Pat Mills moving onto new things it would seem

[Dark Jimbo]

I think Tharg's canny enough to know he'd be burning his bridges if he immediately farmed Mills' characters out to other writers. They'll be quietly rested until/unless he returns.

[broodblik]

If he decide to return. 

[judgeurko]

I think Tharg's canny enough to know he'd be burning his bridges if he immediately farmed Mills' characters out to other writers. They'll be quietly rested until/unless he returns.

The fanbase of old white men would be up in arms with it as well.

But he would probably come back if he was given Paddy McGinty's Goat to reboot.

[Jim_Campbell]

The fanbase of old white men would be up in arms with it as well.

I, for one, am looking forward to David Bishop's Savage and Andy Diggle's Slaine.

[Robin Low]

The fanbase of old white men would be up in arms with it as well.

I, for one, am looking forward to David Bishop's Savage and Andy Diggle's Slaine.

Oh, you are awful.... but I like you!

Regards,

Robin

[Leigh S]

Thoughts.

I'm pretty sure it is Alan and Robin referred to - certainly Alan Grant would be the first to say he was seen as a rabble rouser by John Sanders.  Morrison and John Smith would hardly have dipped their toes in the water to have made any impression on Sanders at this point I would imagine.

Checking both TPO and MacManus's book, I can't find much info on any mooted copyright change for existing properties, which is slightly odd in itself.  It is a pretty big deal when looking back on the history of the comic - the date is a bout a year prior to the Maxwell buyout IIRC, so it's possible the window of opportunity here was too brief, but it seems odd that Mills, Wagner and Moore might not have joined forces to explore this any further... I mean, calling your life blood creators whingers is pretty bad business, but if you were genuinely offering to negotiate something and all you got back was silence, it's an opinion you might form? If it was a genuine offer of course....

Do I recall Alan Moore interview where he might have dropped a vague mention of being offered Halo Jones copyright? Wish I had catalogued and cross referenced all my fanzines when I planned to all those years back!

As for Pat's 2000AD strips, leave them alone! I have no interest in reading someone elses take on any of his stories - My interest in them all is as Pat's particular vision.

And finally, to the idea 2000AD isn't trying to expand its audience away from "old white men", I find that rather rich - aren't the main complaints from the FB/ECBT2K crowd that the current prog is trying to be some SJW paradise and should Bring Back Meltdown Man and Mean Arena and bog roll paper?

[Funt Solo]

Much as I love his early work, I often think that Pat Mills suffers overmuch from perspective bias. On the one hand, he's filled with indignation at the very thought of his creations being used by someone else, and on the other he passes off as natural creative osmosis the borrowing of ideas that led to Terra-Meks, which he now cites as being fully creator owned. Has he gotten in touch with the copyright holders of his inspirations to ensure that their creative endeavors have been as securely rewarded and protected as he wishes his to be?

Inspiration for Charlie:




Inspiration for Terra-Meks:




---

I don't hold as sacrosanct this idea that properties (such as Judge Dredd, or Indigo Prime, or The ABC Warriors) cannot be given over to other writers. Variations on Shakespeare's works are manifold and not worthless as artistic endeavors.  I often cite Moore's Red Planet Blues as a great example of another writer doing great work with someone else's creation. Or you could use Smith's Cinnabar.

---

I wished that Spacewarp #1 were better, and it's certainly going to get some early support from loyal, long-term fans, but I didn't want to finish it. I was told that I was reading it incorrectly and needed to allow it six months of my time, which frankly is a fucking weird argument to make about a comic. Watchmen didn't need six months -  I couldn't put it down. I can't think of any other comic that requires a set of instructions on how to enjoy it. I wish it all the best, along with all the other fanzines that exist.

[davidbishop]

The fanbase of old white men would be up in arms with it as well.

I, for one, am looking forward to David Bishop's Savage and Andy Diggle's Slaine.

I'm busy writing a series of new historical crime novels for Pan MacMillan, set in late Renaissance Florence.

Besides, Andy would do a much better job of giving Savage the kick up the arse it needs than me.

[Leigh S]

Is the art also copyright Dave Gibbons, or was it just Pat? He talks about the art being better for it, but also seems to suggest it was the script that the deal covered and its just him that REbellion ahve to deal with for reprinting?

Much as I love his early work, I often think that Pat Mills suffers overmuch from perspective bias. On the one hand, he's filled with indignation at the very thought of his creations being used by someone else, and on the other he passes off as natural creative osmosis the borrowing of ideas that led to Terra-Meks, which he now cites as being fully creator owned. Has he gotten in touch with the copyright holders of his inspirations to ensure that their creative endeavors have been as securely rewarded and protected as he wishes his to be?

Inspiration for Charlie:




Inspiration for Terra-Meks:




---

I don't hold as sacrosanct this idea that properties (such as Judge Dredd, or Indigo Prime, or The ABC Warriors) cannot be given over to other writers. Variations on Shakespeare's works are manifold and not worthless as artistic endeavors.  I often cite Moore's Red Planet Blues as a great example of another writer doing great work with someone else's creation. Or you could use Smith's Cinnabar.

---

I wished that Spacewarp #1 were better, and it's certainly going to get some early support from loyal, long-term fans, but I didn't want to finish it. I was told that I was reading it incorrectly and needed to allow it six months of my time, which frankly is a fucking weird argument to make about a comic. Watchmen didn't need six months -  I couldn't put it down. I can't think of any other comic that requires a set of instructions on how to enjoy it. I wish it all the best, along with all the other fanzines that exist.

[Funt Solo]

Is the art also copyright Dave Gibbons, or was it just Pat? He talks about the art being better for it, but also seems to suggest it was the script that the deal covered and its just him that REbellion ahve to deal with for reprinting?

I don't know.

I did find the relevant "when I do it, it's taking inspiration" quote from Be Pure! Be Vigilant! Behave! (Mills, 2017):

Angus [McKie] is a fantastic artist, who did an excellent strip in Heavy Metal at that time and produced a later sf cover that inspired my character Charlie in the Terra Meks.

I think it's very reasonable that there be quite a lot of cross-pollination in creative endeavors - I get lost on exactly when that becomes a swipe, as opposed to an inspiration, and it seems based on perspective.

[Jim_Campbell]

I'm busy writing a series of new historical crime novels for Pan MacMillan, set in late Renaissance Florence.

Defoe for you, then...!

[Greg M.]

I often cite Moore's Red Planet Blues as a great example of another writer doing great work with someone else's creation. Or you could use Smith's Cinnabar.

Alan Moore and John Smith could write great stories about breakfast cereal mascots, because they are insanely talented. But if you're asking me if I want to see Snapcracklepopanditsinmyheadmilkrunninglikeblood, or John doing his own thing, I'd go for the latter.

[IndigoPrime]

I wish it all the best, along with all the other fanzines that exist.

Ouch.

[Professor Bear]

Inspiration for Charlie:




Inspiration for Terra-Meks:

I think you might be overestimating how much writers are concerned by how they are influenced by the work of others, and yet they can still be highly-protective of a specific version of a story they happened to have produced themselves.
Harlan Ellison sued James Cameron over Terminator, yet Ellison also dismissively points out that the basis of his own tv show was taken from a Robert Heinlein novel (although he erroneously identifies it as a Harry Harrison) in this rather lengthy dissection of the car crash that was The Star Lost and how it was just a mish-mash of other things.  I would recommend the bit starting around 13.30 or so for Ellison being quite unabashed about what derivative horseshit he knew was turning in, but he was still clearly possessive of it until he angrily rage-quit the whole enterprise.

[Magnetica]

I wished that Spacewarp #1 were better....I was told that I was reading it incorrectly and needed to allow it six months of my time.

Yeah don't get that either. Who told you that?