Next year will be 2K's 30th anniversary, as I was reading in this months Comics International (It has a very nice 2 page review of recent Rebellion GN's).
But how should this huge event be celebrated ?? The planning needs to start now !
not to mention prog 1500...
Massive campaign of press releases to garner maximum publicity.
hmmm - if Origins started in prog 1500, and finished for the 30th anniversary... that'd be a proper 26 part epic!
I'd like to see... Ramon Sola, Brett Ewins, John Cooper, Mick McMahon, Brendan McCarthy, Massimo Belardinelli all doing some thing for the Galaxy's Greatest.
We CAN get hold of them all, Thargy Baby!!
( Go on! Go on! Go on! )
:-) R
And a kick arse Exhibition....
Ron Smith back in the saddle.
Agreed - we need one last Dredd money-shot from the Ronster!!
100 page special with some old and new greats.
Cover - Jock
10 page Dredd - John Wagner & Brian Bolland
10 page Cab Inc - Gordon Rennie & Dom Reardon
10 page Zenith - Grant Morrison & Steve Yeowell
10 page Halo Jones - Alan Moore & Ian Gibson
5 page Sooner or Later - Pete Milligan & Brendan McCarthy
5 page Future Shock - Al Ewing & Simon Bisley
The rest can be all new stories for next week and the obligatory comedy Tharg tale.
*Well a bloke can dream cant he?
:: I'd like to see... Massimo Belardinelli... doing something for
:: the Galaxy's Greatest.
Well, we know he's still with us. As his health is clearly poor, perhaps Tharg could give him a one-off single-page pin-up commission, with a very loooong deadline?Massimo's "farewell" to the comic, perhaps (and a deserving one, rather than the shit scripts he got lumbered with many moons ago).
Brainwashing Grant Morrison into burying the hatchet?
After zzzzenith.com, burying the hatchet* in Grant Morrison.
* Metaphor, here meaning "never ask him to write any more Zenith as he's obviously bored of it".
* Metaphor, here meaning "never ask him to write any more Zenith as he's obviously bored of it".
Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of some pictures of him shooting some hoops with Tharg & doing that handshake thing where they use their fists.
I like the idea! Nerd circuits ahoy!!
With 22 pages devoted to the first episodes of the four new stories (5 or 6 pgs each) which carry on into the next issue (prog 1519), that leaves us with 78 pages to program. Call it 8 pages for editorial and ads, and that leaves 70 for assorted one-shots and four new series.
Let's see. The four new series could be Button Man Bk 4, Savage Bk 3 and two new thrills.
The one-shots would include:
Judge Dredd: Origins Interlude, 10 pgs by Wagner & McMahon (figuring, without any evidence, Origins to run from prog 1500 through at least 1525.)
Then ten six-pagers of classic thrills...
1. Robo-Hunter by Grant & Gibson
2. Strontium Dog by Wagner & Ezquerra
3. ABC Warriors new series prologue by Mills * Langley
4. Ace Trucking Co by Wagner, Grant & Belardinelli (inked by Boo Cook, perhaps?)
5. Halo Jones Bk IV prologue by Moore & Gibson
6. Zenith by Morrison & Yeowell
7. Indigo Prime by Smith & Weston
8. Nikolai Dante by Morrison & Fraser
9. Caballistics Inc by Rennie & Reardon
10. Lobster Random by Spurrier & Critchlow
Because it's a fantasy line up thing and because I like to dream here's my selection. 100 page special with 12 6 pagers and sundry stuff.
Cover - Tharg by Scarfe.
1 - Dredd - Wagner and Kennedy. A slice of life from the Big Meg, just another tale from Dredds long career.
2 - Stronty - Wagner and Ezquerra. Picking up from the last story, Johnny and co are standed in a life pod and have to think to survive.
3 - Samantha Slade, Robo-Hunter - Grant and Gibson. A short piece of silliness.
4 - Sinister Dexter - Abnett and Davis. A short story about where the boys are now.
5 - Nikolai Dante - Morrison and Burns, though I could be pursauded that Fraser should draw it. Dante buckiling swash to distract himself.
6 - Indigo Prime - Smith and Weston. Brain hurting wierdness.
7 - Bec and Kawl - Spurrier and Roberts. Something tying into the anniversary theme.
8 - Slaine - Mills and Flint. A Warriers Dawn tale of how Ukko wormed his way into Slaines life.
9 - Rogue Trooper - Rennie and Collins. A Bland and Brass adventure with Rogue cameoing enigmatically.
10 - Cabalistics Inc - Rennie and Reardon. Spooky goings on with Chapter and Verse centre stage.
11 - Red Seas. Edginton and Yeowell. Camp old nonsense, perhaps focusing on Julius.
12 - A future shock, ideally from Gerry Finley Day and a new artist.
And yes that prog would never happen but it's my dream and I'll dream it if I want to.
I've been thinking about this, and you know what I reckon about bringing back Morrison, Moore, Milligan, McCarthy et al? Sod 'em. They took the dollar - let 'em enjoy it. (This doesn't count for Belardinelli, Gerry Finlay-Day or Ron Smith: retirement's different).
I don't care what goes in, as long as all the following are represented:
Writers
John Wagner
Alan Grant
Pat Mills
Gerry Finlay-Day
Robbie Morrison
Gordon Rennie
...plus Spurrier and Ewing on the newbie slate.
Artists
Carlos Ezquerra
Henry Flint
Simon Davis
John Burns and/or Arthur Ranson
Cam Kennedy
Ian Gibson
Steve Yeowell
Fraser Irving
Clint Langley
...plus Boo Cook and Cat Sullivan for the newbies.
In other words, only the creators who've not tried their damnedest to give the impression that the Galaxy's Greatest Comic just isn't great enough for them.
Oh, and all the lettering to be done by Tom Frame and Annie Parkhouse.
Comnpetitions for original artwork and 2000ad related prizes.
buy some hard core SCI FI channel air-time and get us plenty of publicity in the papers.
for goodness sakes,media wake up, for 30 years its British, has had the finest writers and artists of this generation through its pages.it has won multiple awards.
it deserves some mileage in the main tabloid press and TV.
Dagnabbit but I missed Frasier Irving out of the list. He deserves to be in the 30th anniversary story.
That's the second time recently that someone's suggested Frazer Irving, in terms that make him sound like a character in his own strip, having zany adventures with a crew (or possibly a 'krew') of whimsical types.
2nd? If this keeps on he'll eventually start to become more fiction than reality, more annecdote than artist, eventually becoming subsumed into the thrill power source existing as a meta-narrative funtion and those that remember the man that suddenly wasn't will start to doubt their memories and sanity and try to convince themselves that perhaps they just met someone like the character, or someone who wanted to be like the character, or someone who perhaps inspired the character and piece by piece he'll turn to ink and pencil and the flesh and blood that he was born into will fade and die in a way that Tristen and Isolde, Falstaff and Hal, Dredd and now Frasier never will and perhaps that immortality will be some consolation as he looks up through the panels and says to himself "I can see you!"
I'd like to see something by Siku. And some Sinister Dexter. And some Durham Red. and....pretty much all of the above except for Bec n Kawl.
The Amazing Adventures of Fraser Irving sounds good
The future shock should be by Moore and Redondo. All for anything by Massimo or Ron Smith. Photographic evidence of Rian Hughes and Peter Hogan being kicked to death by a Hari Krishna's in tartan slippers would be good too. oh and a couple of Script/Art Droid posters. NO Synamon- christ, i can't even b bothered to check my spelling on that utter arsegravy.
Anyway, think carefully about media coverage- the last time the comic became a fashion accessory it turned into a pile of festering Quaxxan pus. I never want to see Tharg wearing DJ headphones, or reviews of pop records ever again! I'm afraid my scrot couldn't handle it!
I'd like a really long Tharg strip and lots of those little future shorts - maybe tharg can tempt some really big names to draw 'em?
- pj
Photographic evidence of Rian Hughes and Peter Hogan being kicked to death by a Hari Krishna's in tartan slippers would be good too.
Eh? What's up with Rian Hughes? Really & Truly was great.
Jungle Tip: When slagging off old droids, don't have a user name that's the same as your email address.
"I'd like a really long Tharg strip and lots of those little future shorts - maybe tharg can tempt some really big names to draw 'em?"
I'm guessing the kind of names you're thinking of begin with "H" and end with "olden"? ;)
In all seriousness, though, that's a great idea. It's way too long since we've had a Tharg strip of any kind.
On a tangent, surely a Tharg Extreme would be a great idea? Especially with those classic Ezquerra & Bradbury strips.
And I still think a big hardback Christmas market book along the lines of that Jackie one, with loads of reader art and letters from the 80s would be a sure fire winner.
"I'm guessing the kind of names you're thinking of begin with "H" and end with "olden"? ;)"
Holden Caulfield? But he's not even real!
I'm with you on the Reader's Art - there were some gems - Rogue Tortoise, which was basically Helm as the shell, and then a blue tortoise with a mohican.
Why would you want to read letters from the 80s, though? Am I missing a goldmine of hilarity?
Anyone wanting to slate Rian Hughes, please read the below (plus this linked pages) so that you at least know what you are talking about.
And how utterly wrong you are.
Link: Wiki Hughes
and Cat Sullivan signs his Droid Life RH.
The cover should be a (final) image by Belardinelli.
There is no excuse for Tharg not to attempt to get him to draw a final sign-off image.
I can't criticise Rian Hughes talent as an artist, but I can and do intensely dislike his chosen style in Robo-Hunter, Tales from Beyond Science and Really and Truly.
But then I don't like modern jazz, either.
Rian's a huge talent!
Christ, I'm sure all this 'Belardinelli's final bow' is extremely premature.
Would love to see him do some stuff though..
Whatever happened to Jose Ortiz?
That man is a genius!
:-) R
I think a 30th anniverary is great time for that Classic 2000ad Covers hardback tome that my coffee table so longs for.
The original covers in all their glory and the original art if it still exists.
At least get all those classic artists doing covers for a time.
Or maybe a true retro Prog - black and white printing on old rag paper and full of classic art.
Just read that wikipedia entry and realised I'd completely forgotten about Dare. I've got the collection of that somewhere: must try and dig it out.
I'm guessing the kind of names you're thinking of begin with "H" and end with "olden"? ;
Are you kidding? I'd like a 22 page Dredd drawn by me - that'd be my kinda chrimbo prog. (And er... the dosh would be handy).
Also, thought of this 'Parallax Views' - short strips from parallel worlds - not unlike the alternity special (was it called that?) only short - 1 or 2 pages per.
My dream world would have a chrimbo issued packed to the brim with short strips by bolland/bellardenelli/O'Neill/Gibbons and other illumni. (and er... the aforementioned ALL-HOLDEN Christmas Special)
-pj
OOOOOH! Tore a few scones did I?- like I care! It's all subjective, some like Jackson Pollock others Carravaggio.
some like Jackson Pollock others Carravaggio.
Yup. People do.
Doesn't mean you have to bag either of them though.
Or Rian Hughes.
Rufus
Ha! Ha! Wot? Nae opinions allowed aroond here? Honestly, some folk have got nae sense o' humour! 2000ad readers as well! Nice Rogue cover, by the way- but i still hate the style that Mr Hughes chose to depict the aforementioned strips, seeing as how i helped pay for them i feel it entitles me to comment.
I also noticed that no one jumped down my throat for slating Synamon- go on! You know you want to...
These anniversaries come along far too frequently for my liking. I thought we'd just had the tenth one??
What about a free gift? A redsigned space spinner that can be fired from one of those Beyblade launchers!
A big party and ehxibition of artwork from day one (that page Jock found and gave to Carlos) to present day (the computer artwork from the likes of Frazer etc...). Free entry and a massive media hype to tell the world how this fantastic 'kids' comic has influenced general modern culture etc.. etc...
Perhaps we can get dr who to be seen reading tooth, as he was reading eagle years ago. :)