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So what ever happened to Stickleback???

Started by gameluvah, 25 June, 2018, 12:08:26 AM

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gameluvah

2000ad has it's share of unfinished strips. Most famously The Ballad of Halo Jones. But the one that sticks in my crawl is Stickleback. After that last book had such a shocking cliffhanger, I was dying for more! It's been almost five years. Will it ever be finished?

Richard

It was a shit ending! The lead character turned out never to have really existed and to have been a non-2000AD character all along! What's the point of continuing with that? I'm glad it's gone and I hope it never comes back.

gameluvah

Um...wow. I guess we have to agree to disagree. It had been obvious for a while Stickleback was not what he was making himself out to be. That ending just made me want more!

The Adventurer

Quote from: Richard on 25 June, 2018, 12:23:27 AM
The lead character turned out never to have really existed

That is certainly AN interpretation. Certainly not one I got from the story, so I'm not sure where it came from for you.

I suspect Stickleback's status is tied up in Edginton & D'Israeli's overall schedule. I'd rather like them to come back to it before the next Scarlet Traces IMO Though I get that Rebellion is going to want to make that a priority for the investment they put into acquiring it.

IMO the real 'never got an ending' tragedy was Cabalistics INC. Followed closely by Lobster Random.

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gameluvah

Never read any Lobster Random but I just bought the digital trade of the "complete" Cabalistics Inc, so that's not good.

TordelBack

Don't worry about it gameluvah, much like Halo Jones, Cabs Inc does have a satisfying ending, if not necessarily a conclusion, since it leaves many character fates open and sets up a new story.  But that's the nature of most stories (and reality itself). That said, I'd love to see what Rennie could bring to the strip now, were he to take up the reins again: methadone-equivalent Absalom has been an utter treat, and over the past few years Rennie's handling of the short-satisfying-episode format has become second to none.

Lobster Random and Stickleback are different matters entirely - both left hanging in the worst way.

TordelBack

#6
And don't get me started on Harry Kipling, Ampney Crucis, and Dead Signal!  Want. More. Dead. Signal.

And where's my Red Seas epilogue, while we're at it.  Too many loose threads left lying about the deck, most unseamanlike.

Now look what you've done, gameluvah, that's my morning gone off into cloud-cuckoo-land, dreaming of what might have been...

DrRocka

I asked Mr Edginton this very question at a signing last year, and he told me there's gonna be one more book when he gets chance to get on with it. They need one more to have enough for the collected edition, it seems! Lovely fella.
Never ever bloody anything ever

Dark Jimbo

I can totally see how the reveal annoyed some folk, but the point is it was a reveal, rather than a twist per se - from Day One the big mystery of the strip was 'Who is Stickleback?', because it was made very clear he was not what he seemed. It is going to be a bit weird having an honest to goodness 'you-know-who' strip running in Tooth, though!*

*Y'know, if you've never read Canon Fodder.
@jamesfeistdraws

BPP

I think Si Spurrier gave up attending Irish conventions because he had to endure me lobbying for the return of lobster random year after year after year.

Talked to Dom Reardon about cabs last month - probably the politest man in comics - he's ever happy and would love to be in 2000ad soon but says he thinks Gordon isn't interested in cabs (and he was unfailingly polite about Rennies right to be so). Has a OGN coming out soon from which he had a ton of beautiful pages on display.
If I'd known it was harmless I would have killed it myself.

http://futureshockd.wordpress.com/

http://twitter.com/#!/FutureShockd

broodblik

Quote from: DrRocka on 25 June, 2018, 09:38:00 AM
I asked Mr Edginton this very question at a signing last year, and he told me there's gonna be one more book when he gets chance to get on with it. They need one more to have enough for the collected edition, it seems! Lovely fella.

I would really like Stickleback to return but Edginton has a lot of strips ongoing. I can wait for the return of Kingmaker as well as the next chapter of Brass Sun. Scarlet Traces is another one that we are waiting for to return
When I die, I want to die like my grandfather who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car.

Old age is the Lord's way of telling us to step aside for something new. Death's in case we didn't take the hint.

gameluvah

#11
Quote from: DrRocka on 25 June, 2018, 09:38:00 AM
I asked Mr Edginton this very question at a signing last year, and he told me there's gonna be one more book when he gets chance to get on with it. They need one more to have enough for the collected edition, it seems! Lovely fella.

Thank you for that. I searched online and couldn't find anything about it since the reveal came out. At least we know it hasn't been abandoned.

Quote from: TordelBack on 25 June, 2018, 08:46:27 AM
Don't worry about it gameluvah, much like Halo Jones, Cabs Inc does have a satisfying ending, if not necessarily a conclusion, since it leaves many character fates open and sets up a new story.  But that's the nature of most stories (and reality itself). That said, I'd love to see what Rennie could bring to the strip now, were he to take up the reins again: methadone-equivalent Absalom has been an utter treat, and over the past few years Rennie's handling of the short-satisfying-episode format has become second to none.

Lobster Random and Stickleback are different matters entirely - both left hanging in the worst way.

I see, that's OK then. I'm looking forward to tearing into it in the next fewdays.

Richard

My point is that Stickleback wasn't ever really Stickleback or any other character of the creators' devising, but another character create in the 19th century by Arthur Conan Doyle. I thought it was the biggest cop-out ever, but if anyone liked it then good luck to you.

I'd rather talk about Lobster Random. Although I assumed at the time that it wasn't over and that there would be more, now that we know that isn't the case I would argue that it did have an ending, albeit a very abrupt one. Lobster's last speech bubble is basically him explaining that [spoiler]everyone in the universe is completely fucked.[/spoiler]

The Adventurer

Quote from: Richard on 25 June, 2018, 09:43:45 PM
My point is that Stickleback wasn't ever really Stickleback or any other character of the creators' devising, but another character create in the 19th century by Arthur Conan Doyle. I thought it was the biggest cop-out ever, but if anyone liked it then good luck to you.

You act that the character isn't still responsible for all his previous actions, regardless of the face he's wearing in the final panel. There's no guarantee he's not lying then too, because Stickleback is liar.

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gameluvah

Quote from: The Adventurer on 25 June, 2018, 10:46:21 PM
Quote from: Richard on 25 June, 2018, 09:43:45 PM
My point is that Stickleback wasn't ever really Stickleback or any other character of the creators' devising, but another character create in the 19th century by Arthur Conan Doyle. I thought it was the biggest cop-out ever, but if anyone liked it then good luck to you.

You act that the character isn't still responsible for all his previous actions, regardless of the face he's wearing in the final panel. There's no guarantee he's not lying then too, because Stickleback is liar.

I had that very same thought, thus why I wanted to read more. Either way it goes, it should be compelling.