British Comics – Afterwards

2000AD Spin off CRISIS – #1

4th of Feb 1978

At some point in the late 1980’s I seem to have encountered the comic ‘CRISIS’. I don’t quite remember exactly when but I do remember it being something very different to 2000AD despite it being written and drawn by mostly the same pool of people.

I shall steal from Wikipedia I think…

Crisis was Fleetway’s response to the success of Deadline. David Bishop, in his Thrill Power Overload, comments “2000 AD had once represented the cutting edge of British comics, but was now in danger of looking staid and old fashioned next to Deadline”.[1]

Conceived by editor Steve MacManus, Crisis would offer to make the work creator-owned, which might lead to the chance for royalties and greater copyright control, which was a departure from the way they had done business up until then. They also planned to turn the stories into American comic books which would sell better on the other side of the Atlantic, although ultimately only the first few titles got this treatment and the title moved to shorter stories after issue #14.[1]

It was political and edgy, I recall a burning church at some point and there were people trying to save the planet and blowing things up. That is what I recall at least. I managed to buy most of them off of ebay in recent years and even now it remains an abrasive read at times but I did so enjoy it even though I didn’t really know what was going on sometimes. I have some of the artwork somewhere too which I should dig out really. Maybe next time.

Worth a read if you can pick up old copies if only to enjoy some of the Ezquerra artwork or Mills writing.

ART – Rogue Trooper by Mike Collins

This is a piece I picked up at Thought Bubble in Leeds a couple of years ago. I think it set me back a hundred pounds and was well worth every penny. Its from the ‘Boneyard’ story line written by Gordon Rennie and illustrated by Mike Collins.

Rogue first appeared in Prog 228 in 1981, created by Gerry Finley-Day and Dave Gibbons he continues to feature to this day. Such a fan am I that I actually have a Rogue inspired tattoo that I will have to write about sometime.

I just love the piece and how it captures Rogue plus all 3 of his Bio Chip buddies Bag, Helm and Gunner.

Though I continue to search for a Cam Kennedy Rogue to add to my collection they are a rare thing so I shall stick with this wonderful piece until then.

Prog 3 – 12th of March 1988

I have a fair collection of 2000AD progs. Okay by a fair amount I mean them all, or at least all of the weeklies at least going all the way back to 1977. I didn’t collect them all each week myself and will write more about my acquisition another time but for today I thought I would share Prog3. Why 3? Well because I wanted to keep 1 and 2, which featured Dredd for the first time, for another time.

I am no student of these things and cannot truly do justice to the history of this most wonderful work but what I am most happy to do is to share from the huge piles of them scattered around my home.

It was published on the 12th of March 1977 costing 8p, and the stories featured can be seen below. With a Colour front and back cover and double page middle spread it is still a thing of beauty to hold even today. It smells amazing too and has lasted so well for something forty years old. Sadly my copy doesn’t have the ‘Red Alert’ free gift but I don’t really mind, I collect them to read them and am less concerned with condition and such. Click on the pictures below to take a look.HARLEM HEROES

Featuring Pat Mills’ FLESH, INVASION, M.A.C.H. 1, John Wagner’s Dredd and DAN DARE from Frank Hampson it packed a real punch. Interesting, at this early stage there was no credit given with the now familiar credits to artist, writer and letterer only appearing in later progs.