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Semi Finals: 1 - Pat Mills or Alan Moore - Ultimate not Wagner Tourney

Started by Colin YNWA, 21 June, 2020, 07:15:59 AM

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Colin YNWA

So when this all started I do wonder if asked whether this draw would have been the final that so many wanted? In my head it would be and this semi repeats the final of 12 years ago. Are these two titans of Tharg's  still the best regarded by the throngs of Squaxx dek Thargo overall, or have views changed?  Well fate has intervened as is so often the case in sport, the final people want happens earlier in the contest.

So whose writing for Tharg do you prefer. The fact that one all but created the comic and another went on to create the single most popular comic ever created (probably, hey I don't have the figures) counts for nothing here. So who will it be?

Pat Mills - http://www.2000ad.org/?zone=droid&page=profiles&choice=patm

OR

Alan Moore - http://www.2000ad.org/?zone=droid&page=profiles&choice=ALANM

What is all this nonsense you ask well we're finding out whose 2000ad (Meg and associated items) writing do you prefer? Voting - just add a comment here with whose work you prefer (and anything else you might wish to say to discuss their work). This vote closes some time early Thursday 25th June?

Want to know more https://forums.2000ad.com/index.php?topic=46552.0

We'll have a final soon.

Daveycandlish

Purely on work for Tharg, Moore gets the nod.
(If Mills had stopped writing for Tooth around the time Moore had it might be a tougher draw - his recent work counts against him here, for my money.
An old-school, no-bullshit, boys-own action/adventure comic reminiscent of the 2000ads and Eagles and Warlords and Battles and other glorious black-and-white comics that were so, so cool in the 70's and 80's - Buy the hardback Christmas Annual!

Magnetica

Pat Mills.

Yes Moore's work is great. I just love DR and Quinch and his future shocks are my go to when trying to get others to read 2000AD.

But Mills has written my absolute favourite thrills: early ABC Warriors, early Slaine, most of Nemesis. Yes his recent work just isn't at the same standard, but given Moore stopped writing for 2000AD decades ago, it doesn't seem like a fair comparison to me if that is taken into account. Or put it this way, if we look at the last 20 years it's lower quality from Pat versus nothing from Moore.

If we look at the era when both were writing for 2000AD it's  early ABC Warriors, early Slaine, The Cursed Earth, early Nemesis versus Dr and Quinch, Skizz, the greatest ever future shocks, Ablelard Snazz and Halo Jones. And on that basis, for me it's got to be Pat.

abelardsnazz

Alan Moore, not just for creating yours truly, but for a classic run of stories that still hold up. The remaining books of Halo Jones will always be one of the great what-ifs of the Galaxy's Greatest, but what we have never falters. We wouldn't be having these debates if it wasn't for Uncle Pat, but I often find his themes wearing. His work in creating Tooth provided a springboard for some huge talent, which is why I'm sticking with the Northampton wizard.

broodblik

When I die, I want to die like my grandfather who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car.

Old age is the Lord's way of telling us to step aside for something new. Death's in case we didn't take the hint.

rogue69


Greg M.

For me, a big part of this tournament is about considering the writer's best work, and not getting hung up on their lesser contributions - so in the case of Pat, Dinosty does not cancel out Nemesis, and The Secret Commonwealth does not negate The Horned God. That Alan Moore didn't write a bad strip is true - but not even Halo Jones Bk III is as good as Nemesis the Warlock Book I, IV, V or VI. And when you start loading on The Cursed Earth and Spoils of Annwn, then the answer to "Where did Alan Moore go?" must surely be "Out." Not even the wonderful, wonderful Wages of Sin can stand up against:

"Show him, men... are you with me?"
"NO! WE'RE WITH TORQUEMADA!"

And I'm with Pat Mills!

Magnetica

Quote from: Greg M. on 21 June, 2020, 09:26:41 AM
For me, a big part of this tournament is about considering the writer's best work, and not getting hung up on their lesser contributions - so in the case of Pat, Dinosty does not cancel out Nemesis, and The Secret Commonwealth does not negate The Horned God. That Alan Moore didn't write a bad strip is true - but not even Halo Jones Bk III is as good as Nemesis the Warlock Book I, IV, V or VI. And when you start loading on The Cursed Earth and Spoils of Annwn, then the answer to "Where did Alan Moore go?" must surely be "Out." Not even the wonderful, wonderful Wages of Sin can stand up against:

"Show him, men... are you with me?"
"NO! WE'RE WITH TORQUEMADA!"

And I'm with Pat Mills!

Totally....that's now I feel too...except it's The Platinum Horde for me.

Richard

It feels wrong to vote against Alan Moore, but for the reasons given by Greg and Magnetica I'm voting for Pat Mills.

maryanddavid

Pat, his post Horned God has been Patchy, but his previous work is fantastic, as is ability to create really good comic characters.

TordelBack

Wagner* holds by far the longest footage on my comics bookshelves, but our two contenders have the largest shares after that (even Dave Sim takes up less space). In fact Mills and Moore share the same shelf, meeting roughly in the middle (Flesh Dino Files sits directly against From Hell Part 1), blond barnett beside beard. But it's obvious from a glance that Moore's many dusty inches are from all over the place, while the Mills volumes are pure Tharg (and Battle).

And that's the thing.

While Moore is my favourite comics writer of all, and Skizz, DR & Quinch, Time Twisters and Halo Jones are all in my Top 20 2000AD series, Mills' prog-work has story after story after story,  including my all-time favourite, SIáine.

If Moore's work first caught my attention, Mills held it. If Moore's work opened my eyes to the possibilities of comics, Mills delivered on that potential within the pages of 2000AD (and Crisis). Halo Jones may be the finest bit of writing to ever appear in the comic,  but I'd swap it for the sheer volume of joy I've got from Sláine, Nemesis, Ro-Busters/ABC Warriors, Defoe,  Flesh,  Third World War,  Savage... Moore's hit-rate is about 100% for 5 years,  Mills' about 60% for 40 years.

That makes it a clear win for me. Pat Mills.


*And Grant.

Buttonman

Pat for being a 2000ad man for life, Moore just used it as a stepping stone.

JayzusB.Christ

I was dreading this one.  For what it's worth, I think Alan Moore is the better writer, and I haven't enjoyed much of what Pat's done for a very long time.  I'm also not wild about his self-aggrandising interviews.  I was just about to vote for the Great Beard, but...

Pat started 2000ad.  The standout scenes of the progs of my childhood were written by Pat. Slaine, Nemesis and The ABCs were mind-blowing before they lost direction. He also came up with the entire backstory of Dredd's world (fleshed out by Mr Wagner later, of course).  So, while it feels weird to vote the writer of the Secret Commonwealth over the greatest comics writer there ever was, Pat it is.
"Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest"

Huey2


SmallBlueThing(Reborn)

Okay, I've made my mind up. This was hard as it is the two comic authors who have had the greatest influence on me- from being seven and reading Pat's stuff, through all the golden years, and then having Alan show me what comics could do when I was 11-13. Both those ages are seminal, and it's no coincidence choosing between them feels like being forced to betray a family member.

It has to be Pat, because in this instance this tournament would not even exist without him. He literally created all this that we see around us here. Alan may have written arguably the greatest story ever to run in its pages, but I have to look at Nemesis, Savage/ Invasion, Slaine, Flesh, ABCs etc etc, and vote there. Plus, I really like Defoe, American Reaper, Metalzoic, and just about everything hes ever written- even if it doesnt click for me until a few series in, like Defoe.

Plus, even if we were widen it to include examples of how both gents have scored outside the prog, Pat still has Charley's War... which may be the greatest comic strip printed anywhere.

So, Pat Mills.

SBT