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The Stainless Steel Rat

Started by McGurk76, 23 January, 2018, 09:06:28 AM

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McGurk76

Hi there!
Does anyone know much about The Stainless Steel Rat strip which ran in the Eighties?
Are there any other 2000AD strips which have been adapted directly from books?

Steve Green

Adapted by Kelvin Gosnell, and drawn by Carlos Ezquerra.

The Stainless Steel Rat
The Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World
The Stainless Steel Rat for President were all adapted, and there's a collection available.

I don't recall any other novels being adapted officially - Scarlet Traces/War of the Worlds got bought by Rebellion, but that was after it was drawn/released.

I, Cosh

Can't remember the details but I think the editor at the time was a mate of Harry Harrison so they knocked up the adaptations over a few pints and got Carlos to draw the hell out of it.

Quote from: McGurk76 on 23 January, 2018, 09:06:28 AM
Are there any other 2000AD strips which have been adapted directly from books?
Well, I think that depends if you mean official or unofficial.
We never really die.

hippynumber1

Didn't the prog run an adaptation of 'A Life Less Ordinary'? Yeowell art if I didn't dream it...

Pyroxian

Quote from: hippynumber1 on 23 January, 2018, 10:54:46 AM
Didn't the prog run an adaptation of 'A Life Less Ordinary'? Yeowell art if I didn't dream it...

Yep, Progs 1063 to 1070.

Also did a one-off Shaun of the Dead tie-in story in prog 1384.

Magnetica

At the risk of pedantry, as I understand it, the adaptation of A Life Less Ordinary was based on the film, not the book.

sheridan

Quote from: Magnetica on 23 January, 2018, 12:01:04 PM
At the risk of pedantry, as I understand it, the adaptation of A Life Less Ordinary was based on the film, not the book.

I immediately thought of Life Less Ordinary but hadn't realised it was a book first!  There was also the adaptation from a computer game...

McGurk76

"Well, I think that depends if you mean official or unofficial."
Officially, really! I know Robohunter was a bit like Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and The VCs owed a lot to the novel of Starship Troopers. But just official adaptations, yes.
Thanks everyone!

Does anyone recall if they were very fateful to the novels?

Gosnell (who adapted it) was the editor at the time. Perhaps he was friends with Harry Harrison?

Bad City Blue

One of 2000AD's stories "Judge Dredd" is based on a Sylvester Stallone film of the same name.
Writer of SENTINEL, the best little indie out there

Steve Green

Quote from: McGurk76 on 23 January, 2018, 01:44:47 PM
"Well, I think that depends if you mean official or unofficial."
Officially, really! I know Robohunter was a bit like Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and The VCs owed a lot to the novel of Starship Troopers. But just official adaptations, yes.
Thanks everyone!

Does anyone recall if they were very fateful to the novels?

Gosnell (who adapted it) was the editor at the time. Perhaps he was friends with Harry Harrison?

It's been 30 years + since I read the novels and then I think I only read SSR and SSR saves the world (and SSR gets drafted, but that was never adapted), but from what I remember pretty faithful.

McGurk76

Yes. Quite a memory test for most people, I appreciate! Thanks.

Magnetica

Quote from: sheridan on 23 January, 2018, 01:06:39 PM
Quote from: Magnetica on 23 January, 2018, 12:01:04 PM
At the risk of pedantry, as I understand it, the adaptation of A Life Less Ordinary was based on the film, not the book.

I immediately thought of Life Less Ordinary but hadn't realised it was a book first!

I'm not sure it was. As far as I understand it the film came first and the book was based on the film.

My point was that the 2000AD adaptation was also based on the film and not the book of the film.

SpaceSpinner2000

It's be a while for me too, but I think they're pretty faithfully adapted, if very abridged. The first book is about 200 pages and it's only 12 progs long. Harry Harrison wrote comics back in the day as well, I believe several Rick Random stories that 2000AD republished in early Specials and Annuals were written by Harrison.
2000 AD recap podcast, from the beginning!
Check out the show here! Or on iTunes, Google Play, or your preferred podcast app!

Magnetica

I ready all of the Stainless Steel Ray books back in the day and remember enjoying them all. What I couldn't get my head around was that the pictures of Slippery Jim and Angelina on the covers (and possibly their descriptions in the text, but I can't actually remember that level of detail) looked absolutely nothing like Carlos' version e.g Jim had black hair on the covers.

It was a shame 2000AD didn't adapt the remaining books, as it was one of my favourite strips at the time.

Eamonn Clarke

The next episode of the book club podcast is about the Stainless Steel Rat.
Due out Sunday 4th February.