Pitchfork article about the galaxies greatest

[philt]

Don't agree with the misty eyed view that 2000ad isn't as good as it was during the "golden years" but an interesting article anyway

Link: http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/42261-column-poptimist-3" target="_blank">2000AD itself, though beloved and often excellent,

[IndigoPrime]

Mm. While there is something to be said for the immediacy of classic 2000 AD, a lot of stuff from that time doesn't hold up well now, as a quick flick through many of the EEs proves. Still, any publicity is good publicity, and two of his three choices of collections would definitely be in my Rebellion top-five (Stronty Dog and Nemesis).

[Bolt-01]

That's pretty good actually.

Bolt-01

[Bad Andy]

I wonder with all this talk about the prog now being full of painted strips and having a massive lead time, the reviewer has picked up an issue in the last few years.

Nice article mind.

[Funt Solo]

One thing I fucking hate is how Mark "Lowest Common Denominator" Millar, one of the worst creators ever to wipe his pustulent arse all over 2000AD, gets bigged up in modern press (including the Megazine recently, for Grud's sake) about his toothy roots.

He was one of the worst things to happen to 2000AD, I thank fuck he left and I rejoice in the fact that I've never had to read anything by him since, nor ever will.

Given that, I wasn't willing to read past the second paragraph of the article as it continued to wank his ego.

[IndigoPrime]

It is strange. By all means big-up Morrisonâ??at least he contributed Zenithâ??or Moore, or all the great artists (Bolland, Fabry, et al). But Millar? Aside from 'Long Distance Calls', I can't think of anything he did for 2000 AD that was really good, and even downgrading to merely 'good' only makes me think of (some of) the first Red Razors series, bits of Maniac 5, and Canon Fodderâ??hardly classic 2000 AD.

[Freakytrigger]

Hello - I wrote the article in question, glad some of you enjoyed it.

The reason I used Millar as an example of the 2000 style is that Pitchfork is a US zine and Civil War was a big deal there, so I pragmatically thought it might get a few people to read on. (If Pitchfork wasn't a music zine with very occasional comics articles I'd have explored more how Millar's pastiche of the 2000AD style had really alienated a lot of US comics fans.)

I'm not a massive Millar fan by any means - he's entertaining but I think he takes the cynicism that little bit too far, there's never much heart in his stuff.

Re. Classic vs New 2000: Yes, there was a lot of dreadful old nonsense in old 2000 AD and I didn't stress that. The comic nowadays is a much more sophisticated and well-produced package and the standards of writing generally higher: you could say the same of the US comics biz. I think neither of them are capable of the moments of demented excitement they once were. That's not a reflection on the current comic - you can't go home again.

Guilty as charged re. the comic having moved on from the painted years. If I rewrote it I'd take that whole elegiac bit out, it's a bit lazy.

Thanks for reading, anyway!

[johnnystress]

Good article Freakytrigger

[thinky]

Canon Fodderâ??hardly classic 2000 AD.

*awaits the monarch's spirited reply*

thinky

[TordelBack]

What a good piece.  If I wasn't already a squaxx, I'd be picking up a Prog (and/or the recommended collections) sharpish after reading that.  Few enough modern-era stories fit the archetype so lovingly described here, but I'd offer Lobster Random, London Falling, Shakara, Go Machine, The Shadow Warriors and Stickleback as some recent offerings that have that hit-and-run pack-in-the-madness feel to them.  Not uncoincidentally, some of my favourite strips of recent years...

[paulvonscott]

Damn the Ewing Family and their Thrill Empire, where is the Cliff Barnes of Zrag when you need him?

Nicely different view point in the article.

All I know about Civil War I've just read there, but it sounds like someone read the Keane Act bit in Watchmen ans said there, that'll do for an idea for our series.

[JOE SOAP]

I thought the last series of Low Life was the closest new thing to classic 2000AD I've yet seen.

[Byron Virgo]

Is that classic in the sense of 'Angel' or 'Colony Earth'?

[JOE SOAP]

Classic in the sense of Sam Slade or Ace Garp type humour.