Future Shocks

"Future Shocks" is the name given to a long running series of short strips in the weekly comic "2000 AD". The name originates in a book titled "Future Shock", written by Alvin Toffler, published in the UK only a short time before "2000 AD" was launched.

Publishing history

The series began in issue 25 of "2000 AD" titled "Tharg's Future Shocks" in a single short story written by Steve Moore, who also created the format. This established the pattern of the series which would be two or three page short stories which were normally self-contained.

These stories would be a testing ground for new artists and writers and creators such as Peter Milligan, Alan Davis, Alan Moore and Grant Morrison found some of their earliest work published as "Future Shocks".

pin-offs

Some characters proved popular enough to spin into their own ongoing story in "2000AD", "D.R. and Quinch" being one of the most notable examples.

Other similar series

"2000 AD" also began several other science fiction and horror short stories under several different titles, "Time Twisters" being the best known. However "Future Shocks" remains the best known of all of "2000 AD"'s series of short stories. Examples of the others include:

* "Future Shorts", single page Future Shocks [ [http://www.2000adonline.com/?zone=thrill&page=profiles&choice=SHORTS 2000AD Online - thrill zone ] ]
* "Past Imperfect" [ [http://www.2000adonline.com/?zone=thrill&page=profiles&choice=PAST 2000AD Online - thrill zone ] ]
* "Pulp Sci-Fi" [ [http://www.2000adonline.com/?zone=thrill&page=profiles&choice=PULP 2000AD Online - thrill zone ] ]
* "Ro-Jaws Robo Tales", stories presented by Ro-Jaws [ [http://www.2000adonline.com/?zone=thrill&page=profiles&choice=ROJAWS 2000AD Online - thrill zone ] ]
* "Tales from Beyond Science", a short run series all drawn by Rian Hughes [ [http://www.2000adonline.com/?zone=thrill&page=profiles&choice=BEYOND 2000AD Online - thrill zone ] ]
* "Tales From the Black Museum", an equivalent set in Mega-City One [ [http://www.2000adonline.com/?zone=thrill&page=profiles&choice=MUSEUM 2000AD Online - thrill zone ] ]
* "Terror Tales", Future Shocks evil twin, covering horror, that still occasionally appears [ [http://www.2000adonline.com/?zone=thrill&page=profiles&choice=terror 2000AD Online - thrill zone ] ]
* "Time Twisters" [ [http://www.2000adonline.com/?zone=thrill&page=profiles&choice=TIMETWIS 2000AD Online - thrill zone ] ]
* "Vector 13", although wrapped in its own story stretching beyond the series, it still featured one off stories largely focused on anomalous phenomena.

Publications

Two collections of Alan Moore's "Future Shocks" ("Alan Moore's Shocking Futures") and "Time Twisters" ("Alan Moore's Twisted Times") stories were released by Titan Books in 1986:

*"Alan Moore's Shocking Futures" (1986), Titan Books; reprints a selection of "Future Shocks" short strips originally published in "2000 AD" between 1981 and 1983, with various artists. ISBN 0-907610-71-4
*"Alan Moore's Twisted Times" (1987), Titan Books; reprints almost all of Moore's Abelard Snazz strips, and a further selection of "Time Twisters" short strips originally published in "2000 AD" between 1980 and 1983, with various artists. ISBN 0-907610-72-2

The contents of those two volumes has now been collected together into a single volume, along with additional material from Moore:

*"The Complete Future Shocks" (tpb, Rebellion, 2006 ISBN 1-904265-88-X)

References

External links

* [http://www.2000adonline.com/?zone=thrill&page=profiles&choice=future Future Shocks profile]
* [http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine/sputnik/53/other.htm "2000AD" fansite]
* [http://fourcolorheroes.home.insightbb.com/free.html Alan Moore at fourcolorheroes.com]