A wee treat: Progs 1 to 3

Tiplodocus · 18 March, 2009, 12:54:03 PM

A brief discussion at work about the weekend had another team member mentioning that he had read 2000AD when younger and still had around sixty of the first hundred progs*. Including Issues 1 to 3.

I've never read Prog 2 so he brought them in for me to have a read over at lunchtime.

The thing that amazed me most about them (and possibly this is just because we've come through a particularly "decompressed" period in the Prog) was the breakneck pace and how brilliantly and quickly they set up the scenario and introduce the main characters.

Harlem Heroes, for example, introduces the sport, the team, the team attitude, a horrific accident, three major characters, a brain in jar and a sexy nurse all in 5 pages including a pretty big splash on Page 1. Fantastic. By the end of the second episode, Giant has already assembled a replacement squad, an old legend of the game has returned, Giant saved a punk kid from certain death and we've had a bit of social comment.

The only recent thrill I can remmber that had such a great set up was INSURRECTION in The Meg. DABNETT had me rooting for the colony after one episode (though he had more pages to play with).

And I still do not understand how the concept of FLESH has not been snapped up by a movie or game producer already. It's DINOSAURS vs. COWBOYS.

Oh and Dan Dare also had me cooing over the phrase "EAT VACUUM" - first time I'd heard it.

* "I'm not sure I feel comfortable talking about this in front of other team members", he joked, "You are in danger of outing me as a geek!".

Buddy · 18 March, 2009, 04:50:41 PM

I agree totally about FLESH.

It's got HOLLYWOOD all over it and would make a fantastic film, how has this not happened yet?!

Was FLESH ever collected into a volume?

DavidXBrunt · 18 March, 2009, 04:56:19 PM

Ask that again in six months and we'll say yes, Flesh has.

Ace Garp is a particularly good example of compressed story telling. In the first episode you meet the cast, the villains, the world is explored, and a story is told. Marauder did the same in 13 weeks.

Colin YNWA · 19 March, 2009, 01:48:56 PM

Quote from: "Tiplodocus"And I still do not understand how the concept of FLESH has not been snapped up by a movie or game producer already. It's DINOSAURS vs. COWBOYS.

Agree with you on all points BUT particularly questioning why the concept of Flesh hasn't been snapped up by other media. There is and old B movie called "Valley of Gwangi" which featured cowboys fighting dinosaurs which I heard a long time ago was going to be remade. It doesn't seem like that's going to happen but you have to wonder if people were sniffing around for this type of movie why on earth they don't have a nosey at Fleash as a concept. Ho hum

Tiplodocus · 20 March, 2009, 11:51:51 AM

Yes, VALLEY OF THE GWANGI holds fond childhood memories for me. Not sure if it's actually a good film as I haven't seen it for thirty something years but the effects will be great if it was a Harryhausen. Was it meant to be an Allosaurus?

The thing about FLESH is that it has brilliant epic scope and a message already built in.

Colin YNWA · 20 March, 2009, 12:19:21 PM

Yeah its Ray Harryhausen and the effects are therefore great fun. It also warms the cockles of my heart to report that you have remembered spot on and the main dinosaur is indeed the Allosaurus my personal favourite dinosaur BAH T-Rex.

To go as far as to call it a good film would be stretching it but having seen it a few years ago it was certainly great fun and entertaining throughout. It really does feel a bit like an excuse to throw dinosaurs into the mix with cowboys, but then who's complaining and the final scene in the church are brillant as I recall. All of which furthers the arguement that a Flesh film with an even stronger concept behind it would be a rip snotter of a movie.

Devons Daddy · 31 March, 2009, 08:12:43 AM

the thing is
and it a question is worth asking.

does he realise how much those progs are worth? if he is lending them out, it suggests he may not.
most of us around here have them bagged and boarded and bought the reprints book a few years back.

if he does not realise,
:?
which are currently worth more then the interest in your saving account or the total net worth of many banks come to that.

TordelBack · 31 March, 2009, 10:42:52 AM

QuoteYes, VALLEY OF THE GWANGI holds fond childhood memories for me.

My absolute favourite film when I was a kid, before Star Wars ruined me. I've seen it loads of times since, and it holds up really well - the Quatermassish burning cathedral at the end is the business.

Tiplodocus · 31 March, 2009, 12:20:10 PM

Well he knows what they are worth now because I told him. (Not a lot, no free gifts and not exactly in great condition).

He does have the banned Cursed Earth progs as well - and they are in better nick becuase they are a bit further down the pile.

BPP · 01 April, 2009, 10:01:33 PM

1970s comics tended to be very abrupt in their telling (THERES AN AGENT - BAMM - THERES A SHIP - BAMM - THERES A GERT BIG MISSLE - BAMM THERES DISASTER!!! - next week... WHO IS THE SEXY LADY??) - like 3 panel strips expanded over 4 pages - whereas now there is more use of cinematic devices - information imparted in looks between characters over successive panels, motifs repeated, movement through panoramas....

Gibbons was making much the same point in Imagine FX this month when he said that on first moving to american comics they were so damm slow (but yet uncomplicated) compared to 2000AD where it was action action action.

dweezil2 · 01 April, 2009, 10:31:29 PM

Quote from: "BPP"1970s comics tended to be very abrupt in their telling (THERES AN AGENT - BAMM - THERES A SHIP - BAMM - THERES A GERT BIG MISSLE - BAMM THERES DISASTER!!! - next week... WHO IS THE SEXY LADY??) - like 3 panel strips expanded over 4 pages - whereas now there is more use of cinematic devices - information imparted in looks between characters over successive panels, motifs repeated, movement through panoramas....

Gibbons was making much the same point in Imagine FX this month when he said that on first moving to american comics they were so damm slow (but yet uncomplicated) compared to 2000AD where it was action action action.

And that sir, is why it's the galaxy's greatest comic!

BPP · 01 April, 2009, 10:49:41 PM

Quote from: "dweezil2"
Quote from: "BPP"

And that sir, is why it's the galaxy's greatest comic!

Innit just.
2000AD is a weekly sex-wee.

Waddie · 14 April, 2009, 05:32:51 PM

Quote from: "Devons Daddy"does he realise how much those progs are worth? if he is lending them out, it suggests he may not.
most of us around here have them bagged and boarded and bought the reprints book a few years back.

He might not know what they're worth, but I'd say he has a better sense of their value.