Prog 2350 - 2000ad Battle Action*

[Funt Solo]

I was determined to get rid of Tharg. I thought the character was an anachronism stifling the comic.

Bishop, 2007, Thrill-Power Overload

Then, eighteen weeks later:



Conclusion: don't f*ck with Betelgeuse, mofo!

[scrotnig]

I guess the only thing I could really say I disliked in the Bish-op era was the attempt to replace Tharg with the Vector 13 Men in Black. Though I understand the thinking behind trying it.

I don't. I thought the idea of getting rid of Tharg was to make 2000AD more like the Megazine, or American comics back in the days when they had letters pages, where the editors answered letters as themselves. Why remove a fictional character and replace him with other fictional characters?

I think it was an attempt to replace something some thought was naff and dated, with something contemporary and popular (X-Files was at its height).

[nxylas]

I think it was an attempt to replace something some thought was naff and dated, with something contemporary and popular (X-Files was at its height).

I guess if this ploy had continued, we'd have needed a new fictional editor every few years. What was contemporary and popular in 1996 looks far more dated than Tharg now. You'd have to have Space Taylor Swift as the editor or summat.

[Batman's Superior Cousin]

I think it was an attempt to replace something some thought was naff and dated, with something contemporary and popular (X-Files was at its height).

I guess if this ploy had continued, we'd have needed a new fictional editor every few years. What was contemporary and popular in 1996 looks far more dated than Tharg now. You'd have to have Space Taylor Swift as the editor or summat.

No, just no....

[JayzusB.Christ]

I think Bish-Op wanted a more serious tone to the letters page, in keeping with his Megazine one (where I'll always remember him scolding a reader for 'mixing his metaphors to unsavoury effect' - ooh, get her!). 

I recall Tharg responding to one of the old-style daft, whimsical readers' letters with the words 'I really don't see the point of this ridiculous letter', which I believe was a message to us all that the horseplay was over.

While I think, in retrospect, the Dave lad did great work with the prog under difficult circumstances, most of us are kids at heart and want an arrogant, sarky alien editing our comic.  Which, in fairness to the man, he quickly realised and brought Tharg back.

[nxylas]

My attitude to Tharg has changed over the years. As a kid, I naturally bought into the conceit without questioning it too much. In my twenties, I regarded Tharg as an embarrassment, unworthy of a proper, grown-up comic. Nowadays, I see the whole Tharg business as a bit of fun, adding to the atmosphere surrounding the comic. i've never been keen on the actual Tharg stories, though, with their in-jokey, "Christmas edition of the staff newsletter" tone.

[IndigoPrime]

Same. They usually don't do anything for me, although a couple of them have been mildly amusing. (I wish they were shorter, mind.) I do recall the horror of facing Best of 2000 AD monthly 63. In the months prior, we'd had Torquemurder, Strontium Dog: Outlaw, Mick McMahon Sláine, Judge Anderson: The Possessed, and some cracking Dredd (Starborn Thing!) So it was quite something when I was as a youngish lad suddenly faced with an entire magazine of Tharg tales. At least things then got back on track with Ace Trucking (Mush Rush!), Halo Hones 3, Cry of the Werewolf, and Strontium Dog: Max Bubba.

Man, what a great reprint mag Bo2K was*. So great back in the day for getting access to the best the comic had to offer, but in an affordable manner. At the time, I recall most of the reprint had been those expensive and skinny Titan volumes. Here, you got basically the same thing – to young eyes, at least – for a fraction of the price.

* issue 63 excepted

[Hawkmumbler]

I do have a certain fondness for the Vector 13 boys, who amusingly seem to now be more dated than the mighty green bonce himself. Maybe it was just a side effect of a number of V13 strips being some of my first exposure to tooth reprints, wonder if they've shown up at all since, either strip side or as an
editorial gag.

[nxylas]

I do have a certain fondness for the Vector 13 boys, who amusingly seem to now be more dated than the mighty green bonce himself.

Yeah, Tharg doesn't scream 1977 the way Vector 13 screams 1997.

[Richard]

I still can't quite get used to the notion that 1997 is a long time ago!

[nxylas]

I still can't quite get used to the notion that 1997 is a long time ago!

Put it this way, I don't think we'll be getting a new series of BLAIR 1 any time soon.

[IndigoPrime]

STARM3R

[nxylas]

STARM3R

That could work, actually. There's something slightly "off" about him, I don't think I've ever seen a photo of him where he doesn't look stiff and awkward. Probably best to wait until he's actually Prime Minister, though.

[Funt Solo]

wonder if they've shown up at all since

[prog 2000]


And my favorite version of Tharg has him entirely unhinged:


[2K40 special]

[JayzusB.Christ]

I always liked the Tharg strips.  My favourite type of Tharg is the one from Tharg's Head Revisited and A Night 2 Remember - struggling a bit to maintain his enormous ego when faced with some of his less impressive achievements.