Starlord (comics)

Starlord was a short-lived weekly British science fiction comic book magazine published by IPC in 1978 as a sister title to "2000 AD", which had been launched the previous year in anticipation of a science fiction boom surrounding "Star Wars".
"Starlord" was planned as a fortnightly title for older readers, with longer stories and higher production values than "2000 AD" and the rest of the IPC boys' comics stable, but this proved too ambitious. Episodes were shortened, the number of colour pages was reduced, although the better quality paper and printing were retained, and "Starlord" was published weekly at a higher cover price than "2000 AD".
Stories.
Stories included:
Publications.
As well as 22 regular issues, there were also three Annuals dated 1980–1982 (each published at the end of the previous year) and one Summer Special in 1978.
Merger.
IPC found that publishing two science fiction titles split the market. "Starlord" was actually the better selling of the two titles, and normal policy was to end the poorer-performing title and merge it into the more popular comic. However, group editor John Sanders preferred "2000 AD" and so he decided to end "Starlord" instead. "Starlord" was cancelled after 22 issues and merged with "2000 AD" in issue 86 of that title. Its last issue was dated 7 October 1978. Sales of "2000 AD" steadily increased.
"2000 AD"'s line-up was strengthened by the merger: "Strontium Dog" became one of its most popular and long-running series; and "Ro-Busters" continued on in "2000 AD" for a while and led to an enduring spin-off, "ABC Warriors", which still features today. "Timequake" also briefly featured in issues 148 to 151. By that time the title "Starlord" had been dropped from the cover of "2000 AD" with issue 127 in August 1979.
Collected editions.
Two series, those that carried on into "2000 AD", have been collected by Rebellion Developments into trade paperbacks:
The series "Mind Wars" was reprinted in the supplements to issues 408 and 409 of the "Judge Dredd Megazine" in 2019. The episode in the Annual was reprinted in the supplement to #411.
Editor.
"Starlord" was edited by Kelvin Gosnell, who was also editor of "2000 AD", although he mostly concentrated on "Starlord" and left "2000 AD" to assistant editor Nick Landau. After "Starlord" merged with "2000 AD", Gosnell became editor of new comic "Tornado".
Like "2000 AD", "Tornado" and "Scream!", "Starlord" had a fictional editor, a bouffant-haired superhero also called Starlord, and each issue was supposed to be a primer for survival in the galaxy. When the title was cancelled and merged with "2000 AD", Starlord announced that his mission on Earth had been successfully completed and he was off to battle the evil Interstellar Federation on other worlds, though he urged his readers to "keep watching the stars" (his catchphrase). When a "2000 AD" reader asked after Starlord's whereabouts in a 1999 issue though, "2000 AD" editor Tharg claimed that "While Starlord has not been sighted on Earth since 1979, rumours that he was seen in a McDonalds in Basingstoke cannot be entirely discounted". On another occasion, it was claimed that he was "out in the Rakkalian Cluster, singing lead soprano with an Alvin Stardust tribute band". Heralding the 40th anniversary of the comic, and satirising the flurry of revelations regarding 1970s children's entertainers, it was suggested in a satirical story that Starlord was in fact a warmongerer who brainwashed children to become child soldiers and had been imprisoned as a war criminal for the past four decades.
Story index.
Regular issues.
Planet of the Damned<br>
Issues: 1–10<br>
Episodes: 10<br>
Pages: 49<br>
Script: R. E. Wright<br>
Art: Lalia 1; Pena 2, 5, 6, 8, 10; Azpiri 3, 4, 7, 9<br>
Cover dates: 13 May 1978 to 15 July 1978
Timequake<br>
"First story"<br>
Issues: 1–3<br>
Episodes: 3<br>
Pages: 18<br>
Script: Jack Adrian<br>
Art: Ian Kennedy 1, 3; John Cooper 2<br>
Dated: 13 May 1978 to 27 May 1978
"Second story"<br>
Issues: 4–9<br>
Episodes: 6<br>
Pages: 36<br>
Script: Jack Adrian<br>
Art: Magellanes Salinas<br>
Dated: 3/6/78 to 8/7/78
"Third story"<br>
Issues: 10–13<br>
Episodes: 4<br>
Pages: 28<br>
Script: Ian Mennell<br>
Art: Magellanes Salinas<br>
Dated: 15 July 1978 to 5 August 1978
Strontium Dog<br>
"Max Quirxx"<br>
Issues: 1–2<br>
Episodes: 2<br>
Pages: 10<br>
Script: John Wagner<br>
Art: Carlos Ezquerra<br>
Dated: 13 May 1978 to 20 May 1978
"Papa Por-ka"<br>
Issues: 3–5<br>
Episodes: 3<br>
Pages: 15<br>
Script: John Wagner<br>
Art: Carlos Ezquerra<br>
Dated: 27 May 1978 to 10 June 1978
"No Cure For Kansyr"<br>
Issues: 6–7<br>
Episodes: 2<br>
Pages: 10<br>
Script: John Wagner<br>
Art: Carlos Ezquerra<br>
Dated: 17 June 1978 to 24 June 1978
"Planet of the Dead"<br>
Issues: 8–10<br>
Episodes: 3<br>
Pages: 15<br>
Script: John Wagner<br>
Art: Carlos Ezquerra<br>
Dated: 1 July 1978 to 15 July 1978
"Two-Faced Terror!"<br>
Issues: 12–15<br>
Episodes: 4<br>
Pages: 23<br>
Script: John Wagner<br>
Art: Carlos Ezquerra<br>
Dated: 29 July 1978 to 19 August 1978
"Demon Maker"<br>
Issues: 17–19<br>
Episodes: 3<br>
Pages: 15<br>
Script: John Wagner<br>
Art: Brendan McCarthy 1; Ian Gibson 2–3<br>
Dated: 2 September 1978 to 16 September 1978
"The Ultimate Weapon"<br>
Issues: 21–22<br>
Episodes: 2<br>
Pages: 10<br>
Script: John Wagner<br>
Art: Carlos Ezquerra<br>
Dated: 30 September 1978 to 7 October 78
Ro-Busters<br>
"First story"<br>
Issue: 1<br>
Episodes: 1<br>
Pages: 11<br>
Script: Pat Mills<br>
Art: Carlos Pino<br>
Dated: 13 May 1978<br>
"Second story"<br>
Issues: 2–4<br>
Episodes: 3<br>
Pages: 18<br>
Script: Pat Mills<br>
Art: Carlos Pino<br>
Dated: 20 May 1978 to 3 March 1978
"Third story"<br>
Issues: 5–6<br>
Episodes: 2<br>
Pages: 10<br>
Script: Bill Henry<br>
Art: Ian Kennedy<br>
Dated: 10 June 1978 to 17 June 1978
"Fourth story"<br>
Issues: 7–12<br>
Episodes: 6<br>
Pages: 38<br>
Script: Pat Mills<br>
Art: Carlos Pino<br>
Dated: 24 June 1978 to 29 July 1978
"Fifth story"<br>
Issues: 13–14<br>
Episodes: 2<br>
Pages: 14<br>
Script: V. Gross<br>
Art: Ian Kennedy<br>
Dated: 5/8/78 to 12/8/78
"Sixth story"<br>
Issues: 15–19<br>
Episodes: 5<br>
Pages: 34<br>
Script: Jack Adrian<br>
Art: Carlos Pino 1, 3, 5; Ferrer 2, 4<br>
Dated: 19 August 1978 to 16 September 1978
"Seventh story"<br>
Issues: 20–22<br>
Episodes: 3<br>
Pages: 23<br>
Script: Jack Adrian<br>
Art: Ferrer 1, 3; Carlos Pino 2<br>
Dated: 23 September 1978 to 7 October 1978
Mind Wars<br>
Issues: 2–22<br>
Episodes: 21<br>
Pages: 129<br>
Script: Alan Hebden<br>
Art: Jesus Redondo 1–19, 21<br>(with Ian Gibson in episode 11);<br>Mike White 20<br>
Dated: 20 May 1978 to 7 October 1978
Good Morning, Sheldon, I Love You!<br>
Issue: 11<br>
Episodes: 1<br>
Pages: 6<br>
Script: John Wagner<br>
Art: Casanovas<br>
Dated: 22 July 1978
Holocaust<br>
Issues: 14–22<br>
Episodes: 9<br>
Pages: 69<br>
Script: Alan Hebden<br>
Art: Lalia 1–4; "unknown artist" 5, 8–9;<br>
Madigllianes 6; Luis 7<br>
Dated: 12/8/78 to 7/10/78
Earn Big Money While You Sleep!<br>
Issue: 16<br>
Episodes: 1<br>
Pages: 6<br>
Script: Alan Grant and John Wagner<br>
Art: Casanovas<br>
Dated: 26 August 1978
The Snatch<br>
Issue: 17<br>
Episodes: 1<br>
Pages: 3<br>
Script: Alan Hebden<br>
Art: Pena<br>
Dated: 2/9/78
Skirmish!<br>
Issue: 20<br>
Episodes: 1<br>
Pages: 5<br>
Script: Alan Hebden<br>
Art: Pena<br>
Dated: 23 September 1978
Summer special.
Timequake<br>
Pages: 9<br>
Script: Patterson<br>
Art: John Cooper
Ro-Busters<br>
Pages: 10<br>
Script: V. Gross<br>
Art: G. Campion
Trash<br>
Pages: 7<br>
Script: D. Hooper<br>
Art: Magano
Strontium Dog<br>
Pages: 10<br>
Script: Bill Henry<br>
Art: Brendan McCarthy
Neutron Tide<br>
Text story by Arthur C. Clarke<br>