Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon.
***
Before we begin today's breathless look at what Tharg and his gang were once up to, I have to make a pulse-pounding pronouncement that's bound to rock the world.
I'm sure you're not oblivious to the fact we've reached the 50th anniversary of the launch of Atlas/Seaboard Comics, the company that dared to take on the big boys and fail. Because of that and the fact I get the feeling we've entered an era of 2000 AD which none of us were actually reading, I'm planning for this to be the last time I look at the monthly doings of 2000 AD and that I'll replace the feature with one in which I'll, instead, look back at what Atlas/Seaboard was up to 50 years ago each month.
If people would rather I continue with the 2000 AD summaries instead, then I shall persist with them but, otherwise, I shall switch to doing the Atlas roundups.
That's what you're likely to find on this site, next month, but what was on in your local cinema in October 1986?
Children of a Lesser God, The Color of Money, Jumpin' Jack Flash, Peggy Sue Got Married, Soul Man and The Mission were what was on in your local cinema.
I must confess to never having seen any of them and can, therefore, pass no judgement upon their relative merits.
When it came to the UK singles chart, however, the month launched with Madonna's True Blue holding sway before being rudely toppled by the musical legend that was Nick Berry and his perma-popular dirge Every Loser Wins.
The associated album chart, however, saw no change at all in that spell, with Paul Simon's Graceland sitting prettiest of them all for the entire duration of October.
And what of that aforementioned comic?
I'm assuming that's a woman who's fifty foot tall. Not a woman who possesses fifty feet. I'm not sure anyone needs to possess fifty feet. Especially if they've only got two legs to attach them to.
Posts
4 comments:
I've seen 'Children of A Lesser God', 'The Color of Money', & 'The Mission'. Maybe Peggy Sue, too (?) In the 80s, Barry Norman gave Ex Cathedra film reviews (Film '86, here), like he was speaking the word of God. At the time, I remember Barry raving on, as if 'The Mission' were the greatest thing since sliced bread. Nowadays, 'The Mission' seems largely forgotten. 'Witness' was another Bazzer fave - at least that's been repeated a lot over the years. Not so, 'The Mission' !
Phillip
Consider this a vote in favor of your Atlas plan, Steve! It was a very short-lived enterprise, but quite an interesting one. At our local comic shop, there was great excitement at the time that a new comic company was starting up, and many of us tried out the Atlas offerings.
Like Phillip I've seen "Children" and "Color of Money", but haven't seen "Mission". However I very much enjoyed "Peggy Sue Got Married". That may have been the first movie my wife and I saw after we got married, actuallly...
Well, I didn’t see any of those movies at the time. But in the years since I’ve enjoyed The Color Of Money on home video; but I like it significantly less since I read the wonderful Walter Tevis book it was not really based on.
And I quite liked Peggy Sue in the VHS days but I haven’t watched it since, and life is honestly too short to rectify that.
I saw Soul Man on VHS, but from what little I remember it would absolutely not fly these days.
Was ‘Every Loser Wins’ perma-popular? Has it had any airplay at all since? I remember the Eastenders storyline it was derived from quite clearly. I always sided with the smarmy bloke with the latest Yamaha music tech. I really wanted that wedge-shaped sequencer.
As regards 2000AD vs Atlas: I don’t even know what Atlas is, so 2000AD all the way. Please. Pretty please.
And speaking of…
Lovely Metalzoic cover. Is it new or adapted from a spread in the graphic novel? If I weren’t on a train writing this, I could check.
The rest of them are by some of my least favourite 2000AD artists: Collins & Farmer, Cliff Robinson and Robin Smith. Oof.
Actually, if the covers carry on like this, I might rescind my vote for 2000AD.
Steve! You stud! Atlas Comics is an excellent idea for Charlie given he has never, ever read a 2000 A.D. and, as far as that goes did not see any of the movies listed above, lol.
That said, the US contingency is clearly a minority of the “Steve does Comics “ posse so…
But, for you UK guys who have not experienced Atlas Comics, I can tell you young Charlie’s head exploded when they hit the spinner rack and seemingly were going to challenge the two big boys in the room to a fistfight!
Post a Comment