The 2000 AD random prog game

[Greg M.]

I got Prog 1801. Employing the old adage of 'if you can't say anything nice...' leaves me only a John Smith / Edmund Bagwell Terror Tale to fondly recall. As Cradlegrave proves, they were a sublime combination.

Tried again, got 1576. This was from my 'wilderness era' of non-2000AD buying, so the only thing I'd read was Strontium Dog: The Glum Affair (which was pretty good.)

Third time's the charm, and it's prog... 808? Wireheads. Finn Bk 2. Flesh: Legend of Shamana. Judge Dredd: Magic Mellow Out. Cue my best Sgt. Howie from 'The Wicker Man' impression:

"Oh Lord. Oh Jesus Christ, no!"

(Luke Kirby: The Night Walker is okay though.)

So, in each instance, I got one story I liked. I learned today that the random prog gods hate me - or that I'm a miserable git who, for the most part, doesn't like anything.

[maryanddavid]

I got 207. Mixed bag, Tharg and Future shock, Two fillers in one prog?
Dont worry the cavalry is coming!
Return to Armageddon, freaked me out as a kid, still holds up ok, the brilliant Meltdown man, and to push this prog to 8.5 out of 10, the intro of Marlon Shakespeare, in Unamerican Graffiti.

[AlexF]

Prog 1551 for me, and I couldn't be much happier. Progs 1500-1800 is the 2nd Golden Age of 2000AD I reckon (the first being 300-600), and 1551 is a 9/10 prog for me:

ABC Warriors Volgan War Book II, episode 2. In the context of all of ABC Warriors, a bit of a mess, but there's you can lose yourself in, and Blackblood beginning his search for the elusive 'General Public'*

Judge Dredd: Time's Squared. A one-and-done bit of fun.

Button Man IV, episode 1 - Guess I'd be frustrated not to see what happens next but it's a story I like a lot.

Caballistics, Inc: Ashes, episode 1: Again, frustrating not to be able to read more episodes, but at least I'd
get in on the ground.

Stone Island II, episode 2 - I'd be utterly lost as to what was going on, but it's gorey as hell and this is another series I love overall, although series 1 was better.

5 top artists, 5 top writers, with a real mix of styles. Not many better single Progs out there in my opinion!
But really, what kind of monster would consign you to a cell with but a single issue of 2000AD for company??

*One of those jokes that just wasn't funny at first but has become funny after sufficient repetition

[Pyroxian]

Prog 1695:



Invasion

Judge Dredd: The Connoisseur (Part 1)
Start of a new Dredd story about a new serial killer on the scene, with Exploding Cit Phenomenon as a side story - was pretty good, and I'll probably re-read the next few parts now.

The Red Seas: Hell and High Water (Part 8)

Bit of a character-development episode, with a revelation from Cerberus at the end setting up the finale. A slow episode, but with promise of action to come!

Sinister Dexter: The Why-Shaped Cut (Part 3)

Fairly quiet episode dealing with the maneuverings between Apellido and The Mover.

Savage: Crims (Part 11)

The first American assault has failed, so Savage tries to single-handedly infiltrate a Volg particle accelerator. Once again, not much action...

Strontium Dog: The Life and Death of Johnny Alpha (Part 7)

Feral explaining how he tried to get Johnny resurrected after the events of "The Final Solution".

So, a prog from a good era of 2000 AD, but all these stories were a bit... quiet, apart from Dredd.

[rogue69]

2000 AD Prog 1960
The Good, the Bad, and the Psychotic!
Judge Dredd » The Beating (part 3)
Defoe » The London Hanged (part 11)
Tharg's Future Shocks » Why Did the Priest Cross the Road? (part 1)
Bad Company » First Casualties (part 11)

[Rogue Judge]

Fun game! Thanks for setting it up.

I got Prog #8:

Cover: Flesh

Invasion - Concorde (Gerry Finley-Day - Mike Dorey)
Flesh - book one (part 8) (Ken Armstrong - Boix)
Convicts of the Cosmic Clink! (alien drawings, suggested by the readers)
Harlem Heroes (part 8) (Tom Tully - Dave Gibbons)
Dan Dare - Hell Planet (part 8) (Kelvin Gosnell - Massimo Bellardinelli)
M.A.C.H.1 - Spain Kidnap (Nick Allen - John Cooper)
2000AD Readergraph - The Doomsday Tank (art: Kevin O'Neill)
Judge Dredd - Antique Car Heist (Charles Herring - Massimo Belardinelli)
Flesh Card Game (part 1) (back cover cut-out)

I've only been reading the Prog for about 2 years so havent read much early stuff other than Dredd, so I don't have much of an opinion on this issue. Most of what I know of these early years is from Space Spinner 2000!

Of these, I've only read Dredd, which is always great (I would have hoped for a prog with Dredd, Strontium Dog and Rogue). The Prog Magnetica sounds great to me too.

[Colin YNWA]

Well doing this this morning I of course wanted a Ron Smith issue, alas didn't happen and I got Prog 1265

Interesting Fegredo cover for a GREAT Anderson story R*volution and a bit of Wagner Dredd in 'On the Chief Judge's  Service' so all good there.

Backed up by Paul Johnson with Dabnett on Sinister Dexter which of course makes me happy.

The balance a Future Shock I don't remember but it does have art by Graham Higgins which is cool an under-rated Droid in my eyes...

... then an episode of The Killer.... well even some of the greatest Progs have a stinker! Overall pretty decent Prog by the look and this issue isn't too far off in my re-read. When I eventually get there I'll try to remember to make special note of it.

Great idea for a thread by the way - fun!

[Bolt-01]

I got 740...

2000AD PROG 740- COVER DATE: 20th July, 1991
Price: 45 pence Earth money
Cover: Rogue Trooper (Friday) by Simon Coleby

CONTENTS

Bix Barton- Lovesick World 5 episodes (Progs 737 to 741) 31 pages Script: Peter Milligan, Artist: Jim McCarthy

Judge Dredd- Talkback 1 episode (Prog 740) 7 pages Script: Garth Ennis, Artist: Glenn Fabry

Rogue Trooper (Friday)- Saharan Ice Belt War 12 episodes (Progs 730 to 741) 76 pages Script: Michael Fleisher, Artist: Simon Coleby, Colour: Gina Hart

Indigo Prime- Killing Time 10 episodes (Progs 735 to 744) 63 pages Script: John Smith, Artist: Chris Weston, Letters: Tom Frame, Mary Green

Night Zero- Below Zero 14 episodes (Progs 732 to 745) 71 pages Script: John Brosnan, Artist: Kev Hopgood

Tao De Moto- Forbidden Fruit 26 episodes (Progs 723 to 749) 55 pages Script: Myra Hancock, Artist: David Hine
Not in Prog 741.

An interesting prog- there is some good stuff here, with Glenn Fabry doing a very rare Dredd and Chris Weston metamorphosing into... Chris Weston.

Great idea for a thread.

[CalHab]

Interesting to see the incredible development in Simon Coleby's and Chris Weston's work since that prog.

[broodblik]

Interesting to see the incredible development in Simon Coleby's and Chris Weston's work since that prog.

This is so true. When Coleby started I felt he was just average but these days he is one of the best (his work on Jaegir is excellent).