Something 2000ad has done and nothing else has?

Jayzus B. Christ · 27 November, 2002, 05:46:56 PM

There has been a lot of talk on this board about how 2000ad has become an adult comic. Fair enough; I say, I'm not about to start arguing (again) about whether it should or shouldn't.(Alright, so more swearing, nudity and ultraviolence may not always be considered more 'adult'; but it has to be said the stories aren't always aimed at kids any more, and they were when 2000ad started).
What I'm wondering is, has there been any other comic, magazine, TV series, series of films or similar that did what 2000ad did, ie. started out as a kids' thing and then matured with its audience? I know Batman and so on put out the odd graphic novel for adults; and I know that other DC / Marvel comics disappeared for years and suddenly returned as 'Mature Readers' jobs, but I really can't think of anything that changed gradually with its readership.

djok · 27 November, 2002, 05:52:03 PM

i agree totaly this comic has seemed to grow with its readers but is this a good thing from a publishers point of veiw no new readers but from a readers view the stories will get better and better (hopefully)

djok ;-)

JimBob · 27 November, 2002, 05:53:43 PM

The Daily Express, strange but true. It was a very good investigative newspaper which seemed to age with it's readership until in the 1980s it had a huge OAP readership and was declining in numbers bought by all other age groups, it became the Daily SAGA.

paulvonscott · 27 November, 2002, 05:56:01 PM

Yeah, the stories have just got better and better...

Where was I?

Yeah, I thought the Radlanders and the Girlfriend story were pretty good stories aimed at a more mature group. But usually I think adult means tits and swearing, or well, boring.

Jayzus B. Christ · 27 November, 2002, 05:57:33 PM

Jesus wept! I wasn't expecting that. What was the original age group of the Daily Express' readership?

JimBob · 27 November, 2002, 05:59:50 PM

Dont have the figures to hand it was something I looked into during my politics A level, the effect of media on voting yadda yadda yadda, but it was fairly conclusive IIRC

djok · 27 November, 2002, 06:02:50 PM

pvs is right but why is adult have to be all tits swearing and sh*t

Oddboy · 27 November, 2002, 06:03:02 PM

2000AD grew up pretty quickly though - started treating its readers with adult respect from fairly early on.
I'd say that it's only fairly recently become a comic for adults.

JimBob · 27 November, 2002, 06:04:29 PM

"tits swearing and sh*t " yeah i agree up to point it'ld be nice to have a mass market mens magazine which didnt look like a porn mag for men who cant reach the top shelf.

paulvonscott · 27 November, 2002, 06:07:05 PM

Thats a good point Oddboy, the abilty to work on more than one level as well is another, and addressing serious issues in a non patronising and entertaining way (it was more patronising when it was going for the late teen group strangely enough).

Also the enthusiasm was more infectious then.

djok · 27 November, 2002, 06:09:09 PM

oddboys right but what about the megazine i know nearly every body hated preacher but it had its good points like when granny gets hold of him and when he was growing up

Trout · 27 November, 2002, 06:13:50 PM

"The Daily Express, strange but true. It was a very good investigative newspaper which seemed to age with it's readership until in the 1980s it had a huge OAP readership and was declining in numbers bought by all other age groups, it became the Daily SAGA."

Sadly, the board's fish-based newspapermen can confirm that's pretty much every newspaper.

Tabloids aside, more and more people from the holy grail of socio-economic groupings, the 18 to 35-year-olds, prefer electronic media or simply don't give a damn what's going on in the world.

Quick survey: Which newspapers do our boarders buy regularly; ie most editions?

- Trout

Tu-plang · 27 November, 2002, 06:14:20 PM

Does anyone else think it's sort of stupid splitting the epics into two books? It's something they never did by the early 90s, and Hamlyn didn't either. Why not 'the complete Necropolis' of about 220 pages? Why not 'the Complete Horned God'? Splitting the story especially like Horned God into such wierd parts is unnecaserry.

JimBob · 27 November, 2002, 06:18:52 PM

agree with that Trout, good to see the Express is leading in something for once.
I used to read the Mail but sometimes it made me me feel I was reading Brownshirt monthly sometimes. I am now happily returned to her magesties Daily Telegraph. I know all you art student pinkos read the Guardian, but hell every one needs a token tory : )

paulvonscott · 27 November, 2002, 06:23:19 PM

Yeah, I buy the guardian, on a saturday, but rarely get past the TV guide. So I probably get my TV listings and films viewed from a socialist standpoint, I can live with that.