Sunday 23 October 2016

2000 AD - September 1978.

It's nearly November.

That can only mean it's time to look at what the galaxy's greatest comic was up to in September.

No one can accuse this blog of not being topical.

It's currently 2016. The September in question is in 1978.

No one can accuse this blog of not being topical.

For me, the biggest news from September 1978's issues is that, in Prog 81, the Tharg's Future Shock story is - What Hit Tunguska? I'm wondering if this was the first time I ever heard about that mysterious incident which has so intrigued the world for over a century.

That was in 1908. No one can accuse this blog of not being topical.

To be honest, other than that, I don't have a lot to say about this month's issues. It's nice to see Robo-Hunter on the front cover. Could this strip - and not Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? - have been the true inspiration for Blade Runner?

Well, probably not but I'm still going to draw the parallel anyway, if only to push up the word count of this post.

It's interesting to see Dan Dare being called, "The Guardian of the Galaxy," on his cover. Marvel must have been contacting their lawyers even as that issue hit the newsstands.

And it's nice to see Ant Wars on a cover, given that I've always had a penchant for films about giant insects on the rampage.


2000AD Prog 80, Robo-Hunter

2000AD Prog 81, Dan Dare

2000AD Prog 82

2000AD Prog 83, Judge Dredd

2000AD Prog 84, Ant Wars

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

So far as comics go, Ridley Scott has cited The Long Tomorrow by Dan O'Bannon and Moebius as an inspiration for Blade Runner, Steve, and talked up the influence of Metal Hurlant on his science-fiction films generally.

Don't think 2000AD had much impact on the wider culture at this point, but that was obviously about to change judging from the cover artists on display here. Ian Gibson, Dave Gibbons, Brian Bolland, Mike McMahon and Kev O'Neill... thats an impressive list by any standards, even if they haven't all quite hit their stride yet.

-sean

Steve W. said...

Thanks for the Ridley Scott info, Sean.