Future Shock! The Story of 2000AD (2014)

Fun documentary talks to nearly all of the key folks who were part of 2000AD since the beginning, but I'm not sure if this documentary will be of all that much interest to anyone who's not already a fan of the seminal British sci-fi comic. For those unfamiliar, 2000AD was a punk rock comic book at time when comics were mostly routine superheroes and villains, inserting social commentary and controversial topics into a shockingly violent sci-fi stories. Judge Dreddd is the most famous character to come out of the comic, providing an interesting commentary on freedom, justice, democracy, and innumerable other contemporary issues, all set within a future United States that's been devastated by nuclear war and is now comprised of two "Mega Cities" on each coast and a wasteland between the two. In those cities the justice system has been streamlined where the Judges serve as the police, judge, jury, and executioner, issuing out instant justice on the streets. Dredd is less of a character and is more of a vehicle by which a variety of stories can be told around through the rich tapestry that comprises Mega City One. This film is less about Dredd or the major characters and series to come out of the book, but is more about the ups and downs of the comics' 50-plus year history, starting back in the late 1970s. I actually still collect the comic and it's awesome that a number of the original creators of the comic are still regularly creating content for the publication (John Wagner, who co-created Dredd, is still writing stories on a regular basis and is controlling the series main story arc). But on top of that, many of the new generation of popular creators who all grew up reading the original comics and are now the ones making their own cleaver, edgy, original content. It's a lot of fun to put a face and voice to these creators who I've read their names all these years and hear them tell their story of the comic (the most interesting moment in their history is hearing from Neil Gaiman and other how he, Alan Moore, and others left for DC and Marvel in the US, helping rejuvenate dull US comics the same way they did British comics). It's also fun to hear the original creators of the comic and the new generation of writers and artists talk about how the comic is still going strong now because they have embraced being a niche comic and are no longer worried about trying to appeal to a mass audience, as was a tried during a corporate takeover in the 90s that that when horribly wrong. On the downside to this documentary, I was already pretty familiar with the history of 2000AD from a lengthy series of articles included in the Judge Dredd Magazine several years ago, which meant that this documentary didn't provide any new information or new insights. Still, seeing the many creators in person talking about their history with the comic, many of whom have gone on to be icons in the industry, was enough to keep my interest and make this worth watching.

I wasn't into 2000AD when I was young, didn't know anyone who really was, which was my loss. Once you read a few of their mags, your eyes are opened and you see the quality and originality of what they have been striving to do.This documentary is a down to earth talking heads history of those who built & fashioned the comic & characters over all these years. We don't get much in the way of comic shots or nasty stories, we have the whole spate of familiar & legendary names giving us their frank opinion on the whole comic.Its place in the annals of comic history is indisputable, and this documentary is recording for posterity those views.There is nothing necessarily special in this doc, it was trying to record lives and history, and it achieves that.If you're interested in comics then this is great, for 2000AD fans it is indispensable. Enjoy and be enlightened. Need to dig out those old Dredd anthology volumes again for a good old read.

1995:Going to the NEC in Birmingham for a comic convention with my dad,I got given £10 and told that I could spend it on anything I want.Looking round,I spotted amongst the comic sellers two huge robots that you could have a photo taken with.Getting on the stage,I was a bit surprised when someone dressed as a futuristic cop joined for the photo.2016:Since learning the futuristic cop is Judge Dredd,I have read the occasional issue of 2000AD, and have also been a big fan of the 2012 Dredd movie (although I've still not seen the 1995 film that was getting hyped up at the NEC!) After reading an excellent review from a fellow IMDber about a doc on 2000AD a while ago,I was happy to find out from another IMDber that the doc was on Channel 4's 4OD service,which led to me getting ready to go back to the year 2000AD.The outline of the doc:Frustrated over the twee nature of boys British comics, Kelvin Gosnell and Pat Mills decided to create a comic inspired by Punk Rock called Action,which would feature explosive action and hard- edge satirical shots.After gaining a little too much controversy,Action comic was closed down.Wanting to find a way to continue the themes that were started in Action,Gosnell & Mills work with John Wagner to plan a Sci-Fi comic. Believing the comic would be short-lived,Gosnell,Mills and Wagner decide to name the comic:2000AD.View on the film:Revealing the foundation from which 200AD came from with news footage and Punk Rock songs,director Paul Goodwin separates the sections of the doc with 3D,slightly animated versions of 200AD artwork,which gives the film a wonderfully pulpy vibe.Whilst the shifts in viewing the history of 2000AD are slightly jarring,Goodwin smooths things over by offering eyefuls of prime cut artwork from 2000AD history.For the interviews,Goodwin covers an impressively wide ground which goes from the creators to those who the comic has inspired (such as film maker Alex Garland,who used 2000AD artist "Jock" to design the main robot in Ex_Machina.) Offering each of the interviewees plenty of breathing space,Goodwin taps into the Punk spirit of the comic,by letting everyone be as blunt as they want on the rise,fall and rise of a comic which has been handing out "justice" for decades.

As the title of this documentary would suggest, FUTURE SHOCK! is an exploration of the British comic publishers 2000 AD, featuring constant talking head footage consisting of interviews with the key personnel over the last thirty years: editors, writers, and of course the artists. It's obviously a labour of love and anybody with an interest in comic books will doubtlessly enjoy it.I admit that I've never read a single 2000 AD publication, but this didn't stop me enjoying the documentary, which has plenty of insight and anecdotal fun to keep it moving along. I particularly enjoyed the way the differences between American and British comics are explored, with the latter proving far more bloodthirsty and cynical; Superman just wouldn't get a look in on these shores. Plus, the documentary briefly looks at the two filmed versions of Judge Dredd. It's good fun throughout.