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Somewhere on the list of 2000 AD's most thrillsucking moments must be the time Fr1day got the heat seeking missiles off his back by throwing a self-heating "G.I. Issue" coffee mug in the other direction.

Not just any old self-heating "G.I. Issue" coffee mug, either.  This one was white, with a big pink heart on it, if I recall correctly.

--Grant

You jest, but I'll say here and now that had Shaky Kane drawn Chronos Carnival, it would have been a much, much more interesting strip.  It would have merely sucked, while the strip as presented was godawfully boring and also sucked.

--Grant

Wellllll, allowing just a hint of gossip into this...

There was an odd incident about five years ago where Alan McKenzie, who edited 2000 AD during the mid-1990s, or, as many fans call them, "the shit years," came to alt.comics.2000ad to reminisce a little.  He was pretty well savaged for allowing the comic's quality to deteriorate and sales to plummet under his watch.

His reply was pretty much "It's just a comic!"

Which is not exactly the response one would like to have from someone who was once Tharg.

The thing is, he made a few valid points about the general decline of the comic.  One of them, as recounted later in David Bishop's TPO, was that Fleetway (I think?) changed distributors to the same company who nearly killed Doctor Who Magazine about four years previously, and 2000 AD's sales dropped by a quarter in one week.

Other people, however, countered that when a given prog might contain a Millar Dredd, Mother Earth, a Millar Terror Tale, Soul Gun Warrior and Friday, sales might not ever recover.

A lot of it just comes down to the enthusiasm 2000 AD's creators have for the comic itself.  Pat Mills, John Wagner and Colin MacNeil, to take three examples, seem to genuinely like 2000 AD, and their enthusiasm is evident both in their work and when they talk about it.  Alan McKenzie viewed 2000 AD as just a job, and when you've bought your comic, the transaction is concluded.  He had no feeling or interest in 2000 AD's history and legacy, and none in its future, and that's the main reason, I expect, he has nothing to say about it.  If someone wanted to interview me about the six months I spent recording for the blind, I doubt I'd have a lot to say either.

--Grant

Speculation:

I think they will be listed in Diamond under Rebellion if, and only if, they do not find a US distributor.  If they do hook up with, say, Dark Horse, then they could share printing costs with a North American printer (Quebecor?) and warehouse and ship them in the US, keeping costs down.

If they don't get a US deal, then the books will have to be freighted in from Europe, which will be reflected in our cover price.

--Grant

Link: http://www.2000ad.org/thrillpower" target="_blank">Touched by the Hand of Tharg

DC has rescheduled the last three of its trades:

Complete Indigo Prime 06/22/05 - 06/29/05
Rogue Trooper Vol. 2: Fort Neuro 06/08/05 - 07/07/05
Ballad of Halo Jones TP 06/01/05 - 07/13/05

--Grant

Link: http://www.2000ad.org/thrillpower" target="_blank">Touched by the Hand of Tharg

We've wanted some better press outside this website, and now we have it!  There's a preview for Breathing Space at Comicon's The Pulse, with five unlettered pages of some downright beautiful art!

--Grant

Link: http://www.comicon.com/pulse" target="_blank">The Pulse

November 23rd, 1963, the day after Kennedy was shot.

--Grant

"The Lexicon of Love" by ABC.  This sleeve's a masterpiece.http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00000I2PG.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg">

Fegbarr, you're not alone.  About six months ago, my son (age 8) spotted the Trout Mask Replica CD at Wuxtry in Decatur.  He pulled it out to show his sister (age 6), who recoiled in fear.  So he began chasing her around the store with it.  "It's the Fish Man!  The Fish Man!"

Naturally, whenever we're record shopping, I now discreetly point it out to my son, so the terror can resume.

--Grant

Tordelbach, I really did drop out of an undergraduate economics course because of this darn game, although admittedly I was failing at the time anyway, and the computer lab was right between my dorm and Brooks Hall.

The great fun of Risk is that once you've mastered the game, you can try playing different strategies.  Australia's the best bet in any case, but once you know what you're doing, try starting with South America, which has exactly the same army bonus but two fronts to defend.  And sure enough, just as soon as you move northward, have taken the USA and are starting on Canada, some bastard'll sweep down through Europe and North Africa and take Brazil.

--Grant

Not an original copy; mine has the little Roman numerals instead of the shapes for the armies.  Haven't played it in ages.

Best strategy: Take Australia first and keep reinforcing Siam even after you've taken India and China.  Since the battle for Asia will mean a lot of give and take over those territories, you'll do well to have a very strong staging point for renewed assaults.  Eventually, those extra two armies a turn will have built you up so greatly that when you do move into north Asia and into Africa, it will be like a juggernaut and you'll hear the lamentations of your opponents' women.

--Grant

I actually pulled out all my Sapphire & Steel VHS tapes - converted from PAL to NTSC since it's never been shown here - this past weekend.  I haven't watched them in some time, but I'm going to have a look over the quality and decide whether I want to take the plunge and upgrade them to DVD.

It really is an excellent show, as creepy as a program can be when it's shot on videotape.

--Grant

Wow, having read the contents, I'm really looking forward to the Sapphire & Steel article!

--Grant

At five stories, it should be Dredd, Shakara, Slaine, Cabs and Atavar.  I think Sin Dex should return after Slaine finishes.

--Grant

"Oh, by the way, did I miss what's going to replace the V.C.s next week?"

Caballistics was mentioned in a Diamond solicitation around this time, so I think that will be back, but I'm not sure what will fill the fifth slot.  Possibly Atavar Book III?  The previous books have run for eight weeks with a double-part finale, so that would slot well from 1442-49.

--Grant