Southern Discomfort!

[Sefton Disney]

I have memories of a story which ran in the 1981 2000AD Sci-Fi Special, alongside Nemesis The Warlock: The Sword Sinister. It may (or may not) have been called Southern Comfort (or Southern Discomfort). My memory is that it was a Future Shock, somewhat in the mould of The Crazies and Invasion Of The Body Snatchers, about a man who returns to his home town only to find it over-run by zombies or homicidal psychopaths of some kind (caused by the folly of hubristic science, I believe). In the end, just as the hero thinks he's escaped, he's killed by one of the crazies who's hiding in the back seat of his car. The art may have been by John Cooper.

To the best of my knowledge, it's never been re-printed anywhere.

I don't have a copy of the 1981 Sci-Fi Special anymore and (as you've probably noticed) my memories of the story are pretty hazy, although I remember very clearly that it scared the shit out of me when I was 10!

If any Squaxx Dek Thargo can supply me with details of this story, I'd be eternally grateful - sometimes I think I must have dreamed it!

Any ideas, anyone?

Massive thanks in advance,

Sefton Disney

[House of Usher]

I felt certain this thread was going to be about a terrible hangover from an excess of orange and peach flavoured bourbon liqueur!

[Eric Plumrose]

Give it time, the day's still young . . .

[Eric Plumrose]

Bloody hell, is that the time?

[TheEdge]

[SmallBlueThing]

No, you didn't dream it. 'Southern Comfort', written by R. E. Wright and drawn by W. Howarth- and yes, it's very reminiscent of John Cooper, in parts. 8 Pages.

I've just looked it out and messaged you on fb (thinking my wife would be monoplising the laptop tonight)- but may as well shove it here as well now that I've grabbed it from her.

Haven't actually re-read it, as my youngest son decided at the exact moment that I had retrieved it from a particularly precarious pile, to bounce into the bedroom and dive on six carefully stacked piles of 2000ad-ephemera that I'd put on the bed. As a result , I now have to spend the evening re-grouping specials, best ofs, tornados and the like and stacking them again.

But, yes, it looks good. Gave me an idea for a forum "prog group", where we all nominate a particular 2000ad publication and spend three days reading and thinking about it. But since you said you didn't have it anymore that would be unfair and besides, I'd want someone guaranteed to agree with me on stuff! There's a particular panel- bottom left of page 2- that I remember from first reading as being particularly troubling. It's just a face, but it's haunted me ever since!

Steev

[Richmond Clements]

As a result , I now have to spend the evening re-grouping specials, best ofs, tornados and the like and stacking them again.

I'm laughing because I share your illness..!

[Sefton Disney]

Borag Thungg!

Many thanks to everone who replied.

Awesome image, Edge! Looks like the best Pantera t-shirt never printed!

See you over on Facebook, Spooky - "comforting" to see that I wasn't the only Squaxx traumatised by that story when I was wee...

Splundig Vur Thrigg, Y'all,

Sefton