Aside from the fact Roller Derby girls are cool as fuck, the page has loads of illustrations from 2000AD favourite Gary Erskine. There’s a comic in the works too which should definitely by worth keeping an eye out for.
Those of you who have attended UK comic cons in the last year will also have noticed they’ve started to be a presence, often doing stewarding duties. I like Star Wars stormtroopers as much as the next nerd, but I’ll be honest, if it’s the choice of them or some badass girls on rollerskates…..
As announced in this weeks prog, Kingdom is coming back!
Can’t wait for this. Loved all the previous arcs and it’ll make me feel less guilty over my dislike of Abnett’s other ongoing, Sinister/Dexter. Elson back on art is also a huge plus. He’s pretty much the only guy you want on this, though saying that Jon Davis-Hunt did an awesome Kingdom cover a while back
Anyone remember the band Kingdom Come by the way? Their second album was called “in your face”. Yup, classy.
Anyway, any excuse to post up an 80s hair metal video
fucking awful. Worse, I seem to know the words somehow. Bogiez rock club Cardiff has a lot to answer for.
Big thanks to Dan Hunter for the heads up on this…
Over on comixology they’re giving away a free comic book day edition of Judge Dredd Classics. A full 25 pages of newly coloured versions of the original Judge Death arc and some Walter the Wobot one-shots.
Hadn’t seen these before. Know Flint REALLY didn’t like the colouring but I didn’t hate it. Obviously I much prefer the original black and white but as an update to try and get new readers checking out the old stuff it’s pretty good. Anyway, this issue is free so go give it a look and make up your own mind
I got this directly though the comixology app on my ipad. The website link for the rest of you is HERE
Not put the call out in a while so just a quick reminder that we’re always up for posting reviews, articles, artwork, news…. anything 2000AD related really.
Not quite as regimented posting reviews as we used to be so as and when prog reviews are cool, same for trades. We even do the odd retro review so if you fancy writing up your first ever prog or something like that then all cool.
Could really do with the odd Megazine review as it does get neglected slightly and more prog reviews especially if your tastes are different to those currently going up. In other words that currently means a prog review from a Sinister Dexter fan would make us feel a bit more balanced. No obligation to do more if you just fancy sending one in.
Either use the contact form or send direct to our email which is ecbt2000ad@yahoo.co.uk
Why 615? Well its 1am on the 15/06 so I either went for 1506 which seemed a bit new, or go arse backwards american dating and pick 615.
Lets set the tone with the 20th best selling single of Feb 1989
You ladies need a moment? We’ll wait. It’s fine.
So, cover by Rhian Hughes who co-incidentally gets an interview in this months Megazine. Like it though it’s incredibly 80′s…. which is fair enough as that’s when it was published. Looks like it should be framed up on someone’s wall in a John Hughes movie. Extra points for the fucking awful “dozen” pun on it as well.
The letters page has two drawings, one of Judge Roger Rabbit and one of a slightly trannie-ish Judge Anderson and also the following poem from reader David Furness
Tharg your face is green
A bit like a sucked bean
I think your boots are very cool
and your comic makes me drool
How do you stay so dudish
Words we can all take meaning and inspiration from, I’m sure.
First strip? Anderson Psi Division Helios Part 2 by Alan Grant and David Roach.
Short version – Anderson goes clubbing. Some guy comes in and goes postal apparently due to an external influence. She disarms him but it ends with a cliffhanger as he starts to strangle her. Orlok would mention Nigella Lawson here. I’m classier than him.
Unlike the rest of this prog I had read this before having owned both the Anderson Psi-Files. From memory this is from the second volume which wasn’t my favourite due to it being less about fun stories and more about Anderson’s soul searching. Nothing wrong with that, I just didn’t enjoy it as much. That said as a one off read this was cool. Anderson in a disco taking down a nut job is enjoyable stuff and lets be fair… Mr Roach can seriously draw the ladies. Some really nice character work on the rest of the story’s cast as well and great moody lighting, though of course I’m posting a pic of Pans People Anderson complete with Psi Judge accessory. Really, can we get him back drawing Anderson?
Next, Fast Forward written by H.Robinson and D. Francis with art by John McCrea who is currently kicking all kinds of arse drawing Mars Attacks. It’s a one and done that you’d now expect to come under the Time Twisters banner. Was Fast Forward an ongoing thing back then? I can’t remember. Anyway in this a guy robs a bank and uses a time machine as his getaway. Unfortunately the time machine is on the top floor of a University building which in the future has been knocked down so it ends with him taking a dive. Clever idea and well illustrated. Art is a bit cartoony (somewhere PJ Holden is grinding his teeth) but in a good way. Suits the story and is all kinds of kinetic. 2000AD doing what it does best. Full story in four awesome pages.
Next, Swifty’s Return from Pete Milligan and Jamie Hewlett. Basically its a time travel story with two mates who end up stuck in redneck central where the fact one of them is black causes what’s known in the trade as “a slight fucking problem”
Being mid arc this wasn’t the most entertaining to read as a stand alone installment but … well… it’s Jamie Hewlett innit? Getting to read four pages of his artwork I hadn’t seen before was a hell of a treat and is making me think it’s time I nicked the missus’ Tank Girl books for a re-read.
Next we get Dredd : Crazy Barry Little Mo from John Wagner and Chris Weston and T. Frame (is it Tom? I think so) on letters. And why am I mentioning the letterer this time? Because of my new favourite gun sound effect
So, the story is about Barry Kurten, a Judge with a little blue demon living in his head that makes him do bad things. Not sure from this opening part if it’s a figment of his imagination or some paranormal bastard but either way it makes for a really fun story and I’m gonna have to dig out the Case Files with the full arc. The art is…. well, lets say Chris Weston has REALLY come on. This isn’t terrible but it’s not aged well, especially the colouring and seeing this you wouldnt guess what a fan favourite Mr Weston would become. Well… I wouldnt have anyway
Next, Night Zero by J. Brosman and Kev Hopgood. I have no fucking idea what’s going on in this. You get a guy who looks like one of those “Lets try and make Action Man cooler by giving him a silver arm” toys who fights some scythe armed druids in a meccano lift shaft and… thats about it really.
Our hero seemed to be enjoying himself though
Fighting druids gets him REALLY excited.
Last up… part 8 of Strontium Dog : The Final Solution by Alan Grant and Simon Harrison. Weirdly as a 2000AD fan who has the Strontium Dog phone books, I’ve never read The Final Solution. I’ve heard about it. Holy god have I heard about it. This of course being why I’ve never felt the urge to buy the trade.
Anyway, Feral and his guys kill some norms, Alpha and Middenface seem to be locked up in the Doghouse but instigate an escape.
I’ve heard a lot about the art on this. None of it positive to be honest but that said I kinda liked it. It’s fucking out there but so is Ace Trucking Co and everyone loves that. Cant get enough of the story from this installment to decide if I wanna take the plunge and finally read how Alpha buys it but from this look the artwork wouldn’t be putting me off.
Last up… Mix, which is a page of record reviews by Roxilla. A single, one line review jumps out
“Man in the Moon by Voice of the Beehive – Fortunately my copy was too warped to play”.
So I’d like to end by saying “FUCK YOU ROXILLA” …. coz I like Voice of the Beehive. Granted I like them more after a few beers but thats no bad thing
Actually I should probably end with what my fave was so think I gotta go for Anderson. Others had good story or good art. This had both.
