Borag Thung, Earthlets!
I'll be 38 in October, so I think it's about time I had a mid-life crisis. As part of this, I've headed back to one of the fondest memories of my childhood and started reading the comic 2000AD again.
For those of you that have never heard of it, 2000AD is a sci-fi weekly comic that started life in early 1977 and that without doubt, from day one, shaped my literary and cinematic tastes for ever more.
I remember how excited I would be, rushing home from school, to see the latest issue and find out what Judge Dredd (don't you dare mention Sylvester Stallone!), Rogue Trooper, and my own favourite, the A.B.C. Warriors were getting up to. I still have all my old copies of it from issue 1 to issue 380-something, and in those rare occasions that I find myself in my parent's loft, I can guarantee that I'll end up spending an hour or so reading over them again. To this day I still consider them to be absolutely fantastic and I always feel great when I pour through them again.
When I reached my mid teens I stopped reading 2000AD. I'm not entirely sure why, but I seem to recall a slight change in the direction that the comic was taking, coupled with a burgeoning interest in written novels, ended my 7-odd year love affair with one of Britain's longest running and most successful weekly comics, but after a gap of some 24 years, I'm back.
I've been buying 2000AD in its current format for some weeks now and one of the best things about it is that, in part, it feels like I was never away. Judge Dredd is still there, the A.B.C. Warriors are still there, but the characters that are all new to me are also interesting and original. In fact, I'd go as far as saying that comic books and video games are the ONLY forms of entertainment media where anything original is happening. Hollywood has stalled and can only see as far as the next re-make, tv is only interested in reality or talent shows, but video games and comics continue to push on with new and inventful storylines. Judge Dredd alone has been in print every single week for over 30 years and is still the most popular character in the comic. If ever the executives in the Hollywood studios need inspiration, look no further.
It's good to come home.
Splundig Vur Thrigg!
For those of you that have never heard of it, 2000AD is a sci-fi weekly comic that started life in early 1977 and that without doubt, from day one, shaped my literary and cinematic tastes for ever more.
I remember how excited I would be, rushing home from school, to see the latest issue and find out what Judge Dredd (don't you dare mention Sylvester Stallone!), Rogue Trooper, and my own favourite, the A.B.C. Warriors were getting up to. I still have all my old copies of it from issue 1 to issue 380-something, and in those rare occasions that I find myself in my parent's loft, I can guarantee that I'll end up spending an hour or so reading over them again. To this day I still consider them to be absolutely fantastic and I always feel great when I pour through them again.
When I reached my mid teens I stopped reading 2000AD. I'm not entirely sure why, but I seem to recall a slight change in the direction that the comic was taking, coupled with a burgeoning interest in written novels, ended my 7-odd year love affair with one of Britain's longest running and most successful weekly comics, but after a gap of some 24 years, I'm back.
I've been buying 2000AD in its current format for some weeks now and one of the best things about it is that, in part, it feels like I was never away. Judge Dredd is still there, the A.B.C. Warriors are still there, but the characters that are all new to me are also interesting and original. In fact, I'd go as far as saying that comic books and video games are the ONLY forms of entertainment media where anything original is happening. Hollywood has stalled and can only see as far as the next re-make, tv is only interested in reality or talent shows, but video games and comics continue to push on with new and inventful storylines. Judge Dredd alone has been in print every single week for over 30 years and is still the most popular character in the comic. If ever the executives in the Hollywood studios need inspiration, look no further.
It's good to come home.
Splundig Vur Thrigg!
6 comments:
Nice one Inchy, I'm a good four years older than you and still enthralled with 2000AD, it remains THE comic. Do you remember 'Action' in its brief run?
I sure do Jimmy. I also remember Starlord which only lasted 22 issues, and a comic called Starblazer that was in the small Commando booklet type format. They're great for reading in the bath.
Starlord I recall too, although I don't think I ever indulged in Starblazer but I should have done. Action was top notch while it lasted, go here for a nostalgia overload:
http://www.sevenpennynightmare.co.uk/contents.htm
As for 2000AD, Dredd still rules the block and who'd not want to be arrested by Judge Anderson? Except for the days she's gone all Judge Death possessed!
If you'd like to catch up on the missing years :-
http://www.torrentz.com/69e51c7d057fcafef561156840ffbb8d1bffcefb
I'm ashamed to say I've never ever read 2000AD though a good friend of mine, like you, has raved about it constantly since joyhood. I'm further ashamed to say I watched the debacle with Sly Stallone (but I didn't enjoy it). As a child I was more of a Beano boy and then progressed to Battle and Roy of the Rovers. Not really in the same league...
Never read Roy Of The Rovers, not enough death and destruction and WAAAAAY too much football.
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