Your Favourite Launch Comic Through The Decades

[jim244]

They had to develop new stories after the 12 issues, so the quality noticeably dropped. A more adult audience just wasn't a thing in British comics then, so I can see why. That said, I could see it ushering a new era of monthly comics had they kept their nerve.
Planet of the Damned was my favourite,veith Mind Wars having some great concepts. It still amuses me that Hammerstein is regarded as this tough war hero, whilst I still think of him as the puffed-up straight man to Ro-Jaws (how did 2000AD let him fade into obscurity?).

You are so right about Hammerstein !! He was the straight man in the comedy duo of him and Ro-Jaws.
Personally, my favourite story was also "Planet of the Damned", I was so into the whole Bermuda Triangle thing, especially after the TV series "Fantastic Journey".
I loved the one off stories such as "Good Morning Sheldon" (an automated house falls in love with it's owner !) ; "Mind Wars" and "Time Quake" were both brilliant, I also really loved the later UFO story "Holocaust".
"Ro-Busters" and "Strontium Dog" were obviously both very strong stories and in retrospect it's obvious why the 2000AD merger took these two, although 2000AD did, much later, run one "Time Quake" story.
TO REPLY TO TWO POINTS THAT YOU MADE :
1) Marvel UK launched a whole series of very successful monthly comics in the early 80s that did appeal to a slightly older audience and I believe IPC missed a trick by not getting in first.
2) While I respect your opinion that quality dropped after the first 12 issues, I personally disagree with it.

[starscape]

Good Morning, Sheldon was amazing. I was thinking not so long ago, of all the Future-Shocks, Time Twisters and other one-offs, this is possibly the best ever written. Either that or Shok, which was basically the film Hardware.

[SID]

Timequake was one my favourite strips from Starlord. Not only were the stories good but loved the interplay of the characters particularly Blocker and Suzi. Never knew why it never carried on in 2000 AD.

I wonder if it could have survived as a monthly. Though it may have had legal issues with Marvel.

Have to agree about Marvel monthlies, Jim. Rampage Magazine being my favourite.

Of course, the best monthly of that period (and one of the best of all-time) was Warrior. A comic too far ahead of its time or/and just plain unlucky?

Hmmm! "Best monthly". Maybe an idea for a new thread?

[jim244]

Timequake was one my favourite strips from Starlord. Not only were the stories good but loved the interplay of the characters particularly Blocker and Suzi. Never knew why it never carried on in 2000 AD.

I wonder if it could have survived as a monthly. Though it may have had legal issues with Marvel.

Have to agree about Marvel monthlies, Jim. Rampage Magazine being my favourite.

Of course, the best monthly of that period (and one of the best of all-time) was Warrior. A comic too far ahead of its time or/and just plain unlucky?

Hmmm! "Best monthly". Maybe an idea for a new thread?

I guess the reason why "Time Quake" didn't continue into 2000AD was space. How many stories can you fit into one weekly comic?
2000AD did run one Time Quake story many issues after the merger.

I may be wrong SID but I don't think "Starlord" was a Marvel comic at the time, I think he just featured in some wonderful magazines that they did (I read the Peter Quill stories in Star Wars Weekly and Future Tense reprints plus some original USA stuff "Marvel Presents").

Rampage is probably number 3 on my list Sid, a wonderful magazine. Did you know that it's named after "The Rampaging Hulk", a Marvel USA series that originally isn't really Marvel as was done by one of the companies that it owned and was in b and w just as we saw it over here !!
Now I know that Rampage comes from Rampage weekly and have no idea whether that comic title was a co-incidence or not but it certainly didn't feature any strips from the USA mag.

[SID]

I guess the reason why "Time Quake" didn't continue into 2000AD was space. How many stories can you fit into one weekly comic?
2000AD did run one Time Quake story many issues after the merger.

I may be wrong SID but I don't think "Starlord" was a Marvel comic at the time, I think he just featured in some wonderful magazines that they did (I read the Peter Quill stories in Star Wars Weekly and Future Tense reprints plus some original USA stuff "Marvel Presents").

Rampage is probably number 3 on my list Sid, a wonderful magazine. Did you know that it's named after "The Rampaging Hulk", a Marvel USA series that originally isn't really Marvel as was done by one of the companies that it owned and was in b and w just as we saw it over here !!
Now I know that Rampage comes from Rampage weekly and have no idea whether that comic title was a co-incidence or not but it certainly didn't feature any strips from the USA mag.

You are most likely right, Jim. However that one off Timequake story was nothing like the ones in Starlord including storytelling and different artist. Well in my book anyway.

If "Starlord" was a comic, it wasn't over here. But I was more referring to "Starlord" the Marvel character e.g. Peter Quill. They may not have moaned about it at the time since Peter Quill was not a known character them days. But today, of course Quill is a major character in the MCU so I could easily see Marvel objecting to the existence of even a well established comic trading (in their view) on their character's name. Look what they did with "Marvel"man. First getting the name changed to "Miracle"man and then buying the IP outright. Admittedly, the word "Marvel" is more important but even so.

Never knew that about Rampage. Only that it evolved from the weekly comic. So the original Hulk strips were indeed original? Never knew that either though I could tell that they did not come out of the regular American Hulk comic judging by the format/storylines. Didn't last forever once the X-Men moved in but I enjoyed them too.

I do agree what has been said here that IPC did "miss a trick" by not keeping to the plan and making Starlord for older readers. I think their two attempts later - Crisis and Revolver (which I did get because of "Dare") went a little too far but they did finally nab it with Judge Dredd The Megazine.

Jim, I take it that if Starlord is number 1 and Rampage Magazine is number 3; then what is your number 2?

[SID]

They had to develop new stories after the 12 issues, so the quality noticeably dropped. A more adult audience just wasn't a thing in British comics then, so I can see why. That said, I could see it ushering a new era of monthly comics had they kept their nerve.
Planet of the Damned was my favourite,veith Mind Wars having some great concepts. It still amuses me that Hammerstein is regarded as this tough war hero, whilst I still think of him as the puffed-up straight man to Ro-Jaws (how did 2000AD let him fade into obscurity?).

I really wished they persevered. Similar that I wished Quality Comics kept on with Warrior.

Judging from the success of 2000 AD, they may have still have been round today?

[starscape]

I do agree what has been said here that IPC did "miss a trick" by not keeping to the plan and making Starlord for older readers. I think their two attempts later - Crisis and Revolver (which I did get because of "Dare") went a little too far but they did finally nab it with Judge Dredd The Megazine.

Although from Fleetway, Crisis and Revolver really had nothing in common with 2000AD. In the same way that Love & Rockets were not related to Batman's The Killing Joke. Third World War or Dire Streets would never have found a home in the Megazine, in the same way that Sid the Sexist would not have found a home in Blast! comic, even though they were both mature readers. I've every issue of Crisis and Revolver but barely bought the Meg. The genres (even Dare) were just not the same.

[SID]

Agreed - "Dare" was nothing like Dan Dare from either Eagle & 2000 AD and, although I enjoyed the strip, definitely didn't seem him as THE Dan Dare. More like an alternate broken version.

I must admit, it took me a while to like Judge Dredd Megazine (despite having Dredd himself) even though I did get it from the first issue. I tried Crisis (and finally gave up) and Revolver (and stuck with it because of Dare) but found that they weren't to my taste (even in current times).

It would be great if Rebellion could launch a sister monthly featuring the cream of Fleetway/IPC/Oldham comics. Possibly featuring new and old strips. I know that they dipped their toe in the water with The Vigilant but maybe their mistake was that they tried to make it too much like the MCU? Anyway, I definitely would be interested.

[jim244]

I guess the reason why "Time Quake" didn't continue into 2000AD was space. How many stories can you fit into one weekly comic?
2000AD did run one Time Quake story many issues after the merger.

I may be wrong SID but I don't think "Starlord" was a Marvel comic at the time, I think he just featured in some wonderful magazines that they did (I read the Peter Quill stories in Star Wars Weekly and Future Tense reprints plus some original USA stuff "Marvel Presents").

Rampage is probably number 3 on my list Sid, a wonderful magazine. Did you know that it's named after "The Rampaging Hulk", a Marvel USA series that originally isn't really Marvel as was done by one of the companies that it owned and was in b and w just as we saw it over here !!
Now I know that Rampage comes from Rampage weekly and have no idea whether that comic title was a co-incidence or not but it certainly didn't feature any strips from the USA mag.

You are most likely right, Jim. However that one off Timequake story was nothing like the ones in Starlord including storytelling and different artist. Well in my book anyway.

If "Starlord" was a comic, it wasn't over here. But I was more referring to "Starlord" the Marvel character e.g. Peter Quill. They may not have moaned about it at the time since Peter Quill was not a known character them days. But today, of course Quill is a major character in the MCU so I could easily see Marvel objecting to the existence of even a well established comic trading (in their view) on their character's name. Look what they did with "Marvel"man. First getting the name changed to "Miracle"man and then buying the IP outright. Admittedly, the word "Marvel" is more important but even so.

Never knew that about Rampage. Only that it evolved from the weekly comic. So the original Hulk strips were indeed original? Never knew that either though I could tell that they did not come out of the regular American Hulk comic judging by the format/storylines. Didn't last forever once the X-Men moved in but I enjoyed them too.

I do agree what has been said here that IPC did "miss a trick" by not keeping to the plan and making Starlord for older readers. I think their two attempts later - Crisis and Revolver (which I did get because of "Dare") went a little too far but they did finally nab it with Judge Dredd The Megazine.

Jim, I take it that if Starlord is number 1 and Rampage Magazine is number 3; then what is your number 2?

Sid......I'm really confused now !!!!
When you say about my number 1 and 3 are you referring to my fave launch comics in the decade of the seventies???
Lol....So many lists and in reality I'm uncertain of what we are actually talking about !!!!!
But such lists and questions do become great forums of debate.
As for Rampage Monthly Hulk stories....
They were originally published by an imprint company (Curtis) that Marvel owned but did not control their output ,so yes these were really original Hulk stories.
As for the X Men....This was the first time in the UK that we got The New XMen (Wolverine etc).....Before anyone says anything YES I KNOW Wolverine initially appeared in MWOM but that was a reprint of a Hulk comic.
I loved Rampage and collected them all over again from Ebay, including the weeklies.
Had one seller on Ebay that was such a nice fella, he knew I loved the mag and needed ten issues and he just asked for post and packaging!!!
Obviously I insisted that I paid him but he really wouldn't take much money.
Some really lovely folk on Ebay when you get to know them.

[SID]

Rampage is probably number 3 on my list Sid, a wonderful magazine.

Hi, Jim. I meant from your quote above.

One of my regrets is that back in the last century, I considered Rampage Magazine a reprint comic at the time and I eventually consigned it to the dustbin (to make room). Even though I originally had to order from their backorder catelogue to get the earliest issues.

What a wally.

[jim244]

Rampage is probably number 3 on my list Sid, a wonderful magazine.

Hi, Jim. I meant from your quote above.

One of my regrets is that back in the last century, I considered Rampage Magazine a reprint comic at the time and I eventually consigned it to the dustbin (to make room). Even though I originally had to order from their backorder catelogue to get the earliest issues.

What a wally.

Hi Sid
Please never trust my quotes,
You and my quotes are probably correct though!
Yes: Rampage in both weekly and monthly incarnations was absolutely brilliant, YES it was a reprint magazine BUT it forged it's own identity.
Star Wars weekly/monthly was a reprint magazine but so much better and so much more than the original American Star Wars Comic.

[SID]

Rampage is probably number 3 on my list Sid, a wonderful magazine.

Hi, Jim. I meant from your quote above.

One of my regrets is that back in the last century, I considered Rampage Magazine a reprint comic at the time and I eventually consigned it to the dustbin (to make room). Even though I originally had to order from their backorder catelogue to get the earliest issues.

What a wally.

Hi Sid
Please never trust my quotes,
You and my quotes are probably correct though!
Yes: Rampage in both weekly and monthly incarnations was absolutely brilliant, YES it was a reprint magazine BUT it forged it's own identity.
Star Wars weekly/monthly was a reprint magazine but so much better and so much more than the original American Star Wars Comic.

I never read the Star Wars weekly or monthly comics. Would have been interested in Planet of the Apes as I was really into the films at the time even though I was too young to go see them in the cinema.

[jim244]

Hi, Jim. I meant from your quote above.

One of my regrets is that back in the last century, I considered Rampage Magazine a reprint comic at the time and I eventually consigned it to the dustbin (to make room). Even though I originally had to order from their backorder catelogue to get the earliest issues.

What a wally.

Hi Sid
Please never trust my quotes,
You and my quotes are probably correct though!
Yes: Rampage in both weekly and monthly incarnations was absolutely brilliant, YES it was a reprint magazine BUT it forged it's own identity.
Star Wars weekly/monthly was a reprint magazine but so much better and so much more than the original American Star Wars Comic.

I never read the Star Wars weekly or monthly comics. Would have been interested in Planet of the Apes as I was really into the films at the time even though I was too young to go see them in the cinema.

Also way too young myself to have seen any of the original POTA films in the cinema but got some issues of the marvel comic at the time and later bought a load off Ebay.
My first real experience on celluloid of POTA was the TV series, then the cartoon show and remember collecting the bubble gum cards.
I don't think I saw any of the movies until the mid 80s on TV.

[SID]

Planet of the Apes - I liked the films but not so much the TV series even though it starred Rowdy McDowall as a similar character as in the films. It was because of the films that I started reading novels - the first being the POTA film adaptations.