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New 2000 AD creators blog

Started by AlexF, 23 March, 2015, 11:19:36 AM

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Dark Jimbo

Quote from: Frank on 09 September, 2016, 06:38:09 PM
WestoNemesis would have been a more grounded but still gonzo affair, and the strip was in need of a new direction.

Nemesis and Torque are certainly a bit 'safe', but the Termight architecture is amazing and the background cast at the wedding are astonishing - the costume designs are second only to O'Neill.
@jamesfeistdraws

AlexF

Quoteits in the name of the strip
Do you know, I'd never noticed the 'indigo' bit of Indigo Prime before.

And yes to all those pointing out Weston's godly (or perhaps ungodly) Termight architecture!

I, Cosh

Quote from: AlexF on 09 September, 2016, 07:00:46 PM
Quoteits in the name of the strip
Do you know, I'd never noticed the 'indigo' bit of Indigo Prime before.
Yeah, case of me being a big dense there. Sorry about that and keep up the good work.
We never really die.

Magnetica

Chris Weston is an interesting one for me. I really didn't like his art for ages, I think primarily as I didn't like Indigo Prime or Cannon Fodder.

But now, his art is just sublime. The Dredds and covers he has done in the last two or three years have been just brilliant. I think the turning point in me liking him was Six, which remains one of my favourite ever Dredd stories, and that cover for Meg 231 is just great. That was back in 2005 and I seem to recall him not featuring for Tharg for years after that until around 2013.

Basically if we can't have Bolland in the Prog (2000 excepted) lets have more Weston.

Colin YNWA

Chris Weston is a really interesting one for me. I'd go as far as to say I actively didn't like his art when he started. It felt so lumpy and inconsistent. What Alex F calls gurning I saw as distortion. Its means that Killing Time, while a nice story has always been one of the most over-rated 'classics' in my mind, even with my love, big big love of Mr Smith.

Over the years though he's refined and developed to the extent that for that second half of his career I've gone from enjoying to out right loving what he produced. To the very zenith which was the poster in this years Summer Special. So much said in such an apparently simple image. It captures so much about what Dredd has become as a man over the years and rivals Henry Flint's bowed Dredd at the end of Day of Choas for the best ever single image representation of Dredd today.

The older he gets the better he is.

As for Ivor I almost enjoyed his Hershey, if he'd just focused on story rather than style a little more it could have been great. Molch-R it hard to know how much of an impact he's had on the comic from the outside BUT it seems the staff behind 2000ad is constantly growing (didn't he used to do all the marketing for Rebellion and 2000ad was just one of his portfolio? Don't know if that's still the case) and their product expanding each year. So someone, aside from just Matt Smith editorship, is doing a really good job... mind my money would be on Robo-Keef...

Greg M.

Quote from: Colin_YNWA on 10 September, 2016, 11:32:21 AM

The older he gets the better he is.

I'm probably going to seem a bit contrary here, but my views on Weston are almost the exact opposite of yours. His earlier stuff showed promise, and I will always love Crazy Barry, Little Mo (particularly that Prog 635 star-scan of them) but when he hit his stride in the 1990-2000 era he was untouchable. However, as he's refined his style, it's become less to my liking - less grotesque, maybe -  and that Dredd pin-up was the image of his I've liked the least, despite the undeniable talent on display.

Ah, individual taste. It's a weird thing, ain't it?

Magnetica

Quote from: Colin_YNWA on 10 September, 2016, 11:32:21 AM
Chris Weston is a really interesting one for me. I'd go as far as to say I actively didn't like his art when he started.

Yes I didn't quite phrase what I wrote like that but really that is what I meant.

Quote from: Colin_YNWA on 10 September, 2016, 11:32:21 AM
while a nice story has always been one of the most over-rated 'classics' in my mind, even with my love, big big love of Mr Smith.

This is where we differ. Firekind and the most recent series of Indigo Prime aside, I have actively disliked John Smith's writing. Heresy round here I know. But as I say, the last series of Indigo Prime was winning me round.


Quote from: Greg M. on 10 September, 2016, 12:44:31 PM
Ah, individual taste. It's a weird thing, ain't it?

Well quite.

Colin YNWA

Quote from: Greg M. on 10 September, 2016, 12:44:31 PM
Ah, individual taste. It's a weird thing, ain't it?

And one of the great joys of 2000ad fandom. We all have the commonality of loving the comic and yet the reason for that and the specific can be very very different. This is to a great bond but some very interesting discussions. I really enjoy hearing the views of those I disagree with and trying to understand why they like or don't like what I do or don't... still following this... and thus informing my opinion.

Normally when I understand the opposing view to mine I find it reenforced my opinion but with increased clarity. Occasionly the differing insight can of course change my opinion which is always fun.

Still something 2000ad fandom generally does very well... mind I keep out of the Politics Thread or avoid running Facebook when it turns out my opinion isn't popular!

AlexF


AlexF


AlexF


Frank

Quote(Luke Kirby) is always going for walks in the woods or meadows with older men, caught in that pull of wanting to grow up fast

Great read as always, Alex, but your thoughts on Kola Kommandos wander off the trail towards the end.

Great observation about Baikie's Dredd work too; if you're only going to work on a few, best make them among the most important ever published. In Mighty One, Steve MacManus remarks how weird it is that Baikie and Cam Kennedy live on the same tiny island - yet I've never even heard either man mention the other.

You'd think they would have been the equivalent of Ewins/McCarthy's Hanwell massive, swapping pages and helping out with deadlines.



ming

Quote from: Frank on 24 September, 2016, 11:45:11 AMYou'd think they would have been the equivalent of Ewins/McCarthy's Hanwell massive, swapping pages and helping out with deadlines.

Cam lives in Jim's field (in a house) and they're a stone's throw from each other...

Colin YNWA

Two absolute favourites of mine at 82 and 84. Okay so Steve Parkhouse's best work hasn't been in the Prog, though artistically he's done some stella work. No his best work as a writer was on Doctor Who and his current artist endeavours on Resident Alien are quite sublime.

Now ya Baikie, yah Baikie is out and out quality and one of the true greats of Tharg's driods. He truly should be remembered with the very best in my mind. His work on Dredd is quite gritty and brilliant, with a fine comic edge as you note. For me Skizz was the best thing Alan Moore did in the Prog (a couple of favourite Future Shocks aside I'm sure) adore it and don't dislike books 2 and particularly 3. But in New Statemen he reveals his absolute true genius. There's a panel, I think in episode 4 which is a simple rendition of one character silouetted, back to reader talking to another facing him. Its a simple not particularly significent panel but its astonishing, absolutely astonishing it conveys so much emotion and meaning. Its quite brilliant.

He's flawless and his understated style sense of character is almost unsurpassed. Just look at the picture in the article of the baby tweaking Dredd's nose he captures Dredd's straight faced frustrated dignity so perfectly. Look at the use of colour, the light hearted pinks to capture the crowd and the Judge watching on uncharacteristically relaxed as the normally fearsome Dredd is reduced as he strides past (you can feel the increase in speed in Dredd's step). The reds and oranges behind Dredd echoing is feelings. So much evoked in a relatively simple image.

I adore Jim Baikie.

AlexF