Some alternative 2000AD history

SuperSurfer · 12 May, 2009, 12:04:20 AM

Don't know if this has been mentioned round these parts (apologies if it has) but I recently came across the Comic Vine website. Worth checking it out I reckon.

Interesting to see the covers of the Eagle, 'Quality' and Fleetway 2000AD reprints for the US market which I don't see on Barney. (I say nick their images Wake as it seems that they have nicked Barney's.)

I think the first Eagle Comics versions were excellent with brilliant original covers by 2000AD greats. The cover designs, while nothing groundbreaking were solid and well considered. I have all of them I think.
http://www.comicvine.com/judge-dredd/49-3284/

http://www.comicvine.com/2000-ad-monthly/49-3702/

Then the comics moved to Quality Comics and Fleetway and I think it is fair to say that things went downhill to say the least. Some very, very ropey front covers there. I gave up after the Eagle Comics period. The Quality Comics have to be some of the most poorly produced comics ever. I remember the bad quality printing and stretched internal artwork. Criminal.
http://www.comicvine.com/judge-dredd/49-3928/

The Nemesis reprints were a treat as Kevin O'neill added frames to the internal artwork for the taller format of the reprints. And his covers were outstanding.
http://www.comicvine.com/nemesis-the-warlock/49-3423/

Spellbinders? What on Earth were they thinking?
http://www.comicvine.com/spellbinders/49-3762/

The site is not intuitive so worth clicking around and using the search box for different 2000AD related stuff.

SuperSurfer · 12 May, 2009, 12:06:28 AM

Ah, there's an image of Thoth in an egg. I was looking for reference material of baby Thoth for the Easter Egg art thread and gave up.

SuperSurfer · 12 May, 2009, 12:21:21 AM

Darn it! Meant to add this topic in General.

Buddy · 12 May, 2009, 12:22:55 AM

Those McMahon Dredd covers are outstanding!

The one with Fergie smackin Dredd with the bat is one of my all time fave covers of all time.

I think Rufus has the original of that.

I, Cosh · 12 May, 2009, 12:25:24 AM

Aye. All those Bolland covers were cracking.

Barney can always help...

SuperSurfer · 12 May, 2009, 12:32:53 AM

Yes, Uncle Umpty, the Dredd/Fergie cover is a classic.

Ah, thanks Cosh, I thought they weren't on Barney.

My only problem with the Eagle Comics series (and I guess that counts for the subsequent ones) was that the episode headings and the 'next prog...' captions were removed to make for a continuous uninterrupted read which I guess had to be done for the US marked. But this seemed to mess up the flow of the stories.

IndigoPrime · 12 May, 2009, 10:04:06 AM

I used to get some of the Quality Comics ones as a kid, and some of them seemed to start or end abruptly. It was only later that I discovered they used to remove final pages (especially if the original was a half-page) almost at random, and often 'started' series part-way into the original 2000 AD series.

Things got a little better towards the end, but even the two-issue Armitage is missing a two-page spread.

Peter Wolf · 12 May, 2009, 10:13:29 AM

I remember buying and reading a few of these back in the late 80s or whenever it was but i was put off by the artwork that had been compressed and distorted so it would fit the page and the horrible colouring that was added to the B+W strips just to supposedly make them more readable for the US market.The quality of the reproduction of the artwork that had been compressed was the worst i have ever seen.