#the ballad of halo jones

[comfortfoodcontent]

RIP IAN GIBSON

Just found out the news. I can't say I'm an expert on his work or even an enormous fan but I did really love the work I have seen from him over the years. His stuff had such an angular distinctive style so you always knew it was him. When I was younger I tended to either absolutely love his pages or hate them, usually disliking his stuff more often. As I grew older and read more of his 2000 AD stuff I really grew to appreciate his work in a new light. Here are some of my favorite pieces of his off the top of my head as a loving tribute to the guy. He will be missed.

-Mister Miracle Vol. 2 DC Comics House Ad

-2000 AD Prog 444

-2000 AD Prog 454

-Mister Miracle Vol. 2 #1

-2000 AD Winter Special 1988

-Judge Dredd Commissions

-Millennium #6 (with Joe Staton layouts)

-The Ballad of Halo Jones

-Millennium #1 (with Joe Staton layouts)

-The Chronicles of Genghis Grimtoad

-Boba Fett: Enemy of the Empire

#ian gibson #rip ian gibson #2000 ad #2000 a.d. #judge dredd #judge anderson #judge hershey #green lantern #big barda #mister miracle #scott free #star wars #boba fett #halo jones #the ballad of halo jones #genghis grimtoad #comics #comic art #dc #dc comics

[downthetubes]

In Memoriam: Comic Artist and Writer Ian Gibson

We're sorry to report Ian Gibson, perhaps best known for his work on 2000AD, passed on in the early hours of Monday 11th December 2023, after a long illness

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#2000AD #downthetubes News #Ian Gibson #John Wagner #Pat Mills #SF Comics #Steve Bull #The Ballad of Halo Jones

[panzerdrako]

100 all time greatest comics (2014)

#the ballad of halo jones #alan moore #ian gibson #comic #rebellion developments

[balu8]

The Ballad of Halo Jones

by Alan Moore; Ian Gibson and Steve Potter

Rebellion and 2000AD

#the ballad of halo jones #ian gibson #alan moore

[tomoleary]

The Ballad of Halo Jones by Ian Gibson (20 February 1946 – 11 December 2023) RIP

#ian gibson #The Ballad of Halo Jones

[yojimbot13]

#halo jones #the ballad of halo jones #comic art #comics #ian gibson #alan moore

[neil-gaiman]

Hello Neil, big fan of your work. I’ve noticed you’ve done a few Tharg’s future shocks for 2000AD. Are you a fan of some 2000AD/ Starlord books? if so what are some of your favourite stories or future shocks?

For me it's D.R. AND QUINCH and THE BALLAD OF HALO JONES.

[iconuk01]

Oh, this is a sad one. Ian Gibson was one of the first artists I learned to spot by pure style in 2000AD and I always looked forward to doing so.

Sam Slade: Robo Hunter ACE Trucking The Ballad of Halo Jones

And his designs were instrumental to the look of ReBoot, laregly via the looks of Hack, Slash, the 1 and 0 Binomes

#Ian gibson #in memoriam #2000AD #ReBoot

[grandhotelabyss]

How would you rank Alan Moore’s major works?

Watchmen comes first, because it contains everything he can do done to perfection. Its crystalline structure holds all his contradictions in a sustaining tension, his heart and his head perfectly aligned in one of the most beguiling fictional heterocosms I have ever had the pleasure of entering. I've read it more times than I've read anything, to be honest, and I'm not tired of it yet.

From Hell is also an extraordinary literary achievement, not at all diminished if placed next to comparable or roughly contemporaneous works by Pynchon or McCarthy—I've compared Sir William Gull to Judge Holden—and heartfelt in its own way, if also at an extreme of horror hard to match elsewhere in serious fiction.

There's a lot of dross in the Swamp Thing run, but I love its first and final third, everything before and after the relatively bad "American Gothic," because it's almost all heart, an outpouring of lyricism like nothing else before in comics, the imitation of which would launch Gaiman and Morrison down their own paths.

The Lovecraft material probably has to come next—The Courtyard, Neonomicon, and Providence—his most truly substantial comics work of this century and a profound and ambivalent meditation on how the pop and cult fiction of the last century created our present reality. It's about as horrifying as From Hell, however, with its entire chapter of interspecies rape to balance From Hell's entire chapter of misogynist murder.

Tied for fifth, almost of necessity, are the didactic series Promethea and the prose novel Voice of the Fire. To understand post-1980s Moore, you must understand magic, and these two works, uneven as they might be, suggest what magic means to Moore. Promethea, anyway, for all its faults, is often a pleasant post-Vertigo throwback to the proto-Vertigo qualities of Swamp Thing, while Voice of the Fire—a book a few years ahead in English literature of the technique David Mitchell would be celebrated for in Ghostwritten and especially Cloud Atlas, though both Moore and Mitchell borrow from a book I've never read, Riddley Walker—has passages of such scorching intensity you could put them next to any contemporaneous novelist.

So that's my top five (or top six). Miracleman is too disunified, so clumsy at inception and so polished in conclusion, though Book Three is remarkable. Neither V for Vendetta nor Lost Girls can sustain critical scrutiny on any but a formalist level; Moore at his most politically didactic proves himself politically naive. The first two chapters of Big Numbers are stunning, and I mourn what might have been. Tom Strong, with its bittersweet and poisoned nostalgia, is poignant, underrated, while Top 10 is unreadably dense and overrated. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is good for its first two volumes—volume 2, as an intense refraction of post-9/11 politics, is especially brutal and powerful—and then it becomes a folly and a self-indulgence, which I did not bother to keep up with. I love the performance pieces, especially the first one, The Moon and Serpent Grand Egyptian Theatre of Marvels. Among the rest of the prose, I didn't finish Jerusalem and didn't love the 250 pages I did read—he seemed to have understood the difference between a comic-book script and a novel better when he wrote Voice of the Fire 20 years before—and I found the novel-length "Thunderman" centerpiece of Illuminations close to reprehensible. Since I've rendered such a negative verdict on that most recent work, let me conclude by recommending what's probably the gem among the earliest work, the tender and clever Delany-esque feminist space opera, The Ballad of Halo Jones, with its memorable tagline, "Where did she go? Out. What did she do? Everything." Moore almost never went out—almost never left his hometown, except for ventures in the astral plane—and yet he has written everything, in every genre, in every style, and for that he has, despite any local judgments I might make against this or that work, my entire admiration.

#alan moore #comics #graphic novels

[livingauthorssociety]

Andrew Cartmel gave out copies of Ballad of Halo Jones to new writers on the McCoy seasons as an example of what he was looking for, which makes Ian Gibson also responsible for my favourite era of Doctor Who.

#rip ian gibson #classic doctor who #doctor who #comics

[radiofreederry]

have you read the ballad of halo jones?

No

#asks

[waterhorseyblues-ao3]

WHB’s Ever-Growing List of Comic Recommendations

I am SICK and TIRED of people saying they’re not into comics!!! You could be!!! You just read a Captain America comic one time and realised it kinda sucked!!!! It probably did!!!!!! There’s other comics!!!!!!!!!

In fact I am intentionally NOT going to include DC or Marvel in this list because there’s so fuckin many of them dude. That’s gonna be a different list entirely.

Anyway I’m gonna break this up into segments as best I can and hope I remember all the amazing works I’ve read over the years. This is also only a light sprinkling of things I’ve read that I think are good starting points. If you ejoyed something and want more like it, or are more interested in one type of comic than another, I’ll happily give you more options.

If you’d like any info about how/where to read these comics just DM me and I’ll happily answer any questions.

Western Industry-Published Comics:

Tank Girl - I fucking love Tank Girl. I have a HUGE collection of Tank Girl comics. 1, 2 and 3 have NOT aged well, but Tank Girl was very much a symbol of counter-culture and was used as an icon for protests against Section 28 and the Thatcher regime. Crass, violent, scruffy and extremely punk. The upside is, you can pick just ONE TG title and read only that. She’s been passed around a few different publication companies and been handled by a variety of writers, so the themes and values of the comics are quite broad. My personal favourite is Visions of Booga.

The Ballad of Halo Jones (cancelled) - oh my GODD this COMIC. A 2000 AD genstone. The tragedy of Halo Jones is that the comics got cancelled due to a dispute with her creators and the company. Alan Moore at his absolute finest, creating the most elaborate sci-fi world with really great characters. Every day I morn that only 3 of 9 volumes were ever made.

Saga (ongoing) - o, um, you’re NOT reading Saga? cringe... Jokes aside, Saga published by Image Comics is fantastic. This immense space fantasy follows an inter-species family escaping the war that separates their people. The art is great, the characters are wonderful, the world building is fantastic, it’s so, so immersive. Sex, drugs, and violence abound. An epic space-opera for adult readers. Dude, c’mon, just read it smh

The Pride - This started small and indie but was picked up by Dark Horse. Joe Glass’ response to the lack of representation in Marvel and DC comics. A superhero series where all the characters are out-and-proud queer and fight against queerphobia and oppression, with very blunt explorations of hate crime, AIDS, and inter-community issues. Loveable characters and great art.

Scott Pilgrim VS The World - YEAH I’LL DO IT, I’LL REC SCOTT PILGRIM. I genuinely loved these comics as a teenager, they felt so cool and funny and fresh and dynamic. They were everything I wanted my life to be. Ultimate geeky dorky comic.

Jem and the Holograms - you remember that cartoon? well the comics go hard. VERY cool rock sci-fi, great new takes on the characters, queer as hell, very fun. definitely aimed at bringing more Jem content to fans who have grown up and want something a little more intense.

Persepolis - I’ve only just started reading this. It’s a memoir of the cultural shift in Iran and it’s very real and down-to-earth. Incidentally this is a Banned Book, so obviously that is why I recommend you read it. Incidentally quite a few comics about politics and identity have been banned around the world, so I suggest finding a list of them and reading through all of them as soon as you can.

World of Warcraft: Deathknight - not gonna dress this one up. it’s the manga about Koltira and Thassarian. I legit think the WoW lore comics and books are good. I want these two to kiss.

.

Japanese Manga:

Death Note - oh my god. dude. just read it. or watch it. i don’t care. this is a cultural ICON. this blew my MIND. the character tensions and dynamics, the long-term planning and payoff, the plot twists, the characters, it’s amazing.

Full Metal Alchemist - this should go without saying. i don’t think either anime really successfully adapted the manga. a very in-depth war-time fantasy with brilliant characters, so many plotlines and complex socio-political issues, a huge cast of different types of characters. It has the RANGE.

Uzumaki - I generally recommend Junji Itou’s work anyway, and tend to prefer his shorter stuff, but this particular horror series is so iconic and has some incredible artwork and imagery that just stays with you forever. Personally not a huge fan of the ending but it is very his style.

Shaman King - this aged both very badly and very well, somehow. the mix of traditional shaman practices from around the world, as well as the use of mythology and folk tales to pad out this urban fantasy, is very engaging and interesting. The characters are all from very different walks of life and it’s so easy to get attached to them. the anime adaptions didn’t quite capture the sheer intensity of this story and while it very much is a shonen, it has so much else going for it that really makes it such a unique gem of a series.

Black Butler (ongoing) - oh my god PLEASE read Black Butler. don’t bother with the anime. ignore that. you THINK this is gonna be a fanservicey series about fancy boys and demons but it’s NOT. it’s about TRAUMA and CORRUPTION and SECRET SOCETIES and PLOTS and it is getting better and better and better with each chapter. the artwork is gorgeous and the characters went from archetypes to really complex and fleshed out with individual backstories and I love them all dearly. this series has made me cry.

Saint Young Men (ongoing) - Jesus and Buddha are roommates in modern-day Japan. It’s a very fun and easy slice-of-life that takes a teasing but respectful angle on the two faiths and is just so wholesome. Was a big meme a few years ago.

The Way of the House Husband (ongoing) - you’ve seen this manga about. an ex-Yakuza becomes a house-husband to a working wife who loves magical girl anime. Slice-of-life with some of the most intense artwork and hilarious dynamics.

Skull Faced Book Seller Honda-San - a non-fiction account of a bookseller and the various customers they encounter. Very funny and truthful and easy to read.

The Two Of Them Are Pretty Much Like This (ongoing) - Slice-of-life lesbian romance with an age gap. The two must carefully balance their professional and private life, and navigate where they can and can’t be open about their relationship.

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikō  /  Quiet Country Café - scifi future post-environmental-apocalypse slice-of-life about an android who runs a café and the various people she meets and the strange world around her. Perfect for fans of Ghibli films.

.

Independent Comics

Emily Is Burning - Honestly I rec most of Steph Seed’s work, her limited use of dialogue and impressionistic-style artwork lends itself so well to the weird horror stories she creates

NPC Tea (ongoing) - urban fantasy story about D&D type characters who run a tea shop, but must also deal with a dangerous power that threatens to destroy everything.

The Miracles - from the same creator as The Pride, this is another superhero story that focuses more on alternate universes, coming of ages, secrets and deception.

.

WebToons and Web Comics:

Homestuck - fuck you. yeah im recommending Homestuck. it’s GOOD okay? it’s innovative and complex and deep and hilarious and weird and imaginative and it’s everything. there’s a BUNCH of lets-reads online to make it easier for you and loads of dubs and helpful guides to navigate it. It’s fucking good okay. shut up.

Ava’s Demon (ongoing) - gorgeous art, really cool space fantasy, loveable chaacters, animated sequences, I could go on. It’s a slow, slow update because of the sheer quality of the artwork that goes into it.

Lackadaisy (ongoing) - another absolute banger of artwork and detail. set in probation era about an underground bar, the goofy and eccentric characters get in violent fights, tangle with the law, and get up to be questionable and extremely illegal hijinks to keep their bar going as the business starts to wane. Updates are on hold while the creators work on an ACTUAL ANIMATED MOVIE for it.

Heartstopper (ongoing)- YEAH IM GAY. WHAT OF IT. I LOVE this gushy, mushy, sweet little comic about theseschool boys in love!!! This is a webcomic but has been officially published into paper books. The show is lovely and captures it well but the series is much further on than the show is. I genuinely hope it’s making life of queer teens easier!!! Because god damn it was bad when I was growing up!!!!

Mage and the Demon Queen (ongoing) - beautiful WebToon set in an RPG style fantasy world where a young mage falls in love with the enemy of her people, Demon Queen Velverosa. Adventure romance with a lot more happening than it first lets on.

Carciphona - Very elaborate and stunning fantasy series about magic, war, uprisings and mysterious backstories. Engaging character dynamics and intrigue throughout. The spin-off slice-of-life romance series Amongst Us is also worth a read.

Ruby Quest - you are not ready for this. Using the characters of Animal Crossing and an incredibly simplistic artstyle, this sci-fi horror used reader-input choices to navigate the world and storyline. A mix of rpg-style reading, animated panels and single-panel storytelling create immense amounts of tension and clever use of detail in the right places adds to the horror element. It’s spiritual successor, Nan Quest, is also very recommended.

#comic #manga #webcomic #webtoon #recommend #rec list #theres so many more i havent listed lmao #not to mention the length of my to-read list

[downthetubes]

In Review: The Ballad of Halo Jones - Full Colour Omnibus Edition

Luke Williams checks out the latest collection of "The Ballad of Halo Jones" by Alan Moore and Ian Gibson

The Book: Halo Jones is bored. Trapped in The Hoop, a futuristic world where jobs are scarce and excitement non-existent, Halo sets out to see the galaxy any way she can and to rewrite her destiny. From drudge work on a glamorous cruise liner, to serving in a brutal war zone, Halo experiences love and loss and she grows up into the woman who will change the course of the galaxy’s history. Radical…

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#2000AD #Alan Moore #Barbara Nosenzo #Halo Jones #Ian Gibson #Luke Williams #Review #Richard Starkings #Steve Potter #The Ballad of Halo Jones

[quasar1967]

2000 AD #376

7th July 1984

Historic first episode of  space saga The Ballad of Halo Jones.

This could have been the final issue. Due to a printers strike, unfortunate readers had to wait a month (instead of the usual week) for prog 377 to arrive at their local newsagents. Other comics (such as Scream!) weren't so lucky and were quietly dropped when the strike was over.

Strontium Dog - Outlaw! (part 14) 

Judge Dredd - Many Unhappy Returns 

The Ballad of Halo Jones - book one (part 1) 

Tharg's Future Shocks - Bigger Game Hunters 

Rogue Trooper - Message from Milli-Com (part 8) 

2000AD Star Pin-Up - D.R. and Quinch (part 2 of 2) 

#2000 ad #strontium dog #judge dredd #tharg the mighty #rogue trooper

[meusgrifos]

"The Ballad of Halo Jones", by Alan Moore and Ian Gibson, lettering by Richard Starkings.

#halo jones #comics #alan moore #ian gibson

[maijakoivula]

Alan Moore is probably best known for V for Vendetta and the Watchmen, but nothing so far he's ever done has eclipsed The Ballad of Halo Jones for me.

#alan moore