So we're well into the second half of the 1st Round and stats fans this week sees us cover 14.2% - 16.3% of the tourney over all... oh gosh... I wish I hadn't typed that... I'm sorry...
Fascinating one this - just how do you judge those Tharg the Mighty stories then - this is the actually strips named Tharg the Mighty - such great artists have done them, the idea was such fun and felt 'important' as a kid as it gave you a twisted peak behind the scenes.... But sometimes they're so god awful to actually read! Mind Universal Solider (we're not including Kelly's Eye story that span off here, that stands on its own) was a little all over the place too! I guess it comes down to...
Which most rattles your thrill-receptors:
Universal Soldier - more info (http://www.2000ad.org/?zone=thrill&page=profiles&choice=universa)
Vs.
Tharg the Mighty - more info (http://www.2000ad.org/?zone=thrill&page=profiles&choice=THARG)
Just reply in this thread naming your favourite thrill of these two series at the beginning of your post (or use Bold tags so I can spot it easily) and say what you like about these wonderful stories after that.
Match ends early on the morning of Thursday 9th December and the winner gets a place in Round 2 (of 9!!!).
What on Earth is ALL of this? (https://forums.2000ad.com/index.php?topic=48011.0)
For those that need 'um and can be bothered to follow 'um there's some simple rules (https://forums.2000ad.com/index.php?topic=48011.msg1070150#msg1070150)
Any questions, just ask as ever - and have FUN!
Universal Soldier
Tharg the Mighty
Universal Soldier was a bit all over the place and although I haven't read a Tharg story for years, I think at least some of them had a few laughs, so going with Old Green Bonce.
Tharg the Mighty.
I can't stand the Tharg stories. I recall a major WTF moment when 'Best' of 2000 AD monthly 63 was cover-to-cover Tharg stories.
Universal Soldier was no classic, but it was enjoyable enough. So that.
Tharg the Mighty has had a few amusing episodes, and quite a few were drawn by top tier artists.
Universal Soldier had three top-tier artists all doing amongst their least best work - but it's still readable and entertaining and the core story of corporate intrigue coupled with fight-chip technology and prison planets is one that should have worked, and at times it nearly does.
There are literally no good Tharg stories. Fun to glimpse a weird version of the Nerve Centre, sure, but a bigger waste of the talents of Ezquerra, Belardinelli, Dorey and poor old Eric Bradbury I can't imagine.
Universal Soldier
(One can barely even play the Alan McKenzie card here, as he likely wrote a big chunk of the later Tharg stories, too)
tharg the mighty
i miss having a factual, documentary strip in the prog.
I distinctly remember a single page of the original Universal Soldier, drawn by Will Simpson, where the main character thinks he's a feudal Japanese samurai. Despite that single sentence revealing many of the shortcomings of this thrill (I can't remember the character, the fetishisation of the concept), it does reveal that some aspect of it has truly stuck in my brain.
Despite Carlos drawing many (most? all?) of the Tharg tales, I don't think I can recall a single storyline or panel.
Quote from: credo on 06 December, 2021, 02:48:05 PM
Despite Carlos drawing many (most? all?) of the Tharg tales, I don't think I can recall a single storyline or panel.
There was some lovely work by others, inparticular Eric bradbury springs to my mind.
Quote from: Colin YNWA on 06 December, 2021, 03:02:32 PM
Quote from: credo on 06 December, 2021, 02:48:05 PM
Despite Carlos drawing many (most? all?) of the Tharg tales, I don't think I can recall a single storyline or panel.
There was some lovely work by others, inparticular Eric bradbury springs to my mind.
How could I forget!
Quote from: Link Prime on 06 December, 2021, 09:34:55 AM
Tharg the Mighty has had a few amusing episodes, and quite a few were drawn by top tier artists.
Carlos Ezquerra, Massimo Belardinelli, Eric Bradbury - what more need be said?
Quote from: The Mind of Wolfie Smith on 06 December, 2021, 10:31:56 AM
tharg the mighty
i miss having a factual, documentary strip in the prog.
Well, this more need be said - the stories illustrated by the art droids I mentioned were the ones running when I became a squaxx, and the droid versions of the creators really highlighted where the talent was. We get droid names nowadays, but the representation in the prog? Not so much.
(so my vote also goes for
Tharg the Mighty)
Tharg. Mainly because I've barely read any Universal Soldier.
TMO
Thargus Maximus - Bringer of Thrills!
I really enjoyed the Thrill Sucker stories.
Universal Soldier
Universal Soldier.
Cheers
Tharg the Mighty.
I couldn't read a whole collection of these but I seem to recall a few of these being pretty good - particularly a handful of Ezquerra drawn ones in the 400s. Pretty funny and Tharg is always at his best when he's being a massive dick.
* - one featuring the mangled remains of artdroid Psmith being rescued at the last minute from Mek-Quake so that he can draw Bad City Blue with his one remaining eye and hand.
* - one featuring the new writer droid "The Beast" being sent to the wrong publication
* - one featuring Burt being shrunk into a paperweight as he's no good as an editor: " Lots of words and pictures in 2000Ad".
The first series of Universal Soldier is one of the most cyberpunk things ever to appear in the pages of 2000ad as well as being hands down the best thing that Alan MacKenzie wrote for the prog that didn't have Luke Kirby's name attached. The introduction of Tim Kelly & his titular Eye was jarring. It came out of nowhere* & the resulting shift in the story line as well as the tone being was appositely complemented of the mighty Brett Ewins & a promising Simon Coleby delivering not their best work for the prog.
Alan Moore channeling TMO with The Shedding? Tharg the Mighty it is.
*Well yes, it was preceded by the Kelly's Eye strip in the 2000ad Action Special. But somebody forgot to tell Tharg that it was by far the weakest strip of the lot.
While I can't quite believe that Tharg is generating more goodwill than Max Brewster*, I will concede he had some hilarious covers.
(http://www.2000ad.org/covers/2000ad/hires/207.jpg)
*Now that I type in the actual character's name, I wonder if this is the heart of the problem. Alan McKenzie, champion of mediocre white men...
Tharg
So it looks like being universal won't trump being in charge of the Galaxies Greatest. One day to add your voice to the debate and I'll count up in the morning.
Ridiculous square off between 2 goodies... ugh... Tharg for the nostalgia
Tharg. I miss our little insights into the Nerve Centre, and his appalling abuse of the droids. (Poor old Psmith!) The last one I remember was a wee bit raunchier than we were used to, but no less fun for it. Other highlights for me over the years included the TV series 'Beverly Hillbillies 90210' and 'Descaling Kettles the Jim Bowen Way,' as well as Burt becoming a paperweight.
VOTING CLOSED
Interesting one and frustrating one this. Universal Soldier was a decent strip, certainly the first story and generally the Tharg stories were a bit rubbish with fantastic art...but if I'd had to vote I'd probably have gone for Tharg cos much as they are rubbish I love the idea of them. I loved the peck behind the scenes. As BPP said Tharg for the nostalgia .... as it happens I've not had to get close to voting as this one drew a lot of attention and while both got votes
Tharg the Mighty
smashed in and will be fighting thrill-suckers into the 2nd round.