Yank has ?'s about an old 2000 AD...

[videophile]

Being over in the states, it's hard to get 2000AD on a regular basis, so I've taken to buying large lots of back issues and reading them.  Well I was reading prog 436 today, and there was a Tharg story in the back.  The script bot was listed as T. M. O.  Is this supposed to stand for "tomorrow" or something?  I'm convinced that there is something I'm missing.  Also, on the second page of the story there is a paper tacked up on the wall in the background.  It has the face of a man and the caption "A. Trench" and "Do you really remember him?"  Well, I don't.  Who was he?

Thanks,

-Videophile

[Marbles]

Alec Trench seems to pop up everywhere !!!
His grave appeared in the series 'Darkie's Mob' in pre-2k UK comic 'Battle'.
There is a full explanation of his origin (which I nabbed from a thread on this board ages ago -apols. to whoever it was who posted it) near the bottom of the page at the attached link.

Link: http://www.frothersunite.com/marbles/fanboy/Battle_Stations.html" target="_blank">Alec Trench explanation ?

[Blackwood]

What a coincidence, i was reading "Tharg and the Mice" prog 304 and the same guy T.M.O. wrote it. Although on this site it says that Tharg the mighty?! wrote it.
Whats more the posters you speak of with "A.Trench (Do you remember him)" are on several walls in this strip.

Can anyone explain?

[satchmo]

I could be wrong,but I always thought T.M.O. stood for The Mighty One, i.e. Tharg himself.I think the editors usually wrote the Tharg stories,the answers will be in the database somewhere..

[Wake]

You are correct.

TMO stands for "The Mighty One", i.e. Tharg.

Any Tharg stories where I don't know which droid actually penned the script are credited to Tharg...which means they were probably written by either the editor or sub editor at the time.

Wake

[Mangamax]

Yeah, T.M.O stands for "The Mighty One" and were used for any tale with green bonce in as they're meant to be autobiographical.
Alec Trench was a script writer for the progs who featured in some T.M.O tales and ending up (if i remember right) in the belly of Mek Quake.

[Oddboy]

I don't remember Mekquake getting Trench, but he definitely tried to kill himself by leaping off the Kings' Reach Tower & being abducted by aliens & tortured half way down before returning him to his plummet!
He was also zombyfied by an evil magician using power from Hailey's Comet.

As the link above says, it was Alan Grant really.  I always suspected it was either he or Wagner.

[roystead]

A quick google for "Alec Trench" showed up a rock climb named "Nobody Wept for Alec Trench" (E5 6a).

It's at Egerton Quarry in Lancs (UK), apparently...

Link: http://mysite.freeserve.com/rockoninlancs/page4.html" target="_blank">Egerton Quarry

[W. R. Logan]

>Yeah, T.M.O stands for "The Mighty One" and were used for any tale with green bonce in as they're meant to be autobiographical.
>Alec Trench was a script writer for the progs who featured in some T.M.O tales and ending up (if i remember right) in the belly of Mek Quake.

Alec Trench was a wannabe writer who always failed, at his moment of glory when tharg was about to accept a script he died, returned years later as a zombie.

OK, I wrote this a few years ago for someone and I think I went as far as Prog 1000 but can't remember exactly.

So here goes with a list of Alec Trench's appearances within the pages of the Galaxies Greatest Comic.

Prog 102.
Tharg's Future-Shocks. A Close Encounter Of The Fatal Kind.
Script by Alec Trench (R.I.P.)
Tharg's intro said, Alec Trench was a 2000AD Sci-Fi writer - one of the worst! In fact, none of his stories were ever good enough to buy. Poor Alec, in the end, he just couldn't take it...

Prog 129.
A Day In The Life Of The Mighty Tharg!
Page 6, Panel 1, Remember Alec Trench. (no Picture)

Prog 162.
Tharg And The Cheat.
Page 1, Panel 1, Was He A Saint? Trench.

Prog 176.
Tharg The Mighty Stars In... The Great Human Rip Off! Part One.
Page 2, Panel 2,  Alec Trench His Spirit Lingers On.

Prog 177.
Tharg The Mighty Stars In... The Great Human Rip Off! Part Two.
Page 6, Panel 6, Alec Trench.
This is the Prog where A-ALN-1 dies, so a moments silence please.


Prog 180.
Tharg And The Thrill Suckers.
Page 1, Panel 4, poster with Alec Trench's picture on.

Prog 181.
Tharg Strikes Back!
Page 2, Panel 4, A. Trench, Man... Myth... Or Magic?

Prog 182.
Tharg Saves The Day!
Page 1, Panel 2, Alec Trench Our Inspiration.

Prog 263 - 264.
Tharg's Future-Shock's. Alec Trench - Zombie.
Alec Trench's gravestone reads, Alec Trench 1949 - 1979, Hardly Missed.

Prog 283.
Tharg The Mighty In The Shedding. Part One.
Page 4, Panel 3, A. Trench The Writers Writer.

Prog 284.
Tharg The Mighty In The Shedding. Part Two.
Page 2, Panel 3, Alec Trench Truly Zarjaz.

Prog 285.
Tharg The Mighty In The Shedding. Part Three.
Page 2, Panel 3, Alec Trench A Real Brammer.

Prog 304.
Tharg And The Mice.
Page 1, Panel 3, A. Trench Do You Remember Him.
Page 5, Panel 1, Alec Trench.

Prog 309.
Invasion Of The Thrill Suckers. Part Two.
Page 4, Panel 1, A. Trench Shakespeare?

Prog 435.
Tharg The Mighty In Exit The Wally.
Page 1, Panel 3, A. Trench, A. Who?

Prog 436.
Tharg The Mighty In Enter The Beast.
Page 2, Panel 4, A. Trench Do You Really Remember Him?

Prog 443.
Tharg The Mighty In PSmith's Farewell.
Page 3, Panel 3, A. Trench.

Prog 467.
Tharg The Mighty in... SUPERSUB!
Page 3, Panel 4, A. Trench Him!

Prog 749.
Tharg In The Question.
Possible Alec Trench poster in the background of Page 1, Panel 3.

2000AD Sci-Fi Special 1983.
Tharg The Mighty In The Day The World Died (Nearly)
Picture of Alec Trench in background of Page 2, Panel 6.

La Analy Retentive Rifa,
W. R. Logan.

Link: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theclassof79" target="_blank">Class Of '79 Yahoo Group

http://www.2000adonline.com/images/page/tharg.jpg">

[paulvonscott]

Nice one Logan, when or if I ever own those progs, I'll do them all in one day.

Actually a huge book of all the tharg stories would be ace.

[W. R. Logan]

>Nice one Logan, when or if I ever own those progs, I'll do them all in one day.
>
>Actually a huge book of all the tharg stories would be ace.

you could look out for the Best Of 2000AD No 63, its full of tharg stories.

La Placa Rifa,
W. R. Logan.

Link: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theclassof79" target="_blank">Class Of '79 Yahoo Group

http://www.2000adonline.com/covers/reprints/mediumres/bo2k63.jpg">