Let's talk about Eagle

[Wood]

So, among the huge pile of comics I got given last year was a huge bunch of Eagles.

And I only just started sorting through them yesterday. What did I discover?

Well, a large amount of crap, for one. Let's be frank. BUT... also, Dan Dare stories written by Pat Mills. Doomlord - which is always readable - by Alan Grant. Stuff by Carlos Ezquerra.

Some of it's quite good. And later Eagles reprint early 2000ASD strips, such as MACH1 and Ant Wars, so if you fancy reading these, finding Eagles with the strips in may prove cheaper than tracking down the 2000AD progs...

But only some of it.

Oh, and I have to tell you about The Hand. It's written by Gerry Finlay Day (of Rogue Trooper fame - now what happened to him?) and it's about this reporter who loses his arm and gets a new one transplanted on, which used to belong to a mobster... and it makes him DO things... It's quite possibly the daftest thing I've ever read.

[Dominic O'Rourke]

ooohhh I so forgot about the hand! I always liked the new eagle for the photo strips, esp doomlord. and I remember something about Dan Dares car with a revolving licence plate, and some girl with silver hair or constantly changing hair. Am I right or going senile, yet again?

[Jayzus B. Christ]

I had this Eagle mothly special called Bloodfang, about a tyrannosaur. I cant remember who wrote it, but Jim Baikie drew it and it was skill, mate.
I never knew Alan Grant wrote Doomlord - it was a photo story for a while, which is always dodgy (but I wouldnt mind seeing a photo story now in 2000AD for old times sake - I fancied Candida in the Nemesis one).
Also, does anyone remember Joe Soap in Eagle? Cant remember much about it, but it was a photo story where the main character seemed to be hopping about in boxers a lot. Honest, I swear it was Eagle comic, your honour.

[Mole]

If I remember correctly one of the benefits of the Hand was that it turned its new owner into an expert at rolling spaghetti onto his fork (because the dead mobster had been Italian).

Also, Joe Soap ate a load of curries.

Not sure what Doomlord ate, but I also remember two other photostrips: Sargeant Streetwise who was a bit of a cool dud in his leather jacket, and Thunderbolt & Smokey, a strip about a school footy team.

The photostrips didn't seem to allow for many subtle shades of emotion. Wasn't the standard posture - whether anger, surprise, fear, joy or pain - just to stand there with hands up and a wide-open mouth? Or am I thinking of that agony aunt photo casebook thing in the Sun (which I have never seen of course, just been told about)?

Perhaps I am getting confused with the latter as I'm sure skimpy lingerie is usually involved, and I don't think it was ever worn by Doomlord or Sgt Streetwise.

Does anyone remember the point at which Eagle admitted the photostrips weren't really working?

[Leigh S]

I seem to remember a story in the Sun many years back about a butch stuntman and actor who underwent a sex change operation, who I swear was the fellah who 'played' Joe Soap - Anyone else see this or did I dream it (although it sounds more like the kind of thing our Scoje would dream given his recent comments on Kano;))?

[Wood]

The Fists of Danny Pyke, drawn by John Burns. Nice artwork - basically a rags-to-riches story about a boy who becomes a boxer.

Walk or Die - a nasty story about a group of kids lost in the Canadian wilderness, with every possible nasty thing happening. Killer Bees, bears... the lot.

And I've just reached the issue where Manix gets caught and reprogrammed by SMOG. Sheer drama, folks.

[Tu-plang]

QUOTE--------------------------------------------
Oh, and I have to tell you about The Hand. It's written by Gerry Finlay Day (of Rogue Trooper fame - now what happened to him?) and it's about this reporter who loses his arm and gets a new one transplanted on, which used to belong to a mobster... and it makes him DO things... It's quite possibly the daftest thing I've ever read.
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Hey, like Carver Hale, with the demon in him.  Except stupider.