Calling long time readers!

[wewontmove]

Hi there! Basically I'm using early 2000AD as part of my dissertation (on science fiction in comics) and I wondered if anyone wanted to share their experiences of reading the 2000AD progs from any point earlier than 1990? Any insight will be of use!

Examples of questions you could answer: How did you first get into reading 2000AD? How old were you? What stories do you remember really enjoying? Do you consider it dystopian? Getting deeper - did you see any social issues of the time reflected in the fiction, or if you were too young, can you see new meaning in it now you're older?

Thanks for any help that can be provided and please feel free to give answers as long as you like!

[Frank]

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Dystopian sounds like a fair description of a comic whose signature strips portray the planet as devastated by nuclear/chemical warfare (Dredd, Strontium Dog, Rogue Trooper) or under the jackboot of fascism (Nemesis, Dredd, Strontium Dog). You could argue the fact anyone's still alive is optimistic, relatively speaking.

Dredd's the obvious candidate for social issues (unemployment, most overtly) but I remember being angry at the injustice of mutant discrimination in Strontium Dog and recognised the allegories about slavery/race in the treatment of robots in Robusters and (more comically) Robohunter.

Strontium Dog, Nemesis, and Dredd transmitted the most important ideas in my developing understanding of politics and power:

- The methods used to covertly subvert the Democratic Movement's march in Revolution, specifically the idea that allegations don't need to be true to achieve the required effect and the use of provocateurs (family man!).

- The idea that movements based on hatred of the other can never stop at eliminating just one group (The Freck Heresy). There was nothing special about the Jews; they were just a means to an end, and creating fear of communists, homosexuals and aliens will get you into power just as well.

- The two cleverest panels in comics history, when Nelson Bunker Kreelman's oppressive private police force are replaced by a new, impartial body untainted by the past. Both panels show the same line-up of cops; only their uniforms change. Predated the PCNI.

[Colin YNWA]

Not quite sure what you want but if there's some sort of questionaire you'd like completing I'm happy to help.

That said I first read the comic in 1977 'cos my brother got it. I loved it for any number of reasons but it basically boils down to this. As a five year old boy I loved cowboys and I loved dinosaurs so cowboys fighting dinosaurs left me in hog heaven. At the time it was nothing more complex than that. Sure looking back we could analysis why, what ot presented, did it reflect the punk ethos of the time. I was five I adored the idea of the bionic man punching people in the head and a cop cooler and harder than anything I could access in any other medium. Images and feeling from those early issues are scarred onto my brain. It basically shaped the way I view quality fiction in any form. I learnt to read while looking at those images and thus the joy of reading is so associated with the extremes that this children's comic presented to me.

To the extent today I prefer fiction in comic book form over all others. While many get excited about their favourite comics being presented in different media, reaching wider audiences I'm far happier (possibly naively) hoping that more and more people will embrace this glorious art form, enjoy its unique and boundless qualities and realise its an end in itself not needing validation from anywhere else

[AlexF]

What Frank said.

But to go into more detail, I started reading the Best of 2000AD Monthly, on and off, in late 1985/early 1986.
Early loves included 'Portrait of a Mutant' (and most Strontium Dog strips) which made a real point about people being oppressed becase they looked different.

But above all it was Nemesis the Warlock that captured my imagination, basically for the same theme, only pushed futher. Being deviant was bad, but being normal but having truck with deviants was almost painted as the worse crime.

I think I was also taken by the utterly absurd levels of eveil displayed by characters sucha s Torquemada and Nelson Bunker Kreelman who didn't even try to hide their opinions, they just proudly shouted them out, knowing they had a receptive audience. I suppose there were real-world people like that at the time, but using vaugely contemproary references its as if Nick Griffin or Marine LePen were actually winning elections.

At the time, age 7/8, I don't think I understood that Dredd was as much of a bad guy as he was a hero, I just thought he was super grumpy.

In short, I loved the art and the dialogue (Be Pure! Be Vigilant! Behave!), and also that fact that some stories had very obvious themes about good and evil behaviour, even if the stories were often not about the good guy winning or being proved right in his/her moral position.

In even more short, i liked that 2000AD had (and still has!) good stories, well told.

[Mattofthespurs]

Mum bought it for me 'cos I wanted the free space spinner (which I lost immediately).
Too lazy to cancel the order at the newsie.
Doesn't time fly.
(But, yes, if you wanted to do a questionaire I would be happy to fill it out)

[The Enigmatic Dr X]

Yep. Happy to answer questions. But I am too old to be making the questions up for you! I've been reading since '79 and every week since Prog 224

[I, Cosh]

These things usually work best if you have half a dozen questions on a Google form and ask if people are happy to do a follow up.

I'm happy to think about the answers and then never get round to writing them down if that helps.

[sheridan]

These things usually work best if you have half a dozen questions on a Google form and ask if people are happy to do a follow up.

I'm happy to think about the answers and then never get round to writing them down if that helps.

Yep - I can do that as well.  A google form with simple questions I can fill in without thinking too hard are a much easier proposition.  (and google forms will fill in a spreadsheet automatically as respondents submit their answers).

[Frank]

As well as following the sterling advice above, you might be able to harvest some extra data from this forum's typical comic book reader obsession with origins:


https://forums.2000adonline.com/index.php?topic=26563.0

https://forums.2000adonline.com/index.php?topic=38688.0

https://forums.2000adonline.com/index.php?topic=41252.0

https://forums.2000adonline.com/index.php?topic=8694.0

[wewontmove]

Thanks everyone for the help and advice! I'm having a read through the links now and I'll think through some more specific questions and hopefully get a little questionnaire out later today to make life a little easier.

[Frank]

I loved ... that some stories had very obvious themes about good and evil behaviour, even if the stories were often not about the good guy winning or being proved right in his/her moral position

Excellent point; early 2000ad stories were right wing, individualistic power fantasies written by socialists.

That's part of the appeal of Dredd in particular - playground bullies who thought he had the right idea could concentrate on the fact he always got his way; primary school Trotskys congratulated themselves on recognising the apparent 'satire'.

Dredd only really got going once Wagner dropped the goodie two shoes version of the character and embraced the duality intrinsic to his creation and (according to Alan Grant) himself.

[Dodsy]

I've been reading since '97, obviously a bit later then you said but would be willing to take part in a questionnaire if you like 

[Arkwright99]

Happy to fill out a questionnaire if it will help.

[JayzusB.Christ]

I've been reading for a very long time. Also will be happy to answer a questionnaire.

[dweezil2]

I've been reading since 1978, glad to help in any way!