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Are we in a new golden age of 2000Ad art?

Started by Magnetica, 21 July, 2015, 10:55:01 PM

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Magnetica

I have increasingly come to think we are currently in a new golden age of art in the Prog and the Meg, to match what I consider to be the original golden age.

Now I don't want to be too prescriptive about the actual Progs that original golden age spanned, but let's say it was some where around the 200s up to the early 500s (I say that so I can include Slaine the King). Newspaper period and all.

First of all I think we need a strong line up on Dredd.

Then we had Bolland, McMahon, Ron Smith, Carlos, Ian Gibson and Cam Kennedy. To me this was the period that really defined Dredd.

On the other strips we had total awesomeness from the likes of:

Belardinelli on Ace Trucking and Slaine
Brett Ewins on Anderson and Rogue Trooper
Can Kennedy on Rogue Trooper
Kev O'Neill on Nemesis
Bryan Talbot on Nemesis
McMahon on Slaine
Glenn Fabry on Slaine
Carlos on Stront
Ian Gibson on Robo-Hunter and Halo Jones
Alan Davies on Harry 20 and DR and Quinch

In the current era (lets say the last three years or so) on Dredd we have had Henry Flint, Ben Willsher, Colin MacNeil, Greg Staples and Carlos.

On the other strips there has been really great stuff from:
Carlos on Stront
INJ Culbard on Brass Sun
Simon Davies on Slaine
Tiernen Trevallion on Absalom
Simon Coleby on Jaegir
Patrick Goddard on Savage and Grey Area
Lee Carter on Indigo Prime
Edmund Bagwell on Indigo Prime
D'Israeli on Low Life and Helium

We also have Greg Staples and Alex Rowland taking cover art to new levels.

I guess nostalgia will always win (e.g. no one can ever be better than Bolland!!!) but I think the current  / recent line up of artists is just amazing.

Anyway, I was just wondering what others think about this?

(Hats off to Matt Smith for maintaining such a roster.)

The Adventurer

#1
Keep in mind I think 2000 AD is great right now, both in art and writing. In any given week the Prog provides some of the best comics in the world.

That said I think we're a bit on the backside of a truly great period, one might say 'golden' period, between about 2004 to 2010...ish. Things are good right now, but not nearly eye blistering amazing as it was then.

Just one readers opinion.

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Dark Jimbo

Got to agree with Adventurer - 2004(ish) was the start of some truly superb stuff.
@jamesfeistdraws

Zenith 666

2004 on has been incredible there's been no dip in quality we have all just been spoiled by incredible work.2000ad has been relentless for well over ten years and it doesn't look like things are going to stop anytime soon.

robert_ellis

I think we are indeed in a golden age of 2000ad art. I don't feel the same about the writing. I can't follow Slaine and Dark Justice was calling out for a game changing moment. i do feel true excitement for Lawless & Absalom but I feel other stories lack a clear, fresh narrative & are often carried by strong art. Please don't get me wrong -  all the stories entertain me but I'd love to see the writing match the ambition of the art. Wait a minute Trifecta was that perfect moment of writing & art. More of that risk taking please!

Colin YNWA

Its been discussed before and its always acknowledged that these things are very slippy to nail down and all down to personal taste. That said I've always put the current Golden Age as starting in Prog 1633. Chosen based on the fact that this was the first Prog that had both Zombo and Cradlegrave in, two thrills that define this period as not just good Progage, but a genuine period of consistently exceptional stuff.

I've also toyed with the idea that this second (discussion point there as well!) Golden Age ended about 3 years later. I could pin it to Prog 1792 the end of Dante, but I like to push it a little further forward to 1823 about 4 years after the start and mark its end with the finish of Red Seas (never going to be a popular marker for a golden age in many fans eyes!). This lets you get in Trifecta.

Since then, while the Prog has been really, really good, I don't think its been as consistently special as it has been between April 2009 and say March 2013.

That said the introduction of Brass Sun, Slaine's return to form with Simon Davis, Indigo Prime giving John Smith an all too rare (these days) appearance, Ichabod and his title of far too many words and the sentences it left in its wake, and some fine Dreddage do mark the last couple of years as being of a very good standard and its a mere tweak away from being back up the standard I think its slipped, ever so slightly, from. Strips like The Order and Helium suggest that tweak might be here?

Anyway the other thing I'd say is the must recent Golden Age, however you define it, is better than the older one... though I suspect that gets you run out of town!

Nic_Freeman

I would agree that it feels like a golden age with plenty of stories that will become future classics, but I'm not sure it's fair to compare the two periods for artwork. I suspect that in the 80s the artists were paid more per page and given more time to draw them (the two are intrinsically linked). There are some wonderful artists working at the moment but I think they are working to much tougher constraints.

Colin YNWA

HA! and I've talked about this in general terms... so as is often advisable just ignore my post!

Mattofthespurs

No. It's good, really good, but not a golden age.
In my opinion.

robert_ellis


The Adventurer

#10
I posit that Prog 1651 (Sept. 2009) was the single greatest Prog of the modern era. Maybe all time.

Dredd by Wagner and MacNeil
Dante by Morrison and Marshall (with Fraiser on cover art)
Shakara by Morrison and Flint
Strontium Dog by Wagner and Ezquerra
Kingdom by Abnett and Elson

That's my peak, that has yet to be topped in terms of line-up, art, and writing.

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AlexF

My experience reading 2000 AD alongside Marvel comics, and the odd bit of Vertigo, Image and DC, has left me with the lasting impression that the art in 2000 AD was always, always better than anyone else's. In recent years, the standard of art in US comics has imporved dramatically, but 2000 AD still does it better - I guess partly because artists don't have to draw as many pages quite so fast?

Late 90s 2000 AD isn't fondly remembered, but it was still the best thing going at the time, and it always had a wonderful variety of styles.

As for the art these days - old masters such as Flint, D'Israeli, Davis, Coleby are all on never-been-better form. Newcomers such as Trevellion and Tom Foster (in the Meg) are killing it. And I'm terribly excited about Leigh Gallagher giving us more Defoe later this year! So there's definitely a case to be made for this being a golden age.

Same as it ever was.

W. R. Logan

I my opinion to be classed as a new Golden Age then it has to about more than just art.

ZenArcade

1812 was the new golden age although 1940 was edging up there. Z
Ed is dead, baby Ed is...Ed is dead

Magnetica

Quote from: W. R. Logan on 26 July, 2015, 02:18:08 PM
I my opinion to be classed as a new Golden Age then it has to about more than just art.

Yes absolutely a golden age of 2000AD would require great writing, great art and great series.

I wasn't commenting on whether that is where we are at right now or not. The question was whether the art is as good as it had ever been. :)