Space Spinner 2000AD

[Lobo Baggins]

Damn, just looked at one of those and they dubbed him with a posh upper class voice! (There are clips of the Star Wars original rushes that are hilarious though)

They use his real voice in the later ones - not to mention some of the ones from the eighties had a voice over by Ian 'The Emperor' McDiarmid...

I haven't read Wolfie Smith in decades, but I think yeah it doesn't have the violence of MACH 1 or the more interesting aspects like the Vagrant Army of MACH Zero.

Wolfie Smith's biggest problem is that both of his stories have three or four episodes worth of plot (at most!) that are stretched over some fifteen episodes each.

More importantly it's taking up a slot which Strontium Dog could be sitting in...

Aww, the other things Carlos was busy drawing more-or-less make up for that!

[Steve Green]

You mean that episode of Rick Random, yeah?

[Lobo Baggins]

You mean that episode of Rick Random, yeah?

Hey, now, that was the best thing about Rick Random!  Vanda Lane gets unbelievably hot for a couple of panels.  Anyway, that was L. J. Silver, who may or may not be a Spanish pirate...

[SpaceSpinner2000]

Aww, the other things Carlos was busy drawing more-or-less make up for that!

You mean that episode of Rick Random, yeah?

This is a extremely savage burn! But seriously, I tend to agree, inbetween Journey to Hell and Death's Head Ezquerra drew two Stainless Steel Rat chapters, Fiends of the Eastern Front, and a bunch of Tharg one-offs, plus feared pirate Long John Silver drew the Golgotha section of ABC Warriors (Robots vs armored T-Rexs!). It's pretty good output, imo!

[Steve Green]

I'd forgotten about the Rat.

Seemed pretty unusual to rest what I imagined was a top-tier (even if a relatively new import) for a year, and have one of your top droids working on a WW2 vampire story, (an odd fit for 2000AD) + disposable tharg stories etc.

I guess it could have been the scripts weren't ready.

What's weird is that Stainless Steel Rat is well-liked, and Rick Random isn't much, despite them both originating from Harry Harrison.

I guess the Rat is much more fun, and feels less retro?

[matty_ae]

Just listened to the first episode. Love the English focus group impressions. Very funny.
Will listen to more.

[SpaceSpinner2000]

What's weird is that Stainless Steel Rat is well-liked, and Rick Random isn't much, despite them both originating from Harry Harrison.

I guess the Rat is much more fun, and feels less retro?

I think that's it. SSR feels very modern with its fourth wall breaking first person narration and incredibly fast action pace. Plus I'd bet in terms of source material Harrison may have worked harder on a novel (Rat) than a comic strip (Random).

That said, in these early Progs any time they aren't publishing Strontium Dog and Robo-Hunter stories I feel like the prog isn't living up to it's full potential!

Just listened to the first episode. Love the English focus group impressions. Very funny.
Will listen to more.

Those kids love their cowboys and dinosaurs! We try to keep our English accents as broad and ridiculous as possible!

[Steve Green]

Talking of broad and ridiculous accents, you'll have to meet Pete Wells one of these days...

[Lobo Baggins]

What's weird is that Stainless Steel Rat is well-liked, and Rick Random isn't much, despite them both originating from Harry Harrison.

I guess the Rat is much more fun, and feels less retro?

I think that's it. SSR feels very modern with its fourth wall breaking first person narration and incredibly fast action pace. Plus I'd bet in terms of source material Harrison may have worked harder on a novel (Rat) than a comic strip (Random).

I don't think that any of the Rick Random stories that are reprinted in the annuals and specials are actually written by Harry Harrison - plus Random is from the fifties and Slippery Jim first appeared in 1961.

Anyway, the weirdest thing about The Riddle of the Astral Assassin is that it seems, somehow, even more old fashioned than the fifties stories in the reprints!

[Lobo Baggins]

Talking of broad and ridiculous accents, you'll have to meet Pete Wells one of these days...

Careful, now, I hear (from a friend of a friend) that if you go on the internets and say 'Pete Wells' three times on a podcast, he'll toorn up in just his pants...

[The Monarch]

Quack quack volgs

[Steve Green]

Talking of broad and ridiculous accents, you'll have to meet Pete Wells one of these days...

Careful, now, I hear (from a friend of a friend) that if you go on the internets and say 'Pete Wells' three times on a podcast, he'll toorn up in just his pants...

Naw, would be naked painted blue, Doctor ManMackem.

[SpaceSpinner2000]

In our thrilling thirty-eighth episode Fox and Conrad continue their journey through the Galaxy's Greatest Comic with the Dan Dare Annual 1980. Join us for comics from deep in the Fleetway Vault, and a holiday themed robot brawl that seems to be mostly about late 70s labor relations! Also we continue to out ourselves as dumb Americans by our dislike of reading words not accompanied by pictures!

http://cradeline.com/space-spinner-2000/2017/6/8/space-spinner-2000-ep-38
iTunes
Google
Stitcher
Or on your favorite podcast app!
 
Please let me know what you think of the episode! I'm also very interested to hear any insights/observations about the infamous Holiday Party story in this annual!

[Leigh S]

I'm not the greatest fan of the early progs in the same way as I am "my" Era (or at least Starlord onwards era!), so I was wary of starting from the beginning - 38 episodes already!  Shouldn't have worried - already on Episode 4! Great stuff

[Pyroxian]

It's kinda fun reading the episodes they're about to review before listening. Or at least the ones that I can - where's that darn MACH 1 collection...