Have a Drokking good Christmas

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

Now that 2000 AD is one of the very few ongoing UK comics left on the shelves, I've been looking through it's colourful History in-depth.....it's dated pretty well, even the very early strips like FLESH, M.A.C.H. 1, INVASION and others are still eminently entertaining, with a delicious period charm as way of bonus.

The early Dredd Epics CURSED EARTH, JUDGE CALIGULA, JUDGE CHILD and APOCALYPSE WAR are the stirring stuff of comics-legend, and I'd go so far to say that 2000 AD, at it's peak, was the most inventive comic in UK History---looking through it's now-vast archives, it's an astonishing body of work [in the main: naturally, the creators also put out some dross, or they wouldn't be human]

---oh, all right, editor-in-chief Tharg is not of this planet!------.


Just this past weeks, I've finally caught up with latter Dredd epics JUDGEMENT DAY , DAY OF CHAOS, etc etc, and although there is point of interest in there [with the usual mind-blowing artwork], Wagner and other writers seem to be retreading older ground, although further revealing facets of life in MEGA CITY ONE is always worthy of a looksee.... there was a pretty good later extended story called ORIGINS that focused on Dredd's early life as a cadet, and also how WW3---and the Judge system----came about via Faro and 'Bad Bob' Booth.



For all it's sci-fi paraphanalia, Dredd and 2000 AD always managed to usher in unlikely but welcome festive jolities:

[SID]

And a Drokking Christmas to you, ISPYSHHHGUY.

To me, 2000AD is still inventive. True, it has its dips and waves. But there's still plenty of life in the old dog yet.

Tell you what though, would love M.A.C.H. 1 to come back (okay M.A.C.H. 3 since Probe is dead and M.A.C.H. 2 was a robot and destroyed).

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

Thanks for saving my near-obscure thread from total oblivion, Sid, and I do hope that Santa Claus delivers many comics-related items to you!

I'm in the process of looking through the [almost] complete archives of 2000 AD, starting off with FUTURE SHOCKS and TIME-TWISTERS, which usually deliver a delightfully delicious future-thrill. These short stories provide training ground for new talent, and even Brian Bolland started off doing a 'future shock!'

I also enjoy seeing the original colour spreads, which were so often omitted from the otherwise excellent Rebellion reprints: colour sure brings the earlier stories to life, and of course the criminally always-missing BURGER WARS/ SOUL FOOD episodes from CURSED EARTH are always a bizarre delight to behold, when seen again in full.

Regarding M.A.C.H. 1:I\m sure you're aware there was an updated satire on this called B.L.A.I.R. 1 which I anticipate reading......with relish!

[starscape]

Preferred MACH Zero myself.

I believe the Visible Man is back in the Xmas Special (which I wont get til tomorrow). Always loved that.

Hooe Xmas is truly scrotnig.

[SID]

And you too, ISPYSHHHGUY.

I hope everyone's enjoying their Christmas.

For me, it has been zarjaz (cannot remember if that is better than scrotnig or not). Got a Brian Bolland book (all about his art) which was interesting. The rest are DC/Marvel info books which are good reads. However, the most fun is a mini-helicopter which I am flying (and crashing) all over the place to the regret of my other half.

Yep. Knew about B.L.A.I.R. 1 but thought it was rubbish.

I liked Zero. A M.A.C.H. version of the Incredible Hulk. Sad how they killed him off.

The new Visible Man which did indeed started in the 2013 prog looks good. Something else to look forward to in the New Year (but not too soon as I want to enjoy the rest of Christmas).

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

Sid---I do agree that a lot of the later 2000 AD stuff isn't in the same league: the comic seemed to be wilfully obscure and 'arty' in some of their concepts......the older cheaper paper version [up until 1987] was the best era for me, it was more traditional, but with hyper-imaginitive stories compared to most other comics.

A lot of the later artwork in colour is stunning, it's just a shame the writing isn't in the same league in some cases...

THE VISIBLE MAN from the early days was another personal highlight for me---an early 2000s film called HOLLOW MAN lifted this idea wholesale, I thought......


Hope other fans had a gafflebette and zarjaz Christmas, Earthlets!

I had friends staying over, with Boxing Day reserved for big-screen front-projection of the following blu-rays:


BEN HUR


KING KONG [2005]


BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN



A CLOCKWORK ORANGE [not very Christmassy, granted]




BATMAN FILM with HEATH LEDGER as the Joker [can't remember the proper film title, but good stuff!]