2000 AD Online Forum

I know it's hardly scientific, but has anyone with the relevant maths and internet know-how worked out which single Prog of 2000 AD is officially the best? Based, of course, on the voting system here on this site. I'm thinking that there must be a few progs where the average across the covers and all strips inside is an 8, at least. There's a page listing all the best/worst covers by votes; could this be extended to an entire issue?

I reckon it'll be somewhere in the mid-300s, myself.

I have doen this, theres a thread somewhere - i think its prg 654, or at least, was when i did the check last year...

heres a link

Link: a year out of date, but...

Thanks for the link! Prog 650 was pretty much when I started reading my older brother's 2000 AD every week, so I guess I jumped on at exactly the right time. Although I don't think I understood a word of Zenith phase III back then, and I barely do now.

I don't suppose you're likely to update that graph anytime soon? The link to it is unsurprisingly broken.

yeah - whenever htis subject rears up, it prompts me to update it - so watch this space!

prog 555 the beginning of the best time for tooth this carried on untill Prog 842 where a thrill sucker the size and shape of a essex hard nut got into his own story and didnt get killed by tharg at the end
a sad day

Best Meg ever - 2.23

worst prog apparently...

and the best?

Maybe it's because I was younger and had not much else to do in life, but I've never been so excited about getting my weekly prog as I was during the build-up to and indeed the unfolding of Necropolis.

Actually, the latest SinDex outing came close once the stakes were upped towards the end. Or perhaps it's more to do with my life having settled down again for the first time since puberty?

I thought this would be easy, have a quick look at the cover story, click on the Progs that I have strong memories of and then see the list of stories inside. The trouble is most of mine fave progs are in the 200 - 300's but when you have a closer look there's always one thrill that stops me picking that  Prog.
I knew I shouldnt have started because now I'm trawling through Progs trying to find the one that for me is the perfect prog.

Link: Cover Story

Prog 1642 is the best one, just wait and see...

:p

I still think that D.O.A. cover looks like Dredd having a piss.

Prog 228, with only Mean Arena bringing down the overall quality, otherwise you've got:

The final episode of Judge Death Lives.

The first episode of Rogue Trooper.

Nemesis Book I.

Strontium Dog.

Otherwise, just about any prog from the 350s - McMahon on Slaine and Dr & Quinch ...

Cheers

Jim

Link: Now THAT'S quality!

Jim,
Prog 228 made it on to my possible list but just couldnt go for it because of Mean Arena, even if Matt Tallon did play the Black Ace.
Although readers art on the back cover and a Nerve Centre with Bjorn Tharg nearly tipped it back.

Prog 335 is (for me) a strong contender.

It's a jump-on prog, with that excellent cover and a free poster (thus the sticky tape mark).

Judge Dredd: The Graveyard Shift
Slaine: Warrior's Dawn
Nemesis The Warlock: Book III
Strontium Dog: The Moses Incident
Rogue Trooper: From Hell To Eternity

theres the possibility ythat the Rogue reissuesmight lead to a reapparisal and abit more voting for Rogue, who at time i did my list last, was the "weakest" link with an average of 7... off to check what it is now....

"Prog 335 is (for me) a strong contender. "

Actually, that's an _excellent_ choice, though I'd put the Rogue story down as being nearly as weak a contribution to 335 as the fly that is Mean Arena in the otherwise unsullied ointment of 228 ...

Cheers

Jim

I went back a bit further in my search to the early to late 100's but Wolfie Smith & Blackhawk amongst others scupper my choices there.

If it wasnt for the disco dancing Rogue this may have made it on to my short list.

I'd go for 424. An iconic wraparound cover to start followed by the best letters page ever - every one a ?0 winner.

Add to that The Midnight Surfer, cracking Alpha, Slaine as good as it ever got and Rogue too. Add to the mix Anderson fighting the Dark Judges before they became passe and a future shock and you have your definitve prog.

I remember sprinting two miles to the newsagent to get the first episode of 'the horned god'. Don't recall the number but that's definitely a contender. apart from that around the 300's which i collected retrospectively, which were probably the comics 'classic' period.

First one I ever brought!!!!!

Hows this, one of my fav progs: prog 310:

Judge Dredd Starborn thing (and under a stonking cover)
Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons ChronoCops
Skizz
Fort Neuro
and finally, a Tharg story (invasion of the thrill snatchers)

(Plus inside John McCrea reader art Judge Toyah)

It's a great prog and will always warp me back in time to being 13 and sitting in my room copying pictures of Dredd.

- pj

Link: http://www.2000adonline.com/?zone=prog&page=profiles&choice=310

 sitting in my room copying pictures of Dredd.

No, actually, I think at that point I was much more obsessed with Rogue Trooper.

-pj

>I remember sprinting two miles to the newsagent to get the first episode of 'the horned god'. Don't recall the number but that's definitely a contender.

Nice Cover

>Zenith
>Phase 3: War in Heaven Part 1
>Slaine: The Horned God Book I
>Judge Dredd
>In the Bath
>Rogue Trooper
>Cinnabar
>Tales of the Doghouse
>Ratty

a great Dredd episodes, Rogue at his best & Zenith elevate this above the average, but The Horned God & Tales Of The Doghouse bring the thrill levels down.

Link: Prog 626

228 is a good choice, I like Mean Arena, ( I can't wait for the day when all sports are played with helium filled steel balls) shame it's not Steve Dillon art though. Consider...


PROG 207,

Classic Dredd, Meltdown Man, Return To Armageddon, A Future Shock I don't remember and The Creep Who Stole Croydon (Mainly 'cause I was just wondering last night whatever happened to Tharg's evil Brother?)

Course 206 is even Better 'cause Strontium Dog is there in place of the Creep...

or 217 Johnny Alpha, meltdown Man, return to Armageddon (It's one of my guilty pleasures),
an all time Classic future shock (the Unsoppable Platinum Horde!!!) Not the best dredd though

'but The Horned God & Tales Of The Doghouse bring the thrill levels down. '

Man, you've got to be kidding!
For me the horned god was a bit of a disapointment in terms of the story, which never really got going, but the art work was breathtaking, particularly seeing it for the first time.

++ It's a great prog and will always warp me back in time to being 13 and sitting in my room copying pictures of Dredd.++

You and me both ;)

I felt the same way when I found a neglected cache of 200's and 300's in a cardboard box in a closing down sale.

The shop was one of those pointless (wannabe FP) places that sells framed 32mm film strips, acrylic busts of The Punisher and tatty, limbless Starwars figures for stupid money.

I spent about an hour and a half re-reading them, sat cross-legged on the floor the odd shopper stepping over me before closing time when, much to the consternation of the owner I bought as much as I could carry for a fiver.

Idiot shouldn't of let them go for less than the original cover price. His loss, my gain.

Don't ask me to pick *one* best prog- I just can't do it.



Fond memories of Cam Kennedy's first Dredd though.

Just looking at the high res scan (follow link) I noticed the bottom of the image looks like it's been inked by Robin Smith..

Not the first time I *think* I've seen his hand in another artist's work- some of the Ron Smith Block Mania panels look like they've been tweeked by Robin's brushes.

Logan am I imagining things?

Link: suspect feathering..

Hmmm, looking at the shoulder pad too. Wonder if this cover was compisited from other images?

Well spotted Bart.

Bolt-01

"Just looking at the high res scan (follow link) I noticed the bottom of the image looks like it's been inked by Robin Smith.. "

You know what? On closer inspection, I'm not 100% convinced it's by Cam Kennedy at all.

The shoulder pad, chain and Dredd's hand all bear the suspect marks of Robin Smith and although the the two main faces do _look_ like Kennedy's ink style, some of the key line work seems to lack the characteristic scratchy finish and trademark Kennedy quirks.

I'm wondering now if it's a pretty good Kennedy impression by the Smith Droid?

Alternatively, perhaps Kennedy's original image finished around Dredd's neck and someone in editorial or the art department decided that it needed an extra inch or so at the bottom and Smith added in the bottom portion.

Does anyone have contact details for Cam Kennedy? Perhaps we could ask him? I mean, it's credited as his first Dredd cover - although it's a long time ago, maybe he'd remember if the artwork was messed with after he delivered it, or if he didn't draw it at all!

Cheers

Jim

Talk Talks "Spirit of Eden" (depending on your definition) or Yes' "Close to the Edge" - but thats a bit of a cliche.

What? Oh, right...

There was a run about two years ago which I thought was incredible. Cant remember the prog numbers. But they made me proud to be a tooth fan.

hex

Is prog 500 too obvious?

Cover features every fecking great artist you care to think of.

Bad Company kicks off!

Slaine the King has Fabry on it.

Tharg story with art from Dave Gibbons, Ian
Gibson, Cam Kennedy, Mike McMahon and Kevin O'Neill!!!

Nemesis is here in all his Talbot glory.

Dredds drawn by Brendan McCarthy.

And apparently in only cost 26p!!! Oh my poor heartses.

Yeah prog 500 was awesome the cover really sticks in the memory.

the first prog I read! Maybe not the best prog ever, but that's impossible to decide

To be frank, I think one can categorically say that #930 is not the "best prog ever". Witness the sheer horror of the line-up:

Finn: Intervention - one of 20 episodes of what was effectively a dull revamp of Sl?ine, in eco-warrior clothing. Urk.

Armoured Gideon: Trading Places - probably the best thing in the prog, even if this was one of the weaker AG series.

Rogue Trooper (Friday) - oh, man! Brains explode as the GIs meet up, and everything goes to hell in a hand-basket. Awful, awful stuff.

Judge Dredd: Crusade - quite possibly the worst Dredd "epic" to date. Really, really bad. (Actually, thinking about it, Inferno was even worse, but this was pretty piss poor, despite Austin's reasonable art.)
 
Harlem Heroes: Cyborg Death Trip - I didn't mind the first half of the initial Harlem Heroes run, but it went downhill very, very rapidly after that. By this point, the series was a sick joke, and its rating of 2.69 is higher than I'd expect!

Overall: not good, although probably not the worst prog out there.

 It's kind of like the best Dr Who ever really isn't it...

  we all *know* the best Prog ever was between 200 and 400 somewhere, just like everyone *knows* that Tom Baker was the Best Who.

  But some of you *think* differently, there are people who swear some of the four digit Progs are better just as there are people whoreally love what Slyvester McCoy brought to the role.

 Takes all kinds I 'spose.

 You're wrong though :)

Jim,

Pretty sure the main image i s Cam's but the glove, chain and shoulder pad look like pure Robin Smith.

I wonder if the original artwork is in Rufus' extensive collect ion or has at least passed thru his hands?

He might be able to confirm our suspicions.

As for Robin adapting artwork, chances are it happened more than once during the course of getting 2000 ready for print each week.

I pitched my inquiry at Logan because he is *very* knowledgeable about such things and if anyone would know about it he would.

Ol

I wouldn't say it was THE best prog ever, but it was my best prog ever; got me hooked.
 I think I must be the only person on earth who liked Crusade.
 As for the rest, bear in mind that I hadn't read anything else, so didn't know that Finn was warmed up Slaine (even now, after reading heaps of Slaine, I prefer Finn) and had nothing to compare the Rogue Trooper to. Harlem Heroes, the story did indeed suck, but the art was cool

anyway, I haven't read all the progs so really shouldn't be posting here

>Does anyone have contact details for Cam Kennedy? Perhaps we could ask him? I mean, it's credited as his first Dredd cover

Sent Cam a mail asking him if he remembered:

++++++
Thanks for mail. God you're goin' back a bit.
To the best of my knowledge what I did was what you saw except of course the colour(I use the term loosely). It could have been tampered with at the time by some wee termite in-house, I don't know, anyway at that time 2000 wouldn't have told the artist about any tampering. But, on reflection, I'd go for it not having been touched by an in-houser. I don't have the original, in fact can't even remember what happened to it.
Hope that's been of some help.
Take care.
Cam.

Link: Cam Kennedy

Rob Smith was Art Ed at 2000Ad at the time, and it was his job to 'bodge'art too (edit/cut and paste, this was pre-photoshop) .
  So quite likely he did.
He also did roughs for many of the artists to follow for Covers.
  He gave them to me, and many of the classic 2000Ad covers are layed out by him.
I'll post a few soon) (see link)
:-) R

Link: http://comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Page=1&Order=Date&Piece=115758&GSub=6918&GCat=0&UCat=0

And for Dave Gibbons....
  Basically he did loads...
 A very talented Art Ed. was he.
Hire him back Mr Kingsley...

Link: http://comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Page=1&Order=Date&Piece=109490&GSub=6918&GCat=0&UCat=0

Prog 2000 doesn't score that highly by comparison to some others [on the basis of how people how voted online], but I still think the issue takes some beating...

Cover: Brian Bolland
Dredd: Wagner & McMahon
Dredd: Grant & C Kennedy
Dante: R Morrison & Fraser
ABC Warriors: Mills & Walker
Rogue: Tomlinson & Gibbons
Slaine: Mills & G Staples
SinDex: Abnett & Davis
Stront: Wagner & Ezquerra
Glimmer Rats: Rennie & M Harrison
Nemesis: Mills & O'Neill

Not too shabby, methinks.

davidbishop

Link: http://viciousimagery.blogspot.com/

anyway, I haven't read all the progs so really shouldn't be posting here

Since when did that become a prerequisite for internet pontificating?!

My vote would be for something around 510 (Bad Company, The Dead, The Taxidermist, Slaine the King, Bitch, Ulysses Sweet.)

Either that or 550:

Zenith
Oz
Bad Company 2
SD in The Rammy (Yer breeks is mince)
Nemesis

Great stuff.