Prog 1500

[COMMANDO FORCES]

I Didn`t think having the 1500 and Tharg so large was a good idea as it swamped the 2000AD logo which is smaller than usual.
 I thoroughly enjoyed seeing who I could name in the crowd as Dredd, Spikes, Anderson and Hershey rode past with Guthrie marching.
 Well done Boo.
 Over all it`s good for the fans but I don`t think it will attract new blood to our beloved read.

[Al_Ewing]

I actually had a dream involving Prog 1500 last night. I seem to remember the bulk of it was taken up by full-colour painted Red Seas, with seven consecutive scene-setting double-page spreads, and there was a new kind of one-off in it that was mostly words.

It's the first time I've dreamed of reading a comic in months.

[COMMANDO FORCES]

 I won`t spoil the stories, although Joe does bang his helmet on sleep machine 41, so Al-Is-Silent is quite close talking about dreaming.
 The only difference is there is not one mention of Red Seas in the whole Prog, Sorry.

[Al_Ewing]

Choke! You mean the power of precognitive dreams has failed me?

[paulvonscott]

"Over all it`s good for the fans but I don`t think it will attract new blood to our beloved read."

Who cares?  Prog 1500 shouldn't be about new readers, possibly lapsed ones, but I think the prog should be for the fans.

New readers can come some other time for all I care!

[The Amstor Computer]

Without spoiling, can you at least let us know what Malone is about & which droids are working on it?

[I, Cosh]

I first read this post this morning and I wasn't sure if it was a wind-up. I'm still not, but it's now less than twelve hours until my syphilitic postie makes it up the stairs with the hallowed Prog and I'm getting excited!!

[COMMANDO FORCES]

 Malone is about a man trying to put as much distance between him and his past.
 It`s Black & White (Script) Cal Hamilton (Art) Simon Coleby (Letters) Ellie De Ville.
 Well done paulvonscott, with that attitude 2000AD will dwindle and die. These landmark progs are the best time to catch the eyes of potential new blood especially as all the stories start from Part One.
 It`s hard enough to get new readers nowadays when every youngster is on the Net, watching Reality Shite or showing their ASBO to their mates with PRIDE.
 I bet the majority of readers have been with 2000AD since the beginning or soon after so when that lot go who takes their place.
 These landmark progs are the best time to do it.

[KingPhone]

since PvS isn't in charge of Rebellion, his attitude won't make much difference to 2000Ad's success (except in the very minor way; ie wether he chooses to buy it or not).
  I'd treat you all to my ideas for getting new readers, but I'm not in charge either

[Rex Banner]

But I do think PvS has a point.

New readers aren't going to care that it's issue 1500 if it's the first issue they've picked up & as the main story is 'Origins' it's not really geared up to be a jumping-on prog.

[ARRISARRIS]

...im waiting for you Mr Postman, dont let me down or i may get angry, you wouldnt like me when im angry...

[Leigh S]

You can't have it both ways though - if the youth of today are all Anti-Social net addicts, I doubt theres anything you could put on the cover to attract them, except maybe "Free ASBO - inside!"

A cover is either good, with an engaging or intriguing premise and/or snazzy art ( and therefore attractive), or its bad, with a badly drawn man pointing a gun at the reader against a white backdrop (and therefore not so attractive)

I think Rebellion should be trying to promote issues like 1500 - they haven't chose to do so it seems, and are perhaps gearing up a media blitz for the "real" start of Origins in prog 1505...which i feel is a bit of a missed opportunity, but there you go - if you want to express ire at the comic missing a promotional trick, express it at Rebellion in about 6 weeks time (if necessary).

[Leigh S]

Always intrigued by a new writer... though checking google, its possibly the same guy who did some James Bond Jr comics back in 1992, at the same time as Dan Abnett was doing the same?

[paulvonscott]

"Well done paulvonscott, with that attitude 2000AD will dwindle and die. These landmark progs are the best time to catch the eyes of potential new blood especially as all the stories start from Part One."

Thanks!  

No, I feel these landmark progs are best to keep the current fans happy, and try and get some of the lapsed ones back.  

If you think about it there are probably a couple of hundred thousand people who at some point in their lives have read 2000AD.  Origins if promoted right could have brought quite a few back.  

Plus why ignore the readers you have?  They are the ones keeping the comic going.  Anniverseries are typically celebrated in 2000AD with something special for the readers.  This is the high point of the year for many people I'm guessing, and for me is a real boost.

They have a summer offensive and a winter sepcial to try and get new readers.  Plus, there's another 46 progs in the years to entice them as well.  If new readers turn up for this one, great, welcome on board, but I'm not sure what you put on the cover to entice the average bod bumbling through WHSmiths.

[paulvonscott]

Right, the prog.  I was loathe to start reading it, possibly in case it was a dissapointment.  Luckily I broke the spell...

Okay cover, might have worked better as a wrapround to show more of the characters on the back.  Also, it's mainly brown.

Dredd. Holy Jovis! Tightly written, utterly bloody amazing with top notch artwork.

Malone. Yeah... it has something.  Really could have done without the clown though.  Liked the Chandleresque bits and the woman trapped in the lift.

Stone Island.  Yeah, it's not bad.  Can't say I've ever got used to Simon Davis' art on comics strips.  Like the set up and backstory, wasn't so sure about the dodgy monster, but we'll see.  I bet the prison has won a few architectural awards.

Dante, carries on nicely from before.

SO there we have it, good prog, good prog!  Nyuh-nyuh-nyuh.  And Banzai Battalian next week.