2000AD - The Early Years

[MacNimon]

Seemingly old sailing ships were a recurring cover feature in the 80s, as seen in this Slaine cover from Cam Kennedy today. Who knows, maybe even the Flying Dutchman may appear in this thread soon...Prog 358, 3 March 1984.

Inside this issue:
Slaine - Sky Chariots (part 7) (Pat Mills - Mike McMahon)
D.R. and Quinch - Get Drafted! (part 4) (Alan Moore - Alan Davis)
Judge Dredd - Citizen Snork (part 3 - final part) (John Wagner and Alan Grant - Ron Smith)
Strontium Dog - The Killing (part 9) (Alan Grant - Carlos Ezquerra)
Rogue Trooper - You Only Die Twice (part 1) (Gerry Finley-Day - Cam Kennedy)

[Andrew Curnow]

Maybe it's because I was never a Slaine fan, but... that's not the greatest cover the world has ever seen is it? Nice idea, but a rather dull interpretation I think. And, to be really nitpicky, wouldn't "Sky Chariots of Fire" have been punnier?

Mumble mumble moan moan complain whinge whine

[Stuart Wallis]

We're the ones who had to suffer the pun and you're complaining!

[MacNimon]

We have a Dredd cover today by everyone's fave(!) , Mick McMahon...Prog 204, dated 21 March 1981.

Inside this issue:
Strontium Dog - Portrait of a Mutant (part 5) (Alan Grant - Carlos Ezquerra)
Tharg's Futureworlds poster (part 5 of 6) (art: Dave Gibbons)
Meltdown Man (part 27) (Alan Hebden - Massimo Belardinelli)
Return to Armageddon (part 20) (Malcolm Shaw - Jesus Redondo)
Tharg's Future Shocks - Trial and Error (Kelvin Gosnell - Mike Dorey)
Judge Dredd - The Alien Way! (John Wagner and Alan Grant - Ian Gibson)

[MacNimon]

We feature Dredd once again today, this time in a cover by Steve Dillon from Prog 409 dated 16 March 1985.

Inside this issue:
The Ballad of Halo Jones - book two (part 4) (Alan Moore - Ian Gibson)
2000AD Star Pin-up - Judge Dredd (art: Cam Kennedy)
PSI-Testers (part 2 - final part) (Alan Hebden - Mike Dorey)
Judge Dredd - The Hunters Club (part 3) (John Wagner and Alan Grant - Steve Dillon)
Tharg's Future Shocks - But is it Art? (Peter Milligan - Eric Bradbury)
The Helltrekkers (part 23) (John Wagner and Alan Grant - Horacio Lalia)

[Andrew Curnow]

The Helltrekkers! I'd forgotten about that, it never really got very exciting and just felt like a bit of a drag. I didn't realise it went on quite as long though - 23 weeks (at least) of I, blimey!!!

[Stuart Wallis]

It was a bit like The Cursed Earth, only less so, wasn't it?

[MacNimon]

We have Dredd again for the third straight time, along with Walter The Wobot here, in this Brian Bolland effort from 24 March 1979 (Prog 105).

Inside this issue:
Judge Dredd - The Day the Law Died (part 17) (John Wagner - Brett Ewins and Brendan McCarthy)
Sam Slade: Robo-Hunter - Verdus (part 15) (John Wagner - Ian Gibson)
Strontium Dog - Journey into Hell (part 2) (John Wagner - Carlos Ezqerra)
Dan Dare - Servant of Evil! (part 6) (Tom Tully - Dave Gibbons)
Ro-Busters - The Fall and Rise of Ro-Jaws and Hammerstein! (part 3) (Pat Mills - Mike McMahon)

[Rob McCow]

Walter is one of the most bizarre things in Judge Dredd. I can believe a lot of things about Mega-City One, but the concept that Dredd has a little pet robot butler with a cute speech defect doesn't seem quite right. I'd have thought the Judge Department would have given him something sleek and efficient, like the Lawgiver gun or Lawmaster bike.

I can't imagine Dredd getting his Judge's salary and heading down to the robot store to choose a crappy robot butler. It doesn't fit his character. Then again, maybe someone dumped it on him because Dredd has his mind on other things?

He must have been popular though because he keeps coming back.

[MacNimon]

Giant spiders. You can never go wrong with a giant spider cover, can you? Nemesis The Warlock by Jesus Redondo, Prog 257 dated 27 March 1982.

Inside this issue:
Ace Trucking Co. - The Great Mush Rush (part 7) (John Wagner and Alan Grant - Massimo Belardinelli)
Tharg's Future Shocks - The Wages of Sin!! (Alan Moore - Bryan Talbot)
Judge Dredd - The Apocalypse War (part 13) (John Wagner and Alan Grant - Carlos Ezquerra)
Nemesis the Warlock - book two (part 12 - final part) (Pat Mills - Jesus Redondo)
Rogue Trooper - Forest of Fear (part 4 - final part) (Gerry Finley-Day - Mike Dorey)

[Andrew Curnow]

I sold a load of my 2000ADs years ago, although the buyer was very particular and only wanted ones where the newsagent hadn't written my name on the top (like they used to do in the old days for the paperboy). The result of that is that I've got a random collection of a few progs (with my name on them!) and this spider one is one of them!! I rather like Redondo's Nemesis artwork, a very different feel to the norm.

And I see Rogue Trooper is in The Forest of Fear - I hope he's not going to slaughter the whole Tribe of Gum!!!

[Stuart Wallis]

I sold a load of my 2000ADs years ago

You silly twisted boy, you!

And I see Rogue Trooper is in The Forest of Fear - I hope he's not going to slaughter the whole Tribe of Gum!!!

"Susan my child! - what's this about you and Miss Wright'un piddling about with a blue muscular man with no shirt on, hmm?"

[MacNimon]

We have a Jim Baikie cover today for the first time in this thread; Skizz, from Prog 308, 19 March 1983.

Inside this issue:
Skizz (part 1) (Alan Moore - Jim Baikie)
Tharg's Time Twisters - The Reversible Man (Alan Moore - Mike White)
Judge Dredd - The Prankster (John Wagner and Alan Grant - Carlos Ezquerra)
Tharg the Mighty - Invasion of the Thrill-Snatchers (part 1) (Tharg the Mighty - Massimo Belardinelli)
Rogue Trooper - Fort Neuro (part 17) (Gerry Finley-Day - Cam Kennedy)
2000AD Star Pin-Up - Skizz (art: Jim Baikie)

[Rob McCow]

What on earth is going on with that cover? Can't tell if it's two robots wrestling or if he's trying to pilot a spaceship. Looks exciting though.

Lots of Alan Moore! There's a good interview with him in the Vwoorp Vwoorp Fanzine issue 3 where he talks about Doctor Who. Not a fan of the RTD era that's for sure - he said they never thought anything through properly, which is hard to argue against.

[Stuart Wallis]

What on earth is going on with that cover? Can't tell if it's two robots wrestling or if he's trying to pilot a spaceship. Looks exciting though.

An alien interpreter in armour, trying not to crash his spaceship.

[Andrew Curnow]

Aw, Skizz was a great strip wasn't it. Like an English ET - and actually, looking at the date, did it in fact predate the film? Quite moving (the strip I mean) towards the end.

[MacNimon]

No, ET came first, Andrew. It was released in the US in June 1982, and the UK in December 1982. Given publishing schedules and planning weeks/months in advance, Skizz was likely in production though around the time of the UK release.

It wasn't only noticable for Alan Moore's story, Jim Baikie's art was great in this as well!

[Andrew Curnow]

Ah right, I'm (as Ken Bruce might say) one year out!! Yes, the art was great too, very 'precise' and delicate. The whole thing was really a little gem.

[MacNimon]

We have another Steve Dillon Dredd cover today, from Prog 514 March 21 1987.

Inside this issue:
Bad Company (part 15) (Peter Milligan - Brett Ewins and Jim McCarthy)
Strontium Dog - Bitch (part 10) (Alan Grant - Carlos Ezquerra)
Judge Dredd - The Genie (John Wagner and Alan Grant - Cam Kennedy)
Tharg's Future Shocks - Fair Exchange (Grant Morrison - Colin MacNeil)
The Dead (part 5) (Peter Milligan - Massimo Balardinelli)
poster - Classic covers (part 2) - 1978

[MacNimon]

After a short break, it's time to look at some of the covers 2000AD have produced during the month of April. We start off with this Strontium Dog effort from Carlos Ezquerra, from Prog 107 (7 April 1979)

Inside this issue:
Judge Dredd - The Day the Law Died (part 19) (John Wagner - Ron Smith)
Sam Slade: Robo-Hunter - Verdus (part 17) (John Wagner - Ian Gibson)
Strontium Dog - Journey into Hell (part 4) (John Wagner - Carlos Ezqerra)
Dan Dare - Servant of Evil! (part 8) (Tom Tully - Dave Gibbons)
Ro-Busters - The Fall and Rise of Ro-Jaws and Hammerstein! (part 5) (Pat Mills - Mike McMahon)
2000AD Star Pin-Up - Fergee (art: Brian Bolland)

[MacNimon]

Sam Slade, Robo Hunter returns in this cover by Ian Gibson...Prog 259, from 10 April 1982.

Inside this issue:
Sam Slade: Robo-Hunter - in Brit-Cit! (Alan Grant - Ian Gibson)
Ace Trucking Co. - Feek the Freek in The Ughbug Bloos (John Wagner and Alan Grant - Massimo Belardinelli)
Space Truckers' Dictionary - update (art: Massimo Belardinelli)
Judge Dredd - The Apocalypse War (part 15) (John Wagner and Alan Grant - Carlos Ezquerra)
Tharg's Future Shocks - Nigel Goes A-Hunting! (Alan Grant - Jesus Redondo)
The Mean Arena - The Oxford Invaders (part 9 - final part) (Tom Tully - Mike White)

[Stuart Wallis]

The City Of Lost Souls. Swindon in other words...

Robohunter in Brit-Cit - brilliant!

[MacNimon]

We have a wraparound cover from Massimmo Bellardinelli today from Prog 311, 9 April 1983.

Inside this issue:
Wraparound cover: Massimo Belardinelli (Total Terror on Torquan!)
Tharg the Mighty - Invasion of the Thrill-Snatchers (part 4) (Tharg the Mighty - Massimo Belardinelli)
Rogue Trooper - Major Magnam (prologue) (Gerry Finley-Day - Brett Ewins)
Tharg's Time Twisters - Joy Riders (Alan Hebden - Jesus Redondo)
Judge Dredd - The Starborn Thing (part 3) (John Wagner and Alan Grant - Carlos Ezquerra)
What a Load of Rubbish! (Alan Grant - Eric Bradbury)
Skizz (part 4) (Alan Moore - Jim Baikie)

[MacNimon]

We have a Brett Ewins Bad Company cover; Prog 516, 4 April 1987

Inside this issue:

Bad Company (part 17) (Peter Milligan - Brett Ewins and Jim McCarthy)
Strontium Dog - Bitch (part 12) (Alan Grant - Carlos Ezquerra)
Judge Dredd - Navel Manoeuvres (John Wagner and Alan Grant - Jeff Anderson)
Tharg's Future Shocks - Big Trouble for Blast Barclay (Grant Morrison - Mike White)
The Dead (part 7) (Peter Milligan - Massimo Balardinelli)
poster - Classic covers (part 4) - 1980

[Andrew Curnow]

Just blowing the dust off here, and removing cobwebs from an orifice or two...

Anyway-- I was given the book 'Thrill Power Overload' for my birthday, which is basically the story of 2000AD's first 40 years. I've just finished the 80s, and so far it's been fascinating; not least because of in some cases how much effort went into producing the comic, and also in some cases how little effort was put in, to much criticism. The dispute over Slaine for example, the artwork, etc has been very interesting - and Pat Mills, and other contributors, is delightfully honest!! Don't know if it's a book you've come across Mac - without wanting to be rude to the person who gave it to me, I'm certain they won't have paid the full price for it (I certainly hope not - it's RRP is given as £35!!) and I have a feeling I've seen it going pretty darned cheaply in The Works round here - so, my point being, you might be able to pick up a copy for not too much!

As I say, I've just finished the 80s, so there's still the lion's share of the 40 years to go - but I stopped getting the comic regularly in 88/89 so it'll be interesting to see whether I come away from the 90s & 00s with a sense of having missed out, or a sense of having been lucky to have been reading during 'the Golden Age'!!