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Other Reviews / Re: The completely self absorbed 2000ad re-read thread
« on: 13 December, 2019, 09:23:47 pm »
The No house style of Tharg - Prog 1365
Okay I'm going to struggle to express myself clearly here, but since this has never troubled me before why should it now, so here we go. Something that struck me about Prog 1365 was how stylised the art was and yet no singular style runs through which has always been one 2000ad's great strengths. Its lack of house style means you get a really glorious mix with the art. Not to say I like it all, it fact far from it, but it can never be said to be boring. I think in this issue its really stands out, though to be fair I reckon I could have picked any Prog from this end of 2003 run.
Anyway this Prog we get.
Siku's sharp, cutting art, all high contrast colours and dangerous angles on Dredd.
Next to that in 'Dead men walking' with have the popping colour of Boo Cook with smoother scruffy lines. Populating his world with cute yet ugly life forms.
In the middle with the wonderfully stark black and white stylings of Dom Reardon on 'Caballistic Inc' doing so much with so little.
There is a real contrast in the next thrill as Laurence Campbell and Lee Townsend provide muted colours almost clashing with their smooth and clean characters slickly filling dramatic hyper-realised action poses and spaces.
Finally we get the tight claustrophic art of Mark Harrison on 'Durham Red' all drama and bright light, explosions, ugly grimaces and mean snarls.
I'd give you a fiver bet you could put five Squaxx dek Thargo in a room and they'd each pick a favourite style from this Prog - but one thing that all of these talents have is style so much STYLE and purpose to the art they produce and that makes 2000ad such a visual thrill - even if sometimes the ride can leave you a little disorientated.