Qualifying 1: 3 - Si Spencer or Steve McManus - Ultimate not Wagner Tournament

[Colin YNWA]

Its not often, if ever that the call 'Its their writing for Tharg we asking about' will need to be called out quite so loud as  when one of these two appear. Today whose writing do you prefer for Tharg.

Si Spencer http://www.2000ad.org/?zone=droid&page=profiles&choice=SIS

or

Steve McManus http://www.2000ad.org/?zone=droid&page=thrills&Comic=2000AD&Field=Writer&choice=stevem

Whose 2000ad writing do you prefer? Voting - just add a comment here with whose work you prefer (and anything else you might wish to say to discuss their work) closes sometime Wednesday 13th May?

What the heck is all this about? https://forums.2000ad.com/index.php?topic=46406.0

Next face off starts tomorrow...

[broodblik]

Well I am not sure about any of the candidates so I will go with Steve McManus

[abelardsnazz]

Si Spencer, as Creep and Harke & Burr both had their moments. Steve McManus did write or co-write a couple of decent one-offs, but also the Rogue Trooper Hit debacle, so Spencer's level of consistency clinches it for me.

[Dark Jimbo]

I think I have to agree with abelardsnazz - Si Spencer, for being just that much more consistent.

[Bolt-01]

Si Spencer.

[Aaron A Aardvark]

Er... Spencer.

[Greg M.]

I haven't read all of Mac-1's output, but he didn't do puns about undead hamsters, so I guess I vote MacManus.

[TordelBack]

Spencer for me too.

I have a great deal of nostalglc affection for M.A.C.H. Zero, it was something I read in the first tranche of backprogs I ever scored, long before I ever set eyes on M.A.C.H. 1 and its harried grotesque and obviously doomed protagonist seemed like an excitingly different Frankensteiny prospect to clean-cut government heroes. But The Hit and B.L.A.I.R. 1 undid all that goodwill. Great editor, really loved his TMO book, but as a 2000AD writer, not a lot to love...

Spencer on the other hand delivered some personal-nostalgic oddities in Plagues of Necropolis and Masque of the Judge, Death as well as the wonderfully creepy Creep.  Never a fan of Harke & Burr, but I think the former are strong, and unique, enough to edge out McManus.

[Dandontdare]

I do like Creep and Plagues of Necrpolis, but Mach 0, Mach 1 and Shok! easily swing my vote for MacManus. I hadn't realised he also co-wrote VCs with The Notorious GFD, but let's not dwell on 3000ad

[Funt Solo]

I wonder if Steve McManus, as the Tharg of the era, is responsible for the T.M.O. / The Mighty One strips? Like Revenge of the Thrill-Suckers.

Any road: Creep was the negative side of Marmite for me. Shok! on the other hand, is not only a perfect little slice of 2000 AD, but was so good someone nabbed the idea and it got turned into a movie.

So, my vote goes for Steve McManus.

[Richard]

MacManus, for MACH Zero.

[von Boom]

Steve McManus for me.

[Proudhuff]

Si for me!

[Rogue Judge]

MacManus

[AlexF]

A fascinating pair-up! I'm a fan of much of Mac-1's writing output, especially MACH Zero, and have been an anti-fan of quite a bit of Spencer's work - but I do admire the man's ideas.
Creep, Havn, the Returners all started really strong but just got stuck up their own arses by the end.
Harke and Burr I liked all the way through. I'll suggest that he's had a LOT of help from great artists, though.

Be that as it may, I'm inclined to vote for the man with the ideas, not the man who can write competent stories using other people's characters.

So yeah, Si Spencer for me.