Return To Armageddon

By Malcolm Shaw, Jesus Redondo & Johnny Johnson

Review by Luke Williams

Published in the early years of 2000AD Malcolm Shaw and Jesus Redondo’s “Return to Armageddon” is certainly different.

A starship comes across a demonic looking alien encased in ice many light years from Earth. Freeing the alien from its sub zero prison, the starship’s human crew find it’s alive and do the only sensible thing, and clone it.

The formerly ice bound being, known as the Destroyer, is the harbinger of the apocalypse, destined to destroy the universe. Its clone, known as Amtrak, accompanied by a rather battered robot called Seeker spends 30+ episodes making bargains, trying to persuade the otherwise soon to be extinct people of the universe that the apocalypse is imminent, is killed, brought back to life, frequently mauled, betrayed and imprisoned.

Being an insufferable completist and with disposable income, I spent a few years collecting all the 2000ADs prior Prog 458, where I first started picking it regularly. Frankly, I can’t in all honesty say that I read each and every story prior in those back issues. “Return to Armageddon” in particularly seemed impenetrable and more than a little weird. However, seeing it going for a few quid in one of Rebellion’s clears outs, I thought it worth a punt. Now having read it, I can confirm that that my cursory assessment wasn’t far off the mark.

The late Malcolm Shaw and Jesus Redondo (with a few fill ins from Johnny Johnson) craft a barking mad story, imagine if horror imagine if Terry Gilliam and David Cronenberg decided to mash up science fiction, religion and put it in a comic.

Redondo’s art is kinetic and dynamic, he’s lauded in fandom, but kind of leaves me a little cold, the smaller format in this reprint does no favours to Redondo’s busy tightly detailed art. Johnny Johnson pinch hits for Redondo for two issues and does a passable impression.

In the history of 2000AD one off serials, it seems to barely get a mention, and in all fairness better than some of the work Tharg has had reprinted in the “Ultimate Collection”. But as a curio from the Prog’s early days, it’s worth reading, and one can only speculate what Malcolm Shaw could have come up with next.  Not a classic by any stretch of the imagination, but next time it comes up in a sale, throw Tharg a few quid for it, I don’t think you’ll regret it.

ECBT2000AD Ep648: Prog 2309

Old Man Shouts at Movie Screen!

Rossy is not impressed with ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special’ or ‘Black Adam’. Flint thinks it needs She-Hulk. 😉 John likes both.
Rob Williams loves trolling 2000ad readers. ‘Blazer’ issue 3 gets a quick review. Its the best yet. All this and the Prog review.

Podcast available via iTunes or the Libsyn Webpage as a direct download.

ECBT2000AD Ep647: Prog 2308

C’MON ENGLAND!

Sam has got World Cup Fever! The lads look at the ‘Absalom‘ Animation pilot. John talks ‘Black Adam’. Rossy has seen ‘Wakanda Forever’ and probably wishes he didn’t. Flint has seen ‘The Wonder’ and ‘Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris!’. Oh…and we do the Prog review!

Podcast available via iTunes or the Libsyn Webpage as a direct download.

ECBT2000AD Ep646: Prog 2307

BURDIS IS BACK!

Fresh from fighting hippies on the motorway…John shows up! Flint watches ‘Ancient Apocalypse’. Can’t remember what Rossy did! Usual Prog review…and we review ‘This Comic is Haunted!’

Podcast available via iTunes or the Libsyn Webpage as a direct download.

Kevin O’Neill 1953-2022

By Luke Williams

There’s never been an artist like Kevin O’Neill. His characters are comic, grotesque, macabre, horrifying and hilarious all at once. His pages can be disturbing and contain boundless energy, marrying extreme violence with slapstick humour, his characters are horrifying and hilarious. His art is jagged, surreal, anarchic and euphorically visceral with an anarchic edge. His outlandish designs reveal a vivid and extraordinary imagination.

Kevin started as a junior on the IPC humour titles, describing himself as a “bodger”, whiting out artists names, cleaning up pages etc.  He found a dream job as assistant art editor on 2000AD.  It was here that he really started to spread his wings under the tutelage of art editor Jan Shepheard, later replacing her as art editor.

Heavily influenced by British humour comic great Ken Reid, and Mad magazine, it was Kev’ who was responsible for the adverts for “Flesh” and humour in the editorial illustrations in the early Progs of 2000AD. Famously he introduced creator credits early on in the Prog, a huge leap for comic creator recognition and creator rights in the UK.

He was also responsible for designing many early characters including Judge Dredd “Robot Wars” antagonist, Call Me Kenneth, and co-creating Starlord’s “Ro Busters”, along with humour strips “Bonjo Beyond The Stars”, “Dash Decent” one off story “Shok” (which later famously inspired the 90s sci fi film “Hardware”), a hand in the “ABC Warriors”

and a strip he and Pat Mills originally began working on to let their hair down “Comic Rock”, which metamorphosised into the gothic majesty of “Nemesis the Warlock”.

Moving to work in the US market and wider audience, no one could ever accuse O’Neill of toning his work down and comprising his style. Notoriously, he is the only artist ever to have his work rejected by the industry regulator the Comics Code Authority.

In the States he co created Marshal Law, producing savagely beautifully painted pages, the bizarre Metalzoic which allowed his robot design creativity to go wild, with Alan Grant he produced work on DC’s Lobo and a revival of post Crisis ignored Bat-Mite, collaboration with Pat Mills and Tony Skinner on a comic continuation of Roger Corman’s Death Race.

But perhaps most enduring and well known is his collaboration with Alan Moore The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, where he interpreted classic literary and more recent popular culture characters in his own inimitable fashion.

He did return to the Prog; most notably on covers (check out Prog 492), two memorable Judge Dredd strips, the infamous Prog 500, the occasional anniversary issue, a reprint of Metalzoic and to dip in and out of contributing to co creation “Nemesis the Warlock”, and drawing its capstone.

Most recently, despite rumours of his retirement he returned to British comics with a revival of the “Kids Rule OK” strip written by Garth Ennis and an upcoming “Bonjo Beyond the Stars”.

An idiosyncratic talent, he exemplified the early iconoclastic punk attitude of 2000AD in short, a genius. Rest in peace Mr. O’Neill, thanks for everything.

ECBT2000AD Ep645: Prog 2305

EMO GANTRY!

John misses the Progcast because of protesters. Rossy talks about filipino Wonder Woman ‘Darna’ and gives an overview of the Regened prog as well as current prog stories. Flint reviews Bill Del Toros ‘Cabinet of Curiosities‘ and turns off Moffats ‘Inside Man’ because it’s terrible. A 2000ad and comic industry great – Kevin O’Neill has passed away. RIP Kevin…your work will never be equalled or surpassed. A true comic genius!

Podcast available via iTunes or the Libsyn Webpage as a direct download.