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If you have a warped sense of humour, try the following site:

http://www.candyboots.com/wwcards.html

davidbishop

Link: http://www.candyboots.com/wwcards.html" target="_blank">http://www.candyboots.com/wwcards.html

According to Variety, Viggo (Aragorn in Lord of the Rings) Mortensen has signed to play the lead in David Cronenberg's film adaptation of the excellent John Wagner graphic novel A History of Violence.

davidbishop

Morning all. I need help identifying the first appearances of the following judges, most of whom are Council of Five members...

Judge McTighe
Judge Niles
Judge Hollister
Judge Ramos
Psi Judge Shenker

Thanks!

davidbishop

Dang! There's some mighty fine art in the new ish. Classy Ezquerra on Dredd, Simon Coleby and PJ Holden making good use of greytones on a Future Shock and Rogue Trooper respectively, and I'm warming to John Lucas on Valkyries.

But Andy Clarke just gets better and better. And Gary Caldwell's colouring? Take a bow.

A crackin' way to start the day.

davidbishop

Going on holiday to New Zealand soon and need to rustle up some extra spending money. So, sadly, I am flogging some original 2000 AD and Megazine art from my private collection. Five pages are now up on ebay, including Jason Brashill's Venus Blue Genes cover from Prog 979, Cliff Robinson's Dredd cover from Meg 4.08, a B&W page from Rain Dogs by Colin Wilson and a page of painted Trevor Hairsine strip art from The Three Amigos - the splash image where Judge Death tries to seize control of Mean Machine's puny brain.

Starting prices are between 29.99 and 59.99. Wake's already leapt in with bids on three of the five pages...

Here are the links if anyone is interested...

2000AD Original art RAINDOGS Colin Wilson (ebay item 2201682383)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2201682383&category=972&rd=1

2000AD Original art DREDD Trevor Hairsine (ebay item 2201683762)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2201683762&category=972&rd=1

2000AD #979 Original cover art JASON BRASHILL  (ebay item 2201685041)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2201685041&category=972&rd=1

JUDGE DREDD Original cover art CLIFF ROBINSON  (ebay item 2201685649)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2201685649&category=972&rd=1

JUDGE DREDD Original cover art MARK WILKINSON  (ebay item 2201686450)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2201686450&category=972&rd=1

davidbishop

Link: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2201685649&category=972&rd=1" target="_blank">http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2201685649&category=972&rd=1

Can some kindly soul save me rummaging through hundreds of backprogs and tell who is currently the Judge in charge of the MC-1 SJS?

Logan? Anyone?

davidbishop

Having noted another thread on this forum, might I suggest some other candidates for the title of Worst Prog Ever? All offered with a smile...

Prog 611 - Dredd, Zippy Couriers, Night Zero, Future Shock, reprint strip
Prog 623 - Dredd, Tales from the Doghouse, Medivac 318, Future Shock, Future Shock
Prog 827 - Dredd, Kelly's Eye, Future Shock, Bradley's Bedtime Stories, Robo-Hunter (Millar & Ron Smith)
Prog 973 - Dredd, Kid Cyborg, Parasites, Vector 13, Flesh: Chronocide
Prog 1063 - Dredd, SinDex, A Liff Less Ordinary, Space Girls, Vector 13

A week or two back I asked if anyyone here wanted to rummage through their memories of Battle Picture Weekly for a forthcoming series of articles in the Megazine. Some people kindly responded and have been contacted.

But I thought I'd give everyone the chance to pitch in  on this, so here are questions covering the comic's first two years of publishing - Mar 75 to Feb 77.

If you want to contribute, you could put up your responses here or just email them to me directly via the website. Everybody ready? Here goes...

+++++++++++++++++++++

Here are some questions about the first two years of Battle. If you can?t remember something, just say so and move on. I?m looking for your strong memories ? characters that stood out, favourite covers, classic images, shocking story moments or brilliant cliffhangers ? that sort of thing. Tell me your fondest memories of Battle, how you bought, did you enter competitions, did you trace pictures from inside it, did you share the comic with friends, why you liked it.

Basically, personal anecdotes springing from your memories of Battle. You don?t have to answer all the questions below ? they are simply designed to help prompt your memories?

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The first issue of BPW went on sale March 1975 ? what made you pick it up? What comics were you reading at the time? Did you read DC Thomson?s rival comic Warlord? How did it compare with Battle?

The launch line-up of strip was D-Day Dawson, Lofty?s One-Man Luftwaffe, The Flight of the Golden Hide, Battle Honours, Day of the Eagle, The Bootneck Boy, Rat Pack and The Terror Behind the Bamboo Curtain ? which of these were your favourites? Why?

Which strips didn?t you like from this line-up? Why?

What stood out most from those early issues?

Issue 13 brings the first wave of new strips ? Coward?s Brand on Bradley, The Fortrose Falcon and the Battle Badge of Bravery one-offs. What can you remember about these?

Seven weeks later there?s another new strip, King of the Yanks ? recollections about this?

August 1975 brings They Can?t Stop Bullet! ? writer? Artist? Several Battle strips were obviously inspired by films ? Steve McQueen in The Great Escape for Bullet!, Rat Pack = Dirty Dozen, Day of the Jackal for Day of the Eagle ? a great tradition continued in Action etc?

Issue 27 launches Sergeant Without Stripes ? good? Bad? Indifferent?

November 1975 brought three new strips ? Destroyer, Y for Yellow Squadron and Merrill?s Marauders. Which was the best of these and why?

Major Eazy starts in January 1976 ? how different was it from other Battle strips? Were you a fan of it? What did you like best about it?

February brings two new strips ? Ryan?s Revenge and Cold Steele ? memories?

Fighter from the Sky begins, telling stories from German POV ? how did you feel about that?

Another new strip in April 1976 was The Team That Went to War, about a football team that goes to war. Recollections of this?

Hold Hill 109 was a short but very bleak tale. Was Battle?s brutal realism too much sometimes?

Rattling Rommel ? a short-lived strip about a truck with mind of its own ? memories of this?

Issue 77 brings a raft of new stories and old favourites return. Back in action ? D-Day Dawson. This strip was almost a precursor to Rogue Trooper, one soldier on a quest. How did you feel about it?

Let?s talk about Darkie?s Mob, currently being reprinted in the Megazine. Did it stand out from the other strips in Battle when it was first published? Why?

Three other new strips ? Yellow Jack (coward who fights to satisfy his greed), the Unknown Soldier (amnesiac soldier) and Operation Shark (boys in Nazi-occupied Channel Islands). What?s your strongest memory of these?

October 1976 ? Valiant merges into Battle ? how did you feel about that change?

New additions to Battle ? One-Eyed Jack, Soldier Sharp and The Black Crow ? did any of these strips become new favourites with you?

Also, a new strip ? Panzer G-Man. How strong was that?

D-Day Dawson finally dies ? did you mourn his passing?

January 1977 brings issue 100 and the first Battle crossover ? Major Easy vs Rat Pack. What can you recall about that story?

New strip ? Joe Two Beans ? Native American fights in WWII ? but he doesn?t speak for 11 issues ? unusual gimmick ? what did you think of that?

Other new strip ? Johnny Red ? this became Battle?s longest running series ? why do you think that was?

In February 1977 2000 AD was launched ? did you buy the new weekly? How did 2000 AD compare to Battle during its early weeks ? which was better? Why?

That?s enough questions for now!

David Bishop.

As readers of the Megazine already know, a new series of feature articles is being planned, following on from the success of the 2000 AD history, Thrill-Power Overload.

The articles will focus on Battle Picture Weekly and will include interviews with creators and editorial staff who worked on this 2000 AD precursor.

What I am looking for is former Battle readers (including those who are now comics professionals, natch) who are willing to be interviwed via email about their memories of the comic, its stories and characters.

I can't pay for the interviews, but you might well see your name and recollections in print.

If you are willing, register your interest here and I'll be in touch presently.

Thanks!

davidbishop

Whoops of delight all round as I have just finished the final article for Thrill-Power Overload. TPO #15 stretches from Prog 1191 to the 25th anniversary and covers the move to Rebellion and lots of juicy stuff. I won't say more, lest I be in danger of boring Floyd Kermode in six months' time! ;-)

But it's a doozy.

Just got my advance copy of Meg 4.18 and it's the f**king business. Just the Durham Red strip along will take you twenty minutes to read all the asides.

davidbishop

I just paid ?10 for issues 2-68 of The New Eagle (it's research, that's my excuse). Five minutes later somebody paid ?302 for issues 1-82 of Misty.

Yikes! It's ebay madness!

davidbishop

For reasons I can't explain yet, I need to canvas opinion about the Dredd mega-epics. This might be better as a poll, but I'm putting it here in the meantime.

Below is a listing of all the Dredd stories lasting more than twelve episodes (or longer than 72 pages). Please forgive any inaccuracies regarding prog numbers and yes, I have left out Mega-Rackets as that was a collection of stories under a generic banner rather than a story lasting more than 12 parts IMHO.

Anyway, could those here kindly give each story a personal rating out of five - one being the worst rating, five being the best. Thanks!

davidbishop

Cursed Earth (Progs 61-85)
Judge Cal (Progs 86-108)
Judge Child ? (Progs 156-181)
Block Mania/Apocalypse War (Progs 245-270)
City of the Damned Progs 393-406)
Oz (Progs 545-570)
Necropolis (Progs 674-699)
Judgement Day (Progs 786-799 & Meg 2.04-2.09)
Mechanismo (Meg 2.12-2.17 & 2.22-2.26 & 2.37-2.43)
Wilderlands (Progs 904-915 & Meg 2.63-2.67)
The Pit (Progs 970-999)
Fetish (Meg 3.26-3.30)
The Hunting Party (1033-1049)
Doomsday (Progs 1141-1164 & Meg 3.52-3.59)
Sin City (Progs 1289-1299)

Start rating now!

A big thank you to all those who sent me bakground material for the 2000 AD History articles - esp. Leigh Shepherd, you're a star.

However, I need more help - specifically, Alan Moore help. Does anyone have copies of the original Titan albums that individually collected Books One, Two & Three of The Ballad of Halo Jones? If so, would they be willing to photocopy the introductions and send them to me?

I already have the collected edition, but this only uses extracts from the original pieces by Moore. Sadly, copies of original Titan albums have long since gone walkabout from the 2000 AD offices.

So, can anyone help me?

davidbishop

Hello everyone!

I'm David Bishop. You may remember me from editing 2000 AD, the Judge Dredd Megazine and various other publications.

I am currently researching and writing a series of articles detailing the history of 2000 AD, and I need your help.

I'm looking for published interviews with 2000 AD creators over the years. Alas, over 25 years, people's memories become a bit vague and details merge into one. So, does anyone have copies of interviews with 2000 AD editorial staff and creators from such publications as Speakeasy, Comics Interview or Amazing Heroes? If so, would they be willing to send me photocopies of the articles?

I won't be quoting directly from the articles - that would be an infringement of copyright, obviously - but it would help with background information!

Please reply here in the first instance if you can help!

Thanks.

davidbishop