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2000 AD => General => Topic started by: Colin YNWA on 09 July, 2021, 06:27:02 AM

Title: Si Spurrier or Michael Carroll - Writers Solhiem Cup - Tie 15
Post by: Colin YNWA on 09 July, 2021, 06:27:02 AM
Team Classic vs. Team Current
Only work for Tharg to be Considered

Last tie of the last full week and it's a duzzy. Si Spurrier is one of many writers who have learnt their craft at Tharg's feet and then gone on to make names for themselves in other Universes. Due to that this work for Tharg can be a bit hit and miss, but is never anything less than interesting. Michael Carroll crafted his place in Tharg's army via Dredd and quickly became a very, very strong writer of the comics lead. More recently however he's started to spread his wings a little with Dreadnoughts and Proteus Vex showing he is so much more than just a wonderful Dredd writer.

Time for you to decide your favourite as the droids square up to the tee...

Si Spurrier (always Spurrioso)  - more info (http://www.2000ad.org/?zone=droid&page=profiles&choice=simons)

OR

Michael (sometimes Mike) Carroll - more info (http://www.2000ad.org/?zone=droid&page=profiles&choice=michaelc)

Remember for this tourney you have 5 votes to distribute as you please between these two artists, whole numbers only. So you can vote 5 - 0; 4 - 1; or 3 - 2; either way depending on how much more you like one artist's work over the other.

If you can't be doing with that just name your favourite - remember bold tags, or other ways of highlighting always appreciated - and I'll give them 3 votes and nowt to the other droid.

Three day votes, so this one ends morning of Monday 12th July

Remember we only consider work for Tharg in these Tourneys

What the heck is all this about - well we have a thread for that (https://forums.2000ad.com/index.php?topic=47640.msg1062908#msg1062908)

How does this voting work?  Look here (https://forums.2000ad.com/index.php?topic=47640.msg1063058#msg1063058)

I don't understand how this works, what are the rules of the Solhiem Cup - yep got ya covered there too (https://forums.2000ad.com/index.php?topic=47640.msg1063060#msg1063060)

Anything else just ask and I'll make something up. Most importantly, have fun

Title: Re: Si Spurrier or Michael Carroll - Writers Solhiem Cup - Tie 15
Post by: broodblik on 09 July, 2021, 06:49:35 AM
Mike 4: Si 1

For me Mike is one of the most underrated writers in the prog. He has now crated two awesome series in Proteus Vex and Dreadnoughts. The only thing that Si did that I can same was great was Lobster Random.
Title: Re: Si Spurrier or Michael Carroll - Writers Solhiem Cup - Tie 15
Post by: abelardsnazz on 09 July, 2021, 08:19:15 AM
I'm going to have to call a tie on these two and give them 2 points each.
Title: Re: Si Spurrier or Michael Carroll - Writers Solhiem Cup - Tie 15
Post by: Magnetica on 09 July, 2021, 08:30:04 AM
The Simping Detective is just one of the best stories ever in the Meg, probably tied for first place with a couple of Dabnett's.

Not so keen on the rest (apart from Trifecta).

Michael Carroll is one of the best modern Dredd writers, albeit not at Wagner level.
Do love Dreadnoughts and Proteus Vex.

So a difficult one.

Hmmmm

Mike 3:2 Si
Title: Re: Si Spurrier or Michael Carroll - Writers Solhiem Cup - Tie 15
Post by: IndigoPrime on 09 July, 2021, 09:15:46 AM
Spurrier has a very particular 'knowing' style of writing that can grate with some people. But I enjoyed Lobster Random on a recent re-read. Simping Detective had its moments, even if I hate how he marginalised DeMarco (not least given 2000 AD's huge imbalance in terms of prominent characters who aren't men). Numbercruncher was good, although do creator-owned slots count?

Carroll, for me, tipped the scales in a big way with the superb and chilling Dreadnoughts. Before that, I thought he was a good (and, as already noted, under-rated) Dredd scribe. His DeMarco was pretty good, moving her tale on. When you add to that the inventive Proteus Vex, I'm going to go with:

Spurrier 1 / Carroll 4
Title: Re: Si Spurrier or Michael Carroll - Writers Solhiem Cup - Tie 15
Post by: rogue69 on 09 July, 2021, 10:55:06 AM
Si Spurrier 3-2 Michael Carroll
Title: Re: Si Spurrier or Michael Carroll - Writers Solhiem Cup - Tie 15
Post by: SmallBlueThing(Reborn) on 09 July, 2021, 01:20:00 PM
Mike 3
Si 2

SBT
Title: Re: Si Spurrier or Michael Carroll - Writers Solhiem Cup - Tie 15
Post by: BPP on 09 July, 2021, 02:54:05 PM
Si 5, Carroll 0
Title: Re: Si Spurrier or Michael Carroll - Writers Solhiem Cup - Tie 15
Post by: The Mind of Wolfie Smith on 09 July, 2021, 04:44:12 PM
michael wins 3 - 2
Title: Re: Si Spurrier or Michael Carroll - Writers Solhiem Cup - Tie 15
Post by: Funt Solo on 09 July, 2021, 04:59:08 PM
Carroll: Proteus Vex is really good - like a sort-of Shakara with brains (or Starblazer+). Very inventive, pulls you in, makes ya laugh. Mayflies is one of the best uses of the Rogueverse I've seen in yonks - sits up nicely next to Jaegir, doesn't rely too heavily on the now poisoned chalice of Rogue himself. I appreciate the efforts on Dredd - Every Empire Falls was hugely ambitious. However, there's a tendency to write it as a superhero strip and so we have super-villains (the hairy Russian monster-man), superheroes (the magic woman who rides giant cute dogs) and a super-Dredd that surfs dead direwolves down lava chutes. It's a bit like he accidentally inferred that Purgatory/Inferno was a good thing.

Spurrier: that tendency to wink at the reader was very popular in that era of the comic. Rob Williams used to do it more, as well. But the creations were never lacking invention or energy. Tricky - I always loved the verve, but didn't always gel with the results. Quite Marmite - I thought Bec& Kawl and Lobster Random weren't very good. London Falling and From Grace were amazing. Simping Detective was really strong, but hyper-stylized. Chiaroscuro was top notch.

Really difficult to shift this from 2:2, but I reckon that Spurrier's energy gains a point over the dog-riding superhero in the Quite Nice Actually Earth:

(https://i.imgur.com/MTxBjRT.png)

Spurrier 3 : 2 Carroll
Title: Re: Si Spurrier or Michael Carroll - Writers Solhiem Cup - Tie 15
Post by: paddykafka on 10 July, 2021, 11:23:33 AM
Si Spurrier (4) Michael Carroll (1)
Title: Re: Si Spurrier or Michael Carroll - Writers Solhiem Cup - Tie 15
Post by: Colin YNWA on 11 July, 2021, 07:39:59 AM
So the cup is won (see James Peaty : Michael Fliesher thread) and so is this a dead rubber - THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A DEAD RUBBER in 2000ad Forum tourneys - no the remaining ties tell us important things - like the extent to which Team Current will take this tourney. So get your votes in today and it will help craft the hyperbolic language I use next week when the tourney is over.

As for me... well this omne surprised me. When I made the draw I was certain Si Spurrier would win. After all he's one of my favourite comic writers, when on form. I love Lobster Random and Simping Detective. I felt really sorry for Mick 'Michael' Carroll whose work I really enjoy. His Dredd is pretty damned excellent, both Proteus Vex and Dreadnoughts superb. He's barely put a foot wrong in the Prog... and there's the rub. Those highs - for Mike, particularly the excellent, wonder Proteus Vex are as good as Si Spurrier's and Si Spurrier has had some duds for me. And its on that basis and with no lack of surprise that I go:

Si Spurrioso 2 : Michael 'Mike' Carroll 3
Title: Re: Si Spurrier or Michael Carroll - Writers Solhiem Cup - Tie 15
Post by: AlexF on 11 July, 2021, 07:52:04 AM
As ever, I'm swayed by examples where a creator has delievered work that really soared, even if they have a greater share of duds. And that means giving big points for Chiaroscuro and that clown series of Bec and Kawl, compared to the astounding consistency of Carroll's Dredd work. I did really like Dreadnoughts, mind. But lately some of Carroll's Dredd's and def Protues Vex have a bit too much plotting going on that gets in the way of enjoying the wild ideas and fun characters. An unfair complaint, sure, but I'm making it anyway.

Spurrier 3, Carroll 2.
Title: Re: Si Spurrier or Michael Carroll - Writers Solhiem Cup - Tie 15
Post by: broodblik on 11 July, 2021, 08:57:22 AM
That is exactly what I liked about Proteus Vex the plotting and the world-building. For me this and naturally The Out is some of the strongest new series to by released recently.
Title: Re: Si Spurrier or Michael Carroll - Writers Solhiem Cup - Tie 15
Post by: maryanddavid on 12 July, 2021, 12:28:42 AM
Mike 3 Si 2
Title: Re: Si Spurrier or Michael Carroll - Writers Solhiem Cup - Tie 15
Post by: Colin YNWA on 12 July, 2021, 06:26:05 AM
VOTING CLOSED

Well it might have been a very quiet vote, but it has been no less exciting. This one was nip and tuck, with Michael Carroll just in the led for the most part, but Spurrioso never far behind and then he nipped into the lead just at the end, until the final vote when Mick pulled level. Thrilling, and given many of the comments about right.

Overall the result is too late to affect the outcome, but the scale of the victory is want matters now and so this one hasn't shifted things.

TEAM CURRENT 9.5 : Team Classic 5.5

Team Current 641 : Team Classic 510
Title: Re: Si Spurrier or Michael Carroll - Writers Solhiem Cup - Tie 15
Post by: Link Prime on 12 July, 2021, 10:27:10 AM
Voting closed already? Ah well.

Quote from: IndigoPrime on 09 July, 2021, 09:15:46 AM
Spurrier has a very particular 'knowing' style of writing that can grate with some people.

I certainly enjoyed it more when I was younger.

Spurrier has some inventive charm and I rate a lot of his non-2000AD work, that said you can depend on Mike Carroll to deliver a solid story time and again - and he may just be my preferred non-Wagner Dredd writer.

Carroll 4 / Spurrier 1