The Simon Spurrier Thread, Thread dedicated to 2000AD's coolest writer! Options

[Smithy]

So, it's obvious. Simon Spurrier is my favourite writer in 2000AD. Reasons? There's plenty....

It all begins at Prog 1476. I notice that The ABC Warriors are back so I'm very excited to read the prog. After finishing the great Dredd tale I come to a story known as Harry Kipling on the contents page. The first thing I notice is the outstanding art by Boo Cook. The second thing I notice is the excellent dialogue. It's a great read by the time I reach the last page where we are suddenly introduced to the character. He is so cool. Then I see the title. "Harry Kipling (Deceased) shall return!" Damnit, I can't wait too long!

In Prog 1477 I notice that the newesst story Bec & Kawl is written by Simon Spurrier. I forget about the other stories including The 10 Seconders and jump to this! Disappointment, it's not all that great! Good read but not very fun...

The same goes for the next part but suddenly in part 3 I'm beginning to enjoy it. The first page for instance is sheer class. Brilliant stuff. Part 4 is great as well then I reach Prog 1481....

First thing noticed is obvious. HARRY'S BACK! Very chuffed and glad to see that he's introduced at the end again. Better again, Bec & Kawl finishes on a big high! Spurrier=Genius.

Next prog is opened and suddenly after reading all three of his stories I realise....this dude's my favourite writer and there ain't no doubting it!

Thoughts of the great man now:
He certainly gives you a great read. (Lobster Random and London Falling have plenty of dialogue).
His stories are quite simply crazy and mad! (Harry Kipling, Lob Random, London Falling, etc).
He's done his research. London Falling and it's monsters of English folklore is the best example, and possibly his best story this year.
He's very inventive. Harry Kipling is a great example here.


Questions foryou dudes and dudettes:
Who agrees with me here?
Who doesn't?
Do you think Simon's a sane man? (I don't!)
What's been your fave Spurrier story so far this year?
Reasons?
Is he anyone else's favourite writer or am I by myself here?



Smithy

[Artificial Idiot]

Think most everything I've read by the Spurrier droid has been high quality - Aside from London Falling, which just didn't do anything for me at all (but then, every writers allowed a misfire now and then ) and Harry Kipling isn't really living up to it's potential. We need a longer story that isn't mostly exposition, damnit! Stop holding out on us Si!

Bec & Kawl gets a fair deal of unfair stick, imo, it's nowhere near as good as the Simping Detective and Lobster Random, I know, but it's good for a bit of light hearted fun. And on occasion, that's what the prog needs - Something light and fun.

Not my favourite writer by any means, but certaintly an asset to the prog. Wouldn't mind seeing a little less of him at the moment though, or at least a little more of him in the meg and a little less of him in the prog.

[Dark Jimbo]

Smithy, from the sounds of it you're not a Meg man. Am I right? Because there's not one mention there for the Simping Detective, which I'm therefore assuming you've never read.

If you really like Spurrier this much, do yourself a favour - back-order every Meg in which the Simping Detective has appeared, gorge yourself on the noir goodness, and discover your new favourite character.

[MC Hammer of the...]

Yep, Spurrier is a top quality writer and probably my favourite of the younger guys (okay that basically amounts to him and Rennie most of the time.) Although I'd be surprised if there weren't quite a few people who don't like his wordy style, it usually works for me. I say usually because a lot of his stuff seems to split the net geek community down the middle.

For example, a lot of people are pretty harsh about Beck & Kawl, whereas I find its puerile, studenty humour a refreshing change of pace from a lot of stuff in the comic. On the other hand, Lobster Random gets praised to the rafters yet I find it so over-written it's exhausting to read and I just can't get into it.

I think every story of his which I've read has been written in the first person and I really like the way he tries to give each character a distinct voice, rather than use a more conventional, impartial third person voice for the narration. Obviously, this could become a bit tired and gimmicky if he doesn't mix it up a bit, but it's worked for me so far.

London Falling is easily the best story that's been in 2000AD this year and I also think Splashdown (the follow up to his Dredd story Dominos) is the best thing we've seen in the Meg all year too.

Do I think he's a sane man. Yes. Good writers tend to be able make all this stuff up in their heads because they're quite clever and good at thinking about how people with very different lives and beliefs might act in a certain situation.

[mechanix81]

yeah, top writer. but smithy, are you a little hyper today or something?

[Aaron A Aardvark]

Despite my reservations about Harry and Bec (Cawl's OK) I'd have to say so far, this year, yes. He's written my story of the week (Lobster Random or London Falling) for the last thirteen progs on the trot. The Simping Detective is better than any of them and going back a few years From Grace was something completely different.

[Dark Jimbo]

The only strip of his that's really misfired for me is Bec and Kawl (and in a big way... oh god, how I hate that strip) but even so that's not a bad hit rate. Most of his other strips have been consistently excellent, and since he arrived in the prog (although a relatively new reader I'm lucky enough to have been there at the start for his rise to glory) things have definately been on the up. He's brought in a lot of very fresh ideas if nothing else - hell, that's an understatement, he's like a one-man ideas cyclone!

Lately, though, a lot of his strips have been threatning to implode under their own convoluted cleverness, and some of his narrators threaten to sound very similar.

But he's about my fourth favourite current tooth writer, behind Wagner, Rennie and Edginton. (Fifth and sixth are probably Mills and Morrison, if you're interested).

[The Adventurer]

I only recently realised that Spurrier writes a number of stories that I regularly enjoy. Lobster Random, Bec & Kawl, Kipling, and London Falling. Simping Detective can be a bit hit and miss with me though, but that may be because I can into the series late (last two apperances) and just don't have the background of the characters I need.

I hope to see more of the guy as time goes on. More Bec & Kawl!

[The Mighty Mr Ma...]

I think that next prog's new series, Go-Machine, will probably prove once and for all that Al Ewing is the coolest 2000AD writer. But, y'know, that Spurrier does do some fairly astonishingly amazingly wonderfully incredibly darkly humerous stuff too.

[mc1juve]

Well I don't like Simon,
because he's taller than me...
but we're both taller than PJ and Frazer... and that's the important thing..
and I think Dave Gibbons could take Simon down in a fight with his deadly slow motion Tae Chi, even if he wasn't wearing his Big E costume... (Dave not Si.. )
ahhh... I think this heat has finally driven me insane....
Rufus

And Al Ewing is hairier than all of us combined...
Follicle domination of the Ewing One!!

[David Knight]

I like Simon Spurrier as a writer because he is very inventive and creative, and he is good at staying in a consistent 'voice' when writing for each of his characters.

[Smithy]

I'll see about The Simping Detective later when it's in the Meg. Is there no graphic novels yet?

yeah, top writer. but smithy, are you a little hyper today or something?

Uhhhh...i don't believe i am...

[Smithy]

That London Falling ending. Brilliant!

[alexf]

I like the Spurrier's film reviews. Hope they stay in the Meg (ooh, which will come next, Superman or Pirates?). I've enjoyed pretty much all his strips, too, although I didn't get into From Grace at the time. Perhaps a re-read will convert me, and kudos for being an oddball story. I reckon Lobster Random is his best.

This is going to sound rude coming from a gimp like me, but sometimes it feels like you can see Spurrier writing as you read his stories. Yes, he has achieved a worthy array of different and consistent voices to his characters, but it can feel like there's a template at work behind it. Wagner and Abnett by comparison seem to let plots and black humour flow from their pens with seemingly no effort at all. But then, Spurrier is improving with every new strip...

[W. R. Logan]

I like the Spurrier's film reviews. Hope they stay in the Meg

Spurriers film reviews, pah, its those reviews that pay for his popcorn, jumbo hot dog and gallon of fanta, let him pay for his own movie tickets like everyone else.