2000 AD Online Forum

Do you miss Future Shocks and similar one-shot wonders?

Link: Click to vote

Have they been gone all that long?

I believe there are a couple on the way - between now and Christmas always seems a likely time for them.

We've had a smattering of Future Shocks-Terror Tales-Various one-shots over the last few years. I don't think we need to many more, unless they're really good.

I love the one-offs.
Without these the likes of Abelard snazz would be nothing.

Abelard Snazz, Joe Black, Agent Rat, Maze Dumoir, Rose O'Rion.

Yes, Future Shocks and their ilk are worth having. Some stories don't need eight episodes plus to be told.

Whilst looking for the image that became  my icon, I rediscovered a perfectly good one-pager about aliens landing in Wigan and being mistaken for fancy dress contestants.

There's plenty of room for stuff like this in 2000ad as long as it's well written, drawn well and has a good twist.

Well, to be honest, I don't like 'em. Of course, Alan Moore's were excellent in their day but since then, only Mr Spurriur and maybe Henry Flint have done it for me.

I can see the point of them but, being a comic snob, I don't want to see someone learning how to write/draw comics in my 2000ad! That's what small press is for isn't it? I know there are huge holes in my arguements here but I'm just saying what I feel.

I'd much rather have an extra episode of Dredd.

I think it's nice that 75% of respondents in this poll want to see them every 8 Progs or so.

Personally I think that's a bit too frequent. But I could certainly bear to see more than 2 or 3 a year.

the recent future shorts were excellent, partically the humans in the bag

::"That's what small press is for isn't it?"

In some regards, small press is the amateur to 2000AD's professional.  Moore's Future Shocks and Time Twisters (to pick an example) were not those of someone learning how to write (insofar as anyone stops learning) - they were just short stories from an excellent writer.

I'd like to see more short stories from excellent writers in the pages of the weekly.  All paid for,  unlike the random (although usually low, in my opinion) quality of the small press pages in the Megazine.

When I was younger, I always preferred the series over the one-offs.  Yet, when I look back, it's many of the one-offs that I have fondest memories of.

We used to have two episodes of Dredd in the weekly.  I can't say it added much.

Moore's Future Shocks and Time Twisters (to pick an example) were not those of someone learning how to write (insofar as anyone stops learning) - they were just short stories from an excellent writer.

You know, I'm not entirely sure that's the way Alan Moore sees it.

I was thinking exactly that as I wrote it.  The best way I could think of to get that across (without just coming out and saying it) was to say "insofar as anyone stops learning".

If you want to sort out your short story with a twist fix, then I can heartily recommend the fine publications from FQP. FutureQuake and Something wicked especially are right up there...

Bolt-01

You know what you are, don't you Evans..?

Public Minded?

Bolt-01

Do you know what I really miss...?

Photo strips. No, really. I pine for pictures of people doing that fake 'surprise' thing with open mouth and hands held up in the air next to a badly superimposed drawing of Minne the Minx or someone (wrong comic, I know, but still...), who's stepped 'out of the comic' to give them a hand pranking their troublesome parents or something; the both of them using archaic language like 'Gosh! Minnie' 'Hello, chum!'.

Bliss. In a crap way.

Is there a photo-strip based small press title? Because there should be.

Photostrip NOOOOOOOO
Just look at the Nemesis and Purity outing not to mention Doomlord in the Eagle

No, but there is a strip I know of that is photo based. Byron Virgo did it a while ago.

Also, I'm planning a photo-strip report on this weekends Brum con. I say planning cause I'm likely to only take two photos before forgetting what I was thinking about...

Bolt-01

Is there a photo-strip based small press title? Because there should be.


The last issue of Solar Wind was a photostrip special. It was as close to genius as comics get.

I'm not such a fan of the ones with blokes in dodgy costumes, but the ones where they would transplant comic characters into the real world - like a 2-D Who Framed Roger Rabbit? but in strip form, and much less sucsessful or entertaining.

Tharg the Mighty strips were tailor-made for the format. Can we have one in Prog 2008, please? Ezquerra's Tharg could step out of some dude's copy of tooth, to many theatrical expressions of surprise.
'Boragg Thung, Earthlet! I see you are in severe need of something zarjaz!'
'Wow! Tharg the Mighty!'
'The very same - here to make sure this is the most thrill-powered christmas ever!'
...cue much hilarity.

Solid gold, I tells ya.

And I just remembered- Dr Bob did a SD photostrip, using the action figures, in a Dogbreath.

Though, there isn't one in the latest issue, which is on sale now from the Futurequake shop.

Link: Buy Dogbreath!

My heart is gladdened to know this noble art has not been lost. :-)

There's this as well...

Link: Michael's Exciting Life

"No, but there is a strip I know of that is photo based. Byron Virgo did it a while ago."

Ahem. Well, I am now officially a whore...

(Extra points for those who notice the obscure MANIX photostrip reference.)

Link: Not as good as Solar Wind...

Photo strips? How about The Books of Invasion?

Pfft, it's very good.

I love all photostrip stuff.  With digital cameras, it's about the easiest and most free way to make a comic strip AND have a good time with your mates at the same time.

Both Ed's and Paul's photostrips were ace.

Michael's Exciting Life is hilarious.  When Margaret Thatcher's ghost showed up, I had to leave the room for laughing.  "Wait a minute!  You're not even dead!  How come you's a ghost already?"

Dear Grud,

Please don't let Tharg take this as a sign and start creating effing photo-strips, which are only ever fun (or funny) for the people who make them.

Amen.

I liked the Nemesis ones.  As an occasional; bit of fn, I wouldn't mind seeing them turn up in a page or two in the megazine.

Ulysses Sweet

There's a story in The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers where they give up drugs and it turns into a photo strip for 4 pages.

4 pages of guys dressed as the freaks sitting bored round a table.

It doesn't sound good but is one of the best things ever.

"Please don't let Tharg take this as a sign and start creating effing photo-strips, which are only ever fun (or funny) for the people who make them."

Isn't that disproved by the poster above you who just said that he found a particular photostrip funny?

Byron, I can't be held responsible for other people's mouths being full of wrong.

My apostrophe placement was full of wrong.

How about a series of Marvel style 'What ifs?'?

eg 'What if Rico had killed Dredd on his return from Titan?"

They did an 'Alternate' prog a few years ago including a rico strip where he wasnt incarcerated.

Sorry to cause you such pain Funt, but I did recognise the inherent crapness of photo-strips in my posts. For me that's part of their appeal.

Rico's survival was also covered in the Meg a while back.

Rico's survival was also covered in the Meg a while back.

Oh yeah. Crap idea anyway.

I do like the future shock approach, it would be good to hand it over to the experienced writers though - Wagner, Smith, Rennie would all be good I reckon.

Well, there was that guy with the beard and his amazing home-made (movie) lawmaster ... that was funny.

Don't really see the problem with certain people enjoying photostrips (in a campy vein or otherwise) - it's not like Matt's going 'Gee, that's super-cutting edge, we gotta get 'em back in the prog!", or anyone's forcing you to read them in a kind of Clockwork Orange/Dario Argento 'forcing-your-eyes-open-with-sharpened-pins' manner, are they?

Dunno where I heard it - I think it may have been Alan Grant - but someone mentioned their desire to see one off stories set in Mega City One (or at least Dredd's universe) used as a testing ground for new talent.

The catch is that they couldn't feature Dredd or any other main characters. I think it's a great idea. How many people have said the best thing about Judge Dredd isn't him, but the city itself and its inhabitants. Didn't Spurrier just say this in the most recent Megazine?

Future Shocks jumped the shark before I started reading 2000AD. I mean, there's a lot of talent out there that could produce excellent stuff given the scope MC1 provides.

I also do not agree with Pete that 2000AD aint the place to see people learning. Just look at Robbie Morrison's work on Dredd. Same with Rufus. As a matter of fact, I imagine the increased competition would make some of the more established names get their fingers out.

Everyone wins!

If only you knew, Byron...

Anyway - the guy with the beard was funny.  So, you see, I'm admitting I was wrong - some photostrips can be funny.  And, of course, I'd love to see them in the Megazine.  Well, it can't get much worse, can it?

"Well, it can't get much worse, can it?"

Find out this winter when Chronos Carnival 2: Wheels on Fire returns...in photostrip form!

You've completely sold me!

All you'd need for that is a wheelchair, a strap-on wrist laser, a second hand Chinatown festival dragon, several chums and a woman to play the other one.  Oh, and for the circus to be in town.

For a script, anything at all (even random Grobbendonk gibberish) would be an improvement on the original tales.