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Messages - GordonR

#3316
Off Topic / Re: Gerry Finley-Day Question........
09 June, 2002, 02:13:09 AM
David Bishop was a journalist in New Zealand before becoming Megazine assistant editor.  I think he also worked for BSB, if anyone can remember that.

I think Andy Diggle was hired more or less straight out of college as 2000AD assistant editor, although I might be wrong.  

Matt Smith was a desk editor at a proper grown-up book publishers before joining 2000AD.

Alan Barnes was assistant editor and then editor of Doctor Who Monthly before joining Rebellion.  He's also written a couple of movie guides for Titan Books - Bond, Sherlock Holmes and Tarantino.

In terms of previous publishing work, the current Smith-Barnes team have more experience than their most recent predecessors.
#3317
General / Re: Actually...
03 June, 2002, 06:36:13 PM
>>How long into an editorship is it before some one had an issue that they completely commissioned?<<

It kind of varies, and there's no hard and fast rule.  For instance, some of the stuff which Andy Diggle was credited with doing as part of the 'return to greatness' thing was actually commissioned by David Bishop, but didn't appear until quite far into Andy's run.

Rogue Trooper and the VCs were both commissioned by Andy, but the actual work on them didn't begin until after he had left.  However, we're now starting to see the first Matt Smith commissioned series coming through into the comic.  I think Beck and Cawl is the first of these, although perhaps it wouldn't be fair to judge him solely on that alone ;->

Similarly at the Meg, Alan Barnes has just about used up the last of the Bishop-commissioned material, and we'll soon be seeing the first of the new series he's nwo comissioned, starting (I think) with a new Robbie Morrison/John Burns crime series.

#3318
General / Re: Actually...
03 June, 2002, 06:20:51 AM
At that time, as Managing Editor of what was still grandly called the 2000AD Group, Steve was Managing Editor of just two titles, 2000AD and the Magazine.  (Well, with maybe Lawman of the Future too.)

Five years earlier, the 2000AD Group had four regular titles (Crisis and Revolver were still on the go) as well as the usual bunch of annuals, summer/winter specials etc, all of which have now disappeared.  The aborted 'junior 2000AD' comic Alternity was also part of the stable.

I think at one point the 2000AD Group had about 8 or 9 editorial staff, as well as its own in-house designer and PR droids.

Gone now, all gone...
#3319
General / Re: Actually...
03 June, 2002, 03:50:15 AM
Yes, going from editor of the weekly 2000AD to editor of a struggling monthly, half of which was reprint material...you can certainly see why John would have jumped at that step up the Fleetway career ladder.

You'll hopefully see by now why it's unlikely that John was editor of 2000AD and *then* became the Megazine editor.  The simple fact is, he went from assistant on 2000AD to Megazine editor, just as Andy Diggle later did (while still helping out on 2000AD).
#3320
General / Re: Actually...
02 June, 2002, 10:46:54 PM
>In the Editorial Credits section, on this site, >it states:
>
>John Tomlinson Editorial Droid (915 to 977

Ah.  Then I think the information in the Editorial Credits is wrong.  I seem to remember this mistake being repeated somewhere else, so maybe it's just being replicated here again.  Still, at least Grant Morrison and Mark Millar are no longer listed as editors too...

Nope, my recollection is that Steve Mac definitely took over after Alan Mackenzie's abrupt departure.  John Tomlinson remained as assistant editor, and possibly taking an increased role on the comic under Steve's supervision.

 (For instance, Vector 13 was John's idea, and he did all the story commissioning for it, including...*sniff* as a tear of nostaligia comes to my eye...my very first 2000AD work.)

John was the Megazine editor for maybe a year or less, and was editor of Lawman of the Future in its dying days, taking over both titles when David Bishop moved to 2000AD, but he was never 2000AD editor.

So, basically, Steve Mac should be listed twice in that poll, and remember that it was thanks to Steve that John Wagner returned to 2000AD to write Dredd again, finally giving us a break from the efforts of Mark Millar and 'Sonny Steelgrave'.  That alone should be worth a few votes for his second stint in the big chair ;->
#3321
General / Actually...
02 June, 2002, 09:47:57 PM
Robin, your poll list about the best 2000AD editor has a mistake in it.

John Tomlinson was never 2000AD editor, although he was briefly the Magazine editor.  After Alan Mackenzie's unlamented departure, Steve MacManus was interim editor for a while before David Bishop became the new Tharg.
#3322
General / Re: The Crime is to write, the Sen...
31 May, 2002, 04:06:41 PM
>>If we could erase Alan McKenzie, Hilary Robinson and Michael Fleischer from time...<<

The Fleischer and Robinson droids both got fed to Mek-Quake in the 25th anniversary Tharg story.  If you look closely at the heap of destroyed droids in the same page, you'll see the remains of the Mackenzie droid in there too.

Obviously, some people in the Nerve Centre sahre your opinions, earthlet vonscott.
#3323
General / Re: Isnt the Irving Droid just fab...
01 June, 2002, 02:01:32 AM
Not at this early stage.  More details as they come on.

Something in the horror/occult/paranormal genre, I believe.
#3324
General / Re: Isnt the Irving Droid just fab...
31 May, 2002, 07:26:27 PM
He's scheduled to do a brand new series for 2000AD later this year.
#3325
Prog / Re: this weeks cover....1293...
28 May, 2002, 12:11:04 AM
Yep, it's a great cover.  One of the best in years.  Really strong and eye-catching, and goign back to the comic's old punk vibe.
#3326
General / Re: wagner, rennie, abnett...........
27 May, 2002, 10:50:16 PM
>>So basically no one outside of the 'Big Five/Six' can write for toffee, or if they can, they bugger off over the water to better paid gigs ??<<

I don't think that's what I said, nor would I agree with it.

I think Andrew Lewis' Future Shock showed promise - and I remember thinking it sounded pretty good when I first heard it at the pitchfest last year.

There's also Simon Spurrier, of course, and a new guy called Jaspre Bark who's just sold his first Future Shock to 2000AD, and who's already writing for Warhammer and Dr Who.  I think he could be a fully-graduated scriptdroid of the future.

Rob Williams, who wrote Class War for com.x, is also doing at least one new series for 2000AD/the Megazine.

Some veteran droids do seem to be fading away into the wallpaper these days, but I still think there's potential new talent coming through to repalce them and keep the comic fresh.
#3327
General / Re: wagner, rennie, abnett...........
27 May, 2002, 09:45:34 PM
The Brothers Gurr and Andrew Lewis were the winners, respectively, of this year's and last's year's Dreddcon pitchfest competitions.

Not sure about any of the others.  At least one of those Future Shocks - the one about the mercenaries attacking the monastery - has been sitting in the 'use only in the case of emergency' drawer for a _long_ time.
#3328
Help! / Re: JD in south america
27 May, 2002, 09:09:34 PM
There was a Tharg story with Burt being sacked by Tharg, not any of the Mac droids.
#3329
Help! / Re: JD in south america
27 May, 2002, 03:31:01 PM
He's very much wrong, I'm afraid.  Sonny Steelgrave was then 2000AD editor Alan Mackenzie, up to his usual tricks of commissioning himself to write for the comic.  As well as Steelgrave and his own name, he also wrote under the pseudonym Sidney Falco, and possibly one other name also.

Interested observers may notice that John Wagner only returned to writing for 2000AD after Alan had been removed as Tharg.  Read into this what you want.

Also, that South American Dredd story, with its stereotypical corrupt South Americans and comedy-Latino dialogue caused quite a lot of aggro, with one notable Spanish-speaking Dredd contributor taking great personal offence at it.  Especially since two of the characters in it apparently had the same names as him and his wife...

I wonder if any of this will be appearing in the official history articles in the Meg?  ;->

#3330
General / Re: Alex Ronald?
24 May, 2002, 08:42:06 PM
I think the idea of online comics generally, free or otherwise, is a bit of a non-starter.  The very expensive failure of Cool Beans kind of illustrates that point.