Not sure if this is the right place to put this but...
I'm currently re-reading 2000AD from Prog 1 at a rate of between one and six progs a week. I mentioned somewhere else that I fancied starting an old prog review - but I won't (its just too much like hard work and would descend to an "I liked this one and didn't like this one" level very quickly).
However I've just read Prog330 and its a blinder! This was about the time I started reading 2000AD, albeit intermittently. The first Slaine story, which is still one of my favourite introductory episodes, was a great nostalgia trip for me.
But its Skizz I want to mention here. This strip finishes in this prog and it was an emotional moment for me (again). I'd forgotten just how awesome that strip was. For the 2000AD at the time it feels so adult and serious (compared to Robo-Hunter et al) while still retaining humour and violence that we all love the Prog for.
Having just read up to this prog, this feels like the first story of this this type - with a less crazy premise, a more realistic tone, and a present day setting. Am I right? There may have been a few Future Shocks that hit a more nuanced tone I guess, and some Dredd episodes were already bringing in the more overt political commentry, but no other single strip up to this point hits the mark.
For me, reading it again alongside the current output, it really holds its own. Maybe these days it would have stronger language and a bleaker ending? But other than that I could see this in a current prog and going down really well as a counterpoint to the uberviolent, sweary craziness.
Does anyone remember how it was received at the time? What do others think now? Any other strips of the time strike you this way?
Skizz was the story that made me a 2000AD fan for life. I'd read the odd issue, and considered it a faintly scary element of that vast pool of shared comics we all browsed back then*, but when I picked up part 2 of Skizz (being unaware there was a part 1), I was hooked forever. So yeah, I'd agree, it was something very new, for all that it was in the grand tradition of Tharg's Movie Ripoffs.
*At a guess, between family and friends and family of friends, there was over 20 titles in 'the pool': Beano, Dandy, Star Wars, Eagle, Whizzer & Chips, Warlord, Victor, Battle, Bunty, Hulk [or whatever that week's Marvel repackage was], TV Comic, Tiger, Roy of the Rovers, Jackie, Buster, Whoopee, Mandy, Commando, Starblazer and Look & Learn. And surely a half dozen more I can't recall.
I absolutely adore Skizz.
Kinda felt like a sci-fi flavoured episode of Grange Hill, which is all manner of good.
Quote from: TordelBack on 30 March, 2014, 12:48:08 PM
the grand tradition of Tharg's Movie Ripoffs.
Heh, true - and it could have been so bad because of that.. but it transcends its limited conception.
In the 1984 Annual there is an entertaining
*interview* with the Alan Moore droid about how Skizz came to be. The admission of stealing the concept from recent movies comes pretty early :)
When I was a wee one my older brother and I were restricted to one comic a week each - his was usually Warlord or Victor and mine was TV Comic and similar. At primary school we had a box of comics in the play room reserved for when it was raining and we couldn't be sent outside at break (which happened often, this being rural Cornwall). I remember reading the odd 2000AD, Starlord, Eagle etc and being impressed with them, but never got them myself till much later when I could buy my own.
I only read it years later, in my 20s or possibly even 30s. It was brilliant - You really wouldn't think a mix of E.T. and Boys from the Blackstuff would work, but, well, it was Alan Moore.
One thing that always bugged me though - [spoiler]isn't Cornelius about to be arrested for murder at the end[/spoiler]?
[spoiler]I suppose the defence would be that he was preventing an interplanetary incident[/spoiler]
Aha. In my slog I reach prog 767 next, the start of Skizz II. Hooray :)
I don't know what to expect, except that it isn't Robohunter, Trash, Fleischer's Rogue Trooper or any of the wet sludge I have been schlepping through.
And I adored Skizz (I) like all other right-thinking people.
It's not a patch on the first one, I'm afraid. Entertaining enough though
Damn!
I always interpreted it that the Police were so sick of Van Owen by that point they'd overlook a slight case of [spoiler]murder[/spoiler]!
Flippi Neck !
Loved Skizz. One of the things that made me a Moore fan. And it does seem to be the start of the more grown-up phase of the Tooth.
- C
Quote from: TordelBack on 30 March, 2014, 12:48:08 PM
Tharg's Movie Ripoffs.
I assumed at the time that Skizz lifted from E.T. But I'm not sure it's that simple.
"Skizz is a great, gritty story that soundly countered Spielberg's sugary film E.T which came out just before the original strip was published but, importantly, after much of the strip was drawn. As artist Baikie notes, they (he and writer Moore) knew that E.T. was in the offing and had hoped to beat him to publication/screening. "You know millionaires, though; Spielberg had more people helping him and he got there first. Ah well, at least our alien was different."
http://www.concatenation.org/frev/skizz1.html
Quote from: clavell on 13 April, 2014, 02:40:21 PM
Loved Skizz. One of the things that made me a Moore fan. And it does seem to be the start of the more grown-up phase of the Tooth.
I can't recommend the "Complete Alan Moore Future Shocks" highly enough. They're just sheer genius.
In my opinion.
Love Skizz and have to be honest it's probably my favourite 2000ad strip by Mr Moore. Bit of a fan of the sequels too. Particularly the third book. Not as good but still fun.
I may have to dig out the relevant back issues and give the sequels a re-read. As much as I love Skizz, I don't think I've read the follow-up tales more than a couple of times.
And that's after quite liking them, if I recall.
Just for asking; How did the follow up's come about, and does anyone know Mr Moore's view of them?
I never liked Skizz.
At the time, it was a distraction from the shooty-bang bang comic fun that my 8 year old self wanted.
Now, I find it impossible to separate from ET. That's not its fault, I know, but even so.
So, therefore, I have never enjoyed it.
I love it. But I'm sentimental as hell. :)
Just to clarify a remark I made earlier in the thread about Skizz being one of 'Tharg's Movie Ripoffs': as others have pointed out, Skizz is more an attempt to cash in on the predicted popularity of stranded-aliens-and-the-kids-who-love-them genre (one dear to Tharg's heart) that E.T. will create. It's the same clever planning as 'let's launch a SF comic because this The Space Wars movie that's coming out in '77 means SF is going to be huge'. I didn't mean to imply Alan was sent to the Northampton Odeon with a notepad and told: 'just change the accents'.
That was DR & Quinch.
Must be in the zeitgeist because I've just reread it as well.
http://eamonn1961.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/skizz-energi.html
I remember the follow up tales being really good and a highlight of the prog a the time. I cannot remember anything about Skizz 3 though. I assumed Alan Moore was happy for Jim Bakie to continue with them.
You assume Alan Moore was happy for someone else to write sequels for characters that he'd created?! Can you hear yourself? :lol:
Quote from: hippynumber1 on 14 April, 2014, 12:44:47 PM
You assume Alan Moore was happy for someone else to write sequels for characters that he'd created?! Can you hear yourself? :lol:
I think Alan has almost always been happy for his co-creators to continue to work with his/their projects.
Joking! ;)
Quote from: hippynumber1 on 14 April, 2014, 02:41:35 PM
Joking! ;)
I know I used to have a sense of humour, no idea where I left it.
I read somewhere that he was delighted with the new Watchmen series.
Or maybe I didn't.
Quote from: afjudge on 14 April, 2014, 03:30:28 PM
I read somewhere that he was delighted with the new Watchmen series.
Or maybe I didn't.
My understanding was that he said he wasn't going to read it.
And then Grant Morrison said he wasn't going to read it.
Then the Guardian ran a piece on Grant Morrison's ground breaking stance on not reading it.
And then Alan Moore wrote a 300 page book on how he has not yet understood trolling.
Or something like that . . .
I'm obviously a bit lost here, are we saying Moore is supercilious wanker or are we just being funny about it?
To the best of my knowledge Alan has been supportive of his co-creators who took over Swamp Thing*, Tom Strong, DR & Quinch, Skizz, Greyshirt and Terra Obscura (I'm not sure about Top 10), and has passed the barrowloads of movie money for his most successful projects onto Gibbons, O'Neill and Lloyd. He's incredibly supportive of his co-creators, essentially falling out with most major publishers over their treatment.
He does however expect them to respect his wishes to the same extent as he does theirs.
Moore is guilty of many foolishnesses, but not I think meanness.
*Yes, I know Moore didn't create Swampie, Len Wein did, but Alan re-created the book and its stellar popularity, and it was this redefined book that Veitch et al took charge of - with Alan's support.
I'm just joking - I think he is very good to his co-creators, even so far as to give them all his royalties on movies and the like.
Cheers Skullmo, as noted above I fear my humour-detection chip is malfunctioning today. Comes of being stuck in a windowless room on a sunny day.
I was merely presenting a parody of the recent Moore/Morrison meltdown.
I think there must have been a fair few people stuck in windowless rooms over the weekend... :-\
Getting back to Skizz, I remember first reading that and realising we weren't in Kansas anymore. Moore's writing was just lightyears ahead of his contemporaries and it really set a new benchmark for the rest of the droids. Even as a 15 year old I think I knew it was pretty special.
Baikie's art was just right too, giving it that grounded realism. Hard to imagine any other artist at the time doing it.
Yep, I clearly remember reading the 'caper' episode, with the Hitchcock's birthday stuff, and at age 11 realising this was something quite different from anything I'd previously read in a comic. If there was a specific moment when I became utterly hooked on 2000AD it was then. It was also the moment I noticed the name 'Alan Moore', and began to work back through issues to see what else he'd written...
Quote from: hippynumber1 on 14 April, 2014, 04:53:13 PM
I think there must have been a fair few people stuck in windowless rooms over the weekend... :-\
Indeed.
Wasn't out Joe in book III? I have never read Skizz as I was always holding out for a complete collection somewhere down the line.
Surely Skizz is ripe for a BBC adaptation? More Tooth on telly!
Quote from: Spikes on 14 April, 2014, 06:44:05 PM
Quote from: hippynumber1 on 14 April, 2014, 04:53:13 PM
I think there must have been a fair few people stuck in windowless rooms over the weekend... :-\
Indeed.
Indeed.
Definitely worth a reprint, as I don't think any of the published copies of Book 1 have been complete - Titan missed 3 pages, BEst of 2000AD & Rebellion trade missed 1.
A Complete Skizz that included all 3 stories would be most welcome. Has Vol. 3 ever been reprinted?
I suppose if it was published these days it would 'fukki nell' rather than 'flippi nek'.
Quote from: Hawkmonger on 15 April, 2014, 09:19:16 AM
Wasn't out Joe in book III? I have never read Skizz as I was always holding out for a complete collection somewhere down the line.
The Teddy Boy droids and their Morris Minor bumped into him in Oz around the time of Supersurf from what I recall.
Quote from: glassstanley on 16 April, 2014, 06:00:13 PM
Definitely worth a reprint, as I don't think any of the published copies of Book 1 have been complete - Titan missed 3 pages, BEst of 2000AD & Rebellion trade missed 1.
Exqueeze me? This needs explaining, before I rush off to check my Titan edition!
SBT
Thoroughly enjoying my reading (rereading...?!) of Skizz book 2. Jim Baikie's writing is far better than I expected. Properly sci-fi, lots of pleasing ideas/terminology and very satisfying all round. 7-page parts too (in the beginning), clearly Tharg had faith.
Makes the lack of reprint all the weirder, considering the stuff that has been offered up again in the name of "graphic novels" and "best of"s over the years.
A quick search, and I don't see any more of his writing apart from one Future Shock. May have to seek this out too.
Never read any Skizz, but I'd snap up a complete collection. Really surprised Rebellion haven't already jumped on the oppurtunity - it's not every publisher who can lay claim to Moore material. I'd think his name on the cover all but guarantees good sales.
QuoteSkizz is more an attempt to cash in on the predicted popularity of stranded-aliens-and-the-kids-who-love-them genre (one dear to Tharg's heart) that E.T. will create. It's the same clever planning as 'let's launch a SF comic because this The Space Wars movie that's coming out in '77 means SF is going to be huge'.
Now you mention it I'm surprised the Galaxy's Greatest didn't do anything to cash in on Gremlins/Critters etc a year or so later, the old Greenbonce missed a trick there!
Well there were Gribligs in Dredd.
Quote from: Steve Green on 21 April, 2014, 04:59:16 PM
Quote from: pert on 21 April, 2014, 04:54:29 PM
QuoteSkizz is more an attempt to cash in on the predicted popularity of stranded-aliens-and-the-kids-who-love-them genre (one dear to Tharg's heart) that E.T. will create. It's the same clever planning as 'let's launch a SF comic because this The Space Wars movie that's coming out in '77 means SF is going to be huge'.
Now you mention it I'm surprised the Galaxy's Greatest didn't do anything to cash in on Gremlins/Critters etc a year or so later, the old Greenbonce missed a trick there!
Well there were Gribligs in Dredd.
Necronauts was just
Ghostbusters without Sigourney Weaver.
Whereas Firekind was clearly a blatant attempt to jump on the Avatar bandwagon. Assuming John Smith has a time machine. Which he does.
Quote from: Hawkmumbler on 15 April, 2014, 09:19:16 AM
I have never read Skizz as I was always holding out for a complete collection somewhere down the line.
Quote from: glassstanley on 16 April, 2014, 06:00:13 PM
Definitely worth a reprint, as I don't think any of the published copies of Book 1 have been complete - Titan missed 3 pages, BEst of 2000AD & Rebellion trade missed 1.
Quote from: hippynumber1 on 16 April, 2014, 06:39:07 PM
A Complete Skizz that included all 3 stories would be most welcome.
Quote from: Dark Jimbo on 21 April, 2014, 02:50:33 PM
Never read any Skizz, but I'd snap up a complete collection.
We'll all be happy chappies now the Forthcoming Thrills 2017 (http://forums.2000adonline.com/index.php?topic=43620.msg941772#msg941772) thread reports:
13 Jun 2017 - The Complete Skizz (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Skizz-Alan-Moore/dp/1781085420) - paperback, 272 pages
"The ultimate illegal alien! Alan Moore's out of print classic returns in a brand new complete collection!
When Interpreter Zhcchz of the Tau-Ceti Imperium crashed his ship into the small blue Hellworld-classed planet, the odds of surviving were stacked against him. Stranded in the polluted, hostile British city of Birmingham, 'Skizz' is befriended by Roxy, a plucky young local girl. But danger is ever present - from bad food to Prime Minister Thatcher's hostile government alien-hunters, this E.T. may soon be R.I.P!"I know it's not rated as highly as the other instalments but I've been waiting on Skizz III for years! Yay Tharg!
Arh Skizz is great. I love the first, I'll tell you in a few months if its still my favourite Alan Moore work in the prog. Jim Baikie is such a great artist, an unsung great amongst the 2000ad ranks. The latter too books are both worth reading to, in particular Book 3 which is crazy fun. If you still haven't read this snap this one up as soon as you can.
Aye, i'll be getting this. It some how escaped my noice that Baiki was the artist for Book I which only seals the deal, one of the finest artists ever to work on any comic ever.
I won't be getting this! The original was my first 2000AD love, the first strip I'd read from the very start (not realising I had in fact missed the first episode), the first strip where I noticed the name of the writer and not just the artist, and the first strip where I became aware of some of the clever things you could actually do in a comic.
The other two books (not that I've read all of the third one) are dull and pointless and in places actually take away from the first. I'd rather not be reminded of their existence. Nice art, though!
Thinking on this some more, I'd have packaged the original Skizz with DR & Quinch instead of Books II and III (and maybe throw in Red Planet Blues and First of the Few etc for completeness' sake). Call it League of Extraordinary Aliens, E.T. And Stiggs, Moore-or-Less Originals, The Magus Recycles or something. All Moore's copyright-bothering strips in one handy volume!
Quote from: TordelBack on 30 March, 2014, 12:48:08 PM
*At a guess, between family and friends and family of friends, there was over 20 titles in 'the pool': Beano, Dandy, Star Wars, Eagle, Whizzer & Chips, Warlord, Victor, Battle, Bunty, Hulk [or whatever that week's Marvel repackage was]
Marvel's Star Wars had almost certainly been renamed (and renumbered) Return of the Jedi by that point (speaking as somebody who just rediscovered their 'May the Force Be With You' bagde ;)
Quote from: Grobbendonk on 13 April, 2014, 01:39:13 PM
I always interpreted it that the Police were so sick of Van Owen by that point they'd overlook a slight case of !
I'm pretty sure one of the cops knew Cornelius already (from chldhood?) and no doubt he'd be able to escape prison (if not a hospital) between 'diminished responsibility' and having just been [spoiler]shot by Van Owen[/spoiler].
Shame it is not in hardcover.