Flesh Final book

[nxylas]

Mills, a famously-interfering editor who equally famously hates editorial interference (cf: the two-decade-long, somewhat aysmmetric, feud with Andy Diggle) complains about lack of editorial interference.

Film at eleven.

I know he's full of double standards (see also: "Only the original writer should be allowed to work on a strip, but Judge Dredd only really got good with The Cursed Earth"), but have any of the original crop of writers ever complained that Mills's interference made their scripts worse?

[Jim_Campbell]

have any of the original crop of writers ever complained that Mills's interference made their scripts worse?

Not really my point. My point is that Pat famously hates to be edited, and hand-picks the artist for his strips... effectively acting as his own editor. Complaining that he couldn't get editorial intervention, when he famously hates editorial intervention and insists on controlling a large part of the process that would otherwise be done by the editor(s) seems... odd.

[nxylas]

have any of the original crop of writers ever complained that Mills's interference made their scripts worse?

Not really my point. My point is that Pat famously hates to be edited, and hand-picks the artist for his strips... effectively acting as his own editor. Complaining that he couldn't get editorial intervention, when he famously hates editorial intervention and insists on controlling a large part of the process that would otherwise be done by the editor(s) seems... odd.

Consistency has never been his strong point.

[Jim_Campbell]

Consistency has never been his strong point.

Hence why we should ignore his self-serving, at best semi-fictional, accounts of literally anything he's been involved in. IMO. YMMV. &c. 

[nxylas]

Hence why we should ignore his self-serving, at best semi-fictional, accounts of literally anything he's been involved in. IMO. YMMV. &c. 

Well, everybody is the star of their own movie, as the saying goes. I think that if you have an interest in the history of 2000AD, and British comics in general, it's unwise to simply ignore someone with so much inside knowledge. Just don't treat him as an objective source. If you read his memoirs in conjunction with Thrill-Power Overload, The Mighty One, and any other such works, you might be able to form a reasonably accurate picture of what really happened in any given situation.

[Funt Solo]

Seems like I quite enjoyed the most recent book (mostly on a visual level), when I read it in 2020 (and a bit surprising to find it was published over six years ago). Time flies (but I definitely don't want a third book of that).

Flesh: Gorehead
(2001-2010)
S: Pat Mills, A: Clint Langley, L: Ellie De Ville

Fair to say I haven't been enjoying the modern Flesh saga, and in particular the character of Gorehead, who I find too iconic. Flesh has always played with the idea that the terrible beast (e.g. Old One Eye) has designs beyond the merely instinctual, but branding "666" on a tyrannosaur's face and making it both invincible and able to teleport at will seems to be over-egging the cake. And these are pterodactyl eggs: which are huge. But then Langley does this:



...and I'm all, like, woah! This is amazing! And, visually, it is amazing. The characters are all insane in a Shakespearean way. You could make this a movie and have people like Nicholas Cage, Emma Stone and Christopher Walken chew up the scenery. It's clear that Mills is thinking about movies as he directly channels The Good, The Bad and The Ugly with this homage:

[Max Headroom]

A great pity the respective parties could not find common ground and get back on terms. It looks like 'Joe Pineapples' will be Mr Mills' swansong for 2000ad. I, for one, am sad.

[nxylas]

I just sent a cheeky tweet to Mr Mills asking whether he could repurpose the final book of Flesh as a Jurassic Punx spin-off. He replied, saying:

Thanks! It's actually great to know I still have Jurassic Punx to write. So many terrific angles on dinosaurs there. Currently writing Hellbreaker full length story. When that's away, the others follow.

So if you see a Jurassic Punx story with a character named something like 'Talon' Cutter, you'll know that my suggestion has been heeded!

[13school]

Looks like this will not be happening as Pat just tweeted
Reply from 2000AD:  'Thanks, Pat, but not planning to commission any further Flesh.' So I'm afraid that's the end. But thanks to everyone for your encouragement and support  for Flesh. It's really appreciated

Oh, that's a shame. I get why 2000AD might want to leave Flesh in the past (again), but I would have liked to see it concluded - Flesh seemed like a good vehicle for late-period Mills.

[broodblik]

As I already stated I also would like Flesh to be concluded but if I had to choose between Flesh and say something like Brass Sun to continue, I will choose the latter.

[The Monarch]

I guess the nft grift did not work after all if hes even willing to talk to rebellion about doing new stuff which sounded insane to me like a year ago

[Jim_Campbell]

A great pity the respective parties could not find common ground and get back on terms.

Actions have consequences. Film at eleven.

[The Monarch]

what jim said

[Richmond Clements]

I just sent a cheeky tweet to Mr Mills asking whether he could repurpose the final book of Flesh as a Jurassic Punx spin-off. He replied, saying:

Thanks! It's actually great to know I still have Jurassic Punx to write. So many terrific angles on dinosaurs there. Currently writing Hellbreaker full length story. When that's away, the others follow.

So if you see a Jurassic Punx story with a character named something like 'Talon' Cutter, you'll know that my suggestion has been heeded!

You think there'll be another issue of SpaceWasp? I admire your optimism.

[nxylas]

You think there'll be another issue of SpaceWasp? I admire your optimism.

I think it will probably go to one-shots. At least that seems to be the plan for Hellbreaker.