Rob works sometimes as a sports journalist and loves it, the perfect choice.
2000AD: The Galaxy's Greatest Comic Thread
Yeah it was on one of the 2000ad Thrillcasts, he used to write articles on NFL at a high enough level he got shipped over to the US āexpenses paidā for some very high profile interviews. He was asked why a Welshman liked NFL and not rugby and he said he loves rugby and football just as much too. He just had less competition on American football as everyone in Wales thinks they are a rugby expert pundit.
(Heās right, I think I am!)
Iām buying it but I fully reserve the right to complain about it as Iāve not really enjoyed the de Campi movie stories. I note Emma Beeby is absent from the lineups Iāve seen. Iām happy enough with that as her hit to miss ratio tends more to the former than the later.
Iāve never read any of DeCampiās Rebellion stuff but her graphic novel Smoke was excellent (the sequel Ashes not so much but still pretty good). Maybe sheāll fit Rogue Trooper better, she definitely does have talent but that doesnāt always translate into different properties as we see with a lot of creators.
Fair point,
Have to say, I disliked immensely Smoke and especially Archie vs Predator. Maybe sheād fit somewhere else, but I donāt think she is good for RT or Dredd.
I thought Smoke was pretty good. Archie vs Pred was lightweight fun. I donāt think Iāve read any of her other works.
The stuff sheās done with Wyatt has been garbage as has anything else Iāve read by her.
Iām slightly concerned about the direction 2000af and the megazine have been heading in with some of the newer ātalentā that theyāve been giving a fair bit of work today.
Iāve bought 2000ad since I was about 8, and have every issue - thereās some creators and series now that are as bad as, if not worse, than the stuff released in the dark days of the 90s and the Vector 13 era.
I feel like Iām now having a pop at the female writers, but Iām glad to see no Beeby there - sheās the worst of a bad lot. Iām not really into creator bashing, but at the same time Iām not really into hiding my true feelings about something either.
Iāve gone into every Beeby written story with a fresh outlook, willing it to be good and theyāve pretty much all been shite.
Iāve actually lowered the bar with her, where Iād settle for half decent.
Feel the same about Wyatt - Mcconville & Ellington have had a few moments here and there.
Worley is the only one Iāve been really impressed with and heās been kicking about for a while now.
I donāt read the Megazine, only 2000ad. The ālotā seems to be just her in that book. I donāt to be honest dislike her stuff any more than Kek-W which is usually very hard to understand. The appeal of that Deadworld stuff rather escapes me outside the concept, a rather rudderless story with muddy art from the 1990s bad days. (Then again Kek-W could be a woman for all I know, itās a daft name).
I do though share your issues with newer writers. A lot of the best stuff is by Mills and Wagner still and they are hovering around the 70 years old mark, Milligan just a little younger. Guys like Ewing and Rob Williams are great but now mostly off in US comics. Michael Carroll should be given more stories. He doesnāt seem to be doing much in the US, give him 2 or 3 strips like Mills does.
I think Carroll does a good amount of prose stuff as well, he has a YA series called āThe New Heroes.ā
Yes also writing/written a bit of Dredd prose too. Newest release is out soon: a pre Dredd judges story called Avalanche.
Yeah we like comics, get him off that nonsense
Either that or get him the same amphetamine supplier as Dan Abnett who writes 17 novels and 23 comic series a year.
I met Kek, itās a bloke.
He told me the story about his name, but Iām not sure I should post it on a forum - he was a little guarded about it and it was a really touching story. I wouldnāt feel right saying too much about, unless itās already common knowledge. Itās a really sad story.
Heās a really lovely bloke. I spent about half an hour talking to him at the 40th anniversary con. Really interesting guy and made me feel incrediblly welcome and seemed genuinely pleased that I came over to speak to him.
Unlike John Smith, who is one of my heroes, but made me feel really awkward. I think i caught him on a bad day, but he was a wank.
I miss his work a lot though heās a brilliant writer and I fear we wonāt see him again in 2000ad.
Kek-Wās stuff can be hit or miss with me; I think he does atmosphere and world building really well. I do really like the Deadworld stuff but I need to read it in a certain way, and very slowly - I donāt k know quite how to explain that. Although thereās a few books I do this with, Iāve probably got about 3 or 4 different āreading stylesā depending on how stuff is either written or drawn. Took me a while to figure this out.
The Order I hated the first 2 series of and then really enjoyed the last - although I did read it almost all in one go for the last series.
I found the Indigo Prime that he did to be completely impenetrable - and itās not the easiest series to follow at the best of times - but Kek took that to another level.
Carroll is fantastic, I will buy anything he writes.
Heās a perfect fit for 2000ad and like you I wish he had more output.
Did you ever look at his Jennifer Blood run? After Ennis and Ewing, he finished the book, but after Ewingās run I thought the character had reached a natural endpoint.