After John's latest Dredd masterpiece, it's got me thinking: is there a writer, in comics or otherwise, in history who has written so many pages about his own character over so many years? And if so, has the quality remained as high?
I'm very lucky to have grown up with his work. It's been a part of my life since I learned to read.
Peter O'Donnell wrote Modesty Blaise all the way through the newspaper run (1963-2001) along with a number of novels and short stories. I'm not sure how the page count would stack up compared to Wagner/Dredd though.
Dave Sim wrote (and pencilled) over 6000 pages of Cerebus the Aardvark, which has got to take some beating.
Must read some Cerebus the Aardvark! Never heard the name but I recognise the character.
Quote from: GordonR on 25 March, 2019, 06:31:26 PM
Dave Sim wrote (and pencilled) over 6000 pages of Cerebus the Aardvark, which has got to take some beating.
I love the first 200 issues of this... even if it has problems as time goes on. The last 100, what I've read of them are very problematic. Still the work of a genius, all be it a troubled one.
Not quite in Sim territory, but Usagi Yojimbo is now over 160 issues, so that's, what, coming up to around 4000 pages of Sakai's samurai bunny? (And, in my opinion, it's a remarkably consistent run.)
Many manga have the same creator or creative team throughout their runs. Ranma 1/2 runs for 38 volumes, well over 6000 pages all written and drawn by one woman (Rumiko Takahashi). The English translation of One Piece is currently up to 89 volumes (c. 19'000+ pages), again a single creator (Eiichiro Oda). Golgo 13 is up to volume 188 and Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo finished at 200 volumes (and that doesn't include a number of chapters which weren't collected)
Granted these, like most manga, are B&W with just the occasional colour page but those are big figures.
The manga guys have studios full of people working on these books. It might be their sole name on the cover, but these are big collaborative projects.
Finding out that Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone didn't really write all of those books with their names on them was a bit like finding out Father Christmas wasn't real.
At least I can be reasonably confident that John Wagner is one person.
Unless you look at old progs when he can be up to four at a time!
Quote from: Richard on 26 March, 2019, 07:47:49 PM
Finding out that Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone didn't really write all of those books with their names on them was a bit like finding out Father Christmas wasn't real.
Whaaaaaaat
Quote from: Richard on 26 March, 2019, 07:47:49 PM
Finding out that Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone didn't really write all of those books with their names on them was a bit like finding out Father Christmas wasn't real.
At least I can be reasonably confident that John Wagner is one person.
:o
Quote from: Richard on 26 March, 2019, 07:47:49 PMFinding out that Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone didn't really write all of those books with their names on them was a bit like finding out Father Christmas wasn't real.
I'm glad I kicked Livingstone's arse at Virtua Tennis now.
To be fair....the authors name on each fighting fantasy book is clearly shown on the inside cover, the front name was intended more as a "Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone present" sort of thing wasnt it?. Outside the first book, the only ones that they actually wrote (I think) were the ones that just had their individual names on. At least that was my understanding.
Quote from: JayzusB.Christ on 27 March, 2019, 07:14:06 AM
At least I can be reasonably confident that John Wagner is one person.
Even if TB Grover wasn't :D
In terms of total numbers of pages, it doesn't come close to Dredd, but Alejandro Jodorowski is a contender - his 'Jodoverse' series of interconnected comics are all in the same Universe, with a consistent tone, and have been going on and off since 1980 I think.
The Incal, The Metabarons, Technopriests being the core series, all written by one guy (with a few co-writers here and there, which you'd have to count if you're comparing to John Wagner).
How good these comics are compared to Judge Dredd is a matter of taste, but they've been highly influential on comics and movies. Some might say the stellar art carries some rather silly scripts, but then I've only read a couple of albums out of a total of like 36.
Quote from: Colin YNWA on 25 March, 2019, 09:10:05 PM
Quote from: GordonR on 25 March, 2019, 06:31:26 PM
Dave Sim wrote (and pencilled) over 6000 pages of Cerebus the Aardvark, which has got to take some beating.
I love the first 200 issues of this... even if it has problems as time goes on. The last 100, what I've read of them are very problematic. Still the work of a genius, all be it a troubled one.
Well, 186 and a bit, anyway ;-)
Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mothers_and_Daughters_(comics)#Issue_186)
"Cerebus #186 was published in September 1994. The issue is the final portion of the Reads collection in the Mothers & Daughters story. It went on to become one of the most notoriously controversial books in comics history."
At lunch at the mo, but I'll have to catch up on these articles later:
The Notorious Issue 186 (http://momentofcerebus.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-notorious-issue-186.html)
The Extraordinary and Controversial Career of Dave Sim (https://comicsalliance.com/tribute-dave-sim/)
"Sim became one of the medium's finest writers. For long stretches, Cerebus was arguably the best-written comic book: complex, nuanced, funny, dramatic, emotional, and compassionate, particularly the novels Jaka's Story and Melmoth. That compassion --- that apparent humanity --- is likely why Sim lost so many readers with Cerebus 186..."
The Most Important Non-Superhero Comic You've Never Heard Of (https://hyperallergic.com/415888/the-most-important-non-superhero-comic-youve-never-heard-of/)
Quote from: Richard on 26 March, 2019, 07:47:49 PM
Finding out that Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone didn't really write all of those books with their names on them was a bit like finding out Father Christmas wasn't real.
Though funniliy enough, Scorpion Swamp wasn't written by Steve Jackson* and Ian Livingstone, but was written by Steve Jackson**.
*British game designer
**USA game designer
Quote from: sheridan on 01 April, 2019, 12:56:14 PM
Quote from: Richard on 26 March, 2019, 07:47:49 PM
Finding out that Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone didn't really write all of those books with their names on them was a bit like finding out Father Christmas wasn't real.
Though funniliy enough, Scorpion Swamp wasn't written by Steve Jackson* and Ian Livingstone, but was written by Steve Jackson**.
*British game designer
**USA game designer
USA Steve Jackson being the guy behind Munchkin (http://www.worldofmunchkin.com/judgedredd/).
Quote from: AlexF on 01 April, 2019, 11:37:38 AM
In terms of total numbers of pages, it doesn't come close to Dredd, but Alejandro Jodorowski is a contender - his 'Jodoverse' series of interconnected comics are all in the same Universe, with a consistent tone, and have been going on and off since 1980 I think.
The Incal, The Metabarons, Technopriests being the core series, all written by one guy (with a few co-writers here and there, which you'd have to count if you're comparing to John Wagner).
How good these comics are compared to Judge Dredd is a matter of taste, but they've been highly influential on comics and movies. Some might say the stellar art carries some rather silly scripts, but then I've only read a couple of albums out of a total of like 36.
There were a few of those being given away at last year's free comic book day - if Rebellion's offerings put the majority of other publishers to shame, then those albums put even 2000AD FCBD in the shade (in terms of printing, binding and presentation anyway - the actual creativity inside is, as ever, subject to taste.
I really hope Wagner ends up finishing dredd, maybe when it the 50th anniversary.
Dredd going out at 83 seems fitting for him to go out during him protecting the city.
I think some people might like this but pass the torch to Rico
Berserk must be up there in the page count stakes. I think that's up to 40 volumes now at ~220 per volume so somewhere in the region of 8800 pages, and all the work of Kentaro Miura.
I said it over on Facebook as well, but the man owes us nothing. John Wagner is a pure legend. Over 40 years of stunning stories. Is there anyone better on Dredd? No. But is there a better writer in comics? I would also argue no. I think he is better than Alan Moore. What a body of work. Aren't we lucky? I feel the price of my sub is worth the chance of opening a prog and seeing his name in the credits box somewhere.
You can see how much he has enjoyed doing Rok of The Reds. Hope ye all bought it and will contribute to the kickstarter for series 2 when it kicks off. One way of saying thanks and getting a brilliant comic at the same time.