Mega(zin) marathon

[Rogue Judge]

I think there's some important historical context you may be missing from this period of the Megazine. From the time 2000AD and the Megazine ended up under the Egmont Fleetway up until the Rebellion buyout, both titles were in real trouble.

The 2000AD titles were outliers under the Egmont regime, whose business model was primarily reprinting licensed material in juvenile titles with a bit of plastic tat taped to the cover. They didn't like 2000AD model of filling hundreds of pages a year with original (expensive) content and the suspicion was that Egmont were happy to let the sales slide until they fell below break-even, at which time they would stop originating material and simply monetise the substantial back catalogue of IP in some form of reprint title.

Almost everything you see at this time is part of a rearguard action by the editorial team to keep both titles afloat. A page of original strip, even B&W strip, would cost at least £150 to commission. A page of Preacher reprint cost £30. When one of your primary concerns as editor is keeping the title above break-even, if you can't increase sales then you have to cut costs, and original strip is really expensive.

Thanks for adding some clarity, very interesting info...with those high costs to produce a single page its a wonder any book continues to see print. I'm glad the prog/meg made it through to the other side! It really highlights the importance of maintaining quality so as to not loose readership (Take current Marvel for instance - pure rubbish! I have dropped almost all my titles from the big two recently and am spending my $$ on thrill power instead)

Also, I need to be careful following your posts that this point Smith (or any reviews really), I'm doing my best to dodge any serious spoilers! I am enjoying following what is and is not enjoyable, however - it lets me know what to look forward to (or avoid)!

[I, Cosh]

It's a shame that Doomsday itself isn't so great. The build-up, seeded through three or four years of Progs and Megs*, is second only to Necropolis. Have I ever mentioned how little stories like Bloodline, where you absolutely know it's not done, are my absolute favourites?

I didn't buy the Prog at the time but I'd usually skim it in Smiths. The whole trial and capture of Orlok was much more interesting than Narcos.



* actually, it goes back to Bad Frendz,doesn't it?

[Frank]

It's a shame that Doomsday itself isn't so great. The build-up, seeded through three or four years of Progs and Megs, is second only to Necropolis ... actually, it goes back to Bad Frendz, doesn't it?

There's a point. I wonder if someone had thought of branding all those preliminary stories as Countdown To Doomsday, in the same way many of the stories that make up the Tour Of Duty collections were, would I have appreciated them more at the time?

Sinfield's end, for example, is much less spectacular than that of Narcos, but it feels more satisying because it caps off 2 or 3 years worth of stories. I'm going to end up reading Doomsday and all its establishing stories in a oner, aren't I?

I'll race you to compile a reading list (and I'll use Barney to do so - hoist by your own petard!)

[I, Cosh]

It's a shame that Doomsday itself isn't so great. The build-up, seeded through three or four years of Progs and Megs, is second only to Necropolis ... actually, it goes back to Bad Frendz, doesn't it?

There's a point. I wonder if someone had thought of branding all those preliminary stories as Countdown To Doomsday, in the same way many of the stories that make up the Tour Of Duty collections were, would I have appreciated them more at the time?

Maybe. Tour of Duty works so well because the banner incorporates the interstitial, "filler" stories. It becomes the status quo for a while.

My counter would be that Day of Chaos doesn't work as well because it was all run together instead of being spread out. In an ideal world, there would've been a year between Nadia/ TheFourth Faction and the main story.

[I, Cosh]

I'll race you to compile a reading list (and I'll use Barney to do so - hoist by your own petard!)

Ha. When I started my Tour of Duty reread, it became inextricably linked with Mayor Maybe.  I kept going back and back. Finally put my foot down with Damned Ranger and All New Adventures of...

Good luck and don't forget the aftermath stories. Lobsang Rampage ya bampot.

[Frank]

Good luck and don't forget the aftermath stories. Lobsang Rampage ya bampot.

I did forget that story - THANKS!  I understand exactly what you mean about mission creep - I ended up chucking in the main Volt, Edgar and Oola Blint stories too. The topics of euthanasia and city council corruption may seem relevant only to me (and only at 11pm tonight ...)


2000 AD 1050 WAGNER STAPLES mad city
2000 AD 1051 WAGNER STAPLES mad city
2000 AD 1052 WAGNER STAPLES mad city
2000 AD 0916 WAGNER EZQUERRA the candidates
2000 AD 0917 WAGNER EZQUERRA the candidates
2000 AD 0918 WAGNER EZQUERRA voting day
2000 AD 0952 WAGNER EZQUERRA megalot (features Volt)
2000 AD 0954 WAGNER BURNS statue of judgement (it's got a robot in it)
2000 AD 0955 WAGNER EZQUERRA bad frendz
2000 AD 0956 WAGNER EZQUERRA bad frendz
2000 AD 0957 WAGNER EZQUERRA bad frendz
2000 AD 0958 WAGNER EZQUERRA bad frendz
2000 AD 0959 WAGNER BURNS the cal files
2000 AD 0960 WAGNER BURNS the cal files
2000 AD 0961 WAGNER BURNS the cal files
2000 AD 0962 WAGNER BURNS the cal files
2000 AD 0963 WAGNER BURNS the cal files
2000 AD 970-999 WAGNER EZQUERRA et al  The Pit
Judge Dredd Megazine 40 WAGNER BURNS sleaze
Judge Dredd Megazine 41 WAGNER SULLIVAN sex lies & vid slugs
Judge Dredd Megazine 45 WAGNER PHILLIPS a death in the family (euthanasia)
Judge Dredd Megazine 46  WAGNER  TAPPIN  worst of frendz
Judge Dredd Megazine 50  WAGNER  KENNEDY  the contract (euthanasia)
2000 AD 1009 WAGNER DOHERTY death of a legend
Judge Dredd Megazine 52  WAGNER  CURRIE  the narcos connection
2000 AD 1090 WAGNER RONALD angel of mercy
2000 AD 1091 WAGNER RONALD angel of mercy
2000 AD 1101-1110 WAGNER EZQUERRA beyond the call of duty
2000 AD 1122 WAGNER PARENTE lawgiver mark II gun crazy
Judge Dredd Megazine 53  WAGNER  CURRIE  the narcos connection
2000 AD 1123 WAGNER BRASHILL christmas angel
2000 AD 1124 WAGNER BRASHILL christmas angel
2000 AD 1125-1132 WAGNER BURNS scorpion dance
2000 AD 1141 WAGNER KENNEDY return of the assassin
Judge Dredd Megazine 54  WAGNER  CURRIE  the narcos connection
2000 AD 1142 WAGNER KENNEDY doomsday return of the assassin
2000 AD 1143 WAGNER KENNEDY doomsday return of the assassin
2000 AD 1144 WAGNER KENNEDY doomsday return of the assassin
Judge Dredd Megazine 55  WAGNER  CURRIE  the narcos connection
2000 AD 1145 WAGNER KENNEDY doomsday return of the assassin
2000 AD 1146 WAGNER KENNEDY doomsday return of the assassin
2000 AD 1147 WAGNER KENNEDY doomsday return of the assassin
Judge Dredd Megazine 56  WAGNER  WILSON doomsday 1
2000 AD 1148 WAGNER DAVIS doomsday the trial
2000 AD 1149 WAGNER DAVIS doomsday the trial
2000 AD 1150 WAGNER DAVIS doomsday the trial
Judge Dredd Megazine 57  WAGNER  WILSON doomsday 2
2000 AD 1151 WAGNER GOOGE doomsday trial of strength
2000 AD 1152 WAGNER GOOGE doomsday trial of strength
2000 AD 1153 WAGNER GOOGE doomsday war games
2000 AD 1154 WAGNER MCMAHON doomsday war games
2000 AD 1155 WAGNER WILSON doomsday war games
2000 AD 1156 WAGNER CLARKE doomsday war games
2000 AD 1157 WAGNER CLARKE doomsday war games
2000 AD 1158 WAGNER WILSON doomsday war games
2000 AD 1159 WAGNER WILSON doomsday war games
2000 AD 1160 WAGNER ADLARD doomsday endgame
2000 AD 1161 WAGNER ADLARD doomsday endgame
2000 AD 1162 WAGNER ADLARD doomsday endgame
2000 AD 1163 WAGNER ADLARD doomsday endgame
2000 AD 1164 WAGNER ADLARD doomsday endgame
2000 AD 1167 WAGNER WILSON volt face
Judge Dredd Megazine 61  WAGNER  WILSON  short circuit
Judge Dredd Megazine 207  WAGNER  MANLEY  shakedown (oola blint)
Judge Dredd Megazine 207  WAGNER  MANLEY  shakedown (oola blint)

[Dark Jimbo]

...Judge Dredd Megazine 207  WAGNER  MANLEY  shakedown (oola blint)
Judge Dredd Megazine 207  WAGNER  MANLEY  shakedown (oola blint)

Huh. If you're going to jump ahead several years to include that story, why stop short of the Bint's final outing in Prog 2005...?

[I, Cosh]

...Judge Dredd Megazine 207  WAGNER  MANLEY  shakedown (oola blint)
Judge Dredd Megazine 207  WAGNER  MANLEY  shakedown (oola blint)

Huh. If you're going to jump ahead several years to include that story, why stop short of the Bint's final outing in Prog 2005...?

And if you include that it would be lunacy not to read Sin City and those stories setting up the Trial of Orlok. None of which would be relevant without Childhood's End/Postcards from the Edge.

[Smith]

Yes,there was plently of build-up.And it will all probably work better once its collected in a single volume.Case Files 30,as I heard it here.
And yes,there is plenty of filler near the end.Galens fantasy,Cit-Def troops,Bishop Snodgrass,Blints...
I think this is the last big prog/Meg crossover(smaller ones will happen).Also,we wont see another invasion epic in a while.Seems like that scenario burned out with Doomsday.

[Frank]

... we wont see another invasion epic in a while.Seems like that scenario burned out with Doomsday

Inferno and Judgement Day already demonstrated that the invasion/destruction epic had run out of steam. Necropolis was the death rattle of the sequence that began with The Day The Law Died and peaked with The Apocalypse War.

The way Necropolis relegates Death's terrible rule over Megacity One and what could have been the battle to take back the city to a couple of pages each demonstrates Wagner knew there was no mileage left in levelling buildings and Souster-style heroic sacrifice in the face of superior numbers. Suggests why he wasn't enjoying Doomsday too.

Thanks very much to Jimbo and Cosh for not pointing out that I completely ballsed up the integration of the Meg and Prog episodes of Doomsday, which some pedants might argue was the entire point of compiling a Doomsday reading list in the first place.

[Smith]

Doomsday for Dredd wasn't that great either.A rotating team of artists doesn't help either.
Okay,some consequences for the destruction of East-meg 1 had to happen(it will be handled better later),and it makes sense to put Dredd on trial for that and its a nice twist Orlok has to defend.Then the whole thing is abandoned half way in,as they blow up New Kremlin and head back to the main event.
There is a same problem like in Wilderlands;a lot of things tend to be repeated between prog and Meg.
Well,I already said everything about the final part.

[Smith]

Back to the Meg: 3.64
Bishop Snodgrass becomes the son of Grud for a while,there was the Lobsang Rampage story mentioned previously, Dredd has a rematch with Stan Lee.And evil accountants are trying to destroy JD Megson block.In case it wasn't obvious already,all around the block are Easter eggs referencing the stories that ran in Megazine.Like Al's Baby Clinic or a costume of Judge Death and so on.
And a new direction in 3.64,Preacher is gone and the new lineup is Judge Dredd; Armitage:Bodies of Evidence,and Strontium Dog:Journey into hell(the reprint part)

[Smith]

3.68
We have the first appearance of Lenny Zero. The Dredd story itself is Dead Ringer,which is something of a "remaster" of Judge Child Quest.Well,in the same way Hunting Party was a remaster of Cursed Earth.

[Smith]

3.72
Jimping is a bout a Jimp(obviously) who gets too high on power.DeMarco starts a detective agency.Devlin Waugh is backs.And in the reprints we have Buttonman.

[Smith]

3.76
We have a pilot episode for Marauder(which will happen later),and Lawcon. The first(right?) appearance of Lawlord.And Dredd meets his writer.[spoiler]It was actually a nightmare of his.[/spoiler]
Mean Machine is picked up by Harke and Burr;then ends up being a sheriff.After Buttonman,we get reprints of Mean Machine:Travels with muh shrink.