How to play: using a random number generator (e.g. Google's online version (https://www.google.com/search?q=generate+random+number)) generate an integer between 1 and the number of this week's current prog (2113 at time of writing).
You are only allowed to do this once! Do not cheat!!
The number you get is the number of only back prog you will ever be allowed to see. If necessary, check its contents with Barney. Are you satisfied with your lot?
My prog: 578 (http://www.2000ad.org/?zone=prog&page=profiles&choice=578) (11th June 1988)
A typical slice of mid-to-late silver-era proggage here. I get a nice Gibson Dredd cover and an impressive Brett Ewins Star Scan of Sheeva from Bad Company II on the back. Inside, the Dredd story is episode one of Full Mental Jacket, a minor classic. The A.B.C. Warriors epic The Black Hole is hurtling towards its climax with Bisley (I think) on art duties. The Krool Heart was a decent enough sequel to the admittedly superior first book of Bad Company and Back-to-Front Jones makes for a reasonably diverting Tales of the Doghouse filler.
(Only four strips? Did I miss something?)
Overall I am pretty happy with my random prog and would award it a satisfaction score of 8/10.
Over to you. Hope you get lucky!
Great idea for a thread!
Weirdly, I got 587 to your 578...! (13th August 1988)
It's a bit... huh. Not '90's prog' bad, but it's showing early signs of the malaise that's going to afflict it in that decade. A serviceable Grant/Kitson Dredd, but there's no real resolution here as it's designed to tie into a later Anderson story; Hicklenton getting murky and indie on Nemesis Book IX, and Harrison getting murky and indie on Strontium Dog (No Go Job); plus Tribal Memories, which I've never read, but I hear good things. Plus a Danny Franks pin-up to remind me of greater glories.
I'd be lying if I said I was over the moon with this prog - apparently only four thrills, for a start! And yet I've got three of the really big hitters in Dredd, Nemesis and Stront; it's just that two of the three are feeling a little past their best by this point, flailing about for a new identity now that all their original creators (barring Mills) have moved on to other things.
7/10, I suppose? I'm aware I could have got far worse; but likewise, I was hoping for better!
My prog 2032
CONTENTS
Brink
Skeleton Life 18 episodes (Progs 2023 to 2040) 90 pages
Script: Dan Abnett, Artist: Ian Culbard, Letters: Simon Bowland
Defoe
Diehards 14 episodes (Progs 2026 to 2039) 84 pages
Script: Pat Mills, Artist: Colin MacNeil, Letters: Ellie De Ville
Judge Dredd
Sons of Booth 3 episodes (Progs 2030 to 2032) 18 pages
Script: T. C. Eglington, Artist: Nick Dyer, Colour: Chris Blythe, Letters: Annie Parkhouse
Tainted
Cursed 11 episodes (Progs 2023 to 2033) 56 pages
Script: Kek-W, Artist: David Kendall, Letters: Annie Parkhouse
Scarlet Traces
Cold War: Book 2 12 episodes (Progs 2023 to 2034) 60 pages
Script: Ian Edginton, Artist: D'Israeli, Letters: Annie Parkhouse
So not a bad selection of stories
Prog 1816 (http://www.2000ad.org/?zone=prog&page=profiles&choice=1816)
(http://www.2000ad.org/covers/2000ad/mediumres/1816.jpg)
COVER DATE: 23rd January, 2013
Price: £2.35 Earth money
CONTENTS
Ampney Crucis Investigates
The Entropy Tango 11 episodes (Progs 1813 to 1822) 60 pages
Script: Ian Edginton, Artist: Simon Davis, Letters: Ellie De Ville
First episode double length in 2000AD Prog 2013
Invasion
Book Eight: Rise Like Lions 12 episodes (Progs 1813 to 1823) 72 pages
Script: Pat Mills, Artist: Patrick Goddard, Letters: Ellie De Ville
First episode in 2000AD Prog 2013
Judge Dredd
Sealed 1 episode (Prog 1816) 6 pages
Script: Michael Carroll, Artist: John Burns, Letters: Annie Parkhouse
The Red Seas
Fire Across the Deep 12 episodes (Progs 1813 to 1823) 70 pages
Script: Ian Edginton, Artist: Steve Yeowell, Letters: Annie Parkhouse
First episode in 2000AD Prog 2013 First and last episodes double length.
Strontium Dog
The Life and Death of Johnny Alpha Chapter Three: Mutant Spring 10 episodes (Progs 1813 to 1821) 60 pages
Script: John Wagner, Artist: Carlos Ezquerra, Letters: Simon Bowland
First episode in 2000AD Prog 2013
(http://www.2000ad.org/covers/2000ad/mediumres/1047.jpg)
Prog 1047 - 17th June 1997.
This is pretty murky times. I was still buying the prog but had also just completed my first year at uni so my memory is clouded.
I've reread and enjoyed the Dredd & Dante recently but think I was pretty bored of Slaine. Mercy Heights is a meh and the fact Wonderwall was left out of the Mega-Collection speaks volumes of that series' quality.
Suppose it could have been worse...! 5/10
Cover: Mark Gibbons (Slaine)
Judge Dredd - Shark Country (part 1) (John Wagner - David Bircham)
Nikolai Dante - The Romanov Dynasty (part 6) (Robbie Morrison - Simon Fraser)
Slaine - The Grail War (part 8) (Pat Mills - Steve Tappin)
Mercy Heights (part 15 - final part) (John Tomlinson - Lee Sullivan)
Judge Anderson - Wonderwall (part 3) (Alan Grant - Steve Sampson)
Prog 5 (yes, I double checked I'd put the right variables into the generator!)
Invasion: The Resistance by GFD and art by Sarompas.
Dan Dare by Kelvin Gosnell and Massimo Belardinelli.
Dredd: Krong by Malcolm Shaw and Carlos Ezquerra.
Flesh written by 'Studio Giolitti' (which seems weird as they were an art studio, but never mind) art by Ramon Sola
Harlem Heroes by Tom Tully and Dave Gibbons.
M. A. C. H. One: Probesnatch (tee hee!) by Nick Allen and John Cooper.
(http://www.2000ad.org/covers/2000ad/mediumres/1078.jpg)
1078. Not my favourite era, although fortunately not in the dreck of a couple of years beforehand.
Cover: Harrison does skimpy clothing gothic Red. Fortunately, this isn't Barbie Red at this point – she looks like she has enough muscles to actually kill things. So not a bad start.
Design: 2000 AD isn't in a good place. Horrible logo. Weird Nerve Centre font.
Dredd: Missing, part one: After I've taken a few minutes to rest by eyes after they're blasted by Alan Craddock's colours, this is a decent part one of a procedural, featuring a bunch of the extended cast. Good-o.
Sin/Dex: Dressed to Kill: Amusing enough one-off; nice Siku art.
Vector 13: Houdini: Abnett has a crack at sub-X-Files scares. It's... OK
Durham Red: Scarlet Cantos: Durham Reboot gets going. Nice enough start.
Overall, not too shabby, really. At least I didn't get 883 or something.
Prog 1617.
A rather lacklustre prog for me I think.
I have a Wagner Dredd with Paul Marshall on art.
The Ecstasy. It doesn't ring a bell but I'm sure it's solid.
Greysuit: The Old Man of the Mountains.
I have no love for this strip. When Pat said he was reimagining M.A.C.H 1 I thought it was going to be bonkers and fun but Greysuit just never really took off for me. If anything, it's just a bit dull.
Marauder.
I can barely remember this. Some sort of sci-fi ninja with lots of eyes I think? I don't think it was my cup of tea.
The Red Seas.
I never warmed to this strip. As usual with Edginton's strips, it was chock full of great ideas but I never liked the story or characters.
Strontium Dog: Blood Moon.
Probably the best strip in the prog but still far away from the characters golden-era.
I'm not very happy with this choice of prog. I reckon I'd give it 6/10 (mainly for the artwork).
It doesn't feel very representative of what I love about 2000ad.
Prog 585 from 1988 (ridiculously close to Dark Jimbo's 587):
(http://www.2000ad.org/covers/2000ad/mediumres/585.jpg)
Of course, the cover is an homage to Batman. I prefer the back cover, an ad for next prog's Deathbringer with that twisted Hicklenton art:
(http://www.2000ad.org/covers/scans/mediumres/585.jpg)
It's a four thrill prog with:
- Bad Company II: The Krool Heart (final episode)
- Strontium Dog: The No-Go Job (6 of 8)
- Judge Dredd: Bat Mugger
- Tribal Memories (1 of 4)
There are better progs, but I'm happy enough with this one. The Krool Heart was different enough from the first series and still had that sense of alien wonder. I felt that later series wandered too far from the initial premise and that perhaps it would have been better to just leave it here.
I was a big fan of Simon Harrison's version of Strontium Dog: I felt that the series benefited from a new take as it was excitingly different.
I don't really remember Bat Mugger: bit of filler?
Tribal Memories was well regarded and I enjoyed it. Something different for the prog: a four part mini series one-off. More room to breath than a Future Shock, and something akin to Brave New World style themes.
There's also a one-page Flix, but I don't have the prog to hand to see what was on their cinematic minds back in '88.
Prog 2080 (http://www.2000ad.org/?zone=prog&page=profiles&choice=2080)
(http://www.2000ad.org/covers/2000ad/mediumres/2080.jpg)
cover date: 9th May 2018
Judge Anderson: Undertow Part 8 of 8
Judge Dredd: Nans of Anarchy Part 2 of 2
Tharg's Future Shocks: The Puppet one and done
Sinister Dexter: The Gangbusters Part 2 of 3
Strontium Dog: The Son Part 8 of 9
Fairly satisfied, David Roach/Dylan Teague cover but the main attraction King Carlos' penultimate episode of Strontium Dog.
Quote from: Funt Solo on 09 January, 2019, 05:19:54 PM
I don't really remember Bat Mugger: bit of filler?
Model citizen commits crime in his spare time. Caught by [spoiler]the imprint of a ring given to him bearing the Justice Department seal, in the form of a bruise on Dredd's chin[/spoiler]. Ring any bells?
It was also a dry run for Wagner and Grant writing a licenced Batman/Dredd crossover (Alan was regular writer on Bats by that point).
Prog 1330
Not the best of progs, but certainly a period I look back on fondly - by now I'm more than on board with Rebellion, and they seem to be trying if not always succeeding to shake things up a abit - new writers like Si Spurrier, old writers like Steve Moore (Atavar/Kingdom crossover? Don't recall enough about the former to know if it would fit in the latter!)
More so than that, I'm deep in fandom, attending Dredd cons and Bristol and working for Cosmic Ray and he equally the glorious Paul Von Scott on various small press things - a time before kids - that seems so long ago it may as well be prog 1!
Incubus 15 episodes (Progs 1322 to 1335) 96 pages
Script: John Wagner and Andy Diggle, Artist: Henry Flint, Colour: Chris Blythe, Letters: Tom Frame
Featuring: Judge Hershey, Judge Giant, Mechanismo
New thrill. First episode in 2000AD Prog 2003. Final episode double length.
Reprinted
Rebellion: Judge Dredd vs. Aliens Incubus
Atavar
Atavar II 7 episodes (Progs 1329 to 1335) 46 pages
Script: Dan Abnett, Artist: Richard Elson, Letters: Ellie De Ville
Final episode double length
Reprinted
Rebellion: Atavar
Bec & Kawl
eeevil.com 3 episodes (Progs 1328 to 1330) 15 pages
Script: Simon Spurrier, Artist: Steve Roberts, Colour: Richard Elson, Letters: Tom Frame
Reprinted
Rebellion: Bec & Kawl Bloody Students
Tales of Telguuth
Pagrok the Infallible 2 episodes (Progs 1330 to 1331) 10 pages
Script: Steve Moore, Artist: Jon Haward, Colour: Angus McKie, Letters: Annie Parkhouse
The V.C.'s
Bystander 2 episodes (Progs 1330 to 1331) 10 pages
Script: Dan Abnett, Artist: Anthony Williams, Letters: Ellie De Ville
Ooh good game - I cheated and had two goes - my first, and therefore 'official' pick was 1327, and I'm not as kind as Leigh above - I think I would be moderately disappointed if this was my only prog - Dredd and Dante were good, Bec & Kawl was OK, the VCs reboot was awful and I don't recall the terror tale
2000AD PROG 1327
COVER DATE: 12th February, 2003
Cover: The V.C.'s by Anthony Williams
COMPETITION: Win Roadkill on DVD!
Judge Dredd vs. Aliens: Incubus
Bec & Kawl: Enlightenment
Nikolai Dante: Hell and High Water
Tharg's Terror Tales: The Statue Garden
The V.C.'s: Look on the Bright Side
My second go gave me the much more interesting prog 97 - the Day the Law Died, Flesh book2 and Ro-Jaws memoirs in Robusters. (we'll gloss over Angel!)
At least you got some Dante!
Quote from: Dandontdare on 09 January, 2019, 06:07:34 PM
Ooh good game - I cheated and had two goes - my first, and therefore 'official' pick was 1327, and I'm not as kind as Leigh above - I think I would be moderately disappointed if this was my only prog - Dredd and Dante were good, Bec & Kawl was OK, the VCs reboot was awful and I don't recall the terror tale
2000AD PROG 1327
COVER DATE: 12th February, 2003
Cover: The V.C.'s by Anthony Williams
COMPETITION: Win Roadkill on DVD!
Judge Dredd vs. Aliens: Incubus
Bec & Kawl: Enlightenment
Nikolai Dante: Hell and High Water
Tharg's Terror Tales: The Statue Garden
The V.C.'s: Look on the Bright Side
My second go gave me the much more interesting prog 97 - the Day the Law Died, Flesh book2 and Ro-Jaws memoirs in Robusters. (we'll gloss over Angel!)
1651.
Judge Dredd Tour of Duty
Kingdom Call of the Wild
Nikolai Dante Lulu's War
Shakara The Destroyer
Strontium Dog the Mork Whisperer
Now I haven't dug it out and read, but that sounds like a pretty awesome Prog to me,
I got Prog 1801. Employing the old adage of 'if you can't say anything nice...' leaves me only a John Smith / Edmund Bagwell Terror Tale to fondly recall. As Cradlegrave proves, they were a sublime combination.
Tried again, got 1576. This was from my 'wilderness era' of non-2000AD buying, so the only thing I'd read was Strontium Dog: The Glum Affair (which was pretty good.)
Third time's the charm, and it's prog... 808? Wireheads. Finn Bk 2. Flesh: Legend of Shamana. Judge Dredd: Magic Mellow Out. Cue my best Sgt. Howie from 'The Wicker Man' impression:
"Oh Lord. Oh Jesus Christ, no!"
(Luke Kirby: The Night Walker is okay though.)
So, in each instance, I got one story I liked. I learned today that the random prog gods hate me - or that I'm a miserable git who, for the most part, doesn't like anything.
I got 207. Mixed bag, Tharg and Future shock, Two fillers in one prog?
Dont worry the cavalry is coming!
Return to Armageddon, freaked me out as a kid, still holds up ok, the brilliant Meltdown man, and to push this prog to 8.5 out of 10, the intro of Marlon Shakespeare, in Unamerican Graffiti.
Prog 1551 for me, and I couldn't be much happier. Progs 1500-1800 is the 2nd Golden Age of 2000AD I reckon (the first being 300-600), and 1551 is a 9/10 prog for me:
ABC Warriors Volgan War Book II, episode 2. In the context of all of ABC Warriors, a bit of a mess, but there's you can lose yourself in, and Blackblood beginning his search for the elusive 'General Public'*
Judge Dredd: Time's Squared. A one-and-done bit of fun.
Button Man IV, episode 1 - Guess I'd be frustrated not to see what happens next but it's a story I like a lot.
Caballistics, Inc: Ashes, episode 1: Again, frustrating not to be able to read more episodes, but at least I'd
get in on the ground.
Stone Island II, episode 2 - I'd be utterly lost as to what was going on, but it's gorey as hell and this is another series I love overall, although series 1 was better.
5 top artists, 5 top writers, with a real mix of styles. Not many better single Progs out there in my opinion!
But really, what kind of monster would consign you to a cell with but a single issue of 2000AD for company??
*One of those jokes that just wasn't funny at first but has become funny after sufficient repetition
Prog 1695:
(http://www.2000ad.org/covers/2000ad/mediumres/1695.jpg)
Invasion
Judge Dredd: The Connoisseur (Part 1)
Start of a new Dredd story about a new serial killer on the scene, with Exploding Cit Phenomenon as a side story - was pretty good, and I'll probably re-read the next few parts now.
The Red Seas: Hell and High Water (Part 8)
Bit of a character-development episode, with a revelation from Cerberus at the end setting up the finale. A slow episode, but with promise of action to come!
Sinister Dexter: The Why-Shaped Cut (Part 3)
Fairly quiet episode dealing with the maneuverings between Apellido and The Mover.
Savage: Crims (Part 11)
The first American assault has failed, so Savage tries to single-handedly infiltrate a Volg particle accelerator. Once again, not much action...
Strontium Dog: The Life and Death of Johnny Alpha (Part 7)
Feral explaining how he tried to get Johnny resurrected after the events of "The Final Solution".
So, a prog from a good era of 2000 AD, but all these stories were a bit... quiet, apart from Dredd.
2000 AD Prog 1960
The Good, the Bad, and the Psychotic!
Judge Dredd » The Beating (part 3)
Defoe » The London Hanged (part 11)
Tharg's Future Shocks » Why Did the Priest Cross the Road? (part 1)
Bad Company » First Casualties (part 11)
Fun game! Thanks for setting it up.
I got Prog #8:
Cover: Flesh
Invasion - Concorde (Gerry Finley-Day - Mike Dorey)
Flesh - book one (part 8) (Ken Armstrong - Boix)
Convicts of the Cosmic Clink! (alien drawings, suggested by the readers)
Harlem Heroes (part 8) (Tom Tully - Dave Gibbons)
Dan Dare - Hell Planet (part 8) (Kelvin Gosnell - Massimo Bellardinelli)
M.A.C.H.1 - Spain Kidnap (Nick Allen - John Cooper)
2000AD Readergraph - The Doomsday Tank (art: Kevin O'Neill)
Judge Dredd - Antique Car Heist (Charles Herring - Massimo Belardinelli)
Flesh Card Game (part 1) (back cover cut-out)
I've only been reading the Prog for about 2 years so havent read much early stuff other than Dredd, so I don't have much of an opinion on this issue. Most of what I know of these early years is from Space Spinner 2000!
Of these, I've only read Dredd, which is always great (I would have hoped for a prog with Dredd, Strontium Dog and Rogue). The Prog Magnetica sounds great to me too.
Well doing this this morning I of course wanted a Ron Smith issue, alas didn't happen and I got
Prog 1265(http://www.2000ad.org/covers/2000ad/mediumres/1265.jpg)
Interesting Fegredo cover for a GREAT Anderson story R*volution and a bit of Wagner Dredd in 'On the Chief Judge's Service' so all good there.
Backed up by Paul Johnson with Dabnett on Sinister Dexter which of course makes me happy.
The balance a Future Shock I don't remember but it does have art by Graham Higgins which is cool an under-rated Droid in my eyes...
... then an episode of The Killer.... well even some of the greatest Progs have a stinker! Overall pretty decent Prog by the look and this issue isn't too far off in my re-read. When I eventually get there I'll try to remember to make special note of it.
Great idea for a thread by the way - fun!
(http://www.2000ad.org/covers/2000ad/mediumres/740.jpg)
I got 740...
2000AD PROG 740- COVER DATE: 20th July, 1991
Price: 45 pence Earth money
Cover: Rogue Trooper (Friday) by Simon Coleby
CONTENTS
Bix Barton- Lovesick World 5 episodes (Progs 737 to 741) 31 pages Script: Peter Milligan, Artist: Jim McCarthy
Judge Dredd- Talkback 1 episode (Prog 740) 7 pages Script: Garth Ennis, Artist: Glenn Fabry
Rogue Trooper (Friday)- Saharan Ice Belt War 12 episodes (Progs 730 to 741) 76 pages Script: Michael Fleisher, Artist: Simon Coleby, Colour: Gina Hart
Indigo Prime- Killing Time 10 episodes (Progs 735 to 744) 63 pages Script: John Smith, Artist: Chris Weston, Letters: Tom Frame, Mary Green
Night Zero- Below Zero 14 episodes (Progs 732 to 745) 71 pages Script: John Brosnan, Artist: Kev Hopgood
Tao De Moto- Forbidden Fruit 26 episodes (Progs 723 to 749) 55 pages Script: Myra Hancock, Artist: David Hine
Not in Prog 741.
An interesting prog- there is some good stuff here, with Glenn Fabry doing a very rare Dredd and Chris Weston metamorphosing into... Chris Weston.
Great idea for a thread.
Interesting to see the incredible development in Simon Coleby's and Chris Weston's work since that prog.
Quote from: CalHab on 11 January, 2019, 10:42:30 AM
Interesting to see the incredible development in Simon Coleby's and Chris Weston's work since that prog.
This is so true. When Coleby started I felt he was just average but these days he is one of the best (his work on Jaegir is excellent).