Annotations for “Leatherjack” written by Nick Margerrison with contributions gratefully accepted.
– Part 1 –
First published in 2000AD Prog 1450 Aug 3rd 2005
Script by John Smith
Art by Paul Marshall
Colours by Chris Blythe
Page #1
Panel #1
“The eye is the window to the soul” – an often quoted cliché which features in essence in this first panel as we look into Dr Hedren’s eyes. His are the only eyes we see on this page and as such we are drawn to trust him. A reviewer on the 2000adreview.co.uk website described him as looking somewhat like Dr Snuggles. He is certainly drawn as a cuddly archetype.
Furthermore he asks the same question we do: “W-WHAT’S HAPPENING?”
In my opinion he looks like a pre-Lord of The Rings Film Hobbit and/or a garden gnome.
The author John Smith confirms on the 2000adreview.co.uk website that "Dr. Hedren was based on Uncle Bulgaria from 'The Wombles'".
Emperor* goes on to add: There aren't that many famous Hedrens - Tippi "The Birds" Hedren being the most famous. Although the reference might be more obscure than that.
Panel #2
"A.I" - stands for Artificial Intelligence. It’s possible that the craft is entirely driven with an Artificial Intelligence unit. However the role of the Dr’s other traveller becomes a little confused with this reading so I’d suggest the A.I unit is only in use for certain areas of the ship.
The temporal lobes are thought to be involved in memory funtion.
Panel #3
The original city of Joppa is thought to be one of the oldest of Israel, although it has now been combined with Tel-Aviv-Yafo. It could also be a reference to an area in Scotland or one of the places in America which uses the name. However given that the Joppa in the middle east was known to be near the sea I’d suggest that the original city fits best.
Panel #4
A spinster is an unmarried woman who in order to make extra money would spin cloth on their spinning wheel at home. The image of a spinster is of a woman who has not had marital relations because she is in some way prudish.
Panel #5
The co-piolet's mirror glasses re-empasises the original point, that on this page we are only allowed to connect with the eyes of Dr Hedren.
Pages #2-3
Panel #1
Following on with the same profile shot of some eyes with mirrored specs but this time the barrier is dropped and we see an angry spinster. It’s a twisted complex face which we are apparently not ment to sympathise with.
938CE – This has given me a real headache. It’s possible that this is just a politically sensitive way of saying 983AD. “CE” standing for Common Era. This would explain the affix of “In The Year of Our Lord” which the spinster uses. Suggesting the spinsters are Christians? The issue of dates is covered in more detail later.
The “Scold’s Bridle” was a punishment used specifically for women who spoke out of turn. Acting as a sort of cross between a muzzle and a helmet it would attach to the victim's head and
from it an iron metal spike would be stuck into their mouth, literally holdinging their tongue in place. To move one's tongue would be painful but if you kept it still you’d be okay.
The fact that they were in use around the 1600’s suggests the story is set later than 938AD.
Panel #2
Splash panel onto the next page (#3)
The image of the “Censorships” as scissors is a reference censors and the process of "cutting a scene" from a film. This in the past would literally mean the offending frames had been cut from the finished reel of a film although in actual fact they would be removed with a sharp razor most people think of someone using scissors.
Scissors are of course entirely destructive devices which would be useful to a spinster who was spinning cloth. Unlike a razor.
Panel #3
G-Force is the force of acceleration caused by a planet's gravity.
Panel #4
The Chapel Perilous was a place visited by Lancelot in Arthurian legend during the quest for the holy grail.
The eye of a hurricane is a paradoxically calm place. It is used here to represent an oasis of unnatural peace at the centre of incredible danger. A worrying place to be given that all around you a storm is waiting to close in.
Panel #5
A reference to the phrase “bring them down to earth” which means to make someone carry on in a less fanciful fashion.
Also this places the tale into a universe where either our planet, or at least one like it, exists.
Page #4
Panel #1
"Kommodo" - the kommodo dragon is a type of lizard (House of Usher*). It's a type of monitor lizard (adds Emperor*). Kommodo = monitor lizard;
monitor = moral guardian keeping an eye on media output;
comprehensive monitoring = necessary for effective censorship... (concludes House of Usher*).
NAV-SATS could perhaps be the satellites used in SAT-NAVs? The satellite navigation devices currently popular here in the real world.
Panel #2
All three women here are archetypes who are best embodied by Mary Whitehouse who represented the National Viewers and Listeners association. They had a campaign to clean up television and radio in the 80’s and early 90’s which seemed to end with Whitehouse’s death. (although... House of Usher adds: Mary Whitehouse's campaign didn't end with her death. Her National Viewers and Listeners Association now calls itself Mediawatch-UK.)
These women all have a fondness for tea and appear to be sat in giant teapots.
I’m not sure as to the historical period from which their costume design is taken. The ruffs which cover their necks are unusual. Ruffs generally were phased out in the 1600’s but most of their dress seems more modern than that.
A “Dowager” is an unmarried woman who holds a title or property which they have received from either their father or a deceased husband.
Dowager Khan could be a relation of Genghis Khan the father of the Mongol nation who waged war on behalf of that Empire and is seen as a brutal, aggressive, historical figure.
The cutting room is traditionally the room in which a film would be cut and censored. Bits of film left “on the cutting room floor” would of course become history.
Panel #3
“Khmer Noir” - we learn more about this later. Are they possibly named after the Khmer Rouge? (writes House of Usher*). The Khmer Rouge were a communist regime who are mainly remembered for the murder of almost 2 million people. Their anti-intellectual policies even extended to killing people who mearly looked a bit scholarly. People who wore glasses for instance! The association between the two provides a neat commentary on the anti-intellectual and facistic leanings of any form of censorship.
Carlsborg Export* adds: The Khmer Rouge considered education to be a dangerous tool against power and their authority. It was clamped down on in the most hideous ways.
The Year zero was what their leader Pol Pot wanted to work to. The day when he took complete control would be the first day of year zero.
Check " The Killing Fields" for further info on the Khmer and Pol Pot. The book or the film are amazing eyeopeners.
Page #5
Panel #4
Notice the Doctor’s Fez laid out on top of his clothes. The red hat was popularised in Turkey in the 1800’s although in India to many, it represents Islamic identity or sympathy with Islamic causes. This is interesting in light of his previous memories of Joppa.
Page #6
Panel #1
The first time we see Leatherjack. He’s pictured upside down and underwater, an image which is picked up and enlarged at the end of this prog.
A “Leatherjack” is a type of fish. It’s latin name is ‘Oligoplites sauru’. It’s desribed as bluish above and silvery below. It’s worth noticing the imagery used throughout the story related to fishes.
It’s therefore apposite that he should be featured for the first time in a tank of water.
House of Usher* writes: okay, a leatherjacket is a marine fish of the families Carangidae and Balistidae, or the larva of the crane-fly; but doesn't it also suggest a leather binding for a book?
Emperor* writes: Leatherjacket - I had always gone with the insect interpretation. There are also insect themes running through the story and he starts off in armour and as he transforms he sheds it, paralleling the metamorphosis of the crane fly itself. Obviously one interpretation doesn't rule out the other and it may be both are hinted at.
Panel #2
A “war of attrition” is a term which was coined to describe a tactic whereby two sides aim to wear each other down with neither usually able to penetrate the other’s defences.
Panel #5
"Shibboleth" - "a custom, doctrine, phrase, etc., distinguishing a particular class or group of people." (thanks to House of Usher* who consulted The Concise Oxford Dictionary)
Page #7
Panels #1-2
"Braille" - is language which has been written down using a series of bumps to denote the words. Braille is used by people who are blind, the bumps are felt with the fingertips.
"Cuneiform" - Cuneiform script is one of the earliest known forms of writing. It was developed by the Sumerians in the 4th Century BC. Initially starting off as pictural representations the images became more sylised and refined until becoming what look like cuts and scrapes to the untrained eye.
"quantals" - quantal is actually an adjective, pertaining to discrete units, and not a noun. If a quantal is used as a unit of text, then it may be translated as 'part', 'chapter' or 'volume'. (House of Usher*)
Amazing Stories (left hand side) was the first science fiction anthology magazine devoted entirely to the genre. Its progenitor Hugo Gernsback (1884-1967), is seen by many as a man who both popularized the genre and coined the term ‘science fiction’. The annual Hugo Awards, which respect achievement in the genre, were named in his honor in 1953.
The reference here appears to be a slightly inaccurate depiction of the August 1927 issue which was illustrated by Frank R. Paul which featured a reprint of HG Wells’s classic “War Of The Worlds”.
This cover nicely ties in with the theme of censorship. Although not particularly ‘controversial’ in itself this issue pre-dates the infamous 1938 live broadcast of a play inspired by the same story. Featuring Orson Welles this radio play was marred by censorship when it caused panic and confusion in the streets of America. This forced the broadcasters to interrupt the drama and make it clear that it was in fact only a fiction. Orson Welles was said to be very annoyed at this reaction and censorship.
A link to the cover: http://www.frankwu.com/Paul-2.html
The Rupert Annual featured here is without doubt the single most controversial cover ever to have featured in the little bear’s long and distinguished history. It was not in my opinion chosen by accident. The controversy surrounds the fact that the majority of the copies of this 1973 annual were sold with Rupert sporting a bright white face as opposed to his usual brown furry features. Reportedly Alfred Bestall, the renowned illustrator, was so consumed with anger that he resigned on the spot when he saw the white faced Rupert. The image triggered an enormous amount of complaints from readers who were apoplectic with rage. As a consequence this is the last ever cover to be designed by the near mythic Mr Bestall.
Accounts vary as to why Rupert lost his colour, some claiming it was just a simple mistake, others implying something more sinister. There are, in existence, some copies of the annual where Rupert is shown with a brown face. It’s not clear if these were printed before or after Mr Bestall’s resignation. It’s hard to tell but it looks to me like The Mrish Nom Thay Hives may actually be in possession of one of these near mythic ‘brown face’ prints. Notice the shading on Rupert’s face. It looks very dissimilar to the flat white unshaded version which appeared on the ‘normal’ 1973 release. That said it’s not entirely consistent with the shading on the brown faced Rupert cover either. Some accounts suggest the ‘brown face’ versions were printed as an olive branch gesture to Mr Bestall. If this is the case it is potentially significant which version resides in The Mrish Nom Thay Hives.
(Christine on the comments section adds:) Rupert The Bear also has an immediate association in the minds of most UK readers with the "Oz Magazine" obsecenity trial of 1971, one of the most celebrated examples of the debate in which "Leatherjack" directly engages.
Panel #3
Olfactory literature would presumably be a book that you read by smelling it.
Page #8
Panel #3
Near the bottom left hand corner of this panel you can see a book labelled “DODGES VOL XI”. This is a reference to a character in the DC Thompson publication “The Beano” called Roger The Dodger who used his many ‘Dodge Books’ to avoid typical childhood chores. All of his books were labelled using roman numerals. The significance of ‘Book 11’ may become clear later in the story.
Panel #5
“there is no greater sin than the destruction of books”
It feels to me like this is a reference to the infamous and confusing quote “Where one burns books, one eventually burns people”. The origin of this quote is a little muddy. On the one hand it is attributed by various sources to Bertold Brecht a writer and thinker who lived in the time of Adolf Hitler. In this context it is seen as a prescient critique of Nazi Germany’s well publicised habit of burning books which were seen as “un-German”. This happened most famously on May 10, 1933 in Berlin where the works of Jewish authors, and the library of the Institut für Sexualwissenschaft were publicly torched.
Others place the quote (or at least a similar one) in the earlier work of Heinrich Heine. He was an author whose books were actually burned on that day and as a result his version of the quote is now engraved at the grounds of the site where the attacks took place; "Where they burn books, they will, in the end, burn human beings too" (Almansor, 1821)
The happy relationship between censorship and fascism is explored throughout Leatherjack.
Emperor adds: This scene also recalls Fahrenheit 451 in which the hero is a fireman sent to burn books but comes to love and appreciate them.
Page #9
Panel #1
This is to some extent a working document and here I’d like to appeal to you personally. Who are those faces on the monitors of the Spinster’s ships? I feel like I recognise them but can’t place them.
Pages #10-11
Panel #1
I’m pretty confident that the two different mushroom types on display here are the Fly Ageric and Liberty Cap “Magic Mushroom” types, the former type being the larger of the two. Both of them are found growing naturally in the UK. They’ve been the subject of much controversy recently after a loophole in the law was closed. It had allowed them (and other equally potent fungi) to be sold legally in this country as it was thought that it was impractical to prosecute someone for owning something which can grow in their back garden without any human interference whatsoever.
Emperor* adds: I'm unsure if the mushrooms are Fly Agaric (which have distinctive white dots on them and are very similar to other fungus like Death Cap mushrooms - the key factor in differentiating them is their stickiness, hence the Fly part) or Liberty Cap (it has a much taller top like a pixies hat). Most of them look unidentifiable, some on the extreme left look like spores and by the tree on the right is one which looks like a puffball. In the left by the lakeside and in the second panel there is a more spherical one with a texture very much like a Morel mushroom which is quite distinctive (although the shape is wrong). It might be that specific types aren't really referenced but there are some good guides to mushrooms you could dig out at the library if you wanted to check.
The connection is interesting though, especially as panel 1 page 9 refers to "mycoviruses" - myco being from the Greek word "mykes" meaning "fungus" (hence mycology - the stupid of fungi).
Also notice the fish being eaten alive by a bird like creature in the bottom left hand corner. As previously stated a leatherjack is a type of fish. It’s therefore fitting that this double page spread which introduces us to Lord Qwish should feature fish being so obviously brutalised and toyed with. This image is of course continued with the floating fish bubbles.
Panel #2
“Quintember” – this could be a reference to Quintillis which was the 5th month of the Roman Calendar, later renamed July in honour of Julius Caesar. This could place Lord Qwish’s dating system at odds with the sisters who seem to be using the Christian Calendar.
“xenotoxins” – (Scutfink* writes): I presume xeno as in xenophobe or xenomorph (or the post Zero Hour DC miniseries Xenobrood) meaning alien, IIRC derived from the Greek (or possibly Latin) for outside. Toxin as in toxicity, Toxic, toxicology, Tox.- screen, toxosis meaning poison, IIRC derived from the Latin (possibly Greek) for poisinous. Put them together and you get a compound word ostensibly meaning 'alien poison'.
Notice the significance, for later on, of Lord Qwish eating fruit – what looks to me like an apple.
Panel #5
"Sawbones" - slang term for a Doctor (points out House of Usher).
“Cryofreeze” – this is a reference to the science of cryogenics, something only tentatively explored in our world. You freeze a body and then when it is required at a later date you re-animate it.
Page #12
Panel #2
Cuckoos lay their eggs in the nest of any bird they can find. The resulting offspring is then raised by an ignorant adoptive parent at the expense of its natural progeny. This reference becomes clearer as the story progresses.
Panel #3
The Trojan Horse reference plays along similar lines and goes back to the well worn story concerning the war of Troy. In this conflict it is said that the Greeks who were besieging the city of Troy duped the residents into accepting their gift of a large wooden horse. Unfortunately for the people of Troy this horse is said to have contained the Greek army which, once wheeled inside the city proceeded to win the war.
--
These notes are written to be used as a companion to the story. They’ve been written entirely for fun and are published here to encourage you to either contribute to them or start your own annotations to one of your own favourite 2000AD texts. I’ve gone for the ‘explain everything’ approach.
*Thanks to "Scutfink" "House of Usher" "Emperor" and "Carlsborg Export" off the 2000adonline messageboards. Further thanks to the writer, who even braved the messageboards to give his thoughts.
Annotations for “Leatherjack” written by Nick Margerrison with contributions gratefully accepted.
– Part 2 –
First published in 2000AD Prog 1451 Aug 10th 2005
Script by John Smith
Art by Paul Marshall
Colours by Chris Blythe
Page #1
Panel #4
A "pheromone" is a chemical secretion signal produced by a living animal. They are often associated with sex but can indicate other things such as fear. In this instance it's clearly a sexual pheromone.
Page #2
Panel#3
The idea of having sex as you fall through the sky is a perfect symbol of where Leatherjack's character is at the start of the narrative. It's not clear if this is a dream or a memory but the former fits a common pattern in the real world. A great number of people report having dreams about falling, this is a side effect of the rapid eye movement which occurs during deep sleep.
Panel#5.
This is a flashback from Leatherjack's earlier life. The symbolism of the apple is particluarly significant here. Firstly in our literary tradition it is synonymous with the biblical story of Adam and Eve. Although this is an innacurate link owing to a slightly over excited translation of the non-specific hebrew word for fruit in the original text. However it is generally accepted by most European cultures that the "forbidden fruit" with which Eve tempted Adam was an apple.
The concept of "original sin" and corruption of the innocent is further hammered home by the fact the picture is of a child's book covered in a thick splash of almost black red blood.
We know Leatherjack is illiterat,e so on one level you could argue that he has been 'forbidden' the right to read books. Furthermore his character is fleshed out even more here by the image of lost innocence as symbolised by a book. This is an important theme in the work. The idea that literature and ideas can corrupt a mind.
Panel #6
The juxtaposition of this panel with the above panel adds to the idea that books can hurt your head.
Panel #7
"Warrior Monks" is a phrase which was once used to describe the Knights Templar who were in their early history depicted as both. Their job was to protect a different holy artefact, The Holy Grail. In recent times speculation has mounted as to what exactly "The Holy Grail" was. It was traditionally depitced as a cup which contained the elixier of eternal life. This ties in with Lord Qwish's earlier motivation, the persuit of immortality.
More recently, in the past couple of decades, "the holy grail" has come to represent a secret idea or concept. This of course has culminated with the book and hollywood blockbuster, The Da Vinci Code. This reading of the reference gives an extra layer to the idea that what is actually being dissected in Leatherjack is the power of ideas and censorship.
Page #3
Panel #4
I love the idea that the inscription on this book means something. If you've any idea please get in touch.
Panel #6
"Cophet's Shroud" - King Cophet is an imaginary King of Africa who is alluded to a couple of times by Shakespeare. He fell in love with a beggar and the two were well respected in their time. So the fable goes. Why his shroud is of importance to his myth is not clear. It's a very apt expression though in that its roots appear to be very 'bookish'.
Page #4
Panel #2
The first time we see Leatherjack in his own right. A significant picture on many levels. It's interesting to note that his face clearly bares a scar. This already implies he has a damaged past.
Page #5
Panel #1
At a guess Farrar is a fictional planet.
Panel #2
Notice the full bowl of fruit and it's decedant implications.
Panel #3
Lord Qwish's greedy and excessive personna is implied in almost every frame. Notice here, even though he's only just in shot, there's still a trickle of excess liquid dribbling off his chin.
Panel #5
"Codex Suspiriorum" - A "codex" is a handwritten book, as opposed to a printed one, which came later. A "suspiriorum" is (I think) latin for a deep breath or heavy sigh. Thus "Codex Suspiriorum" means the handwritten book of sighs.
"The Book of Sighs" - I cannot to date locate the source for this book. It's possible that it has been created by the author.
Page #6
Panel #1 "Sufi" - the Sufi's are a sect of Islamic scholars who are often seen as representing the more mystical side of Islam. Highly respected in some corners of the world and denounced as heretical in others they are without doubt one of the most controversial references in the story.
"Prime Earth" - presumably our earth.
"Tenth Century Persia" - the 10th Century is actually when Sufi's produced their early books.
House of Usher* points out that this part of the story locates it as taking place around 3000AD in our timeline.
Panel #3 One of the ideas of Sufism is that everyone should be able to recieve the teachings of Islam, regardless of their intellectual level.
Panel #6 The fact Qwish here flicks a cherry is interesting in that on one level it recalls the saying "You can't have two bites of the cherry". A sentiment I'd imagine that Qwish would disagree with.
These notes are written to be used as a companion to the story. They’ve been written entirely for fun and are published here to encourage you to either contribute to them or start your own annotations to one of your own favourite 2000AD texts. I’ve gone for the ‘explain everything’ approach.
Thanks to House of Usher from the 2000adonline messageboards.
– Part 2 –
First published in 2000AD Prog 1451 Aug 10th 2005
Script by John Smith
Art by Paul Marshall
Colours by Chris Blythe
Page #1
Panel #4
A "pheromone" is a chemical secretion signal produced by a living animal. They are often associated with sex but can indicate other things such as fear. In this instance it's clearly a sexual pheromone.
Page #2
Panel#3
The idea of having sex as you fall through the sky is a perfect symbol of where Leatherjack's character is at the start of the narrative. It's not clear if this is a dream or a memory but the former fits a common pattern in the real world. A great number of people report having dreams about falling, this is a side effect of the rapid eye movement which occurs during deep sleep.
Panel#5.
This is a flashback from Leatherjack's earlier life. The symbolism of the apple is particluarly significant here. Firstly in our literary tradition it is synonymous with the biblical story of Adam and Eve. Although this is an innacurate link owing to a slightly over excited translation of the non-specific hebrew word for fruit in the original text. However it is generally accepted by most European cultures that the "forbidden fruit" with which Eve tempted Adam was an apple.
The concept of "original sin" and corruption of the innocent is further hammered home by the fact the picture is of a child's book covered in a thick splash of almost black red blood.
We know Leatherjack is illiterat,e so on one level you could argue that he has been 'forbidden' the right to read books. Furthermore his character is fleshed out even more here by the image of lost innocence as symbolised by a book. This is an important theme in the work. The idea that literature and ideas can corrupt a mind.
Panel #6
The juxtaposition of this panel with the above panel adds to the idea that books can hurt your head.
Panel #7
"Warrior Monks" is a phrase which was once used to describe the Knights Templar who were in their early history depicted as both. Their job was to protect a different holy artefact, The Holy Grail. In recent times speculation has mounted as to what exactly "The Holy Grail" was. It was traditionally depitced as a cup which contained the elixier of eternal life. This ties in with Lord Qwish's earlier motivation, the persuit of immortality.
More recently, in the past couple of decades, "the holy grail" has come to represent a secret idea or concept. This of course has culminated with the book and hollywood blockbuster, The Da Vinci Code. This reading of the reference gives an extra layer to the idea that what is actually being dissected in Leatherjack is the power of ideas and censorship.
Page #3
Panel #4
I love the idea that the inscription on this book means something. If you've any idea please get in touch.
Panel #6
"Cophet's Shroud" - King Cophet is an imaginary King of Africa who is alluded to a couple of times by Shakespeare. He fell in love with a beggar and the two were well respected in their time. So the fable goes. Why his shroud is of importance to his myth is not clear. It's a very apt expression though in that its roots appear to be very 'bookish'.
Page #4
Panel #2
The first time we see Leatherjack in his own right. A significant picture on many levels. It's interesting to note that his face clearly bares a scar. This already implies he has a damaged past.
Page #5
Panel #1
At a guess Farrar is a fictional planet.
Panel #2
Notice the full bowl of fruit and it's decedant implications.
Panel #3
Lord Qwish's greedy and excessive personna is implied in almost every frame. Notice here, even though he's only just in shot, there's still a trickle of excess liquid dribbling off his chin.
Panel #5
"Codex Suspiriorum" - A "codex" is a handwritten book, as opposed to a printed one, which came later. A "suspiriorum" is (I think) latin for a deep breath or heavy sigh. Thus "Codex Suspiriorum" means the handwritten book of sighs.
"The Book of Sighs" - I cannot to date locate the source for this book. It's possible that it has been created by the author.
Page #6
Panel #1 "Sufi" - the Sufi's are a sect of Islamic scholars who are often seen as representing the more mystical side of Islam. Highly respected in some corners of the world and denounced as heretical in others they are without doubt one of the most controversial references in the story.
"Prime Earth" - presumably our earth.
"Tenth Century Persia" - the 10th Century is actually when Sufi's produced their early books.
House of Usher* points out that this part of the story locates it as taking place around 3000AD in our timeline.
Panel #3 One of the ideas of Sufism is that everyone should be able to recieve the teachings of Islam, regardless of their intellectual level.
Panel #6 The fact Qwish here flicks a cherry is interesting in that on one level it recalls the saying "You can't have two bites of the cherry". A sentiment I'd imagine that Qwish would disagree with.
These notes are written to be used as a companion to the story. They’ve been written entirely for fun and are published here to encourage you to either contribute to them or start your own annotations to one of your own favourite 2000AD texts. I’ve gone for the ‘explain everything’ approach.
Thanks to House of Usher from the 2000adonline messageboards.
Annotations for “Leatherjack” written by Nick Margerrison with contributions gratefully accepted.
– Part 3 –
First published in 2000AD Prog 1452 Aug 17th 2005
Script by John Smith
Art by Paul Marshall
Colours by Chris Blythe
Page #1
Observe the way John Smith plays with the metric pace and sound of the words in this sequence. The pounding "B" sound echoing the footsteps of the protagonist. The repitition of words "Down [...] Down" and then finally as a herald of the action shot which lies at the bottom of the page "Up".
Page #2
Again the rhythmic structure of this page is like a song. The last two lines of course explicitly rhyming as we are prepared for the spectacle of the next page.
"Lodestone" - an early form of magnet which was used as a compass.
Page #3
Panel #2
"Hnn. Step into my parlour..." - it's strangely appropriate that the first words we see the illiterate Leatherjack speak are an innacurate quote from "The Spider and The Fly" by Mary Howitt. The actual quote is "Will you walk into my parlour? said the spider to the fly". The poem itself details the downfall of a fly who is too vain to resist the flattery of a deceptive spider. This theme has of course already been raised by Lord Qwish's concluding speech in the previous episode. It's also interesting to note how it neatly ties in with the images of insects which are already being used here.
Page #4
Panel #6
"The Vulture God" - this could be a tacit reference to the Egyptian Vulture Goddess "NEKHEBET - NECHBET" who was the direct protector of The Pharoah in ancient Egypt. If so it feminises Leatherjack's aspect in this scene but also manages to point out that he is a servant of the rich. NEKHEBET was not initially popular with the mainstream in Egypt because she was so closely allied to those at the very top of the political spectrum. This runs in parrallel to the fact that Leatherjack is protecting the interests of the rich and pampered Lord Qwish.
Further to this we have the fact that Leatherjack is now picking the flesh from the doomed planet like a vulture.
Page #5
Panel #1
"Microseisms" - A faint earth tremor caused by natural phenomena, such as winds and strong ocean waves. (Dictionary.reference.com)
Panel #3
"Holocaust weaponry" - Notice how the Spinster's persuit of morality is compared to the worst evils of facism.
Panel #5
"Neuropeptides" - A neuropeptide can be any of the various short-chain peptides found in brain tissue. The most common example used in most definitions is an endorphin.
Page #6
Panel #1
"The Ur-Book" - I can't locate the origin of this expression but a quick scan around the internet reveals it as a common expression used to describe a book which has undesputed authority.
"The living index" - This could be a reference to the fact that the book itself does appear to be alive later in the story.
"Book of whispers" - Another clue as to the inspiration behind this illusive tome. This monika ties up with the earlier name it was given, The Book Of Sighs. Notice that so far each time it has been referred to it has changed its name. This predicates the cover of the book which, once it is unwrapped, changes its appearence each time it is depicted.
Panel #4
Notice the spine of one of the books: "2000AD Annual 198-". This reference to 1980's Britain serves as an interesting nod towards a time when moral absolutism dominated our political landscape. Arrogant faith in ideology and an unwillingness to compromise created an oppressive atmosphere inside Thatcher's Britain; something which is also present under the reign of The Spinsters. Notice also the visual simmilarity between Lady Thatcher and The Spinsters. Far from being a knowing wink this subtle reference is in my opinion loaded with meaning.
--
These notes are written to be used as a companion to the story. They’ve been written entirely for fun and are published here to encourage you to either contribute to them or start your own annotations to one of your own favourite 2000AD texts. I’ve gone for the ‘explain everything’ approach. Additional comments are welcome.
– Part 3 –
First published in 2000AD Prog 1452 Aug 17th 2005
Script by John Smith
Art by Paul Marshall
Colours by Chris Blythe
Page #1
Observe the way John Smith plays with the metric pace and sound of the words in this sequence. The pounding "B" sound echoing the footsteps of the protagonist. The repitition of words "Down [...] Down" and then finally as a herald of the action shot which lies at the bottom of the page "Up".
Page #2
Again the rhythmic structure of this page is like a song. The last two lines of course explicitly rhyming as we are prepared for the spectacle of the next page.
"Lodestone" - an early form of magnet which was used as a compass.
Page #3
Panel #2
"Hnn. Step into my parlour..." - it's strangely appropriate that the first words we see the illiterate Leatherjack speak are an innacurate quote from "The Spider and The Fly" by Mary Howitt. The actual quote is "Will you walk into my parlour? said the spider to the fly". The poem itself details the downfall of a fly who is too vain to resist the flattery of a deceptive spider. This theme has of course already been raised by Lord Qwish's concluding speech in the previous episode. It's also interesting to note how it neatly ties in with the images of insects which are already being used here.
Page #4
Panel #6
"The Vulture God" - this could be a tacit reference to the Egyptian Vulture Goddess "NEKHEBET - NECHBET" who was the direct protector of The Pharoah in ancient Egypt. If so it feminises Leatherjack's aspect in this scene but also manages to point out that he is a servant of the rich. NEKHEBET was not initially popular with the mainstream in Egypt because she was so closely allied to those at the very top of the political spectrum. This runs in parrallel to the fact that Leatherjack is protecting the interests of the rich and pampered Lord Qwish.
Further to this we have the fact that Leatherjack is now picking the flesh from the doomed planet like a vulture.
Page #5
Panel #1
"Microseisms" - A faint earth tremor caused by natural phenomena, such as winds and strong ocean waves. (Dictionary.reference.com)
Panel #3
"Holocaust weaponry" - Notice how the Spinster's persuit of morality is compared to the worst evils of facism.
Panel #5
"Neuropeptides" - A neuropeptide can be any of the various short-chain peptides found in brain tissue. The most common example used in most definitions is an endorphin.
Page #6
Panel #1
"The Ur-Book" - I can't locate the origin of this expression but a quick scan around the internet reveals it as a common expression used to describe a book which has undesputed authority.
"The living index" - This could be a reference to the fact that the book itself does appear to be alive later in the story.
"Book of whispers" - Another clue as to the inspiration behind this illusive tome. This monika ties up with the earlier name it was given, The Book Of Sighs. Notice that so far each time it has been referred to it has changed its name. This predicates the cover of the book which, once it is unwrapped, changes its appearence each time it is depicted.
Panel #4
Notice the spine of one of the books: "2000AD Annual 198-". This reference to 1980's Britain serves as an interesting nod towards a time when moral absolutism dominated our political landscape. Arrogant faith in ideology and an unwillingness to compromise created an oppressive atmosphere inside Thatcher's Britain; something which is also present under the reign of The Spinsters. Notice also the visual simmilarity between Lady Thatcher and The Spinsters. Far from being a knowing wink this subtle reference is in my opinion loaded with meaning.
--
These notes are written to be used as a companion to the story. They’ve been written entirely for fun and are published here to encourage you to either contribute to them or start your own annotations to one of your own favourite 2000AD texts. I’ve gone for the ‘explain everything’ approach. Additional comments are welcome.
Annotations for “Leatherjack” written by Nick Margerrison with contributions gratefully accepted.
– Chapter 4 –
First published in 2000AD Prog 1453 Aug 24th 2005
Script by John Smith
Art by Paul Marshall
Colours by Chris Blythe
Page #1
Notice the meter and sound of the words used on this page. "Blitz-bomb [...] Thunder underground. [...] then skyfall" has a very satisfying ring to it. There's a strong visceral feel to this whole sequence which ties in with the extreme violence it depicts. The use of these devices emphasises the contrast which is about to come with the second page.
Panel #3
"dentist's drill" - arguably one of the most unpopular noises known to mankind. Notice how the rocky landscape of the next panel looks a little like a tooth being decimated by this instrument of torture.
Page #2
Panel #2
"Shit. This isn't skril." - The poetic meter of the previous page is subverted to almost comic effect.
Panel #3
Notice how the concept of hell, something which in our mythology usually burns, is juxtaposed with the visual opposite of extreme cold.
Page #3
"a viking's funeral. Full scorched-earth tactics. That foul library will be their funeral pyre"
A pyre is usually a sort of bonfire which is used for burning a body as part of a funeral. Like an early form of cremation.
In a Viking funeral this was done on a ship. The ship would be floated out to the sea as it burned.
According to Wikipedia: "Also it is a humorous term to refer to the destruction of any mechanical object, especially a vehicle, by fire".
Page #4
The three images which are placed over the backdrop of the icy hell in which Leatherjack stands are recurrent in this story. The apple on a child's study aid, splattered with blood, serves the symbolic purpose of reviving the idea of lost inocence. This works both in terms of the stark image of a kid's book covered in blood which implies violence. Secondly the symbol of the apple works to recall the biblical story of original sin, as I have explained earlier.
The biblical reference is further emphasised by the next image of a male and female dangling from a tree by their throats in a pose which recalls one of society's favoured methods of capital punishment, hanging. Here the image of a tree could symbolise the "tree of knowledge" which is used in the biblical story of original sin, being the tree from which the fruit is picked.
Furthermore it inverts the symbol of a "tree of life", giving us instead a 'tree of death'. The tree of life is an image which is also used in the biblical story of original sin but it is less well known. The story goes, that if you ate from the tree of life you could live forever as does God and his angels. Adam and Eve are banised from the garden because, having eaten from the tree of knowledge it may be the case that they'll next eat from the tree of life and become as God.
Neither of these ideas are unique to Christian mythology. They are supposed to by symbols which are deeply engrained in our collective subconscious.
This page also refers to the concept that "language is a virus". This quote is commonly attributed to William S Burrough's who once said: "Language is a virus from outer space". However, the idea which I feel is being reffered to here is the concept of a 'meme' which was famously put forward by the hugely respected writer and thinker Richard Dawkins. Mainly known for his popular science book "The Selfish Gene" Dawkins is an evolutionary theorist whose influence on modern science fiction, both subtle and explicit, is enormous. A 'meme' is a concept or idea which passes from mind to mind replicating itself like a gene does. Dawkins writes;
"Examples of memes are tunes, ideas, catch-phrases, clothes fashions, ways of making pots or of building arches. Just as genes propagate themselves in the gene pool by leaping from body to body via sperms or eggs, so memes propagate themselves in the meme pool by leaping from brain to brain via a process which, in the broad sense, can be called imitation. If a scientist hears, or reads about, a good idea, he passed it on to his colleagues and students. He mentions it in his articles and his lectures. If the idea catches on, it can be said to propagate itself, spreading from brain to brain"
- The Selfish Gene, Chapter 11.
Recently this idea has caught on in popualr culture, even being mentioned of "Big Brother's Big Brain". (Erm, so I'm told. I didn't watch it. Erm...)
We will return to this idea later in the story.
Page #5
Panel #1
It's commonly said that 'talking to yourself is the first sign of madness'.
Panel #2
Visually, notice how it is being strongly emphasised that Leatherjack is entirely alone. By surrounding him with a white background Smith and the artist Marshall are cleverly using the comic book medium. In many other pictoral media (TV, film, internet) whiteness would suggest brightness and a full energetic scenario whereas here it suggests a blank page. A sense of absence which cannot be put over as clearly in film or television.
Panel #3
Notice the continued juxtaposition of "ice and snow" with "the green house heat of skril".
Panel #4
Notice how Leatherjack's expectations of Qwish are an interesting predication of what actually occurs. There's about to be a revelation about the misunderstanding concerning the nature of their relationship, this panel sets it up nicely.
Panel #6
"No food. No Shelter. No sky or horizon" - and of course no memory. The Anglican Church recently defined hell as 'the absence of god'. Already there has been an implication that Leatherjack's situation is a form of hell. It's interesting to see how Leatherjack is being tortured by the absence of anything, other than his thoughts.
Panel #7
Leatherjack is of course set to find his life's direction. The isolation he's in allows him to find himself. It's interesting to note that this montage of pictures shows him initially facing the reader and then finaly walking away from us. Could this symbolise the fact that he is now starting to turn his back on who he first appeared to be?
Page #6
Panel #2
Notice how Qwish's uncomfortable protrusions extend outside the panel and off the page. This makes them uncomfortable even for the reader. I suspect this is done to comic effect but it does slightly force us to empathise with this unpleasant character.
Panel #3
Qwish's analysis of Leatherjack's actions reveal more about his character traits than than those of his footsoldier. Notice how there is a floating goldfish just in shot. Goldfish are thought to have short three second memories and are often seen as being unthinking instinctive animals. Leatherjack, being a type of fish could be being represented here. Floating in a sea of nothing, thinking little and not far from the angry active brain of Lord Qwish.
Panel #4
"Bonemasons" could be a tacit reference to the Freemasons, a private club reserved for men who like to dress up and carry out secret rituals. They are covered in more detail later. The episodic nature of the story requires them to be teased here.
Panel #5
The same goes for "Mr Whipcord". His name alone offers a tantilising glimpse at what will be instore in the next episode.
--
These notes are written to be used as a companion to the story. They’ve been written entirely for fun and are published here to encourage you to either contribute to them or start your own annotations to one of your own favourite 2000AD texts. I’ve gone for the ‘explain everything’ approach.
– Chapter 4 –
First published in 2000AD Prog 1453 Aug 24th 2005
Script by John Smith
Art by Paul Marshall
Colours by Chris Blythe
Page #1
Notice the meter and sound of the words used on this page. "Blitz-bomb [...] Thunder underground. [...] then skyfall" has a very satisfying ring to it. There's a strong visceral feel to this whole sequence which ties in with the extreme violence it depicts. The use of these devices emphasises the contrast which is about to come with the second page.
Panel #3
"dentist's drill" - arguably one of the most unpopular noises known to mankind. Notice how the rocky landscape of the next panel looks a little like a tooth being decimated by this instrument of torture.
Page #2
Panel #2
"Shit. This isn't skril." - The poetic meter of the previous page is subverted to almost comic effect.
Panel #3
Notice how the concept of hell, something which in our mythology usually burns, is juxtaposed with the visual opposite of extreme cold.
Page #3
"a viking's funeral. Full scorched-earth tactics. That foul library will be their funeral pyre"
A pyre is usually a sort of bonfire which is used for burning a body as part of a funeral. Like an early form of cremation.
In a Viking funeral this was done on a ship. The ship would be floated out to the sea as it burned.
According to Wikipedia: "Also it is a humorous term to refer to the destruction of any mechanical object, especially a vehicle, by fire".
Page #4
The three images which are placed over the backdrop of the icy hell in which Leatherjack stands are recurrent in this story. The apple on a child's study aid, splattered with blood, serves the symbolic purpose of reviving the idea of lost inocence. This works both in terms of the stark image of a kid's book covered in blood which implies violence. Secondly the symbol of the apple works to recall the biblical story of original sin, as I have explained earlier.
The biblical reference is further emphasised by the next image of a male and female dangling from a tree by their throats in a pose which recalls one of society's favoured methods of capital punishment, hanging. Here the image of a tree could symbolise the "tree of knowledge" which is used in the biblical story of original sin, being the tree from which the fruit is picked.
Furthermore it inverts the symbol of a "tree of life", giving us instead a 'tree of death'. The tree of life is an image which is also used in the biblical story of original sin but it is less well known. The story goes, that if you ate from the tree of life you could live forever as does God and his angels. Adam and Eve are banised from the garden because, having eaten from the tree of knowledge it may be the case that they'll next eat from the tree of life and become as God.
Neither of these ideas are unique to Christian mythology. They are supposed to by symbols which are deeply engrained in our collective subconscious.
This page also refers to the concept that "language is a virus". This quote is commonly attributed to William S Burrough's who once said: "Language is a virus from outer space". However, the idea which I feel is being reffered to here is the concept of a 'meme' which was famously put forward by the hugely respected writer and thinker Richard Dawkins. Mainly known for his popular science book "The Selfish Gene" Dawkins is an evolutionary theorist whose influence on modern science fiction, both subtle and explicit, is enormous. A 'meme' is a concept or idea which passes from mind to mind replicating itself like a gene does. Dawkins writes;
"Examples of memes are tunes, ideas, catch-phrases, clothes fashions, ways of making pots or of building arches. Just as genes propagate themselves in the gene pool by leaping from body to body via sperms or eggs, so memes propagate themselves in the meme pool by leaping from brain to brain via a process which, in the broad sense, can be called imitation. If a scientist hears, or reads about, a good idea, he passed it on to his colleagues and students. He mentions it in his articles and his lectures. If the idea catches on, it can be said to propagate itself, spreading from brain to brain"
- The Selfish Gene, Chapter 11.
Recently this idea has caught on in popualr culture, even being mentioned of "Big Brother's Big Brain". (Erm, so I'm told. I didn't watch it. Erm...)
We will return to this idea later in the story.
Page #5
Panel #1
It's commonly said that 'talking to yourself is the first sign of madness'.
Panel #2
Visually, notice how it is being strongly emphasised that Leatherjack is entirely alone. By surrounding him with a white background Smith and the artist Marshall are cleverly using the comic book medium. In many other pictoral media (TV, film, internet) whiteness would suggest brightness and a full energetic scenario whereas here it suggests a blank page. A sense of absence which cannot be put over as clearly in film or television.
Panel #3
Notice the continued juxtaposition of "ice and snow" with "the green house heat of skril".
Panel #4
Notice how Leatherjack's expectations of Qwish are an interesting predication of what actually occurs. There's about to be a revelation about the misunderstanding concerning the nature of their relationship, this panel sets it up nicely.
Panel #6
"No food. No Shelter. No sky or horizon" - and of course no memory. The Anglican Church recently defined hell as 'the absence of god'. Already there has been an implication that Leatherjack's situation is a form of hell. It's interesting to see how Leatherjack is being tortured by the absence of anything, other than his thoughts.
Panel #7
Leatherjack is of course set to find his life's direction. The isolation he's in allows him to find himself. It's interesting to note that this montage of pictures shows him initially facing the reader and then finaly walking away from us. Could this symbolise the fact that he is now starting to turn his back on who he first appeared to be?
Page #6
Panel #2
Notice how Qwish's uncomfortable protrusions extend outside the panel and off the page. This makes them uncomfortable even for the reader. I suspect this is done to comic effect but it does slightly force us to empathise with this unpleasant character.
Panel #3
Qwish's analysis of Leatherjack's actions reveal more about his character traits than than those of his footsoldier. Notice how there is a floating goldfish just in shot. Goldfish are thought to have short three second memories and are often seen as being unthinking instinctive animals. Leatherjack, being a type of fish could be being represented here. Floating in a sea of nothing, thinking little and not far from the angry active brain of Lord Qwish.
Panel #4
"Bonemasons" could be a tacit reference to the Freemasons, a private club reserved for men who like to dress up and carry out secret rituals. They are covered in more detail later. The episodic nature of the story requires them to be teased here.
Panel #5
The same goes for "Mr Whipcord". His name alone offers a tantilising glimpse at what will be instore in the next episode.
--
These notes are written to be used as a companion to the story. They’ve been written entirely for fun and are published here to encourage you to either contribute to them or start your own annotations to one of your own favourite 2000AD texts. I’ve gone for the ‘explain everything’ approach.
Annotations for “Leatherjack” written by Nick Margerrison with contributions gratefully accepted.
– Chapter 5 –
First published in 2000AD Prog 1454 Aug 31st 2005
Script by John Smith
Art by Paul Marshall
Colours by Chris Blythe
Page #1
Panel #1
We get a better look at this building/space ship later. It appears to have been modelled on The Palace Of Versailles and it is later reffered to as "The Versailles". The Palace Of Versailles is synonymous with Loius XIV King of France and then his successors Louis XV and Louis XVI. It is also a symbol of the French Revolution. This reference ties in with the style in which its captain and crew choose to dress. More on that to follow.
Panel #2
This opening line from Mr Whipcord tacitly recalls a famous quote from The Merchant Of Venice by William Shakespeare. The quote is taken from a particularly eloquent speech which is given to the Jewish character Shylock, a complex character who is cast as the villain of the piece but is given a sympathetic light;
Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs
dimensions, senses, affections, passions; fed with
the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject
to the same diseases, heal'd by the same means,
warm'd and cool'd by the same winter and summer
as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed?
If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us,
do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?
Act III, scene I
At the time in which this play was written anti-semitism was rife in Britain. In many ways the Jewish Shlock has all the trappings of a classic villain however this is subverted in the play as he makes a plea for redemption towards the end. This quote will hold resonance later on in Leatherjack.
Panel #3
"Formalin" - better known as Formaldehyde. A chemical solution used to preserve dead biological specimens.
Panel #4 I suspect that the hairstlye we see here is called a Queue. From Wikipedia.com; "In the second half of the 18th century, most men in Europe and North America wore their hair long and tied back into what we would now describe as a ponytail, although it was sometimes gathered into a silk bag rather than allowed to hang freely. At that time, it was commonly known by the French word for "tail", queue. It was a mandatory hairstyle for men in all European armies until the early 1800s, after most civilians had stopped wearing queues. The British Army was the first to dispense with it, and by the end of the Napoleonic Wars most armies had changed their regulations to make short hair compulsory."
Panel #5
This recalls the ending of the previous Chapter.
Panel #6
Interesting to note that this complex character's face is first presented to us through the reflection of a handheld double mirror. Partly it suggests that the character in question is "two faced". Secondly, to me, it suggests we might be being asked to empathise with him on a subtle level. The reflection points towards us and this implies it could be ours.
Also, notice his "beauty spot". It was believed that these spots were an indication of where the devil had touched you during your time in the womb. One on your face suggested devilish, sinful beauty. They were often applied as a make-up accessory.
Page #2
Panel #1
Notice how the narrative speaks directly to "you". Although it's clear that we're seeing Leatherjack's internal monologue here there is a suggestion that we are now being made to empathise with this character and their position.
Panel #2
Later on in the story we learn that this last statement is not true and that Leatherjack has actually landed on earth.
Panel #3 -#5
This next letter in the alphabet follows on the patters which was started in the previous chapter. It's interesting that no direct association is posed against this word, unlike the previous two and the one on the next page. There is a slight suggestion that Lord Qwish is soon to be playing a game of cat and mouse with our protagonist but it's a tenous one.
Perhaps this is because Leatherjack's forceful command "IGNORE IT" is successful despite his later admission that "YOU CAN'T IGNORE IT".
"Cataracted with ice" - a cataract is a thin lense which grows over the pupil of an eye, usually occurring in the elderly.
Panel #6 -#7
Notice the book continues to change its cover, as it does its name. Visually its made clear here that the book itself is actually speaking to Leatherjack's thoughts as his internal monologue is made into a dialogue.
The final image of the book with "ABC" emblazoned across it suggests that it is trying to tune into Leatherjack's thought processes.
Page #3
Panel #1
Here we see a memory of Leatherjack's which like some of the others never quite becomes clear. As with the other ones which never really solicit an explanation we see he's in a situation which is dramatic to say the least. This motif helps to re-enforce him as an exciting dynamic character.
Panels #2 - #6
The internal monologue which started on the previous page now gradually escalates into a spoken dialogue. Notice how the flashback images are pasted over the top of the calm contemplative images of Leatherjack as he sits in a self-comforting pose. This re-enforces the idea that he has no control over the return of these memories. They are not being pulled up by his mind from the past but dropped onto him by a force above him.
Pages #4-5
Panel #1
"Congratulate us over tea and biscuits" notice how every subtlety is driven towards re-enforcing the image of the spinsters as quaint English women.
Panel #2
The effect of placing this image in the top right hand corner of this double page spread is in my opinion significant. Firstly notice how the speech bubble is not allowed to dominate, almost all of it lying outside of the panel. This allows the image to escape a too specific time frame within the narrative context of the spread. This frees it up to be reffered back to as the reader continues through the motage of pictures most of which are mainly portrayed in dull colours. Once finished the page needs to be turned and only the most casual of people will be able do so without looking at the top right hand corner where your eyes naturally lie as one lifts the page. The chances of a second glance once the page is finished are in my opinion increased by the fact that most of the image is done in an eye catching red. This second glance tactic hammers home the threatening nature of the spinster and also re-enforces his position above the action.
Panel #3
Notice how this panel is placed directly below the surface of the attack taking place above us in both terms of page composition and story location.
It's possible that "the heart of the world hive" could lie at the centre of this particular planet if the tale subscribes to the hollow earth theory which is becoming more popular in recent 2000AD tales. It was recently featured in The Red Seas. This idea has also been recently popularised by wacky conspiracy theorist David Icke who in his 1999 book "The Biggest Secret" argues that the earth is in fact hollow and inside it there lives a colony of giant shape changing lizards from the lower fourth dimension.
The use of condensed type here in the communication released by "superpheromones" is interesting; "-TheEnemyIsHere-TheTimeIsNow-".
It's possible that here this device is used to give the impression of binary code, a language used by computer programmers which consists entirely of "0" and "1". Using a combination of these two numbers any message in the world can, in theory, be communicated. Largely iradicating spaces between the letters in these sentences provides us with an echo of how these machine coded number patterns read to the human eye.
Panel #4
"Firecrackers" is used here as an alliterative metaphor which gives us a good idea of the sounds which the occupants of the hive are making as they move about in panic.
Panel #5
Larvae - Pupa - Nymph - Imago: The different stages of insect development.
"Chitin" is the hard substance which composes the shells of crabs and insects.
Panel #6
It is interesting to note here the use of the word "propaganda". It's a word which carries a certain ammount of baggage in light of the story's central theme. For me it carries hints of facistic regimes like Nazi germany.
Panel #7
The use of the word "swarmtroopers" also to my mind has a Hitlarian tone to it, recalling as it does the infamous Stormtroopers of the Third Reich. This fractionally subverts our preconceptions towards these initially sympathetic characters. I believe we are being intentionally confronted with the fact that they are not human as a direct contrast to the events which are about to unfold on the next page.
Panel #8
Notice the dull tones in this final panel though, our sympathies are still being ultimately drawn upon as we witness their apparently pathetic defeat. Note how it acts as a counterbalance to the insert panel at the top of the page.
Page #6
Panel #1
The image presented here is one which runs throughout human cultural history; the philosopher in the cave. There are many examples of this archetype, Muslim theology presents Mohammed as being given his first revelations while he was fasting in a cave. Further back there was Plato's famous allegory of the cave in which there are people inside one who are watching a light show instead of enjoying life outside. They are under the impression that the story being told to them by this lightshow is reality as opposed to the truth which lies outside.
This latter example prefigures the revelations which Leatherjack is soon to be subjected to as his reality is shown to be nothing but an illusion.
I'd suggest that this allegory is very obviously recalled by the use of his gun as a light sitting opposite the entrance with him in the middle. Notice that by looking at the book he is turning away from the light and therefore slightly closer to the mouth of the cave and by extension the truth.
Throughout this page we see a three way conversation taking place, the captions seem to represent a voice which is intent on maintaining the status quo, Leatherjack's spoken words are his immediate thoughts and the white face type seems to be the voice of the book, or perhaps more accurately the voice inspired by the book. I'd argue that all three are actually Leatherjack's thoughts as we're clearly witnessing a moment of extreme mental anguish and conflict.
Panel #2
Oil and water of course are insoluble and therefore do not mix. Furthermore oil is a substance made of organic compounds, primarily with the leftover bits of dead biological lifeforms. Perhaps you could read the use of this liquid here as being a reference to the death which lies in Leatherjack's past. Something we are about to be reminded of in the next panel.
Panels #3, #4, #5
It's interesting to note the panel composition in this particular squence as Leatherjack tries to fight off these memories by throwing the book away. The impression we are given is of the sequential pattern of panel #3 and panel #5 being physically interrupted by this violent action. Notice also how once he rejects the idea of remembering the truth the mouth of the cave is no longer visible to us.
The first image here is one we have seen already and its resonance suggests it carries particular significance in Leatherjack's mind.
The image of the dog recalls that of the one on page three of this episode. Given that we're also being told again here that "d is for dog" it's safe to assume that it's the same dog as the one on page 3. Thus these flashback pictures are starting to relate to each other more now as we are given glimpses of watch Leatherjack wants to avoid recalling. It's amusing to note also that D is for death.
Panel #6
Notice how Leatherjack retreats further back into the cave and away from the exit. His body language suggesting that he is self comforting. The image of the cave is also further re-enforced by the fact that if we accept that he is walking away from the exit (and by extension 'enlightenment') the book is therefore closer to it and would lead him out of his mental trap.
Panel #7
It is worth noting now that there has been an almost complete about turn as regards how we see the protagonist here. Initially he was an unsympathetic violent assasin. Now he cuts a pathetic desperate figure left dangling on the edge of a full blown schitzophrenic breakdown. The cliffhanger leaves us wondering exactly what his true story is.
– Chapter 5 –
First published in 2000AD Prog 1454 Aug 31st 2005
Script by John Smith
Art by Paul Marshall
Colours by Chris Blythe
Page #1
Panel #1
We get a better look at this building/space ship later. It appears to have been modelled on The Palace Of Versailles and it is later reffered to as "The Versailles". The Palace Of Versailles is synonymous with Loius XIV King of France and then his successors Louis XV and Louis XVI. It is also a symbol of the French Revolution. This reference ties in with the style in which its captain and crew choose to dress. More on that to follow.
Panel #2
This opening line from Mr Whipcord tacitly recalls a famous quote from The Merchant Of Venice by William Shakespeare. The quote is taken from a particularly eloquent speech which is given to the Jewish character Shylock, a complex character who is cast as the villain of the piece but is given a sympathetic light;
Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs
dimensions, senses, affections, passions; fed with
the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject
to the same diseases, heal'd by the same means,
warm'd and cool'd by the same winter and summer
as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed?
If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us,
do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?
Act III, scene I
At the time in which this play was written anti-semitism was rife in Britain. In many ways the Jewish Shlock has all the trappings of a classic villain however this is subverted in the play as he makes a plea for redemption towards the end. This quote will hold resonance later on in Leatherjack.
Panel #3
"Formalin" - better known as Formaldehyde. A chemical solution used to preserve dead biological specimens.
Panel #4 I suspect that the hairstlye we see here is called a Queue. From Wikipedia.com; "In the second half of the 18th century, most men in Europe and North America wore their hair long and tied back into what we would now describe as a ponytail, although it was sometimes gathered into a silk bag rather than allowed to hang freely. At that time, it was commonly known by the French word for "tail", queue. It was a mandatory hairstyle for men in all European armies until the early 1800s, after most civilians had stopped wearing queues. The British Army was the first to dispense with it, and by the end of the Napoleonic Wars most armies had changed their regulations to make short hair compulsory."
Panel #5
This recalls the ending of the previous Chapter.
Panel #6
Interesting to note that this complex character's face is first presented to us through the reflection of a handheld double mirror. Partly it suggests that the character in question is "two faced". Secondly, to me, it suggests we might be being asked to empathise with him on a subtle level. The reflection points towards us and this implies it could be ours.
Also, notice his "beauty spot". It was believed that these spots were an indication of where the devil had touched you during your time in the womb. One on your face suggested devilish, sinful beauty. They were often applied as a make-up accessory.
Page #2
Panel #1
Notice how the narrative speaks directly to "you". Although it's clear that we're seeing Leatherjack's internal monologue here there is a suggestion that we are now being made to empathise with this character and their position.
Panel #2
Later on in the story we learn that this last statement is not true and that Leatherjack has actually landed on earth.
Panel #3 -#5
This next letter in the alphabet follows on the patters which was started in the previous chapter. It's interesting that no direct association is posed against this word, unlike the previous two and the one on the next page. There is a slight suggestion that Lord Qwish is soon to be playing a game of cat and mouse with our protagonist but it's a tenous one.
Perhaps this is because Leatherjack's forceful command "IGNORE IT" is successful despite his later admission that "YOU CAN'T IGNORE IT".
"Cataracted with ice" - a cataract is a thin lense which grows over the pupil of an eye, usually occurring in the elderly.
Panel #6 -#7
Notice the book continues to change its cover, as it does its name. Visually its made clear here that the book itself is actually speaking to Leatherjack's thoughts as his internal monologue is made into a dialogue.
The final image of the book with "ABC" emblazoned across it suggests that it is trying to tune into Leatherjack's thought processes.
Page #3
Panel #1
Here we see a memory of Leatherjack's which like some of the others never quite becomes clear. As with the other ones which never really solicit an explanation we see he's in a situation which is dramatic to say the least. This motif helps to re-enforce him as an exciting dynamic character.
Panels #2 - #6
The internal monologue which started on the previous page now gradually escalates into a spoken dialogue. Notice how the flashback images are pasted over the top of the calm contemplative images of Leatherjack as he sits in a self-comforting pose. This re-enforces the idea that he has no control over the return of these memories. They are not being pulled up by his mind from the past but dropped onto him by a force above him.
Pages #4-5
Panel #1
"Congratulate us over tea and biscuits" notice how every subtlety is driven towards re-enforcing the image of the spinsters as quaint English women.
Panel #2
The effect of placing this image in the top right hand corner of this double page spread is in my opinion significant. Firstly notice how the speech bubble is not allowed to dominate, almost all of it lying outside of the panel. This allows the image to escape a too specific time frame within the narrative context of the spread. This frees it up to be reffered back to as the reader continues through the motage of pictures most of which are mainly portrayed in dull colours. Once finished the page needs to be turned and only the most casual of people will be able do so without looking at the top right hand corner where your eyes naturally lie as one lifts the page. The chances of a second glance once the page is finished are in my opinion increased by the fact that most of the image is done in an eye catching red. This second glance tactic hammers home the threatening nature of the spinster and also re-enforces his position above the action.
Panel #3
Notice how this panel is placed directly below the surface of the attack taking place above us in both terms of page composition and story location.
It's possible that "the heart of the world hive" could lie at the centre of this particular planet if the tale subscribes to the hollow earth theory which is becoming more popular in recent 2000AD tales. It was recently featured in The Red Seas. This idea has also been recently popularised by wacky conspiracy theorist David Icke who in his 1999 book "The Biggest Secret" argues that the earth is in fact hollow and inside it there lives a colony of giant shape changing lizards from the lower fourth dimension.
The use of condensed type here in the communication released by "superpheromones" is interesting; "-TheEnemyIsHere-TheTimeIsNow-".
It's possible that here this device is used to give the impression of binary code, a language used by computer programmers which consists entirely of "0" and "1". Using a combination of these two numbers any message in the world can, in theory, be communicated. Largely iradicating spaces between the letters in these sentences provides us with an echo of how these machine coded number patterns read to the human eye.
Panel #4
"Firecrackers" is used here as an alliterative metaphor which gives us a good idea of the sounds which the occupants of the hive are making as they move about in panic.
Panel #5
Larvae - Pupa - Nymph - Imago: The different stages of insect development.
"Chitin" is the hard substance which composes the shells of crabs and insects.
Panel #6
It is interesting to note here the use of the word "propaganda". It's a word which carries a certain ammount of baggage in light of the story's central theme. For me it carries hints of facistic regimes like Nazi germany.
Panel #7
The use of the word "swarmtroopers" also to my mind has a Hitlarian tone to it, recalling as it does the infamous Stormtroopers of the Third Reich. This fractionally subverts our preconceptions towards these initially sympathetic characters. I believe we are being intentionally confronted with the fact that they are not human as a direct contrast to the events which are about to unfold on the next page.
Panel #8
Notice the dull tones in this final panel though, our sympathies are still being ultimately drawn upon as we witness their apparently pathetic defeat. Note how it acts as a counterbalance to the insert panel at the top of the page.
Page #6
Panel #1
The image presented here is one which runs throughout human cultural history; the philosopher in the cave. There are many examples of this archetype, Muslim theology presents Mohammed as being given his first revelations while he was fasting in a cave. Further back there was Plato's famous allegory of the cave in which there are people inside one who are watching a light show instead of enjoying life outside. They are under the impression that the story being told to them by this lightshow is reality as opposed to the truth which lies outside.
This latter example prefigures the revelations which Leatherjack is soon to be subjected to as his reality is shown to be nothing but an illusion.
I'd suggest that this allegory is very obviously recalled by the use of his gun as a light sitting opposite the entrance with him in the middle. Notice that by looking at the book he is turning away from the light and therefore slightly closer to the mouth of the cave and by extension the truth.
Throughout this page we see a three way conversation taking place, the captions seem to represent a voice which is intent on maintaining the status quo, Leatherjack's spoken words are his immediate thoughts and the white face type seems to be the voice of the book, or perhaps more accurately the voice inspired by the book. I'd argue that all three are actually Leatherjack's thoughts as we're clearly witnessing a moment of extreme mental anguish and conflict.
Panel #2
Oil and water of course are insoluble and therefore do not mix. Furthermore oil is a substance made of organic compounds, primarily with the leftover bits of dead biological lifeforms. Perhaps you could read the use of this liquid here as being a reference to the death which lies in Leatherjack's past. Something we are about to be reminded of in the next panel.
Panels #3, #4, #5
It's interesting to note the panel composition in this particular squence as Leatherjack tries to fight off these memories by throwing the book away. The impression we are given is of the sequential pattern of panel #3 and panel #5 being physically interrupted by this violent action. Notice also how once he rejects the idea of remembering the truth the mouth of the cave is no longer visible to us.
The first image here is one we have seen already and its resonance suggests it carries particular significance in Leatherjack's mind.
The image of the dog recalls that of the one on page three of this episode. Given that we're also being told again here that "d is for dog" it's safe to assume that it's the same dog as the one on page 3. Thus these flashback pictures are starting to relate to each other more now as we are given glimpses of watch Leatherjack wants to avoid recalling. It's amusing to note also that D is for death.
Panel #6
Notice how Leatherjack retreats further back into the cave and away from the exit. His body language suggesting that he is self comforting. The image of the cave is also further re-enforced by the fact that if we accept that he is walking away from the exit (and by extension 'enlightenment') the book is therefore closer to it and would lead him out of his mental trap.
Panel #7
It is worth noting now that there has been an almost complete about turn as regards how we see the protagonist here. Initially he was an unsympathetic violent assasin. Now he cuts a pathetic desperate figure left dangling on the edge of a full blown schitzophrenic breakdown. The cliffhanger leaves us wondering exactly what his true story is.
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