2000 ad's legacy

Discuss or comment on Britain's sole surviving boy's comic from the 1970's. The home of Judge Dredd, Slaine, Nikolai Dante, ABC Warriors and Sinister Dexter. Has been running since 1977.

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geoff42
Posts: 671
Joined: 18 Apr 2014, 00:48

2000 ad's legacy

Post by geoff42 »

Without shame, I am about to rave about 2000 ad's endurance. I can't recall any previous comic that has literally grown up with its readership. And that's why, I believe, so many titles folded in history. If 2000 ad was still towing a line from the 1980's, it would have expired alongside Victor and the new Eagle. With a smirk, I remember in the late eighties that Pat Mills threw in the expletive "dastard" in his book nine of Nemesis. A few years later, the expletive "b******" barely ruffled any feathers. Naked breasts followed :shock: Here, here for 2000 ad which manages to endure and defy all the odds as regards its existence. Unlike Beano, it can't rely on little children to support its life; it depends on children maturing and finding it. So far, so good.

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ISPYSHHHGUY
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Joined: 14 Oct 2007, 13:05
Location: BLITZVILLE, USA

Re: 2000 ad's legacy

Post by ISPYSHHHGUY »

To me, 2000 AD is the only truly creative mainstream comic still standing in Britain: the BEANO has also evolved but it is now unrecognizable from the Watkins/ Law/ Reid/Nixon etc days. It's good but it has mutated into something else------2000 AD is still the same spirit of '77, just updated and left to 'mature'.

The main criticism of Thargs' comic is that a lot of the material is deliberately obscure and 'arty' to the point where some stories can alienate even loyal readers, but I never tire of seeing new aspects of Dredds' world in and around Mega City One---the short self-contained Future Shocks-like stories ['Twisted Tales' and others] are usually good as well.

Esquerras' stuff looks great in digital colour after a garish start.

geoff42
Posts: 671
Joined: 18 Apr 2014, 00:48

Re: 2000 ad's legacy

Post by geoff42 »

I know there are some members who believe I would love to see the Beano go under; but they are very wrong. Having just finished reading a whole year of issues from 1977, I am of the opinion that I wish to see it endure indefinitely. While I perceive the modern Beano is somewhat inferior to the 1970's , I still feel that it should appeal to today's youngsters who can prolong its longevity. It's just that I have a feeling that the printed form of any publication will lose its appeal to upcoming youngsters who will be conditioned to online images before they spit out their dummies. It's sad but inevitable. Now you can subscribe to 2000 ad in pure digital form without bothering about the physical imprint. They have settled for the worse. Another 20 years, maybe less, everything will be digital... damn! Maybe 10 years :cry:

Shiner
Posts: 316
Joined: 29 Sep 2006, 23:33

Re: 2000 ad's legacy

Post by Shiner »

Hats off to Rebellion for both 2000AD and the Judge Dredd Megazine. Two traditional comics still available at the newsagents. An absolute wealth of characters enjoyed by a loyal readership. It still takes risks and I would urge anyone who bemoans the state of the industry to give both of these a titles a go if you haven't in the past 12 months.

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ISPYSHHHGUY
Posts: 4275
Joined: 14 Oct 2007, 13:05
Location: BLITZVILLE, USA

Re: 2000 ad's legacy

Post by ISPYSHHHGUY »

The technical effects in Megazine and 2000 AD regarding the use of colour are often ambitious and impressive: yes the BEANO uses modern colouring techniques too, but the larger splash panels in Thargs' comic show this stuff off to it's fuller potential; I often just admire the artwork in these two Dredd-related items, even when the stories are obscure.

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