2000 AD Online Forum

Anybody else wanting more than say 5 per year?
As much as i like to read series in 2000 AD i think Tharg should throw in some more, plus i imagine it would have to look more inviting to the would-be reader if there is something in there they can start and end with in the one sitting rather than buy an issue that are all mid-end series and being kinda lost.

agree? disagree?

As long as the quality is high, I would welcome such stories. The thing is, the quality is rarely high.

There have been good ones, there have even been good ones within recent memory, but they are all too often a bit poor.

Even those that are of perfectly reasonable quality often suffer from simply not being original enough. The you have to factor in the way it has to be stretched over many pages. In the old days, there were a fair few two pagers, some of them would be good to see.

Tharg's Alien Invasions were a good example of how this could work.

I also don't think they necessarily need a "Twist", they simply need to be really good, short sharp stories, nothing more, nothing less.  

And if only I had the talent, I'd be churning them out right now...

yeah i pretty much agree with everything you've written, though i can't think of any recent shorts that have actually been what i would say poor.

Is the Megazine still judge dredd universe only?
personally i'd rather a future shock/time twister etc than some 5 page TV review thing.

Future!!

Shocking....

future shocks. and there style of script are outstanding.

but quality has always been high. i like the rarity of them if it means we only get the great stuff.
its a tough call for tharg. but i feel on this level he does not let us down.

Shameless, but what the hell,

If you are feeling a lack of Future Shocks in your life, then why not try FUTUREQUAKE!

Published twice a year by the nearly award winning team at FQP, FUTUREQUAKE is choc-full of twist endings, monstrous characters and amazing storytelling from the finest talents in the small press that would say yes.

Follow the link to read some of the old issues for free, but why not buy some of the newer issues to help keep the title afloat.

Issue 10, due in May this year for only £3.50.

Pimp-01

Link: FutureQuake!

disgracefull.

disgraceful and now on my favorites browser.
i am appalled that this has been allowed to take place.

please keep me informed of such unacceptable behavior in future.

shameless it may be, but it's also quite enlightening!

I shall definitely check this out.

I've just looked at a few of the Future Quake "read online" stories and i've gotta say it's pretty damn impressive.

Once o've got myself a job again i shall definitely be buying them. Top job sir!

We aim to please*.

*For please we mean sell enough copies to cover print costs and not keep having to pump ever larger amounts of money into the running of...

Bolt-01

Once o've got myself a job again i shall definitely be buying them. Top job sir!


I wouldn't worry about that! We'll take your money even if you don't have a job!

Glad they are a rarity, very few deliver the thrills. Prefer the Bob Byrnes stuff, he's like a UK Jason.

Except he's Irish :)

- pj

 I dont rate them myself .I just see them as Filler as too often they are like last weeks for example.

 Whats to like ?


 Its a shame as the concept is good and one that may be good for up and coming writers and artists to produce short 5 page stories as one offs.


 There have been some good ones in the past but if last weeks example is anything to go by i dont care if i never read another.

Hi there Abra Cadaver

  I agree - as long as the Future Shocks are good, I'm all for more of them.  I think the recent attempts to freshen up the formula have been admirable (ie tales of telguuth, Past Imperfect, those one page Future Shocks...)

Even though I don't think many of them are that great, I like to see them pop up from time to time.

What I would suggest is that, instead of using them to pack out the end of a run of stories, why not do it the other way round, so Prog 200x always has one. That might help change the idea that they're just filler.

**Except he's Irish **

Doh!! Wait a minute, pardon my ignorance here, but if he's from Northern Ireland, which he may well not be, wouldn't my statement still be correct?  

You would indeed, Ignatz. Northern Ireland is part of The United Kingdom, but Great Britain is just England, Scotland and Wales. The island, not Ireland, as our geography teacher told us. So the UK is Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Bob is from the south which is The Republic of Ireland. We like to keep it complicated for Johnny Foreigner, what what? :)

Cosh: Good idea, its a shame Future Shocks are just filler these days when they used to be such an integral part of the prog. My mother used to read them when I was a kid, for Grud's sake! I read an interview with Christopher Nolan where he bigged up 2000AD, one of the things he mentioned were Future Shocks, and how they were like mini-Twilight Zones, and inspired him.

In total agreement here if Future Shocks or the like are done right then they can be fantastic. They have also given many writers and artists some good experience.

"oh!! Wait a minute, pardon my ignorance here, but if he's from Northern Ireland, which he may well not be, wouldn't my statement still be correct? "

No, he's from the republic.

>"oh!! Wait a minute, pardon my ignorance here, but if he's from Northern Ireland, which he may well not be, wouldn't my statement still be correct? "

If he was from Northern Ireland, your statement would be correct. But he's not, he's from the South of Ireland :)

I'm from the North of Ireland but I'm not British

what the heck?


Anyway, yes to more Future Shocks

Without getting into crazy politics, he wasn't accused of being British, he was accused of being from the UK.

Personally, I'm Northern Irish.
(And for a full breakdown on the insanity inherit in Northern Ireland's identity see

I'm just stirring

I'm an Ulsterman from the North of Ireland


yet at the same time...considered "southern"

but anyway--Futureshocks, yes please

Just taking the opportunity to check my cursory knowledge of UK politics.

Anyway, Future Shocks I can do without, but that Bob Byrne guy is excellent. He's like an IRISH Jason.

Much better.

A lot more often yes please :)

Ah yes, there's nothing quite as surreal as driving north from Derry, over the the border, up through Muff (had to get that in somehow) and on up to Malin Head, until there's nothing between you and Iceland (except maybe Barra) and reminding yourself that you're truly in the South!

Hmm... my last post was half-swallowed up somehow. But anyways... who the hell is this Jason you keep talking about?

-pj

At a guess:

Link: Is this him?

An Ulster man from the north of Ireland?

Bloody Free Staters.... ;)

That's him! Jason's stuff is brilliant. He's the Norwegian Bob Byrne :)

Give Hey wait! a try pj. It's not unlike having someone hit your heart with a chisel.

Future shocks have allowed many aspiring artist and writers to break into publishing. Long may they continue !