Devlin Waugh in the prog

[Richard]

Barrington -- you're not wrong there, but I think there was a bit more to it than that.

[Link Prime]

I always saw SIB as the zippy Hollywood movie, but Herod as a horrifying multi-season take on the character.

Good analogy.

And for what its worth, I have read and enjoyed other stuff by McConville and Kot - but:

The reality is that Devlin and Indigo is John Smith.

[Barrington Boots]

Barrington -- you're not wrong there, but I think there was a bit more to it than that.

Yes, gross oversimplification from me in fairness.
I will give SIB a re-read before I choose this as my hill to die on.

[broodblik]

I just completed the collection "Swimming in Blood". I enjoyed the "Herod" arc especially the art of Steve Yeowell. I am now inclined to make abroad statement that this was Steve's finest work that I have seen. The "Swimming in Blood" story felt weaker rereading after so many years. Still it was a great trip down memory-lane. John Smith please come back and do more Devlin and Indigo.

[IndigoPrime]

I wonder if that's even possible. I've no idea what state the Smith/Rebellion relationship is in these days. I'd hope there would be space for him in the Prog and that he'd be keen to write again, but I wouldn't necessarily bank on both of those being true. I'd be thrilled to be proven wrong though. (I'm also stoked to see so much John Smith in the Hachette extension.)

[Richard]

I don't think they fell out, he just stopped writing and Rebellion stopped waiting for him and moved on. I assume if he wanted to resume, Rebellion would let him.

[IndigoPrime]

Perhaps. He seemed pretty chilled about things on Facebook, noting that things hadn't gone how he'd have written them, but that's down to the writers to do whatever they want. He also didn't get annoyed about other writers having a crack at his characters. The one thing that annoyed him — as it did me — was wrapping up all the background mystery in Devlin Waugh. (I'm not sure we should have ever had a resolution to that kind of thing. Comics/films/etc. need to learn that you don't need to explain everything.)

[Link Prime]

Perhaps. He seemed pretty chilled about things on Facebook, noting that things hadn't gone how he'd have written them, but that's down to the writers to do whatever they want. He also didn't get annoyed about other writers having a crack at his characters.

That is promising to hear.
Would be great to have some more of his unique contribution to 2000AD.
He's relatively very young too, compared to some of his contemporary Script Droids - no reason to believe he won't be back one day.

[DrJomster]

Another thumbs up for the Chasing Herod / Reign of Frogs / Sirius Rising stories. Top thrillage indeed! Very cinematic.

[13school]

I don't think they fell out, he just stopped writing and Rebellion stopped waiting for him and moved on. I assume if he wanted to resume, Rebellion would let him.

IIRC Smith said on FB that he'd finally started writing the next episode of his long delayed Indigo Prime series, Matt Smith left a message on his post saying "get in touch with me immediately" and that was how he found out they'd given the story to someone else to finish writing.

So no, it doesn't seem like Rebellion would let him resume, which is a real shame.

[IndigoPrime]

This needs to be understood in context. Matt said on Facebook he brought in Kek-W because John hadn't replied to any emails in 18 months. He was then at that point given six months' notice that another writer would be put on the strip if nothing was delivered. Nothing arrived; Kek-W was given Indigo Prime. We subsequently discovered this aligned with a truly horrible time in John Smith's life, and he'd gone to ground and was presumably not in a position to communicate with others.

Matt's noted that at the best of times, John's filing of content was sporadic, but it seems that once he finally provided episode one of something, he saw it through within a reasonable timeframe. Him therefore delivering a few episodes of Indigo Prime and then vanishing was out of character. But that he didn't then respond at all is what caused the change in writer. I of course have sympathy for John Smith, given the circumstances, but also for 2000 AD, who, quite reasonably, figured that after two years and no communication whatsoever that they might never hear from John again, and yet had art in the bank. (Even in the 1980s, you didn't want paid-for work hanging around unused forever. In recent years, that's just a big hole in your budget.)

However, none of the above necessarily means bridges have been burned. We don't know what, if any, communication about comics writing has existed between the two since then, nor what Matt's thinking is on whether John could/should write for the Prog again. Online and very publicly, things appear reasonable and cordial. As noted, John stated he was fine with other people playing with his toys (compare that to Pat Mills), although expressed disappointment with how some of the narrative had been handled (notably in Waugh — and I don't think he was alone in that). Matt has more than once said very positive things about John's work as a whole. So who knows? Presumably, only Matt and John.

[Barrington Boots]

Having been scorned by all for a negative opinion I've completed my re-read of Swimming in Blood.

My opinion is the same and different. The atmosphere in the story is excellent and the story is horrible. Good horrible, that is. It's classic John Smith really, unsettling and grotesque. Great stuff and not much praise I can give this that's not already been said.

Waugh as a character here I still think is the issue for me. He's a brilliant idea, but a bit one note - I get that he's unflappable, but he doesn't need to be banging on about muffins and whatnot the whole way through. There's a repeated motif where someone will get upset or something terrible will happen and he'll suggest it's time for a quick bit of snuff or a charleston. He actually comes across as very, very callous - in fact he reminds me of old Doctor Who arcs where the Doctor would wander about tutting at things and appearing to not contribute much whilst the supporting cast meets a grisly fate one by one, until finally getting into gear and wrapping things up at the end. I find him a very unlikeable protagonist and therefore the story a bit of an unpleasant read (which may be the point)
So... not a bad story, but not one for me!

I'm not sure when I 'get into' him as a character as I love him by the time Herod rolls around. I have read Red Tide but I don't remember anything about it, so should read that next I guess.

And just generally, would love to see John Smith back working for Tharg at some point.