I thought we might have missed out on this one, what with Valiant having started before the cut-off for Rebellion's purchase of IPC titles, so this is very good news:
QuoteAs Judge Dredd prepares to celebrate his 40th birthday, downthetubes can exclusively reveal his publishers Rebellion are preparing to fire his ultra-violent origins from the 1970s and back into readers' hands for the first time.
http://downthetubes.net/?p=35174
Those of you who remember "One-Eyed jack" from Valiant, created by John Wagner and John Cooper, will hopefully be pleased to hear about this first collection from the Fleetway archives Rebellion now owns: http://downthetubes.net/?p=35174
Quote from: 13school on 16 November, 2016, 09:56:26 AM
I thought we might have missed out on this one, what with Valiant having started before the cut-off for Rebellion's purchase of IPC titles, so this is very good news:
QuoteAs Judge Dredd prepares to celebrate his 40th birthday, downthetubes can exclusively reveal his publishers Rebellion are preparing to fire his ultra-violent origins from the 1970s and back into readers' hands for the first time.
http://downthetubes.net/?p=35174
As a rue of thumb on the "rights" front, it appears Time UK own the Valiant brand, but not characters created after January 1970. There are some exceptions; the internal documentation I had from Egmont suggests they owned Whizzer and Chips, for example, even though that comic was created in 1969.
That's great news and a good choice from Rebellion to start the reprints from the archives they have just purchased. Its links to Dredd make ideal... well I'm assuming it is the first but I might be wrong?
Good news. The strip is interesting as the character goes through a sea-change part-waythrough the strip. I hope that the reprint is taken from the original issues and not the re-sized, edited reprints used in Eagle.
Great news!
Fantastic. Now we just need Rebellion to reprint a complete collection of the Badtime Bedtime strips. Just tell everyone they're the forerunner to Scream, Tharg!
Just read that One Eyed Jack strip and it highlighted the problem with this whole back catalogue enterprise.
The stories were written for kids at the time and I'm not sure a whole volume of Jack McBane would read very well to a modern audience brought up on far more sophisticated stuff (including 2000AD for the past 25 years).
The artwork is stunning and, as a deluxe printed coffee table book I might be tempted by some of this material (a la Best of Battle) but can't escape the fact that it was of its time.
I'm sure some will disagree with me and I am thrilled these tales will be available to those who want it but in the most part I am happy to leave them in my memories.
Charley's War is the obvious exception - are there other stories that are particularly resonant even now (artwork aside)?
I thought One Eyed Jack was the obvious choice for a reprint simply as the two most likely ones Charley's War and Johnny Red have already been reprinted in recent years. He has that iconic look and Rebellion will be able to couch the whole thing in terms of him being a prototype for Judge Dredd as well.
I used to love OEJ as a kid and would be keen to read his adventures again.
The other obvious stories which would stand up well today are Darkie's Mob, The Sarge, Day of the Eagle and Hellman.
Darkie was reprinted in recent years and I think Day of the Eagle may have appeared in a 'Best of Battle' type compilation but I don't think The Sarge or Hellman have been. The only disappointment I had about the Sarge was that the latter stories were not drawn by Mike Western. I don't remember who drew them but he didn't quite suit the story. Hellman would also be worth a re-read as far as I remember especially if they re-printed it with Wagner's Walk from Tornado which I think was originally meant to be Hellman's last story.
Further to my last post The Day of the Eagle strip was a great story and had excellent art by Pat Wright. Its the one where The Eagle is sent on a mission to kill Hitler. I remember thinking that it would have made a great film. Great ending as well which I wont spoil here.
I read Darkies Mob when the Meg reprinted it a few years back. Again, great art and of historical interest, British comics wise, but generally written for a younger audience than myself, racist elements etc notwithstanding.
I have no issues with these reprints as clearly there is an audience (and as I say the art is often stunning) but I like a little more sophistication these days. I guess I am out of sync with much of modern trends having never read Harry Potter seeing them as childrens literature, no matter how good and the whole MiddleEarth and Game of Thrones malarkey leaves me cold.
Slightly confusing as I adore Dredd (although Case Files 1 is now a tough read) and have a collection of model figures etc but still I am an adult and need something a little meatier in my comic diet than 1970s fayre.
Each to their own - makes the world a more interesting place.
Tony, thanks for the story tips. If they come my way I might give them a lookover.
Incidentally, flying in the face of everything I have said, I would get a deluxe Hookjaw (uncensored).
If One Eyed Jack, etc were mainly aimed at kids, maybe squax could buy them for their kids...
Assuming the nippers can drag themselves away from their computer games, etc.😆
Not that an adult couldn't enjoy kids comics if the stories are good. A good story, is a good story as those guys who liked perusing their sister's Misty comics will attest.
I'm not acquainted with One Eyed Jack so I can't say.
Just thinking that Ive seen comments on here mourning the gap in the market between small kiddie fare and the adult comics. Would this, and other child aimed comics, fit? (Not being funny, I'm genuinely curious.)
Try getting anyone under the age of 16 to look at ANYTHING in black and white.
Hellman? Started well, with stunning art by the likes of Mike Dorey but, like many of the Action strips, was seriously let down by a drop in visual quality in a very short period of time. Dunno how they'll all look together. Saying that, i'd still be up for a collection, being there at ground zero - but do wonder what newbies to the strip would make of the decline.
Quote from: Trent on 19 November, 2016, 06:37:56 PM
Try getting anyone under the age of 16 to look at ANYTHING in black and white.
Are you counting books in that "ANYTHING" because last I looked they tended to consist of
black ink printed on
white paper, which I assume meets your criteria for a black & white medium and I understand that hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of under-16s still read books, even if their choice of reading material is a little thin for 'sophisticated' palettes.
FWIW, my daughter watched
Casablanca and
A Matter of Life and Death (which is only half-b&w to be fair) when she was 13 or 14; she even watched - and said she enjoyed - Lon Chaney's
Phantom of the Opera, which is 'silent' as well as 'black and white' so I'm not sure what point you're trying to make.
To be honest, I don't share your complaint with the OEJ strip; it does a perfectly good job of introducing the character, explaining his origin and delivering a thrilling story all in three pages. How much more sophisticated does it have to be? Sure it was aimed at a much younger audience than I presume frequent these forums but I don't think we should kid ourselves that Rebellion-era
2000AD is somehow (idk) Philip Roth-calibre literature for grown-ups, is it? ;)
Arkwright, I actually agree with much of what you say and even got my then 17 year old son to watch It's a Wonderful Life - he even shed a tear at the end. That said, comics are not the force they once were much as I would love for kids to read some of this reprint material.
Truth is most buyers will be older readers on a nostalgia wave which is fine. If they can get their kids to read it then brilliant.
I agree that current Rebellion output is hardly highbrow literature but it is aimed at an older audience than 70s comics because that is who reads it. It is no less sophisticated than TV and film sci fi.
I have a great deal of affection for these stories but I find reading them now hard work. Just my view.
I am pleased others disagree or these stories would never see the light of day again.
A year or two ago I bought up a bunch of late-era Valiants purely to read One-Eyed Jack and I have to say that, as a big fan of 70s cop / vigilante films, I definitely got a lot out of it. It wasn't quite up there with Action in terms of being (hilariously) over-the-top, but Jack's extremely brutal approach to crime-solving remains highly entertaining.
I wouldn't say it's nostalgia with me - I never read it as a child - it's more the rapid-fire pulp energy that appeals. They're basic trashy cop stories well-told with a sly sense of humour, and Rebellion will definitely be getting my money this time around.
Thanks 13school. I might be tempted to give it a go after all.
Have to agree about the trashy pulp energy of some strips of the time. In fact that is part of what made Invasion entertaining at the time, moreso than the more adult approach to Savage these days imho.
I guess you just have to approach them with the right mindset to get the most out of them.
And on the subject of classic pulp are we going to get a deluxe hardback of Hookjaw with colour centrespreads etc?
I would have thought these would sell in droves as well as generating a little, welcome publicity from some morally outraged corners.
The One-Eyed Jack reprint will also need a cover by John Cooper. I'm not aware that he did a lot of covers for Jack but I can think of at least one (plus a pin-up)
I know Carlos drew a few Jack covers back in the Valiant/Battle days but the collection should have a cover by the guy who drew the strip.
Oh man, yes! I'll be buying this thank you very much!
Having bought, read and enjoyed both Monster and the Misty collection recently, I am defintely going to be buying OEJ - but I expect it to be a dip in and out kind of read, not a bang through all in one go job, as the more recent 2000AD collections tend to be. Each episode of Monster, for example, is tremendous fun, but it does get very samey.
While I agree that I'm interested as much out of fascination for the history of Briths comic, I do hold out hopoe that by getting this material out there, it will inspire new creators to do more of this kind of thing - mainstream genre comics. You know, the sort of stuff that is on TV, but in comics - aimed at children or adults or indeed both. But I don't really expect today's 8-11 year olds to lap up reprinted from Valiant or whatever.
I'll be honest, I've never had much interest in War comics. I enjoyed Darkie's Mob in the Meg but not enough to buy a collection; Charley's War I admire but in all honesty found it quite hard going to read. And these are far and away cited as the best, no? I'm on the lookout for more Girls comics stuff and some obscure surreal humour comics like Sweeney Toddler (which I know nothing about). Cannibalistic babies has to be amazing, surely? I also remember seeing a couple of strips about a child would had a magic whisk that could belnd peopole/objects together to create insane chimerae. That's my bag.
The One Eyed Jack tales start to move away from the usual episodic formula, there is several multipart stories and even some character development!
AlexF that's Minnie's Mixer you are probably thinking of.
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-musdwCA-SZ4/TZWB6nEcrmI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/GmSvyoB2s1o/s1600/scan0003.jpg)
Quote from: AlexF on 21 November, 2016, 11:45:08 AM
I'm on the lookout for more Girls comics stuff and some obscure surreal humour comics like Sweeney Toddler (which I know nothing about). Cannibalistic babies has to be amazing, surely?
I'm sorry to disappoint you AlexF but Sweeny is just an extremely naughty baby. At it's best however it's a hilarious strip. I love the Baxendale style and the background gags and signs add to it all. Sweeny was also seen to dress up as Judge Dredd in one instalment. I hope he's still reading the prog... maybe he's here with us on the board!
EXCERPT - COPYRIGHT OWNED BY REBELLION (Yay!)
(http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x418/Dash_Decent/Sweeny_zps05jdfgu2.jpg)
EXCERPT - COPYRIGHT OWNED BY REBELLION (Yay!)
I love the timing of Sweeny's Mum opening the door at just the moment Mrs Jones skids out of control down the path and splats Mum with the cake! As an editorial speech bubble intruding from off-panel might exclaim, "Ho, ho, ho, readers!"
On the basis of these two excerpts, sign me up for the collected editions of Sweeney and Minnie's Mixer!
(And when he's done with Counterfeit Girl and Dredd, can we get Peter Milligan to revive the mixer for 2000AD?)
My son loved Monster, and was disappointed to discover that there was not any more!(He's 13) He is not too into 2000ad strips, but has enjoyed Rogue, Strontium Dog and some early Slaine. He laps up the Battle reprint s we have, and often retreads Charley's War. All are B&W. My daughter reads tons of manga, also B & W. So colour not an issue! Looking BT forward to OEJ as I'm not familiar with it. Reckon the boy will love it!
Bundle up Sweeney Toddler with some Clever Dick & Rebellion have a bonafide, guaranteed third squazz waving a fistful of galactic groats in their direction.
Quote from: Trent on 19 November, 2016, 06:37:56 PM
Try getting anyone under the age of 16 to look at ANYTHING in black and white.
*ahem* Manga.
Yes, Clever Dick is another brilliant strip with the same style of illustration plus the crazy inventor angle. I'd certainly go for a collection of CD strips too.
Quote from: Trent on 20 November, 2016, 11:22:39 AM
And on the subject of classic pulp are we going to get a deluxe hardback of Hookjaw with colour centrespreads etc?
I would have thought these would sell in droves as well as generating a little, welcome publicity from some morally outraged corners.
fuck
YES!! please
I have the Spitfire reprint of Hook Jaw from a few years back. I'll have to read it again to see if it would be worth a full-on Rebellion reprint.
In terms of Action stories though I would love to see Death Game 1999/Spinball reprinted.