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Rebellion to reprint One-Eyed Jack

Started by 13school, 16 November, 2016, 09:56:26 AM

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13school

I thought we might have missed out on this one, what with Valiant having started before the cut-off for Rebellion's purchase of IPC titles, so this is very good news:

QuoteAs Judge Dredd prepares to celebrate his 40th birthday, downthetubes can exclusively reveal his publishers Rebellion are preparing to fire his ultra-violent origins from the 1970s and back into readers' hands for the first time.

http://downthetubes.net/?p=35174

johnfreeman

Those of you who remember "One-Eyed jack" from Valiant, created by John Wagner and John Cooper, will hopefully be pleased to hear about this first collection from the Fleetway archives Rebellion now owns: http://downthetubes.net/?p=35174

johnfreeman

Quote from: 13school on 16 November, 2016, 09:56:26 AM
I thought we might have missed out on this one, what with Valiant having started before the cut-off for Rebellion's purchase of IPC titles, so this is very good news:

QuoteAs Judge Dredd prepares to celebrate his 40th birthday, downthetubes can exclusively reveal his publishers Rebellion are preparing to fire his ultra-violent origins from the 1970s and back into readers' hands for the first time.

http://downthetubes.net/?p=35174

As a rue of thumb on the "rights" front, it appears Time UK own the Valiant brand, but not characters created after January 1970. There are some exceptions; the internal documentation I had from Egmont suggests they owned Whizzer and Chips, for example, even though that comic was created in 1969.

Colin YNWA

That's great news and a good choice from Rebellion to start the reprints from the archives they have just purchased. Its links to Dredd make ideal... well I'm assuming it is the first but I might be wrong?

glassstanley

Good news. The strip is interesting as the character goes through a sea-change part-waythrough the strip. I hope that the reprint is taken from the original issues and not the re-sized, edited reprints used in Eagle.

maryanddavid


Dash Decent

Fantastic.  Now we just need Rebellion to reprint a complete collection of the Badtime Bedtime strips.  Just tell everyone they're the forerunner to Scream, Tharg!
- By Appointment -
Hero to Michael Carroll

"... rank amateurism and bad jokes." - JohnW.

Trent

Just read that One Eyed Jack strip and it highlighted the problem with this whole back catalogue enterprise.
The stories were written for kids at the time and I'm not sure a whole volume of Jack McBane would read very well to a modern audience brought up on far more sophisticated stuff (including 2000AD for the past 25 years).
The artwork is stunning and, as a deluxe printed coffee table book I might be tempted by some of this material (a la Best of Battle) but can't escape the fact that it was of its time.
I'm sure some will disagree with me and I am thrilled these tales will be available to those who want it but in the most part I am happy to leave them in my memories.
Charley's War is the obvious exception - are there other stories that are particularly resonant even now (artwork aside)?

Tony Angelino

I thought One Eyed Jack was the obvious choice for a reprint simply as the two most likely ones Charley's War and Johnny Red have already been reprinted in recent years. He has that iconic look and Rebellion will be able to couch the whole thing in terms of him being a prototype for Judge Dredd as well.

I used to love OEJ as a kid and would be keen to read his adventures again.

The other obvious stories which would stand up well today are Darkie's Mob, The Sarge, Day of the Eagle and Hellman.

Darkie was reprinted in recent years and I think Day of the Eagle may have appeared in a 'Best of Battle' type compilation but I don't think The Sarge or Hellman have been. The only disappointment I had about the Sarge was that the latter stories were not drawn by Mike Western. I don't remember who drew them but he didn't quite suit the story.  Hellman would also be worth a re-read as far as I remember especially if they re-printed it with Wagner's Walk from Tornado which I think was originally meant to be Hellman's last story.

Tony Angelino

Further to my last post The Day of the Eagle strip was a great story and had excellent art by Pat Wright. Its the one where The Eagle is sent on a mission to kill Hitler. I remember thinking that it would have made a great film. Great ending as well which I wont spoil here.

Trent

I read Darkies Mob when the Meg reprinted it a few years back. Again, great art and of historical interest, British comics wise, but generally written for a younger audience than myself, racist elements etc notwithstanding.
I have no issues with these reprints as clearly there is an audience (and as I say the art is often stunning) but I like a little more sophistication these days. I guess I am out of sync with much of modern trends having never read Harry Potter seeing them as childrens literature, no matter how good and the whole MiddleEarth and Game of Thrones malarkey leaves me cold.
Slightly confusing as I adore Dredd (although Case Files 1 is now a tough read) and have a collection of model figures etc but still I am an adult and need something a little meatier in my comic diet than 1970s fayre.
Each to their own - makes the world a more interesting place.

Trent

Tony, thanks for the story tips. If they come my way I might give them a lookover.
Incidentally, flying in the face of everything I have said, I would get a deluxe Hookjaw (uncensored).

Mardroid

If One Eyed Jack, etc were mainly aimed at kids, maybe squax could buy them for their kids...

Assuming the nippers can drag themselves away from their computer games, etc.😆
Not that an adult couldn't enjoy kids comics if the stories are good. A good story, is a good story as those guys who liked perusing their sister's Misty comics will attest.

I'm not acquainted with One Eyed Jack so I can't say.

Just thinking that Ive seen comments on here mourning the gap in the market between small kiddie fare and the adult comics. Would this, and other child aimed comics, fit? (Not being funny, I'm genuinely curious.)

Trent

Try getting anyone under the age of 16 to look at ANYTHING in black and white.

Mangamax

Hellman? Started well, with stunning art by the likes of Mike Dorey but, like many of the Action strips, was seriously let down by a drop in visual quality in a very short period of time. Dunno how they'll all look together. Saying that, i'd still be up for a collection, being there at ground zero - but do wonder what newbies to the strip would make of the decline.
The perspective on that chairs all wrong