The original comic-book industry rumour and news column, by Rich Johnston.

"The Drudge Report of comics..." -- Don Simpson

This column is RUMOUR. Do not take anything here seriously. These RUMOURS are presented here as GOSSIP for their ENTERTAINMENT value.

Rich Johnston – What’s Happened?

Ramblings 2000 has split into two commercial forms.

First, the rumours. Check out The Gutter Press, the column that Ramblings has evolved into. Commercial, weekly and tight.

Then check Rich’s Rumblings, which has taken on the attitude, the campaigning and the general bollocks loved by Ramblings readers of old.

And then there’s still Ramblings 2000, printing rumours or opinion that, for whatever reason, don’t make it onto The Gutter Press or Rich’s Rumblings.

And shortly, this site will be debuting the online comic strip Holed Up!

The Gutter Press

Coming up: Pre-pulping a comic, Warren Ellis, Shelley Bond and more

6 July 2000 – Rumours of Marvel character sales, the truth about Sentry, its sequel and problems at Impulse

Rich’s Rumblings

Coming up: Why Steven Grant Is Wrong – the use of ‘shock’ as a literary device

9 July 2000 – Comics Warren Ellis Isn’t Reading – a look at the Sleaze Castle books, some of the finest in the medium

2 July 2000 – Selling Out In Style, the scoop on The Gutter Press

June 25 2000 - Image Don’t Publish Superheroes No More – a company changing for the better

June 18 2000 - Turn Of The Sentry – how the news sources have conspired behind the publicists

June 11 2000 - The Other Column – the life and times of a rumour monger

June 4 2000 - Time Gentlemen Please – a review of Al Murray’s new sitcom and Paul Grist’s new comic, Jack Staff

May 24 2000 - The Cult Of Warren Ellis – a heavily fictionalised and satirical look at the rise of Warren Ellis

The Defenders Are Back

The rumour, should you choose accept it, reads as follows. Kurt Busiek. Erik Larsen. The Defenders. December 2000.

Kurt Busiek and Erik Larsen have been mutual fans, oft praising the other’s work. No wonder they should look to teaming up. And if the classic characters of Hulk, Doctor Strange, Silver Surfer and Namor should be mentioned, well they’ve both got good history there. But who knows, it could be a completely different team.

Now, Kurt Busiek has a policy about not commenting to Ramblings, and presumably it’ll be the same with The Gutter Press. Bill Rosemann, otherwise known as Your Man At Marvel maintained a stoic silence and refused to comment at this time. Erik Larsen however, said “Sounds good to me. Now if only we could find a publisher...”

 Dateline:6 July 2000

Block War!

There now follows a press release from Any Diggle, of 2000AD.

Dear All,

Please forgive the impersonal nature of this email, but it seemed simplest to send the message out to all of you at once...

As some of you already know, 2000 AD has just been purchased lock, stock and barrel by Rebellion, the Oxford-based computer games company. By one of those weird cosmic coincidences, this happens to coincide with the debut of 2000 AD's new design and my first week as editor.

From now on, 2000 AD's editorial staff are employed by Rebellion, and although Fleetway will still be handling the publishing side of things on a contract basis, Fleetway no longer has any editorial control over the title. We will be relocating to new offices in central London in a few weeks, after I have returned from my honeymoon (it never rains...!). In the meantime, any freelance invoices should be sent to me at the Fleetway address.

Most of the details can be found in the attached press release, so I'll keep my own comments brief. Jason Kingsley, CEO of Rebellion, has been a fan of 2000 AD since Prog 1 - which means that for the first time, 2000 AD is owned and controlled by people who care passionately about it!

This is the beginning of a very exciting time for the Galaxy's Greatest Comic. Rebellion is a young, dynamic, pro-active company with real media clout, so I think we can look forward to an unprecedented level of commitment in pushing the 2000 AD universe of characters to potential licensors for video games, movies and merchandising in general. And about time, frankly!

On a more personal note, I'd like to say this really is a new beginning for 2000 AD, with a new owner, a new editor, a new format and a new Millennium ahead of us. I hope that together we can turn 2000 AD back into the creative powerhouse that it has been at its best.

It's all about giving the readers a fast hit of dense, imaginative, blackly humorous sci-fi. Or, to use my own well-loved (if tortured) metaphor, it's about distilling a barrel of weak lager into a shot-glass of rocket fuel! If you want to know more, please feel free to drop me a line...

Best,
Andy

 

REBELLION BUYS 2000AD
Oxford-based 'super developer' buys the award-winning and highly influential science fiction weekly 2000AD

July 6th 2000: Rebellion has made the acquisition of the year - literally - with the purchase of the sci-fi action comic 2000AD from publisher Egmont International. The Oxford-based software developer will assume creative control of the magazine's content (all other publishing and distribution will continue to be carried out by Fleetway), while looking to maximise the potential of the many characters and storylines which the franchise has created (in both commercial and creative terms). There will be no interruption to publication.

2000AD occupies an unequalled position in the world of science
fiction, having been published for more than 23 years. During this time, the comic has introduced a number of the genre's most popular characters (Judge Dredd, Strontium Dog, Sláine, Rogue Trooper, Nemesis and many more) as well as launching the careers of some of the UK's most successful comic writers and artists, including John Wagner, Alan Grant, Pat Mills, Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons, Cam Kennedy, Brian Bolland, Grant Morrison, Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon.

The first issue of 2000AD ('Prog 1' to use the comic's own terminology) hit the streets on February 28th 1977, for the down-to-earth price of 8p (or 17 Galactic Groats on Mercury) and featured a number of characters and stories which went on to enjoy huge popularity, including M.A.C.H. 1, Flesh and Invasion. It was not until Issue 2, however, that the publication's most enduring and notorious icon, Judge Dredd, first appeared. At the height of its popularity, the comic (which has just published its 1,200th issue) sold more than 120,000 copies per week.Rebellion and 2000AD "I am only too happy to confess that I have been an avid 2000AD reader since Prog 1," says Rebellion's Chief Executive Officer, Jason Kingsley. "However, that doesn't mean that this deal was done for sentimental reasons. 2000AD is not only a goldmine of intellectual properties, it is also a hugely enjoyable read. We are looking forward to helping this top quality publication to achieve its fullest potential."

Rebellion's acquisition of 2000AD will allow the team full use of more than 700 characters and series, not only in computer games, but also in films, as action figures, in collectable card games and in any other suitable merchandising vehicle. Also, it is possible that some of Rebellion's own characters and storylines - beginning with the forthcoming Gunlok (to be released by Virgin Interactive later this year) - will make it into the pages of 2000AD.

In addition to its new owners, 2000AD also has a new Editor, Andy Diggle, who adds: "This is a very exciting time to be taking over the editorship of 2000AD, with a new look and a new owner. There is so much untapped potential within our universe of characters that the sky's the limit in terms of licensing and branding. But our first priority will always be the comic itself: sci-fi and fantasy action with skewed black humour, bizarre imagination and attitude. The best of the old and the best of the new!"

"As fans of the galaxy's greatest comic, we will do everything within our powers to make sure that 2000AD reaches its widest possible audience on Earth before we expand into other galaxies - ridding the Universe of all thrill-sucker infestations along the way, of course," says Kingsley.

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