Despite having never read a single issue of 2000AD in my life, Future Shock had been on my radar ever since I saw the first trailer premiere way back at FrightFest 2013. This week it’s finally available for all to see thanks to a simultaneous cinema, DVD, and VOD release, and I’m happy to say that it has been well worth the wait.
The documentary traces the history of the anthology style comic from its birth as an alternative to the dying array of staid comics which then adorned British newsagent racks, to its current day incarnation and everything in between (including it’s forays into the movie industry). 2000AD’s bleak and brutal pages gave birth to characters such as Rogue Trooper, Halo Jones, and most famously, Judge Dredd. Arriving shortly before Margaret Thatcher began her reign as Prime Minister, 2000AD became to comic books what The Sex Pistols were to music, or the Video Nasties Act was to film.
Revelling in its British counterculture history, each of Future Shock‘s many talking heads give a candid and insightful peek into what has made the comic such an institution since its hard-hitting 1977 debut. Future Shock is a love letter to its subject matter, and none of it’s talking heads pull any punches when it comes to conveying their passions.
Writers and artists such as Neil Gaiman, Grant Morisson, and Dave Gibbons appear alongside creators Pat Mills and John Wagner, whilst famous faces such as Geoff Barrow (Portishead) and Scott Ian (Anthrax) do a good job of representing the comics fandom. The only glaring omission from the documentary is Alan Moore, though this is somewhat expected with his quasi-reclusive nature and loathe for dwelling on his past creations.
Future Shock has plenty to enjoy for anybody who wants an honest look at the comic book scene existing outside the two staple America based comic book houses DC and Marvel, but also to those who enjoy looking back on the tumultuous Britain of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.
#Peace.Love.FutureShock
