Aint nothing like the real thing (oddest versions of 2000ad characters)

[TordelBack]

The mid-'90s, eh. Comics weren't for kids adults any more!

[Link Prime]

Can't draw Dredd to save himself:

Totally dont agree.

Sorry Frank, cant agree either (despite Exhibit A above).

Regarding the Fleetway / Quality reprints- those with newly commissioned covers are a real mixed bag, featuring some of the ugliest 2000AD related artwork (and colouring) ever printed- even as a little kid I couldn't get over how bad some of them were.
There are some gems though- Bad Company by Bart Sears, Nemesis by Sam Keith and (many) others by Steve Fastner & Rich Larson.

[norton canes]

Hmm.

[Frank]

Totally dont agree.

Sorry Frank, cant agree either (despite Exhibit A above).

The version Bisley arrived at for Judgement On Gotham* worked much better. The book looks incredible, but my least favourite parts of it are Dredd**, the bike and the gun.

Trying to analyse it, I'd say Bisley was trying to make Dredd look (to his mind***) cool. Dredd's not cool; he's a stiff, like Darth Vader or Kirsty Wark.


* and which his legions of imitators reproduced for the next decade. I might be guilty of judging Bisley's take on Dredd by the ubiquity it gained at the hands of others.

** and Anderson. Can we agree Bisley's Anderson is awful? A perm, in 1990?

*** Droids, GWAR boots, extra buckles and fastenings. I really like Bisley as an artist though, and he invented that close up on one visor flash/curled lip that every Dredd artist still uses today. That shot of Dredd taking aim while giving his balls an airing is iconic too, as its many homages over the decades demonstrate

[matty_ae]

I like Simon Bisley and love Judgement on Gotham
I think there's a conundrum with his art on Dredd. Simon's very much in the style of Frazetta where anatomy is everything with every muscle rendered. Dredd's uniform largely obscures his anatomy to the point where I think some artists might even draw the armour/pads/helmet first and the limbs after.

I love Simon's Judge Anderson. Didn't really match what had gone before but wonderfully ditzy.

[SmallBlueThing(Reborn)]

With regards to that Purity cover- yes, but Mick Austin can do no wrong. Seriously, he's magnificent. What's he up to now?
SBT

[matty_ae]

Now a fine artist. And this work looks incredible. Love him too.

[SmallBlueThing(Reborn)]

Aw, if we have Simon Davies- even with all his hi'fallutin portraiture, surely we can get Mick back?
SBT

[Link Prime]

Steve Fastner & Rich Larson.

Was having a browse through Barney there on my coffee break.
This obscure ABC Warriors piece is great.

[SuperSurfer]

When Star Lord first appeared I was under the impression that Strontium Dog was a sword and sorcery series because of the front cover of issue 1.

I can imagine in early days how some colouring could be off.

Not a big deal, but worth a mention:

[matty_ae]

This wins the 'I dont remember this ever happening' award

[Frank]

I like Simon Bisley and love Judgement on Gotham

So do I!

I don't think any of us will forget the excitement we felt when, in 1987*, a fantastic young artist called Simon was charged with reviving the ABC Warriors, breathing new life into the characters with a style that was as fresh as it was distinctive.

Simon's rendition of Joe Pineapples was especially memorable:




* prog 535, 15th August, 1987

[james newell]

Simon's rendition of Joe Pineapples was especially memorable:

this is Simon Harrison's Joe Pineapples not Simon Bisley's, it would have been interesting to see Harrison's talk as well.

[Leigh S]

The Four Simons of the Apocalypse! (Bisley, Harrison, Coleby and Jacob!)

Admittedly, I liked Bisley's art at the time and thinkk Coleby is pretty incredible nowadays - but at the time, it did feel like Simon was some kind of secret password into the prog!

Also that ABC cover is great - maybe pass that Pineapples strip over, Bisley! (Though Joe's teeth are a bit odd!) - did he do any more?

[Frank]

this is Simon Harrison's Joe Pineapples, not Simon Bisley's

That's why it's a funny joke, buddy.

And yes, Simon Harrison would have been a great choice for The Black Hole. I assume this was an unsuccessful audition for the gig, since it ran around the same time SMS and Bisley would have started work on the strip proper.

I love Bisley's Biker Metal parts of the story, but Harrison's style would have made for less jarring transitions with SMS's parts of the strip. Maybe if that had happened, SMS's often great work would be better regarded today.