Quote from: JOE SOAP on 03 August, 2017, 05:39:18 AM
Quote from: Leigh S on 02 August, 2017, 09:08:51 PM
Did I imagine talk of a Burton book?

I believe it's a work diary. Not sure if it is really intended to be published.

That would be a shame.

I don't think it would answer the question of how things went so wrong in the nineties - since Burton doesn't accept that it did - but I'd still like to get his version of things like the falling out with Wagner & Grant down in print.



A.Cow

Quote from: JLC on 02 August, 2017, 06:17:56 PM
Quote from: Tomwe on 02 August, 2017, 12:12:09 PM
My friend Dan has read the kindle edition and described it as "250 pages of Pat swearing and plugging his new novel [Serial Killer]"
Well that is incorrect.

I've not read the book but the extract on Amazon mentions Serial Killer twice in the first couple of chapters, which is far too often for my own personal liking.

Although Tomwe's friend Dan may be exaggerating somewhat, I'd be surprised if Mills wavered from that tack in the rest of the book.

Richard

That is a theme, although in fairness to Pat both books are about comics in the 1970s. There was bound to be a little overlap.

I think the differences between this book and what Pat has said before are:
(1) this is Pat entirely in his own words and not just what an interviewer saw fit to include, and
(2) because it's a whole book and not just a blog entry, there's more room for him to develop a point or go into detail. So there are things that we didn't know before (as far as I can remember anyway). One example (because it's where I've just got up to): I know I'd heard the name Doug Church somewhere before but we've never been told - until now - what he was really like, what he really did and why he is important in the history of 2000AD.

If Pat just isn't your cup of tea then fine. But if you want to know about how 2000AD and its first characters, including Dredd, were created in the words of its founding editor, and in detail not just the broad overview we've seen before, then this is worth a tenner. It's better than spending it on crack.

dweezil2

I found the book fascinating and Pat's obvious passion for comics made for an obsorbing read that made the book hard to put down-I read it in two sittings, which is unheard of for me.
Essential reading.
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davidbishop

Quote from: Richard on 05 August, 2017, 10:23:27 AM
That is a theme, although in fairness to Pat both books are about comics in the 1970s. There was bound to be a little overlap.

I think the differences between this book and what Pat has said before are:
(1) this is Pat entirely in his own words and not just what an interviewer saw fit to include, and
(2) because it's a whole book and not just a blog entry, there's more room for him to develop a point or go into detail. So there are things that we didn't know before (as far as I can remember anyway). One example (because it's where I've just got up to): I know I'd heard the name Doug Church somewhere before but we've never been told - until now - what he was really like, what he really did and why he is important in the history of 2000AD.

Pat waxes lyrical about Doug Church in Thrill-Power Overload on pages 13-16 of the 40th Anniversary edition in particular; Doug is also featured - often in his words - on pages 11, 20-21, 23, 27, 33 & 57.

JLC

Quote from: dweezil2 on 05 August, 2017, 10:49:24 AM
I found the book fascinating and Pat's obvious passion for comics made for an obsorbing read that made the book hard to put down-I read it in two sittings, which is unheard of for me.
Essential reading.
I agree. Loved it. I'm looking forward to listening to the audio version.

I found Steve MacManus' book very enjoyable but slightly subdued. This is the complete opposite. But then I guess each book quite rightly reflects the personality of the author. As such the 2 books do complement each other offering different perspectives on the history of 2000AD.

Bad City Blue

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Richard

I wish he'd called it "A Minefield of Imbeciles and Chimps."

Richard