Harlem Heroes
Harlem Heroes | |
---|---|
Publication information | |
Publisher | IPC Media |
First appearance | 2000 AD #1 (February 1977) |
Created by | Pat Mills Dave Gibbons |
Harlem Heroes is a British comic strip that formed part of the original line-up of stories in 2000 AD (February 1977). Inspired by the popularity during the 1970s of kung fu films and the Harlem Globetrotters, Harlem Heroes was devised by Pat Mills, employing elements from his Hellball comic strip, and scripted by Tom Tully. Initially, the series was to have been drawn by Carlos Trigo but the Spanish artist was replaced by Dave Gibbons prior to the first issue's publication. From issue (or "prog") 25 Massimo Belardinelli drew the concluding episodes of the first series and would be retained as its regular artist for the strip's reinvention as Inferno.
Harlem Heroes
By the year 2050,[1] the game of Aeroball has swept the world! It's Football, Boxing, Kung Fu and Basketball all rolled into one! Players roar through the air wearing jet packs (controlled by buttons on their belts) and score "air strikes" by getting the ball in the "score tank". One of the top teams is the all-black Harlem Heroes![2]
Summary [first series]
Having made it through the preliminary round of the World Aeroball Championship, the Harlem Heroes' team bus crashes, killing all but four players. Louis Mayer, his brain alone surviving the tragedy, convinces his three fellow survivors, 'Slim', 'Hairy', and team captain John 'Giant' Clay, that they can still win the championship title.
Episodes
2000 AD progs 1–27, 2000 AD Annual 1978, 2000 AD Annual 1979 (29 episodes)
Timeline: 21st Century, usually placed in 2050[3]
- "The Sport of Tomorrow" – Prog 1 (1 episode)
- "Harlem Heroes" – 2000 AD Annual 1979 (1 episode)
- "The Baltimore Bulls" – progs 2–5 (4 episodes)
- "The Siberian Wolves" – progs 6–8 (3 episodes)
- "The Montezuma Mashers" – progs 9–11 (3 episodes)
- "The Flying Scotsmen" – progs 12–15 (4 episodes)
- "Gorgon's Gargoyles" – progs 16–21 (5 episodes)
- "The Bushido Blades" – progs 22–24 (3 episodes)
- "The Teutonic Titans" – progs 25–27 (3 episodes)
- "The Berlin Blitzkriegs" – 2000 AD Annual 1978 (1 episode)
- Script
- Pat Mills, Tom Tully (prog 1)
- Tom Tully (progs 2–27)
- Art
- Dave Gibbons (prog 1, Harlem Heroes pages 1 – 4), Carlos Trigo (prog 1, Harlem Heroes page 5)
- Dave Gibbons (prog 2–24)
- Massimo Belardinelli (progs 25–27)
Inferno
Inferno is the violent sequel to Harlem Heroes. Set in the bloodthirsty arena of Inferno, an even more barbaric updating of Aeroball, with the addition of players on motorbikes (and gameplay similar to that featured in Rollerball), sportsmanship is gradually replaced by sensationalist violence and the desire for bloodshed and death on the field. Declining in-game values are shadowed by terrifying levels of boardroom corruption: their own manager, tiring of the Heroes' clean-cut image, is determined to get rid of their contracts, by taking out a contract on his own players. The scene of the Heroes' violent demise is a baroquely ruinous former casino called The Crystal Maze (a metaphor of the human mind, and a title later recycled), rendered in darkly gothic splendour by Massimo Belardinelli.
Summary
2000 AD progs 36–75 (40 episodes)
Timeline: 2078
- Script
- Tom Tully
- Art
- Massimo Belardinelli
Judge Dredd
"Never mind, Citizen Giant. Look at it this way—you've lost a son but Mega-City One has gained a darned fine Judge."[4]
The Academy of Law
Judge Giant senior graduates from Mega-City One's Academy of Law, much to the delight of his proud father, John 'Giant' Clay.
Episodes
2000 AD progs 27–28 (2 episodes)
Timeline: 2099
- Script
- John Wagner
- Art
- Ian Gibson (part 1), Mike McMahon (part 2)
Whatever Happened to John "Giant" Clay?
Judge Dredd Megazine #216 (1 episode)
Timeline: 2126
- Script
- Gordon Rennie
- Art
- Rufus Dayglo
Wear Iron
The rise and fall of Inferno is described in chapter 3, as background for a crime. The post-Atom War society was desperate for decadent sport but the events of Inferno ("the Hellcat Murders") would kill it, with Hellcat fans not returning and the average fan afraid they might get killed next.
Judge Dredd Year One: Wear Iron (2014)
Timeline: 2080
- Writer
- Al Ewing
Harlem Heroes
A revival of the first series in name only, unrelated to Dredd.
Summary [second series]
2000 AD progs 671–676, 683–699, 701–705/745–749/776–779/928–939 (49 episodes)
Timeline: 2109
"Harlem Heroes"
2000 AD progs 671–676, 683–699, 701–705 (28 episodes)
- Script
- Michael Fleisher
- Art
- Steve Dillon and Kev Walker (parts 1–16, 18–21, 23–26)
- Steve Dillon and Simon Jacob (part 17)
- Steve Dillon (part 22)
- Simon Jacob (part 27)
- Kev Hopgood (part 28)
Death Sport
2000 AD progs 745–749 (5 episodes)
- Script
- Michael Fleisher
- Art
- Geoff Senior
Grey Ghost Overflight
2000 AD progs 776–779 (4 episodes)
- Script
- Michael Fleisher
- Art
- Ron Smith
Cyborg Death Trip
2000 AD progs 928–939 (12 episodes)
- Script
- Michael Fleisher
- Art
- Kev Hopgood and Siku
Harlem Heroes
Another revival, this one starring Judge Giant's grandchild Gem Giant as the captain of a new Aeroball team.
Episodes
- "Harlem Heroes" -- 2000AD Regened Volume 3
- "Vs the Venetian Vipers" -- Mega-City Max
- Script
- Ramzee
- Art
- Korinna Veropoulou
Continuity
- Harlem Heroes episodes 8 and 9[5] make reference to Mega-City One, the vast megalopolis patrolled by Judge Dredd.
- Judge Dredd is the graduating officer of Judge Giant senior.[6]
Footnotes
- ^ It is unclear when exactly the first series of Harlem Heroes takes place. 2078, the year that Inferno is set in, contradicts the generally accepted view that its predecessor takes place in 2050.
- ^ Quoted from Harlem Heroes "The Sport of Tomorrow", 2000 AD prog 1.
- ^ The captions in early progs refer to aeroball taking the world by 2050. This was the only date given
- ^ Quoted from Judge Dredd "The Academy of Law", 2000 AD prog 28.
- ^ Harlem Heroes 2000 AD prog 8, page 4.5 and prog 9, page 1.1
- ^ Judge Dredd "The Academy of Law", 2000 AD prog 28
External links
- 2000 AD profile
- v
- t
- e
- Comic Cuts
- Film Fun
- Funny Wonder
- Illustrated Chips
- Knockout (stories)
- Radio Fun
- Buster
- Cheeky Weekly
- Cor!!
- Jackpot
- Knockout
- Krazy
- Monster Fun
- Nipper
- Oink!
- School Fun
- Shiver and Shake
- Whizzer and Chips
- Whoopee!
- Wow!
- Wham!
- Smash!
- Pow!
- Fantastic
- Terrific
- 2000 AD
- Action (stories)
- Battle Picture Weekly (stories)
- Boys' World
- The Champion
- The Comet (stories)
- Crisis (stories)
- Diceman
- Eagle
- Eagle (1982 version) (stories)
- Hurricane
- Jag
- Jet
- Judge Dredd Megazine
- Lion (stories)
- Look and Learn
- M.A.S.K.
- Ranger
- Revolver
- Roy of the Rovers
- Scorcher
- Scream!
- Sonic the Comic
- Speed
- Starlord
- Sun (stories)
- Supernaturals
- Thriller Comics
- Thunder
- Tiger (stories)
- Tornado
- Valiant (stories)
- Vulcan
- War Picture Library
- Wildcat
- Girl
- Girls' Crystal (stories)
- Jinty
- June (stories)
- Marilyn
- Misty
- Poppet
- Princess (stories)
- Princess Tina (stories)
- Roxy
- Sandie
- School Friend (stories)
- Serenade
- Tammy
- Tina
- Valentine
- Jack and Jill
- Playhour
- The 10,000 Disasters of Dort
- The 12½p Buytonic Boy
- Ace Trucking Co.
- Action Force
- Adam Eterno
- The Amazing Three
- Anderson, Psi-Division
- The Astounding Adventures of Charlie Peace
- The Astounding Jason Hyde
- Baker's Half-Dozen
- The Ballad of Halo Jones
- Battler Britton
- Bessie Bunter
- Bible John - A Forensic Meditation
- Big Dave
- Billy Bunter
- Billy's Boots
- Birdman and Chicken
- The Black Archer
- Black Beth
- Black Max
- Black Hawk
- Bloodfang
- Bobby's Ghoul
- Bookworm
- The Bootneck Boy
- The Bumpkin Billionaires
- Buster Capp
- Captain Condor
- Captain Hurricane
- The Cat Girl
- Chalky
- Charley's War
- Clash of the Guards
- Cliff Hanger
- Computer Warrior
- Cursitor Doom
- D-Day Dawson
- D.R. & Quinch
- Dan Dare
- Danny Doom
- Dare
- Darkie's Mob
- Death Game 1999
- Death Squad
- Death Wish
- Defoe
- Doomlord
- The Dracula File
- Dredger
- Durham Red
- The Dwarf
- End of the Line...
- Ernie
- Faceache
- Fiends of the Eastern Front
- Fight for the Falklands
- Finn
- Fishboy
- For a Few Troubles More
- Gadgetman and Gimmick-Kid
- Goldtiger
- Grimly Feendish
- Harlem Heroes
- Hellman of Hammer Force
- Hook Jaw
- Hot Shot Hamish and Mighty Mouse
- The House of Daemon
- The House of Dolmann
- The Indestructible Man
- Invasion!
- Invasion 1984!
- Ivor Lott and Tony Broke
- Jack o' Justice
- Jane Bond
- Jet-Ace Logan
- Joe Alien
- Johnny Red
- Joker
- Judge Dredd
- Junior Rotter
- Karl the Viking
- Kid Chameleon
- Kids Rule O.K.
- Kitten Magee
- Lazy Bones
- The Leopard from Lime Street
- Loner
- Look Out for Lefty!
- Luck of the Legion
- M.A.C.H. 1
- Major Eazy
- Manix
- Master Mind
- Mazeworld
- Memory Banks
- El Mestizo
- Mind Wars
- Monster
- Mustapha Million
- Mytek the Mighty
- Nemesis the Warlock
- The New Adventures of Hitler
- New Statesmen
- The Nightcomers
- Nikolai Dante
- Odd Ball
- One-Eyed Jack
- The Phantom Viking
- Rat Pack
- Really & Truly
- Richie Wraggs
- Ro-Busters
- Rob Riley
- The Robo Machines
- Robot Archie
- Rogan Gosh
- Rogue Trooper
- Roy of the Rovers
- School Belle
- Sexton Blake
- Sid's Snake
- The Silent Three
- Sinister Dexter
- Skid Kidd
- Skizz
- Sláine
- The Spider
- The Steel Claw
- Steel Commando
- Store Wars
- Strontium Dog
- The Suicide Six
- Sweeny Toddler
- Sweet Tooth
- Terror of the Cats
- Tharg the Mighty
- Tharg's Future Shocks
- Third World War
- The Thirteenth Floor
- Thunderbolt Jaxon
- Time Flies
- Tom Thug
- Tomboy
- The Tower King
- Tricky Dicky
- The Trigan Empire
- Troubled Souls
- True Faith
- Turbo Jones
- The Vigilant
- Watch Out Beagle's About
- Whacky
- Wonder Wellies
- X-Ray Specs
- Zenith
- Leo Baxendale
- Massimo Belardinelli
- Jesús Blasco
- Brian Bolland
- Eric Bradbury
- Kenneth Bulmer
- Sid Burgon
- Reg Bunn
- Mike Butterworth
- Geoff Campion
- Joe Colquhoun
- John Cooper
- Ted Cowan
- Carlos Ezquerra
- Gerry Finley-Day
- Dave Gibbons
- Ian Gibson
- Scott Goodall
- Alan Grant
- Yvonne Hutton
- Ian Kennedy
- Tom Kerr
- Don Lawrence
- Brian Lewis
- Steve MacManus
- Leonard Matthews
- Mike McMahon
- Trevor Metcalfe
- Pat Mills
- Grant Morrison
- Robert Nixon
- Kevin O'Neill
- José Ortiz
- Frank S. Pepper
- Ken Reid
- Jerry Siegel
- Francisco Solano López
- Lew Stringer
- Barrie Tomlinson
- Tom Tully
- John Wagner
- Keith Watson
- Mike Western