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The Mighty One: My life inside the Nerve Centre by Steve MacManus

Started by COMMANDO FORCES, 26 January, 2016, 06:54:59 PM

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COMMANDO FORCES



Great news from the House of Tharg, which means my bookshelf is gonna explode!

Quote"With the Future Shock: The Story of 2000 AD documentary now out on DVD and on-demand, there's never been greater interest in the history of the most influential comic that Britain has ever produced.

And we're very pleased that this September, we will be publishing the memoirs of one of, if not the, most definitive editors in our comic's history – Steve MacManus.

How important is he to the history of comics? A modern comics industry without Steve is a world without Alan Moore and Ian Gibson's The Ballad of Halo Jones, or Peter Milligan, Brett Ewins, and Jim McCarthy's Bad Company, or Pat Mills and Kevin O'Neill's Nemesis the Warlock, and everything that has led from that since – whether it's the 'British Invasion' of the late '80s, the rise of Vertigo in the '90s, or Image's direction in the 2010s...

So this isn't just a memoir of 2000 AD, it's a retelling of a critical period in Western comics as we know them and it's a must read for anyone interested in the history of comics.

The Mighty One: My Life Inside the Nerve Centre will be out for review later this year, but I'm very proud to give you the news about this new title for 2016.


TordelBack

Helpmaboab!  Can't wait for this, and the wave of reactions and hopefully books to follow!

Colin YNWA

Whowmomma!

This I can't wait for. Brilliant stuff, Steve MacManus was arguably the most glaring omission from Future Shock so this is quite perfectly placed.

Spikes

An essential purchase, I'd have said. Looking forward to coming out.

I, Cosh

Is MacManus the one who never normally participates in any of the behind the scenes stuff?
We never really die.

BPP

Quote from: The Cosh on 26 January, 2016, 09:56:21 PM
Is MacManus the one who never normally participates in any of the behind the scenes stuff?

Not since they mocked his 'Alec Tench Meets Punch and Judy' show at that Droid Xmas party of '84.
If I'd known it was harmless I would have killed it myself.

http://futureshockd.wordpress.com/

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

maryanddavid


COMMANDO FORCES

Just bought my signed copy. Now I've got to do is just wait, aaaaaargh  :lol:


Proudhuff

haven't read a book in over a year, this might just kickstart my reading...
DDT did a job on me

Jim_Campbell

Stupidly Busy Letterer: Samples. | Blog
Less-Awesome-Artist: Scribbles.

Leigh S

Quote from: The Cosh on 26 January, 2016, 09:56:21 PM
Is MacManus the one who never normally participates in any of the behind the scenes stuff?

It may be Alan McKenzie you are thinking of, or Richard Burton?  I seem to recall both declined any involvement in TPO and aren't in the documentary....

I would love to see a book from their perspective, given the rough times they were there for - With Future Shck! being Pat's version, and TPO being "not" Pat's version, it would be interesting to read/watch all the povs and make upi your own mind!

Mangamax

Looking forward to it!
As another taster into the mind of Action Man himself, a wee thing he did for my Blog a while back:


http://mangamax-aieeee.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=steve+mcmanus
The perspective on that chairs all wrong

Frank

Quote from: Leigh S on 27 January, 2016, 03:41:42 PM
Quote from: The Cosh on 26 January, 2016, 09:56:21 PM
Is MacManus the one who never normally participates in any of the behind the scenes stuff?

It may be Alan McKenzie you are thinking of, or Richard Burton?  I seem to recall both declined any involvement in TPO and aren't in the documentary....

I would love to see a book from their perspective, given the rough times they were there for - With Future Shck! being Pat's version, and TPO being "not" Pat's version, it would be interesting to read/watch all the povs and make upi your own mind!

This seems to have been a retirement project for McManus; Rebellion should clear space in next year's schedule for 30 Years Of Burt, and Goodbye Mr McKenzie in 2020. Although the Sonny Steelgrave story would probably read a lot like this (LINK) without the dissenting voices.

McManus was on the Thrillcast today. I don't think I properly understood how closely he had been tutored by Mills at the start of his career, which probably goes some way to explaining the difference between their working relationship and Mills's dealings with McManus's successors:

https://soundcloud.com/2000-ad/the-2000-ad-thrill-cast-27-january-2016



GordonR

I remember interviewing Steve decades ago, and him telling me that, when IPC sold its comics division to Maxwell, the staff's pension fund was also transferred over.....only for Cap'n Bob to later nick the lot.

So you're not just buying a great-sounding book, but you're also helping make sure the MAC-1 droid gets the retirement he deserves.