From Pat Mills twitter related to a Flesh return:
I've still got the final series to write, featuring Gorehead. Got rather distracted doing other stuff. Not sure if Rebellion still want it, but if readers do that will help. Love that gif!!
From a completeness perspective I would like Flesh to get a final book.
Yeah would defo love to see Flesh wrapped up... in theory... by which I mean more cowboys vs dinosaurs = good. More cowboys vs dinosaurs with modern Mills writing... wellllll.... still good to give it a chance.
I'd also like to see this. The story needs finishing, and whilst I recall not enjoying the last couple of installments when they ran , they were better on the re-read.
And the final book's art by Clint Langley was quite awesome as well
I'd definitely be there for a final Flesh book. I semi-recently went back and re-read the final (or "final") stories in Mills' recent non-Slaine long running series, and while I probably would have liked more definite endings for things like Savage and Defoe (I don't think The ABC Warriors ever could have a conclusive ending), Flesh was really the only one that felt firmly unfinished.
Interesting turnaround from "I'm not sure it would be worth my while to do it" in (I think) his secret history of 2000AD, to "I'm not sure if Rebellion want it". I hope it gets done. It probably won't be that good, but I hate loose ends.
The grass is always greener in the other side of the fence
Quote from: broodblik on 13 February, 2023, 01:06:06 PMThe grass is always greener in the other side of the fence
Or should that be "the bronto-burgers are tastier..."?
I mean, I'm sure it'll make some people happy, and from my perspective there will be three or four other strips in the Prog. So whatever. But I've been no fan of modern Flesh strips, didn't think much of the 'concluding' (scare quotes very much intended) Sláine volume, and find the Joe Pineapples strip currently in the Prog bounces between borderline OK and risible.
It does seem there has been a slight softening on what he says about Rebellion of late. The company is no longer the root of all evil in comics. Then again, Finn reprint + possible Metalzoic story + continuing to pay Pat Mills to write for the Prog, despite all the venom he's spewed Rebellion's way might have helped. I dunno.
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 13 February, 2023, 03:21:33 PMcontinuing to pay Pat Mills to write for the Prog, despite all the venom he's spewed Rebellion's way might have helped. I dunno.
Not sure how it works, exactly, but he may have been paid for those Joe Pineapples scripts years ago, I dunno. It's been a long time in the making.
At the end it boils down what sell progs and what does not. I am sure getting it out there that Flesh is back might bring people back as well. I am sure irrespective of what we as forum-dwellers like or not I am sure Joe Pineapples is a seller.
Well, yes. Matt Smith is surely a pragmatist.
Some more from Pat Mills twitter:
You're right, I should! May be tricky - firstly, to see if 2000AD will be interested, And secondly, to see who would draw it. Maybe Clint Langley. Maybe someone else. Somehow it's not as easy as it once was, but I live in hope. Thanks for the prompt.
Quote from: nxylas on 13 February, 2023, 12:33:11 PMInteresting turnaround from "I'm not sure it would be worth my while to do it" in (I think) his secret history of 2000AD, to "I'm not sure if Rebellion want it".
Those could be read as the same thing, though. (If someone isn't willing to pay for the script, it's not worth writing.)
Personally, I would like a different writer on Flesh - but I'm probably in the minority. The last book I liked was Chronocide, by some other fellows.
I am hoping this comes about. But more than that I would really like Pat to finish 'Defoe'. Maybe there is hope for all parties to be reconciled now and Mr Mills to write more stuff?
Looks like Pat believe his up to it:
Hey - thanks for the encouragement. I've just written to 2000AD to see if they're up for it
Wow. The frantic back-pedalling's begun even sooner than expected.
"To clarify, when I said Rebellion was a blood sucking leech forcing comics creators into lives of destitution, I meant that in a positive way."
Odds on a new Sláine series also now rocking up at some point?
I mean, fair enough if he found the grass isn't greener or he just wants to finish stories that have no other outlet. But it might at some point be nice if he'd stop slagging off Rebellion so much when the company is still happy publishing his work and now getting Finn of all things into two sets of reprint. (Some consistency regarding creator rights would be good too. One can only assume the artist credit oversight for Accident Man will be rectified for the sequel, after the strongest possible lobbying, right?)
Sounds like I'm in the minority around here but the possibility of having Mills in the prog with some new writing, even just to wrap up a long running series, is something I'm looking forward to
Quote from: 13school on 15 February, 2023, 10:23:43 AMSounds like I'm in the minority around here but the possibility of having Mills in the prog with some new writing, even just to wrap up a long running series, is something I'm looking forward to
I'm with ya kid.
Quote from: Max Headroom on 13 February, 2023, 07:07:48 PMI am hoping this comes about. But more than that I would really like Pat to finish 'Defoe'. Maybe there is hope for all parties to be reconciled now and Mr Mills to write more stuff?
It seems to have been dissatisfaction with Tharg's choice of artist on Defoe that led Pat to create Spacewarp, so that he could choose his own artists. So I won't hold my breath.
Quote from: nxylas on 15 February, 2023, 12:37:52 PMQuote from: Max Headroom on 13 February, 2023, 07:07:48 PMI am hoping this comes about. But more than that I would really like Pat to finish 'Defoe'. Maybe there is hope for all parties to be reconciled now and Mr Mills to write more stuff?
It seems to have been dissatisfaction with Tharg's choice of artist on Defoe that led Pat to create Spacewarp, so that he could choose his own artists. So I won't hold my breath.
Colin MacNeil or Stewart Kenneth Moore? because Stewart Kenneth Moore was chosen by Pat if I am not mistaken
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
Good of him to immediately make a private and confidential email public.
Mm. Maybe he hopes it'll rally the troops. Then all the people who aren't buying 2000 AD anymore can say they're going to cancel their non-existent subscriptions, because a series Mills said he'd never write any more of (which Matt Smith must have factored into his plans) now has a possible potential continuation that has been nixed.
(Gah. All this is so depressing. Mills was responsible for some of the most mind-boggling strips that got me into 2000 AD in the first place. The initial run on Nemesis. Early Sláine. Metalzoic.)
Quote from: broodblik on 15 February, 2023, 12:58:08 PMColin MacNeil or Stewart Kenneth Moore? because Stewart Kenneth Moore was chosen by Pat if I am not mistaken
I just checked
Be Pure... and you're right. According to Pat (and I'm just reporting what he said, so don't shoot the messenger) Moore "hijacked" his strip by, um having ideas of his own. And Matt refused to intervene in the dispute. That's a potted version, there's a bit more about it in the book.
Bloody artists getting above their station and having ideas of their own.
If it ever got close to what we see in Tin man then we are not going to be missing much!
Let sleeping dino's lie.
Quote from: Trooper McFad on 15 February, 2023, 03:12:48 PMIf it ever got close to what we see in Tin man then we are not going to be missing much!
Let sleeping dinos lie.
You're probably right, but at the same time, I hate knowing that there's one more book of
Flesh that I'll never get to read. Flesh was my favourite story in Prog 1, so I have an unreasonable attachment to it.
Quote from: nxylas on 15 February, 2023, 02:50:48 PMMoore "hijacked" his strip by, um having ideas of his own. And Matt refused to intervene in the dispute. That's a potted version, there's a bit more about it in the book.
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.
Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 15 February, 2023, 03:20:04 PMMills, 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?
Quote from: nxylas on 15 February, 2023, 04:30:54 PMhave 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.
Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 15 February, 2023, 04:38:15 PMQuote from: nxylas on 15 February, 2023, 04:30:54 PMhave 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.
Quote from: nxylas on 15 February, 2023, 06:00:42 PMConsistency 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. :)
Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 15 February, 2023, 06:25:28 PMHence 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.
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).
Quote from: Fate Amenable to Change on 24 April, 2020, 11:01:34 PMFlesh: 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:
(https://i.imgur.com/Z4kboKh.png)
...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:
(https://i.imgur.com/8i0c2LM.png)
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.
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:
QuoteThanks! 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!
Quote from: rogue69 on 15 February, 2023, 01:56:24 PMLooks 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.
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.
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
Quote from: Max Headroom on 15 February, 2023, 07:31:04 PMA great pity the respective parties could not find common ground and get back on terms.
Actions have consequences. Film at eleven.
what jim said
Quote from: nxylas on 15 February, 2023, 08:22:09 PMI 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:
QuoteThanks! 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.
Quote from: Richmond Clements on 17 February, 2023, 08:09:24 AMYou 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.
This is becoming a "hot" topic, as this Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/2000admegaverse/permalink/3303925223101992/) post will attest to.
Alternatively Facebook is a land of lunatics who will always find something to be performatively upset by.
Quote from: Batman's Superior Cousin on 17 February, 2023, 03:59:21 PMThis is becoming a "hot" topic, as this Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/2000admegaverse/permalink/3303925223101992/) post will attest to.
The megaverse page is a hotbed of twats who all seem to hate the comic. I've either left at some point or been banned, so can't see whatever drivel they're spouting.
Quote from: Richmond Clements on 17 February, 2023, 05:18:13 PMQuote from: Batman's Superior Cousin on 17 February, 2023, 03:59:21 PMThis is becoming a "hot" topic, as this Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/2000admegaverse/permalink/3303925223101992/) post will attest to.
The megaverse page is a hotbed of twats who all seem to hate the comic. I've either left at some point or been banned, so can't see whatever drivel they're spouting.
Basically divided with some of them seemingly against Mills and/or Flesh returning, while others seem to be keen with both coming back.
Quote from: Richmond Clements on 17 February, 2023, 05:18:13 PMThe megaverse page is a hotbed of twats who all seem to hate the comic.
I got banned from there a few years ago for this (paraphrasing):
Mod-Entity: "Everyone agrees with my outrageously sweeping opinion".
Me: "I don't".
Mod-Entity: [Invokes banhammer]
They've gone from being an open forum visible to all (where you have to toe the group-think or be punished) to being a closed club. I suppose that's good news: people have to opt in to the drivel.
TBH I never really got into Flesh. Kind of 'enjoyed' Book 2 with Belardinelli on art duties but it always left me cold. I thought the Savage reboot worked initially but after a while it seemed to crawl up its own Ourabourous, especially when it started to merge with ABCRobusters. I'm probably going to sound sacrilegious for saying that I never got Slaine (yes, that many books was definitely too many).
So I'm definitely in the 'not a massive Mills fan' camp. Or rather, I tend towards the more picky fan. Charley's War was outstanding, then again the polemical dimension was rather muted. Mills didn't really need to shove it down our throats, just let events do the job for him. When he returned to Savage he still seemed to manage the same restraint when he had Adlard on art duties. I always found it more than a little amusing how much the volts looked like US troops.
More recently though he seems to have devolved into the sort of conspiracy nut that would have us convinced all Covid vaccines are designed to harm us and / or the pandemic was some attempt to bring the human race to heel. He isn't quite full on "David Icke" but at times it does feel like he could slip that way at any moment.
Maybe if I felt like either he or Flesh had anything left to offer I'd be a bit more enthusiastic. As it is "Tin Man" has left me feeling less than optimistic ... :-\
Deleted post.
2000ad megaverse already seems unhinged going by their rules :lol:
I mean no posts about the 1984 annual?!? what?
Quote from: The Monarch on 18 February, 2023, 01:11:24 AM2000ad megaverse already seems unhinged going by their rules :lol:
I mean no posts about the 1984 annual?!? what?
In fairness, the 1984 annual wasn't as good as 1983's.
*
barricades the windows and starts filling molotovs*
Quote from: The Monarch on 18 February, 2023, 01:11:24 AM2000ad megaverse already seems unhinged going by their rules :lol:
I mean no posts about the 1984 annual?!? what?
I mean, I assume there's a story behind that, but I'm struggling to think what it could be. Was there something especially controversial about the 1984 annual?
Quote from: nxylas on 18 February, 2023, 10:10:49 AMQuote from: The Monarch on 18 February, 2023, 01:11:24 AM2000ad megaverse already seems unhinged going by their rules :lol:
I mean no posts about the 1984 annual?!? what?
I mean, I assume there's a story behind that, but I'm struggling to think what it could be. Was there something especially controversial about the 1984 annual?
There was probably a story with a BAME and/or female lead. That usually gets their dander up.
Quote from: nxylas on 18 February, 2023, 10:10:49 AMQuote from: The Monarch on 18 February, 2023, 01:11:24 AM2000ad megaverse already seems unhinged going by their rules :lol:
I mean no posts about the 1984 annual?!? what?
I mean, I assume there's a story behind that, but I'm struggling to think what it could be. Was there something especially controversial about the 1984 annual?
IIRC it was a scenario in which someone expressed a liking for it and then got ritually ripped to shreds and trolled until they lost their sense of reason, at which point the real feeding frenzy began and it's become a running joke long after the poor noob had been run out of town. Now they keep the idea around like a serial killer keeps trophies.
Quote from: Richmond Clements on 17 February, 2023, 05:18:13 PMI've either left at some point or been banned
Same. I imagine the latter.
They sound like lovely, well-adjusted people.
It is surely only a matter of time, before prospective members of this forum are led into a room, placed on a chair behind a table - with a desk lamp shining upon their face being the only light source - while a moderator asks of them: "Are you now, or have you ever been, a member of the Megaverse?" :D
Quote from: Richmond Clements on 18 February, 2023, 01:17:09 PMThere was probably a story with a BAME and/or female lead. That usually gets their dander up.
So, not fans of Harlem Heroes or Halo Jones then?
Quote from: paddykafka on 19 February, 2023, 02:28:20 PMIt is surely only a matter of time, before prospective members of this forum are led into a room, placed on a chair behind a table - with a desk lamp shining upon their face being the only light source - while a moderator asks of them: "Are you now, or have you ever been, a member of the Megaverse?" :D
I'm afraid that's already happening.
Molch-R only let me join after I named names.
A
lot of names.
You might have noticed how many boarders have gone absent this past year.
Quote from: JWare on 19 February, 2023, 04:45:19 PMYou might have noticed how many boarders have gone absent this past year.
In unrelated news, Molch-R's pig farming business is doing surprisingly well...
Nah, they've been sent back in time to the 80s to mine the thrills of the past to feed our thrill-starved present. This is the true story that Pat is not being allowed to tell!