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2000 AD in Stages

Started by Funt Solo, 23 July, 2019, 10:57:01 PM

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The Monarch

I mentioned in in the mega city book club episode I was on but it bares repeating. Canon fodder by mark millar is utter dumb but sooooo worth it for the chris weston art. The reason i love the canon so much is series 2 with Kek-w writing a fantastic story and chris westons art being goddamn amazing

also yeah war games and a zombie chopper series from a wee bit later on were supposed to build to a mega epic involving sino cit going to war with mega city one that mercifully never happened

Funt Solo

Quote from: Leigh S on 31 May, 2020, 03:05:45 PM
Quote from: Funt Solo on 31 May, 2020, 03:18:55 AM
At this point I'd say the comic was still up and swinging punches, but signs of fatigue were showing.

That's pretty generous [...]

I am making an effort to be generous with these stage pieces, it's true. Partly I'm trying to allow any reader to be able to imprint their memory of the era without my being too judgmental. There's that outside possibility that someone who started reading here might have fallen in love with Strontium Dogs, for example.

There's also that idea from movies that nobody sets out to make a turkey (the plot of the producers aside). There's an argument that Morrison actually did set out to make a turkey with Inferno, though - so there's exceptions to every rule. But, in trying to maintain a sense of balance, I'm trying not to throw shade at creators who were giving it their all in a context in which it perhaps wasn't appreciated.

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I'd say the biggest weakness of this set of progs is that there's no out and out classic in here:

- Demon Killer is arguably the best thing here, but it's somewhat a re-tread of already covered ground.
- Tyranny Rex is good, but it's arguably a poor man's Firekind.
- Canon Fodder is good, but it's arguably a poor man's Killing Time.
- Revere is good, but it's hellishly weird.
++ A-Z ++  coma ++

AlexF

As a reader who was 15 at this time and in the ascendancy of my love for all things 2000AD, it's weird looking back on it. I remember each new jumping-on Prog being talked up as a big deal in the comic - an atttiude of 'I guess we've been struggling a bit but THIS time the line up of thrills is AMAZING'. I beleived it every time, but it was around Stage 29 that I noticed this was happening and it wasn't always true...
From the Nerve Centres and reprint hype machine of the era you'd think 'Book of the Dead' was the best Dredd mini-epic since the Graveyard Shift.

But it bears echoing that the art at least really was spectacular, the likes of Weston and Power and Harrion were streets ahead of anything I was reading in Marvel comics at that time. (And Fabry, too, obvs, but he was kind of an old hand at that point).

I remember being super delighted with the whimsy injection provided by Timehouse and HoganHunter. They don't hold up as all-time classics but it kept me reading to know that the comic embraced lunatic macho nonsense in Dredd with something softer, as well as the baffling weirdness of Revere. I was convinced I'd understand it all when I grew up. Still waiting.

Funt Solo




Meg: Vol. 2.4 (Bury My Knee)
(Megs 2.37-2.49, 1993-94)

"Meg 2.37 introduces a very strong run" (Bishop, 2020), launching a new Mechanismo sequel, some stunningly inventive spot color in The Harlequin's Dance, stupendous launch art in new thrill Shimura and the light-hearted Return of the Taxidermist from maestro Ian Gibson.

It's worth noting that the Meg of this era was fortnightly, so is moving at quite a clip. And a point that's worth repeating: there have definitely been times when the Meg felt like the prog's poor cousin, but here the shoe's on the other foot in terms of stories that are showing off that perfect combo of quality art and script.

The momentum loses traction a little as we trail out of this stage getting ready for the big 2.50 jump-on.




Judge Dredd
Mechanismo's such a kick-ass high concept, that you just have to waft the suggestion of a sequel under my nose to throw my thrill-circuits into overdrive. The second sequel, Body Count, stomps along here for seven issues: an unhinged Stitch roaming the sewers looking for the rogue Number 5, for all the world like a Mega-City Dr. Frankenstein.

Bury My Knee At Wounded Heart (meg 2.46) is a one-off that's often cited as a contender for Best Dredd of All-Time. It's got pathos.

You ARE The Mean Machine (meg 2.47) is a comedy fiesta that riffs on the notion of Choose Your Own Adventure and ends with a limerick competition to win the orginal artwork from the story. (Hopefully the original art doesn't also contain the competition text, because otherwise we could end the universe in an endless art competition loop.)

Next stage sees the controversial Howler, and the build-up to Wilderlands...


Judge Hershey: The Harlequin's Dance
The Pied Piper of Hamelin (dressed as a Harlequin - see title) steals a bunch of kids and takes them to a mirror dimension.  (Pretty sure this sort of mass theft of children happens to Anderson in a later story.)
Hershey needs some time to recover from all of this Fairytale in M-C schtick and doesn't return until volume 3...


Shimura *NEW THRILL*
A stunning opening three-parter from Frank Quitely and Robbie Morrison focusses on the hi-tech crimes of Hondo City and introduces Judge-Inspector Shimura and Cadet Inaba. Everything about the design here is lavishly detailed: from the stylized lettering to the action-blended 3D sound effects (that seem before their time even today).
As with Quitely's launch of Missionary Man, there's a sense of loss when other artists carry on the franchise - like when you buy a comic with great cover art only to be disappointed that it doesn't continue on the inside. Frank Quitely is quite frankly a hard act to follow. Shimura returns in the next stage...


Return of the Taxidermist
Spinning off from 1987's The Taxidermist (in Dredd), this sees Jacob Sardini, skilled human taxidermist, compete in the Mega-Olympics. Wagner and Gibson are masters at shaggy dog comedies and you get to enjoy scenes such as the semi-nude recreation of the birth of Hitler (competing with The Producers for most ridiculous recreation of Nazi iconography) and the new olympic sports of staring and sex. Plus there's the moment when an axe-wielding maniac takes out the synchronized swimmers and gets top marks.
Returns in 1998, in the prog, with Revenge Of The Taxidermist...


Harke & Burr: Antique & Curious
Si Spencer and Dean Ormston have fun with A Hamster Horror Production, which features giant undead hamsters, and Grief Encounter which riffs on both Frankenstein and Metropolis.
There's another of these next in 2.83...


Creep *NEW THRILL*
I'm not going to be able to be fairly neutral because this is a story that I always detested. I'm assuming it's Marmite and has its fans. Plot: there's a super-mutant who lives in the sewers and murders and tortures people. He's creepy. He's the Creep. It's creepy. I'm creeped out. Imagine if, during The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Leatherface was the protagonist. And we just watched him fuck with people for the entire movie with no repercussions. That's kind of what this is. And that's gross.
More of this next stage, for Grud's sake when will the horror end...


Missionary Man: Legend of the Unholy Drinker
An odd little one-off where a zombie from Judgement Day has a drink with Preacher Cain and his sidekick.
A proper long-form series starts up in the next stage...


Pan-African Judges *NEW THRILL*
There was an explosion of the idea of world Judges where there was something of a creative competition to come up with culturally appropriate Judge uniforms for every nation on Earth. Here, Brit-Cit Judge Steel (not the one from Armitage) teams up with Judge Assengai of Pan-Africa. There's lavish design, with a detailed map of the continent that lays out much more detail than we've seen (before or since), and great art from Siku. The plot revolves around ivory poachers, but underlying it is the idea of continuing colonialist violence and exploitation.   
We have to wait until Volume 3 for a follow-up...


Calhab Justice
Casualty is a dark tragedy where an empath is tasked with saving an injured victim, and serves as a prologue to the longer follow-up of Unfinished Business, where a rogue Judge goes on a psychic rampage.
More bitter gloom in 2.63...


Supporting Content
Worth a mention here is a (post-Judgement Day) "Offical World Map" in meg 2.37. That launch issue also came with an Anderson poster comic that I've managed to lose, and then the next issue came with a Dredd / Mean Machine poster calendar.





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References:
- Barney
- The 2000 AD ABC
++ A-Z ++  coma ++

Woolly

Quote from: AlexF on 01 June, 2020, 12:28:51 PM
From the Nerve Centres and reprint hype machine of the era you'd think 'Book of the Dead' was the best Dredd mini-epic since the Graveyard Shift.

To be fair to Tharg, he has to hype up something.
He can't just admit it's a bit naff and expect us poor earthlets to keep coughing up the groats  ;)

TordelBack

Man, the contrast between Meg and Prog in this phase is painful. Although I must not have thought so at the time,  because I also stopped reading the Meg halfway through this phase...

sheridan

Quote from: Funt Solo on 01 May, 2020, 09:13:11 PM
Here's a couple of clippings from an interview he did in M323 (2012), where Calum Waddell is asking the questions:


What's M323?

sheridan

Quote from: TordelBack on 31 May, 2020, 03:35:34 AM
Funt has dredged up strips I never knew existed - there was another Mean Arena? Quaequam blag!


I have read it, but so completely forgot about it that I only now know about it from threads such as this.  I (unfortunately) remember the reboot of Harlem Heroes but don't even know if this Mean Arena is a reboot or continuation of the proper Mean Arena.

Dark Jimbo

Quote from: sheridan on 02 June, 2020, 10:29:27 AM
Quote from: Funt Solo on 01 May, 2020, 09:13:11 PM
Here's a couple of clippings from an interview he did in M323 (2012), where Calum Waddell is asking the questions:


What's M323?

Megazine number 323.
@jamesfeistdraws

IndigoPrime

Quote from: Funt Solo on 02 June, 2020, 02:12:36 AMHere, Brit-Cit Judge Steel (not the one from Armitage)
Why do you say not the one? She's the same Judge Steel, isn't she?

Jim_Campbell

Quote from: IndigoPrime on 02 June, 2020, 01:21:38 PM
Why do you say not the one? She's the same Judge Steel, isn't she?

They're sisters, aren't they?
Stupidly Busy Letterer: Samples. | Blog
Less-Awesome-Artist: Scribbles.

GordonR

Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 02 June, 2020, 01:52:15 PM
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 02 June, 2020, 01:21:38 PM
Why do you say not the one? She's the same Judge Steel, isn't she?

They're sisters, aren't they?

Yes.

IndigoPrime

Ah. It's been a long time since I read the strip. Thanks for the clarification.

TordelBack

Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 02 June, 2020, 01:52:15 PM
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 02 June, 2020, 01:21:38 PM
Why do you say not the one? She's the same Judge Steel, isn't she?

They're sisters, aren't they?

By the law that all black characters must be related, if nothing else.

Funt Solo

I had missed (or forgotten) that Treasure Steel (Armitage) and Becky Steel (Pan-African Judges) were sisters.

Abagnale sent this (where Becky and Assengai meet):



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Quote from: sheridan on 02 June, 2020, 11:06:47 AM
Quote from: TordelBack on 31 May, 2020, 03:35:34 AM
Funt has dredged up strips I never knew existed - there was another Mean Arena? Quaequam blag!
I have read it, but so completely forgot about it that I only now know about it from threads such as this.  I (unfortunately) remember the reboot of Harlem Heroes but don't even know if this Mean Arena is a reboot or continuation of the proper Mean Arena.

The Mean Arena was not a reboot or continuation of The Mean Arena. The commonalities almost end with the most important two thirds of the original's name. They're both future sport stories. Both are set in the UK. They each have a male protagonist. But that's it.

I suppose it's stretching credulity to imagine that Alan McKenzie wasn't aware of the former when he penned the latter, so I'm baffled as to why the name was reused.
++ A-Z ++  coma ++