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Topics - Trout

#1
Hey, folks, now that we live in a science fiction dystopia many of us are spending their days on video calls. Increasingly, that creates opportunities to add a fun background... so of course I started to think about 2000 AD art.

Are there any resources available? I'd love to use a background that shows Mega City One, Nu Earth or other places? I'm also conscious that most comic art is focused on characters, and images used as background should probably not have figures visible. So just using our favourite 2K art wouldn't work, I think.

Hive mind - any thoughts, links or other contributions?

- Trout
#2
Off Topic / Live, Laugh, Love
04 April, 2020, 04:09:23 PM
Hey Tharg, I see lots of normals with little wooden signs in their houses that say "Live, Laugh, Love". Can we please have one to buy that says "Be Pure, Be Vigilant, Behave"?

Fellow Squaxx, what would you like to have on one of these stupid little signs?  :lol:

- Trout
#3
Off Topic / Marriage guidance for collectors of tat
21 July, 2019, 03:38:46 PM
"Uh, honey, I just spent $100 on another Green Lantern statue."

"That's nice, dear. I'll call the lawyer and I hope you die."

Something of an exaggeration, but an ongoing issue in my many years with a wonderful woman. I now benefit from keeping most of the comics and related tat out of sight in the basement, but we do still occasionally have difficult conversations. Agreeing regular budgets has helped a lot, and she has bought me geeky things on occasion, including a page of Halo Jones art. :D

What tales do you have of conflicts with significant others about your collecting? (Of course, this isn't specific to marriage; that's just my situation.)

By the way, my wife sneaks shoes into the house and thinks I don't notice.
#4
Help! / Insurrection question
30 March, 2018, 09:44:44 PM
Due to the happy circumstance of my local comic shop having acquired a ton of stock recently, I just picked up two Insurrection books for a good price. They are titled simply Insurrection and Insurrection: Liberty.

Would someone please guide me on whether these two books make up the whole story or I need to look for more? I lost track of this story (despite loving the early parts of it) during the disruption caused by emigrating to Canada five years ago. I still don't get the Meg as often as I should.

Thanks in advance!

- Trout
#5
Books & Comics / Achewood
01 December, 2016, 05:44:51 AM
Any fans of this bizarre webcomic out there?

I only recently discovered it, having somehow had an unfulfilled life without knowing. Now I'm working my way through it slowly, and laughing a lot. Just read the one where Lyle is licking a bra he found at the police station.

Also, Ray Smuckles is my role model now.

http://www.achewood.com/index.php?date=10012001

- Trout
#6
Books & Comics / Multiversity
23 August, 2014, 02:54:51 AM
Spoilers. Seriously, spoilers for issue one of Multiversity, written by Grant Morrison.


[spoiler]Zenith Phase III, anyone?[/spoiler] I'm amazed by this. It's exactly why I've been complaining about Slaine for years.

I've always loved Morrison's work but I fear the shark has been jumped. But it's only a superhero comic. I expect I could just not buy it.
#7
Books & Comics / Seth
27 April, 2014, 12:10:08 AM
I just met Seth. He was cool.

In fact, he was so cool that he was dressed in an immaculate 1940s suit, with matching hat. He also had old-fashioned glasses and a fascinating leather satchel full of pens, brushes and the like. A real character and a gentleman.

But the experience had another unusual feature. I'd never seen any of Seth's work, and my first experience of it was the original art on the wall of a gallery. How often does that happen? It was a privilege to get such a good look at it. It was a complete, six-page story about the origins of the little comics that are dispensed in gumball machines and it was utterly, utterly charming.

So I went and found its creator to say thank you. This, by the way, was at the launch of a comic arts festival here in Ontario. Remarkably, Seth (real name Gregory Gallant) was sketching and signing books without the aid of a table, somehow managing beautiful inks with a brush while also holding each book. I said hello, apologized for not having read his work before and promised to seek it out. And I will.

So, hive mind, can you recommend some? Should I start with Palookaville?

And has anyone else had their first experience of great work by seeing the original art?

- Trout
#8
Books & Comics / Artists using photo reference
15 March, 2014, 04:48:11 PM
Here's a tough topic.

I would be interested to hear opinions from fellow fans about artists who make heavy, and obvious, use of photo references. The reason this is on my mind is simple: Greg Land.

Currently, my favourite comic book is Mighty Avengers, mainly because Al Ewing is writing it, and Al Ewing's writing is a sheer delight. The art is by Land and, while I'm not going crazy over it, seems perfectly fine for a US comic book. I also liked Ultimate Fantastic Four, despite its ridiculous title.

But I've become aware of the controversy about Land. Some people don't like him because he uses photo reference. Even worse, he uses light box techniques. Still worse than that, he apparently uses p0rn pics. Finally, and worst of all, people claim there are examples that he has lifted the work of other artists. (I stress that I do not know the truth of that, but there are comparisons posted online so people can make up their own minds. I make no accusations here, and it's kind of a side issue anyway.)

But, and here's the question: What's wrong with using photo reference? Arthur Ranson did it and is beloved by his fans. Another artist (Steve Sampson?) used to do it and everybody sniggered at him, not least because he (allegedly, so the story goes) had to stop drawing Judge Anderson after his girlfriend broke up with him.

To sum up:

1. Sorry if I have some of this wrong. I don't really like online scuttlebutt and don't keep up with it. Please correct me if I've said something inaccurate.

2. When is it OK to use photo reference?

3. Are some artists applauded for this approach, and others derided?

- Trout
#9
Announcements / New Kingdom novel
05 March, 2014, 03:39:59 PM
In this week's Thrillspam email:

New York Times best selling author Dan Abnett has written an original novel set in the world of his hit 2000 AD comics series Kingdom - and the paperback and signed hardback are now available to pre-purchase!

Co-written with Nik Vincent, Fiefdom is set one hundred years after the events of Kingdom, in which a genetically engineered dog-soldiers fought giant marauding insects in a post-apocalyptic future. The action moves into the northern hemisphere, where Them are now a folk memory and the Aux war with one another in the ruins of what was once Berlin. Inspired by the legends of Gene, young Evelyn War begins to question the Aux's situation as she hears the first rumours about the return of Them...


Want want want. My wanting is wanton. Waaaaant.

- Trout
#10
Books & Comics / When comics give, then receive
15 February, 2014, 03:53:53 AM
I'm watching an Avengers cartoon that's pretty darned close to the Iron Man films. It's set me thinking. I reckon the Marvel movies are having an influence on the comics that begat them. But that's not new, is it?

Early a Superman comics were heavily influenced by other-media spinoffs. I remember reading somewhere that many of the most important parts of the Superman story, started off in the radio series. Am I misremembering?

Can we think of any examples where comics were mined for other media, then changed as a result?
#11
General / Peace and quiet to read
29 January, 2014, 03:00:23 AM
Tonight I read my weekly prog. It took about 10 minutes.

Marvellously,  I was only twice interrupted by my wife talking banal shite about subjects that didn't interest me.

Is this a record? Am I the world's luckiest husband?

[spoiler]I love her really. I'm mostly joking.[/spoiler]

- Trout
#12
Off Topic / Great beards of 2000AD
28 December, 2013, 02:46:04 PM
The Canadian winter has led to me growing a beard for the first time in my life. It's insulation. Unexpectedly, I'm quite enjoying it.

I found myself thinking about beards in comics. I liked that big mess that Captain America grew that time he got fired by the US government, but generally beards look crap in US comics. They're hard to colour.

But what about 2000AD and the Meg? Can we draw up a list of the best face fuzz presented by the House of Tharg?

So far I've got:

Nick Stone, Meltdown Man (offset with an eyepatch, too!)

Judge Lopez (unfairly stigmatised by Old Stoney Face)

Judge Dredd (when drawn by Frank Miller)

There must be tons that I haven't thought of. Of course, the greatest beard among the droids must be on the majestic face ofMassimo Belardinelli.

Anyone want to pitch in?
#13
Books & Comics / Astro City
18 August, 2013, 02:22:22 PM
Do we have a thread dedicated to this little gem? I could only find GN queries when I searched so I thought I would start one.

Astro City, for the few who may not know, is the creation of Kurt Busiek and Brent Eric Anderson, with covers by Alex Ross. It's a superhero comic, yes, so a bit of a guilty pleasure, but it's not really about the superheroes. Astro City focuses on the ordinary people: the innocent bystander in the interplanetary war, the sidekick hoping to be a hero, the villain whose luck has run out again. It's bloody tremendous stuff.

A new ongoing series is three issues in. I managed to pick up all three yesterday (I'm just getting back into paper comics after my big emigration disruption) and I can recommend it. It's back to its best, especially with issues two and three, after the too-long and too-dark Astro City: the Dark Age.

Is anyone else picking this up?

Anyone want to name some favourite Astro City stories?

- Trout
#14
Off Topic / Commander Chris Hadfield
13 May, 2013, 02:27:48 PM
I find it difficult to express how cool this man is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaOC9danxNo

Yes, that's a spaceman singing Space Oddity in space. For me, it's almost as cool as the nuclear powered robot that humans put on Mars so that it could shoot its laser at things. Incredible.
#15
General / Which Brits WEREN'T Tharg's droids?
06 May, 2013, 10:45:34 PM
This question's been on my mind these past few days. Are there any successful British comic creators who have never done work for 2000AD or the Meg?

Obviously, creators who got their break in the industry before 1977 wouldn't count. But I reckon very few people have avoided the House of Tharg. Neil Gaiman did a few Future Shocks and even Warren Ellis had one story printed in the Meg.

Who slipped through the net?
#16
Books & Comics / Ron Smith destroys the Forth Bridge
12 April, 2013, 02:47:54 PM
BOOOOOOOOM!




Here's an eBay find I thought the board would enjoy.

I picked up a bundle of French reprints of DC Thomson comics. They're branded as King Cobra, although you only get a few pages of Ron Smith-drawn, snake-themed superheroics and a lot of back-up strip. Mind you, the back-ups are often great fun, and include work by Redondo and yet more by Ron Smith, including the Forth Bridge destruction seen above.

One thing's for sure: this fella's not happy about it.




The story seems to be about a high-powered alien's visit to Earth. He appears to be pretty evil because he goes around destroying all sorts of landmarks, including the Scottish one above. I expect that caused much amusement in DC Thomson's Dundee offices.

The covers of these comics are all by Ron, and they're all great.




Take a look at the perspective on this one. It reminded me of a very similar scene with Judge Dredd.




Anyway, I hope everyone gets a kick out of seeing this stuff, especially with the Ron Smith signing coming up soon. The man's a genuine hero - as a Second World War Spitfire pilot - and a fascinating artist because of the quality of work he could produce at speed. My favourite thing to do in charity shops and car boot sales in the UK was to root around the old annuals in search of Ron Smith art.

I'll finish with the back cover of one of these digest-sized comics. Clearly, a French publisher had bought the reprint rights for a whole pile of characters, so we get strips from different stables all on one page. Great fun!



Sorry about the crappy pics. I had to use a phone.

Cheers

- Trout
#17
Film & TV / Hannibal: TV series
12 April, 2013, 03:46:43 AM
Is anyone else following this? Bloody hell! It's disturbing stuff.

I spent the last seven years working evenings, and that pretty much kills your interest in TV. Now I have my evenings free again, I decided to watch this - and I'm regretting it a little! The last 10 minutes of episode one were horrible, and episode two, with the [spoiler]mushrooms and diabetes sufferers[/spoiler], is a real shocker.

This show has a strong cast, pretty good writing and some great plotting. I'm hooked.

HELP.
#18
General / MONGROL SMUSH PUNY CANADIANS!
03 April, 2013, 06:15:26 PM
MONGROL IS LEAFS FAN NOW!




Yes, I received a parcel today. I understand some boarders got together to send me a housewarming gift after our move to Canada. I know Mikey was the ringleader but I don't know who else was involved. Whoever you are, you rock. What a great bunch you are. That Mikey has great leadership potential after the riots start in the UK. Smush the system!

When the 3A models were first available, I was very, very keen to get one but felt I couldn't justify it just before we moved continents. We were watching the pennies and I was also worried about the costs of getting all our stuff over here, not least because I was shipping 60 boxes of comics! So Mongrol is a very kind and thoughtful gift and I can't thank you enough.

It's often said that 2000AD fans are the nicest on the internet. I've been a member of this board for many years and I've met so many great people through it. Yes, there have been a very few... challenging... individuals but overall I know I can come here and find people of like minds and good hearts. I'm proud to be a Squaxx dek Thargo!

This is Mongrol after meeting me and my son Max, who was named after a certain wearer of pinstripes. Max is only three, so he's utterly fascinated by Mongrol but I'm keeping him out of reach!




Mongrol, meanwhile, has settled in well. He's been to Tim Hortons and has decided he's a Canadian now.




Great big thanks to you all!

- Tickled Trout
#19
General / The death of Judge Dredd by John Wagner
18 February, 2013, 10:52:42 AM
Well, I waited a couple of days to see if the news of this had circulated online, but it seems nobody's repeating it yet. So, given that it can't be a secret when it was said to a crowd of 150 people at an event which was open to the public, here we go.

John Wagner wants to write the death of Judge Dredd. He said so on Saturday at his Glasgow Film Festival talk, which also featured Colin MacNeil and was hosted by John McShane. John (Wagner) said he had asked 2000AD editorial if he could write Dredd's death scene and was told no. I got the impression the reply was polite horror.

However, Alex Garland has provided another suggestion. He told John he should write the death of Dredd then leave it with his will. That strikes me as an elegant solution, although one that I hope we do not see for many, many years.

Finally, some notes for the internet rumourmongers:

This does not mean John Wagner wants to kill off Dredd. It means he wants to write a particular story which, knowing John, won't be as simple as it looks.

Rebellion are demonstrably not planning to kill off Dredd.

There was never any suggestion that any comic was under threat in any way.

There is no suggestion of any antagonism between any of the parties involved in these conversations.

This does not mean you are getting a sequel.  ;)

- Trout
#20
Hello! With just one week to go before I move out of my house, I'm down to the last few bits and pieces I want to sell. I have been eBaying but time is now short so I thought I'd try here first. Anyone want a bargain?


Lost Girls by Alan Moore and Melinda Gebbie

Probably the perviest comic I have ever owned, this is still a very lovely set. It's the hardcover box set with a slipcase and it's in splendid condition. Be warned that its content is very adult. It's all yours for a tenner plus postage. If you want a pic or a more accurate price, let me know.


The Judge Dredd roleplaying game

This is the original one from waaaaaay back when. The little card characters have all been cut out and folded like you were supposed to, and the books and box are included. I've no idea what to ask - a token sum plus postage would seem fine.


Nintendo Wii console

This won't work in Canada so it has to go. All the bits are there, plus games including MarioKart (with steering wheel) and Just Dance. Game will give me about £40 all in so if you want to beat that price then let me know.


SNES

There's an old SNES here, too, with a couple of games. One is MarioKart which I'm told is worth a few quid. Any offers? It all worked the last time I tried it.


Other gaming stuff

I've unearthed a box with more consoles and games in it, including a PS One, PS2. It includes the Dredd games for PS One (no box or instructions) and the Dredd PS2 Game. There's also a Gameboy Advance and some other bits. Again, it's all yours for whatever you think.


I should be in Glasgow at the weekend for this night out, so I'm happy to bring any of this stuff along. This is the end of two years of clearing out my house. What an undertaking!

Cheers

- Trout